As Tasha walked away, she heard Cecily say, “I’ll just bet you do.”
Tasha’s first thought was to turn around and tell her off, but Tasha’s common sense told her not to bother. Instead, she headed for the door. She had far more pressing matters. Like why Andre had chosen to keep her in the dark.
And was she pregnant?
Back at Pacifique de Lumière, Tasha hurried to the suite she and Andre shared and dumped the shopping bags onto the bed. She rummaged through them until she found the pregnancy test. Clutching it in her hand, she sucked in a breath and headed for the bathroom. Inside, she closed the door, turned the lock, and took another deep breath.
This morning, Tasha had wanted desperately to be pregnant again, even though she hadn’t admitted it—until now. But in light of the impromptu meeting she’d just had with Cecily, she was now having second thoughts.
What if she were pregnant? Would it be a good idea to stay with Andre, knowing why he’d married her? If only he’d told her about the will’s requirements for inheriting. She probably would’ve been apprehensive, but at least she would’ve known he trusted her enough to tell her the truth. Yet, he hadn’t told her. And the way this thing was playing out, the whole deal seemed shady.
Tasha blew out her frustrations and tore into the test’s packaging. She couldn’t figure out her next step until she knew all the facts. And the fact of whether or not she was pregnant would determine her next move.
She dropped her pants and undergarments, sat down on the toilet and followed the instructions for taking the test. When she was done, she capped the test and laid it on the sink. After readjusting her clothing, she washed her hands and tried not to look at the stick, wanting to wait the full three minutes the instructions had suggested.
Tasha dried her hands on the nearby towel, then lowered the top toilet seat and sat down. She propped her chin in her hands and began to contemplate what she’d do if it turned out she was pregnant versus if she wasn’t.
If the test was negative, she’d simply leave and go back to LA. She was used to living on her own, taking care of herself. She might have been living in the lap of luxury for nearly a year, but it wasn’t so long that she had forgotten how to take care of herself. She’d go back to her old home, and her old dreams.
Tasha closed her eyes, wanting desperately, but was half-afraid, to look at the stick. Her life was about to turn in a very different direction, no matter the results. Either way, it wasn’t going to be easy.
Had it been three minutes? Surely it had.
She opened one eye and let her gaze roll over toward the stick.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CECILY CHARGED THROUGH THE FOYER of her brother’s home. She needed no help in finding Connie’s library. She knew the layout of this house better than she did the place where Andre de Laurent had stashed her and Daniel.
Connie was already inside the library. Good. Cecily laid her purse on the table by the door and hurried toward her brother standing by the window with a drink in hand.
“Well, you sure took your sweet time…” He raised his glass in a toast. “Considering the hurry you seemed to be in on the phone.”
“Make jokes all you want.” Nothing, not even Connie’s negativity, could alienate her now. “But you’ll be thanking me before too long.”
“Is that a fact?” He took a drink.
Cecily went to the bar and poured herself a whiskey and seven. She deserved a drink, and lots more. She raised a silent toast to herself before turning back to face Connie. “A couple of days ago I thought we were done for.”
“We are done for.” He shook his head. “You had a damn good job with the de Laurents. You should’ve just kept your mouth shut.”
“You say that now.” She strolled toward the window and glanced out. The backyard was small but lush, with green grass and trees lining the back fence. If she leaned toward the window enough, she’d be able to see the hot pink Phlox lining the perimeter of the house. “It’s like I’ve always told you, Connie…good things come to those who wait.”
“A couple months more…” Connie shrugged. “And it won’t matter.” He looked at Cecily with a soft expression. “What will you do now?”
“Wait.”
“Wait?” His voice filled with surprise, then skepticism. “Wait for what?”
“For the attorneys to call us and tell us that Andre de Laurent has relinquished his claim on the Renault fortune,” she said in a mean-spirited tone.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” He shook his head. He looked at Cecily and raised his near-empty glass in a toast. “You’re an optimist, I’ll give you that.” He swallowed the rest of his drink.
“Well, I do have reason to be.”
“What have you done now, sister dear?”
“I had a little chat with Mrs. de Laurent today.”
That got his attention. For the first time since she’d walked into the room, he looked at her with a hopeful expression. “I take it you mean Andre’s wife?”
“That’s the one.” The whole thing gave her a puffed-up feeling. “Turns out I was right. She hadn’t a clue about the will’s stipulation requiring Andre to get married in order to inherit. You should’ve seen her face. It was amazing, even a little amusing…” Her declaration trailed off into a chuckle.
“Upset, was she?” He grinned. “Do you think she’ll leave him?”
“I think she’s preparing to leave as we speak, if she hasn’t left already.”
“What do you think his chances are that she’ll accept a payoff to stay?”
“Zero.” Cecily shook her head. “That girl’s in love. And when you’re in love, nobody likes to be used—especially when it comes to money.”
Connie refilled their glasses. The siblings raised their drinks and toasted. Their jovial laughter filled the room. Finally, Lady Luck had smiled upon them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
TASHA WAITED IN THE LITTLE-USED PARLOR in the west wing of the third floor. Andre had some explaining to do, and once he got started, she didn’t want them disturbed. She skipped the drink she wanted to settle her nerves. Instead, she poured herself a glass of chilled water and moved to the window.
A variety of flowers in a bounty of colors lined the paths in the west garden. Tasha was going to miss this place. She’d resigned herself not to fret over it. Instead, she was going to cherish each moment she had left until her time here was up. At least it brought her some peace of mind.