The Beast of Stornoway

Chapter 88: Amani

"I have to leave, Jade. I can't stay here, not with this baby. It's too dangerous." Amani sighed into her phone.

"What do you mean? Are you going to tell Van about the baby?"

"No, I'm not going to tell him. He probably won't believe me," she said and wiped a tear rolling down her cheek. She'd thought about it a million times since she'd come home from the hospital. She couldn't stay here and if she kept the baby from Van it would keep him safe from his mother or having to carry on his name.

"You're stupid. You know damn well he'll believe you. It's not like you've fucked anyone else since you've been there. You need to tell him, Amani."

"I—" she started to respond but jumped at the sound of her door bursting open and Lydia standing in the doorway. "Lydia! Is everything alright?"

"Excuse me for barging in, Miss Blake, but we need to talk," she said and closed door behind her.

Amani's eye grew wide at her firm tone. She'd never heard Lydia sound like this before. "S-sure. Um, Jade I'll call you back," she mumbled and hung up the phone. "What's...what's going on?"

Lydia pulled her desk chair towards her bed and took a seat. She slowly pulled out the pregnancy test from her pocket and sat it on the bed. "We need to talk about this."

Amani closed her eyes and slid a hand over her face. "I wondered where that went. Lydia, I have to leave."

"No, you don't, but you have to tell Lord Blarcum. It's his baby too, right?"

Tears welled in her eyes. "Yes, but..." She sighed and wringed her hands. "I can't tell him. What if he doesn't believe me? I can't stay here. I'm going to start showing and people are going to talk. The staff already know there's something going on between us. If-if he's not the owner of this manor or Blarcum Industries...his mother is going to—"

"Stop that, Amani. Stop it right now," Lydia huffed and put her hand over hers to stop her nervous hand wringing. "Van is going to believe you and he will do everything in his power to protect his family. You have to know that about him by now. For heaven's sake, lass." She glared and pointed to the window. "There are security guards patrolling the grounds right now because Van takes your safety that seriously."

Amani nodded but doubt still nagged at her. "But people are going to find out and his mother will take everything from him. What if she tries to take the baby?" she whispered and slid a hand over her stomach.

Lydia laughed softly. "She doesn't want to try it. I'm not sure Van would care to spare her life if she ever tried to take you or his child away from him. Let me tell you a story about Van." she smiled sadly and began to tell her about the time Van protected her from his father's rage. She broke one of Gaelen Blarcum's prized heirlooms and Van took the blame to save her from being fired.

"I pleaded to the late Lord Blarcum and told him it was my fault, but he didn't believe me. He just thought I was trying to protect his irresponsible son and he punished Van by shooting his favorite horse." She paused and shook her head. "I've never seen Van get that angry before. He always had tantrums but this was pure blind rage. It took five farmhands to get him off his father. The young lad left three deep cuts on his father's face. They never fully healed and his parents were mortified. They sent him away for a few months after that and when he returned, he was never the same, but I know that anger is still in him. If his mother ever touched you or your child, that would be the last straw for him. There would be no stopping that rage he's kept locked away from coming out."

"I-I had no idea, Lydia. What did they do to him?"

She sighed and patted Amani's hand. "I don't know, love, but you have nothing to worry about. You won't start showing for a little while and by then everything will be sorted with the wedding and Lady Blarcum," she said and squeezed her hand. "But tomorrow, you're going to tell Van."