Chapter 11

No matter how much he tried to put a positive spin on the matter, it was not working. He had gone into the corporate office and met with the board.

Profits were up, and the morale of the staff members had taken a beating because of the news about their CEO's condition, but after the meeting, they had been assured that nothing had changed and that it was business as usual.

There had been a wrong moment during the board meeting when the questions had been thrown at him.

"Is it your plan to leave again?" A longtime member had asked during a lull.

"No." Landen had clipped.

"We asked because you have been known to take off suddenly."

"I am here now, am I not?" He had asked coolly, hating that these old men were sitting there casting judgment on him. He was more than competent to run the company and was not some idle wealthy heir who sat on his ass and spent a fortune jet-setting around the world. He made his contribution.

But the question about him leaving was bothering him. He had not discussed the future with Tessa. He had half-heartedly suggested she accompanied him here, but nothing more than that. He had not factored in his father's illness or the fact that he would be thrown into the position as head of the company and the family this suddenly.

He had no idea what he was going to do. He spoke to her daily to keep the relationship alive, but he did not know what else to do. And now he was at the manor for dinner.

"I have invited the Pendleton's."

He had been standing by the window with a drink one of the maids had poured, his expression pensive. His mother's remark made him rigid, and he turned slowly to face her.

Margaret Chapman had dressed for dinner, wearing a chic lime green skirt suit with a green and white scarf around her neck. Her thick dark hair was piled on her head, and pearls glistened at her throat and lobes.

Landen was not wearing a suit. Ever since his travels to the States and his informal dinner with Tessa, the idea of dressing up just to sit down for a meal had become ludicrous. He had seen the disapproving look on his khaki trousers, casual blue cotton shirt, and sports jacket. He was not even wearing socks.

"Why wasn't I warned?" He looked at his sister and her husband accusingly, but they gave him blank stares, indicating they were unaware of the extra company.

His mother's shoulders stiffened in affront. "This is my home, and I am free to invite whomever I please." She took a delicate sip of her sherry. "Besides, now that you are back where you belong, we should start discussing wedding plans."

"Whose?" He asked coldly.

She blinked at his tone. "Yours, of course. Sara is a wonderful young woman and will make a suitable wife."

Tossing back the drink, he strode to slam the glass on a priceless cherry wood table. "If you bring up that topic at dinner, you will be very embarrassed. I have no intention of marrying that woman."

"Your father-"

"Don't!" He said sharply. "Don't tell me that is what Father wants for me. And don't remind me of my duties as your son. I will not bind myself to a woman I am not in love with."

"Why is that?" His mother's voice was cold and forbidding. "Because you met some woman at a gallery in America?" She watched as his eyes flared in surprise. "You think we would allow you to wander off for a month and not keep tabs on you?"

Landen turned white with fury, and it was all he could do not to lash out at her. The stifling reality of his life was glaring him in the face, and he could not stand it.

"Allow me?" His voice had gone dangerously soft. "Allow me?" he repeated, hands clenched into fists. "You certainly did not ‘allow' me, madam, and I am bloody free to go where I please. As for that woman in that particular gallery, I am in love with her, and she is the one I will marry."

"How dare you!" His mother's face had turned a startling shade of red, and Elizabeth was jumping to her feet, and Harry was doing the same. "You would shame the family by consorting with that - that woman? I will not allow that; do you hear me? You will never see her again."

"Mother, please," Elizabeth whispered, rushing over to pour her a glass of water and bringing it to her.

"What are you going to do?" Landen asked her caustically. "Lock me away in my apartment? Take away my travel documents? Tessa might be carrying my child right now, and I want that to happen. Nothing you can do or say will stop me from being with her. Is that clear?"

They glared at each other briefly, the tension thick inside the gold and white sitting room.

"Get out." She told him hoarsely. "Get out of my house."

"Gladly." With a curt nod, he turned on his heels and walked out, slamming the doors shut behind him.

"Mother-"

"Put the glass down and stop waving it in front of my face." She glared at her hapless daughter. "Did you know about this?"

"I-" Elizabeth put down the glass and only stopped herself from wringing her hands. "He told me not to say anything. I am sorry." She whispered. She almost trembled in relief when the maid announced that dinner was served.

*****

He went to the hospital. He had been about to go to his flat when he decided to go and check in on his father.

"There has been no change, I am afraid." Dr. Hamilton, the one in charge of his father's treatment, told him gravely. "His vital signs are still stable, which is a comfort."

He nodded his thanks and went into the private room. Standing at the doorway, he stared at the man who had wielded so much power over him all his life. Lying there propped up on pillows with tubes attached to various parts of him made him look decidedly older and very vulnerable.

Pulling up a chair, Landen stared at the man. Deep grooves ran from his nostrils to his mouth, and his sandy hair was heavily gray.

"They claim that even though you are unconscious, you can still hear what people say. We are encouraged to talk to you.

