AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lucy stopped listening as the baby continued to sob and whimper. It really was as if the baby didn’t like her.
“Maybe she’s hungry?” Jamie said.
Diana looked at her watch. “You know, you may be right,” she said. She rang for the nanny, which irritated the hell out of Lucy. This woman was going to fight her for custody of Milly and she couldn’t even feed her herself?
At least she doesn’t make the baby cry when she holds her though.
“Yes ma’am?” The nanny, a pretty young Russian girl, stepped into the room almost immediately.
“Tatiana, can you fix the baby a bottle? I think she’s hungry. We’re going to have lunch in a few minutes so you can take her upstairs for a bit.”
Lucy frowned. She hadn’t been planning on staying for lunch. More importantly, she’d only gotten a few minutes with the baby.
“Perhaps Lucy could feed her?” Jamie asked.
Lucy was feeling more and more awkward with every second that passed. Jamie was actually speaking for her. And though that galled her, she didn’t know what to say or do. If she opposed what Diana wanted, or if she said she didn’t want to stay for lunch, would that offend the other woman? Would she stop being polite and threaten to keep Milly away from her again?
“Sure, Lucy. You can feed her. But don’t you want to join us for lunch?”
Lucy hesitated for a second more, then thought of a compromise. “I’d love to feed her and then come down as soon as she’s finished. I’d just really like the chance to hold her and rock her for a bit.” She wanted some time with the baby away from all of these prying eyes.
“Okay, sure. Mother has a nursery set up upstairs. Tatiana, show Lucy up to the nursery and take the baby’s bottle up. Stay close in case she needs anything.”
Translation: In case she’s utterly incompetent or tries to abscond with the infant, Lucy thought.
Lucy looked at Jamie again and he gave her a smile that said he would be fine at lunch without her. That much she had already known. Even if he and Mason’s family weren’t both rich, Jamie was charming and intelligent and could talk on almost any topic.
The question was—would Lucy be okay with the baby?
She followed Tatiana up the stairs even as Milly continued to fuss and cry.
She’s not used to me, Lucy told herself. When she gets to know me better, she’ll love me.
But what if she doesn’t? another part of her countered. Just because you’re related doesn’t mean she’ll love you. Your own mother and father were embarrassed of you…
Lucy never made it down for lunch. While she was feeding Milly, the little girl fell asleep in her arms. The nanny tried to take her and put her in her crib, but Lucy objected. She rocked her and just watched her sleep.
It was the most peaceful sleep she had ever witnessed.
And during that peaceful sleep, Lucy gathered her courage.
“Your Aunt Lucy loves you,” she whispered to the baby as she slept. “I will always be here for you, no matter what happens. I will make sure that wherever you live and whomever you live with you are happy, always.” She kissed her little forehead and then carefully transferred her to her crib.
By the time she made it down, lunch was over. She and Jamie thanked Mason’s family and asked if they could visit again soon. “Of course,” Diana said. “Any time, Lucy.”
But Lucy knew what she really meant was: Anytime so long as you’re still engaged to Jamie.
