Chapter 9
Astra didn’t see Antonio that evening. She chose to skip dinner and work instead. The food wouldn’t be good anyway, so she grabbed one of the protein bars that Macie had stashed for them.
Instead, she worked on the details for the end of summer carnival. There would be lots of games and entertainers, plus competitions. She knew more about the villagers now and thought that a pig, cow, and chicken beauty contest would be hilarious. Or maybe, instead of prettiest cow, she’d have the prettiest pig, the ugliest cow, and the….? Biting her lip, she tried to figure out a good competition for chickens.
A knock at her door interrupted her thought and she called out, assuming that it would be Macie. They usually chatted at the end of the day about the progress she’d made in organizing the vendors.
But instead of Macie, Astra’s eyes widened when Antonio stepped into the bedroom.
“I came to apologize for Eldora’s cooking. Normally, the food is excellent. I don’t know what is bothering her lately.”
Astra pulled a pillow to cover her rounded stomach, trying to smile at him. “That’s okay. Macie and I won’t starve.”
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks and shook his head. “That’s not the point. The contract with your company and mine stipulated that I would provide room and board. The boarding part includes adequate meals, so I’ll speak with Eldora and find out why she’s decided to offer substandard food lately. Normally, she’s a wonderful cook, although I admit, I haven’t been around much recently.”
Astra smiled, then shook her head. “Macie and I head down to the pub once a day for a good meal.” He started to say something, but she lifted her hand. “I…need to talk to you about something else,” she interrupted.
He looked as if he wanted to argue, but after a moment’s hesitation, he nodded slowly. “What do you need to talk to me about? I read through the list of events you are planning and I completely agree that they are good. Brilliant even.”
She stood up and shook her head, then looked around. They were in her bedroom which felt like the worst possible place to discuss what she needed to tell him.
“Can we go to your office?”
Antonio looked around, then clenched his jaw and nodded. “Of course,” he replied, then turned and led the way down the stone stairs, turning right to go into his office.
The room was made of solid stone with a window behind a massive desk. Other than a bureau along the side of the room, there was no other decoration. No pictures, no tapestries like the ones that hung throughout the rest of the castle to soften the stone walls. It was stark and…she couldn’t say it was entirely uninviting. Just…not a place that she would consider conducive to concentration. There were several computer monitors that were currently showing a screen saver that rotated through all four of the screens.
“Please don’t tell me you are quitting,” he snapped, turning around as he leaned against the ornately carved desk and crossing his arms over his chest. “Because we have a contract and I will hold you to it.”
She shook her head, not sure how to start. “No, this has nothing to do with business. This is…personal.” She paced along the edge of the room, biting her lip as she tried to find the right words. In the end, she paused, then turned to face him.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted out, then froze, waiting for his reaction.
It was a long time coming. For several moments, he simply stared at her. Then he nodded. “Congratulations.” He turned, shoving his hands into the pockets. “Are you going to marry the father?”
She sighed heavily, sensing that Antonio’s anger had suddenly ramped up several notches even though his voice remained even.
“You’re the father,” she replied, resting her hands on her belly.
He swung around, staring at her for a long moment. “Excuse me?” he finally snapped.
“I’m almost five months along, Antonio. That night in Sidrina. After the wedding. When we–”
“I’m fully aware of the night we spent together,” he interrupted stiffly. But his eyes moved lower and, with her hands on her belly, the sweater that had previously hidden her pregnancy now showcased the bump. “You’re five months along?”
“Almost,” she said with a nod. “Actually, I’m nineteen weeks along.” She watched him do the math in his head. “I haven’t been with any other man before or after that night.” It irritated her that she had to explain it to him, although she doubted that he’d been as celibate.
“How…?” he asked, then stopped, his eyes returning to her stomach. “Why…?”
She almost laughed, but understood that he was just as confused as she’d been after taking the pregnancy test that confirmed her suspicions. So she took pity on him.
“I’m not going to bother answering the how,” she teased gently. “The why I’m guessing you’re trying to ask is why I didn’t tell you before now?”
