The Maid's Best Kept Secret (The Marchetti Dynasty 1)

Maggie parked the car. She was here to meet with the local doctor and Nikos. The doctor would be taking swabs for a DNA test.

She sucked in a deep breath and got out, extricated Daniel’s baby seat. Before she could knock on the front door, though, it opened, and Maggie was surprised to see a middle-aged smiling man, dressed in smart dark trousers and a white shirt.

He said, ‘Hello, you must be Miss Taggart. I’m Andrew Wilson, the new housekeeper. It’s lovely to meet you—and this must be Daniel?’

Daniel smiled gummily, oblivious to the circumstances.

Then Nikos appeared behind the new housekeeper, and Maggie wasn’t prepared to see him.

He said, ‘We’ll have some tea and coffee in the living room please, Mr Wilson.’ He held out a hand to her. ‘Here, let me take help you.’

Maggie was tempted to insist that she could manage, but that felt petty. As she handed over the baby seat she noticed how Nikos was careful not to look too closely at Daniel.

He led the way to the living room, turning around. ‘Where should I put him?’

Maggie came over and took the baby seat from him, placing it safely on top of a table so she could keep an eye on Daniel.

She looked around. For a moment the sense of déjà-vu was almost overwhelming. Even though it was bright outside and not dusky night, the scene was acutely familiar.

Nikos glanced at his watch. ‘The doctor will be arriving any minute. She’ll take swabs for the DNA tests.’

Maggie bit her lip. Anyone with eyes could see that Daniel was this man’s son. But of course he’d need proof.

‘What then?’ she asked.

‘Then we wait for the results. And then...depending on the outcome...we discuss what we do.’

‘He’s your son.’

‘I can’t afford to trust you on your word alone. Too much is at stake.’

Anger at herself for having succumbed to the charms of such a man—the kind who didn’t trust and who demanded DNA tests—made her say caustically, ‘Well, the feeling is mutual. I don’t trust you either.’

‘You trusted me enough to let me be your first lover,’ he supplied silkily.

Maggie flushed all over. ‘That was a moment of flawed judgement.’

He arched a brow. ‘That was chemistry, pure and simple. Don’t tell me you’re still holding out for your boring hero?’

Maggie squirmed. She’d told him so much. Too much.

/>

At that moment the doorbell chimed. Within a minute Mr Wilson was showing the doctor into the living room.

Maggie welcomed the distraction, getting Daniel out of his seat.

The procedure was done with the minimum of fuss and within minutes the doctor stood up. ‘It’ll take a couple of days for the results to come back. I’ll let you know as soon as I have them.’

Nikos saw the doctor out and Maggie patted Daniel’s back absently. Everything was about to change irrevocably. Nikos came back and she turned around to face him. She noticed that he was looking at Daniel. For the first time she had to appreciate what a shock this must be for him.

Impulsively she said, ‘I’m sorry that you found out like this. But I did try to tell you.’

He lifted his gaze to hers. ‘I know.’

‘You know? How?’

‘I got my security team to check the cameras and someone has been in touch with Chantelle. She confirmed it.’ Nikos shook his head. ‘She did a lot of damage.’