by Valerie Parv
She practically purred. “I’m still good at distracting you, aren’t I, darling?”
He welcomed the opening and nodded. “So it seems. I should have been on my way to Melbourne ten minutes ago.”
As he intended, the implied compliment disarmed her long enough to let him take his leave and drive off, hoping he hadn’t started something. But it wasn’t the image of Lana which lingered in his mind as he gunned the powerful car down the old coach road toward the Calder Freeway. It was the thought of Bethany holding Maree in her arms and lifting the baby’s tiny hand to wave goodbye to him that made him want to turn the car around.
Bleakness tore through him like an August wind. How could someone so wonderful with children be so set against having any of her own? It was the one flaw in a woman who attracted him as no other woman had ever done.
He didn’t mind her wanting a career. He was perfectly willing to share the child-minding duties while his partner went out and did her thing, as long as they were both fulfilled and happy. But every vision he’d had of his future since he was eleven years old had included fatherhood. He wanted no part of a life as empty as the one he’d known as a boy. He refused to believe it was Bethany’s choice of existence, either.
His palms slammed down on the steering wheel, and the car slewed until he fought it back under control. That was it! Bethany’s insistence on having a career instead of a family didn’t ring true. Combining the two would have made more sense than insisting she had no room in her life for children.
Was it only his children she didn’t want? It was a real gut kicker of an idea, but he forced himself to consider it fairly. Maybe his genes simply didn’t appeal to her. He’d heard of women shopping for suitable father material. Was she one of them? It seemed so unlike the Bethany he knew that he dismissed it out of hand. If he had repelled her to that extent she wouldn’t have all but melted in his arms.
He had a feeling the puzzle was going to nag at him all the way to Melbourne and back.
Some women had everything—beauty, a business brain and an ability to charm the birds from the trees, Bethany thought as she carried Maree into the house. The image of Nicholas and Lana together persisted in her mind. No doubt she was also as fertile as a rabbit. Last year one of the scandal sheets had written about Lana supposedly having given a baby up for adoption in her teens. It was probably a fairy tale, since Lana had denied it strenuously. Nothing more had been heard of the supposed love child after that one story.
Was she being unfair? Bethany asked herself. Jealousy wasn’t usually one of her vices and famous people were always targets for scandal. But the very thought of any woman bearing a child she didn’t want was like salt in Bethany’s emotional wounds. It seemed every other woman took for granted what she would give her soul to produce.
She decided to make amends for her lack of charity by being extra nice to the crew while they worked. Kylie had taken the day off to visit her grandmother but had left plenty of food prepared so Bethany provided a steady stream of coffee, cake and sandwiches.
“These are great, thanks,” the lighting man said, around a mouthful of homemade muffin. “We don’t usually get service like this from the people we visit.” He looked around. “This place is beautiful. Have. you lived here long?”
“I only work here. It belongs to Dr. Nicholas Frakes.”
The man’s eyes gleamed. “Isn’t he Lana’s ex? Now I know why she put this project together in such a hurry.”
Bethany felt a frown etch her forehead. “Aren’t you doing a spread for Spellbound magazine?”
“That’s the general idea. But we were hired by Lana, not the magazine. She got them interested, but they want to see the pictures before committing themselves.”
It wasn’t the story Lana had told Nicholas. He might not have been so easily persuaded if he had known the feature was purely speculative. It also explained Lana’s disappointment at his absence which put to rest any hopes she had of using the day to patch up the relationship. Not that their love life was any business of hers, Bethany told herself grimly, almost believing it.
Finally tiring of providing Lana with an audience, she asked if anyone needed anything before she took Maree inside. She could put her time to better use by working on her dollhouse article while Maree napped.
“Do you have to go in now?” Lana asked. “Nicholas tells me you publish a specialist magazine. You should talk to Grayden Nichols. He knows everyone in the business and could open doors for you.”
Grayden was the photographer masterminding the shoot. Bethany nodded. “I’ve seen his byline in dozens of magazines. But I’m not planning a career in publishing.”
