by Dani Wade
He reached out to grasp her arms in an effort to get her to look at him. The touch was bittersweet, as he knew it would be his last. “I’m more sorry than I can tell you. I didn’t intend to get involved, I didn’t intend to fall in love, and I had no idea what an incredible person you really are. But I have to save Abigail. I’ve lived that childhood, and I will not allow her to live it, too.”
Madison nodded, though whether his words made sense to her, he wasn’t sure. Then she explained. “I love you, too. But that’s not why I am doing this. I’m doing it for Abigail, too, because no child deserves to live neglected and unloved. I’ve fought against that my entire life, and it’s more important to me than anything.”
She raised her hand between them. “That’s why I want you to take this.”
Blake blinked. He glanced down at the box, then back at her face. “I...don’t...understand...”
“I want you to have this, so that Abigail will be taken care of.”
Blake was already shaking his head. “Maddie, this was your mother’s. It should take care of you for the rest of your life. Especially after you’ve given your life to take care of others.”
She stared down at the box for a moment. “Taking care of others is not something that requires a reward. I did it out of love,” she said, then pressed her lips together hard. As her eyelids drifted down, a single tear rolled over her cheek. “Just take it.”
“I believe that belongs to me.”
Heated fear washed over him as Blake turned to see his father walking across the rotunda, which was otherwise empty now.
“Thank you for finding it for me, Madison,” Armand said. “That seems to be more than my son was capable of.”
Madison began to extend her arm, and Blake quickly stepped in front of her to face his father. “Absolutely not. You are not taking this from her.”
“But I thought you said Abby could live with you if I give this back?” Madison said.
“No, he said I can have her parental rights, if I stole this from you.”
“I believe I have a claim,” Armand insisted.
“It was a gift to Madison’s mother. It doesn’t belong to you anymore. If it did, your lawyer would have been able to get it back for you long ago.”
Armand’s practiced smile grew wider. “But I’m the one who would benefit most. Unless you count Abigail.”
Madison gasped.
“I will fix this, Madison,” Blake insisted.
His father studied him for a moment. For once, Blake felt no urge to shift in his shoes. This wasn’t about meeting his father’s expectations. This was about two different scales, and the fact that Blake was looking out for more than just himself.
“I never thought you would defend a woman,” his father said.
Blake was a little taken aback. Why wouldn’t he defend another person? He just didn’t know a lot of people who needed defending. But then again, his father’s measurements were based on his own warped standards, and Armand had never gone out of his way to defend anyone but himself.
“Some people grow up, Armand, and learn to deal with the consequences of their actions. That’s what’s happening here. As a consequence of my actions, I’m going to lose Madison. She’s fully justified in walking away from me. And I’ll let her because I betrayed her. You, on the other hand, have just lost your free ride.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Madison doesn’t need to give you that diamond. It will have no effect on Abigail. Because you have no claim to her.”
“That doesn’t even make sense. I’m her father.”
“You thought you were her father, biologically at least. But you’re not. She’s not even yours. I can get a DNA test to prove this and have her taken away. Or you can sign over your rights.”
He should’ve been satisfied that his father looked stunned, but it didn’t make him feel good to take the old man down. It only felt good to know that Abigail would be safe. “If you sign over your rights, I’ll pay you enough to get back on your feet, and you can dissolve your marriage with no contest.” He straightened, hoping his height advantage would convince his father he wasn’t to be messed with.
“If you refuse, I’ll make sure everyone in your social circle knows that your wife cheated on you with the chauffeur. That you’ve raised a child who wasn’t yours all these years, and blackmailed your son into stealing from another woman for your benefit.”
Behind him Madison gasped, but Blake couldn’t stop now. “I have nothing to lose,” he said. And that was true. Without Madison, he would never be truly happy again. “You do. So are you going to take the easy way out, or lose your reputation along with your fortune?”
Only someone who’d lived with Armand all these years would know just how much his reputation meant to him. Not to mention the fact that it was his only way of getting his business back on its feet. His connections within Louisiana society, and the country as a whole, were his only source of revenue.
“Do you really expect me to give up a fortune to the daughter of my enemy?” he asked, his genteel facade slipping even further with his sneer.
“He wasn’t your enemy,” Madison said from behind him. “He was just a man who actually loved my mother. Not one who wanted her to enhance his reputation and social status.”
“And that, Father, is the problem with your life in a nutshell. You just want to keep up appearances. Not to mention the fact, if you walk away now, Madison won’t have to take out a restraining order against you.”
For a moment, Blake thought his father might burst an artery. His entire face flushed and he practically shook with anger.
“So what will it be, Father?” Blake prodded. “Should I contact your lawyer?”
Armand visibly pulled himself together. “Of course,” he said in a clipped, controlled tone. No yelling would be allowed in public today, Blake guessed. Then Armand turned on his heel and walked away, ever displaying the calm veneer of a wealthy gentleman, hiding the snake lurking beneath.
