Liane's eyes flew open. “I never seduced your son. You have no right to speak to me like that,” Liane snapped. Bridgette really had some nerve.
“Mother, please calm down,” Jean Pierre said. Bridgette smacked his arm a few times. She was so angry with him.
“Do not tell me to calm down. How do you expect me to react when you are only telling me this now?” Bridgette started fanning herself. She felt as if she was going to faint that was how angry she was. The queen sat there quietly. She knew that was how her sister was going to react.
“He did not know until a few days ago,” Liane said.
“Is it even his?”
Liane laughed. Of course, Bridgette would say something like that. It was very much of her calibre. “Would you like a paternity test then?” Liane asked her.
“We need to do damage control,” the queen said.
“Of course, I want a paternity test!” Bridgette screamed.
“Mother, stop it. The child is mine,” Jean Pierre said quietly. Bridgette backhanded a cup that was on the table, which went flying and shattered into pieces as it hit the ground.
“This is preposterous! This cannot be happening!”
“Please, calm down. I understand how you are feeling. I was just as angry,” the queen said and rubbed Bridgette's arm. Bridgette closed her eyes. It took her a few moments to calm herself down.
“So, what do you propose we do?” she asked after a while.
“They must get married.”
“What?” Bridgette, Jean Pierre and Liane all said at the same time. That was not the solution they were expecting.
“I am afraid I am not willing to do that,” Liane said. It was bad enough that she was having a child with him. She could not see herself being married to Jean Pierre for life.
“I agree with the bitch on this one,” Bridgette said.
“And, I will not have this bitch as my mother-in-law,” Liane shot back.
“Whore!”
“Enough!” the queen demanded. “That is the only solution to keep our reputation intact.” Damage control needed to be done. As relatives of the royal family, they could not be involved in any scandals.
“Can we think about it?” Liane asked.
“No, you cannot and this needs to be done before the baby is born,” the queen stated.
“This is unfair,” Liane said. The queen was not even her mother and she was forcing her to marry Jean Pierre. Her own mother had not even suggested that.
“You should have thought about that before you took your undergarments off.”
Liane's jaw dropped open. She may have been the queen but she did not need to say such things. Liane knew that she had made a mistake but she needed to fix it on her own. She did not need the queen to behave like this. Jean Pierre was not even her son. Liane had to bite her tongue and not say anything. Charles had taught her very well how not to betray her emotions.
“I do not like this either,” Bridgette snapped. However, she knew that was the only way to sort out this situation. There was no other way.
Chapter 9
Liane had finally agreed to the marriage. Her mother had also said that was the best thing for herself and for the family. She also reminded her that a child needed to have a father in his or her life. While Liane said that she would marry Jean Pierre, she was adamant that she was not going to have a wedding. She did not want it. They agreed to a civil service.
Her mother was annoyed with Liane at not wanting a wedding; after all, this would be her opportunity to amass gifts that she could use in her new life. When she pressured her, Colonel LeBlanc put a stop to his wife’s behaviour. He simply wanted to put the matter to rest as soon as possible and was pleased that Liane had agreed.
As they drove to the courthouse, neither one said anything. They simply wanted to get it over and done with.
“Which department is it?” Liane asked, as they walked inside.
“How should I know?” Jean Pierre replied. He had not been there before either. Liane rolled her eyes. They read the boards to find out which floor before entering the lift.
When they arrived upstairs, they checked in with the clerk and waited for their turn. When the judge called them forth, she spent a few minutes explaining procedure as both Jean Pierre and Liane fidgeted impatiently waiting for her to hurry up with the instructions.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Splendid,” Jean Pierre replied.
“Yes, amazing,” Liane added.
The judge shook her head as she passed them the paperwork. She could sense the sarcasm in both their tones; however, it was none of her business.
“Sign here, here, here, and here,” she said.
Liane and Jean Pierre rushed out as soon as the judge said they were done. As they walked out of the courthouse, Liane wondered how soon it would be okay to file for a divorce. Surely, she was not going to have to stay married to him for too long, perhaps just long enough to appease their families.