The Beautiful Widow - By Helen Brooks Page 0,57
weigh when they were born?’ Annie asked, her eyes—a deeper blue than Steel’s—soft as they stroked over her child.
‘Amelia was exactly six pounds and Daisy was nearly five; I resembled an elephant in the month before the birth, but they were healthy and strong so nothing else mattered.’
Steel was standing, leaning against the wall as he watched her with the baby, his eyes silver slits in the sunlight slanting into the room. He had placed the enormous basket of white and pink rosebuds they had picked up from the florist shop across the road to the hospital on the long broad shelf that ran the length of one wall, between two bouquets standing in vases of water. ‘I take it those are from Jeff,’ he said, indicating the huge arrangement of deep red roses, which had a somewhat garish plastic gold heart attached to the cellophane. ‘Who are the carnations and lilies from?’ The second bouquet was more extravagant than the first and a vision of colour.
Annie hesitated. ‘Barbara,’ she said reluctantly.
Steel straightened, but his voice was expressionless when he said, ‘Barbara? How does Barbara know about the baby?’
Annie shrugged. ‘She’s rung once or twice during the pregnancy asking how I am; don’t ask me why.’
Toni kept her eyes on the baby in her arms. She knew why. The beautiful attorney wanted Steel back and if she could maintain some sort of contact with Annie, it might be a way in.
‘Apparently she woke Jeff up this morning at eight o’clock when he’d only got home from the hospital at six, asking if the baby had arrived. He wasn’t best pleased. And the flowers came just before you walked in.’
Steel nodded as Toni glanced up at him. His firm mouth was set uncompromisingly and a muscle was working in his jaw. He was angry. Nevertheless his voice was even and without heat as he changed the subject and asked Annie about the food, even teasing her about the box of chocolates and warning her she wasn’t eating for two any more.
They left a short time afterwards so Annie could feed the baby in peace, but before they did so Steel held his niece for a couple of minutes. Toni didn’t think anything had hurt her so much in her life. He was so natural with the tiny infant, so blatantly adoring that it was like a knife through Toni’s heart. One day he would meet someone who could cope with being with a man like Steel and wouldn’t mind the women who flocked round him, would even turn a blind eye to the odd affair as long as it was discreet and he came home to her in the end. Because he would have children. Looking at him holding Miranda, she could see the tiny baby had awakened something in him, something primal and strong.
Once they were sitting in the car in the small hospital car park, Steel didn’t start the engine immediately. Turning to look at her, he said quietly, ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Wrong?’ She smiled a brittle smile. ‘Nothing. The baby’s beautiful and Annie’s so nice.’
Steel being Steel, he cut through the prevarication. ‘Is it because Barbara sent Annie those flowers? I had no knowledge of her contact with my sister, I can promise you that, and I’ve had nothing to do with her for a long time.’
Toni nodded. ‘I believe you,’ she said flatly, looking through the windscreen rather than at him.
She was aware of his eyes searching her face. ‘Then what’s wrong, Toni? Because you’re a different woman from the one who walked in that place with me half an hour ago.’
‘I told you, nothing’s wrong. Everything’s fine.’
‘OK.’ He settled back in his seat. ‘I can sit here all day if necessary, all night too, but we’re not leaving until you tell me.’ He locked the doors as he spoke. ‘I mean it.’
‘Don’t be silly.’ She stared at him in alarm. ‘Start the car.’
He didn’t answer her, switching on the music and making himself comfortable as he shut his eyes.
‘Steel, you can’t hold me captive here.’
‘Funny, but I thought that was exactly what I’m doing.’
Helplessly, she said, ‘I don’t suppose I liked your ex sending Annie the flowers, OK? That’s it. No big deal.’
He sat up, switching off the music, and the silver eyes raked her face. ‘No, it’s more than that. You’re not peeved or irritated, this is something more serious than that, and I can’t understand if you won’t discuss it.’
‘There’s nothing to understand.’
‘Like I said, I