“How much is that going to cost you?” Madison whispered.
“It doesn’t matter. As long as I can support Abigail, we’ll be good.” He turned back to face her. “I’m so sorry, Madison. You didn’t deserve that. Any of it.”
Reaching out, he wrapped her fingers around the jewelry box. “Take this to Trinity, and ask her to find you someone reputable to sell it.” He swallowed hard. “I need to know that you’re taken care of in the way you deserve.”
Madison stared down at the box for several moments before she glanced back up with tears in her eyes. “What makes you think I deserve the money from this?”
“Life. You’ve had a raw deal, Madison. You deserve far more than life has given you.”
“And yours wasn’t just as bad? At least my parents loved me. I didn’t have to live under that guy’s thumb my entire life. That was a close call, I’d say.”
Blake cocked his head to the side. Was she actually joking? “Um, yes. I’d agree.”
“Blake.” She drew in a deep, hard breath. “I believe I’ve come to a decision.”
This is it. Here comes the goodbye.
She held up the jewelry box, staring at it. “I believe that I’m going to need help taking care of this incredible piece.”
“Yes?”
“I think you and Abigail would be perfect for the job.”
What? “I don’t understand.”
“Well, I can’t ask just anyone. I need someone who really knows me, knows what I believe in. It has to be someone I can trust.”
“That would not be me.” It couldn’t be me.
“Are you sure?”
Blake swore as he broke out in a cold sweat. “What are you saying?”
“Yes, you lied to me. You met me under false pretenses and kept secrets from me.”
> “Yes, I did, Madison. I’m sorry.”
“And I know you really are. Do you know how I know that?”
Blake shook his head, not trusting his voice.
“Because you just volunteered to give up a fortune to take care of a child who isn’t even yours.”
Her dark green gaze made his head swim. Was she really saying this?
“I know better than to think that your father will let you off cheap. And I know better than to think that raising a young girl alone doesn’t scare the pants off you.” She stepped in closer, bringing her heat to mix with his. “Those are the things that are important to me. That’s the Blake I fell in love with—the man who isn’t perfect but is trying his best...” She brushed her lips over his, pulling a heartfelt sigh from him. “And his best feels pretty darn good.”
Blake struggled to keep his wits about him. “How do you know I wasn’t lying? That I’m not lying now?” Maybe he was a fool to ask, but he’d rather know for sure before he fell too deep to dig himself out.
“It’s quite simple, really,” she said. “All I need is your response to my plan.”
“You have a plan?”
“I do. And only the best of men would go along with it.”
Blake wouldn’t consider himself the best of men, but somehow he knew he’d support Madison in anything she wanted to do. He couldn’t hold back. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and buried his face in her neck. “I love you, Madison.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
Then he pulled back. “You know we come as a package deal now—Abby and me?”
“Absolutely...” She waited for a moment, then asked, “So, don’t you want to know the plan?”
“It doesn’t matter. I got the girl...girls. That’s all I need.”
Epilogue
Madison watched as Abigail charmed an older couple who had come to the exhibit. This might be the little girl’s “debut,” but without a doubt, in her frilly dress and hair ribbons and curls, she was stealing the show from the main attraction.
Blake stood at the entrance to the rotunda at the ASTRA, ready to answer any questions people might have. In the past year, he’d become an expert on the Belarus diamond and its caretaker of sorts. Madison couldn’t believe that he’d gone along with her plan. But he’d not only supported her, he’d embraced the purpose behind it and spent every day helping her fulfill her goal.
To use the Belarus diamond to create funding for those in need.
To that end, they’d arranged with the museum to exhibit it here for special functions. Part of the ticket proceeds would go to fund Maison de Jardin and charities like it. Ownership had been officially established with the charity. Madison didn’t need or want the jewel. She had all she needed with her fiancé and the half sister who was now legally his child.
Trinity stepped up to her, resting her arm around Madison’s shoulders as she took a sip of her sparkling water. No champagne for the mom-to-be.
Trinity’s happy-ever-after had come around the same time as Madison’s. The chaos and suspicions surrounding her first marriage and husband’s death had been tough, but she’d been rewarded with a new husband...and a family of her own. Michael Hyatt’s estates were in good hands, Trinity’s hands, and Maison de Jardin was protected from vultures like Michael’s relatives.
But even more important, the business consultant they’d hired was now Trinity’s new husband. He’d rocked the Secrets and Scandals blog with his revelations, and come out on the other side as Trinity’s biggest supporter and the father of her unborn baby. Their story was still a source of extreme interest from New Orleans’ society.
“How’s the second attraction of this little charity exhibit doing?” Madison asked with a chuckle.
Trinity grimaced. “Who knew so many nosy people would want to stare at a pregnant lady?”
“Only if said pregnant lady was the most talked about heiress in all of Louisiana...”
Trinity arched a brow in her direction. “You haven’t done so bad yourself. I thought the phone would never stop ringing once your story broke.”
