Queen of Harte's

by Brooke Harris

  Love,

  Pam xx

  ____________________

  From: eva135@mymail.com

  To: CC: mia.s.sutton@ignitetech.com, nathan.shileds@thepress.com

  shelly.k.fox@ignitetech.com, pamelawinters@HTK&associates.com

  Subject: I need your help

  Date: Mon 7th Jan 11.21

  Thanks for the quick replies, everyone.

  Nathan that sounds great. Let me know as soon as possible what the story is. Thanks

  Pam, if you could pull that off, I’d be soooo grateful and love you even more than I already do. I’ll make sure you get EVERY penny back. Thank you, hun.

  Shelly, I appreciate your concern but I wasn’t asking for your advice. LOL. I know Julian better than anyone does, and I know what I’m doing. For once, just trust me. Okay?

  Mia. WTF?! Just get over yourself and help! Everyone else is, and anyway, you damn well owe it to me after the shit you pulled at the hospital.

  Eva.

  Eva followed her group email up with a text message for Mia’s eyes only.

  I’ll keep ur secrets if u keep mine.

  Julian has told me EVERYTHING.

  C u after lunch. Don’t say a word!

  Eva switched her phone to silent, threw up a couple of more times, and headed back to the bedroom to wake Julian for brunch.

  Chapter 33

  Three Months later

  ‘Miss Andrews, Miss Andrews,’ someone called.

  Eva smiled at the man in the one-size-too-big suit tapping on her shoulder.

  ‘They’ll be ready for you on stage in about five minutes,’ he said.

  ‘Thank you,’ Eva replied. ‘Could I get some water first, please?’

  ‘Certainly. I’ll just be a moment.’ The event manager hurried away.

  Eva craned her neck and tried to peer out from behind the black, floor-to-ceiling curtain temporarily erected in the function room of the five-star Dublin, City Centre hotel. It was Eva’s first press conference. First of many perhaps, and she was so nervous she could pee in her pants. Then again, nervous or not, she’d need to pee. If she wasn’t throwing up in the toilet bowl, she was peeing in it. This being pregnant business meant spending a ridiculous amount of time in the bathroom.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen. I’m so pleased to introduce my friend and founding member of the Andrews Harte Trust, Miss Evangeline Andrews.’

  Eva’s heart jumped into the back of her throat when she heard her name. Loud applauding erupted and Eva squinted as she stepped out from behind the curtain and onto a low stage at the top of the room. The flashes from hundreds of cameras blinded her. She took a deep breath and kissed Shelly on the cheek as she stepped away from the podium in the centre of the stage to allow Eva to take the spot.

  Seeing Nathan in the front row giving her a huge thumbs-up helped to set her nerves at ease. The exclusive he’d written a few weeks ago had done them both a favour. The scoop on the newest Harte investment, and especially a charitable one, had finally gotten his editor off his back. And it had been great publicity for the foundation. Nathan had written in just enough detail about the Da Luca’s and Eva’s family to make for a juicy story, but he’d held back enough information so Eva could retain her privacy. She never asked who Nathan’s source was, but she didn’t have to. The article was perfect and tasteful. She knew Julian was behind it.

  Eva cleared her throat, held her head high, and leaned towards the microphone that was waiting at just the right level. Eva spoke with confidence and excitement as she gave her rehearsed speech.

  ‘Thank you all for attending today. It’s a great honour to stand before you all and tell you proudly that the Andrews Harte Trust is delighted to announce the expansion of our charity outside the United States. The first European safe house will be here in Dublin, with many more soon to follow in London, Paris, and most large European cities. Andrews Harte is committed to providing support to vulnerable women who need our help. Ignite Technologies has kindly donated twenty-five million Euro to our fund this year and many more wonderful companies have expressed an interest in donating also.’

  Loud whooping and cheering followed Eva’s announcement of such a large donation of money and some reporters down in the back of the room even threw in a wolf whistle. Eva smiled brightly.

  ‘I’d very much like to express my personal gratitude to every one of you for your attendance today; your support has meant the world to us and those who we help. Now, I would like to hand you over to the face of Andrews Harte, and a lady I am very proud to call my sister, Melissa Andrews. Melissa would like to share her story with you. Please hold all questions until the end. Thank you once again.’

