Page 49 of Hayes

"Is it working?"

"Absolutely."

*****

William Bledsoe looked up from the documents he was perusing as his daughter swept into the room, a sulky, dissatisfied look on her lovely face and a glass of wine in her hand.

"You are back."

"Jason was a bore." Taking a seat in front of the desk, she stretched her legs out. "I read the articles."

"So, did I. You managed to hold back the information about that woman's pregnancy." Cold blue eyes pinned her. "You failed in your mission to get Marsden to put a ring on your finger." He gestured to the pile of notes on his desk. "Guess what these are?"

"More overdue bills?"

"Precisely." He gave her a scathing glance from beneath bushy brows. "You had one job to do. Get the man to fall under your dubious charms and you couldn't accomplish that. What the hell good are you? And how pray tell are we going to get on now?"

"I tried!" Simone cried, eyes glittering with tears at the unfairness of that statement. "He was on the verge of proposing when that bitch came back to town. And now he is all over her. At least I got him to be interested in the museum."

William barked out a laugh, his face harsh. "That, my dear, is just a drop in the bucket. You were supposed to get him hooked by getting pregnant."

"He was very careful." Her porcelain cheeks were flushed with anger. "He never did it without using protection."

"Now, suppose you tell me how you are going to fix this mess?"

She stared at him in surprise. "It's too late."

"Are they married?"

"No."

"Then it's not too late. Find some way to get him back on your side. Bat those eyes at him, cry, beg, slip something in his drink, and get him to take you back to your place, the place I am paying for. Get him out of his clothes and force the issue." He barked. "Or else, all those beautiful things you so enjoy will be a thing of the past."

"He loves her."

"That might be the case, but it is your duty to try and get around that." He gave her a contemptuous look. "Make me proud for once in your goddamned life and do something to earn your keep. Do it before he decides it is prudent for them to marry quickly. I am counting on you, and I trust you will not want to disappoint me again. Am I right?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Simone nodded.

Chapter 12

Camelia had been expecting to be cornered by the woman as soon as she stepped into the office, but Celeste had been tied up for most of the morning with the various investors, which fortunately prevented her from bombarding her, which suited Camelia very well. She had also received a call from her aunt demanding to have lunch.

"Hon, the parasites are hovering, and I would like to make certain we are on the same page."

Last night and this morning were magical. They had left early this morning to return home. When they were leaving, she clung to him and stored the memories of the place in her heart.

She had a nagging feeling that something awful was coming and could not shake it. She had the same feelings just before the tragedy as her parents and had ignored it.

Now. it was coming back, and she could not bear to think about it. She could not lose Hayes again; that was one thing she was decisive about. Coming back home and getting involved with him again had proven to her that the love she had thought had put on a slow burn had intensified until she could not possibly see herself without him.

He had asked her to marry him, and she desperately wanted to say yes. Being his wife and the mother of his children was her dream, but she did not want one without the other. Hayes might say that he did not care if she conceived, but she did.

She cared so much; she could not stop thinking about it. That's why she had made an appointment with Dr. Gloria Henson a week ago and went to see her.

The woman had called her to come into her office and would not say what it was about.

"I would prefer to speak to you in person."

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