Page 87 of Bought
The very mention of Zara made the ache in my chest get worse, but I shoved it away. “Nothing has me wound up,” I snapped. “Why don’t you pay some fucking attention to the question at hand?”
“Ooh,” Atlas murmured, apparently not aware that his life was in danger. “Moody.”
At that moment a call from an unknown number came through on my cell and I snatched it up, needing a reprieve.
“Fox,” I said crisply.
“Tennyson,” a woman’s cool voice said. “It’s been a long time.”
I frowned, not recognizing the voice. “Who is this?”
“It’s your mother-in-law.”
I stilled. Atlas raised a brow in question, but I ignored him. I’d never spoken to Charlotte Hamilton directly, not once, but Juliana had told me numerous stories about how manipulative and controlling her mother was. It had been she who’d disapproved of our marriage so strongly and she who’d tried to take Isabel away from me.
“Charlotte,” I said with icy formality. “This is a surprise.”
“Yes, isn’t it?” She sounded almost amused. “I had an interesting chat with Isabel a few days ago. She’s lovely by the way.”
Every part of me went rigid. Isabel hadn’t mentioned a word of this to me, not one word. “How did you—”
“Relax. It was a neutral meeting that I engineered because I wanted to meet my granddaughter, not for any other reason.”
“If you attempt to hurt her or manipulate her in any way, I will destroy you,” I said coldly.
Charlotte laughed. “So dramatic. Perhaps you and Juliana were a better match than I thought. She had a fondness for drama too. Anyway, don’t worry your pretty head. I have no intention of hurting my granddaughter or using her in any way. James had some designs it’s true, but I have made him see the error of his ways.”
“And this latest attempt?” I bit out. “With Zara?”
“Oh yes, another of James’ ill-advised plans. Far-fetched I admit.” Charlotte sighed. “Look, I’ll be frank with you. The allegations about Sir George Wyndham came from a relative of his who’s insistent on investigating his death. However, there have been certain…rumors about him that make me less interested in pursuing an investigation. In fact, I can make the allegations go away entirely.”
I didn’t relax. “And presumably you want something in return?”
She gave another laugh. “Of course. Nothing comes for free these days. So, we found out recently that Juliana was not our only heir. There is another, a young woman who was brought up outside the family, but she’s definitely a Hamilton through and through.”
“What has this got to do with me?” I demanded, already losing patience.
“I want a child, Tennyson. A child to bring up within the family the way Isabel should have been. A true heir for my Juliana.”
“Again, what has that got to do with me?”
“You will be the father,” Charlotte said. “I want you to marry the girl and get her pregnant. The child will then be handed to me.”
This time it was my turn to laugh. “You have to be joking.”
“I assure you I’m not. The girl is willing to provide me with the child I want.” There was no amusement in Charlotte’s tone. It was clear she was serious.
“Then go find a sperm donor or someone else,” I growled. “You don’t need me.”
“But I do need you. It’s a trifle old fashioned, I admit, but think of the child as…insurance. Your child is being brought up by me, so you back off us and we back off you. You deprived me of my daughter and now you’re in a sense…giving her back.”
Perhaps for her it did make a kind of twisted sense. Juliana had always told me that her family’s machinations would have put the ancient Roman imperial dynasties to shame. Regardless, they’d be doing it without me.
“No,” I said, in no mood to oblige. “There’s no way in hell I’m doing that.”
“Pity,” Charlotte said. “Good luck with avoiding charges. Or anything else we may pursue.”
Then she disconnected the call.