Buch lesen: «The Motherhood Mix-Up»

In memory of Jean and Bob Taylor,

the best parents anyone could have had.

Table of Contents

Cover

About the Author

Title Page

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘DR KHAPUR WILL see you now, Mrs Adams.’

‘Thank you.’

Mia Adams stood up and followed the receptionist along the corridor. It had been almost six years since she’d last visited the fertility clinic. Although she had intended to come back after Harry was born, to thank everyone, somehow she had never got round to it. The journey into central London from Kent had seemed too daunting with a baby in tow, plus there’d been Chris to consider.

Although Chris had coped remarkably well with the problems of living his life as a paraplegic, there had been times when he had needed that extra bit of care and attention. Consequently, the months had slipped past before she had realised it. It was doubtful if she would ever have come back, in fact, if she hadn’t received that letter.

Mia frowned, wondering once again why Dr Khapur had contacted her. Harry was five now and she couldn’t understand why the consultant wanted to see her. It wasn’t as if she was hoping to have another child; Chris’s death two years ago had ruled out that possibility. So what did Dr Khapur want? Had something happened? Something to do with Harry?

Mia’s stomach lurched at the thought. It was an effort to appear composed as the receptionist ushered her into an elegantly appointed office. Dr Khapur rose from his seat, smiling warmly as he came around the desk.

‘Mrs Adams! Thank you so much for coming. Please…take a seat, my dear.’

The elderly doctor guided her towards a group of comfortable chairs near the window and Mia felt her unease intensify. Whenever she had visited the clinic in the past, she had sat at one side of that huge mahogany desk and Dr Khapur had sat at the other. Maybe it was silly but this new approach made her feel more nervous than ever so that her hands were shaking as she placed her bag on the floor.

‘Did you have a good journey?’ Dr Khapur asked solicitously as he sat down. He smiled at her but Mia detected a certain strain about his expression that heightened her feeling that something wasn’t right. It was an effort to reply calmly when her nerves seemed to be stretched to breaking point.

‘Fine, thank you, Doctor. Chris and I moved to London a few years ago, so I didn’t have as far to travel.’

‘Ah, I see. Good. Good.’

He rubbed his hands together and Mia had the distinct impression that he was finding it difficult to decide how to continue. She leant forward, knowing that she had to get to the bottom of what was going on. If something was wrong, and if it had anything to do with Harry, she needed to know what it was.

‘Dr Khapur, I… .’

She got no further when the door suddenly opened. Mia looked round in surprise, frowning when she saw the tall, dark-haired man who had entered the room. Privacy was of the utmost importance to the clinic’s clients and she couldn’t understand how he had got past the receptionist. That Dr Khapur was less than pleased by the interruption was obvious from the way he jumped to his feet.

‘Mr Forester, please! I really cannot allow you to come barging in like this.’

‘Is this her?’ The man ignored Dr Khapur as he turned to Mia and she shivered when she felt his cold grey eyes sweep over her. Colour rushed to her cheeks as she imagined what he would see. Medium height, medium build, mid-brown hair and regular features didn’t add up to all that much in her opinion. Her eyes were her best feature, a pure emerald green that lit up her face when she was happy. However, as she was feeling far from happy at that moment she doubted they would do much to enhance the impression he formed of her.

She stood up, surprised that she should care one way or the other what he thought of her. She had no idea who he was even though it appeared he knew her.

‘I’m sorry but what exactly is going on?’ She looked away from that searching grey gaze and turned to the doctor. ‘I think I deserve an explanation, Dr Khapur.’

‘I…ehem…’ Dr Khapur began unhappily.

‘Of course you do. And if I’d had my way, you would have had that explanation months ago.’ The man’s voice was hard, edged with an anger that Mia didn’t understand, although it still affected her.

‘In that case, why don’t you explain it all to me, starting with your name and why you’re here?’ She heard the tremor in her voice and knew that he must have heard it too but it was the least of her worries. She didn’t care what he thought about her. She only cared about what he was going to say and if she was right to suspect that it had something to do with Harry.

