Andre was glad when Tasha dipped her spoon into the soup, tasted it, then went back for more. She ate nearly half before pushing it aside.
When the next course was served, typically a garden salad of some sort, she was having none of it, which didn’t surprise Andre. She’d made it clear, more than once, that she hated any kind of lettuce.
But instead of complaining, Tasha sat quietly as Claudette and Lecie chatted about the plans they’d already arranged for the wedding coming up next week. Tasha listened, tilting her head their way every so often, as if the wedding being discussed was not hers but someone else’s.
Andre’s step-mother and his sister scarcely stopped to draw breath as the main course was served.
Tasha devoured the roast beef and au gratin potatoes, picked through the vegetables—mainly eating the yellow and green squash, leaving the peppers pushed to one side on her plate.
Every so often Camille would snag a pepper from the discarded food on Tasha’s plate. Normally, that would’ve drove Papa nuts, but now he hardly seemed to notice.
Andre glanced around the table checking everyone’s plate, examining how close they were to finishing. Funny, now that the time had come, he felt a measure of anxiety stirring in his abdomen.
He gave his stomach a gentle rub, wondering if Tasha was feeling okay. Andre had a great deal of anticipation building inside. He’d have to admit that he held a certain sense of perverse pleasure in knowing he’d gotten out of the gate before Julian—who’d been married an entire year.
Big brother was not going to like this. He wouldn’t take it lightly, being shown up by Andre. But he would have to live with it, and that made Andre chuckle a little, if only to himself.
Andre, so rapt in his thoughts, hadn’t really noticed Julian tossing his napkin onto his plate and pushing his chair back as he stood. Julian placed his hand on Camille’s shoulder, winked at her and then turned his attention to the rest of the family.
What is he doing? Andre fidgeted in his chair, wanting Julian to hurry up and sit back down. He had more important things to share.
“First…” Julian glanced past Camille, setting his sights on Tasha. “Let me officially welcome Camille’s best friend Tasha to the family.” He reached for his glass of wine. “From the moment I met you, I knew you’d steal my little brother’s heart.” He lifted the glass toward Andre and Tasha. “I couldn’t think of a better person for the task.” He nodded. “Because I know you’ll cherish it.” Julian’s gaze traveled around the table as he said, “To Andre and Tasha!”
A myriad of voices repeated the toast and then everyone began drinking from their glasses. Not everyone’s glass was filled with wine like Julian’s. Andre and Claudette were the only other people at the table with a glass of wine for dinner. Lecie was too young, Maurice didn’t dare—not in front of Claudette, and water had been requested for Tasha and Camille.
Andre set his glass down and took one last glance at Julian, eager for him to sit so Andre could share his and Tasha’s good news.
But Julian didn’t sit down. He remained standing over Camille, his wine glass still in hand. “Now…” Once again, Julian looked at his wife, and this time he smiled. “Not that I want to steal your thunder or anything…” He looked at Andre. “But Camille and I have an announcement of some importance.”
As do I. Andre sucked in a deep breath to squelch his impatience. So get to it.
“I’m pleased to announce—” Julian’s attention was back on Camille now. “—that my lovely wife is pregnant.”
Andre should’ve known Julian would find a way to eclipse him. But all was not lost. He’d wait until he found out when Camille was due before falling back into second position again.
His luck couldn’t be that bad, could it? Just once, he wanted to do something before Julian. Competition was in their nature, and until now Julian had held the grand prize—de Laurent Enterprises. Siring the first grandchild was all Andre had. And now Julian threatened to take that away from him too. Perhaps Tasha could find out from Camille when she was due.
After the revelry over Julian and Camille’s good fortune died down and the family dispersed from the dinner table, Tasha and Andre headed into the hallway. As they walked, she leaned against Andre and whispered, “Let’s have some tea out in the rose garden?”
“All right.” Andre nodded. “It sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“Are you disappointed?” she asked, but didn’t say about what.
“I’m the happiest man around. Why would you think I’d be disappointed over anything?”
“I know you wanted to tell everyone about our baby at dinner tonight,” she said. “But it seems Julian beat you to the punch.”
“I’ll tell them later.” He shrugged. “All that matters now is you, me and our baby.”
“I’m very excited.”
“About the wedding next week?” he guessed. “We will be going on a short honeymoon. I have—we have—a little villa in St. Tropez. It’s right on the ocean. You’ll love it. When we come back, after we’ve seen the doctor and he gives us permission we’ll take a cruise of the Greek Isles or wherever you wish to go.”
“St. Tropez sounds perfect.” Tasha smiled. “And I am excited about that, but it’s not what I was talking about.”
“Our baby?”
She nodded. “And Camille’s. It’s going to be such fun, both of us being pregnant at the same time. I wonder which one of us will give birth first?”
That inquiry had crossed Andre’s mind a time or two in the last fifteen minutes. And now, it was front and center, weighing heavily on Andre’s shoulders. If Camille had her baby first, Julian would never let Andre forget it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ANDRE HEADED TO THE EAST ROSE GARDEN to wait for Tasha, who’d gone up to change into something more comfortable. Simon had gone to the kitchen to arrange for tea and Fig Newtons—Tasha’s favorite cookie—to be served to the newlyweds on the terrace.
The solitude of the garden and the ambiance of the moonlight promised to subdue Andre’s anxiety once Tasha joined him.
So what if Julian and Camille’s baby was born first? It didn’t take away from the fact that Tasha was having his baby. The idea filled Andre’s heart with joy.
As par for the course with Julian, he and Camille would probably have a boy. Maybe Andre and Tasha’s baby would be a girl? The first granddaughter. She would definitely be Claudette’s favorite. And seeing the way Papa had softened upon Lecie’s arrival, Andre thought it a fair bet that Papa’s first granddaughter would easily have him wrapped around her little finger.