A Different Class - 21

Chapter 21

Nate knew the second he opened the door that she had gone. It wasn’t the lack of coats of shoes in the hallway, or the lack of perfume of femininity that she seemed to have brought with her into his life, but the cold atmosphere and the sterility he’d never noticed until that moment.

Within seconds of opening the lounge door he spotted the letter, propped on the book shelf in front of the photo of them that Sebastian had sent them after the wedding.

He read it slowly, his heart pounding and a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, “Oh God Bec! Please don’t go!” the words were drawn from him in a tortured voice.

“There’s far too much antagonism for this to ever work Nate. I 

love you, and probably always will. But we are from different 

Worlds, and whilst there may be an innocent explanation 

behind the Olivia story, the fact that your family were so 

desperate for me to find out about her, means they would 

always be trying to drive wedges between us, and we would 

always be fighting them, I can’t live like that. And I can't be 

the one to break up this family.

So I’m going, I’m not going to see history repeating itself.

Please don’t try and find me this hurts enough as it is.

And return the attached to your father, I should be paying 

you for the pleasure of the last six months.

I’m so, so sorry, but maybe in another life where I'm good 

enough for you we can be together,

Bec, xxx”

As he flipped the letter over, he saw the cheque attached for fifty thousand pounds, and everything started to slip slowly into place. His moans of protest sounded animalistic, as he tried to process all that had happened. And all he could think of was poor Becca, left like a sacrificial lamb at the mercy of his evil family. He'd let her down, in the worst possible way. Then he glanced at the cheque, shaking his head he could barely contemplate his father trying to buy her off. Typical Rebecca Taylor fashion she'd done this the hard way. Left without that financial aid.

Nate had been awake for twenty two hours with time difference and the flight, but he got straight into his car and drove to Bec’s flat. From outside he could see the lack of curtains, furniture and life, realising she’d left. He was too late.

Exhaustion overwhelmed him, but his anger was the stronger emotion. Jumping back in the car her tore out of the City. As he drove he tapped away into his mobile. First Johnny, then Lyle and Tara, all had the same response, she’d text them the day before as she left town on an emergency job. She’d promised to email.

Frustrated he threw the phone across the car, and pressed the accelerator harder.

The car skidded up to the house with a spray of gravel, jumping out leaving the engine running Nate ran to the house. 

“Father!” he called pushing open the front door. “FATHER!” he started to kick open random doors until two strong  hands restrained him.

“Get off me Sullivan!” he snapped when he saw the older man trying to restrain him.

Shaking his head the butler refused, “Whatever’s wrong don’t do this, calm down Nate, don’t play into his hands. You're better than that."

And in that second it all hit him, and he crumpled as all he'd wanted from life disappeared, “She’s gone Sullivan! All due to him, and I could kill him!”

The employee took him by the shoulders and directed him towards the kitchen, and with a glower at the kitchen staff they were left alone.

“If you go out there punching then you are no better than him. Just calm down, don’t do anything you’ll regret or he’ll always have the upper hand, he’ll break you.”

Nate’s head dropped, and it broke Sullivan's heart to see him fight against welling tears. He handed his a cup of strong coffee which Nate gratefully drank trying to co ordinate his devastated being.

“Where is he?” he eventually asked looking up. "Where is the bastard?"

“In the garage, admiring his new car.”

Nate nodded, “thanks Sullivan, you’ve always been more of a father to me.”

The two men shook hands, then Nate headed out to the garages.

“What did you say to her?” his voice was a shout as soon as he found his father polishing the bonnet of a Classic Aston Martin.

Sir Edward froze, before he turned to look at his son, “who?”

“Don’t ‘who?’ me! What have you said to Rebecca?” Nate squared up to him squeezing his hands into fists, fighting the urge to hit him over the bonnet of the car he loved so much.

“Nothing, I don’t know what you mean.” His father was no actor and he had guilt so obviously written across his face as he tried to deny all knowledge.

“Stop lying father, she told me you spoke to her.”

Sir Edward looked uncomfortable, “Ok, she needed to know about Olivia....”

“Olivia?” he screamed, “and what purpose does that debacle serve? Did you tell her how you and her father contrived to buy my future and buy me a wife? Did you tell her that Olivia prefers women?” There was no answer. “DID YOU???”

“I may have been a bit economical with the truth...”

