The American Heir(9)

I turned away while he examined my wife's private anatomy.

"Everything looks healthy," he said. "You can look now, sir." His voice had a laugh in it.

I turned around to face them as Haley sat up and adjusted herself.

"From what you've told me and what I can see, you appear to be five   weeks along. I usually don't see patients until the eighth to tenth   week. But you look to be right where you should be for this stage of   early pregnancy.   





 

"Our first order of business is to establish a due date, which by my   calculations will be November ninth. We'll set up a series of   appointments for you. Including one for twenty weeks where we can   determine the sex of the baby with an ultrasound. We'll do the   ultrasound either way, but you have the choice of finding out the sex-"

"Yes," I said, my voice hard and determined.

Haley and Dr. Turner turned to me. He wore a surprised expression. Maybe he hadn't expected such vehemence.

"A true duke. Eager for a son to pass the title to." The doctor's grin was tentative.

Haley gave me a warning look.

"Yes, of course," I said. "We're both eager to find out what we're   having." If it were a boy, he'd be my way out of the marriage. Flash   would be safe. And I'd be several hundred million richer. Was that what I   wanted? Would I love a little girl just as much?

The truth was, although I'd never wanted children, if I ever considered having them at all, I was the odd guy who wanted girls.

The doctor picked up on the sudden surge of tension. His brow furrowed   as he tried to figure out what had caused the sudden chill when he'd   given us nothing but good news.

Haley lifted her chin. "Either gender will be welcome. But of course the duke is eager to pass his title on."

"Very good," the doctor said. "Will you be having the baby here, then?   In the village? Or London? Or are you planning to return to the States   to give birth?"

Haley looked to me for an answer.

"Sea-"

She cut me off. "We haven't discussed it. It's all still new to us. We   just found out we were pregnant yesterday." Her smile was beautiful and   happy. "We'll let you know as soon as we decide."

She hesitated. "I have an important question for you, doctor. I know   it's usual to wait to announce a pregnancy until ten to twelve weeks   along. To, you know, see if it sticks." She bit her lip, looking too   damn vulnerable. "But the news, or rumors of it, anyway, is out already.   So I thought … well …

"The duke and I have scheduled a press conference this afternoon to   confirm the news and silence any rumors. We can cancel it, if you think   that's best." She sounded suddenly young and uncertain.

The doctor patted her hand in a fatherly way. "I understand the concern.   Normally, I would say wait. But in this case the pregnancy looks quite   healthy. It's your private decision to make. But I don't see any  danger  signs."

She nodded and relaxed. "Thank you for putting my mind at ease. Whatever   happens, I think the truth is always best." She flashed a challenging   look at me. "If something does go wrong, it will be a comfort to have   other people's support and not suffer in secrecy and silence."

She was talking to me again.

"It's an honor to be attending a duchess' pregnancy, in whatever   capacity you allow. Attending to a high-profile aristocratic pregnancy   will be a happy first in my career," Dr. Turner said. "I don't get too   many firsts this late in life. Maybe some of your celebrity will rub off   on me."

"I'm not sure you'll really want that celebrity once you get it," Haley   said. "I wouldn't be surprised if a pack of reporters aren't already   hanging about the lobby and trampling your lawn." Her laugh was tinkling   and magical. She was so damned happy about this baby. "It's too bad  the  late duke never had children or grandchildren for you to deliver."

The doctor laughed. "Quite so. It was a disappointment to the entire   village that there have been no heirs born here in the last hundred-odd   years. It would have been a great honor to deliver one."

"I imagine you've delivered babies on the estate, though?" Haley arched a brow.

I knew what she was up to, but she was smooth.

Dr. Turner shook his head. "No. I can't rightly say I have. Old Gibson, of course, never married or had children that I know of.

"The gamekeeper, Bird, is the only one from the estate proper who's had   children since I started my practice here. And him just the one son. I   didn't deliver his boy. He was born out of the country. In China, I   believe."

Haley tensed and her eyes lit up. I froze.

"Nice-looking, strapping lad," the doctor said. "Never favored his   mother much. Looks like his father, but with all the best features.   Nineteen or twenty by now, I believe. Away at university. I imagine   you'll meet him soon enough when he comes home for break. He has   aspirations to work at the castle for you like his father and carry on   the family tradition.   





 

"I believe his mother would have been proud of him, too, if she were   still alive. Bird's been a widower now for over five years. It's a   miracle one of the village widows hasn't snapped him up."

"Bird's wife was from around here?" Haley asked. She looked almost crestfallen, but was clearly trying to cover it.

"Yes, indeed. A local girl. She and Bird grew up together." Dr. Turner set his stethoscope on the counter.

"They're very lucky, then. It's lovely here." Haley sounded so genuine.   "Very different from Seattle. Quite homogenous. Even the duke and I   stick out as Americans, and we both have British heritage."

Dr. Turner laughed. "Well, I can't say as we've had many American dukes before." He grinned at me.

I thought that if I hadn't been the duke, he would have winked.

"But you're right," the doctor said. "We don't have the diversity of people or culture here that you'll find in London."

Haley was on fire as we left the doctor's office and headed to the post office to mail her birth control pills to the lab.

"We have to talk to Bird." Her voice was fierce with passion and her face set with determination.

"Haley-"

"No, don't." She took my arm. "It's too much coincidence that he was in   China around the same time as Sid was born. He must know something.   Either the duke sent him there to take care of things or-" She gasped.   "He could be Sid's biological father-"

"Didn't you hear what Dr. Turner said? Bird's son is his and his wife's.   At best, if Bird had an affair with a Chinese girl, the son of his we   know about would be a half-sibling. Not the full one Thorne thinks   exists."

"A half-sibling is better than nothing." The fierceness was on her face   now. "My grandfather wasn't the monster you think he was. If you'd read   his letters to Helen … "

She paused. "You must read his letters to Helen. He loved her and, by   extension, me. I'm the last thing left of her. He knew I love Sid. He   may not be above using her health to blackmail me. But I think he   believed he was blackmailing me for my own good.

"He left a cure for Sid. I know he did. We just have to find him or her.   I'm equally sure Rans hid it. But I'm his granddaughter. I have his   wily mind. I'm only beginning to realize that."





Chapter 5





Haley

Riggins was quiet as we went to the post office and mailed my pills off   to the lab he'd chosen for testing. Personally, I didn't think it was   likely that they'd been tampered with. But I was desperate to find out   how the Dead Duke had made sure I'd gotten pregnant. The first step was   eliminating the obvious-substituting my pills with placebos. That would   have been hard to do. But what would the results say to Riggins if the   results came back that the pills were genuine? Would he think I was   trying to throw him off course?

He had to believe that I wasn't duplicitous and complicit with the Dead   Duke's plan for me to bear an heir. Our relationship and future   happiness depended on it. Even now, with the strain, suspicion, and   doubt between us, I wanted Riggins more than life itself. I couldn't   imagine life without him. Or with him only on the periphery as we   shuttled a child between us. My plan hadn't changed-win his heart and   find Sid's cure.

My mind whirled with possibilities. Why had I not known that Bird had   gone to China around the time Sid was born? Why was he the one person on   the estate that I hadn't met?

On the one hand, that was all completely logical. Other than delivering   fresh game to the castle kitchen, there was little need for the   gamekeeper to be at the castle. He had his own cottage on the edge of   the estate and his job was in the field, not indoors.