The Baby Dilemma

by Rebecca Winters

  “Do you want me to pack a lunch?”

  “Why don’t we pick up some food on the way? I’ll drive the boat over to our dock. If it needs some repairs, we’ll find out. When we get hungry, we’ll go out on the lake to eat. The good weather we’ve been having ought to hold, so it should be warm enough.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” she said with a tremor in her voice.

  “I’d like to get started early. Can you be ready by eight?”

  “Of course.”

  She felt him hesitate.

  “Kellie?”

  “Yes?”

  “I intend to compensate you for your sacrifice for Jean-Luc.”

  I don’t want compensation— I just want my husband back, she cried inwardly.

  “It’s no sacrifice, Philippe.”

  There’s nothing I’d love more than to mother that precious little boy.

  With the light at his back, she couldn’t see his expression.

  “Don’t forget the statistics are against the judge ruling in my favor.”

  Her eyes closed tightly. “I can still hope for a miracle.”

  “We’ll see,” he whispered. “Good night.” He shut the door, enclosing her in darkness.

  She set her alarm for seven. To her surprise she slept surprisingly well. When it went off, she showered and dressed in a pair of jeans she’d bought in Nyon.

  They were a larger size to accommodate her changing dimensions. Paired with a loose fitting navy pullover and sneakers, she would be totally comfortable all day.

  By the time Philippe walked in the kitchen similarly dressed, she had breakfast ready on the counter. He reached for a warm brioche and finished it off in two bites.

  “The house is now in the Didier name.” There was a ring of satisfaction in his voice.

  She darted him a brief glance, hungry for the sight of her husband who was so attractive, he made all the senses in her body come alive.

  “For how much?”

  There was an odd gleam in his eyes as they swept over her. “Let’s just say I have no complaints. He’ll meet us there with the keys in half an hour.”

  “Then we’d better hurry.”

  She poured yogurt on her bowl of cereal and bananas. Philippe liked his with milk. When they were through eating, he finished off with a cup of coffee.

  “You want me to pour you some?”

  Caffeine could be bad for the baby. “No, thank you. When I planned the menus for the girls, I told them they were going to eat healthy. Above all no more wine or stimulants. That meant I had to be a role model. After three weeks abstinence, I’m out of the habit of drinking tea, coffee or wine. I feel so much better, I hope to cut them from my diet permanently.”

  “That’s very commendable, but I’m surprised they didn’t go on strike,” he drawled, reminding her of the man she’d fallen in love with.

  “I substituted orange juice and milk. Skim, of course, but they didn’t know it. For dinner they could have ice water. That was a hit with everyone except the Americans.”

  Philippe chuckled. “Do I dare ask what you served them for tea?”

  Her lips curved upward. “Well, I did away with the pastries. They could have water and all the raw vegetables they could eat.”

  By now his chuckles had become full blown laughter. It was a glorious sound she hadn’t heard for so long, it warmed her all the way to the car.

  Once they were on their way to the house, he said, “Obviously it was your meals that saved you from annihilation.”

  She gave her husband a covert glance. For a little while she felt like they’d gone back to those euphoric days of their marriage before she’d ever heard of Yvette. If only this laughter and sharing would go on and on until that wall of ice around his heart thawed completely!

  When they reached the house, Mr. Penot was waiting for them with a smile on his face. He walked toward the car and opened the door for her.

  “Bonjour, madame.”

  “Good morning, Monsieur.”

  “Congratulations on your beautiful purchase. I hope you will be very happy here.”

  Kellie was afraid that would require a miracle.

  “Thank you for showing it to us.”

  “You’re welcome. I have all the keys in this envelope.” He handed it to her. “They’re labeled. If you have any problem, don’t hesitate to phone.”

  Philippe walked around to shake his hand. They chatted amicably in the brisk November air for a moment before the other man got in his car and left for another appointment.

  But just as she’d feared, when her husband turned to her, all signs of laughter had left his striking features. The little interlude allowing her a glimpse of past joy was nothing more than an aberration.

  “Since we didn’t see the tower yesterday, let’s start there first.”

  Steeling herself not to feel pain, she accompanied him across the lawn where the early rays of the sun dappled through the trees onto the creamy stone exterior of the château. The effect was breathtaking.

  If Philippe was thinking the same thing, he didn’t bother to tell her. By the time they’d reached the door of the tower, she’d found the key. After turning it several ways, it finally clicked. Philippe pushed it open.

  They entered a perfectly circular room with hardwood floors, a fireplace and a bathroom. A deep rectangular window that looked out toward the woods filled the room with light.

  Enchanted, she hurried up the steps of the yellow stone staircase mellowed with age. The top floor was identical to the other, but there was no fireplace or bathroom.

  Kellie ran over to the window and opened it. She could see beyond the trees to the jewel-like lake. There were clusters of chalets dotting the lush green landscape. To be a child in this house would be like living in fairyland.

  “What do you think?” sounded a deep male voice directly behind her.