Lana’s eyes narrowed. “What are you planning a career in?” She looked at the baby bouncing on Bethany’s hip. “It wouldn’t be motherhood, by any chance?”
Her love life was no business of Lana’s either. “You never know.”
“You mean you actually like changing babies and mopping goo off their faces?”
“Somebody has to, or none of us would make it to adulthood.”
Lana shuddered delicately. “I’m sure I was never as messy as this kid.”
“Maree isn’t as messy as some,” Bethany said, thinking of some of the infants she’d cared for at the shelter. “She’s a pleasure to look after—aren’t you, sweetheart?”
Maree tugged at a locket around Bethany’s neck and she tilted her head back, removing the bauble from harm’s way. Maree reached for it. “Ah, ah, ah.”
There was a binding flash and a triumphant cry of “got it” before Grayden Nichols joined them, camera in hand.
Maree looked bemused by the flash then reached for the camera. She made protesting noises when it was also removed from her grasp. Bethany thrust a bunch of plastic keys into the baby’s fist and jiggled them to distract her as she regarded the photographer with dismay. “Tell me you didn’t take my picture? I look a sight.”
In contrast to Lana’s gorgeous lapis lazuli Aloys Gada pantsuit and flowing silk scarf, Bethany felt drab. Her dress had a knitted top to hug her curves and a flowing patchwork skirt to flatter the bits which were better not hugged too tightly. It was a longtime favorite but had definitely seen better days. Her hair was also a froth of tangled curls thanks to Maree pulling it.
Grayden grinned. “You look fresh and natural. Too cute to miss.”
Lana’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “A regular Madonna and Child.” Then she brightened. “But it reminds me. I promised Nicholas we’d take a few shots of me with Maree—for Nicholas’s scrapbook,” she added as Bethany opened her mouth to protest.
She could hardly refuse to let Lana pose with the baby if they were for Nicholas himself. He had vetoed the idea for publication but he may well have agreed for his own use, making the arrangements when Lana arrived this morning. The two of them had talked for long enough before Nicholas left for Melbourne. All the same Bethany felt uneasy as the model lifted Maree from her arms.
Maree wasn’t impressed, either. As soon as the strange arms closed around her she stiffened all her limbs and gave a strangled cry. Hefting her in one arm, Lana tried to pat her with the other, as if she was a puppy. “There, there. Be good for Auntie Lana while we take your picture.”
Taking pity on the model who was hopelessly out of her depth, Bethany jiggled the toy keys in front of Maree who stopped wailing and made a grab for them. They were immediately transferred to her mouth.
Lana made the mistake of trying to remove them. “Not in your mouth, kid. It’s not a good look. Now smile for the nice man.”
Maree snatched the keys back but they dropped to the ground and she started to struggle hard, wanting only to follow her toy down to the ground. Lana gave a grunt as a small foot connected with her midsection. “This little thing has a kick like Steven Seagal. Can’t you make her stay still for two minutes, Bethany?”
“Not if she doesn’t want to cooperate. Does it matter for a family album?” Why didn’t Grayden Nichols
take the pictures and get it over with?
Lana shot her an icy look. “I have a reputation to think of. Can’t you do something to calm her down? I’m sure she’s hyperactive or something.”
“I can give her the nap she’s overdue for,” Bethany said through clenched teeth. If this went on much longer she was taking the baby inside, Nicholas or no Nicholas.
Luckily Maree decided to settle down, for the moment at least. Lana looked at the baby’s floppy sun hat before lifting it off and dropping it on the ground, frowning in distaste. “Don’t they sell designer baby wear in the Central Highlands?”
Bethany started to point out that protecting a baby’s delicate skin from the sun was more important than having her look fashionable, but Lana was out of earshot. Picking up the discarded hat Bethany hastily followed the pair.
Lana carried Maree to where a grove of tree ferns made a scenic backdrop. “How do I look?”
