The Wedding Deal (17 page)

With a soft groan he had gently licked the tear on her cheek, causing the all too familiar sensations to tare through her once more.

“No…..Cara, I’m the one who should be sorry” he had said softly, his voice once more as gentle as it had been all those weeks ago.

“When you held me to ransom for your grandfather………..I was so………….” he seemed to be struggling with the right words as she had lifted her hands to his face to look sorrowfully into his eyes.

“I’m so sorry…………I never wanted to” she had whispered.

“I wish more than anything I could tell you why I had to Alexis, I really do, but I can’t………..I just can’t. If I did………..he would hurt somebody I care about” her hands once more dropping from him, her head lowering, adding miserably,

“And I don’t blame you one bit for hating me” she had added, as he had lifted her chin with his fingers.

“I never hated you Tessa……..I just kept waiting for the next demand to come from him ….. I kept waiting for him to use you again. Wondering when he would go so far that even I couldn’t fix the implications, and then having you actually leave me”

Tessa had shivered at the thought, looking back up at him, the hint of a small smile on her face.

“Well he can’t do that anymore” she had said, her hands almost subconsciously moving to gently stroke her stomach.

Alexis had smiled. His eyes alive with happiness, as he had moved his hand to cover hers, his eyes misting over as he had looked back into her warm brown ones.

“I’m so happy Tess; you have no idea how happy I feel right now”

Tessa had given a small laugh, her wonderful mouth breaking out into that glorious smile, her whole face shining with happiness too.

“I think I do” she had smiled, “We are going to be parents Alexis………we are going to have a baby”, seeing as he had pulled her head to him to kiss her, the kiss so warm and wonderful.

The next few weeks were some of the happiest in Tessa’s life. Alexis would come home each night, usually carrying flowers for her, pulling her into his arms as she would meet him at the door, both smiling happily at each other, as he would often gently stroke her still flat stomach.

“How is our little bump in waiting” he would joke to her, as she would scrunch up her nose smiling.

“Still not letting mummy hold down any breakfast” as he would make a small noise of sympathy.

They had already chosen which room would be the nursery, and Tessa and Mrs Lowe would spend hours pouring over the many catalogues showing the latest designs, which would have them both laughing or wrinkling their noses. Being a little old fashioned in her outlook, Tessa was not prepared to start work on the nursery until later on in the pregnancy, but she had enjoyed being swept up in the baby fever which filled the home.

As they had thought, John Jones had indeed tried to contact Tessa again, this time with instructions for her to tell Alexis that he needed to pay for more of the expenses of extracting the minerals from the ground. Tessa had taken great pleasure in telling him of her pregnancy, and informing him that she would not be making any such request to her husband based on the terms of the agreement that both he and Alexis had signed, hearing his fear as she had added that if he did not back off then she would leave and take her baby voiding his right to the minerals at all. Alexis had smiled, when he had heard, seeing the light of happiness in her eyes at being able to defy her grandfather, seeing how she had been determined not to put him in a further awkward position. So had begun a period in which her grandfather had steered clear of her, realising that his free ride had ended.

Two weeks after breaking the news to Alexis about her pregnancy, Tessa had moved down the stairs, smiling happily to herself as she had lifted the mail Mrs Lowe had left on the small table in the hall. As she had flicked through the envelopes, she had lifted one addressed to her, frowning slightly seeing the return address on the back. Opening it she had given a small wry smile seeing the invitation to her grandfather’s 70th birthday. With a small laugh she had realised that unlike the day she had first met Alexis, her eyes growing soft at the memory, in which her presence was not welcome, marriage to him had made her more palatable to the older man, made her acceptable in his eyes. Leaving the house, she had quickly read the details before stuffing it back into the envelop and into her bag, her mind thinking that there was very little to celebrate about the 70 years John Jones had spent on the earth, wondering if she really had to attend, but knowing that she would.

