The Baby Dilemma

One of the stewards stowed their bags in the trunk while Kellie followed Lee into the back of the limo. The door closed and they were off to Neuchàtel.

“Petite—” she heard the prince cry an endearment before pulling his wife into his arms.

Kellie took the seat opposite them and tried to look anywhere else while he kissed her. Talk about two people in love! They reminded her so much of the way it had once been between her and Philippe, she was wounded all over again.

“Raoul, darling?” she heard Lee finally say in a husky voice. “Meet Kellie Didier.”

“How do you do, your highness.”

His brilliant blue gaze flicked to Kellie. “Please—call me Raoul,” he said in English with hardly a trace of accent. With one arm still hugging his wife tightly, he clasped Kellie’s hand for a moment before letting go. “Thank God you came. Philippe is badly in need of his wife.”

Kellie struggled not to fall apart. “I need him even more. Thanks to you and the princess, I know what’s happened. You have no idea how grateful I am for all you’ve done to make this easier for me. As I told your wife, someday I’ll find a way to repay you.”

A grave expression spread over his attractive features. “The only thing of importance is that you’re here now. You do understand his fragile emotional state?” he asked with an underlying trace of demand.

She couldn’t blame him for being protective of his best friend. In fact she loved him for it.

“Darling,” Lee cautioned softly. “Kellie’s in a pretty fragile state herself.”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t tell him?” Kellie asked her.

Lee shook her head. “I didn’t think it was my place.”

Raoul stared at Kellie. “Tell me what?”

“I found out I’m going to have a baby.”

He shook his handsome dark-blond head. “Unbelievable.”

Her news had shocked him. But not as much as it had shocked Kellie who still couldn’t comprehend the fact that she was going to be a mother.

“I should be congratulating you,” he added. “Instead all I can think of is that when Philippe hears the news, he’ll believe it’s the only reason you came to Switzerland.”

“I’m way ahead of you,” Kellie’s voice shook. “That’s why he mustn’t be told about it until—until—”

“How can we help?” he broke in.

“You’ve already done so much, I’m ashamed.”

“Kellie— I know in my gut you and Philippe would do the same thing for us if our positions were reversed.”

“Of course we would,” she avowed. “Philippe looks on you as a brother.”

“The feeling’s mutual so there’ll be no more talk on that score.” He sat back in the seat while he clung to his wife. “Do you have a plan of what you want to do first? It goes without saying that our home is at your disposal.”

“Thank you.” She smoothed the hair out of her eyes. “During the flight I thought of several ways to approach him, but in the end I was afraid they’d all fail. Then Lee told me about Philippe’s plan to help you when you found out your marriage date to Princess Sophie had been brought forward. That’s when an idea came to me.”

“What a black day that was,” he confessed.

“As I understand it, Philippe talked you into luring the princess to your chalet in Zermatt with the hope she’d call off your wedding when she found out the two of you had nothing in common.”

Raoul nodded before smiling at his wife. “Then you showed up in her place.” He kissed her again.

Kellie cleared her throat. “I—I was thinking we might try his strategy in reverse?”

The prince was quick on the uptake. He turned his head and looked at Kellie with a shrewd regard. “So Philippe shows up at the chalet before the climb and finds you in residence.”

“Yes. For one thing, it might be better for us to meet on neutral ground where we’re away from his work or any associations to do with us. The apartment has too many memories that could tear both of us apart.

“For another, I left my keys on the dresser before I left Neuchàtel. I’d have to ask the concierge to let me in the apartment. He’d probably warn Philippe firs—”

“There’s no probably about it. The penthouse has become a fortress,” Raoul was swift to respond. It gave Kellie a deeper glimpse into Philippe’s tortured psyche. She shivered at the uphill battle ahead of her.

“Beyond surprising my husband at your chalet, I don’t have any other ideas yet.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re as inspired as Philippe was,” Raoul murmured.

She bit her lip. “I’m not at all certain it will work, but since he was already planning a climb, he won’t be suspecting any subterfuge. If the only thing I accomplish is to prevent him from going up on the mountain in his condition, I’ll be thankful.”

“We all will, believe me,” Raoul said in an emotion-filled voice.

“There’s only one problem. Philippe’s going to realize you made this possible for me. I couldn’t bear it if he turned on you. You’re his dearest friend.”

Raoul eyed her with a glint of what looked like admiration. “Let me worry about that.”

“When is your banking conference over?”

“Today’s the final day. My suggestion is that you and Lee get some sleep while I’m in attendance. I should be through around four-thirty. We’ll fly to Zermatt in the helicopter and spend the night. I’ll give the staff a few days off.

“Tomorrow morning I’ll have Philippe flown in. After I bring him to the chalet, I’ll conveniently disappear and the rest of us will wait things out at Roger’s condo.”

Tomorrow Kellie would see Philippe.

Her heart thudded so hard with excitement and anxiety all rolled into one, she feared something was wrong with it.

Lee moved forward to touch her arm in concern. “Are you all right?”

She let out a shaky breath. “There’s a strong possibility he won’t let me into his life again. I’m petrified our marriage could really be over.”

When neither of them refuted that statement, her fear escalated.

Weary both physically and emotionally, she rested her head against the back of the seat. Her eyelids felt heavy. Before they closed, the last thing she saw was Raoul’s grave countenance.

Like a revelation it came to her he knew things about Philippe he hadn’t told his wife or Kellie. She didn’t know what exactly, but a frisson of terror attacked her body worse than before.

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