Nate turned and punched the wall, “I was happy!” He turned back to his father, “For the first time in years I was living! Seeing things, feeling, breathing, doing more than work. She was perfect for me, she may not have fitted your mold, but she was what I wanted! A contrived marriage did neither you nor my mother any good. It killed her! YOU killed her with your brutish ways and your lack of love."

"You take that back!" His father arrogantly glared at him, but Nate wouldn't back down.

"No! You DID kill her with your lack of love. Lizzie has to resort to being as nasty as you to gain any affection, whereas Henry hides behind his sport.  You've ruined this family, no one loves you and you love no one other than yourself." Nate laughed ironically, "yourself and Margaret Bevan of course."

Margaret Bevan was a local widow, her husband had been a wealthy farmer, and she had lived comfortably on his farm since his death many years earlier.

As Nate glanced at his father he felt reward in the puce colour the older man had turned, he'd shocked him, or hurt him, he wasn't sure which, but he'd affected him, that was the important bit. "I don't know what you mean!"

"It's been for years, the whole village knows. You and a farmer’s widow....and before that a farmer’s wife....God father, is it jealousy that I am happy to break the tradition and be with the woman I love, not the one who fits the profile? Or do you just hate to see someone happy?”

There was a long silence, before Sir Edward said, “Margaret Bevan is nothing to me, and I have no jealousy over you. You chose a completely unacceptable partner, to the point that I won’t allow it...”

“I don’t care! Don’t you understand?”

“I told her few home truths, that you have obligations....” Edward tried to explain, he'd suddenly spotted the change in Nate. Too little too late.

“You told her you’d disown me too?”

He nodded, “she needed to know. And I didn’t want to tell you this, but she actually asked me for money, a settlement she called it. So I paid her.”

Nathaniel shook his head in bewilderment, “that is bullshit.” He reached in his pocket and threw the cheque on the floor. “She didn’t cash your bribe, what does that tell you about her? Well ‘Dad’, for all the promises to disinherit me, I disown you. I want nothing more to do with you and your warped beliefs ever again. I just wish that Rebecca had spoken to me first, because she’s gone, you've got your wish, and I’ll never ever forgive you, and you'll not be in my life to gloat.”

As he emerged from the outbuilding he saw Sullivan hovering and was glad the man had heard the diatribe from his father.

“I’m taking everything. Can you help pack things up for me? I’ll get them collected in the week. I’m about to speak to Mike about stabling Sov at his stables for me so will you get the grooms to prepare him for transport?”

Sullivan nodded, “I don’t blame you but I will miss your reasoning influence.”

Nate hugged the older man, “I’ll miss you too. Will you keep me informed, in case you hear anything? He may know where she’s gone.”

“Of course. I just think you should know that Lizzie visited Ms Taylor too, after your father. He may not be completely to blame in this situation.”

Nate groaned, the poison of his father spread far and wide, “thanks Sullivan, she may have contributed, but I doubt it was through any inspiration of her own! She couldn't decide what coat to wear on her own!” He took his car keys from his pocket, “I’ll find her, no matter what is takes.”

And as his car sped off into the distance Sullivan believed that he would.

Nate called her office relentlessly, no one would comment on where she was working, her boss failed to return his calls and he was becoming more and more frustrated. So after three days of bombarding her phone and email, he headed to the offices of Davison-Eckhardt and sat in the waiting room until Steve Davison agreed to see him.

“I can’t tell you where she is.” Steve offered as soon as the angry face of Nate appeared at the door. “Because of me she became embroiled with your family, and it’s up to me to protect her, she has no one else.”

“She has me! And I will protect her!” 

Steve shook his head, “I can’t tell you Mr Groves, She has sworn me to compliance in this instance.”

Within minutes he knew that he wasn’t going to get anywhere, and in that moment Nate decided to resort to dirty tactics.

Leaving the office he called Patrick, and within half an hour was sat on the roof garden of his flat.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” His best friend was stunned, "why didn't you call me? What happened?" he asked patting his friend on the shoulder.

Nate shrugged, “My dad, Lizzy, the mention of Olivia....it was enough to send her away.”

"Olivia? Shit I completely forgot about that!"

Unfortunately Nate hadn't. He could remember the day so clearly, he'd been a trainee at Invest Bank for three years and had climbed the ranks very rapidly. He'd met Olivia on several occasions, she was the daughter of the CEO after all, but to be called at midday on a random Thursday by an almost hysterical Emma Hargreaves, his girlfriend at the time...of two weeks. He made out between sobs and groans that there was something in the Times. he called his secretary who produced the offending paper and he read the engagement announcement with his own eyes. 