“Fantastic, a picture of maternal beauty,” Grayden muttered, working his camera furiously. He gestured to the lighting assistant who unfurled a silver umbrella and angled it to shine more light onto Lana’s stunning features. The action intrigued Maree who stopped protesting and stared in fascination at the umbrella.
“Great, turn her toward me a little more. That’s it. Beautiful,” the photographer chanted, snapping steadily. He waved an arm above his head and Maree followed it with her eyes. This was better. Lots of attention and new moving things to watch.
The photographer glanced over his shoulder toward Bethany. “The magazine is going to flip over these shots. The kid’s a natural.”
Without thinking, Bethany interposed herself between the cameraman and his subjects. “The magazine won’t be seeing these photos. You said they’re for Nicholas,” she accused Lana. “Maree is not a performing seal.”
“Can’t you see she loves the attention?” Lana asserted. “In any case she’s practically my child, or she will be as soon as Nicholas and I get back together.”
Lana’s matter-of-fact manner was more convincing than if she’d indulged in histrionics. Bethany’s heart turned leaden in her chest and her breathing felt strangled, but she fought for control. “Your plans are between you and Nicholas. He left Maree in my charge today, and I don’t want her posing for any more photographs.”
Bethany reached for the baby but Lana’s hold tightened. “We only need a few more shots. Grayden is almost finished here.”
As far as Bethany was concerned he was finished. Maree started to wail despairingly, making it clear she’d had more than enough of Lana. Which made two of them, Bethany thought, tight-lipped. Nicholas might have warned her that he and Lana meant to patch things up. It put Bethany in the awkward position of interfering between the baby and the woman who might soon become her mother.
A woman who should have more compassion for a child’s distress, she reminded herself, angrily replacing the sun hat on Maree’s downy head. Bethany hoisted the child onto one hip and dried her tears, jiggling her up and down and crooning until she began to chortle. “Better, sweetheart?”
“Ah, ah, ah.”
She became aware of Lana’s intrigued looked and made herself say, “Would you like to hold her? Not for the camera, just to make friends?”
Lana sniffed the air. “No, thanks. I think she needs changing or something. This outfit’s only on loan. I can’t risk ruining it,” she added when Bethany was unable to hide her disapproval.
Bethany nodded. “I’ll take her back to the house.” On the way she turned, curiosity getting the better of her. “How will you manage when her brothers and sisters come along?”
Lana pretended to fan herself. “Don’t say such dreadful things even in jest. I don’t intend to risk my figure having any of my own. One like Maree is more than enough, thanks.”
Not enough for Nicholas, Bethany thought as she went back inside. She remembered his reaction only too well when she told him she didn’t want children. It had spelled the end of any chance of a future between them. But it was better than facing his inevitable rejection once he knew the truth, she told herself. In Lana’s case it was a free choice but one Bethany would never accept.
Bethany found it hard to stop her spirits from rising as she changed the baby and organized a snack for her. Whoever Nicholas married it wasn’t going to be Lana Sinden. The reconciliation was probably wishful thinking, too.
The knowledge buoyed her up while the camera crew repacked their gear and stowed it into the convoy of cars. Lana looked as if she would like to linger until Nicholas returned but Grayden Nichols was impatient. “Time is money, sweetness,” he reminded her. “If we stay any longer we’ll be on golden time.”
“They only pay that sort of overtime in films,” Lana snapped back. But she got into the passenger side of Grayden’s car and wound down the window, leaning toward Bethany. “Tell Nicholas I’ll call him tonight about our plans.”
“I’ll tell him,” Bethany said. A couple of hours before, the promise would have galled her. Now her emotions were tangled. She knew Lana wasn’t the right woman for Nicholas, so there was no point distressing herself with jealous imaginings. Knowing Lana had no future with him, she used the thought to lift her tattered spirits.
“You’re in a much happier mood than when I left,” Nicholas said a short time later as he came into the kitchen and tossed his briefcase onto a handy chair. The strain of the day showed in the tightness around his eyes, but he looked so virile that her heart skipped a beat.
