“I want to marry you.”
She held in a scream. “I don’t remember you being this stubborn before.”
“You were never carrying my baby before. Getting married is the right thing to do.”
“Right for who? Do you really want to spend the next eighteen years tied to me? You don’t love me. I appreciate that you’re concerned about the baby, but how happy will this child be knowing his or her parents don’t want to be married to each other?”
His stubborn expression didn’t change. “We were in love before. We’ll be fine.”
“No, we won’t. We’ll be miserable. I won’t do it. I won’t marry you because of the child. You can’t make me.”
“I’m not leaving until you agree.”
Maggie thought longingly of the dungeons Victoria had mentioned. “Then we have a real problem because I’ll never agree.”
Whatever he was going to say was lost when someone knocked on the door. Victoria stepped inside.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s been another twist in your life.”
She held the door open and Qadir entered, leading a young woman Maggie had never seen. She was petite, with dark blond hair and features that were probably pretty when they weren’t blotchy. Tears filled the woman’s eyes when she saw Jon.
“I had to come,” she told him.
Elaine, Maggie thought, wondering how the situation could get worse. Then she met Qadir’s gaze. What must he think of all this? Of her? Last night had been so perfect, but this morning was a disaster. Did he think she wanted to marry Jon? Was he feeling that she had simply used him?
Too many questions that she had no way to ask.
Elaine hurried over to Jon. She clutched his arm. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Please, don’t do this.”
“It’s the right thing for the baby.”
“How is that possible? How can something that hurts this much be right?”
Maggie looked away, feeling as if she were intruding on a private moment.
“Don’t you love me anymore?” Elaine asked, her voice trembling.
“Elaine, please.” Jon sounded strained.
“Just tell me the truth,” she pleaded. “Tell me I don’t matter.”
“I can’t do that.”
Maggie wanted to crawl into a hole. While she knew in her head she wasn’t the only one to blame for the disaster, she felt the heavy weight of responsibility in her heart.
Still not looking at Jon or Elaine, she hurried out of the room and into the hallway.
Someone came after her. She half expected it to be Victoria, but then she felt strong hands settle on her shoulders.
“Who needs daytime television when they can just watch what’s going on in my life,” she said, trying to make light of the situation.
Qadir turned her to face him, then pulled her close.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said as she snuggled into his chest. “I can’t believe Jon is here and Elaine followed him. He wants to marry me.”
“I expected no less. If you were carrying my child, I would not let you get away.”
Words to make her tremble, she thought sadly. If she were carrying Qadir’s child, she wouldn’t want to get away.
“I’m not going to ruin all our lives because I’m pregnant. You saw Elaine. She loves him desperately. He’s wrong to push for a marriage with me.”
“He’s a man who is trying to do the right thing. His conscience wars with his heart.”
“His heart better win.”
Victoria slipped into the hallway. “I’m going to find Elaine a room. Apparently she’s staying, at least for now.”
Maggie winced. “Here? That can’t be okay. We should all move to a hotel.”
“The palace has many rooms,” Qadir told her. “Your friends are welcome.”
They weren’t her friends, but there was no point in getting into that. And she sure didn’t want to think what the staff must be thinking about her.
“This is all my fault.”
Qadir touched her cheek. “It is not.”
Elaine came out of the room and looked at Maggie. “He wants to talk to you.”
Maggie nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”
“I believe you. I wish things were different.”
Victoria led the other woman away. Maggie stared at the half-open door. “I guess I need to go back inside.”
“I will come with you,” Qadir said.
“No, that’s okay. I can handle Jon.”
Qadir hesitated, as if he wasn’t going to give her a choice. Then he nodded. “If there is any trouble, you will get in touch with me.”
It wasn’t a question.
“I promise,” she told him.
He bent his head and brushed his mouth against hers, then walked away. Maggie braced herself and walked into Jon’s room.
He stood by the window, looking out onto the garden. His body was stiff, but his shoulders seemed bowed, as if they carried too heavy a weight.
“I didn’t know Elaine would follow me,” he said without turning around. “I’m sorry about that.”
“I’m impressed. She obviously loves you very much and isn’t willing to let you get away.”
“She doesn’t understand.”
“She understands perfectly.” Maggie waited until he turned to face her before continuing. “She understands that you’re willing to throw away everything important to you for no good reason. She understands that while no one would have chosen this situation, it’s here now and we have to deal with it. But what she doesn’t understand—and I have to say I’m with her on that—is why you think there’s only one option.”