Of course Peter had been busy, unable to talk to his 'new son-in-law', so it had left his own father for the interrogation. He'd also been quite unforthcoming, but that weekend the whole family had descended for an engagement party that he'd been the only person unaware of. It had been a completely embarrassing occasion, with the only positive being that Olivia was equally as disinterested in the engagement too.

The next morning, he'd gone looking for her to discuss how they got out of this mess, and had found her curled up in a guest room with his cousin Sarah. It emerged that her father was aware of her sexuality but had snatched at the offer of the marriage from Sir Edward. Rather than make Olivia's indiscretion become public, they decided to come up with the University story, and that they both wanted her to complete her education before they married, and knew that in that time the wilting of the relationship wasn't unrealistic. 

He'd honestly not given her much thought since, and when Rebecca had asked about her it was the first time he'd actually heard her name for years.

“What did her letter say? Is there any clue there?” Patrick asked, opening a couple more beers.

Nate shook his head, “only that she couldn’t cope with this level of resentment, and that history was repeating itself.”

“What does that mean?”

“Her father was from a decent family, he got the local bar maid pregnant and was disowned, he made a choice and picked her over his family. They struggled; then he got killed in an accident, after that mother killed herself. She blames it all on her father’s family for disowning and disinheriting them. I presume they had a bit of money, he was going to Oxford when this all happened.”

Patrick was shaking his head in anger, “this is why I hate my own family, how can we do this to people? Walk all over them because they don’t have the title or the opportunity we have!” He took a long drink of his cold beer, “so you want to find her? And who knows where she is?”

“Her boss Steve Davison, he won’t let on.”

“But this is really important to you! I know a private investigator. I’ll ask him to sort it out, he may find phone records, anything that hints where she is, or maybe pose as a disgruntled client. Let me call him!”

Nate looked worried, but Patrick was determined, “do you want to find her?”

“More than anything!”

He nodded, “then we need to do this Nate, it’s the only way.” Nate stood to leave, bewildered and pale. “Stay here tonight mate, you look like shit, I can order in some take away and we’ll have a couple of beers. You need company and sleep! Have you even got over your jetlag?”

Nate shook his head, and whilst he was reluctant, he agreed. The apartment was haunting without her, and he hated it.

A Different Class - 20

Chapter 20

Rebecca barely slept that night, the test when she’d finally done it, had been positive - of course. She had a permanent sense of nausea, that she knew wasn’t down to her condition. She'd tried to call Nate, but since he'd left her a message telling her he was literally up to his eyes in hassle, she'd not been able to get hold of him.

She couldn’t work out what to do. She kept thinking back to her mother, the sad and broken character that was her father. It wasn’t just Nate in all this, if he chose his family, she’d be a single parent - that wasn't a place she could imagine, but, if he chose her then there would be no family, no uncles, aunties or grandparents for their child. In truth a life that could at the drop of a hat, be as lonely as hers, or worse with a battle for custody against one of the most influential families in the country.

The next morning, exhausted after hours of tossing and turning in bed, she called in sick. She was rarely ill and she needed to sleep, any surprise in the voices of her colleagues was well hidden.

Just after lunch the phone rang, expecting it to be Nate she answered eagerly, keen to hear his voice. Make that desperate! It had only been three days since he left, but SO much had happened. He was the only one who could help her work that out, as much as she hated to admit the fact.

“Rebecca?” she didn’t recognise the female voice.

“Yes.” Bec felt the hairs on her neck stand on edge with .

“It’s Lizzie, Lizzie Groves, I was hoping that I could come and see you.”

Bec groaned, if she'd have described her idea of hell, then a consultation with Nate's sister was near the top of the list! “Well...I'm...”

“Please? I know we haven’t really got on with each other, and that’s partly my fault. But I really want to talk to you. I’m in the City.”

Rebecca paused for a moment, this wasn't anything she wanted, but she'd repeatedly told Nate they had to deal with things. Lizzie may well be the link to the family. She doubted it, but there was only one way of finding out. “I’m at Nate’s flat. You can come here if you like.”

“Thanks, I’ll be about fifteen minutes.”