“Yes,” he growled. “Why the hell did you hide this from me?” He started to move closer, then stopped himself, abruptly running a frustrated hand through his hair. “You should have called me immediately.”
Astra sighed, then walked over to one of the tall backed chairs and lowered herself onto the hard wood. Were all of the chairs in the castle this uncomfortable?
Ignoring the discomfort, she focused on Antonio, understanding that he had a right to his questions. “Well, first of all, I didn’t realize that I was pregnant until I was sixteen weeks along,” she explained, rubbing her belly. “I was…” she considered her words, “upset after leaving Sidrina. And busy. Very busy. Word got out about Zahir’s wedding and I was so busy, I had to turn possible clients away.” She looked around at the room, chuckling slightly. “Macie accepted this job without me knowing that you were the client. She manages the business side of things and she’s incredible at her job. But when she’d accepted this contract, she didn’t know about you or our connection.”
“She knows now?”
“Not exactly,” Astra replied, shaking her head. She tucked her hair behind her ears, wishing she had a band to put it up. “She accepted this contract because she knew that we needed a bit of a break from traveling and the long hours required to set up a party or event.”
Antonio nodded, but there was a long pause as he processed that new bit of information. Finally, he sighed, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the desk, glaring at her as his anger and confusion roiled inside of him. “Get back to the baby. Why didn’t you tell me before? You’ve been here for more than a week!”
She tried to control her temper. Astra knew that he was dealing with a great many emotions right now.
“Yes, you’re right. However, keep in mind that you were gone for most of that week,” she explained calmly.
He stepped closer, but stopped himself again. “That’s no excuse,” he snarled, slicing his hand through the air. “You should have made the time!”
“How?” she replied, tilting her head slightly. “How would I have ‘made the time’ when you weren’t even around for me to do so?”
He started to say something more, but stopped himself and simply glared at her for a long moment. Then he turned and stared out the window. “This…this is a lot to take in.”
She nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “Tell me about it.”
That caused him to spin around, his eyes hard now. “We need to marry. Immediately.”
Astra’s jaw dropped with that statement and it took her several moments to react. “I don’t think that’s the right plan.”
“We must!” he replied, his eyes dropping to her stomach again. “That child might be my heir!”
“Might be?” she replied, her anger beginning to rise. “Are you challenging the paternity of this child?” Astra demanded, her fingers curling around her stomach protectively.
Shaking his head, he moved forward. “No. Absolutely not. I just…” he started, then stopped again. “Look, I don’t know what to say. I’m a bit flustered. You’re dumping this on me and I wasn’t…prepared for any of this.”
That infuriated Astra and she stood up. “You’re not ready for this?” she hissed, moving closer. “What do you need to do to prepare? You’re not the one that has to buy new clothes!” She stepped closer. “You’re not the one who has to deal with the wild hormones. I didn’t get any preparation for this either, Antonio!” She was yelling now and forcibly lowered her voice. “I appreciate that this is a shock, but please do NOT tell me that you’re not prepared when all you need to do is absolutely nothing to prepare for this child while I have to figure out career challenges, day care issues, adjust my entire life, my career, and my home in order to accommodate a baby!”
He had the decency to look abashed for a split second, but by the end of her tirade, he was shaking his head. “You will move in here,” he declared. “This child, if it’s a boy, is the future Marquesso. He will be my heir. I grew up with a younger half-brother who was never acknowledged by my father. I will not let that happen to my child!”
“Our child,” she interjected with an emphasis on the communal pronoun. “This is our child. Not just your heir.” She took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm her temper. “But you’re right. I know Matteo and…well, I don’t know his whole story, and I can’t imagine what he went through, growing up in this village as an illegitimate heir to a horrible monster of a father.”
He sighed, running both hands through his hair. She might not know the man as well as she should have before getting pregnant, but being around him now, Astra was starting to…sort of…understand this complicated man.
“Hello? Antonio?” a male voice called out.
