Double Trouble: Pregnancy Surprise: Two Little Miracles / Expecting Royal Twins! / Miracle: Twin Babies. Melissa McClone

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ it’s OK, we’re all fine,’ she assured him, but he still looked pale.

      ‘You should have called me,’ Linda said gently. ‘I would have come and helped you.’

      ‘And told Max?’

      Her face contorted, and she swallowed hard and bit her lip. ‘I’m sorry; it’s none of my business.’

      ‘It’s not you,’ she said hurriedly. ‘We were just having problems—’

      ‘You were having problems. I was too wrapped up in my life to realise,’ he said, his fairness and honesty amazing her yet again. ‘Julia pointed out to me yesterday that I’m only eleven years younger than Dad was when he died. And I don’t want to go the same way.’

      ‘Good,’ Linda said, her eyes filling. ‘He was a good man, your father, but he didn’t know when to stop, and I’ve been so worried about you. Maybe this was exactly what you needed to bring you to your senses.’

      ‘Well, let’s hope so,’ Julia said quietly. ‘Linda, I could do with heating some food for them. They’re going to start to yell in a minute; they’ve had a long morning.’

      ‘Of course. Come on through to the kitchen; the men can look after them for a minute.’

      And, Julia thought realistically, it would give Linda a chance to grill her about her motives.

      Except she didn’t, not at first; she just put the kettle on, put the baby food in the microwave and then turned and gave Julia a hug.

      ‘Oh, I’ve missed you,’ she said, letting her go. ‘I realise you couldn’t contact me if you felt you couldn’t talk to Max, but I have missed you.’

      ‘I’ve missed you, too,’ she said with a lump in her throat. ‘I could have done with a mum while they were in hospital. I had Jane, but she’d just had her own baby, and it was difficult for her.’

      Linda’s face was troubled, and after a moment she said, ‘Do you mind if I ask you something? Why didn’t you tell him you were pregnant? Was it because of Debbie?’

      ‘Debbie?’ she asked, a feeling of foreboding washing over her. ‘Who’s Debbie?’

      Linda’s face was a mass of conflicting emotions. ‘He hasn’t told you?’ She said in the end, and Julia shook her head.

      ‘I know nothing about anyone called Debbie. Who is she? Don’t tell me he’s having an affair—’

      ‘No! Oh, good grief, no, nothing like that. Oh, my goodness—’ She covered her mouth with her hand and stared at Julia, then shook her head and flapped her hand as if she was seeking a way out. ‘Um—I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not my story to tell. You’ll have to ask Max. Oh, dear God, I can’t believe he hasn’t told you.’

      ‘Is it something to do with why he doesn’t want children?’ she asked, watching Linda carefully, but Linda obviously felt she’d said more than enough, and she shook her head and held up her hand.

      ‘No. I’m sorry, darling, I can’t tell you. You’ll have to talk to Max, but—tread carefully. At the time—No, you’ll have to ask him yourself, I can’t say any more.’ She straightened up, the pots of food in her hand, and found a smile. ‘Come on, let’s go and feed the babies. I never thought I’d ever be a grandmother, and I don’t intend to waste a minute of it.’

      They had a lovely afternoon.

      After lunch—which his mother had thrown together after a hasty trip to the supermarket deli-counter earlier when he’d phoned to warn her they were coming—they took the babies out for a walk on Hampstead Heath.

      ‘We should have brought Murphy,’ he said, but Julia just laughed.

      ‘I don’t think so. He’s better off at home. He’d be a nightmare in the mud, and your mother’s house isn’t exactly designed for dogs, with all that pale carpet.’

      ‘OK,’ he said with a wry grin. ‘Maybe you’re right.’

      ‘Of course I’m right. I’m—’ She broke off, and he eyed her thoughtfully.

      ‘Always right?’ he offered, and she shook her head, tears she’d scarcely shed before this week filling her eyes for the hundredth time.

      ‘I’m sorry.’

      ‘Hey, not now. We’re having a happy day.’

      He held out his hand, and after a moment she slipped her fingers into his and squeezed, but there was a bit of her that wondered if he was putting on a show for his mother’s benefit.

      But he didn’t hold her hand for long, because the buggy got stuck and he had to go and help Richard lift it up some steps, and then his mother put her arm through his and started to talk to him, and Julia was left with Richard and the babies.

      ‘He’s looking better.’

      ‘He needed to. He was haggard when he arrived on Monday. I was shocked. I’d managed to convince myself that he didn’t care—’

      ‘Didn’t care?’ Richard gave a short cough of laughter. ‘Oh, no. He cared. I’ve never seen a man so tortured. He was devastated when he couldn’t find you. I really think he imagined you were dead.’

      Oh, lord. She closed her eyes for a second and stumbled, but Richard caught her arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

      ‘You’ll sort it out between you,’ he said comfortingly. ‘Just give it time.’

      She’d given it two weeks, and nearly a third of that was gone. It was Thursday now, and he’d been there since Monday. So that was another ten days. Would it be enough to convince her that he’d changed? Or enough for him to know just what he was taking on?

      She didn’t know. But Yashimoto was going to be out of the picture soon, and that meant no more trips to Tokyo. If he could do the same with the New York operation, so he only had his UK businesses to worry about, then maybe, just maybe, they’d be all right.

      But, in the meantime, she had to find a way of asking him about Debbie, and, until she knew exactly who she was and what she meant to him, she had no idea what the future might hold. She just knew that, if Linda was to be believed, Debbie was hugely significant.

      If only she knew what it was she was asking him…

      ‘Poor old Murphs. Did we abandon you, mate?’

      Max ruffled his ears and stroked his side, and Murphy leant against him and thumped his tail enthusiastically.

      ‘I think that means “feed me”,’ Jules said drily, and he laughed and picked up his bowl.

      ‘Hungry, are you?’ he said, and the tail went faster. ‘Shall I feed him?’

      ‘Mmm—but, if you could take him out for a run first, that would be great. I’ll bath the girls.’

      ‘Are you sure you can manage?’

      ‘I’m СКАЧАТЬ