A sad realization, considering the situation he found himself in.
Chapter Fourteen
* * *
“HI, KNIGHT. IT’S good to see you.” Cameron made his way into the large living room. Emma sat on the sofa with her arms crossed over her chest and a tear running down her face.
“What did you do to my princess to make her so unhappy?”
“I’m getting married. Shelly is pregnant.” Best to just spit it out.
“Are you sure?”
“About getting married? It’s the right thing to do.”
“I mean, Shelly is pregnant.”
“She went to the doctor today and had it confirmed.”
“Did she bring you documentation?”
“There really isn’t any. They did the pregnancy test and it came back positive. It’s a relatively simple process.”
“So you took her word for it?” George shook his head in disapproval.
“I believe her, if that’s what you mean.” At least, he thought he believed her. “She had a blood test to check for any underlying health problems. The report is due back early next week, which should also confirm the pregnancy.” Maybe there’d been a mistake. One could only hope.
No, he needed to face reality and his future with Shelly.
“I guess congratulations are in order. We’ll have champagne tonight.”
“Marti isn’t here.” Emma’s small voice came out so filled with misery the words didn’t quite come out.
“What, sweetheart?” He took the seat next to her and put his hand on her leg, hoping to comfort her.
“Marti isn’t here. She had a meeting in the city and won’t be back until after dinner, or maybe later.” Emma sniffled, a single tear slid down her cheek.
“She had a few things to take care of, Princess, she’ll be home later.”
“Home?” Cameron asked, completely taken by surprise.
“She moved in two days ago.”
Interesting development. How did this happen? “How exactly do you know Marti? You never really said the other night.”
“She’s the granddaughter of a very old business associate. Her grandfather and I were business rivals. Her grandmother passed last year and her uncle received the house as part of the estate settlement. Marti just got back from a trip and had no place to go. She was staying at a hotel. For reasons you and I will talk about later, I asked her to stay here for a while. I had all her things moved in upstairs.
“Don’t worry, Princess, she said she wouldn’t miss seeing you for the world. She promised she’d be here. She’ll be a little late. That’s all.”
“So what do you want to talk to me about?” George’s fatigue showed in every line of his face and the droop in his shoulders. Each time he saw George lately he looked a little more worn.
“We’ll talk about it later,” he said and indicated Emma with a quick glance in her direction. “Let’s go in to dinner. The sooner we eat, the sooner Marti will be here.”
The last he said for Emma’s benefit, but George gave him a knowing look when his excitement at seeing Marti must have shown on his face. Cameron didn’t say a word. Acknowledging his growing feelings for Marti would only lead to more trouble. He was in enough of that already.
MARTI SPENT THE entire day putting out one fire or another. Her uncle tried to coerce her into surrendering some of her grandmother’s paintings still in her grandparents’, now her uncle’s, house. She had to lay down the law and demand, in no uncertain terms, the paintings be delivered to the warehouse.
Her publisher asked her to deliver the last two books in her series a week earlier than previously agreed. She still had several sketches and watercolors to finish. She faced some very long nights.
She had to buy a car and start looking for a place to live after George passed away. She hated to think about his death, but she had to be practical. Once he was gone, she’d need her own house. She sighed and put her troubles out of her mind. The cab continued to wind up the long drive to George’s beautiful mansion.
She loved the home. The outside was stone, the façade reminiscent of a castle. Just right for a Knight. She smiled at George’s sense of whimsy. The climbing roses and lush green ivy scaled the walls. She loved all the flowers and found herself a special corner in the back of the house, a small private garden with a lovely carved bench. She sat there yesterday sketching for her latest book.
Tired, she’d love nothing better than to crawl into bed. Not going to happen. A limo sat out