Two very tall and attractive men stepped into Antonio’s office. Astra smiled in welcome at them, then jumped as Bailey appeared behind them and immediately screamed. “You’re pregnant!” Bailey threw her arms around her friend. “Congratulations!”
Astra smiled nervously over Bailey’s shoulder at the two men who looked just as stunned as Antonio had moments before.
Matteo, Antonio’s half-brother, glanced over at him, shocked, but then his handsome features morphed into a huge grin. “I’m going to be an uncle!” he declared with a laugh, then walked over to hug Antonio, pounding his back in celebration.
“I’m just–” Antonio started to say, but he was interrupted by another newcomer.
“Astra? Are you…?” Macie stepped into the room, then froze as she stared at the other man that was watching the scene unfold. Her jaw dropped and Astra was relieved that everyone’s attention finally moved away from her and her growing belly.
Astra stepped away from Bailey after squeezing her hand, deciding that this was a good time for introductions. “This is Macie, my assistant and one of the best computer gurus around. Some of you might remember her from Zahir and Mandy’s wedding?”
Smiles and nods went around the room. “Macie, do you remember His Grace, the Duke of Finehearst? He was at the wedding as well.”
Macie’s expression shifted from startled to blank in the blink of an eye. She flipped the file folder closed and extended her hand in a highly professional manner. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Finehearst,” she said, and Astra had the distinct impression that she was mauling the man’s title and last name on purpose. Finehearst was his title. His last name was Manhem. There really was no excuse for the faux pas since Edward Manhem was in the news constantly due to his business acumen. He’d inherited a defunct dukedom at the age of eighteen, and had managed to salvage some of the businesses that had come with the title, building them into a massive empire. His Grace now was a terrifying power within the international business scene.
Thankfully, His Grace ignored the error and took Macie’s extended hand graciously. But instead of shaking it, as she’d intended, he lifted her fingers to his lips. There was a sudden crackle of electricity in the air as he kissed her hand. She whipped her hand away, glaring up at the man. However, when she turned to face everyone, her bland, professional smile was back in place.
“Astra, I have some issues to discuss with you, but nothing urgent.” She looked around at the others in the office and smiled. “I apologize for the interruption.” Then she turned on her heel and left the office, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
Bailey was the first to break the awkward silence. “Well, we didn’t mean to interrupt whatever conversation the two of you were having,” she announced. She glanced at her brother-in-law. “Antonio, we know where our rooms are. No need to–”
“I’ll show you the way,” another voice interrupted.
Everyone turned to find Eldora standing in the doorway, her expression as sour as if she was sucking on a lemon. Eldora glared at Astra as if the housekeeper had heard everything. Which was odd since Eldora would have had to be standing right outside the door in order to eavesdrop. Antonio’s office was at the end of a long, stone hallway.
So, what was the housekeeper up to?
“I don’t want to interrupt,” Edward commented. He gave a little head tilt, then said, “I’ll let you all enjoy your reunion.” Edward left the office as well, his long, powerful legs eating up the distance down the hallway. The man looked to be on a mission to…what?
Astra wondered if he was hoping to intercept Macie, but then dismissed the possibility. Macie was one of the most pragmatic women Astra had ever known. She wouldn’t become involved with a renowned playboy like the Duke of Finehearst, no matter how good looking he might be. The current gossip was that Edward Manhem was dating some up and coming starlet who was about to win an award for her latest film.
Dismissing the possibility, she turned to Bailey. “I’m so sorry that we haven’t connected recently. It’s just been…”
Bailey waved Astra’s apology away with a smile. “I’ve heard about some of the parties you’ve thrown. That one on the yacht last month is still being talked about. How did you get all of those men to dress up like gorillas and dance? It was perfect for the new makeup line’s release party.”
Someone snorted, but Astra wasn’t sure of the culprit. Nor did she care. Unexpected visitors had trumped her big revelation. She turned to Antonio, pasting a bright, fake smile on her features.