  Philippe’s proximity made her tremble. She closed the window. “The nanny won’t ever want to leave the tower. What we have to do now is choose which room in the house will make the best nursery.”

  She slipped past him and practically ran down the flight of stairs. Once she was outside, she searched in the envelope for the key to the front door. Philippe caught up with her at the main entrance.

  Avoiding his eyes, she turned the key to the left. It was a lucky guess. The door opened without problem.

  The main house contained honey-toned inlaid wood floors of nineteenth century design. Again she was impressed by the play of light giving everything a dreamy quality.

  Without waiting for her husband, she rushed up the stairs. The double doors at the head of the staircase led to the master bedroom with its fireplace. Two bedrooms flanked either side. All the bedrooms had been papered in nineteenth century prints which looked worn and faded.

  As she entered the first one on the right she said, “Whoever designed this house didn’t believe in children being accessible to the parents. If this is where you’re going to put Jean-Luc, there ought to be a connecting door to your bedroom.”

  “That can be done easily enough. Do you have any idea about the decor?”

  “I’ve seen pictures of matching window shades and ceiling trims for children that would be adorable in here. But the wallpaper would need to be removed. If we painted the walls an off-white and bought an area rug to match the trim, then we could buy baby furniture to decorate around it.

  “For that matter it wouldn’t hurt to remove all the paper in the house and paint everything the same color. It will make it smell fresh. Later on you can go with any kind of decor you want.

  “My taste is eclectic. I like to mix periods and colors. However you might want to replicate what has been removed.”

  “Everything you’ve suggested makes perfect sense. Let’s inspect the kitchen.”

  Kellie already knew she loved it and told him so once they’d checked the appliances and cupboards. “This is the heart of the home. It needs a good professional cleaning, and the
re might be some plumbing problems down the road, but I wouldn’t change anything else about it.”

  “You’re the expert here,” he murmured.

  “Maybe, but I wouldn’t have a clue where to start with the grounds.”

  “That’s easy. I’ll get some gardeners to cut everything back so we can see the original design of the landscaping.”

  She wandered over to the French doors that led to the empty greenhouse. The place reminded her of Malmaison outside Paris, another spot where Philippe had taken her. As they’d sauntered around the estate, she’d been so in love with him, it had hardly registered they were looking at the greenhouse where the Empress Josephine once grew exotic plants.

  Kellie pressed her head against the glass. Too many memories were suffocating her. She’d thought she could help Philippe. She’d thought she could do this, but every minute with him was tearing her apart a little more.

  “It’s almost lunchtime. Do you want to go with me to get the food?”

  She refused to look at him. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay here and explore some more.”

  After a brief silence, “Suit yourself. I’ll bring our meal back in the boat. Meet me at the pier in about a half hour.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him to leave his cell phone. But then he’d wonder who she was calling. At this point it looked like she’d have to wait until they got back to the apartment before she could phone Lee.

  With the whole house to herself she had the luxury of imagining her own child running through these rooms, playing on the stairs. A little boy or girl who would have inherited certain attributes of Philippe like his piercing dark eyes, his enticing smile, his lean, powerful build, his black hair, his beautiful olive complexion.

  Her hand went to her belly. The baby inside her so snug and tight would belong here. In time it would follow its daddy around with a worshipful expression.

  Would their child grow up to love mountain climbing? Fast ca—

  “Kellie? Are you in here?”

  It was a woman’s voice calling to her with a distinct American accent.

  “Lee?”

  “Yes!”

  She fairly flew through the common rooms to the foyer. “I can’t believe it! I was going to call you today.”

  They started toward each other at the same time and hugged. “You don’t know how many times Raoul and I wanted to find out what was going on, but we didn’t dare interfere.”

  “You mean Philippe hasn’t tried to get in touch with him?”

  “Your husband hasn’t phoned any of his friends.”

  “Then how did you know I was here?”

  “Raoul was on his way to town and happened to pass Philippe on the lake road. One thing led to another. He just phoned me and told me to drive over here. We’re going to have lunch with you out in the boat. I hope that’s all right.” Her violet eyes searched Kellie’s for approval.

  “Oh, Lee, it’s more than all right! It means they can go back to being friends again!” She hugged her once more.

  “So can we!” Lee asserted.

  “Every day I’ve wanted to call you, but Philippe was so angry about my being at the chalet, I was afraid to contact you.”

  “Before I hear all the details, just tell me one thing—”

  Kellie could read her mind. “He doesn’t know about the baby yet. I’m only here on sufferance to help him win custody of Jean-Luc. If he gets him, then Philippe expects me to break in a nanny before I leave. Naturally if he doesn’t win custody, then I’m to go.”

  Lee stared hard at her. “The point is, you’re still here. When you consider his state of mind after you left the hospital, that has to mean something.”

  “I wish it were true,” she half-sobbed. “Lee—while we’re still alone I have something important to ask you. Could you help me find a good obstetrician here in Neuchâtel?”