‘My name is Leo Forester.’ His tone was still hard but the anger had disappeared now and been replaced by something that sounded very much like compassion. Mia shuddered. She had a feeling that Leo Forester wasn’t a man given to feeling compassion very often. She was already steeling herself when he continued but there was no way she could have prepared herself for the shock of his next statement.

‘The reason why I am here, Mrs Adams, is quite simple. I am your son’s father.’

Leo could feel the tension that had gripped him ever since he had woken up that morning reach breaking point. Just for a second his vision blurred before he ruthlessly brought himself under control. This wasn’t the time to weaken. He had to get this sorted out. It wasn’t only his life that would be affected by the outcome of this meeting but Noah’s as well.

The thought of his son was the boost he needed. Leo ignored the fact that Mia Adams’s face had turned the colour of putty. Maybe he should have tried a gentler approach but at the end of the day it wouldn’t change anything. He was her son’s father even if she was going to find it very hard to accept that.

‘If this is some kind of a joke,’ she began, but he didn’t give her a chance to finish.

‘It isn’t. Believe me, Mrs Adams, I wouldn’t joke about a thing like this.’ His tone was harsh and he saw the rest of the colour leach from her face and regretted his bluntness. For a man like him, who made a point of never regretting his actions, it came as a shock, an unpleasant one too. He couldn’t afford to make allowances for Mia Adams’s feelings or Noah could suffer.

He turned to Dr Kahpur, needing to get back onto a more solid footing. ‘Mrs Adams and I need to talk. Is there a room we can use?’

‘I’m sorry but I have no intention of going anywhere with you until I know what’s going on and why you’ve made that ridiculous claim.’

Leo could still hear the tremor in Mia Adams’s voice but it didn’t disguise the steel it held as well. He realised with a start that even though she had suffered a massive shock, she wasn’t simply going to accept what he had to say. A flicker of something akin to admiration rose inside him and he nodded, trying to hide his surprise. If he rarely regretted his actions then he was even less likely to form a favourable opinion of a person with such speed.

‘Of course. Perhaps Dr Khapur would care to explain the situation to you.’

Leo sat down, waiting while the others resumed their seats. Mia Adams didn’t look at him as she smoothed her skirt over her knees. She appeared completely composed as she waited for the elderly doctor to begin and Leo’s admiration cranked itself up another notch or two. After dealing with Amanda and her constant histrionics, it was a pleasant change to meet a woman who didn’t feel it necessary to create a scene to get her own way.

‘This is all very difficult, my dear,’ Dr Kahpur began. ‘Nothing like it has ever happened before, you understand, so it’s been extremely hard to know how to handle things. All I can say is that we shall do everything possible to put matters right.’

Leo forbore to say anything, although how Dr Khapur could make this situation right was beyond him. He waited in silence for the older man to continue, wishing he would get on with it. The sooner Mia Adams was in possession of the facts, the sooner they could decide what they were going to do.

‘It would be a lot easier if you’d explain why this gentleman claims he is Harry’s father.’ Mia Adams’s tone was firm. Leaning forward, she looked Dr Khapur straight in the eyes. ‘I want to know the truth, Dr Khapur.’

‘I…Yes, of course you do.’

Dr Khapur looked more uncomfortable than ever at being asked a direct question and Leo realised that they wouldn’t get anywhere if he left it to him to explain what had happened. Time was of the essence and every wasted second was a second too long.

‘It appears there was some kind of a mix-up,’ he said shortly. He adopted his blandest expression when Mia Adams turned to look at him, the one he used when he needed to break particularly bad news to one of his patients. In his opinion, the absence of emotion helped people cope with even the worst prognosis.

The fact that he knew Mia Adams would consider this the worst thing that could have happened to her made his heart pang in sudden sympathy but he ruthlessly blanked it out. He wasn’t interested in her feelings, he reminded himself. It was Noah who mattered, Noah and her child, Harry. his son.