“Thank you for the conversation,” she said, staring at his chin instead of into his eyes. “I’ll get you the budget for the next round of events. But please let me know if you’d prefer to hire someone to replace me for the rest of the contract. I can give you a list of–”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Antonio snarled. “And we’re not finished with our conversation. My brother and sister-in-law know where their rooms are.” He turned and frowned meaningfully at Matteo. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
“No need,” Astra interjected, forcing her smile to brighten. “I’m done. You can do–” she fluttered her fingers in the air. “Whatever it is that you need to do. I’ll see you at dinner.” She hurried to the door, then paused. “Or maybe I won’t,” she said, suspecting that the housekeeper was back in her hiding place, still eavesdropping. “Eldora’s cooking is atrocious!”
And then she hurried from the room, enjoying the hiss that came from somewhere. Astra almost laughed as she hurried out of the room, relieved that she’d given at least one zinger that couldn’t be shot back at her.
Antonio watched as Astra hurried up the stairs. He heard someone hiss, but assumed it was Bailey. He tried to ignore the lust that surged through him as he watched the delectable wiggle of Astra’s very round and enticing bottom as she hurried up the stairs, but it was pointless. He’d never been able to ignore the magnetic pull of that woman.
But she’d made her position about their relationship very clear. After so many missed calls that had been returned in the middle of the night, he understood she wasn’t interested. Her failure to tell him about their future child was just another nail in the coffin.
Turning, he faced Bailey’s triumphant smile and his brother’s obvious concern.
“What?” he snapped, moving behind his desk to hide his body’s reaction to Astra’s retreat.
“You’re in love with her!” Bailey exclaimed delightedly, walking over to loop her arm through her husband’s.
“Excuse me?’ he demanded, hiding his shock behind a haughty expression.
“You’re in love with Astra!” Bailey repeated, then laughed, bouncing on her toes with her enthusiasm. “And I suspect that she has equally strong feelings for you.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he replied, as he tried to ignore the surge of hope in his chest. But he couldn’t stop his gaze from moving towards the staircase where she’d disappeared. “We were intimate,” he replied. “That’s obvious. But there’s nothing between us now.”
Matteo snorted. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Even I could feel the sparks flying between the two of you.”
Antonio chuckled, shaking his head. “That was between Edward and Macie. Who would have thought that our snobbish friend could be ensnared by Macie?”
“She’s beautiful,” Bailey chimed in. “And intelligent.”
“Yes, but she’s also so serious. Whereas Edward…is only serious about making his next billion pounds.”
“I think his playboy days are over,” Bailey sing-songed, beaming as her shoulders swayed back and forth. She was wearing some sort of wrap skirt made of silky blue material that highlighted the soft pink in her cheeks. She was practically glowing and Antonio wondered if Bailey might be pregnant again. They already had two young children, who Matteo absolutely adored . He was the most amazing father!
Which brought Astra right back to the forefront of his mind. What kind of father was he going to be? Would he continue with the misery his father had inflicted on both himself and Matteo? Or could he break the chains of the past and become the kind of father he’d always wanted?
“You’re going to be an amazing dad,” Matteo murmured, patting his shoulder. “Trust me, you would never do anything like what our horrific excuse for a father did.”
Antonio gazed at his brother, the tension in his shoulders dissipating slightly. Trust Matteo to know exactly what he was thinking. Antonio and Matteo had been raised separately. Matteo had spent the first ten years of his life in a loving home with his mother down in the village. Matteo had endured the scorn of the villagers, the ridicule of being a bastard son to a powerful man. Matteo had come to the castle only when their father decided to inflict more humiliation.
However, Matteo had been sent off to boarding school in the United States. For years, Antonio had been jealous of Matteo’s luck at getting away from their father’s abuses. But recently he’d learned that Matteo had been badly abused by the headmaster at the boarding school, enduring the same horrors that Antonio had dealt with.
Shaking off the shadows of the past, he vowed right then and there that he’d never hurt his child as Ricardo had abused himself and Matteo. He would be a lovely, supportive father.
“You’re going to spoil your children,” Bailey whispered, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.
Antonio hugged her back, but was only allowed a few seconds of comfort from the lovely woman before Matteo pulled her back to his side.