  “You can go to mine,” she said poker faced. But her eyes held a glow that gave her secret away.

  “You’re pregnant?”

  “Yes!”

  Kellie hugged her again. “Does Raoul know?”

  “No. I only found out yesterday afternoon. He was in Geneva until late, so I was putting off telling him until tonight.”

  “To think you’re going to have a little prince or princess. Your husband will be the happiest man alive. When are you due?”

  “June.”

  “Our children will only be about a month apart.”

  “Kellie?” She said after handing her the doctor’s card from her purse. “Why don’t you tell Philippe the truth now?”

  “Because the custody suit’s coming up. I don’t want to upset him anymore than he already is. You don’t know what he’s been like.”

  “Tell me.”

  Relieved to have a close friend to talk to, Kellie began at the beginning. When she’d finished, Lee stood there shaking her head.

  “Madame Simoness is a wonderful person to turn to in times of trouble, but why didn’t you phone me? You could have stayed with us.”

  “Oh, no, I couldn’t. Philippe would never have forgiven me.”

  “Well he can’t keep us apart now. If you had any idea how much Raoul has missed your husband…”

  Tears filled Kellie’s eyes. “I’ve missed him, too.”

  While she was brushing the moisture away, they both heard the blare of a horn. It was coming from the boat.

  Lee turned her silvery-blond head to Kellie. “They’re pulled up to the pier, and we’re all together. You can’t tell me this isn’t a good omen.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  KELLIE wasn’t a person to believe in omens, but if she could be thankful for one thing, Philippe seemed to have accepted the Mertiers back in his life.

  He didn’t fool Kellie. Her husband would never have bought a home so close to Raoul if it hadn’t been what he’d wanted all along.

  Over the next two weeks they were constant visitors. Raoul appeared to have put his princely duties on hold. While Kellie and Lee supervised the workmen indoors, their husbands cleared away the undergrowth outside right along with the gardeners.

  Though Raoul tried to soft-pedal it around Philippe, the knowledge that he was going to be a father had put a new light in his eyes. Kellie was so happy for them.

  Lee was a constant delight. Like Kellie, she was more modern in her tastes. After living at the centuries old Château D’Arillac, she thought Kellie’s ideas to mix and match provided the ideal compromise between present and past.

  When they were finished with the house, Kellie had promised to help Lee. She and her husband were planning to remodel a room in their private apartment at the château into a nursery.

  During one of their many shopping expeditions to town, Kellie was able to meet with Dr. Loubel, Lee’s O.B. He reminded her a lot of her old family doctor and couldn’t have been nicer. Evidently her pregnancy was coming along fine. He gave her a supply of vitamins and said he’d see her the next month.

  As the days went by, more and more furnishings were delivered to the house. Except for a few pieces of furniture and pictures brought from the company apartment, they’d bought everything else new.

  One afternoon while Kellie was fastening a mobile to the baby’s crib, Philippe made an appearance. He had that dark, brooding expression on his face she hadn’t seen for a while. It killed her when he looked like that.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We have a visitor downstairs.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Madame Frouneau, the social worker from the court.”

  This was what Kellie was really here for. To help him win his suit.

  “Then aren’t we lucky everything has come together in time. The house is ready for occupation. Our electricity is on, the phone is in. We have hot water.”

  Without conscious thought Kellie reached for his hand. He grasped it tightly and held on as they went downstairs together where he made the introductions.

  The middl
e-aged court-appointed worker was civil enough, but she kept her distance. They sat down together in the living room to answer her general questions. When she asked to see where the baby would sleep, they took her upstairs for the inspection.

  After they returned to the living room she looked at them frankly. “From the information given me, I see you’ve been married under four months.”

  “That’s right,” Philippe murmured.

  “But you haven’t been together the whole time.”

  Kellie averted her eyes. “No.”

  “I’m not making any judgments here, Madame Didier. That’s for the court to decide. The baby needs an advocate. It’s my job to learn all I can about the environment that will be best suited for him.”

  “Of course,” Kellie agreed.

  “Do you work?”

  “Not now.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I’m a chef.”

  “Do you plan to work with a baby in the house?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? Many women combine their housewife duties with a career and still manage to raise their offspring.”

  “That’s true. But I happen to believe the first three years of a child’s life are crucial to their development. I don’t want someone else raising my baby.”

  “So in three years you plan to return to work?”

  “No. I don’t imagine I’ll get a job until after my children are raised.”

  “You’re planning to add to your family?”

  “Yes.”

  If Kellie hoped to help Philippe win this case, she was prepared to say anything to give him the ammunition he needed. It was only the truth. Their little addition was already three months along.

  “Have you ever had experience being around babies for any length of time?”

  “No. I was an only child.”

  “What makes you think you’re qualified to raise one?”

  “I don’t think anyone is qualified. You learn as you go along.”

  She felt Philippe’s hand at the back of her neck with a sense of wonder. If he’d put on this display of affection to show the other woman he was attracted to his wife, he’d done it very naturally.