Pregnant on the Earl's Doorstep

In one short minute Daisy and Ryan had destroyed generations worth of the careful deceit and lies protecting the Bryce family’s reputation. All the work he’d been doing to keep Ross’s infidelities and gambling a secret was pointless now.

But, worst of all, they’d exposed Heather to gossip and scandal, too.

‘My train isn’t until tomorrow,’ Anna said.

‘It’s a long walk to the station,’ Cal replied. ‘Go. Now.’

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, and whatever she saw in his expression obviously convinced her, because she scuttled past him down the corridor. He’d have to deal with her again eventually, Cal knew—if only to find out what and when her magazine would be printing in order to do some damage limitation. But that would have to wait.

First he needed to take care of Daisy and Ryan. And Heather.

He glanced over his shoulder, looking for a moment of solidarity with Heather before he dealt with the children, but she was gone. The corridor was empty. And Cal felt a sneaking feeling of dread working its way towards his heart.

‘Uncle Cal is in love with her!’

That was what Ryan had said. Obviously that was crazy, but did Heather know that?

‘Uncle Cal?’ Daisy’s voice wobbled as she spoke, and Cal spun back to face her. ‘Are we in trouble?’

Time slowed and stilled as his niece’s question echoed in his brain. He knew instantly what his father’s reaction would have been—and his father’s father’s. He’d lived it once. Never on this scale, but with an unguarded comment at a dinner party that had resulted in a broken arm, or a conversation with Harry at school that had ended with Cal being thrashed after someone had started asking questions.

He could never know how Ross might have handled this moment with his children. But he knew how he wanted to handle it. And he knew why.

He looked between Daisy and Ryan and realised that whatever happened next it had all been worth it. Because right now, in this moment, he found himself reaching for a truth he’d believed would always be beyond him.

He wasn’t angry. He didn’t want to shout. Even with everything that was at stake his only concern was protecting the children.

Because he loved them.

Against all the odds, he loved them.

‘You’re not in trouble, either of you.’ He held an arm out towards Daisy and pulled her into his embrace along with her brother. ‘I want to talk to you about what you both said, but I promise you this—you’re not in trouble. I love you both, and nothing either one of you could ever do could possibly change that.’

The force of his words filled him as his niece and nephew clung to his shirt, which was suddenly suspiciously damp in places. Daisy would never admit to crying, but Cal didn’t need her to. He’d done what he’d thought was impossible.

He, a Bryce male, had found a way to love his children—his, now Ross was gone. And his in his heart.

He wouldn’t inflict the cycle of lies and secrets upon Daisy and Ryan. They’d spoken the truth—however they’d learned it—or the truth as they saw it. He couldn’t be angry with them for that, whatever the consequences.

Heather had been right when she’d told him that it wasn’t the scandal and people’s actions that hurt the most. It was the secrets and the lies people told to keep their misdeeds from seeing the light of the day.

Which meant that the only way out of this was to tell the truth.

All of it.

However terrifying that was.

But first he needed to take care of Daisy and Ryan.

‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Let’s go find some hot chocolate and talk about all this. I have some questions—and I’m sure you both do, too. And questions always go better with chocolate.’

That sounded like something Heather would say. Heather, who had given him all this. Heather, whose smile lit him up from the inside and whose body against his had made everything feel real and right for the first time in his life.

Heather, whom he wanted to protect and care for, just as much as he did the children. Heather, who was carrying another child that he wanted to be a part of their family.

Heather, who...

Oh, hell. Ryan was right.

Except Heather was missing in action right now, so there wasn’t anything he could do about his realisation except stamp it down to deal with later. The children came first, and without Heather there to help this was all on him.