Here is what I have to say, Father. For years, you dominated my life. You decided what schools I should attend, the sort of friends I should keep when we ate our meals, and what we should study. You dictated the times and hours we go to bed and what vacations we should take."

He took a breath. "I am thirty bloody years old, and I am declaring independence. You and Mother no longer get to dictate my life. It's over. I am independently wealthy; if that were not the case, I would still be making this decision. I met someone."

His lips curved into a smile. "She is beautiful, amazing, and the most exquisite creature I have ever met. She makes me laugh, and being with her makes me want to live my life to the fullest. I am never giving her up.

What you do does not matter; I intend to ask her to be my wife. You will not accept her because, in your eyes, she is not suitable. Well, to bloody hell with that. I love her more than life; without her, I have no life."

*****

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I hope I am not interrupting your work."

"As a matter of fact-"

"Let me put it another way. I don't care if I am interrupting your day."

Putting aside the bills she had been perusing, she burst out laughing. "At least you are being honest."

"I am." His deep voice sounded warm and made her miss him even more. "How are you, love?"

"Now that I am talking to you? I am feeling much better. Now, how about you tell me what's wrong?"

"What makes you think anything is wrong?"

Leaning back against the chair, she stretched her legs out. She was feeling tired and dejected and was unable to sleep much. "I can hear it in your voice. Now spill."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too, but that's not the problem."

"That is a problem."

"Stop prevaricating and tell me what's going on."

A sigh escaped him. "You are very persistent, aren't you?"

"You don't know the half of it. What's going on?"

"She knows about you."

Tessa closed her eyes briefly and blew out a breath. "How bad is it?"

"She has forbidden me to see you again."

"I see."

"I told her to go to hell."

"You told your mother to go to hell?"

"Not exactly, but that's what it boils down to."

"Landen-"

"Then I went to the hospital to tell my father that I was no longer going to stand for his tyranny."

"Is he awake?"

"No. I wanted to vent, and I did."

"Darling, as much as I applaud your ingenuity and attempt to get things out in the open, don't you think you are going too far?"

"Worried that they are going to disinherit me?" He teased.

"Will they?"

"No. And if that happens, I already told you I have my own money."

"The money does not matter to me."

"I know it doesn't. One of the many reasons I love you so damn much."

"Thanks." She pressed her lips together. "I would not want to be the one to bring dissension-"

"Dissension has been in my family for years. Don't worry about it. God, I miss you."

"I miss you too." She felt the tears at the back of her eyes and tried to stop it from sounding in her voice. She did not want to burden him any more than he already was. She had seen the comments on the internet, and Ronald had been making some comments that were getting on her last nerve.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She sniffed.

"Don't lie to me, please."

"I miss you so damn much, and I want to feel your arms around me."

"I feel the same way."

"And I have the feeling that this is going to end badly. I cannot-"

"Stop it." He rasped sharply. "Don't do this to me, not now. I am going through hell right now, and I want to know that you are on my side. Are you on my side, Tessa?"

"You know I am." She closed her eyes and felt the tears trickling down her cheeks. "I can do this. We can do this."

"That's my girl. Are you my girl, darling?"

"You know I am."

"I am counting on it. Are you eating and taking care of yourself?"

She laughed, using the back of her hand to wipe the tears. "I am trying to."

"How soon will you know if you are carrying my babe?"

"Landen-"

"How soon?"

"Not for another week or so. Are you certain that this is something we should be thinking about? At a time like this?"

"I don't care," he said stubbornly. "I want a family with you, and it does not matter about the rest. Am I clear?"

"You are," she whispered.

*****

"Oh. You are still here." Ronald poked his head inside the office and stepped inside. "What are you still doing here? It's after nine."

"I had some inventories to take care of." She had thought everyone had left for the night and certainly did not relish company, not his anyway. The conversation with Landen had stirred her up instead of comforting her. His mother knew and was having a fit.

"Is there something you need?"

"Well, since you asked-" He plunked down on a chair before the desk, blue eyes studying her face. "You have lost weight, and I don't need to tell you that is not a good idea."

"Is there something else I can help you with? Something that does not concern my appearance?" She asked him mildly.

"I am worried about you."

"I am not your concern." She clicked on the spreadsheet, hoping he would take the hint and leave her alone.

"I received a call earlier."

"Oh?" Concentrating fiercely on the numbers before her, she tried to block him out.

"From one Margaret Chapman. Rather, lady Margaret Chapman."

He gave her a smug look as she straightened and stared at him. "Why would she be calling you?"

"She wanted me to fire you," Ronald told her mildly.

"What?"

"She claimed that you pursued her son and that such a behavior is unacceptable."

Tessa's hands curled into fists as she stared at him. "What did you say to her?"

"I told her she has no influence or say in whom I hire or fire. And I also told her that her son pursued you. I saw it with my own eyes."

"What did she say?"

"She sounded very displeased." His expression turned sober. "I don't have to tell you that having that woman as an enemy is not something you want to do."

"How am I her enemy?"

