The Baby Dilemma

by Rebecca Winters

  Kellie hadn’t explored those towns yet. Now that she was on her own, she would get her chance because she had to find a job. The idea of cooking for teenage girls would present a challenge, but that was exactly what Kellie needed to blot out her pain.

  She would start by inquiring about a job at Lee’s old school. It was an hour away from Neuchâtel. She’d never have to worry about bumping into Philippe.

  Once the baby arrived, she’d get word to him. By that time, she would have saved enough money to move back to Neuchâtel and rent a small apartment. Eventually she’d find a woman to tend in the evenings while she worked as a chef.

  During the day she would devote all her time to her son or daughter. Philippe would have a lot to say about the way they worked out visitation. That was fine with her. She wanted their child to have a full, rich, loving relationship with its father.

  As she stepped off the train in Nyon, her path seemed very clear in her mind. First however, she craved food and a place to lie down where she could sleep off her exhaustion. The hotel across the road from the station would do.

  Hours later she lifted her groggy head from the pillow to glance at her watch. It was already three p.m. She’d been gone from the apartment nine hours.

  Had Philippe taken the baby for the test? Was Jean-Luc with him now, or had her husband given him back to Analise because he planned to go to work in the morning?

  Kellie would never know the answer to those questions. The pain of her loss was so excruciating, she couldn’t imagine getting on with the rest of her life. But she had to!

  Before she did anything else she needed to call home. It would be six o’clock on a Monday morning in Eatonville, the one day of the week the restaurant was closed.

  Much as she loved her grandparents, she was glad it was her mother who answered.

  “Mom?”

  “Kellie, honey! I’ve been so anxious to hear from you. I can tell something’s wrong. Is that woman’s baby his?”

  She sat up in the bed. “He won’t know until the DNA tests are completed.”

  “We’re all praying it’s another man’s child so you and Philippe can get on with your lives.”

  “That’s not going to happen, Mom.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I did the unforgivable by leaving him at the hospital when he needed me most. It broke up our marriage. He doesn’t want me back. We’ll be divorced by the end of the week.”

  “How dare he blame all this on you! Isn’t it amazing that a man can sleep around as if it’s his divine right, but his sweet little doormat wife better not blink if there are consequences.”

  “It wasn’t like that, Mom, and that isn’t the reason why I left.”

  “After what he did, you’re still defending him? Good heavens, Kellie—that man has such a stranglehold on you, he’s probably convinced you to forgive your own father.”

  Kellie took a deep breath. “I have forgiven him, Mom. He gave me life, but he didn’t have what it took to be a parent. That’s why he left. Some people are like that. I know now I had a wonderful life without him. Probably much better.”

  “I can’t believe you just said that.”

  “It’s true. You can’t order a person to love you. It has to be a gift. If they can’t give it, then you move on.”

  “Kellie, honey—you don’t sound like yourself.”

  “I think maybe I’m being the real me for the first time in my life.”

  After a silence, “How soon can we expect you home?”

  “I’m not coming home again, except for visits.”

  “Kellie—”

  “I’m staying in Switzerland. Just not with Philippe.”

  “Why?”

  Kellie took a deep breath. Since she’d rushed to Switzerland with Lee, she hadn’t had a chance to tell her family about her pregnancy.

  “Because I’m having his baby in about seven months.”

  Her mother gasped. “When did you find out?”

  “A few weeks ago.”

  “Have you seen a doctor?”

  “Yes, and everything’s fine.”

  “Don’t tell me Philippe is refusing to take care of his pregnant wife!”

  “He doesn’t know about the baby.”

  “Oh, Kellie—”

  “After it’s born, I’ll contact him with the news through his attorney. He’ll insist on being a vital part of our child’s life because that’s the kind of man he is. I’ll always have to remain close by so we can share in its upbringing.”

  “Honey—” Her mother’s voice cracked.

  “It’s going to be all right, Mom. Once I find a place to live and get a job, I’ll invite you to come for a long visit. Bring Grandma and Grandpa.”

  “We’ll talk about that later. Right now I’m concerned over how you’re going to live. You need money.”

  “I have a little of my own in the bank. It’ll be enough until I get my first paycheck.”

  “I don’t want you standing on your feet all day cooking for other people. It’s very demanding work and hard on the body. You need to take care of yourself now that you’re expecting.”

  “I know. I’ll find something that won’t harm me or my baby.”

  “I could be there tomorrow to help you.”

  “No, Mom. Much as I appreciate the offer, this is something I have to do myself. I’m a grown woman, and soon to be a mother. It’s time I took charge of my life instead of depending on other people.”

  “But you haven’t had enough time to make many friends there yet. You’ll be lonely.”

  Kellie had a true friend in Lee. If an emergency were to arise, she knew she could count on her. As for Raoul, he was too close to Philippe for Kellie to presume on that friendship.

  “Once I get a job, that won’t be an issue. Mom? Can I ask one favor of you? This goes for the grandparents, too.”

  “Of course, honey. Anything.”

  “I know Philippe won’t try to contact me again, but you might get phone calls from Claudine or even the Mertiers. If anyone from Europe does ring and asks for me, please don’t tell them I haven’t returned to Washington.

