Patrick

Chapter 8

She drove herself to the appointment at the doctor’s and knew he had followed behind her. She had not spoken to him that morning and had left early to avoid speaking to him and had gone to visit her mother who was still off on break from the library. She had given no indication of what she was going through but had spent a pleasurable time speaking to her mother and having leftover turkey sandwiches for breakfast. She left there at nine because her appointment was at ten. She had only gone a quarter of the journey when she noticed he was following behind her. She glanced into the rearview mirror and saw him close behind her and grimly pressed on the gas, giving the car a little more power, zipping along the highway until it was time for her to turn onto the path that led to Doctor Whittingham’s driveway. He caught up with her as she reached the door, his breathing labored as if he had been running. He caught her arm and spun her around to face him. “You little fool!” he grounded out. “Were you trying to kill yourself?”

“Let go of me,” she told him frostily, her heart hammering at the thunderous expression on his handsome face.

“You are carrying my child,” he ground out, his hold tightening. “And as long as you are doing that, I expect you to be careful.”

“You mean the child that we conceived from a one-night stand?” she asked him sweetly, feeling the hurt from last night fresh in her bosom.

“I don’t care how it was conceived, I just care that it was.”

She pulled away from him and pushed the door open, marching inside and going past the receptionist and straight into the doctor’s office.

They did not speak a word to each other as the ultrasound was being done.

“A very healthy looking baby,” Doctor Whittingham said cheerfully, obviously trying to cover the stony silence between the couple. He had dealt with too many rich couples to not see the signs of disharmony. “I am assuming you would like to know the s*x?” he enquired of no one in particular.

“Yes,” Patrick told him without waiting for her to say anything.

Carrie bristled but schooled her expression as soon as the doctor looked at her. “Whatever my darling husband says,” she said with a sweet smile.

Carrie returned his stony stare before bringing her eyes back to the grainy monitor.

“Ah, there we go,” the doctor said with a pleased smile. “For a minute, he was hiding himself from us. You are having a son.”

Unconsciously, Patrick’s hand reached out to clasp Carrie’s as he heard the news, and she let him as she stared at the monitor. “We are having a son,” she said in wonder.

“We are,” Patrick said his throat clogging.

*****

He refused to let go of her hand when they were outside the doctor’s office although she tried to drag it away. He walked with her to her car and opened the door for her. “Look,” he began, barring her from getting in. “I am sorry about last night. It’s just that I got some very disturbing news and I did not know how to process it.”

“Noted,” she said coolly. “May I get in the vehicle? I am actually freezing here.”

“I am sorry,” he muttered and moved so she could get in the driver’s seat. He placed his hands on the door so she could not drive away. “I would like to get someone to decorate the nursery if that’s okay with you.”

“As you wish.”

“You are still mad at me, aren’t you?” he asked in exasperation as he straightened up.

“What gave it away?” she asked as she pulled away from him and drove off.

She smiled a little bit as she saw him standing there looking after her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather coat.

*****

“You bas*ard!” Linda slapped him hard on the jaw causing his face to twist to the other side. “You bas*ard!” she repeated, pounding on his chest with her small fists.

William stood there and let her, his heart twisting in guilt and shame. He had decided that he had to tell her, and after he had told his son the night of the Christmas party, he had confessed to her the next day in the privacy of their suite. Sophia had been calling him and demanding to see him or she was going to spill everything to anyone who would listen. He had decided to take the power away from her and confess to Linda. He would decide later what to do about Sophia’s parents. She moved away from him spent as she sat down on one of the intricately carved love seats in their room, burying her face in her hands and weeping as if her heart would break. A woman young enough to be their daughter! Their own son’s ex! The humiliation was too much to bear.

She lifted her head and used a napkin to wipe the tears away. “Get out,” she told him wearily, the fight gone out of her. She had been brought up to deal with things like this in private and bear it with a smile on her face, but this was too much and she had no idea what to do about it!

“I wish I could take it all back-” he began, but she held up a hand.

“You can’t, William, and I really do not want to talk about it anymore. We are going to pretend that everything is okay for the sake of appearances and paste a smile on our faces because we are welcoming the arrival of a grandson, but in private, I cannot bear to look at you.” She stiffened her spine resolutely. “You are going to be sleeping in one of the other suites for now.”