With more apprehension than she’d ever known, she opened the door to Nate’s sister and invited her in. She was only a year younger than Rebecca, but in Rebecca's eyes she was so much more immature, but then Bec had been alone and fighting her own battles for more years than she cared to remember. Today, dressed in old fashioned clothing Lizzie looked older than her years, and it gave Bec a little confidence.

“Can I get you a drink or anything?”

Lizzie shook her head, “I want to say what I have to then leave. I just want you to know that my father is planning something. I don’t know what, but I think it’s something sinister. This isn’t me asking you to leave because I feel the same way as him. It’s just; I think he’s so angry he’d do anything.” An olive branch? Rebecca wasn't naive enough to believe that this was as it seemed - Lizzie in some sort of conspiratorial activity, but she wasn't ready to throw her out yet. 

“I’m not sure I know what you’re trying to say.”

Lizzie sighed dramatically, “My father is ruthless and he’ll make things very difficult for Nathaniel, and you," she added as an after thought, "it’ll also impact on us at home. If Nathaniel is disinherited, then responsibility will come to us twins, or rather Henry, and without our brother's calming influence I fear for what will happen. He’s a controller, organised, sensible," she sniggered, "Nathaniel knows he has to take on the estate, and to do that he has to fall in with my father. It’s his dream Rebecca, I can’t see that taken away from him.”

“Dreams change as we grow. He wants to be with me, and if there was a chance that he wanted to change his mind, I’d walk away like that.” She clicked her fingers. "But he wants me, and if your father makes him choose he wants to choose me, I don't like that, but it's the Groves family that is imposing any ultimatums. Not me...this is nothing to do with me."

“Olivia Martin has had his engagement ring for five years, she was too young when they were promised to each other, she’s waiting for him to formalise his intentions. Olivia's father works in the same bank as him, and this could jeopardise his chances in work.”

Once again Rebecca felt the room swirl in the presence of a member of the Groves family, but this was another person talking about the same woman. She felt sick, “What do you mean?”

Lizzie grinned sensing she had finally penetrated Rebecca's armour, “Part of him getting so high up in the Investment Bank was thanks to Peter Martin, he’s a chief executive of the bank, he helped Nathaniel climb the ranks.”

Bec squared up to the girl, “you want me to believe that all of Nate’s work success is due to that, a promise related to the daughter? Your brother is a very intelligent and successful man, and it wouldn’t do your family any harm to realise that.”

Lizzie stood up and shrugged in an overconfident manner, “we don’t see him as a pot of gold!”

“How dare you? How dare you come here and judge me. You don’t know me.” She couldn't bring herself to say anything else.

The younger girl shrugged, “if you don’t believe what I say, do your research. The engagement was announced in most of the broad sheets, the internet will give you all the evidence you need. And if you want to be a life wrecker like that, if you feel that you are more important than all that life, tradition, promise...well so be it!” She turned on her heels, and left. 

Bec was numb. How could Nate not tell her about this? How could he keep so many secrets? She knew she should never underestimate the Groves family and their poison. But Lizzy had seemed so assured, almost cocky, she wasn't intelligent enough to fake that. There was some truth in it, but she also knew she owed Nate her trust.

But as much as she wanted to ignore their words, within half an hour she was sat in front of Nate’s desktop Googling the names Groves and Martin. She had three hundred hits, the first dozen or so read exactly the same: 

“Peter and Grace Martin, of Harrow-on-the-Hill, are delighted to 

announce the engagement of their only daughter Olivia, to 

Nathaniel Groves, eldest son of Sir Edward Groves, the Earl of 

Cartwright, and the late Sara Groves.”

She felt sick. All the articles were dated four years earlier, exactly as both Sir Edward and Lizzy had said. Next she searched for the accounts and details of the Invest Bank, and just as she feared, every time Nathaniel was mentioned in a story, Peter Martin was there too. Lastly she searched for Olivia Martin, and a few society stories popped up, with photos. She was stunning, young, dark, with the bluest eyes that she had ever seen. 

Feeling sick, she lay on the sofa, she had to speak to Nate, had to find out what was happening. She couldn’t bear the thought that he had been using her all along to fill in until Olivia was ready to marry him.

They'd missed each other a lot over the last few days, and today was no exception, when he didn’t answer she left a message, then had a bath. She was climbing into bed,  an emotional wreck at almost midnight when he called her back.

“Hey darling! I’ve been thinking about you all day! How are you?” He sounded so happy to speak to her, there was an elation in his voice. But she was fraught, the hours of silence since his sister had left had not done anything to calm her concerns.

