GREEK HUSBAND

Chapter 59

And they showed her baby's heartbeat and switched on the sound so that she could listen to that racing beat that quickened her own. An intense sense of joyous relief filled her with a wash of powerful emotion and tears flooded her eyes. 'I was so sure I'd lost my baby...'

The obstetrician sat down by her side to enumerate the various reasons why bleeding could occur in early pregnancy, pointing out that her blood loss had already stopped and that her baby's heartbeat was strong and regular.

The minute she got back to her room, Bella snatched up her phone to text Edward, but what on earth was she to say to him? What an idiot she had been! Panicking and distraught at the conviction she had lost their baby, she had flung their marriage on the bonfire of her hopes as well. It would be her own fault if Edward received the news that he was still going to be a father with a new sense of regret because she had blown their relationship apart with all her foolish talk about wanting love. She labored long over the text she sent him, apologizing profusely for the way she had behaved and the things she had said before sharing the fact that she was still pregnant. She was a little surprised that there was no immediate response and rather more disconcerted when a nurse came to tell her that a car had arrived to collect her and she was wheeled out expecting to see Edward and instead saw only his driver and two of his bodyguards. Had she expected Edward to rush hotfoot to the hospital to greet her?

Perhaps that had been a little unrealistic after what she had slung at him the evening before, she conceded wretchedly. She sent him another text, hoping to elicit a response, but it was not until the evening that Edward phoned her and the conversation they shared was brief and stilted. He asked how she was, made no reference to the baby or their marriage, and told her that he was in London on business and that he would be away for about a week.

'When you get back, I suppose we'll talk,' Bella said uncomfortably, disappointed that he hadn't once mentioned the baby.

'Great...won't that be something to look forward to?' Edward derided, silencing her altogether.

Had Edward ignored her text because he had decided that there was a lot of truth in what she had said at the hospital? Had he reached the conclusion that the fact they were going to be parents wasn't a good enough reason to stay married to a woman who wasn't his ideal? Was that why he had made no comment? And was the divorce she had suggested what he would be discussing when he reappeared?

Five days later, Bella sat out on the terrace below the twining vines that were slowly coloring to autumnal shades and dropping their leaves. She had thrown up before she made it down to breakfast and hers were painfully sensitive. It was as if every possible side effect of pregnancy was suddenly kicking in all at once. She had gone for her blood tests with Dr. Silvano and he had reassured her that the results were normal.

Her nerves though were all over the place because Edward was due back that very evening and she was stressed out at the thought of seeing him again because he had been so polite and distant when he phoned. In addition, he had mentioned dining with Marina, who was also in London, and Bella had had to battle an innate streak of jealousy and tell herself that she was relaxed about his friendship with his former fiancée. But even so, Bella feared comparisons being made and knew it would always hurt that Edward should believe that Marina would have made him the ideal wife.

Josefina popped her head out of the French windows that led out to the terrace. 'Signora Zikos? Visitor. Meester Robert,' she pronounced, utilizing her tiny English vocabulary.

Her brow pleated in surprise, for she didn't recognize the name, Bella stood up and stared at the man walking towards her, a chord of recognition striking her so hard that she froze and her eyes widened. The man was in his forties and of medium height with red hair as bright as her own. She had studied his photos on Facebook on several occasions and she knew who he was even though she couldn't quite credit that he could be in Italy to visit her.

'You're...' Bella began breathlessly.

'Tony Roberts, your father. I wanted to phone and warn you that I was coming but Edward was convinced it would be better if I simply surprised you,' he explained tautly. 'I hope he was right on that score...'