The Duke s Baby

by Rebecca Winters

  Andrea admired Geoff. For his stepdaughter’s sake he pretended nothing was wrong. Yet they all knew their announcement had shattered her world.

  Corinne pushed her chair back and stood up. She’d leveled her gaze on Lance. “Could I talk to you for a moment before you go?”

  Andrea put a hand on his arm. “I’ll get my purse and meet you at the car.”

  Lance pressed a brief and reassuring kiss to her lips. “I’ll see you in a minute.” After she disappeared through the French doors he turned to Corinne. “Why don’t you walk out with me.”

  With a nod to his father he headed for the foyer with Corinne in pursuit. By the time he’d reached his car, she’d caught up to him.

  “After what you’ve done, I’m going to have to tell him the truth.”

  Lance opened the driver’s door and got in behind the wheel. “Which version of the truth, Corinne? That you and I got too close while he was on his honeymoon? Or that you offered yourself to me ten years ago and I said no thank you.”

  “Lance—” She moved closer. “I’m prepared to be generous and forget everything if you’ll call off your wedding to her and marry me.”

  It was chilling to come face-to-face with someone who wasn’t in her right mind. “You’re delusional, Corinne. You need help.”

  “What I need is you.” There was a fanatical gleam in her eyes. “I’ve won the right.”

  “Won the right?” he growled the question.

  “While I’ve been waiting for you all these years, I’ve taken care of Geoff like a daughter.”

  “Then you’ve already received your reward. You’ve earned his affection.”

  “He expected us to get married.”

  “No. That’s a piece of fiction you invented so long ago, you actually believe it.”

  “I told him I’d give him a grandchild.”

  “Then you need to find a man who wants to marry you.”

  “I found the man I wanted a long time ago.”

  “Those wants have to be mutual, Corinne.” Lance added gently, “I never wanted you.”

  “You’ve never given us a chance, yet in four days you’ve decided you’re going to marry a perfect stranger.”

  “That’s right.”

  Her cheeks looked blotched. “I could have turned Geoff against you, but I never did.”

  “Your cry of rape is a figment of your mind. Don’t lie, Corinne.”

  She gave him a strange smile. “It’s your word against mine. Are you sure you want to risk his revulsion of you?”

  He’d had enough of this conversation and started the car. She put her hands on the door.

  “I suggest you listen to what I have to say, Lance. If you insist on going through with this travesty of a marriage, then I’ll have to go through with my plan for you.”

  He shook his head. “I must admit I’m disappointed you’ve wasted all these years thinking up your revenge against me when you could have worked on becoming a decent human being.

  “Going after me will earn you Papa’s loathing. Then where will you be? What will you have accomplished?”

  Her question coincided with Andrea’s appearance outside the château. His pulse raced just looking at her.

  “You’d be surprised,” Corinne muttered.

  Without waiting to hear anything else he got out to open the door for his future wife. She was carrying precious cargo. He’d do whatever it took to see her safely through this pregnancy.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  EIGHT hours later Andrea was finally alone with Lance in her bedroom. The solemn look on his handsome face set off alarm bells.

  “You know your father better than anyone in the world. He wasn’t putting on an act at dinner tonight, was he?”

  “No. In fact I would go so far as to say he had to hold back most of his joy in order not to hurt Corinne.”

  “Then what’s wrong besides the obvious?”

  “It’s Corinne.”

  Andrea nodded. “I know that.”

  “I thought I knew, too…”

  A strange nuance in his voice sent a chill down her spine. “What did she say to you before I came down to the car with my purse this afternoon?”

  He slid his hands up and down her arms. “Corinne made a threat.”

  “What kind?”

  “I didn’t give her the chance to tell me.”

  “But you can’t dismiss it? Why didn’t you say something to me while we were in the village. I thought we were in this together.”

  His eyes roved over her upturned features. “Because I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily.”

  “I already am worried. Her behavior is irrational, Lance. One minute she’s hysterical. The next she’s like the calm before a storm.”

  “She’s mentally ill. I’m sure my father believes it, too. He chose his words very carefully tonight.”

  “I have to know what you’re thinking!”

  His hands circled her upper arms. “Last night I asked if you trusted me, and you said yes.”

  “I do.”

  “Then let me deal with this in my own way first. I’ve already taken some precautions. If the need arises to talk to you about it, I swear I will. In the meantime we’ll do everything together. I’m not leaving you alone.”

  For him to say that could only mean one thing. “You think she could be physically dangerous?”

  Lines marred his face. “At this point I believe Corinne is capable of almost anything.”

  Andrea groaned. “When your father gave us his blessing, she saw her dreams smashed. There’s a violence in her, Lance.”

  “It’s always been there.”

  “At the lake you told me it was a woman who gave you that scar. Women commit crimes against men on a regular basis. When I think Corinne once came to your room uninvited—there’s nothing to prevent her from doing it again to make certain you don’t get married.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Nothing’s going to happen to anyone, Andrea. Until our wedding I’ll be sleeping with you in this room.”