“Who’s Olivia Martin?” She knew she'd snapped, sounded angry, she wasn't, she was hurt and vulnerable, but she couldn't let him know that.

Silence.

“I asked you a question Nate and I deserve an answer.”

He floundered, “Whatever you’ve heard I’m sure isn’t true.”

It was no defence, anything positive was the minimal she expected, instead she heard nervousness and anxiety, “Do the broad sheets lie?”

He groaned, “Shit! It’s not what you think Bec, it really isn’t....”

Rebecca was fighting back the tears, “you have no answer for me? Do you?”

“Of course I do, I’m just not getting into this over the phone. I’ll come home tomorrow...”

Suddenly she needed to protect her heart, step away from this row, “Don’t worry, I’ll speak to you when you get back.” She hoped she sounded calmer, but with his lack of denial she could only feel betrayed and lied to.

“Bec?” he could sense the distance in her voice. “I love you!”

She mumbled a response, then excused herself as tired.

The next morning she came back from the shop to see the answer phone blinking...pressing play she paused hearing a strong clear voice naming himself, and she thought her heart had stopped. Any doubts she had over the relationship were magnified tenfold, and she knew she had to leave, not only to protect her sanity, but also to protect everything about her, and her unborn baby. If she hadn't been pregnant she'd have stayed and fought, but that voice...that name...she had to run and run.

Batten down the hatches!

Another lengthy chapter. Have the next two almost ready to post! Thanks for the reads and the comments...we're heading into the hurricane you've all been predicting! Hold on for the ride!!!

A Different Class - 19

Chapter 19

“Well well! Nathaniel!” the familiar and cringe-making boom of Sir Edward burst from over Rebecca's shoulder. Bec fought the desire to curl up and hide, the one thing Nate was right about, was that if there was to be a future for them, then they had to front this out. She just wished it wasn't at a wedding like this. Someone's special day.

“Father.” He nodded his head in acknowledgement.

“You’ve been a stranger Nathaniel, I told you you needed to visit your home more often. We haven’t seen you since the ball.” He managed to sneer in a haughty way as he spoke.

“No surprise there,” Nate spoke in hushed tones. “When you welcome Rebecca with me, then we’ll be regular visitors. This is not the environment for this conversation, it’s Seb and Emily’s day Father, we can speak another time, when you can be civil.”

Sir Edward had flushed increasingly as he spoke, and almost exploded, “I am your father and you will respect me.”

Rebecca cringed, aware of so many people gawping, Sir Ed in full flow was better than any reality TV show. But Nate was uncaring, holding up a hand to silence his father he spoke quietly but with authority, “Respect is earned, and until you treat Rebecca with respect, I will deal with you at arm’s length. Now here come the bride and groom, so please, withhold this for a more appropriate time.”

They turned away from Sir Edward to welcome the blushing couple.

For the meal, they were sat with some friends of the family, and whilst Bec feared that the atmosphere would be quite tense, Nate explained how riveting it would be for these relatives to delve into this taut environment, in fact he thought they may well have fought to sit with the couple who were bringing the ill humoured Sir Edward down to Earth with a bang.

The meal was beautiful, more new tastes to her palate, and the staff responded to her honest gratitude by giving the best and biggest portions, much to Nate’s amusement.

Sir Ed tried to intervene, to attract their attention. Bec could see he was looking for cheap digs, but Nate was the expert manipulator, always separating her from his father and giving him the cold shoulder. Bec had become the hottest property, and once the bride and groom initiated the dancing she was whizzed around the dance floor by a variety of male relatives, old and young. Nate watched with an amused smile on his face as Rebecca started to win the hearts of even his father's closest allies.

Equally they chatted to elderly aunties, Nate chuckled and played with the children present and once they reached a reasonable hour, they  hugged the bride and groom and decided to sneak off, all major disasters averted. As Nate went to call the house to organise a lift, Sullivan promised to send one of the younger staff members to drive them home, Rebecca slipped into the bathroom.

After using the toilet she splashed cold water on her flushed cheeks. She was just reapplying her lipstick when the door opened and Lizzy stood there, complete with the horsey looking friend that Bec remembered.

“Oh!” Nate’s sister was shocked to encounter her. But Horsey wasn’t so slow.

“Well if it isn’t Mrs Simpson!” For a moment she was mesmerised by the poor girl's teeth, they really were an eyesore.

