“Are you pregnant?”
She swallows.
Ben chokes.
I hold my breath.
“Blair?” Ben says her name when he’s recovered enough.
“I don’t know. I haven’t done a test. But I think I am.”
The silence becomes a fourth person in the room.
“I didn’t think when I told my father – it was a way to make them panic.” My words are staccato.
She shrugs. “I haven’t had a period since just before New Year. It could be stress with everything that’s happened. Or I could be pregnant. Which might be slightly complicated.”
“Only if we make it complicated. We’d easily find out who’s the father.” There’s humour in Ben’s words. “If he or she looks like a pirate then…” he shakes his head. Laughs to himself.
“Don’t get carried away. I need to do a test. Soon. But like I said, it could be stress. I haven’t had sickness or anything.” Her hand goes to her stomach again.
I glance at Ben who’s silent as am I. Neither of us have a fucking clue what to say.
“It’s probably stress.” She touches her stomach, glances down at it.
She doesn’t want it to be stress. I look at Ben and he sends back the message that he is way out of his comfort zone in dealing with this and senses danger.
“Why don’t you see your doctor?” It seems the sensible thing to say while at the same time my aching head is churning through sixty million thoughts and can’t make sense of any of them.
“I will. I just don’t know how I’ll feel if…” She looks up. “I’m sorry how I reacted in the cabin when I saw you together.”
“You had a right to be angry.” I take her hand.
She nods. “I know. You’ve just got to both promise that you won’t lie to me again, not like that. And that Ben won’t disappear again.”
“I can do that. Blair,” he pauses. Waits for her to focus on him. “We’re going to need you to think about Franklyn. What does he know?”
“What do you mean? He’s been my butler – that isn’t even the right word. The man’s seen me naked more times than most. He’s run baths for me, laid out clothes, collected my prescriptions for contraception. He knows everything.” She stops. Thinks. “And that’s why Goldsmith senior needed him.”
“Has Franklyn ever had a relationship that you know of?” Ben asks the words quietly, as if someone might be able to hear us.
She shakes her head. “No. He took his leave, had his days off and we never thought to ask what he did, or when I did he wouldn’t really answer, he’d just say I wouldn’t be interested in what he did. It wasn’t that. Franklyn just does his job well. He blends in, is there when you need him and disappears when you don’t.”
“Did you read his background?” Ben’s far more comfortable discussing this than the possibility that Blair might be pregnant.
She shakes her head. “I just don’t think Franklyn would betray me or Lennox.”
We’re both quiet because we both disagree. My father can manipulate: he’s made a career of it and Franklyn never had a family or money. His financial reports had him wealthy because he spent very little of his salary, but the sort of future my father was planning would be enough to attract most people into telling a few secrets.
Especially if Franklyn was in love with my father.
“You need to be really careful when he’s back from holiday.” Ben’s words have an underlying message. “With what you say. Someone else needs to be with you. Maybe Ivy can stay.”
She nods. “I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Does Franklyn know about Ben?” I sit a little further up.
“No. It’s been kept quiet.” Ben stands up, folds his arms and I realise how much I've missed them both. The days before New Year seem idyllic now, looking back.