A wave of emotion rose up inside him at the thought. Bearing in mind that he had spent his adult life divesting himself of any hint of emotion, it took him by surprise. It was an effort to continue when he felt so out of control.

‘It seems that the embryos were implanted in the wrong women. My ex-wife received the embryo that had been created from your egg and your husband’s sperm while you received ours. In short, Mrs Adams, Amanda gave birth to your son and you gave birth to ours.’

‘No!’ Mia Adams leapt to her feet. She glared at him, twin spots of colour burning in her cheeks. ‘I have no idea why you’re making up these ridiculous lies but I refuse to sit here and listen to anything else.’

She spun round on her heel, her back rigid as she strode to the door. Dr Khapur stood up as well but Leo didn’t give him the chance to intervene as he went after her. Gripping hold of her wrist, he drew her to a halt, feeling a ripple of awareness run through him when he felt the delicacy of the bones beneath his encircling fingers. They felt as fragile as a bird’s, so easily crushed that unconsciously he loosened his hold even though he didn’t release her.

‘I am not lying. Every word I’ve said is true.’ He bent and looked into her eyes, feeling another frisson pass through him when he found himself suddenly enmeshed in that glittering emerald gaze. He had never seen eyes that colour before, he found himself thinking inconsequentially before he brought his mind back to more important matters.

‘The child you gave birth to, Mrs Adams, is, in reality, my son. And now we need to decide what we’re going to do about it.’

CHAPTER TWO

MIA SANK DOWN onto a chair, praying that she wouldn’t pass out. Her head was spinning from a combination of shock and fear. It couldn’t be true. Harry was her son; she knew he was! Maybe a mistake had been made but what proof was there that she’d been involved in the mix-up?

Oh, she could understand Leo Forester’s desperation—who couldn’t? To discover that the child he had believed to be his wasn’t his biological child must have been a terrible shock. But there was no way that he was going to lay claim to Harry!

She looked round when the door opened, feeling her heart contract with fear when she saw Leo Forester come in. Dr Khapur had acceded to his request that they should be allowed some time on their own to talk and this time she hadn’t objected. The sooner this was sorted out, the better.

‘Mrs Rowlands is making us some coffee. It should be ready in a moment.’

He sat down opposite her, stretching out his long legs under the coffee table. Mia studied him in silence, wondering how it must feel to discover that everything you had believed to be true was no longer certain any more. She knew how she felt, yet there was little sign of the confusion she felt apparent on his face.

How old was he? she wondered suddenly. Late thirties? Older? His hair was very dark with only a few threads of silver shining through. It was expertly cut, too, the crisp dark waves clipped close to his well-shaped head. His features were strong and very masculine—a firm jaw and well-defined cheekbones giving him an aristocratic appearance that befitted his whole bearing. Leo Forester looked like a man who was used to being in charge, a man who rarely took account of other people’s opinions. It wasn’t the most comforting thought in the circumstances.

A knock on the door roused her from her reverie. Leo Forester got up to answer it, taking the tray from the receptionist and carrying it over to the table. Without bothering to ask, he poured them both coffee, pushing the sugar bowl and milk jug towards her before picking up his cup. Mia added a dash of milk to her coffee, although she didn’t feel in the least like drinking it. However, it gave her something to do, a few extra minutes’ grace before she had to tell Leo Forester that she was very sorry but he would have to look elsewhere for his missing child. Harry was hers, hers and Chris’s, and nobody was going to take him away from her.

‘Before we go any further, Mrs Adams, I want to show you something.’ Leo Forester put down his cup then reached into his inside pocket and took out his wallet. Flipping it open, he passed it across the table. ‘This is Noah.’

Mia reluctantly took the wallet from him and glanced at the photograph, wishing that he hadn’t shown it to her. It seemed wrong to build up his hopes, wrong and unnecessarily cruel. Maybe he did believe that ridiculous claim he’d made but she knew the truth, knew that Harry was her child…

Her breath caught as her eyes alighted on the solemn face of the little boy in the photograph. He had blond hair, so blond that it appeared more silver than gold. His eyes were blue, a deep dark blue framed by thick black lashes that matched the dark slash of his eyebrows and created a startling contrast to his fairness. Just as Chris’s had done.