Bec shook herself, “is that meant to make you guys Royalty? God in what dream world do you live in?”

“The same dream where you are good enough for Nathaniel Groves?” Lizzie snapped back.

She shook her head slowly, her eyes curling into a smile, “whatever you think Nate loves me, so in his book I am as good as him, and you guys have got your heads in the clouds. I pity you though I really do!”

Lizzy flipped at that moment, “God you bitch! You have ripped my family apart and you have no remorse! Have you any idea what you have done to my father?”

“I neither know nor care Lizzy, as far as I’m concerned your father has brought everything on himself. Nate loves me, and wants me, and I feel the same way. And all you horsey buggers out here in the country had better get used to me, as I feel you’ll either be seeing a lot of me, or nothing of Nate! Your choice!”

With that she turned on her heel and left, ignoring Horsey’s comments of “What a slut!” and almost ran into the courtyard her eyes craning for Nate.

Unable to find Nate, she headed for the exit, wanting to put as much distance between them and her as was possible.

Within a few moments he was sprinting out of the marquee towards her, "you ok?" He looked so worried that she had to smile.

"I'm fine!"

He reached out and cupped her cheek, "you're so brave darling! If your friends or family were rude to me I don't think I'd show as much dignity as you are!" When she looked at him quizzically he smiled, "the blushing bride was using the bathroom when my sister...well. Let's just say Emily informed me that you were eloquent, damning and she is very much in awe of you! They don't go on honeymoon until next weekend, so they've invited us to their home for dinner one evening, just to prove that they love you!"

Grinning, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the lips, "thank you! And thank them, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle!"

Seb and Emily were gushing when they did attend for dinner, with the men engrossed in some new gadget that they'd received as a wedding present, Rebecca followed Emily into the kitchen.

"Something smells great!" She offered. 

The other woman smiled, "nothing too special I'm afraid!"

"I can't believe you can be bothered with this a few days before you fly to Australia!"

Emily laughed, "for a month!" She sighed, "it can't come quick enough! But we wanted you to come over, meet you properly, Edward and the twins...well Lizzie, Henry doesn't count, he's too interested in cricket to even notice the world passing him by, but Lizzie's becoming as poisonous as her father. I just don't want you to feel completely out on a limb. I know how hard it can be to infiltrate the Groves family. I'm just glad that my mother-in-law doesn't have quite the same attitude as her brother, that;s for sure."

Rebecca digested the information for a moment, "I hate that he's making Nate choose, and I hate that Nate is choosing me! Not that I want to end things with me, but he's so keen to cast his father away...and family's everything, isn't it?"

Emily chuckled, "so spoken by someone wearing rose tinted spectacles, I don't know about your family, but the old adage 'you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family' definitely applies to mine! You choose who you want in your life Becca, that's for sure!"

Having no one to make decisions like that over she couldn't imagine what luxury it would be to discard family. But she also knew that with family came arguments and war, and even within the smallest family there was ranking systems to rival the aristocracy.

"Where's the dinner woman?" Seb grinned bursting into the kitchen and pulling his new wife into his arms.

"The cheek!" she protested. "It'll be ready in five minutes...where's the wine man?"

Laughing the two men disappeared to find suitable refreshments to accompany the food. 

The meal was more than pleasurable, it was a long time since Rebecca hadn't had to worry about people getting along, or making the right impression. Sebastian and Nate had been brought up as almost brothers, and she had a lot in common with Emily, so conversation was light and easy. They were all sorry to see the night end, and the newly weds promised to return the visit when they got back from their month in Australia.

"Coffee?" Nate asked as he led the way into the apartment.

Rebecca shook her head, "no, I need sleep! Are you joining me?"

When he didn't answer, she glanced up to see him staring at the answer phone that blinked with the sign of a message, "aren't you going to listen to that?" 

He turned slowly to offer an apologetic smile, "it might be..."

Grinning she walked up to him and took his hands, "we can't ignore your father, nor can we hide things about each other. I don't mind what he says, I promise...and you need to talk to him, we have to sort this out, once and for all."

Despite her words she didn't listen to the message, after a quick shower she was climbing into bed when he finally joined her. 

"He's still angry, the avenged father!" There was anger in his movements as he started to divest of his clothes.

"Maybe we need to sit down, the three of us, better yet, can we get a mediator?"

He laughed out loud, "I think this is too much for Jeremy Kyle, and Jerry Springer only deals with real crazies...I'm afraid it's just us!"