“I agree,” Matteo announced. “You’re going to be a great father. Just like I am.”
Eldora’s fingernails bit into her palms. When she heard footsteps coming down the stone stairs, she retreated, her mind reeling with the news. She had to tell her cohorts about this latest development. Maybe they should call off the plan?
They’d have to get this information to Ricardo. He’d know how to move forward. The man was a brilliant strategist. He’d often referred to himself as Machiavellian in his machinations. Eldora had no idea who that was, but he must have been a great man.
Untying her apron, she hung it on the hook, then grabbed her keys. It took her only ten minutes to drive down to the village, texting everyone along the way that they needed to meet.
As she parked behind the old barn beside three other cars, she knew everyone had gotten her message.
“What’s up?” Manuel asked, leaning against two hay bales, obviously unconcerned. “I thought you said that we shouldn’t meet up like this until the deed was done.”
Eldora sighed heavily as she trudged through the rotting straw that littered the dirt floor of the barn. She didn’t speak until she was in the center of their foursome, enjoying the moment of power.
“We have to stop,” Eldora finally announced.
The three others in their group straightened up. “Not a chance!” Maria gasped. “Antonio is mine! You promised me! I have the wedding all planned! If I don’t marry him, I’ll be humiliated in the village!”
“She’s pregnant,” Eldora blurted out.
There was a long silence. Finally, Manuel stepped forward. “I thought you told us that she wasn’t sleeping with him! How can she be pregnant if she isn’t sleeping with him?”
Eldora grimaced and crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at her co-conspirators. “Apparently, she’s about five months along. She got pregnant at a wedding a while back. It was some high society thing and…” she shrugged, exasperated. “Well, we can’t get rid of her now.”
Maria jumped up and stomped her foot. “Yes we can!” She looked around, pushing her dark, glossy curls out of her face. “This changes nothing! You know it doesn’t! When Ricardo comes back, he’ll want everything exactly right. And I’ve been promised to be Antonio’s wife! I will become the Marquesa!”
Eldora rolled her eyes. “I’m not killing a pregnant woman, no matter how badly you want a title!”
Jeb sighed heavily. “I don’t think we should stop either,” he said, the most logical of the foursome. He looked at each of them one by one. “You know what Ricardo is like when things aren’t the way he wants. He’s…”
Manuel nodded, clasping his hands behind his back as he stared down at the mottled dirt. “Evil.”
Everyone nodded, silently agreeing. “We have to do it,” Jeb said.
Eldora chewed on the inside of her lip, contemplating his words. Then she shook her head. “It isn’t right,” she asserted firmly. “Not with a babe on the way.”
Manuel looked into Eldora’s tired eyes. “Are you willing to take the chance that Ricardo will be released and come home without everything exactly the way he wants?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Eldora considered for a moment, then shrugged. “It’s a babe.”
Maria flipped her hair again, then made a show of pretending to examine her nails. “I promised Ricardo that I’d give him grandchildren.” She looked at the others, obviously not overly excited about the prospect. Her hand smoothed over her flat stomach and she shuddered with revulsion. “He promised me a title if I agreed to give him a handsome heir.”
Eldora thought about it for another moment, then shook her head. “I’m not helping kill her. Not with a babe.”
And then she turned, leaving the barn. She drove silently back to the castle, preoccupied with anxiety. She’d have to leave, find a place to hide, she thought as she parked in her normal spot behind the castle. She couldn’t be around when Ricardo is released. He would whip her until there was no skin left. Absently, she rubbed her arm, remembering the time he’d hit her so hard that she’d fallen down on the stone floor of the kitchen. She’d hit the floor so hard, she’d broken her arm. He hadn’t allowed her to see a doctor for four days. By that time, the bones had started to heal, so they’d had to rebreak the bones all over again to set them properly.
No, she didn’t ever want to go through that kind of pain again.
She could retire. She could ask Antonio to pension her off. Resentment that he hadn’t already done so burned like acid inside of her. Everyone else had been allowed to retire but she’d been forced to stay on. She hated her job. She’d hated it since she’d been a young girl and had been sent to the castle to cook and clean for the previous housekeeper. There’d been so many parties back then, and much more work.
