Secrets (12 page)

Chapter Thirty

Garth gazed at Emma as if she’d suddenly sprouted two heads. He remained perched on the edge of the bed, and decided it was probably a good thing he was sitting down.

‘What did you say?’ he finally croaked.

‘I’m pregnant.’

‘But…but you told me you were on the pill.’

Emma shrugged. ‘These things happen. Contraceptives aren’t bullet proof.’ Suddenly she couldn’t quite meet his gaze. ‘And there might have been a few nights where I forgot to take it.’

‘Forgot?’ Garth shook his head incredulously. ‘How could you forget something as important as that?’

‘Don’t you try and pin this on me,’ said Emma defensively. ‘It takes two to make a baby.’

‘I’m fully aware of that,’ said Garth, struggling to remain calm. ‘However, if you’d mentioned your oversight, I would have used a condom. After all, I am a responsible adult.’

Emma’s eyes flashed. ‘As opposed to me being an irresponsible adult – is that what you’re saying?’

Garth buried his head in his hands. Oh my word. What a beautiful mess. He rubbed the heels of his palms across his eyes. It was no good blaming Emma for this. He should have been more responsible and
still
used a condom. He dropped his hands back in his lap and straightened up.

‘Are you going ahead with this pregnancy, or are you terminating?’

Emma’s mouth dropped open. ‘I can’t believe you’re suggesting–’

‘I’m not suggesting anything,’ Garth cut across her. ‘But I don’t hold any of the aces here, Emma. Your body isn’t my body. Men don’t have the luxury of choosing whether to go ahead with a pregnancy or terminate. They’re very much at the mercy of the woman they’ve impregnated.’

‘Thanks for that. I’ve never heard you sound so cold. I’ve clearly underestimated you. Badly. I really thought you might be delighted to hear you’re going to be a daddy…that you might throw your arms around me and say, “Wow, Emma, my life with you just keeps getting better and better.”’

Garth stared at her. As he did so, Emma felt as though he were accessing her private thoughts. ‘You did this deliberately, didn’t you?’

‘No!’ But the word wasn’t delivered with conviction and her eyes slithered away.

There was a silence. It stretched on and on. Garth appeared to be lost in thought. Emma bit her tongue, waiting to see what he might say next. She knew she was in a precarious position. She was desperately hoping Garth would be honourable. Even old-fashioned. That he might pluck a diamond ring from thin air and go down on one knee.

‘So I’m guessing you
won’t
be ending this pregnancy,’ he eventually said. It was a statement, not a question.

Emma’s eyes locked on Garth’s. Her expression was open and defiant. ‘I don’t believe in abortion.’ The words came out harshly. They left no room for negotiation.

Garth nodded slowly. ‘Right.’ He exhaled, the air coming out in a rush. But it wasn’t a sigh of relief. More of resignation. ‘I’m not the sort of bloke who shirks responsibility.’

‘I know that,’ Emma murmured. She used a softer tone now to let him know she appreciated that quality in him.

‘I always wanted children one day,’ Garth acknowledged. ‘I just thought it was way ahead in the future.’ He didn’t mention that in this far-off vision the mother of his child looked nothing like the woman standing before him.

Emma allowed herself a small smile. ‘Does that mean…you’re okay with it?’

Garth shrugged. ‘I guess I’ll have to be okay with it. You’re having my child. And I want my child to have two parents. Two parents who are together. I’m not up for being an alternative weekend father.’

Emma’s smile widened. ‘Does that mean I don’t have to move out?’

Garth stood up and opened his arms. Emma didn’t hesitate. She flew into his embrace, giddy with relief. Things hadn’t gone quite the way she’d planned. But for now, she was just very relieved to have a roof over her head, a name to put on the baby’s birth certificate and a rich provider for hers and the baby’s needs. It was enough. She squeezed Garth tightly. ‘Thank you. We’ll make it work.’

‘Of course we will,’ said Garth gruffly. It was the right thing to do. He was just doing it with the wrong woman.

Chapter Thirty-One

‘What do you mean, “Emma’s pregnant?”’ asked Adrian, aghast. The two brothers were sitting in a popular London wine bar. Adrian had wanted to quietly celebrate a promotion, whereas Garth had needed to escape for a few hours. He wanted to unburden about the path his private life had suddenly taken.

‘I mean,’ Garth sighed heavily, ‘Emma is in the pudding club. Bun in the oven. Up the duff…and any other euphemism you care to use.’ He took a slug of his wine. He’d have preferred a beer. ‘This is my fault. I was too engrossed in the latest novel. I failed to notice Emma had virtually moved into my place until it was beyond obvious. I’d just started a conversation about her removing her stuff, when she blurted she was expecting my child.’

Adrian was visibly appalled. ‘Are you sure she’s not stringing you a line? Have you actually seen the positive test?’

‘Oh yes. I made her buy another one just in case there was any error. She’d barely finished peeing on the stick when double blue lines appeared. Emma is definitely eating for two.’

‘I thought she was on the pill.’

Garth frowned. ‘How would you know that?’