Less than a week later Nate was heading back to New York. He hadn't got any further in his quest to talk to his father, instead the answer phone regularly picked up his ranting messages, but Rebecca was beginning to wonder whether he was avoiding the issue...was this a sign of weakness?

Lyle, Johnny and Tara were consistent and trusted in the absence of her lover, and she'd never appreciated them more. But she missed him so much when he was gone. She’d been so dependent on him of late, and she felt so emotional at the thought of him, she was praying that love wasn't turning into dependence...she suddenly had a vision of her stalking him!

The Rochester project, as she'd come to call it was approaching conclusion, and her bosses were ecstatic with her work. She'd been offered the priority over her next assignment. After a call to her liaison in the client office, she had to reorganise a few work conferences, and it was only as she checked back through her diary that a feeling of heat, nausea and dizziness flooded over her. Her vision became blurred as she tried to focus on the circle around the date four weeks earlier that warned of her period. OR rather what should have been her period.

Rebecca couldn't even contemplate what this meant. It was completely unexpected. They were being safe. It was too soon. She paced for most of the evening, her legs shaking struggling to hold her upright, when she stopped her knees knocking together almost violently. The timing was so bad, and all too poignant. The fear of tearing apart the Groves family battled with her need for Nate. This was the most vital and important moment of her life, and for every part of her that felt crushed, emotional, another huge part felt hope and optimism. She wasn't stupid enough to think that a baby would heal all the rifts, but it would be someone to lover her unconditionally, and something that would connect her and Nate forever. It didn't mean the thought didn't scare her, but she could see positive signs, she really could.

After a turbulent night, she was glad of work to help put things out of her mind, a busy day helped. Her and Nate played telephone tag all day. As she headed home she had the forethought to pick up a pregnancy test, at the end of the day she needed to know, needed time to think. She honestly didn't think Nate would react badly to the news, in fact she had a suspicion that he'd be happy. He was older than her, and he'd on several occasions told her that he wanted children whilst he was young enough to do things with them, see them grow up.

The thought of doing the test still terrified her, but she was calming down with every hour that passed, now that she'd realised that she wanted this baby, of there was a baby, more than anything. 

She had only been in the house for a few minutes when the door was knocked. As there had been no external bell she presumed it must be the mail being delivered, the last few weeks her confidence at ridiculous activities such as answering the door were becoming easier, she didn't fear that there was an enemy at every corner. Throwing open the door ready to greet Giles the concierge she'd spoken to earlier, then she froze.

“Sir Edward!” She finally managed to breathe out the words, despite all that had happened between them, her innate manners forbade her from being any less respectful to him. The older man as usual stood in his wide legged stance, a herringbone check jacket complete with suede elbow patches that was a size or two too small was buttoned over his paunch, his jowly face scowling at her as though she was dog shit on his shoe.

He stepped past her into the hallway, and marched to the lounge, “the very same." He tossed over his shoulder, and she had to almost jog to keep up with him and therefore hear his utterings. "And I think we need to have a talk.” In the lounge he took up a menacing pose in front of the fire, arms folded across his face, an ugly scowl contorting his features. “You know what I’m going to say?” he looked at her as she joined him in the room. “This has to end. You must see that?” He was unusually calm and that scared Bec more than the aggressive angry version.

She walked across the room and squared up to him, “that won’t happen unless it’s what Nate or I want. And at this moment he’s happy with me, and I'm happy with him.”

“Happy? He’s just kicking back, living beyond his expectations whilst he can. He knows that he has responsibility ahead, he's just taking some time rebelling before he has to step up to the plate, and there’s no way that someone like you can figure in his future.”

Bec struggled to maintain her composure, she didn't need to start screaming like a fishwife, and she definitely didn't need the stress, of only he knew how permanent the links between them all might be.“Someone like me? What the hell does that mean?” When he shrugged she pushed him, "NO! Tell me what 'someone like me' is!"

He raked a hand through his hair, “the last twenty generations of Groves have married into an expected pattern. He will be no exception. He has obligations.”

“This isn’t Victorian Britain, he is an independent man, and completely happy for things to stay that way. He doesn't feel threatened by you, he doesn't need you. So don't force him into decisions!"

He laughed, "don't force him? You hint that I could control him? That sounds like you have great belief in your words!"