Maybe she should be grateful that it was a small household now.
And yet, if the new master married the bitch, the extravagant parties would start up all over again. That’s what this woman did for a living. The Astra woman threw parties for folks. Rumor had it that she traveled all over the world throwing parties. So if the bitch stuck around, if she married Antonio, there would be a hell of a lot more work to do.
Eldora trudged into the kitchen and started to prepare dinner. She made simple foods for the evening meal, but seasoned them properly tonight. With just the two, or three, of them eating dinner, Eldora hadn’t given a whit if they hadn’t enjoyed the meal. In fact, it had been her intention that the three of them would head on down to the pub for their meals. That way, Jeb, Manuel, or Maria would have to kill them off.
But with a house full of guests, Eldora ignored the master’s orders about the food preparations. Tonight’s dinner would be simple, hearty fare instead of the inedible stuff she’d been serving. And no poisons!
There had already been three attempts so far. Three failed attempts. The bitch hadn’t drunk the tea or lemonade, and Antonio had been driving too fast that one day for Manuel to set the trap that would have injured or killed both of them on the drive from the castle to the village.
She and her cohorts needed to face the truth; they weren’t doing well at this murder business. She was a housekeeper. She’d been cooking and cleaning all her life. She didn’t know how to kill off an unwanted woman. Hadn’t she fantasized about killing Ricardo for the past ten-plus years? And she’d never worked up the courage to do it.
Manuel and Jeb probably felt the same way. All Jeb would have needed to do was drive Ricardo somewhere and fake a car accident. As Ricardo’s chauffer, there had been plenty of opportunities to kill off the Marquesso.
Jeb was more soft-spoken. But the poor man had taken so much abuse over the years. Probably less so than the other servants. As the gardener, Jeb had been outside of the castle most of the time. And there were more hiding places in the gardens.
Still, what if Ricardo did come back? What if he returned sooner than expected?
Maybe it was better if she just followed the plan and helped the others kill off the bitch.
But the baby!
Eldora added more cream to the soup that had been simmering all afternoon. She remembered Maria’s expression at the news of the pregnancy. If there were ever two people that deserved each other, it was Maria and Ricardo.
But what would happen if Maria got her way and married Antonio? Maria was just as abusive as Ricardo!
Sighing, she added a touch of basil to the soup, then tasted. It was perfect. Giving it another stir, she set the spoon in the sink, then went to check on the meat. It had been roasting for the past several hours as well. It would be juicy and flavorful tonight.
She dusted her hands and moved to the counter. Dumping out the dough that had been rising for the past hour, Eldora pounded it out, then set it into the loaf pan. She’d time the bread so that it was coming out of the oven just as everyone sat down for the evening meal.
Even after all of her mental debates, she still hadn’t made a decision. If she wasn’t going to kill off the bitch, what was her plan? Sighing, she shook her head and began mixing up a pitcher of sangria. She’d figure it out.
Maria glared at the two remaining people as she stomped over the mud and rotting straw. “Well?” she snapped. “Are you bailing on Ricardo too? Am I going to have to tell him that I’m on my own when I go to visit him in a few days?”
Jeb shifted uncomfortably. “Eldora has a point. It doesn’t feel right, killing a pregnant woman.”
Manuel shrugged and, without a word, left the barn. He had things to do and didn’t want to be associated with the group.
Jeb stared at Maria who was looking down at her muddied heels. When she looked up, she glared at Jeb. “It has to be done. And I guess I will just have to do it myself!”
And with a flip of her hair, she turned and walked out, careful to avoid the mud as she made her way back to her car.
Jeb stared at the space where the others had been moments before. It wasn’t a good plan. Maybe they could just scare the woman off instead of killing her. Then she’d return to the United States, Maria could marry Antonio, Ricardo would get out of prison, and everything would be fine.
With that plan in place, he went to his car. The sun was setting by the time he made it back to the castle. But he doubted he’d be needed for the rest of the day.