Donohue. I'm not teasing. I'm not lying. I'm not happy." Sam struggled to speak but Caroline was unrelenting. "I am pregnant by Charlie Donohue. Do you understand?"
Sam nodded and Caroline uncovered her mouth.
"Wow!" said Sam, dark blue eyes wide with disbelief. "I didn't even know you liked him."
"I don't--I mean, I didn't." She buried h er face in a pillow. "Oh, I don't know what I mean."
"You and Charlie," said Sam, a smile spreading across her face. "No wonder you two were so adamantly opposed to our matchmaking attempts. You were already having an affair and you wanted to keep it a secret." Sam's laugh was altogether too triumphant for Caro line's taste. "You sly thing."
"We were not having an affair."
"Oh, your breakup is only temporary," Sam said with the assurance of a very married woman. "Once you tell him about the baby, your problems will disappear."
Caroline wondered how her once cynical single friend had turned into this contented matron who believed in fairy tale happy endings. "We're not broken up," she said, battling down a wave of nausea. "We were never together to begin with."
"You were together at least once."
"You're making this difficult, Sam." Caroline paused, struggling with the facts. "There's nothing between us. Nothing at all."
Sam's dark brows lifted. "I'd say there was something very important between the two of you." She kissed her son atop his downy head. "There's a child."
"Somehow I doubt if Charles would find that notion terribly compelling."
"You are going to tell him about the baby, aren't you?"
Caroline's eyes filled once again with tears. "I'm not certain I'm going to tell anyone about the baby." Until that morning she hadn't been entirely certain there was a baby.
"He has a right to know," Sam pointed out. "Hell, he has a responsibility to both of you."
The thought of her future and Charlie Donohue's intertwining on a long-range basis made her feel both horrified and secretly elated. That combination did nothing to quell her queasy stomach. "Maybe I'll go to Europe for the next eight months," she said with an hysterical laugh. "We can tell everyone I'm searching for designer clothes for the shop."
This time it was Sam's eyes that filled with tears and it was almost Caroline's undoing.
"Don't look at me that way, Sam."
"Tell him." Sam leaned forward, baby at her breast, and touched Caroline's hand. "You owe it to the both of you."
Caroline tugged at the jacket of her Chanel original and smoothed her skirt. "Can't you just imagine me waltzing into O'Rourke's one night in some dreadful maternity frock." She stood and mimicked the walk of an exceedingly pregnant woman. "'I'll take a glass of milk, Charles,'" she said in a falsely hearty voice. "And, by the way, how do you feel about fatherhood?'"
"Call him at home," Sam suggested.
Caroline's laugh grew even more hysterical. "I don't even know where home is. I don't know one single thing about him." Only that she had felt more protected, more secure, in his arms that magical night than she had ever felt in her entire life. "For all I know he has a string of ex-wives trailing behind him and ten kids he doesn't care about."
"No wives. No kids. Charlie's a free agent."
Caroline sank back down onto the bed. "I suppose you could give me his phone number."
"I can do better than that," said Sam. "He'll be at the christening tomorrow. Tell him you two need to talk."
"Maybe I'll write him a letter."
Sam's expression was one of such compassion that Caroline broke into tears once more. "You'll do what's right, Caroline," she said, voice soft. "You'll do what's right for the baby."
#
The christening the next morning went off without a hitch. Caroline had carried along a packet of water crackers in her handbag, just in case, but fortunately her morning sickness was taking an unexpected holiday. The church with its vaulted roof and stained glass windows rang out with the baby's cries as the holy water was sprinkled upon
Sam nodded and Caroline uncovered her mouth.
"Wow!" said Sam, dark blue eyes wide with disbelief. "I didn't even know you liked him."
"I don't--I mean, I didn't." She buried h er face in a pillow. "Oh, I don't know what I mean."
"You and Charlie," said Sam, a smile spreading across her face. "No wonder you two were so adamantly opposed to our matchmaking attempts. You were already having an affair and you wanted to keep it a secret." Sam's laugh was altogether too triumphant for Caro line's taste. "You sly thing."
"We were not having an affair."
"Oh, your breakup is only temporary," Sam said with the assurance of a very married woman. "Once you tell him about the baby, your problems will disappear."
Caroline wondered how her once cynical single friend had turned into this contented matron who believed in fairy tale happy endings. "We're not broken up," she said, battling down a wave of nausea. "We were never together to begin with."
"You were together at least once."
"You're making this difficult, Sam." Caroline paused, struggling with the facts. "There's nothing between us. Nothing at all."
Sam's dark brows lifted. "I'd say there was something very important between the two of you." She kissed her son atop his downy head. "There's a child."
"Somehow I doubt if Charles would find that notion terribly compelling."
"You are going to tell him about the baby, aren't you?"
Caroline's eyes filled once again with tears. "I'm not certain I'm going to tell anyone about the baby." Until that morning she hadn't been entirely certain there was a baby.
"He has a right to know," Sam pointed out. "Hell, he has a responsibility to both of you."
The thought of her future and Charlie Donohue's intertwining on a long-range basis made her feel both horrified and secretly elated. That combination did nothing to quell her queasy stomach. "Maybe I'll go to Europe for the next eight months," she said with an hysterical laugh. "We can tell everyone I'm searching for designer clothes for the shop."
This time it was Sam's eyes that filled with tears and it was almost Caroline's undoing.
"Don't look at me that way, Sam."
"Tell him." Sam leaned forward, baby at her breast, and touched Caroline's hand. "You owe it to the both of you."
Caroline tugged at the jacket of her Chanel original and smoothed her skirt. "Can't you just imagine me waltzing into O'Rourke's one night in some dreadful maternity frock." She stood and mimicked the walk of an exceedingly pregnant woman. "'I'll take a glass of milk, Charles,'" she said in a falsely hearty voice. "And, by the way, how do you feel about fatherhood?'"
"Call him at home," Sam suggested.
Caroline's laugh grew even more hysterical. "I don't even know where home is. I don't know one single thing about him." Only that she had felt more protected, more secure, in his arms that magical night than she had ever felt in her entire life. "For all I know he has a string of ex-wives trailing behind him and ten kids he doesn't care about."
"No wives. No kids. Charlie's a free agent."
Caroline sank back down onto the bed. "I suppose you could give me his phone number."
"I can do better than that," said Sam. "He'll be at the christening tomorrow. Tell him you two need to talk."
"Maybe I'll write him a letter."
Sam's expression was one of such compassion that Caroline broke into tears once more. "You'll do what's right, Caroline," she said, voice soft. "You'll do what's right for the baby."
#
The christening the next morning went off without a hitch. Caroline had carried along a packet of water crackers in her handbag, just in case, but fortunately her morning sickness was taking an unexpected holiday. The church with its vaulted roof and stained glass windows rang out with the baby's cries as the holy water was sprinkled upon
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