  “But, Lance—”

  “Don’t worry about the servants talking,” he cut in on her. “That’s exactly what I want to happen. The gossip will reach Corinne’s ears. Knowing you and I are together will act as a natural deterrent.”

  “I was thinking of your father.”

  The trace of a smile formed on his lips. “Since it only took me four days to propose to you, he would wonder about me if I continued to spend my nights apart from you.”

  He relinquished his hold of her and reached for the phone at her bedside. “I’ll let the staff know about my new arrangements, then we’ll call your family with our news.”

  His eyes swept over her. “You look tired. Why don’t you get ready for bed first? It was designed so half a dozen people can gaze at the paintings comfortably. You won’t even know I’m in there with you.”

  Andrea’s thudding heart accompanied her into the bathroom where she clung to the sink until she could get herself under control.

  The brilliance of the diamond ring he’d given her drew her gaze.

  It’s in the shape of the lake, he’d said.

  The lake hidden in a mystical forest was where this whole thing had started—where she’d met Lancelot Du Lac come to life. Only he was bigger than life.

  The myth wasn’t a myth after all.

  He’d put Andrea under his spell. How else would she have agreed to enter into this marriage with Lance?

  He was waiting for her when she emerged from the bathroom wearing her nightgown and robe. In the short time she’d been occupied, he’d changed into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. No matter what he wore, she was aware of his incredible male physique made hard by his life in the military.

  His slumberous eyes followed her progress, taking in every inch of her, starting at her bare feet.

  “Ready to make that phone call? Afterward I want to hear which painting you think is my favorite.”

  Andrea sank down a
t the side of the bed and put a phone call through to her aunt. The whole time they talked, Lance lay stretched out on the other side of the bed with his hands propping his dark head. He proved to be such a distraction, she had trouble concentrating on the conversation.

  “If you’re so attracted to him this soon, why don’t you stay on in France and get to know him better before you commit yourself to another marriage?”

  It was a good question. One Andrea would have asked her aunt if their positions had been reversed.

  “Lance has been in the military a long time, Aunt Kathy. He wants to settle down.”

  “That’s fine for him, but what about you? Even though you’re free, you’re still grieving. I should think you’d want to take a couple of deep breaths first.”

  Her aunt didn’t understand Andrea’s problem. Andrea had been grieving in her marriage for years. And now, just thinking of Lance made her so breathless she could hardly function. The realization that they’d be sleeping in the same bed had made her feel more desire than she had felt in years. Shame coursed through her.

  “I probably should.”

  “Well, it sounds like you’ve made up your mind. Rob and I just want you to be happy. Does your invitation include the girls and their husbands?”

  Her hand tightened on the receiver. “You know it does. I want all of you there.”

  “We’re stretched for money, as always. Are you sure your fiancé’s willing to pay for everything?”

  “Yes. He wants you to stay at his parents’ home while you’re here.”

  “What a generous man. That’s a big change from Richard.”

  She lowered her head. “I know.”

  “Sorry. I had no right to say that.”

  “Yes, you did, because it’s true.” In a way it was a relief to know her aunt hadn’t been blind to certain problems in Andrea’s marriage.

  Lance was a different man from a different world.

  Andrea hadn’t told her aunt anything except that she’d met a Frenchman named Lance Malbois who’d just retired from France’s elite force.

  When the family arrived in Brittany, they’d see and understand everything for themselves. At that point she’d take her aunt aside and tell her she was expecting a baby. It didn’t seem right to tell her over the phone.

  “Lance and I will make all the airline arrangements. You’ll be getting your tickets and the invitation some time next week by express mail.”

  “Andrea?”

  “Yes?”

  “I know I haven’t said it often enough, but I love you. I want only the best for you.”

  Her eyes smarted. “I know. I love you, too. Being away has made me realize how lucky I was to be raised by you. It must have been so hard at first.” When she thought of Geoff and the way he’d reached out to his troubled stepdaughter, it was humbling.

  “If it was hard, it was because I was afraid I could never be the mother my sister would have been to you. Rob says I’m anal, but he loves me anyway. Your mother was more calm and laid-back. You have that same quality. It’s one I envy.”

  “Then we’re even because I envy your courage in taking on another woman’s child.”

  “Your sweet disposition made it easy to love you.”

  Where had all this come from? Tears dripped down Andrea’s cheeks. “Thank you for saying that. I’ll call you next week to make certain you received everything.”

  “I’m getting excited. I’ve never been to Europe.”

  “It’s a whole other world, Aunt Kathy. Talk to you soon.”

  She hung up the receiver, using her arm to brush the moisture away. In her mind’s eye she could imagine their surprise as they read the invitation with the Du Lac family crest engraved at the top…

  Geoffroi Malbois, Le Duc Du Lac, requests the pleasure of your company at the marriage of his son Lancelot Malbois Du Lac to Andrea Gresham Fallon on the Thirtieth of June. Eleven a.m. at the Church of the St.Vierge, Lyseaux. A reception will follow at the Château on the Du Lac Estate, La Bretagne, France.

  “What did your aunt say to make you so emotional?”

  Andrea looked over at him. “A lot of wonderful things. If you hadn’t urged me to phone her, I might never have heard them.”

