Page 103 of Wife After Wife
“That’s good. Happy families again.”
Harry put Eliza carefully back in her bassinet and sat down on the edge of Ana’s hospital bed. Already, she was almost back to herimmaculate self. He took her hand and kissed it. “You’re incredible, darling.” He grinned. “Not too posh to push after all.”
“I’m a lot more sore than I look.” She wriggled a little and winced.
“I have a small token of my appreciation.” He fished inside his suit jacket and took out a key with a Porsche fob attached. “It’s a 911. Red. I’ve road tested her; she’s a dream.”
As she took the key, openmouthed, he dropped a kiss on her head and stood. “Better go. Get some rest now, you deserve it. I’ll ring you. On this.” He fished in his jacket again and took out the latest Nokia mobile phone. “Press this button when it rings.” One of the youngsters at the office had shown Harry how to use it, and they’d set the ringtone to theWilliam Telloverture for fun.
•••
Back at the office, Harry got very little done. People kept dropping by to congratulate him, and he wanted to show them all the Polaroids he’d taken of Eliza.
As the latest visitor left, Janette appeared. “Do you want me to shut the door, Harry? You’d probably like to finish your work so you can get off home.”
“No, leave it. I can’t settle to it anyway. Did I show you the photo?”
“Yes you did. She’s so beautiful.”
“How about we wet the baby’s head?”
“We should! Shall I see who’s still here?”
Janette was so sweet. Even though she had feelings for him, she was still enjoying his excitement at being a dad again.
“How about a glass of champagne à deux, Moneypenny? We haven’t had a good chat in a while.”
“Oh! OK, then. That’d be nice.”
•••
It was a relaxed evening, requiring little effort from Harry as Janette chatted away. She spent the first half hour sharing her grief at the recentdeath of Princess Diana. The mood at the office had been somber for days now, everyone shocked at the untimely end of a person who’d been so much a part of their lives. His editors had been reviewing their dealings with the paparazzi, feeling uncomfortable about their complicity in creating the demand for celebrity photos. Many had slipped out to add to the sea of flowers at Kensington Palace.
“I keep thinking of thatPanoramainterview,” said Janette. “She loved Charles all those years, but did he ever really love her?” She wiped away a tear. “Poor Diana.”
“She was a gem,” said Harry, who’d met her many times. He remembered her flirtatious smile, those big blue eyes looking up at him from beneath her fringe. She’d been funny, too, and exceptionally kind.
“I don’t like that Camilla,” said Janette. She didn’t hold back on her opinion of Mrs. Parker Bowles as the third glass of champagne took hold.
Harry watched her, amused. Janette’s style had changed over the past year. She now wore her hair swept up and had taken to wearing simple shift dresses. Harry suspected she modeled herself on Ana, perhaps subconsciously, as he knew she wasn’t a fan. This more sophisticated look made it all the more exciting when Harry remembered what had been revealed that time he’d unzipped her little black dress.
His conscience prodded him.What are you thinking? Your girlfriend and soon-to-be wife has just given birth to your child!
True, but it had been months since he and Ana made love. The problem had been his, a response to the sad endings to Katie’s failed pregnancies. It didn’t feel right. Babies were too fragile.
If he hadn’t had that moment in Manchester, he would let it go. Gone home with a clear conscience. But Janette was socute, and that whole role-play thing she’d done kept coming back to tease him.
“I don’t know about you, Moneypenny,” he drawled as he waved the waiter over for the bill, “but I find dessert is best served on satin sheets.”
The blush was back! But she smiled, and he felt her toe tickle his calf.
“Home, James,” she said, and giggled.
It was just for fun, he told himself. He deserved a bit of that, didn’t he?
Ana
Motherhood was overwhelming. Even with a live-in nanny, it drained Ana in a way nothing ever had, both emotionally and physically.
