‘My mother will adore you once she gets to know you.’ Jack went to the door and opened it with Marli still cradled against his chest.
A tall and elegantly dressed woman in her late fifties swept into the room carrying loaded bags. There was a luggage trolley outside the door with a staff member in attendance, and an array of things were stacked on it, including a gorgeous pink and white bassinet. ‘Oh, Jack, isn’t she just divine?’ Liz Livingstone placed the bags on the floor and took the baby from him. ‘Oh, look at you, my little darling. You’re exactly like your daddy with those big blue eyes. And look at all that hair.’ She smothered Marli with kisses, her eyes moist with tears. ‘I’ve waited so long for this moment. I still can’t believe it’s true. I’m finally a grandmother.’
Jack placed his hand on his mother’s shoulder to turn her to face Harper. ‘Mum, this is my fiancée, Harper Swan. Harper, this is my mother, Liz.’
Harper met the older woman’s gaze without smiling or speaking. She knew it was rude of her but she was not going to forgive being called a gold-digger in a hurry.
Liz swept her coolly assessing gaze over Harper. ‘Well, you’re not exactly what I was expecting.’
Harper raised her eyebrows in an imperious manner. ‘As you can see, I’m not your son’s usual blonde supermodel-type.’
‘But you’re beautiful for all that.’ The compliment was given in a grudging manner by the older woman but Harper refused to be mollified by it. She did not want to get close to Jack or his mother. Jack’s mother turning up with a bundle of presents only served to remind Harper of her own mother’s absence. Her baby girl had only one grandmother when she should have had two. Liz Livingstone was a protective mother and clearly only wanted what was best for her son. It drove it home even more painfully that Harper had no one looking out for her.
But wasn’t that the story of her life?
Marli began to whimper, giving Harper the perfect excuse to take her from Liz’s arms. ‘Excuse me, I need to feed her.’
It looked for a moment as if Liz wasn’t going to hand the baby over. But then she pursed her lips and passed Marli to Harper. ‘You’re feeding her yourself?’
‘Yes.’
‘You’ll have to weigh her regularly to make sure she’s not losing weight,’ Liz said. ‘It wouldn’t hurt to give her a bottle or two. That way Jack or I can feed her.’
Harper held Marli close to her chest, sending the older woman a challenging glare. ‘I don’t want anyone else to feed her but me. And I don’t want her handled by too many strangers.’
‘But I’m her grandmother,’ Liz said, clearly affronted.
‘Mum.’ Jack’s tone had a note of caution in it. ‘We’re both still getting over the surprise of having a baby. Take it easy, eh?’
Liz let out a huffy sigh, spun on her heels and started rummaging in the bags she had brought in. ‘All the clothes in here are organic cotton. It’s best for the baby’s skin. And I’ve only bought safety standard approved toys. You have to be so careful with small beads and batteries and other tiny things with infants.’ She held up a frilly pink outfit. ‘Isn’t this so cute? I can’t wait to dress her in it.’
‘We already have enough pink outfits,’ Harper said. ‘I want Marli to wear other colours.’
‘What? Like black?’ Liz said with a scornful roll of her eyes.
The battle lines were drawn, the tension in the air palpable.
‘Mum, let’s leave Harper to feed Marli in peace,’ Jack said on a sigh, taking his mother by the elbow. ‘We’ll go and have a gin and tonic in the bar downstairs. I’m sure Harper will be happy to see you in a day or two once she’s got over the birth.’
‘But I want to spend more time with my granddaughter,’ Liz insisted. ‘I want her to properly bond with me.’
‘You’ll get plenty of time with her,’ Jack said. ‘But now’s not a good moment.’
‘You’re damn right it’s not,’ Harper said under her breath and closed Jack’s bedroom door on them both with a resounding click.
CHAPTER SIX
JACKCAMEBACKupstairs an hour later once he had seen his mother off. It had taken every one of his negotiating skills and then some to bring his mother around to promising to go slowly with Harper. The last thing he wanted was any animosity between them. He wanted his relationship with Harper to work from the get-go, and any bad feeling on his mother’s or Harper’s part was not going to do him any favours, nor would it help Marli.
Harper was kneeling in front of the capsule on the floor of the sitting room, rocking it back and forth in a gentle manner. She glanced up at him but went back to staring at their child, her shoulders hunching forward. ‘Your mother hates me.’
‘Well, you didn’t exactly lay on the charm.’
‘Why should I? She thinks I’m after your money.’
He scraped a hand through his hair and came over to where she was kneeling. ‘You’re a mother now, so you’ll understand how protective mothers are over their offspring. She just wants what’s best for me.’
Harper made a snorting noise. ‘Well, clearly that’s not me.’ She rose to her feet and stood in front of him with a defiant look on her face. ‘I can imagine the type of woman she wants you to marry. Someone who comes from an aristocratic background, someone who can move in the circles you move in without embarrassing you.’