Chapter 2 #2
“I prefer to have their mother providing the lion’s share of the childcare. Perhaps we’ll consider a nanny for the evenings and weekends. Rest assured, we’ll follow through on creating a Sterling family heir by the fall.”
Richard finally seemed satisfied with Bryce’s answer. “Good. Don’t wait too long. Dynasties are not built through procrastination.”
My stomach churned and nausea rose in my throat.
Outwardly, I kept my irritation from spilling out, but on the inside, I was raging.
The thought of getting pregnant by Bryce again made me want to throw up.
He was an unmitigated ass when I was pregnant with the girls.
He not only didn’t support me, but he also had an affair with his personal assistant.
I still wasn’t over that, and as a result, we rarely had sex.
The bottom line was, I didn’t want another chain linking me to Bryce.
And the last thing in the world I wanted was to be pregnant while living with his family.
I imagined them constantly hovering, making demands, controlling what I ate, and making it all about them.
Of course, they would say it was all for the good of the baby, but it would just be transparent manipulation.
Bryce reached across the table, squeezing my hand reassuringly. His voice was pointed when he said, “She knows what’s important. Don’t you, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” I whispered quietly, forcing myself to answer his question. “I do know what’s important.” What I didn’t tell them was that figuring out a way out of this marriage was now my all-consuming quest.
I immediately got up from the table, prepared Eleanor’s breakfast tray and carried it up the winding staircase to her room. Hers was the isolated room at the end of the hallway, so she wouldn’t be disturbed. Eleanor was a very sick lady. She needed peace and quiet to recuperate.
Pausing outside my mother-in-law’s bedroom door, I balanced the tray on one hand and knocked softly.
“Come in,” she called out, her voice shaky. This was her third bout of cancer, and the radiation treatment was really kicking her ass this time. She was a doting fool when it came to Bryce, but I loved her dearly.
Pushing open the door, I stepped into the well-appointed room.
Eleanor was propped up on several luxurious pillows.
Her small, withered body was cushioned by a thick down mattress.
Though frail, she remained elegant. She still tied a colorful silk scarf around her head to cover the fact that most of her hair had fallen out because of the radiation treatments.
She still applied makeup every morning, no matter whether she was expecting visitors or not.
Even illness couldn’t strip away her desire to cling to a bit of normality in her life.
I set the tray on her bedside table and arranged her blankets so the tray would fit comfortably over her legs.
She not only allowed it, but she also helped me.
I was careful to keep my voice bright when I spoke to her because I didn’t want to worry her with my problems. “Good morning, Eleanor. How are you feeling today?”
When I set the tray over her legs, she smiled weakly and patted the edge of the bed, inviting me to sit. “I’m better now that you’re here, Tracey. I look forward to your visits and our breakfast conversations most of all.”
I sat beside her, pulling the cover off her plate.
One shaky hand came out to pick up her fork.
Her body was failing her, but her mind remained sharp.
After taking her first bite of eggs and washing it down with coffee, she said, “I hear you and Bryce went out on a date last night,” she began, her voice pleasant.
“My Bryce always did love a good party. And it’s important for couples to go out together. It helps keep the romance alive.”
“Yes,” I answered lightly. “A new club opened in town. It was sleek and modern. And Bryce certainly knows how to charm a crowd.”
Eleanor’s face lit up with happiness at the mention of her son. “Bryce has always had the gift for gab. Even as a little boy, he could talk the skin off a snake. I knew early on he was destined for great things.”
I nodded, charmed by her enthusiasm for her son.
She launched into a story about Bryce winning the majority vote for class president in fifth grade by promising extra recess time and better vending machine snacks.
I’d heard this story before, but it was a nice story, so hearing it again was no hardship.
It only served to reinforce to me that Eleanor’s love for her one and only son was unconditional. To her, Bryce could do no wrong.
At the end of her story, she took a bite of her food.
Then she pushed it around on her plate for a few seconds before acknowledging, “I’m very proud of him, Tracey.
Proud of you both. You’ve given him two beautiful daughters.
But Richard thinks it’s time for you two to try for a son.
He’s always been worried about carrying on the Sterling name. I’m sure you understand.”
“I do,” I stated quietly, careful not to offend the woman I respected so much. “Bryce and I have talked about it.”
She reached out, placing her hand over mine.
This unexpected gesture surprised me. Eleanor and I had never gotten truly close, mostly because distance kept us apart.
However, in this moment, I understood her gentle urging.
She was dying and surely wanted to hang on long enough to hold her grandson in her arms. Eleanor was successful in doing what neither Richard nor Bryce was capable of, and that was making me consider it.
I nodded and a quiet understanding passed between us. Both of us knew the responsibility of marrying into the Sterling family, that there was no running from the expectations put upon us. This was the tie that, for good or bad, bound us together.
“This family needs an heir,” Eleanor continued gently, her eyes holding mine. “You know how important it is to all of us. Richard has worked his whole life to build a dynasty. What would be the use of that without heirs to carry on the Sterling name?”
After a brief pause, she said what I’d only inferred until now, “It’s important to me as well. I’d like to see my grandson born before I die. That’s how the circle of life works.”
I nodded and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “As long as you live, I’ll never let you down.”
She let out a sigh, clearly relieved that we were on the same page.
When she withdrew her hand and relaxed back against her pillows, I knew she wouldn’t eat any more of her breakfast. She whispered, “Thank you. You’ve always been such a good wife to my Bryce.
He doesn’t know how lucky he is to have you.
” Her eyes drifted closed because even this short conversation had exhausted her.
I watched her slip into a deep sleep. My heart ached for both of us. Damn the Sterling name. It required so much of the women in this family. Quietly, I got to my feet, gently lifted the tray off her lap, and slipped out of the room.