She had driven the short distance to the hairdressers enjoying having herself pampered, but feeling as her stomach had hurt slightly, smiling having read that this was normal as her body would grow, her hand gently subconsciously stroking her belly. After, she had travelled to the mall; she had wandered around the stores, spending a lot of time browsing around the many baby stores. Feeling the discomfort in her stomach continuing she had found a cafe, ordering some water, smiling ruefully as she had told herself that she needed to take things slower. As the young girl had brought the bottled water to her, the first stabbing pain had slammed into Tessa. Falling forward her hands had clung to the edge of the table as the pain had taken the wind right from her, feeling as the young girl had rushed forward hearing her words of concern.

Looking up her face had shown fear as she had managed to whisper.

“My baby” her face chalk white.

The young girl had quickly run to the counter, grabbing a phone as she had cried out for help from an older waitress, who had rushed over to Tessa. However, the pain had subsided and Tessa had looked at her catching her breath and looking sheepishly at the concerned woman before her.

“I’m sorry” she had managed.

“I’m fine now”

seeing the instant relief on the woman’s face.

The waitress, Fiona, had insisted that Tessa remained sitting for a few moments before she had allowed her to rise, gently talking to her. As she had finally risen, still apologising the second bolt of pain had flashed through her, causing her to grab Fiona’s arm to stop her from falling. The other woman had quickly thrown her arm around her, helping her back down onto the chair. Tessa had sobbed feeling the panic rising within her.

“Help my baby” she had cried her voice full of the terror she was feeling as Fiona had soothed her gently, trying to calm her.

“Its fine……..don’t panic……..it will be fine”

she had spoken gently, her voice trying to be calm but not able to hide the quiver of panic within it.

Tessa had felt herself panting as the pain had risen to a crescendo, before again subsiding, before once more slamming into her, fear filling her as tears had ran unchecked down her face. She had clung onto the hand of the woman watching her with such sympathy in her eyes as she had cried out, her voice almost inaudible.

“Please save my baby”

By the time the ambulance had arrived there had been no relief from the pain, no longer did it rise and fall in waves, but was now one continuous sensation of hurt. She was hardly conscious as they had strapped her to the gurney and quickly transported her to the hospital strapping oxygen to her face as she had panted for breath, groaning with the extreme pain she was experiencing.

At the hospital she had quickly been changed into a night gown and given an injection which had blessedly stopped the pain allowing her to breath and think clearly as she was able to give her name and address information to the nurse who had looked after her. The woman had gently squeezed her hand as she had ignored all Tessa’s questions about her baby, choosing instead to encourage her to lie still, to relax as she had felt the drugs she had been given calming her, making her feel sleepy.

As the doctor had approached her bedside, she had listened to him his words making her whole insides so cold, her mind trying to grasp the meaning of what he was saying, as he softly and kindly had told her that she had lost the precious life that only that morning gave her so much joy. She had felt as tears had slid down her cheeks as soundlessly she had continued listening.

“We have to carry out a procedure Tessa” he had said gently, his expression kindly but sombre “To make sure that in the future, when you fall pregnant again that you will have no complications”

Tessa could only say one word as she had looked back with eyes which were so dead.

“When?”

She had noticed as the doctor was joined by two nurses as he had looked more serious.

“Now Tessa, we need to take you down right away”

She had felt panic rise within her as she had grasped the arm of one of the women beside her.

“Where is my husband….. where is Alexis?” she had cried out, as the woman had taken her hand patting it softly.

“He is on his way” she had said gently, reassuringly.

Tessa had laid back, her eyes blurred with tears, wishing that he was there at that moment, that he was holding her telling her that everything would be OK.

As she had been pushed down the long corridor all she could remember later was seeing the lights as they seemed to count down to the point at which she had found herself in the small pre-operating room. She had been told to count down backwards, her last memory being the word 7 before blissful sleep had taken her.