“It’s because the magazine people have gone,” she blurted out, then bit her lip. He might not love Lana but it didn’t mean he would appreciate Bethany criticizing her.
Instead he laughed. “Tough day, I gather?”
“Now I know how Cinderella felt waiting on the ugly stepsisters.”
He frowned. “Fetching and carrying for the crew wasn’t your job.”
“I wanted to help.” She didn’t add it was to make amends for her lack of charitable thoughts toward Lana when she first arrived.
“Working with the magazine crew must make baby minding seem humdrum by comparison.”
She weighed her response with care. If she denied it, she undermined her image as a dedicated career person. Yet it wasn’t in her to agree. “Looking after a baby is never humdrum,” she assured him. “Maree loved being in front of the camera, at least until the novelty wore off.”
His pewter eyes narrowed. “She what? I left instructions she was not to be used in the photographs. I relied on you to make sure she wasn’t.”
His censure stung. “Now just a minute. According to Lana, the pictures of her and Maree were for your family album.”
Some of his anger subsided but a glint remained in the look he turned on her. “Were they now? It never occurred to you that Lana might lie to get her own way? It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“As it happens it did occur to me, but I could hardly say so in front of the crew, in case you had authorized the pictures. I allowed Maree to pose only for a few minutes before I rescued her.”
She was tempted to tell him about Lana’s certainty that she would soon be Maree’s foster mother. She felt sure it was another fantasy, but it would reveal how much the question interested Bethany, which was the last thing she wanted him to know.
He dropped into the armchair beside the fireplace and flexed his hands behind his head. “Sounds as if you handled Lana pretty well.”
“Thank you,” she said primly, but felt vindicated. “Maree is bathed, fed, changed and fast asleep now.”
“Tired out by all the excitement,” he assumed. He rubbed his eyes. “I know exactly how she feels.”
Instantly her heart went out to him. “How was your meeting?”
He grimaced. “The premier knows what he wants, but the rest of the committee he appointed to oversee the security project need to brush up on their technology. Most of them still think it’s enough to sweep a room for listening devices before holding a top-level meeting. They got
a shock when I explained all the ways you can eavesdrop on their activities from a block away.”
He stood up and stretched. “But it created a good climate for my proposals, which were accepted in their entirety.”
Her pleasure was unrestrained. “Congratulations. All your hard work paid off.”
“It wasn’t the only progress I made while I was in Melbourne, Bethany.”
An edge in his voice made her look up. “What do you mean?”
“I also found out why you’re so anxious to keep some distance between us.”
Chapter Eight
A chill swept through her in spite of the evening warmth. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively. How on earth had he managed to discover that she couldn’t have children? She had no doubt that it spelled the end of any closeness between them.
So she was unprepared when he said, “It’s because of your uncle, isn’t it?”
Stupidly she stared back at him. “Excuse me?”
He came closer and her heart rate jumped. “I sensed you were keeping something from me, and guessed it involved the dollhouse. So I visited one of my mother’s distant relatives who lives in a retirement village in Melbourne and pumped him for information. He was surprised to hear from me after all this time, and his memory isn’t too reliable, but he remembered enough for me to put the pieces together.”
“The pieces of what? Nicholas, I have no idea what this is about.”
He took her gently in his arms and pulled her closer. “You can stop pretending now, Bethany. I know the man my mother ran away with was your uncle.”
She felt light-headed with confusion, not least because she was in his arms again. She wished there was a graceful way to extricate herself. It would be easier to think straight without his hands resting on her shoulders, his mint sweet breath caressing her cheek. “My uncle? Are you serious?”
He tilted her chin up with one hand, his eyes searching hers. “My Lord, you didn’t know, did you?”
“I knew Uncle Seth got married and went to live overseas, but I never met his wife. I gathered there was a scandal involved because my family didn’t talk about it much. I was a child when he left. He was the one who told me about the Frakes Baby House.”