Despising him with every inch of her being, she turned to him, "I am thinking of how those decisions would upset him. I'm thinking of Nathaniel, maybe you should do the same once in a while! He loves me Sir Edward, and I think it's about time you started to realised that."

The laugh, a sarcastic scoff grated on her nerves, “He would say anything, he’d say whatever it took. This is fun to him, he’s obligated and that isn’t something he can just pick up or drop. It will happen.”

Rebecca started to shake her head, “I don’t want to have this conversation now, if you have anything to say I think you should speak to Nate.”

“Nate enjoys going against me, if I confront him over this he’ll dig his heels in, and it’ll only prolong these matters. I want you to end it.”He stared at her, "see you do have your uses!"

She shook her head, “you have no authority over me, you think you’re above everyone, but you are definitely not this time. I love your son, and I will not stop things with him for you. Why the hell would you think I'd listen to you? Do what you want?”

“This is not a request Ms Taylor, this is what WILL happen. Before Nathaniel comes back from New York, I want you to pack up and leave this apartment.” He reached into his inside pocket and produced a piece of paper. “This will mean you never need to see us again.” He threw what she then realised was a cheque onto the coffee table.

“Money? You are throwing money at me?” She turned to him, her face a snarl. “So how much am I worth? How much will you pay to get me out of your life, and out of your family?” She picked up the cheque, “Seventy-five thousand pounds? Oh my God! Are you for real? This is more than I can comprehend. You want me away THAT badly?” It was a huge amount of money, she'd be able to buy a home of her own, something that wasn't a rental property, but it was merely a thought as she recognised the enormity of the situation. She'd not want a home without Nate in it. This was a nothing situation, an empty offer.

Groves shrugged, “I didn't want to have to spell it out, but you are being particularly stubborn...Nathaniel has obligations to Olivia Martin, it was agreed a long time ago. She finishes University soon, that was the only thing delaying them marrying. And if you stay here with him, I’ll never speak to him ever again!”

Suddenly the room started to spin, she couldn't believe that he had another lover, a fiancee no less, there was no way the man who worshipped her could have hidden that from her. They talked about everything, he at least had been completely honest, or so she thought. Taking steadying breaths, she tried to ease her racing heart, the nausea was overwhelming. She wanted him to leave, but as she opened her mouth to ask him to go, the sensation, the need to vomit washed over her.

“Excuse me a moment.”

Rebecca rushed to the bathroom and brought up the sandwich she’d eaten earlier that afternoon. Splashing her face with cool water, and brushing her hair, she struggled to compose herself. Nate's father hated her that much, the family wanted rid of her so badly they’d pay her more than two years salary for the pleasure, and in case that didn't work he was bandying the name of a supposed fiancee around. The man was a pig. But if there was any truth in his words...she shook her head, Nate would have told her if it was true, she knew him. Sir Ed was clutching at straws, using her insecurities to chisel them apart. 

Taking a deep breath she headed back into the lounge ready to tear a piece off him, she glanced around the empty room then heard a noise in the kitchen. He was at the sink, pouring a glass of water.

As he turned hearing her enter the room he hit her bag off the work surface. Cursing under his breath he stooped to the floor gathering the spilled items. It was then she spotted the box she’d bought in the pharmacy on the way home.

“Shit! I’ll get that!” she dived to reach for the bag, but it was too late; he was holding the pregnancy test in his hand. 

“Oh no no!” he looked at her contempt and disgust evident in every pore. “You bitch! Trying to trap my son, the most morally sound man you’ll ever meet. Has this been your plan from day one? Do you want to put yourself and some bastard child in MY home?”

She shook her head, all words evaded her, this was her worst nightmare come true.

“Well if you know what’s good for you you’ll take this cheque," he pulled out a chequebook and scribbled in it, then tore out a replacement for the one he'd waved at her earlier. "With a few more pounds so you can get yourself to the right clinic, do the right thing and put it all down to experience. If you have this child then no lawyer in the land will let you keep it. We’ll get full custody and the heir to our estate will live with us, and you'll be the poorly little orphan all alone again! I have that much power, don't push me!”

She knew her mouth was open, but she was unable to speak, so she watched as he walked out of the front door. He'd found the final chink in her armour and ripped all she knew to shreds. She could barely stay upright for the feelings of pain and fear that coursed through her veins. She collapsed onto the sofa in stunned devastation, even tears had deserted her, then glancing down she saw the new cheque for one hundred thousand pounds.