Page 27 of His Wedding Day Revenge

Draco was the most alive person she had ever encountered...loved... That she no longer was in love with him did not alter the fact that the idea of him not being in the world was a possibility she simply couldn’t accept.

‘Should you wish anything...’

I wish to stop thinking about Draco.

In which case coming here was not such a great idea.

‘I’m fine,’ she said brightly.

To Jane’s relief the woman appeared to be moving towards the door and she politely mirrored the action. ‘Thank you so much.’

Alone at last, she thought, looking around the room. Focusing her thoughts on the practical and away from the dangerous, she decided to leave the bags and prioritise settling Mattie down. He took his feed well. He became animated in the bath, kicking and splashing, but as she dried him and put him in his sleep suit she could see his eyes were growing heavy. She rocked him on her shoulder, crooning softly until she felt his little body relax into sleep.

She tucked him up carefully in his cot and tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door ajar.

Despite her attempts to dismiss the woman’s comments, the words continued to ricochet around in Jane’s head as she stood in the nursery that was furnished for the children she and Draco would never have.

Though he would have children—the housekeeper had implied as much. Had the comment been code for Draco having plans to marry? Pressing a protective hand to her stomach, Jane felt her eyes fill with tears... She dashed them away angrily.

She returned to the nursery to check on Mattie, her heart swelling with protective love as she stared down at his flushed sleeping face. Making her way back to the small but well-equipped kitchen, she cleared away the things she had used to make the feed and pushed back the chair she had pulled over to feed him. Through the open window the light breeze blew in the scent of lavender mingled with the salty tang of pine.

She should not be feeling nostalgia or regret. She should feel relieved that things had never reached the point where she had to tell Draco she couldn’t have children.

That was one nightmare scenario she had avoided, and so had he. The sentence drifted into her head.

I am sure there will be babies here one day.

She closed the window with a snap and, though the entire place was wired for sound, went back to check on Mattie, who was still fast asleep, snoring softly.

Smiling, she blew him a kiss and banged her head on the butterfly mobile above the cot.

Unpacking her own things did not take long as Mattie’s clothes had taken up most of the case. Of course now she knew she could have brought several cases.

She looked at the few lonely items hanging in the cavernous wardrobe. She stood there wondering what happened now.

She knew that to appear suitably keen good manners meant she ought to go to the informal supper, but he had suggested it was optional, and there was no way she would drag Mattie out. Delaying the moment when she was revealed as a phoney appealed at that moment.

Although she was starving.

She was wondering if there was anything in the fridge besides formula to stave off the hunger pangs when a tap on the door drowned out the sound of her growling stomach.

The girl on the other side introduced herself. ‘I am Val, the nursery nurse. Well, not really. I help my brother with the bees.’

‘Right,’ said Jane, amused by the girl’s intensity, confused by the mention of bees, and impressed by her excellent English. ‘But when guests need a babysitter I help out. I have plenty of experience. I have five smaller brothers. I am here to sit with the little one should you wish me to, though if you prefer not to go for supper it will be delivered here.’

‘I...’ Jane hesitated and stepped aside for the girl to enter. ‘Please come in. Mattie is asleep and normally he sleeps for several hours after his evening feed.’

‘Oh, that is so lucky!’ Val exclaimed chattily. ‘My youngest brother still wakes twice in the night!’

‘Look, it’s very considerate of you to offer.’ Jane paused, realising that it was unlikely the girl had volunteered—this was her job. ‘I’m not dressed.’ Jane, feeling creased and grubby after the journey, gestured down at her jeans and shirt, thinking that even if she was ‘dressed’ it would not be very impressive.

‘No problem. Even if you don’t want to go down to supper I could stay while you shower?’

‘I’d probably hear Mattie, but actually that would be great,’ Jane admitted, smiling her gratitude. It would be a treat to have a shower without listening out for Mattie.

‘Supper is being served at seven-thirty?’

Val saw Jane’s face and grinned. ‘I don’t think it will be a late night—there are a lot of old men with beards.’ She looked self-conscious. ‘Sorry, that was rude. I quite like beards.’

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