“We both ended up with some pretty spectacular legacies, didn’t we?”
Trinity smiled. “Funny how they weren’t as important as the people that came with them, huh?”
Even if they weren’t still here. They’d dedicated tonight’s event to Madison’s parents and Trinity’s late husband, Michael, who had helped found Maison de Jardin.
But those legacies had brought other people into their lives: for Trinity, her new husband and the baby she was expecting, and for Madison, Blake and Abigail. For the first time in a long time, Madison’s life felt full. Full to overflowing.
Blake’s gaze caught hers from across the room. The intensity of his feelings reached her even though they weren’t speaking. Not a day went by with him that wasn’t her best. But tonight...tonight was special.
Somehow they both knew it.
Tamika sidled up to the girls, smiling over her champagne flute. “Ladies, I’m getting lucky tonight.”
Madison and Trinity exchanged a glance. Tamika ignored them. “I figure all of this good luck has to rub off sometime. Trinity is married. Madison is getting close. We think. Surely it’s my turn next.”
“Go stand next to Blake.”
“Why?”
“He’s the lucky one.”
“I didn’t need to know that,” Tamika said with a laugh.
“No, really. Today’s the day.”
Tamika and Trinity leaned in close. Madison smiled, unable to resist letting them in on the secret. She wiggled her fingers. “Because tonight, I think I’ll let him put a ring on it.”
* * *
Scandal and seduction
go hand in hand
in the
Louisiana Legacies
duet:
Entangled with the Heiress
Reclaiming His Legacy
by Dani Wade
Available exclusively
from Harlequin Desire!
Keep reading for a special preview of
Forbidden Promises
the first book in Synithia Williams’s irresistible Jackson Falls series.
India Robidoux wants nothing more than to avoid her sister’s ex-husband...even if they did share one unforgettable kiss years ago.
What do you do when you want the one person you can’t have?
Coming March 2020 from HQN Books!
Forbidden Promises
by Synithia Williams
CHAPTER ONE
A LARGE CALLA lily bouquet came entirely too close to slapping India Robidoux in the face the moment she entered her family’s home for the first time in four years. Only a quick slide to the right saved her from that indignity.
The woman carrying the flowers rushed by with a barely audible “excuse me.”
India jumped back to avoid being hit by another bouquet as a different woman with an equally large arrangement hurried by. The ornate oak-and-glass front door swung open behind her. India stutter-stepped to the right to avoid being hit. Maybe she should have taken up dancing instead of the violin. She clearly had the footwork down.
The front door opened again, and a man carrying a large box rushed through. “Where do you want these?” he asked her. He shifted and the sound of glasses clinking together came from the box.
India’s mouth opened, then closed. She glanced around in the hope he was talking to someone who had some clue what was going on.
The man loudly cleared his throat. “Ma’am?”
Blinking rapidly, India pointed down the hall where more noise came from the back of the house. “Um...the kitchen?” That had to be where glasses needed to go.
The man nodded and hurried on his way. Yet another woman carrying a huge bouquet, roses instead of calla lilies,
rushed by again.
India moved out of the entryway and the line of people going back and forth. She pulled her cell phone out of the back pocket of her jean shorts and checked the date. No one’s birthday, no anniversary and no major holiday. Why were there dozens of people zipping around making the already impressive interior of her family home even more extravagant?
People were everywhere, placing flower arrangements, hanging decorations, carrying crates and cleaning every nook and cranny. The effort put into whatever was going on wasn’t surprising. Her family didn’t do anything half-assed. It was as if four years hadn’t passed and she was back home in time for another Robidoux Family production.
“I told the caterer there were to be no oysters, at all. If my brother dies from an allergic reaction to oysters at his own party because the caterer is too dumb to remember my instructions, there will be hell to pay.” Her sister’s cool Southern accent was laced with frustration.
India rolled her eyes and sighed. Apparently, Elaina’s tendency for overdramatic threats hadn’t diminished recently.
The quick apologetic reply of the unfortunate assistant her sister spoke to accompanied the sound of heels clicking along the marble in India’s direction. For a second, she considered hiding, but dismissed the urge. There was no reason to hide from her sister. Their relationship wasn’t the closest, but neither were they enemies. Elaina always viewed India as the annoying baby sister in need of her guidance. Adulthood hadn’t changed that perception.
Elaina and a woman India didn’t recognize came into view. Elaina’s deep sepia skin, dark almond-shaped eyes and perfectly flat-ironed hair hadn’t changed at all. Even though Elaina was thirty-four, India swore her sister had stopped aging at twenty-five.
Elaina’s furious pace didn’t slow down even though the other woman struggled to keep up with her. Seeing they would continue right by her—probably assuming India was just another person helping with the party which apparently was for her brother—India sighed and stepped away from the wall. “Byron isn’t going to die from eating an oyster, Elaina, and you know it.”