  Eva stepped away from the podium, but someone was shouting her name from somewhere in the middle of the room. She could just about hear the thick Dublin accent over the crowd cheering and she turned around, but it was impossible to see anything with so many cameras flashing at her.

  ‘Is it true you and Mr. Harte are engaged and having a baby?’ the voice asked.

  Eva’s eyes pinched and she made it very clear there wouldn’t be an answer forthcoming to that question. She was disappointed that someone had tried to drag her private life into it, but of course, she wasn’t surprised. Nathan had taught her that anything might be asked and to never let your distaste or surprise show. Nathan’s coaching on how to deal with press attention and the media had been helpful, and she was making it look like she was a natural.

  ‘It’s rumoured Mr. Harte’s health continues to fade. Can you please elaborate for us, Miss Andrews?’ another journalist shouted across some mumbles that were starting to fill the room.

  Eva leaned back, just close enough for the microphone to pick up her soft tone. ‘You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the papers,’ she said with a satisfied toss of her head.

  The loud applauding began again, mixed with some laughter and good humour.

  ‘Please, as I asked, hold all questions until the end. Ladies and gentlemen, my sister, Melissa Andrews.’

  Eva hugged Melissa tightly as they switched places behind the podium and, then, catching Anthony’s eye behind the black curtain, she hurried off the stage.

  ‘How is he?’ Eva asked the words tumbling out her mouth.

  Anthony was smiling and Eva breathed a sigh of relief.

  ‘Julian is fine. Good even. He should be ready to leave the hospital in less than an hour.’

  ‘Okay, great.’

  Eva’s fingers were twitching nervously. She so wanted this afternoon to go according to plan. There was so much involved that the slightest mistake would ruin everything.

  The cheeky journalist had heard correctly. Julian’s health was declining. The dialysis was working, but not as well as it had been. A donor really was imperative now, but Julian made it perfectly clear that even if a donor did become available, swapping body parts was not an idea he wished to entertain.

  ‘I’ll see you there, Anthony, yeah?’ Eva said.

  ‘Everything will be okay, Eva. Try to stop worrying. You worked so hard to make everything perfect. Julian will be blown away. Nothing more you can do now so just relax. Allow yourself to enjoy it.’ Anthony smiled.

  Eva smiled. Anthony was sweet, but there was no way she could relax. She might calm a little when Julian was by her side, but right now, her heart felt like it was in her stomach.

  ‘Are you sure the Wi-Fi was disabled on Julian’s phone? I had a message from him less than an hour ago,’ Eva mumbled, pulling her phone out of her pocket to check again for messages and calls.

  She was beginning to panic that they wouldn’t be able to pull off the surprise without Julian figuring it out at the last minute. She was still counting her blessings that he hadn’t already noticed something.

  ‘The Wi-Fi is off. The guy from the phone company was a bit reluctant at first. I think he was afraid he’d lose his job or something. But when I explained the story, he was excited to help. The guy said the Wi-Fi would
be off for a whole hour. Julian will have hundreds of work messages coming in as soon as he leaves the hospital. I promise he’ll be so busy on the bloody phone, he won’t take the time to look out the window of the car. I’ve told him you’re meeting him for dinner so he’s asked me to bring his best suit. I promise, Eva, I won’t let anything mess this up on you. Julian doesn’t suspect a thing.’

  Eva kissed Anthony on the cheek. ‘Thank you. What would I do without you?’

  ‘Get the bus more.’

  Chapter 34

  Anthony passed Julian a gin and tonic as soon as he sat in the backseat of the car.

  ‘Thank you,’ Julian said, relieved to be out of the goddamn hospital. Another afternoon spent confined in a small space, with God-awful décor and a fuck hideous lunch, was trying his patience. He was grateful to the doctors and nurses working so hard to keep him alive but this half-life shit wasn’t his cup of tea. He’d have to talk to Eva about it. But he’d let her have her fun today first. She’d put a huge amount of work into today and he was proud of her, and he was actually excited about it. He’d put an equal amount of work into acting clueless. He’d be glad when tomorrow came and the pretence could end.

