Madelaine held her phone away from her ear as Fiona squealed in delight.
“Of course I’ll look after the phones for you. How delicious, going to Adelaide with Troy Charles.”
Madelaine scoffed. “It’s not like he doesn’t already sleep under the same roof, what difference going to Adelaide?”
“It’ll be like a date.”
“You’re gushing.” Madelaine felt a little squirm in her belly.
“I know I am because I reckon he’s got plans.”
“He’s got another think coming, then.” The little squirm was heating her blood.
“Crap—you’re head over heels. Go for it, you know you want to.”
No argument there. Madelaine knew she wanted to go for it. And go for it all, the dating, the sex, the marriage proposal, the wedding, the babies—What?
That thought was Fiona’s fault, her being pregnant and everything. “How’s that big belly of yours going to take the driving to and from here?”
“Madds, don’t change the subject. I’ve got four weeks to go, I’ll be fine. I like the sound of Uncle Troy. It has a certain ring to it.”
“For God’s sake.”
“Madd, he likes you. You like him. Stop fighting it.”
“How can you possibly be the big romantic after all that’s happened to you?”
Fiona sighed. “Because something nice is happening to you. Let it happen.” She paused briefly. “Now, I know where the keys are, and what to do with the computer so you just go right ahead and have a couple of lazy, lovely days off with Mr Gorgeous Rich Tall Dark And Handsome and come back married. I’ll be in heaven.”
“I won’t be coming back married, for crying out loud. I’m just going over to sign off on this silent deal thing with Liam and Mike.”
“You’re tut-tutting me, Madds. Have a great time and I’ll see you when you get back. Bye.” She hung up.
Now Madelaine was on her hotel balcony in North Adelaide looking over the city lights and sipping an icy white wine, mulling over Troy’s invite to dinner. He’d be here in thirty minutes to take her out.
They’d driven in his car to the ferry leaving Australis, then travelled onto Adelaide. They’d enjoyed a friendly few hours in the car before he dropped her off at the Majestic.
“I’ll call you about tonight,” he’d said when they’d pulled up at her hotel. It was midday. He dropped her bags at reception, then kissed her cheek and said, “See you a bit later.”
He was gone before she touched her face where his lips had pressed. The receptionist smiled at her.
Now she thought about the meeting with Liam and Mike Hennessy and what had transpired. Thought about the total package they’d put to her which was definitely altogether unorthodox and old fashioned.
In fact, it was a crazy, stupid, not-real, awful, wacky, tacky, not-nice option that Uncle El and Mike put to her. All for her benefit, they emphasized.
Well, hers and Troy’s. He stood to gain a huge amount of money if she agreed. Actually, if any woman agreed, but it seemed she was the only possum in the headlights at present.
And if she agreed to the plan, her life and her business would be safeguarded forever. So how wacky did that sound?
“I’m not easy about this, Madelaine,” Mike Hennessy had said. “There’s nothing illegal in it, but…”
“It’s not illegal, it’s just a contract.” Liam was shielding his face behind steepled fingers. “A ‘best fit’, if you like.”
Madelaine looked from one to the other. She settled on Mike. “No wonder you choked on your coffee.” She swiveled to Liam Charles. “Surely to God I could benefit from a partnership without having to marry Troy?”
Liam raised his eyebrows.
“Don’t give me that look, Uncle El. You know it’s not personal.”
“But he needs to benefit from a marriage. His marriage. I’ll be honest with you, Madelaine.” Liam sat forward. “He’s got no clue, my son. He’s got no clue what sixty-five million dollars means…to him, or to me for him.” He clasped his hands in front of him. “Or to his cousins, who would only share a minor portion, but they still do stand to benefit. All I want is an honest woman to fulfill Petny’s wishes.”
A zillion thoughts sped around her head. “An arranged marriage.”
“A contract. And I trust you.”
“I’d still be married to someone I didn’t choose.”
Mike Hennessey shifted uncomfortably. “We would get you a divorce after the appropriate time has lapsed. Maybe even annulled. The will doesn’t stipulate that the marriage has to be… ah, that there has to be children.”
“Consummated,” she said flatly. “Annulled. This is so gross.” Both men, men in their early sixties, ahemmed, and fidgeted. “Couldn’t the stipulation be contested?” she asked.
“Yes, it could,” Liam stated. “But we should have done it long before now. And God only knows how long the inheritance might’ve been held up if we did. To be honest, I thought Troy would have married well in time. But now with less than three months—”
Madelaine made a small noise.
“—it’s now at a crucial point.”
She stared. “When’s Mum back?”
Liam met her gaze. “Next week.” He spread his hands. “She knows about Petny’s will, but she didn’t know I was going to approach you about this.”