‘Just one of her caustic throwaway comments. You know how Emma loves to slag me off at any given chance. She was bitching about my girlfriends all being dumb bunnies, and saying one day I’d get caught out. I wound her up and told her to watch out for the Karma King. She smirked and said, “Not me, dipstick. I’m on the pill.”’

Garth sighed. ‘I don’t think karma has anything to do with it. I actually think I was set up.’

‘Eh?’

‘Emma more or less admitted it. Apparently she,’ Garth posted quotation marks in the air, ‘“forgot” to take her pill over several days.’

Adrian looked horrified. ‘You’ve
got
to be kidding.’

‘I wish I were.’

‘You’ve been had, mate. The girl’s set you up. What a flamin’ bitch.’

‘Bro, leave it. It’s my mess. But I do wish the two of you would get along. Especially as she’s effectively going to be your sister-in-law. It would make things much easier.’

‘Get along with her? Mate, I can’t stand the woman. Please don’t tell me you’ve asked her to marry you?’

Garth stared miserably into the depths of his wine glass. ‘I did consider it.’

‘But now you’ve reconsidered.’

Garth gave a ghost of a smile. ‘Yeah. There won’t be any wedding bells, even though I know Emma would love a whirlwind wedding before she gets a visible bump.’

‘Look, I’ve got to ask you this. Are you sure this is
your
child?’

Garth looked incredulous. ‘What sort of a question is that?’

Adrian shrugged. ‘A genuine one. I thought when you were immersed in a book you lived, breathed and slept with your characters – not women.’

‘I do. Usually. But I told you. She was just…there. I failed to take on board just how much she was there. In the end, every damned night.

‘And you did the deed every night?’

‘Pretty much.’

‘What a tramp,’ Adrian hissed.

‘Bro, I know you don’t care for Emma, but that is the mother of my child you’re talking about. She may be many things, but not a tramp.’

Adrian was quick to retract the comment. ‘Sorry, mate. I just feel for you. You know, being stuck with a woman like Emma.’

‘She’s not
that
bad.’

‘Yes she is. You know full well Emma’s not your cup of tea. She bosses you about and endlessly criticises. She’s got a tongue like a harpy. How on earth did you get saddled with her?’

Garth gave a half-laugh. ‘I seem to remember it was
you
Emma was after. Unfortunately you were whisked off by Carmella Ponsonby-whatshername and I was left to sooth a ruffled ego.’

‘You idiot.’

‘Anyway, we’ll make it work. Emma has a few good points.’

‘I’ll concede she has an impressive chest, but other than that I can’t think of anything else.’

‘Bro, give it a rest.’

‘Do you love her?’

Garth was momentarily silent. ‘Of course,’ he eventually said.

‘I don’t know who you’re trying to convince, but you don’t fool me.’

Garth picked up his wine glass and slung the contents down his neck. He didn’t love Emma. He knew that. But he hoped, in time, he would grow to love her. She was going to have his kid, so how could he not?

Chapter Thirty-Two

The following nine months passed in something of a blur. Garth started a new romantic novel, and a production company optioned one of his books. Garth knew that most optioned books languished in
development hell
, only for the project to amount to nothing. Financially it was a great thing for the author because the option fee was like free money – thousands of pounds for no extra work. Grant had had books optioned before, but this time it looked like it was really going to happen. Emma was ecstatic and had grand ideas of how to spend the royalties. At every opportunity she seemed to take sadistic pleasure in rubbing Adrian’s nose in Garth’s success.

Tonight Emma and Garth were seated with two hundred other guests, in their local golf club’s private dining suite. The occasion was Garth’s and Adrian’s parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary. Adrian had brought along his latest conquest, a Rosie Huntington-Whiteley lookalike by the name of Poppy. With her endless legs and lustrous hair, she was everything Emma currently wasn’t. As Emma worked her way through the three-course meal she had no choice but to watch Poppy, sitting opposite, bill and coo with Adrian. By the time they’d reached the coffee stage, Emma was seething with jealousy. She was fed up being fat. She wanted to be slim again, like Poppy. Right now she was fit to burst. Her huge bump was resting on her bladder, adding to overall discomfort. She’d piled on five stone with this pregnancy. Fluid retention in her ankles had forced her to abandon stilettoes in favour of flip-flops. Emma was genuinely baffled how celebrities sailed through pregnancy looking like they had a small football up their cashmere sweaters. Mind you, Kim Kardashian had been the one celebrity exception. The poor woman had looked like several ships in full sail. And who could forget the picture flashed around the world of Kim’s swollen feet jammed into high heels?

Emma grimaced. Such was her lot right now. Garth hadn’t laid a finger on her for months, adding to her present lack of self-esteem. She’d been to a local photographic studio and tried to recreate the trend Demi Moore had started – naked with only hands preserving modesty. She’d wanted to look like a sexy pregnant mama. Instead she’d looked like a washed-out worn-out blob. She took a sip of her coffee. No doubt it would give her heartburn later. She stared sourly at Poppy. The silly cow was so obviously sucking up to Adrian.

‘What a lovely couple your parents make,’ Poppy gushed.

‘Thanks, darling.’

