Page 60 of Hayes

Toeing off his shoes, he climbed in next to her and pulled her into his arms. "Thank you, darling."

*****

Hillary stared at them in silence for a few seconds, her face expressionless.

"Mother? Aren't you going to say anything?" Hayes asked her mildly. They had decided to leave her place and come to his home so that they could tell his mother the news and find a solution to the problem.

"I am ... surprised." She looked at Camelia. "I thought it could not happen–" Shaking her head, she continued. "That's beside the point." Taking a deep breath, she pressed a hand to her breasts. "You are going to be a father." Her eyes glimmered as she stared at her son. "And I could not be happier. Except that there is this situation with Simone."

Hayes glanced at Camelia. He had apologized several times and she had told him firmly that she was fine, but he still thinks she has an issue with the entire thing and was not telling him.

"Yes," he clipped. "I want it out of the way."

"I understand." His mother made a sympathetic motion with her hands. "I have been hearing rumors in my circle about the Bledsoe's. Bills owed here and there. Commitments not being honored, that sort of thing." Her green eyes swept over Camelia. "I have done you a great injustice, my dear.

When I confronted you that day so long ago, I thought I was protecting my son, protecting my family's name. When you came back, I wanted to do the same thing, but it is clear to me that you are genuinely in love with Hayes.

That's what I want for him, someone who loves him for who he is, not for what he can give them." She took a breath. "I cannot believe that I never noticed it before—Simone and her dad wanted you to be their salvation, a way out of their awful situation and are apparently willing to do anything to accomplish that."

Her expression hardened. "I cannot allow that to happen. Just leave everything to me. I will call up a few friends and make some inquiries and go from there."

"Thanks, Mother." Hayes rose and came over to take her hand. "We have had our disagreements and fights, but I am grateful for your help."

"Of course, darling." A smile touched her lips. "You are going to be parents now," her eyes touched on Camelia. "It is a chance to show you how much you are willing to go for your child, no matter how old they get."

*****

"Darling!" Melanie rushed forward to greet her, a pleased look on her face. "It seems like ages since I saw you. And this place–" She looked around the chic restaurant as she settled in the plush chair. "How sweet and cozy."

"It belongs to a very good friend of mine. I took the liberty of ordering us some bouillabaisse, they do serve the best here."

"You know me so well," Melanie gushed.

They discussed unimportant things while they waited for the meal to appear.

"I have been traveling for the past five weeks and it's so good to be back home." Dipping her spoon into the soup and taking a sip in appreciation. "Wonderful. Now darling, I know you have not invited me to lunch just to hear about my completely boring journey. I am a fount of information and that is why I am here."

"Precisely." Hillary picked up the spoon and started on the soup. "You are familiar with William Bledsoe. I heard some time ago that you were involved with him."

Melanie nodded her bluntly cut ash-blonde head. "After my Arthur died, I was drifting. aimless because I had lost the man I loved dearly, my best friend, my soulmate, and it almost destroyed me.

It took me a few years to come out of the funk I found myself in and I met William, and he was charming and sweet and attentive." Putting her spoon down, she drank some water. "I was lonely and wanted someone to ease that loneliness, and he seemed a likely candidate."

Dabbing the napkin at the sides of her mouth, Hillary asked, “What happened?"

"He is a parasite, darling," Melanie told her with a rueful laugh. "It started out simple enough. A loan here and there, nothing much. Just something to take care of an outstanding bill.

Then it became bigger—the museum was running out of money and his darling Simone was in trouble–" She leaned forward. "An indiscretion with a married man, one of substantial standing in society, and the man didn't want to have anything to do with her any longer."

Hillary stared at her with narrowed eyes. "You mean–"

"An abortion. A botched one, I might add. One that rendered her incapable of having children."

"Really?"

Melanie nodded. "I thought you heard about it. I thought of saying something to you when I realized that Hayes had gotten involved with Simone, but she told me she told him everything."

"My God."

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