Mia felt the ground roll beneath her feet as she stared at the picture, at the small straight nose, at the determined little chin with that hint of a dimple in it. It was pure coincidence, of course. Maybe the child did look very like her late husband but it didn’t prove that he was hers and Chris’s child, as Leo Forester claimed.

‘I take it from your expression that there’s a resemblance between Noah and your husband?’

Leo Forester’s voice betrayed very little of what he was feeling and Mia was grateful for that. She seemed to be awash with so many conflicting emotions that she couldn’t have coped with his as well. She gave a tiny shrug, needing to hold onto what she knew to be the truth. Harry was her son, not this boy.

‘Chris was very fair too,’ she said quietly, passing the wallet back to him.

‘I wondered who Noah favoured.’ Leo Forester slid the wallet into his pocket and picked up his coffee cup. His hand was rock steady as he lifted it to his lips and all of a sudden Mia found herself resenting the fact that he could behave this way. Surely any normal person would be torn in two, wondering and worrying about this situation?

‘The fact that your son happens to have similar colouring to my husband is hardly proof, Mr Forester.’ Scorn dripped from her voice but if she’d hoped to sting him into a reaction she was disappointed. His expression didn’t alter as he looked steadily at her over the rim of the cup.

‘Of course not. It will need DNA tests to confirm it. I suggest we make arrangements to have them done as soon as possible.’

‘I have no intention of allowing Harry to be tested!’ She glared at him, feeling a wave of anger wash away the fear that had invaded her ever since he’d made that ridiculous claim. ‘I’m very sorry for you, Mr Forester. I’m sure that in your shoes I would do everything possible to get to the bottom of this matter. However, Harry isn’t your son. He’s mine. Mine and Chris’s.’

‘And if that is true then the DNA results will prove it.’ He shrugged, his broad shoulders moving lightly under his perfectly tailored jacket. That he was a wealthy man wasn’t in doubt and Mia felt a fresh rush of fear hit her. Leo Forester obviously had the means to pursue this if he chose. If he decided to take it to the courts, he would be able to hire the very best lawyers to make his case. Even though she was working, she had no hope of fighting him if it came to a lengthy legal battle. She simply didn’t have the money. Perhaps it would be wiser to concede this point in case the fight became more desperate in the future?

The thought of what might happen in the future made her inwardly tremble but she had learned at an early age to hide her feelings. She looked steadily back at him, wishing that she had followed her instincts and never agreed to visit the clinic. She’d had a bad feeling when that letter had arrived out of the blue, although not for a moment had she imagined that something like this would happen.

‘If you’re determined to go down that route then I shall agree to have Harry tested on one condition.’

‘And that is?’ Leo Forester raised a dark brow. His expression was as bland as ever but Mia could see a nerve tic in his jaw and realised, with a start, that he was nowhere near as composed as he was pretending to be. The thought was comforting for some reason and her tone softened.

‘That Harry isn’t told anything about this. He’s only five and it will just confuse him if he’s told that Chris might not be his daddy.’

‘I have no intention of telling him or Noah anything until we get the results of the DNA tests.’

Leo Forester put his cup down with a clatter and Mia realised, with another start that he’d had to put it down because his hands were shaking. Maybe he did prefer to keep a rein on his emotions, but beneath that cool exterior there was definitely passion brewing. It made her wonder what would happen if he ever let himself go.

Mia pushed that thought aside. What Leo Forester did or didn’t feel was of no consequence, except where it concerned Harry, of course. She needed to make it clear that any hopes he was harbouring about claiming her son as his own were never going to come to fruition.

‘I shall arrange to have a DNA profile done on Harry. Once I receive the results, I’ll contact you. Obviously I’ll need an address or telephone number where you can be reached.’