“Uncle El.”
“Madelaine, it’s not so scary. It’s a contract to fulfill a stipulation. We will protect you. I just need my son—”
“And he knows nothing of this discussion?”
Liam looked at her, suddenly hopeful. “No. Nothing. Not yet. I haven’t been able to catch him. Besides, you had to know about it first. He knows about the will, of course he does, but not about my asking you to—”
She held up her hand. “Prostitute myself.”
“You’re not doing that!” Mike was horrified. “Liam, this has got to—”
“Madelaine, it’s hardly that.”
“No use getting cranky with me, Uncle El. How do I know I won’t be under any pressure to—?”
“A contract. A contract.” Liam wiped his brow. “Look. You agree to marry him and we will write up your conditions. Your conditions. Then there’s a divorce in a couple of years after a round or two of mandatory counseling.” He shifted in his seat, appearing to warm to his subject. “No consummation required, though I suppose the old boy figured it would—” He broke off when he saw Madelaine’s face, “—no children required—”
“What about the living arrangements?”
“Co-habitation is required.” Liam held up his hands. “But both houses are big enough for you to live your separate lives. Modern living is different now. There is a little audit to undertake, Rosen and Battey Solicitors can contract that out, but nothing we can’t get around.”
Madelaine stared at her uncle. “Audit? I never, ever thought you—”
“Me either, trust me. I honestly thought Troy would have gone off and got himself married by now.”
She rounded on Mike Hennessey. “This is hardly believable.”
“I agree. But it isn’t all that uncommon in these circumstances, you know. I’ve heard of one or two instances before this.”
“What? That we grown-ups of the twenty-first century decide on a marriage of convenience.” Madelaine folded her arms. “Medieval.”
Liam sat back and studied her. “Say no, then.”
“A marriage where both parties benefit,” Mike soothed. He pulled at his shirt collar. “Madelaine, give it some thought—as a contract. We can’t do anything unless you agree, so the ball is still technically in your court.”
“What about the silent partnership? That’s what I came here for. What happens to that if I say no to getting married?”
Mike stared at Liam. “You didn’t explain—?”
“Don’t tell me.” Madelaine leaned forward. “It was all part and parcel of the same thing.”
Liam protested. “It was the thing which led me into the marriage idea. I admit it.” He sighed. “I started with the silent partnership thing. Troy agreed to—”
“What?”
“—the silent partnership but only if he could see first hand what your business looked like. You needed an extra hand as well, so he fitted the bill all round.” He held up his hand again as Madelaine was about to speak. “At the same time, it just clicked with me—what if you and he were to agree to marry, then we would fulfill the stipulation and you would have your business secured forever.”
She glared. “Not forever.”
“No. No, just for the terms of the contract. But I wouldn’t withdraw financial support afterwards. That’ll be written up, too.”
“But what happens to it if I don’t agree to marry?” she repeated.
“It’s not blackmail, Madelaine. It’s a plea for help.” Liam hung his head. “I’d honour our original offer, of course I would, with the usual terms.”
Madelaine remained suspicious. “How long would it take to draw up this new, unorthodox…proposal? Pardon the pun.”
Liam whooshed out a breath. “Just give the details to Mike and it’s done.”
“Almost done,” Mike qualified. “But done in time.”
“And who’s going to tell Troy that he’s stitched up like a Christmas turkey?” she asked.
“Leave that to me,” Liam said. “The later the better.”
Madelaine’s recovery took a moment or two, and then her expletives weren’t so much shocking as they were loud.
Both Mike Hennessey and Liam Charles dived for cover.
And now she had to sit through dinner, knowing what she knew and knowing Troy didn’t have a clue. Yet.
Not that she’d agreed to the deal, or to sign the contract. She made sure both Liam and Mike knew they had to wait until she’d thought things through.
That had made Liam very nervous, but she wouldn’t be hurried.
Could she marry for money? That was the only question she had for herself.
The fact that it would secure Troy his inheritance would be a positive. For Troy, and for Liam as his father.
Seemed like the burden of this was all hers, and hers alone.
It wasn’t blackmail, Liam had said, but it certainly played on her. Yes, she would gain, but so would Troy…so she was really just a means to an end.
Would he care? Did that matter to him?
She’d tried to phone her mother, but so far Carol hadn’t answered her calls.
And there was another thing; what cat would be set amongst the pigeons for Carol and Liam?
She closed her eyes. What should have been so straightforward now looked as if it was going to get very messy, very quickly.
How was she going to keep it from Troy? Why should she keep it from Troy? He had a right to know that she’d been lined up to be his wife. He would have to agree to marrying her so why hadn’t he been brought into the discussions as soon as possible?