Adrian smiled adoringly at his stunning companion. Emma wondered if he was in love. If so, it had to be a first.

Poppy coquettishly twirled a strand of hair around one finger. ‘When I get married I want it to be forever, just like your sweet mum and dad. But I’m not hurrying into anything. I want to be absolutely certain. True love is all.’ She looked innocently at Adrian under her eyelashes. ‘Is that why you’re not married yet, angel?’

‘Indeed,’ said Adrian, giving Poppy
the look
. It was his speciality. Emma had seen it several times before. She wasn’t fooled. But Poppy was, and giggled girlishly. Adrian leant in closer to Poppy, making her feel as though they were lost in a moment of deep intimacy. ‘I’ve hunted high and low for ‘The One’. I have a feeling I’m very close to finding her.’

Emma snorted, but Poppy was oblivious. ‘Oh my goodness. Really?’

‘Really.’

‘Gosh, I’m suddenly feeling all gooey inside.’

‘I love a girl with a soft-centre.’

‘Angel, you do say the nicest things.’

Adrian waggled his eyebrows. ‘And you
do
the nicest things.’

Poppy playfully tapped Adrian on the nose and pouted. ‘Now you’re being a naughty boy.’

Emma wondered if Poppy’s huge lips were natural or whether she regularly put filler in them. Men loved female mouths that were like fat tyres, especially when clamped around a certain part of their anatomy. Adrian had once told Emma her mouth reminded him of a dog’s bottom. She’d slapped him for that.

‘I thought you liked it when I was a naughty boy,’ Adrian murmured. He picked up one of Poppy’s hands and began to nibble, suggestively, at her fingers. She gave a throaty laugh and jiggled her small breasts about. Emma couldn’t stand another moment. Leaning across the table, she addressed Poppy with a fake smile.

‘You do realise he’s spouted this clap-trap to every girlfriend he’s ever had?’

‘I’m sorry?’ Poppy swivelled to face Emma.

Adrian stared at Emma coldly. ‘One thing I can always depend on, Emma, is your mighty mouth. It never fails to fire off a few corkers. What’s up, love? Are you jealous? Isn’t my brother giving you any?’

‘You are beyond revolting.’ Emma glared furiously at Adrian.

Garth, suddenly alive to the situation, tried to laugh it off. ‘Come off it, bro. No need to be personal.’

‘Why not? It’s about time you stopped pussy-footing around your pushy partner. Firstly, Emma should mind her own business. Secondly, she should be a bit more refined.’

‘Refined? Emma fumed. ‘I’m a perfect lady – unlike your constant harem of women. Every single one of them looks like they’ve just emerged from a porn movie.’

Suddenly guests were stalling in their conversation, and ear-wigging on the slanging match kicking off on Table Eight.

‘Are you saying I look like a tart?’ Poppy asked in outrage.

‘You’re certainly knocking about with one,’ Emma snapped. ‘Has he told you about Jennifer, and Cindy, and Amanda? The last one was on our doorstep just forty-eight hours ago. She was crying her eyes out because Lover Boy here dumped her.’

‘I don’t believe you!’

‘Emma!’ Garth said warningly.

‘Is this true?’ Poppy demanded of Adrian.

‘Mate,’ said Adrian in exasperation. ‘Tell your woman to put a sock in it.’

Emma smiled maliciously at Poppy. ‘And I hope you’ve been making him wear a sock in the sack, because the last thing you need is to end up preggers. Men like Adrian run a mile when they get caught out.’

‘How dare you!’ Adrian shouted.

The whole room was listening now, with the exception of Garth’s and Adrian’s parents who were both mutton jeff.

‘Oh I dare,’ Emma seethed, ‘because it’s true. I’m just giving you the heads up, Poppy. Before you let Adrian ruin your life and dump you unceremoniously, like all the others.’

‘Emma,
please
,’ Garth implored. ‘This is not the time or the place.’

‘I’m leaving,’ Poppy jumped to her feet. ‘I’m not staying here to be insulted by this…this…
whale
.’

‘You bitch,’ screeched Emma. Struggling up from her chair, she picked up the table’s centre-piece flower arrangement. As she went to lob it at Poppy, her hand was caught in Garth’s strong grasp.

‘Drop,’ he ordered.

‘About bloody time, mate,’ hissed Adrian. ‘And if I were you I’d put a muzzle on her too. That’s the only way to handle some Rottweilers. Poppy, sit back down. Don’t listen to the rantings of an insane woman.’

‘Don’t you call me insane, or–’

‘Out!’ Garth was now on his feet too and propelling Emma towards the door. He glanced back at his parents who, mercifully, were still oblivious to the contretemps on the far side of the room. ‘Sorry, everybody. Very sorry,’ Garth muttered, as they weaved between tables of slack-jawed guests. ‘She’s a bit hormonal at the moment.’

‘I’m not hormonal, you stupid man. I’m simply pregnant and fed up with your brother’s conquests impacting on our life.’

‘Enough, Emma,’ Garth growled. ‘Please, just for once in your life shut up.’ He hadn’t the faintest idea what had tipped Emma over the edge, but the moment they were alone he had some questions to ask. And he wanted answers.