Chapter 20

Helena firmly closed her mind to thoughts of what Bryan might or might not come to think of her pregnancy if he learnt of that clause in her grandfather’s will. At the moment her main difficulty was getting it through to Bryan that she was not, under any circumstances, going to marry him. Although she would be lying if she said that she hadn’t felt a slight thrill, a frisson of excitement, when Bryan had announced his intention of marrying her.

It hadn’t been her immediate reaction, of course. Initially she had been absolutely horrified just at the mention of a marriage between the two of them—had never even considered that Bryan would make such an offer.

Although perhaps she should have done…

Bryan was Italian, and more than that he was a Smith—a member of a English family steeped in honour and tradition; the idea that the Smith heir might be born out of wedlock, so to speak, was probably enough to send Bryan’s ancesto