Page 16 of A Cornish Wedding Retreat
Maggie shook her head.
‘I didn’t think so.’
‘Do you want a cup of tea?’
Emily gave a hollow laugh. ‘Tea? No, Maggie, tea isn’t going to cure what’s wrong this time.’ She slapped a hand in front of her mouth and hurried away down the hall to run into the guest toilet. The unmistakeable sound of retching coming from behind the half-closed door made Maggie wince.No lunch date tomorrow.
Maggie returned to the kitchen and made a fresh pot of tea.
‘You can pour me one too and I’ll see if I can keep it down,’ Emily muttered, coming to join her.
‘He’s not worth making yourself ill over, he really isn’t. I know you had your plans all made, but . . .’
‘You don’t get it do you?’ She flung herself into the nearest chair. ‘I’m pregnant, you idiot.’ Emily burst into loud, wracking sobs.
Maggie crossed the room and bent down to wrap her arms around her sister’s thin shoulders. How was she going to cope with this on top of everything else? Today’s brief dream of Chad and the possibilities he dangled in front of her shattered into a million tiny pieces. ‘It’ll be okay. We’ll manage.’ She struggled to reassure herself as much as Emily. ‘Does Jonathan know?’
‘No.’ Emily raised her head to look at Maggie, her eyes dark with pain.
‘Why not?’
‘Because I haven’t told him,’ she rushed on, ‘I was going to after today’s wedding but now there’s no point.’
Of course there’s a point. He’s the father. He’s as responsible as you are and you’ve got to talk about this together.
‘If he doesn’t love me for myself then I don’t want him to stay with me out of pity or duty,’ Emily murmured, her words quiet but firm. ‘You won’t tell him, will you?’
‘Not if you don’t want me to, but I wish you’d reconsider. This is his baby as well as yours and he has a right to know.’
Her sister’s features hardened into a stubborn mask. ‘I’m not talking about it any more today.’
Maggie knew from bitter experience that when Emily dug her heels in nothing would budge her. She picked up the teapot and poured out another cup, adding milk and plenty of sugar before setting it quietly down in front of her sister. ‘Try that.’
‘Thanks.’
It was the closest she’d get to an apology. A wave of tiredness swept over her and all she wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for a solid eight hours.
‘I know I can be a bitch,’ Emily murmured and fixed her wide, blue-eyed gaze on Maggie.
How was she supposed to respond? She was too tired to lie, but the truth might set off another meltdown and she couldn’t cope with any more today.
‘Don’t say anything. Not now. I’m off back to bed,’ Emily declared and pushed her chair back to stand up.
Maggie nodded and let her sister go. She didn’t move straight away but simply sat there, listening to the rhythmic ticking of the kitchen clock and wondering how much harder her life could get.
Chapter Eleven
Chad finished his second cup of coffee and picked up the phone. It was ten o’clock and he couldn’t wait any longer to call Maggie. ‘Good morning, beautiful.’
‘I’m grateful we’re not on Skype. I’m not even dressed yet.’
The mental picture of Maggie — warm, rumpled and wearing whatever skimpy attire she slept in didn’t do his overwrought body any good. ‘I’m trying to be a gentleman so I won’t comment onthat.’
‘Did you get back okay last night?’
Her swift change of subject made him smile and Chad quickly assured her the walk hadn’t killed him. ‘Did you get a good night’s sleep?’ An odd silence filled the line.
‘Sort of,’ Maggie sighed. ‘Things got more complicated after you left.’