‘I’ll give you my card.’ He took out his wallet again and pulled out an ivory-coloured card. He didn’t hand it over immediately, however.

‘It seems pointless you having to go to all the trouble of finding someone to carry out the DNA tests, Mrs Adams. Why don’t you leave me to make the arrangements?’

‘Thank you but I’d prefer to do it myself,’ Mia said shortly, and he frowned.

‘Because you don’t trust me not to pull some sort of a stunt so that the results come back in my favour?’

Mia heard the irritation in his deep voice but it didn’t bother her. There was too much at stake to worry about his finer feelings, if he really had any, of course. It was disappointing to wonder if she’d been wrong about him. Maybe what you saw was what you got and in this instance it appeared that the handsome Leo Forester was a very cold fish indeed.

‘Yes.’ She took the card off him, annoyed that she should waste even a second thinking about him. Leo Forester had come into her life uninvited and definitely unwelcome and the sooner she got rid of him, the better. ‘I have no intention of allowing you to pull the wool over my eyes, Mr Forester. Whilst I feel very sorry for the plight you find yourself in, it really isn’t my concern. The only person I’m interested in is my son.’

She stood up, picking up her bag and looping the strap over her shoulder. Leo Forester stood up as well and for a moment she thought he was going to stop her again when she tried to leave. However, in the event, he merely stepped aside so she could pass.

‘Thank you,’ Mia murmured politely. She made her way to the door, curbing the urge to run. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how scared she felt, how fearful of the future. Harry was her son. She repeated the mantra as she reached for the handle, hoping it would help her maintain her control. For some reason it seemed important that she shouldn’t let Leo Forester know how terrified she was.

‘Aren’t you forgetting something, Mrs Adams?’

Mia had actually opened the door when he spoke and she paused reluctantly, wondering if he had done it deliberately, almost let her escape before calling her back, like a cat playing with a mouse. She glanced round, smoothing her face into a carefully neutral expression. He might enjoy playing games but she had no intention of being party to them.

‘I don’t think so.’ She shrugged. ‘What else is there to say until the results of the DNA tests come back?’

‘Obviously, I need an address or, at the very least, a phone number where I can contact you.’

‘Why would you want to contact me?’ Mia countered. ‘You and I have nothing further to discuss, Mr Forester. As I’m sure the DNA results will prove.’

Mia walked out of the door, half expecting him to call her back again, but he didn’t. She made her way along the corridor, shaking her head when Dr Khapur’s secretary jumped up and told her that the doctor wanted to speak to her. She didn’t want to speak to him. Not right now, anyway. At some point she would need an explanation as to why she’d been involved in this ridiculous affair but not right now. Right now all she wanted to do was go home and see Harry. Her son, not Leo Forester’s.

Leo cursed himself as he strode along the corridor. He had made a complete and utter hash of things and ended up making an already difficult situation worse. Wrenching open the door, he stepped out into the street, wondering why he had allowed Mia Adams to get to him that way. He knew what had to be done; he should do because he’d gone over it enough times. However, all the careful arguments he’d rehearsed, the calm and rational statements he had planned, had simply melted away. He had taken one look at the fear on Mia Adam’s face and bottled it. Hell!

There was a taxi dropping off a fare at the corner. Leo flagged it down and gave the driver the address of the hospital. He was due in Theatre at two and it was almost that now. The taxi dropped him off outside the main doors and he hurried inside, nodding briefly to the porter.

Although he divided his time between his private practice in Harley Street and his NHS commitments, he was well known at the hospital, if not well liked. He was a hard taskmaster and he knew that the members of his team admired rather than liked him. It had never worried him before but as he made his way up in the lift, he suddenly found himself wishing that he had a better rapport with the people he worked with. If he had taken the trouble to develop his social skills, maybe he would have had better luck convincing Mia Adams to trust him.