  “Just say that since the divorce, I’ve been out looking for a good job. It won’t be a lie. Take the message and tell them I’ll get in touch with them at the first opportunity.”

  There was a long silence. “We’ll keep your secret, but Kellie— I expect you to call every few days so I know you’re all right. Otherwise I won’t have a moment’s peace.”

  “I promise, Mom. I love you. Give Grandma and Grandpa a kiss for me.”

  She hung up the phone, relieved to know that Claudine, particularly, would never find out Kellie was still in Switzerland. Much as she loved Philippe’s sister, it was better that she remain uninformed so she couldn’t let something slip in her brother’s company.

  Having made contact with home, Kellie could get ready to apply for a job. In order to make the right impression, she put on her navy blazer with matching skirt, and wore her hair up with a tortoiseshell clip.

  Later, as the taxi drove her through the charming little town full of Roman artifacts and history, she could see why Lee had loved working here. Kellie should be so lucky.

  As they entered the private gravel driveway, the school turned out to be an imposing French manor house surrounded by a wooded estate facing the water.

  Kellie paid the chauffeur and hurried up the steps to the main doors of the school. A uniformed maid answered the buzzer. When Kellie said she wanted to the see the headmistress, she was shown into an elegant salon and told to wait.

  Ten minutes later, when she was sure she’d been forgotten, a stylish looking woman of seventy-five years or so came in the room. Kellie stood up.

  “I’m Madame Simoness. You wanted to see me?” the headmistress asked in French.

  “Yes, madame,” she answered in kind. “My name is Kellie Madsen.” She didn’t dare say Didier. Philippe’s name was known everywhere. “I’m looking
for a temporary job.”

  The older woman shook her gray head. “I’m sorry. If you were thinking of a teaching position, we’re fully staffed and only hire native French speakers from our local universities.”

  “I should have said I’m a chef. I’ve worked in my grandfather’s restaurant business since I was a little girl. After I obtained my B.A. in French, I went on to train as a French chef at the Maison Pierre Institute in Napa Valley, California.

  “I lived in Paris, married a Frenchman and moved to Neuchâtel with him, but it didn’t last. I would like to stay on here and work until my baby is born. I enjoy being around teens, and a boarding school would be a lovely change from a public restaurant.”

  After Kellie’s long speech, Madame Simoness laughed. “Your credentials sound impressive, but you’ve impressed me much more by being forthright. How did you happen to hear about Beau Lac?”

  “The newspapers were filled with the modern day fairy tale of Prince Raoul’s marriage to the American. Several articles mentioned that she’d been a student here, and was even on your staff for a while. It caught my attention.”

  A pair of shrewd eyes stared at Kellie for a long moment. “Let me think about it. Before you go, step into my office next door. My secretary will give you a form to fill out. Leave a phone number where I can reach you.”

  “In the morning I’ll be taking a train to Lausanne to do some more interviews. Would it be all right if I call you from there, say tomorrow afternoon around tea time?”

  “That will be fine.”

  “Thank you, madame.”

  Midafternoon a local fisherman dropped off a fresh catch of whitefish from the lake for the girls’ Friday night grand diner. Kellie had just started to prepare it when she heard the secretary call to her from the kitchen doorway.

  “Yes, Francoise?”

  “Madame Simoness says there’s a Monsieur Dufont waiting for you in the petit salon.”

  Honore?

  The knife fell out of her hand.

  Her mother had promised to keep her whereabouts a secret. The fact that he’d come here in person could only mean one thing…

  She started to shake and couldn’t stop.

  “Thank you, Francoise. I’ll be right there.”

  The other cook filling the individual pots with spinach soufflé looked over at her. “Take all the time you need. I’ll finish the fish.”

  “You’re an angel, Lucie.”

  Kellie removed her apron, washed her hands a couple of times, then ran through the huge manor house forgetting she was pregnant. Her hand fairly shook as she turned the handle of the door to the salon.

  “Honore?” she cried. “It’s Philippe, isn’t it? Something’s happened to him!”

  “Kellie—” The patrician-looking attorney with the salt and pepper hair reached for her and gave her hug.

  “If your husband were in the hospital, your mother would have told you before I could get here,” he assured her, giving her a kiss on both cheeks. “But he needs your help if you’re willing to give it.”

  Faint with relief, other emotions quickly took over. “I’m not his wife anymore,” she moaned the words in agony. “He doesn’t want any part of me, Honore. You above all people know that.”

  “A great deal has happened while you’ve been out of touch. As soon as you can get ready, we’ll drive to Neuchâtel. There isn’t a moment to lose.”

  “But my job—”

  “The headmistress has already given her permission for you to leave,” he interjected. “She understands this is an emergency.”

  Honore could move mountains.

  “Just tell me one thing. Did Philippe ask you to talk to me?”

  “No. This is all my idea.”

  The pieces of her broken heart shriveled up inside her. “He’ll never believe I didn’t use you to see him again. I—I can’t come with you.”

  “After you ran away the first time, I thought you’d learned your lesson.”

  He’d said the words in a gentle tone, but she felt their sting.