Tessa lay on the bed, her hand gently stroking her stomach, feeling as the tears had welled up before spilling silently down her cheek. She cried for her child, the child that would never be, her heart breaking with the intensity of her loss. Inside she felt empty, felt the small life within her gone, and she wanted it back, she wanted her and Alexis’s child back. Curling up she had allowed the emotions to wash over her, to let the sobs wrack her body. She had not heard as the door had opened, starting in surprise as arms had pulled her round, pulled her tight in against a hard broad chest, her arms entwining around the neck of the man she loved.

“Oh Alexis” she had cried as he had whispered softly to her in Greek, his voice so soothing to her emotional pain. He had held her to him as she had sobbed, the whole time rocking her like the baby she had lost.

Finally she had pulled back slightly to look into his face, seeing the hurt in his eyes too, the hurt of his lost child she had thought to herself, her hands gently moving to stroke his cheek.

“I’m so sorry” she had whispered, seeing as he had shaken his head.

“No Cara, you should never feel sorry…….you loved this child as much as I…….there was nothing we could have done” he had whispered gently, his voice breaking slightly.

“Sometimes bad things happen and there is nothing we can do about it”

Seeing as she had nodded gently, her eyes once more filling with tears. As beautiful as he had always found Tessa, with her eyes blotched with tears, her lips quivering and her whole countenance so vulnerable he had never thought her more beautiful than at that moment. He had once more pulled her into his arms, both of them comforting each other, clinging to the other. As the minutes had passed the drugs that the nurse had given Tessa to sleep, had finally done their job, and she had drifted into unconsciousness in his arms, her face still etched with the loss of her beloved child. Gently he had lifted her hand holding it to his cheek as he had sat watching her.

As her eyes had fluttered open the realisation of all that had happened the day before had hit her. Once more the pain had filled her as her eyes had scanned the room. Frowning slightly she had seen a jacket over the plush chair beside the bed. Tessa had instantly recognised it as one of Alexis’s, her eyes looking around to find him, the fluttering of hope settling into disappointment at his not being there. With a pang of hurt she realised that he must have left it the previous night, feeling the tears sliding down her cheek as she had felt so alone.

Raising herself up, Tessa had looked briefly at her watch grimacing at seeing the time. She had never slept till ten but given the events of the previous evening had not been surprised, knowing that her body needed to heal itself. Closing her eyes in dread she had heard the one voice she had least wanted to hear before she had seen the man himself, hearing the arrogant tones of her grandfather as he had demanded a nurse to take him to see his granddaughter.

As he had moved into the room she had looked warily at the man watching her, his eyes assessing and speculative, with no sign of empathy for her position.

“What are you doing here?” she had finally managed, seeing as he had snorted.

“When you collapsed, they found my name and phone number in your bag, on the invite” he had replied, before smiling evilly.

“So Tessa, seems your usefulness is not over, we should have another talk soon about Alexis helping more with my costs”

Tessa had felt the shock fill her as she fought back the tears.

“I just lost my baby………..and you come here to………….”

Tessa had been unable to finish, as the emotions had overwhelmed her, the man before her caring nothing for the emotional turmoil she was in.

With another shrivelling look he had sneered.

“What good are you Tessa; you couldn’t even give him a child?”

seeing as she had cringed, the pain of her loss causing her to choke on his words, unable to respond to his cruel taunt.

“Even that slut of a mother of yours was able to produce a child” he had hurled at her, his eyes racking her not caring how vulnerable or fragile she looked. Feeling the tears once more prickling her already stinging eyes she had dropped her head, quickly raising it again as the angry whiplash voice of Alexis had filled the air.

“Get the hell away from my wife John” seeing as her grandfather had jumped in surprise, his attitude changing dramatically.

“Ah Alexis” he had smiled, his eyes flicking nervously from Tessa “Didn’t know you were here”

“That is clearly obvious” Alexis had responded, his voice barely containing the anger in it.

“We just lost our child, and you come here and say that to her” he had bit out, his whole body rigid with emotion.

John had looked over at Tessa, not even trying to hide his contempt for her.