One tiny bit of her brain had been assimilating the result, denying its plausibility. Itwasn’tpossible. Except for the fact that itwas. And the reason it was possible was standing three feet away, staring at her with sombre judgment in his eyes. So, no, right now she didnotwant to retake the test.
Because what if it was right?Couldit be? That tiny bit of brain panicked. She didn’t yet know whether her cancer treatment had impacted on her ability to get pregnant. That wasn’t something she’d thought she’d have to explore for a while. She was supposed to be travelling, all carefree adventure...
But a huge amount of unexpected hope suddenly hit, and belief followed. Maybe it was intuition or an innate awareness but, now the prospect had been raised,wasit possible? Or was it simply wishful thinking because the possibility of a fertility struggle had been something she’d buried?
As the thoughts occurred to her too slowly, too confusedly, there was suddenly an image in her mind that shouldn’t be there: an adorable cherub, a dumpling delight of an infant. A boy with blue eyes with a singular brown patch, with unruly dark hair and a devilishly charming smile. It melted her heart and broke it all at the same time. She couldn’t let that thought in. She just couldn’t.
Stricken, she stared at Roman.
‘Would you give us a moment?’ Roman said firmly to Colson, but his gaze on Violet was unwavering.
‘Sir?’
‘Violet and I are acquainted. I’ll handle this.’ He offered no other explanation.
Violet turned in time to see Colson’s eyes all but pop out of his head.
‘Of course.’ He couldn’t get out quickly enough.
‘I suggest you enact those contingency plans,’ Roman called as the manager headed out of the carriage. ‘She will not be working this trip.’
Violet gaped. Was he going to throw her off the train? That meant she had no place to go. Manhattan had run her travel fund down to dire levels. Her parents had warned her that she hadn’t saved enough when they’d wanted to stop her travelling. They’d been right. And now?
She glared at Roman.
He gazed back watchfully. ‘Drugs, Violet?’
‘Not drugs.’ Her voice came out horribly husky.
He didn’t respond. He didn’t help her out at all. He just waited.
‘Apparently they also test for...for...’ She couldn’t actually utter the word.
He still stared at her. Waiting.
‘You don’t evenknow?’ Scared, she let anger rage. ‘It’s your company and you don’t even know all the things they test for?’
‘Crew compliance is an operational issue,’ he said. ‘So if it’s not drugs...?’
‘Pregnancy.’
His eyes widened. ‘What?’
She couldn’t cope with talking about it. Not yet. She needed confirmation of other things. She needed time to think about what the heck she was going to do. ‘Why did Colson leave when you asked him to? Are you his boss? Why are you evenhere?’
‘You’repregnant?’
Her throat tightened and then she couldn’t speak at all.
He ran his hand through his hair and suddenly stepped closer. ‘You’re pregnant withmybaby.’
His savage certainty shouldn’t have made her shiver but shiver she did, a trembling, head-to-toe shudder in response to the raw possessiveness in his tone.
She twisted her fingers, trying to hold it together. ‘It can’t be right.’
‘You didn’t know?’
‘Of course not.’ She threw him a shocked look. ‘Not until just now.’