Leo’s mouth compressed as he stepped out of the lift. He wasn’t given to such foolish thoughts normally and it was irritating to be beset by them today. The sooner he got himself in hand, the better. Mia Adams might be hoping this situation would go away but he knew it wasn’t that simple. This was just the beginning and there was going to be a lot more upset before this matter was resolved. It wasn’t only him and Mrs Adams who would suffer either. There were two little boys whose lives were going to have to change.

Mia was on duty the following morning. She took Harry to the school’s breakfast club and left him happily demolishing a bowl of cereal then walked to the station. It was almost three years since she had moved to London. Chris had been offered a job with a leading firm of accountants and they had decided it was too good an opportunity to miss. The fact that Chris had been confined to a wheelchair following a climbing accident in his twenties had severely restricted his job options; however, the firm hadn’t seen it as a problem.

Chris had loved the job and enjoyed every minute of his working life. Mia knew that moving to the city had been the right thing to do but she couldn’t help wondering if she should move back to Kent at some point. Harry would not only benefit from all the fresh air and open spaces to play in, he’d be able to spend more time with his grandparents. The downside, of course, was that she would have to give up her job and she doubted if she would find another that would allow her to spend so much time with Harry.

As a senior sister, working as part of the bank of nurses at The Princess Rose Hospital, she could pick her own hours. She had worked mornings when Harry had been at nursery so she could be home in time to collect him at lunchtime. Now that Harry had started school, she had increased her hours and was thinking about going full time soon—heaven knew they could do with the extra money. However, as it would mean Harry having to stay at the after-school club until she got home, she had decided to leave the decision until after Christmas. Harry would have settled into school by then and she’d feel happier about leaving him for longer.

The train was late as usual and she had to run to reach the hospital in time for her shift. Penny Morrison, who organised the bank nurses, grinned when Mia came panting into the office.

‘Either you’re in training for the next London Marathon or the train was late. My guess is that it’s the second option.’

‘You’d be right too.’ Mia hung her coat in her locker then took a comb out of her bag and tidied her hair. ‘I wish they’d invest in some new trains. I mean, they wouldn’t break down as often if they weren’t so old, would they?’

‘Ah, but new trains cost money and nobody has any these days, or so they claim.’

Penny picked up the spreadsheet she used to sort out where everyone was working. There were fifteen bank nurses and they covered all the departments as and when they were needed. It was a system that worked well and had reduced the high costs of hiring agency nurses to provide cover.

‘Right, you’re down for Cardiology this week. The ward sister has sprained her ankle and she’s off sick. You might end up there a bit longer, in fact.’

‘Fine by me. I’ve not covered Cardiology before so it will be nice to do something different,’ Mia agreed. ‘Anything I should know beforehand?’

‘Not really. Oh, apart from the fact that one of the consultants is a bit of a tartar so watch your back.’ Penny rolled her eyes. ‘Jackie was there a couple of weeks ago and she’s refused to go back if he’s on duty.’

‘Heavens! He sounds a real sweetheart, I don’t think.’ Mia grimaced as she took her ID out of her bag and clipped it to the pocket of her navy uniform top. One of the other nurses arrived just then so she left Penny to deal with her and made her way to the third floor where the cardiology unit was situated. Everything looked very peaceful when she arrived and she grinned at the staff nurse who’d been holding the fort until she got there.

‘Either all your patients are extremely well behaved or you’ve sedated them. Which is it?’

‘Neither.’ The staff nurse grimaced. ‘They’re simply too scared to kick up a fuss.’

Mia laughed. ‘You don’t look that scary to me.’

‘Oh, it’s not me who’s terrified them into submission.’ The younger woman looked over Mia’s shoulder and groaned. ‘Here’s your culprit now. And that’s my cue to beat a hasty retreat. Good luck. You’ll need it!’

Mia looked round, the smile still lingering on her lips as she looked at the man walking towards her. He was tall with dark hair lightly threaded with silver and chiselled features…

All of a sudden the room started to whirl, spinning faster and faster until she felt quite giddy. What on earth was Leo Forester doing here?