  ‘Looking dapper as always, Mr. Harte,’ Anthony said.

  Julian smiled and straightened his tie. The hospital loos didn’t offer the changing facilities he was accustomed to but that was the least on his mind today. ‘Thank you. How did the press conference go?’

  ‘Great. Miss Andrews was a natural,’ Anthony said proudly.

  ‘I didn’t expect it to go any other way.’ Julian smiled.

  It was true. Eva was doing a stellar job at the forefront of Andrews Harte. Even surpassing Julian’s expectations. But the success of the charity was just a pleasant bonus. Andrews Harte was serving its intended purpose nicely. Julian made damn sure the media would never get their hands on the real reason for setting up Andrews Harte…to bring two damaged sisters back together. Melissa dropped the giant chip on her shoulder and was more than happy to be a part of the organisation. Eva’s family wasn’t one hundred percent repaired, and Julian knew it may never reach that milestone, but it was damn well on its way. It made every sacrifice he’d made along the way worth it. Every sacrifice.

  ‘Okay, Anthony. Now, can you please sort out whatever the fuck is going on with my phone? Have you any idea how bored I’ve been for the last hour?’

  Julian caught Anthony’s blushing face in the rearview mirror and didn’t bother to hide his amusement.

  ‘Me?’ Anthony squeaked.

  Julian pulled a face but didn’t reply.

  ‘I’m not sure if I would be able to help, Mr. Harte.’

  ‘Oh. I’m very certain you would. And quickly please, Anthony. I’ve tolerated this little charade long enough. I’m expecting an important email from Singapore. I don’t plan to miss it.’

  Anthony’s blushing cheeks grew to full-on puce, engulfing his nose and even his ears.

  ‘How long have you known?’ Anthony mumbled.

  Julian smiled brightly. ‘Who says I know anything about Eva’s surprise and about how all my staff were happy to go behind my back to help? Hiding things from me; money and information. Attempting to keep me in the dark completely. A big web of lies. A. Web. Of. Lies.’

  Anthony’s eyes widened and Julian jaw twitched to one side.

  ‘Mr. Harte, I’m so sorry. Everyone just wanted to do something nice for you. Especially Eva. No one meant any harm.’ Anthony stumbled over his words.

  ‘Anthony, just get my fucking phone working again, please. I can’t miss that email.’

  ‘Of course, of course.’

  Julian could hear the level of urgency in Anthony’s voice.

  ‘As for the rest of it. The going behind my back and lying to me…’ Julian paused, and he could practically hear Anthony holding his breath. ‘Thank you. Today means a lot to Eva, and so it means a lot to me. So let’s get back to pretending, shall we? You drive and I won’t look out the window. I’ll act none the wiser about where we’re heading and it’ll all go to plan.’

  ‘Sounds good, Mr. Harte.’

  ‘One more thing, Anthony.’

  Anthony twisted around in the driver’s seat and looked at Julian.

  ‘How about another one of these?’ Julian held up his empty glass.

  ‘What happened to drinking in moderation?’ Anthony asked, concerned.

  Julian shot Anthony a look that said don’t-go-there. ‘For the day that’s in it! I’m about to get a very big surprise. I could use a little something to calm the nerves.’

  ‘Okay.’ Anthony chuckled. ‘But you can be the one to deal with the lecture from Eva when she finds out.’

  Julian smiled, thinking of how fucking hot Eva was when she was angry and how bloody lucky he was to have the most amazing girl in the world ready to lecture him on his health because she cared so damn much.

  ‘Okay, Anthony. I think I can just about handle the wrath of Miss Andrews.’

  Chapter 35

  It was a beautiful afternoon. The sky was cloudy but every so often the sun broke through and the springtime feeling sat in the air. April was just around the corner; Eva couldn’t believe how fast time was flying by. Her hand instinctively crept to her belly and a giant smile lit up her face. She couldn’t wait to meet her baby, but she was conscious of wishing time away. Terrified that maybe that meant wishing Julian away, too. She quickly pulled herself together. She absolutely refused to allow anything to spoil today. Even the thoughts of her worst nightmare, life without Julian, that were always lurking in the back of her mind.