"You are taking away her son," he pointed out. "And that is unacceptable. I warned you this would end badly, and you did not listen."

"Am I fired?" She asked stiffly.

"Of course not."

"Then this conversation is over."

"Tessa-"

"Please. Just drop it."

He sat there staring at her for a few moments, stretching her nerves to near breaking point before getting to his feet. "You look drawn and unhappy, darling. I cannot tell you who to get involved with, but Landen Chapman is clearly out of your league." With that, he swept out of the room, leaving her shaken and nauseated.

His mother had called and demanded that she be fired. She never thought the woman would go to such lengths. It showed how much she hated her, and they had never met. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and felt her stomach roiling.

Landen had asked if she was pregnant and told him it was too soon to know, but she had lied. She was pregnant. She had not seen a doctor to confirm it yet, but three pregnancy tests and a missed period had done the job.

Pressing her hand against her flat stomach, she heaved a breath. She was pregnant with his child and was going to have to tell him.

But she was waiting. If she told him now, he would drop everything and come running. And he was needed there. She could deal with this on her own for the time being. How on earth had everything become so tangled and complicated?

Six weeks ago, her life had been normal. She enjoyed her career and was not looking for romance. She stopped looking, in fact, and then came Landen waltzing into the gallery, and her life was turned upside down.

What kind of life would they have with his parents hating her and not approving of her? What would they tell their child about his or her grandparents? Her parents were dead, and their baby should have a right to know his grandparents.

She was black, which means their child would be of mixed race. He would not look like them; they would inherit her skin tone, perhaps a little lighter, and the hair would be curly instead of straight.

She was bringing a child into a world where his father was related to royalty, and his grandparents would never accept him. Tears leaked from her eyes, and she wished she had never met him - no! She shook her head wildly.

No matter what happened, she would never regret meeting and loving that wonderful man who had stormed his way into her life and shown her so much passion, so intense that she could barely stand it.

She had not used his card but kept it on her dresser and stared at it daily. She slept in his shirt and had not washed it since he left, wanting to maintain the scent of him.

She needed him so much that it was like a physical ache. She had not told her siblings yet, preferring to keep this to herself. But she was feeling nauseous and sleepy all the time. She thought she could not keep it a secret for very long.

*****

He was coming out of his office when she came to her feet.

"Sara?"

"I apologize. Your secretary was not at her desk, and I hoped to speak with you."

"I don't have time-"

"Just fifteen minutes." She smiled slightly. "I am on my way to a luncheon anyway."

With a formal nod, he pushed the doors open for her to enter. He could have used his father's office but had decided against it. This one suited him more, the elegance understated, and the windows offering an unrestricted view of the city of London.

At the moment, a dense fog was creeping into the atmosphere and blotting out the sky, giving everything a gray and dismal look.

"Would you like something to drink?" He asked politely, going to the cabinet.

"Nothing for me, thanks." She sat primly on a plush chair in front of the massive oak desk and clasped her hands in front of her.

"I hope you don't mind." He poured a finger of scotch and took it to his desk. He leveled his green eyes on the woman before him, admiring her pale beauty.

Her blonde hair was pinned back in a neat chignon, and her light blue eyes watched him. The shell-pink dress she was wearing did nothing for her fair coloring, and an image of Tessa came up, and he was almost groaning in longing.

"What is it you wanted to see me about?"

"Your mother is insisting on a match between us."

"I am aware. And so, I gather, are your parents? And you?"

She blushed slightly and lowered her head. "I met someone."

His eyebrows lifted. "I see. Anyone I know?"

"He is a nobody-" She shook her head and tried again. "He is a brilliant intern at Her Majesty's hospital."

"And your parents would never approve of you seeing someone like that."

"No." She bit her lip and looked away. "I am in love with him." She fiddled with her bag strap. "I never expected it, but it just happened, and I don't know what to do."

"Tell them."

She blanched. "I could never do that. They expect me to marry well, and I am afraid of disappointing them."

"I am not interested in marrying you." He told her bluntly.

"I gathered that. You met someone as well."

"I did." A smile touched his lips. "It happened unexpectedly as well. And it did not take long for me to know that she was the only woman for me. There could never be anyone else."

"And she is in America?"

He flinched at that. "She is."

"How are you handling the separation?"

"Not well." He admitted. "I miss her every night, and the days are not much better. But I am stuck here for now." Leaning forward, he stared at Sara. "I would advise you to tell your parents before they find out. That is if you love the fellow."

"I do." She took a shaky breath. "Wouldn't it be so much easier if we were together?"

"Indeed." A smile touched his lips. "But who wants easy?"

"Your mother is going to fight you on this."

"I am aware, but I am up for it." Pushing back from his desk, he rose and took her hand to help her. "Thank you for telling me."

"You missed a very chilly dinner the other day." She told him teasingly, surprising him with her sense of humor.

He told her with a grin. "I suppose I should apologize for my absence."

"No need." She smiled graciously. "Goodbye, Landen."