  “Exercise your faith and trust me. All will be revealed in good time.”

  A shudder ran through her body. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you at the car.”

  An hour later they’d reached Philippe’s office. Honore had been in contact with Marcel to make certain his boss would be alone by the time they arrived.

  Kellie couldn’t imagine what Honore was up to. All she had to go on was his affection for her husband. “I’m frightened.”

  “You leave everything to me. Come on, let’s go in.”

  The excitement of seeing Philippe again warred with her fear that he’d take one look at her and tell her to go back where she came from.

  When Marcel saw Kellie enter Philippe’s suite with Honore, he did a double take. But that didn’t prevent him from getting up to greet her with a kiss on both cheeks. “It’s good to see you again, Kellie.”

  “Thank you. It’s nice to see you too.”

  His questioning gaze darted to Honore. “Shall I tell him you’re here?”

  “That’s all right. You go on home.”

  “Good night then.”

  As Honore knocked on the inner door, Kellie’s heart leaped to her throat.

  “Come in.”

  When they entered, Philippe was turned to the side of his desk studying something on the computer screen. He didn’t immediately look up. It gave Kellie a moment to drink in the sight of her husband whose dark, handsome looks would always thrill her.

  He wore his gray silk suit, the one she’d given him for a birthday present. Evidently he’d put the past so completely behind him, he could wear it without remembering their night of passion on his boat. The one he kept tied up at Raoul’s private pier.

  She’d planned a private birthday celebration. Afterward they’d taken a midnight ride on the lake and had ended up making love until morning. Was it possible to forget a memory like that? her heart cried.

  The two of them sat down on the chairs opposite Philippe’s desk. He’d had a haircut since she’d last seen him. There was no more sign of weight loss, but he hadn’t gained any, either.

  “One minute, Marcel.”

  “Take your time,” Honore answered.

  Philippe’s head swiveled around. His penetrating black gaze fused with Kellie’s in stunned surprise.

  “Mon Dieu, what are you doing here?” He sounded more haunted than angry.

  “She came with me when I told her you were in for the fight of your life if you hoped to gain custody of Jean-Luc. What she doesn’t know is that the DNA test proved that Dr. Bruchard, the veterinarian, is the baby’s birth father.”

  “What?” Kellie blurted helplessly.

  Philippe seemed to have a struggle dragging his eyes from her to look at Honore.

  “We’ve been over this before. It would be a long shot now, even if I had a wife.” Philippe sounded like he’d had all he could take.

  Honore eyed him directly. “In anticipation of a custody battle, I never filed the divorce papers you signed. You and Kellie are still legally married.”

  Kellie gasped, then looked away, afraid to see the shock and displeasure in her husband’s eyes.

  Philippe suddenly got to his feet and moved around the desk. She noticed he was walking without a limp or his cane, reminding her of the old Philippe who was once again in total control of his life. His narrowed gaze flicked from Honore to Kellie.

  “You’re actually willing to go through a court case that will be in all the papers, knowing nothing will probably come of it except more notoriety?”

  “Of course,” she cried softly. Don’t you understand this is the second chance I’ve been praying for? “I know how much you love that baby. If you don’t win the case, at least you’ll have the peace of mind knowing you did everything you could.”

  He seemed in the grip of some unnamed emotion. Kellie watched his broad chest rise and fall several times. Her breathing was just as shall
ow. She couldn’t believe that a few hours ago she’d been miles away cutting up fish, and now…

  Honore patted Philippe’s arm. “While you two sort things out, I’m going to fly back to Paris. I have an early-morning appointment. We’ll keep in close touch. I’ll get the earliest court date I can.”

  He kissed her cheek and disappeared, leaving a trembling Kellie standing close enough to her husband, she could feel his warmth.

  Philippe’s eyes played over her for an unsettling moment. “I’ll drive you to the apartment. You must be hungry and tired after your long flight.”

  Actually she was neither one. Being with him again had brought her to glorious life. As for her appetite, since she’d taken Dr. Cutler’s advice by eating carrot and celery sticks between meals, she wasn’t starving all the time.

  The hard part now was telling her husband as much of the truth as he she thought he could handle.

  “There was no plane trip, Philippe.”

  His dark brows knit together. “You weren’t in Washington when Honore phoned you?”

  “No.” She could feel her heart rate picking up speed. “After I left the apartment, I made the decision to stay in Switzerland.”

  His head reared.

  “Not with the Mertiers,” she blurted before he could accuse her of using his good friends.

  He rubbed the back of his neck in a gesture he probably wasn’t aware of whenever he pondered something serious. “Where have you been all this time?”

  “Earning my living as a cook at Beau Lac in Nyon.”

  Her husband didn’t move a muscle. In fact it was his very stillness that let her know she’d shocked him once again.

  “In case you’re worried I dropped Lee’s name or yours to influence the headmistress, you couldn’t be more wrong. I applied as Kellie Madsen, divorcée, and let my credentials speak for me.”

  Their eyes held. “Do you live there?” his voice grated.

  “Yes. Madame Simoness is a terrific person to work for. Another woman and I share the cooking. I was preparing fish for dinner when the secretary told me I had a visitor.