  ‘You’ve done a fabulous job,’ Shelly said, appearing out of nowhere, her voice cutting into Eva’s daydreaming.

  ‘I couldn’t have done it without your help. Thank you, Shell. You look fan-tastic!’

  Shelly caught the sides of her red, skater dress and pulled them out as she spun around. ‘Thanks, hun. But I think you’re stealing the show here. You’re bloody glowing.’

  Eva blushed, wondering if Shelly was secretly implying she knew about the baby. ‘Thanks. New make-up.’

  Eva wasn’t telling anyone about her pregnancy until she told Julian first. But she was waiting for the right moment. She’d been waiting for the right moment for three months and she was beginning to worry the time might never be right. She wasn’t just telling Julian he was going to be a father, she was telling him that their child might have to grow up without a dad. Eva knew the thoughts of Julian abandoning his child would break his heart. It was outside his control but that wouldn’t be any consolation to ease Julian’s conscience. Eva hated to think that something as special as bringing a child into the world together could be the very thing that completely broke Julian.

  ‘There you are, sweetheart,’ Samantha said kissing Eva on each cheek as she reached her. ‘This place is beautiful, isn’t it?’ Samantha added, stretching her arms out and looking all around the hall of Julian’s Dun Laoghaire house. The black and white checked tiles were restored to perfection; any broken ones had been matched so closely that it was impossible to tell the difference. The freshly painted cream walls gave a sense of calm without losing any of the warmth of a family home. The dresser had simply needed a sanding and varnish and the mirror hanging over it was a beautiful antique Shelly had found on eBay.

  Eva gave herself a brief once-over in the mirror. Shelly was right, her skin looked great. A little too great. She wondered how no one had noticed. She adjusted her loose fitting, royal blue shirtdress. Anything fitted was no longer an option.

  ‘It’s all been restored as close as possible to the original,’ Eva said proudly, turning away from the mirror.

  ‘Julian will be delighted, sweetheart. He’s a very lucky man,’ Samantha said.

  Eva’s heart warmed. Her mother had grown very fond of Julian despite her initial impression. Eva was glad Julian had been wrong about one thing. She didn’t need to go back to New York to fix her family. She just needed Julian
by her side. This was Samantha’s third visit to Dublin in as many months. She seemed to have the same love affair with the city that Cameron had had. Eva was pretty sure that once she announced her pregnancy, her mother would suggest staying permanently. It was definitely a suggestion Eva would welcome. Today marked Melissa’s first visit back to Ireland, and the first time Eva and Melissa had met again. But they’d spoken endlessly on the phone. Initially about business, but more recently about everything. If Eva was going to crack and tell anyone about the baby before she got a chance to tell Julian, then it would be to Melissa. In fact, she’d had to consciously cover her mouth a couple of times when they were on Skype.

  ‘A car just pulled into the drive,’ Nathan said, skidding into the hall from the kitchen.

  ‘Julian?’ Eva gasped and looked at her watch. ‘Anthony is dead on time. Okay. Positions, everyone.’

  Everyone scurried into the kitchen leaving Eva alone waiting at the bottom of the stairs. A huge shiver thundered down her spine and she held her breath as the handle turned and the front door creaked open.

  ***

  Julian couldn’t remember the last time his heart was beating this fast. Maybe it was the night of the fire. Maybe it was the first time Eva had walked into his office. Maybe it was the moment he realised that, despite his best efforts not to, he had fallen in love with a broken girl from New Jersey. Or maybe it was a combination of all of those things added together. Things that had shaped him and made him the man he was now. Julian put his palm flat against his chest and felt his heart racing against his fingertips. He knew it wasn’t any of those things. Not today. His heart was racing because he was standing on the edge of his past, unsure if he had a future.

  Being back at this house always did strange things to his head. But today was the strangest of all. He paused for a moment before putting his hand on the handle and pushing the door forty-five degrees open. The next step would be huge, but with Eva on the other side of the door, he knew he was ready.