matter what happened later, I can’t regret it.”
Joss stood and held onto the rail next to her, wrapping his free arm around her waist.
Lady Waterford turned into him and wept.
5
With Joss’s arm firmly around her, Minnie let go of the rail on the roof of the car and wrapped her arms around his waist.
For the first time in a very long time, she didn’t feel completely alone.
She had to tell him everything. The whole truth.
Including about the baby.
Her sobs slowed down and had nearly come to a stop when the train jolted to the side a bit.
Minnie held on tighter to Joss. He tried to maintain his grip but couldn’t. They landed on a small sofa.
“Oof.” They both made the sound.
Joss still had his arm around her, but shifted so he was sitting more upright. “Better than landing on the table.”
“Good point.” She extricated herself from his embrace and wiped her cheeks. “Thank you for that. I’ve never really let it all out like that.”
“I’m sorry it’s been so hard for you.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. “But I need to know why you didn’t tell me.”
Minnie slumped back against the lounge. “Honestly, I didn’t even know I was pregnant. I went to the doctor for a routine checkup. He called me back to tell me I was pregnant, but that wasn’t possible. When I told him that, he said I must be having a very early miscarriage.”
“I’m sorry.” He reached over and took her hand.
“After the worst cycle I can remember, I had blood work done again. As expected, I was no longer pregnant.”
She stared at their joined hands as he linked their fingers.
“I didn’t tell anyone about it. I still don’t know how my father found out. I do know he had the records altered to make it look like it happened later, so that it looked like I didn’t miscarriage until I was further along. As far as I know, he doesn’t know about New Year’s Eve. I wanted to tell you everything then, but he was already planning to use it against your family. If I’d told you, it would have gone badly for me.”
“Why don’t you just leave? Go live on your own?”
“He won’t let me.”
Joss snorted. “You’re in your twenties. You’re an adult. Why can’t you?”
She slipped her hand out of his and stood again, holding onto the overhead bar. “When your father changed some of the legalities surrounding adoption for the royal family and nobility to allow David to marry Princess Jacqueline Grace, who was technically a single mother of two, even though both were adopted. Not all of the laws were changed. There’s one that remains on the books and applies to nobility as well as the royal family.”
“What’s that?”
“An unmarried female child can be required to live at home until a suitable match is made. It can be enforced by a judicial order. There is no avenue for the unmarried female child to fight it.”
“How is that possible?”
“It’s an old law that was never changed.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It is, but it’s the law. He first threatened it years ago. I’ve done my research since then, and he’s right. Legally, there’s nothing I can do.” She sighed and shook her head. “You have no idea how often I’ve wished I’d fall in love with a trash man or accountant or someone else my father wouldn’t approve of on purely superficial levels.”
She let loose with a small laugh. “Of course, getting away from his minions long enough to find such a man, create a relationship, and elope is a whole different issue.”
“I’m sorry. I wish you’d come to me, but I understand why you couldn’t talk to me about it.” He stood and grabbed hold of the bar next to her as they both stared out the window at the mountains they rode through.
“Promise you won’t hate me?” She needed that answer more than any other.
“I don’t hate you. I’ll explain to my father when I talk to him. He won’t either.”
“My father is the one who came up with the number for the pain and suffering. He’s the one who pushed and pushed. He’s going to be furious that I settled for such a low amount.”
Joss hooked a hand around her free elbow and led her to the table nearby, holding the chair for her as she sat down. “What about the nondisclosure agreement? You won’t get any of the money? It’s for your pain and suffering.”
“I know, but