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her own decisions for so long now, it was a little bewildering to have someone move in so efficiently. It was also, she thought a little wryly as he paid her bill and pulled out her chair, rather pleasant. She wouldn’t at all mind being bossed about for a while. She was very weary of managing on her own. Nevertheless, she said firmly, as they stepped out into the heat of the city street, “I have to go talk to the people in the agency first. They’ve been very good to me.”
    “Do you want to go now?”
    “Yes.”
    “Very well,” he said, and, putting a hand on her back, guided her toward a forest-green Mercedes. “I’ll come with you. I don’t want anyone trying to change your mind.”
    God, Susan thought, what were they going to think at the agency when she turned up with Rick Montoya? It really would be easier if he stayed in the car. She glanced sideways at the set of his mouth and decided not to argue. She didn’t have the energy. “What is the address?” he asked, and she gave it to him.
     

Chapter Three
     
    The following week was one of the most stressful and unsettling times in Susan’s entire life. It started with the ride to Stamford in Ricardo’s car. They had left Susan’s old Volkswagen behind; Ricardo assured her easily that he would have someone pick it up.
    “What are we going to tell people?” she asked him as she sat back against the comfortable beige upholstery of the Mercedes.
    He flicked a glance at her before he went back to watching the road. “What do you mean?”
    She felt horribly embarrassed. “I don’t want people to know the truth,” she said unhappily. “Couldn’t we say we’ve known each other for a while?”
    “Oh, I see.” A faint smile touched his mouth. “I don’t see why we couldn’t say that, querida . We’ll say we met in the autumn and quarreled in January. All the rest can be the truth—your keeping the news of your pregnancy secret and so forth.”
    “Yes, I suppose that would do.” She felt her cheeks grow hot. “What are people going to think of me?”
    He chuckled. “People will think very well of us. After all, we’re doing the proper thing.”
    “They will think well of you for making an honest woman of me. They won’t think so well of me, I’m afraid.”
    He shrugged. “It is not important what other people think.” He glanced at her again, his eyes warm and bright in the late sunshine. “I know what kind of woman you are, querida . That is all that matters.”
    Susan felt a sudden flash of gratitude. After all, he had never even questioned whether or not this baby was his. She wondered how many other men would have behaved so gracefully under the present circumstances. She sighed a little and he reached out to cover her small hand with his strong, warm one. “Don’t worry,” he said easily. “It will all work out.”
    * * * *
    They were married four days later in Stamford. Joe Hutchinson, the second baseman on Ricardo’s team, and Maggie Ellis, Susan’s closest friend, stood up for them. It was accomplished very quietly, with absolutely no press leaks, and the only other person present in the church was Mrs. Morgan.
    Susan had been extremely apprehensive about breaking the news to her mother, but the reality had not proved as dreadful as her imagination had predicted. Mrs. Morgan was visibly shocked by the sight of her pregnant daughter, but Ricardo had taken charge, and almost before she realized what was happening, Susan found herself sitting on the porch while her mother served them lemonade.
    “It was a foolish quarrel,” Ricardo was saying gravely. “And it was very wrong of Susan not to have contacted me when she knew she was to have a child.” He gave her a reproachful look and sipped his lemonade. “But now we are reconciled and all will be well.” He looked serenely at Susan’s mother out of large dark eyes. “May I have some more lemonade? It’s very good.”
    “Of course.” Mrs. Morgan moved to rise but