ANGELIQUE LOOKED AT the dipstick.
Negative.
Why was she feeling so disappointed? It was ridiculous of her to feel so deflated. Why was she thinking about little dark-haired babies when she stood to gain squillions from parading around in bridal wear on every catwalk in Europe?
Because she didn’t want to be a pretend bride.
Not on the catwalk. Not in a photo shoot. Not in magazines and billboards.
She wanted to be a real bride, a real wife and a real mother.
‘Angelique?’ There was a sharp rap at the door.
She quickly stuffed the packaging and results in the nearest drawer underneath the basin. ‘ Just a second...’
She checked her appearance in the mirror. She looked like she’d just auditioned for a walk-on part as a ghost in a horror movie.
The door handled rattled. ‘Open this door,’ Remy commanded. ‘I want to talk to you.’
Angelique stalked over, snipped the lock back and opened the door. ‘Do you mind? What does a girl have to do to get some privacy around here?’
He glanced to either side of her. ‘What are you doing in there?’
She gave him a look. ‘What do you think I was doing? What do you do when you go to the bathroom? No, on second thought, don’t answer that.’ She brushed past him. ‘I know what you guys do.’
He captured her arm and turned her to face him. ‘Are you pregnant?’
Angelique blinked at him in shock. ‘What?’
His mouth was set in a grim line. ‘I asked you a simple question. Are you pregnant?’
‘No.’
‘But you thought you were?’
She waited a beat before answering. ‘Yes...’
He frowned so heavily his eyebrows met. ‘And you didn’t think to mention it to me?’
‘I wanted to make sure first.’
‘So you could do what? Announce it to the press? Post a tweet about it? Drop it on me to force me to keep our marriage going indefinitely?’
Angelique pushed past him. ‘That’s just so damn typical of you. You think everyone is going to do the dirty on you.’
‘Do you realise how insulting this is?’ He swung around to follow her. ‘Don’t you think I had the right to know you suspected you were carrying my child? This is something we should’ve been facing together. You had no right to keep that information to yourself.’
‘You seem pretty certain it’s your child,’ Angelique said. ‘ How do you know I wasn’t trying to foist another man’s baby on you? You should watch your back, Remy. You think you’re so smart, but I could have tricked you and you wouldn’t have suspected a thing.’
‘I don’t believe you would sink to that level. You like to act streetwise and tough but that’s not who you really are. Your father might be a double-crossing cheat but you’re not cut from the same cloth.’
‘You don’t know me.’
‘I know you can’t wait to get out of this marriage.’ His jaw was locked tight with tension. ‘Well, guess what? You got your wish. I’m releasing you. You’re free to go as of now. I won’t have anyone tell me I’m exploiting you by sleeping with you or getting you pregnant against your will, or keeping your precious castle just for kicks. Just go. Leave. Tarrantloch is yours. I’ll send you the deeds.’
Angelique had dreamed of this moment, the moment when she would have Tarrantloch back in her possession. Why then did she feel like she was losing something even more valuable? ‘You want me to leave?’
‘That’s what you want, isn’t it?’
Here is your chance.
Tell him what you want.
But the words were stuck behind a wall of pride. What if she told him she loved him and wanted to stay with him for ever? He had never given any sign of being in love with her. Lust was his language. She had made it her own. If he loved her, wouldn’t he have said so?
‘Yes.’ The word felt like a dry stone in her mouth. ‘That’s what I want.’
‘Fine.’ He let out a breath that sounded horribly, distressingly like relief. ‘I won’t make any announcements to the press until after Christmas. I don’t want to compromise your modelling contract.’
That was the least of Angelique’s worries. She was already trying to think of a way out of it. ‘Thank you.’ She pressed her lips together as she gathered up her bag.
She would not cry. She would not beg him to let her stay. She would not tell him she loved him only to have him mock her. ‘Will you say goodbye to the others for me? I don’t want to create a scene.’
He gave a rough-sounding laugh. ‘What? No big dramatic exit? You surprise me. That’s not the Angelique Marchand I know.’
Angelique turned at the door and gave him a glacial look. ‘Then perhaps you don’t know me as well as you thought.’
As exit lines went, it was a good one. The only trouble was she could barely see where she was going for the tears that blurred her vision.
But she resolutely blinked them back and walked out of the villa and out of Remy’s life without anyone stopping her.
And she wouldn’t be coming back.