Destroyed Destiny (Crowne Point 4)

She lay out the three folders neatly beside the tea.

We have a very competitive mistress package.

Tansy’s words rang in my head, but I was still no more clear than I was that day on what she meant.

“After you complete training, you will have access to the du Lac mistress stipend.”

“Training?” I asked.

“Usually it takes months,” she continued. “You have two weeks. And usually mistresses accompany an engagement, which are worked out in the prenup. Your case is most unusual… Past employment?” She stared at me expectantly, pen in hand.

“I, uh…”

I dragged my bottom lip between my teeth.

I couldn’t see any visible reason not to tell her where I used to work. It was public knowledge, after all. I just had this sinking fee

ling in my gut.

Training. Options.

“Past employment?”

“I…worked at Crowne Hall.”

“A servant?” She did a double take. “Uh, well…” She blinked, shaking her head slightly. “Option one includes all the usual. Your house, your monthly allowance. There are no stock options, but your children will be acknowledged and written into the will.”

My head buzzed as she went over each page, what I was entitled to, and what I wasn’t. It was like we were discussing which college to attend.

“Option two includes everything. The house, the allowance, stock options—generous, but your children will not be written into the will. I assume we’ll be going with option one—”

“No!” I cut her off. “No children will be written into the du Lac will.”

It came out before I could stop it.

“I mean…” I rubbed my neck, looking for some excuse, and coming up empty.

Silence hung sour in the air.

“That’s unusual for a du Lac,” she said after a moment. “Most du Lac men write their children into their will and give them their last names.”

The du Lacs don’t care about bastards. No one will think twice if you have mine.

It suddenly felt too. Fucking. Real.

If we had to tell the world my child was West’s for a little while…I could handle that. I could work past the knots in my stomach. But that was always because I had hope. Hope of getting out.

How would we ever untangle ourselves if his name was on the birth certificate?

If they made me give our child his last name?

“I think…” I swallowed. “Just maybe not option one.”

Her brows skyrocketed. “That’s…” She glanced at the papers. “Well…moving on. The wife generally sets the rules, but as he is unmarried…” She exhaled and scribbled something in the margins. “To be filled in later.”

I thought of West’s fiancée. I still didn’t know who she was, but I was certain she would most likely hate my guts for merely existing, as had Tansy with Josephine, and Lynette with all of Arthur’s mistresses.

The woman stood. “I will get started on this.”