back minutes later, was overly s

hat happened? You

ce, cold and steady. "

ney. It's dragging on. Is ev

lie, so e

mony" months ago, the intimate gathering in our garden, held no l

oed in the background,

aches, the baby's

oney, something urgent came up with the deal

before I co

ared to sa

irmont mansion. Charles and Markus,

e, what did the doctor say? I was so worried. I'll arrang

ng my hand. "My dear girl, you mustn't

crisy was

p from the sofa,

had drafted years ago, a standard pre-nuptial template I' d onc

to Markus.

ng. Does my daughter only wan

, smiled indulgently. "Of course

thout even glan

uishing all paternal rig

defiance. My first ste

re, both his and Charles' s

d a quick, kn

ing," Charles said smoothly. "We had a

l just take this. Be

towards what they called their "n

wing, prepared for their new

iscreetly cleared away a smal

nières, identical wh

worn at

s their we

onica an

of it all sto