  Lance rolled on his side to face her, all six feet three inches of lean, strong male. “Even with darkness at work, are you saying I’m good for you?” His voice sounded husky.

  The time for honesty had come. “I guess I am.”

  “Then humor me and get into bed. Our baby needs rest, too.”

  Our baby. Oh, Lance—

  “Don’t turn out the light yet. I’ll take care of it after you’ve answered the question I asked you the last time we were in here.”

  Oh. He was talking about the paintings.

  She slid beneath covers. Several feet separated them. His body still lay on top while he studied her.

  “Have you decided which of the twelve months appeals to me the most?”

  “Yes.” She should have known from the beginning, but it hadn’t come to her until tonight when they’d left a scary acting Corinne sitting with Geoff.

  “How long do you plan to torture me? In case you hadn’t realized it yet, I’m not a patient man.”

  “I’m aware of that,” she murmured. “You also thrive on danger, which leads me to think June is your favorite.”

  He raised up on one elbow. “You know me well. In June Lancelot’s love was in full flower. He’d held back his feelings for Guinevere too long. Now he was on fire for her. No bars could keep him out. He would risk death for one taste of her mouth.”

  “I thought that sounded like you.”

  He flashed her a white smile so seductive, she had to look away. “Admit June’s your favorite month, too. Who else but Guinevere, queen among women, was brave enough to enter into a tryst with Lancelot and welcome him into her bed knowing evil was afoot in every corner of Camelot.”

  Somehow the conversation had become a case of art imitating life. It was all too personal. Her eyes slid to the painting in question.

  “The artist did an exceptional job of conveying their emotions. I think a woman did it.”

  “I don’t know about that. A man can paint with the same amount of feeling. When I was young and hadn’t yet understood a female’s magic, I thought they were an embarrassing oddity. Several years had to go by before I let my best friend have a look.”

  “By then you’d both discovered the lusty month of May had taken on new meaning. When June followed, your passion ripened.”

  Rich, deep laughter poured out of him. “You’re one in a million, Andrea. I wonder which painting our child will like best.”

  The conversation was getting out of hand.

  “If we have a romantic daughter, she’ll tell us right away. If it’s a boy, we’ll probably be old and tired before he admits his preference.”

  “Even then he’ll tell us there was no such thing as Camelot.” Lance was reading her mind.

  “That’s when we’ll tell him it was only a beautiful dream.”

  “I think I’m beginning to know how Arthur felt when everything fell apart. We haven’t even said our vows, yet you’re talking about us sitting around in our rocking chairs. I don’t envision us like that.”

  “That’s because you grew up in the land of dreams. The truth is, Guinevere and Lancelot lost their heads. If we haven’t learned from their mistakes, then heaven help us.”

  He moved closer, putting his chin on his bronzed arm. “You think their love was a mistake?”

  She struggled not to be affected by his proximity. “Don’t you?”

  “And miss out on the greatest love the world has ever known?” he drawled.

  Her hand plucked at the covers. “They had to pay too great a price.”

  “But while it was good, they knew indescribable rapture. I noticed you reading Chrétien de Troyes when I found you in the forest.”

  Nothing got past Lance.

  “The bedroo
m scene is one of the most famous passages in all literature,” he reminded her. “Wasn’t there a line about their sport being so agreeable and sweet while they kissed and fondled each other, that in truth such a marvelous joy came over them as was never heard or known?”

  Andrea’s face went hot. “Chrétien got a little carried away portraying Lancelot’s feelings. Since he wasn’t a woman, he didn’t understand Guinevere. She was married to Arthur, and was always plagued by guilt.”

  Lance sent her a seductive smile. “I think that’s the widow in you talking. Take another look at the painting,” he told her. “Do you see any guilt in her eyes or her body straining against him?

  “She’s so eager for him, her eyes are alive. You can feel them burning for each other. All the months he’s been at court they’ve dreamed of this moment. By suppressing their passion, it has only grown into a conflagration.

  “You can tell she’s completely forgotten anyone else is in the room with them. She’s begging him to touch her. Lancelot is out of his mind with desire.

  “He’s been eaten alive by images of her that won’t give him rest. He burns for her in his sleep, yet now he’s awake and he’s come to her, and there’s no power on earth to stop their sweet pleasure in each other.”

  Stop it, Lance.

  “I’ve looked enough for one night, and now I’m tired. I should think you would be, too.” She leaned over to flick off the bedside lamp. “Good night.”

  “Do you mind if I talk to you until we fall asleep?”

  “As long as it’s not about fairy tales.” She turned her back on him and wished he’d plant himself in another area of the bed several feet away.

  “The university is only five minutes from the house in Rennes. If you’re interested, you could take a couple of morning classes while you’re waiting for the baby to come. The term starts in August and will be over before you deliver at the end of December. I could drive you on my way to work, and pick you up at lunch.”

  He’d anticipated everything. It would give her something worthwhile to do until she went back to the States to live.

  “Where will you be working?”

  “At the hydraulics company I told you about. Since being home I’ve made inquiries. They’re in need of an engineer with my qualifications.”