Princess's Secret Baby(67)

                ‘Zayn’s wife?’

                ‘She had her reasons to do so, Zayn said. Something to do with Jasmine, but I was so cross that I told them I didn’t want to hear their excuses.’ He was putting on his tie and seemed as bothered with what she’d said as if she’d told him it had just started raining outside. ‘I’m worried what it will do to us,’ Leila admitted.

                ‘To us?’ James grinned. ‘Why would it affect us? Does the fact my father is, and I quote, “vile”, make you think less of me?’

                ‘Of course not.’

                ‘So, don’t worry about it. God, if you think we’re going to row every time one of our family members stuffs up, then marrying me might not be such a good idea.’

                She smiled at his reaction. ‘You’re like no one I’ve ever met.’

                ‘Snap,’ James said.

                ‘Snap,’ replied Leila.

                ‘I was right though,’ James said as he finished his tie. ‘Isabelle did have someone on me. I knew it!’ he said. ‘I knew I was being followed.’

                She laughed when he lifted the trousers of his immaculate suit a few inches. ‘Look, no socks.’

                He gave her a lovely kiss before leaving and Leila lay back happily in his bed, looking out at the view of Central Park.

                Surely she belonged now.

                * * *

                James and Manu had never really got on but he did accept that she knew her stuff.

                They headed to the near-empty restaurant and to a table in the far corner, where they ordered breakfast, but five minutes into his meeting with her James started to question getting Manu involved.

                ‘Leila’s happy...’

                ‘Really?’

                ‘She is,’ James said ‘We’re happy. It’s just her parents that are proving a problem and her brother.’

                ‘I wonder why that might be!’

                ‘She hasn’t got on with her parents since her sister died. I’m thinking of approaching her brother...’ James attempted to explain, but again Manu shook her head.

                ‘Let’s get back to Leila...’

                James actually had Leila Deficit Disorder because one hour out of bed and he needed contact, but he was aware of his own arrogance and also needed to be sure he was right.

                Are you happy? James texted.

                So, so happy! Leila replied, and James smiled and simply forgot that Manu was there.

                Go and look at the bottom of the wardrobe.

                Leila texted him back. A present?

                Just go and look.

                There was nothing there though. She looked up on the shelves and there were just cases and shoes and so she checked the bottom of the wardrobe again and there was nothing there either, save a shirt that had fallen from the hanger.

                No, Leila realised, it hadn’t fallen from the hanger. It was wrinkled and hadn’t been laundered.