I was sitting in the duke's chair, but I had no intention of giving up the power position and offering it to him. As far as I was concerned, this place was as much rightfully mine as his. If princesses could now ascend the throne, it was high time the female line should have rights to a dukedom. My great-grandfather, that ancient introverted hermit, had handed me this opportunity. I wasn't handing it back to anyone. Least of all a distant relation that didn't want what he'd been given.
Riggins didn't take a seat or say a word. He closed the door behind him and crossed the room to the window, staring out at the gardens and Capability Brown's capable landscape. "Cancel your appointment. I'm sending you back to the States to see a proper obstetrician."
Let the game of chicken begin.
I lifted my chin, in a show of defiance and confidence I didn't feel. If I kept this posture up, they'd have to start calling me the haughty duchess.
"I don't take orders from you or anyone." I softened my tone. More flies with honey. "I'm not cancelling our appointment. And I'm staying here until I find Sid's cure.
"Dr. Turner in the village is very good, from what I hear. He's delivered over half the village in his twenty-five years practicing here."
Riggins crossed his arms. Even closed off to me and angry, he looked handsomely ducal standing there posed against the sunlight silhouetting him.
"I'm taking a cue from the prince and princess. We're going to be a duke and duchess of the people. And, as such, barring any unforeseen medical complication, we're going to use the doctor everyone else on the estate and village does. Like regular people. Like the regular people we are."
"You're pushing too hard." He turned his gaze to me.
His eyes were in shadow. I couldn't read them.
I got out of my chair and went to him, taking him by his crossed arms and staring up into his eyes. "You aren't thinking straight, Riggins. When your anger clears, I hope you come to your senses. Maybe then you'll realize what a gift this is." I paused. "You've read Clara's letter?"
He nodded, still silently angry.
I refused to let the tension unnerve me. "Good. Then you understand my rights to this place. Legal or not, I'm the heir, too. My great-grandfather wanted this for me. You should be able to understand that, although I never cared about family history until now, I feel somewhat cheated out of my legacy."
He didn't answer, but his Adam's apple bobbed. I was getting to him.
"I won't cheat our baby out of its rightful place in life."
His eyes were still hard. I shook him gently by the arms. Not that he really moved, but I gave him the best shake I could.
"If you read that letter carefully, you must have realized something else-just how deep the Dead Duke's tendrils extend into our lives and just how long he's been manipulating things." I paused for effect. "My entire lifetime, Riggins. And most of yours-maybe all of it, for all we know."
When Riggins didn't respond, I continued. "It's clear he wanted me to be the duchess from my birth. For his own reasons, I suppose. I like to believe that, at least on some level, he had my best interests at heart, too.
"You're angry. You think I tricked you and got pregnant on purpose. That I broke my word. If that were true, I can understand why you'd be hurt. So maybe you can understand why I'm stinging from the way you jumped to a conclusion and obviously believe the worst in me.
"I didn't trick you, Riggins. This isn't my fault. I took my birth control pills religiously. From my point of view, one of two things happened. Either we're the 'unlucky' one percent who experienced birth control failure, even when using it properly. Or the Dead Duke has once again manipulated us from the grave."
Riggins' eyes flashed. His brow furrowed. He looked suddenly interested.
"Do you really think, knowing how closely he studied us, and how much he wanted an heir, that he would leave it up to us to conceive? Don't you think he knew that neither of us could really be tempted by the money? That we were each really blackmailed into this? And we'd try to fight for our freedom.
"I think he knew our natures and personalities almost as well as we do. Maybe better, in some ways. He certainly had the power of a distance, perspective, and objectivity. He would have known neither of us would just bend over and do what he commanded.
"He lured us here, Riggins, where he had more control. He knew we'd have to come eventually. And then, I'm not sure how he did it, but he tampered with our birth control."
I pulled my pill pack from my pocket and pressed it into Riggins' hand, relieved to be handing it over. Riggins was motivated and would know what to do with it. Had it been tampered with? I wanted the answer badly.
"Take these. Have them tested. See if they're genuine or if they've been replaced with placebos. I realize that even if they're placebos that doesn't prove my innocence. But think of this, Riggins-if I was so desperate to conceive, and such a conniver, I would have gone home to Seattle with you.
"I couldn't have known I was pregnant when you left. It was too soon. Why would I chance sending you off and losing your interest? I can't have sex with you across the pond, not the way I need to get pregnant, anyway. It would have been in my best interests to stay by your side until I was certain I'd accomplished my goal."
He finally spoke. "You really think the Dead Duke duped us?" His expression had softened and his stance relaxed.
I nodded. "If he's done even half of what I suspect him of, I think he's capable of anything. It makes me wonder what else he has up his sleeve for us."
I took a deep breath. "In the meantime, you and I have to keep up the public front. We have to look like we're complying with the Dead Duke's wishes and totally thrilled with our baby news. Both of us have to keep up the act. Or risk triggering the next mousetrap that my evil genius of a great-grandfather set up to ensure we don't escape."
I leaned into Riggins, got in his face, went up on my toes, and stood practically nose to nose with him. "Forget the terms he laid out. Rans isn't going to let us escape his will. Not without a fantastic fight and a lot of outwitting. We'll have to outplay him.
"We have no choice now. We played right into his hands, walked into his diabolical trap. I'm pregnant, Riggins. Whether we want to or not, we're going to have a child together.
"Let's have this baby together and see what happens. After we know what it is-boy or girl-then we can decide the fate of our marriage. Until then, everyone has to think we're still the happy newlyweds. If you don't want to endanger Flash, if you ever want your freedom, you'll have to play your part."
I took his face in my hands and pressed my lips to his. His lips were motionless, firmly set together, locking me out, rejecting me. It felt like kissing a warm statue. If he was going to be that way …
I ran my tongue lightly over his lips, tracing the firm outline of his mouth, pausing to circle the bow of his lips with my tongue. Working my way in, slowly, softly, coaxing him. Open your mouth to me, duke. Tantalizing, Teasing-
With one sudden, smooth move, he wrapped his arms around my waist. Startled, I gasped as he pressed me to him, kissing me back roughly, sticking his tongue deep into my mouth as if he wanted to possess me. I kissed him back eagerly, letting him hold me hostage with his kisses. He released me so suddenly I stumbled back.
He was breathing hard. "Damn it, Haley. I hope you're not playing me."
I'd tempted him. The anger protecting his heart was beginning to crack. It hadn't broken open. Yet. I'd just have to be patient.
I glanced at the clock. "We should be going. We have a doctor to see."
Riggins
The morning was sunny and calm, though cool. Highs were supposed to reach around fifty degrees. The view was pastoral, green, and peaceful. Idyllic. As long as you bundled up, the perfect setting and weather for a stroll into the village. Not so very different from Seattle this time of year. But the setting was completely at odds with my black mood.
I was on a tightly wound string that was quickly fraying. My outlook dark. My mood grim. I was still stinging from the bite of betrayal. Someone had betrayed me. But damn, Haley had made me doubt my own doubt. She'd made a compelling case against the Dead Duke. Why did I have to fall for such a beautiful, intriguing, and apparently guilelessly logical woman?