An Inconvenient Wife Read Online Free PDF Page A

the
innkeeper for some brandy as they walked through the common area, grabbed the
forthcoming bottle and a pair of glasses, and led Westcott into a private room.
    “Take a drink with me,
Nick.” St. Clair splashed the spirit into the tumblers, handed one to Westcott,
and raised his high. “I’m going to be a father. Juliette is with child.”
    The man’s smile was so wide
Westcott thought it might split his head and he grinned back and held up his
glass. “Congratulations, Devlin! No wonder you are acting the fool.” He stepped
closer to his life-long friend, gave him a brotherly punch on the arm, and
touched his glass to the earl’s. “ Santé ,
old fellow. It makes a man half-crazy, but it’s worth it. Now, tell me how the
lady is, and what change in plans do you propose?”
    St. Clair finished his
brandy, and looking somewhat more collected, though still with the besotted
look which had become a fixture on his face, refilled their glasses.
    “Juliette is well enough,
according to the physician, except for these bouts of sickness, which
apparently we can look forward to for the next few months.”
    “Or more,” Westcott warned
him with a laugh. “At the very least, it will seem that long.” He leaned
against the sideboard and took another sip of his brandy. “Next you are going
to tell me she will not be able to travel.”
    St. Clair’s smile faded and
he set aside his glass. “No, we cannot continue, Nick. I want her back at
Lynton Hall where she will have proper care if it becomes necessary. You will
need to go on alone and manage as best you can. You know as much about the
situation as I do.”
    “Do I?” Westcott retorted,
unable to keep the anger from his voice. “What in hell am I to do with a young
girl if it becomes necessary to bring her here?”
    “There is no reason to think
it might come to that. In all likelihood, Danielle is content with her family
and has no desire for any change.”
    “More likely that anything that
can possibly go wrong will.” Westcott downed the remainder of his brandy and
started for the door.
    “Nick, I’m counting on you.
We both are. Juliette feels badly about foisting this entirely on you but she
is very worried about the girl. She feels la Comtesse would never have
told us of her brother’s illegitimate child if she had not been seriously
concerned, and I must agree her letter conveyed a strong sense of urgency.”
    Westcott halted and looked
back over his shoulder. “I gave you my word on it,” he said quietly, then
smiled widely. “It is good news, Dev. I’m pleased for you. Take your lady home.
I’ll do my best for you.”
    “That’s all I ask.” St.
Clair picked up the bottle. “Wait, I’ll go with you to tell Carlisle. And Nick?
Thank you.”
    Westcott laughed and clapped
him on the shoulder. “Don’t thank me yet, my friend. It may be I fail in
finding the child. Time will tell.”
    Westcott maintained what he
felt was an air of good humour during the brief celebratory drink with Carlisle
and St. Clair. He well remembered the strangely contradictory feeling of joy
and panic at learning of incipient parenthood and was sincerely delighted for
St. Clair and his charming wife. To him, his irrational sense of betrayal and
justifiable anger at this turn of events was not important, and no reason to
spoil this moment for his friend. But the pretense faded the instant he took
his leave with the excuse of last-minute preparations. Nothing good would come
of this venture. He felt sure of it.
    ~* * *~
    Westcott stood on the deck,
one shoulder braced against the bulkhead, and watched the smudge of gray on the
horizon that was Portugal. Given the time of year, the voyage had not been
unpleasant, and he had the satisfaction of surviving the entire trip without
being ill. Not that he felt particularly well, but for the first time a sea
trip had not banished him to a berth in misery.
    A hail announced a visitor
and he turned to see the Captain stride