This Could Change Everything(57)

She was completely poleaxed, trembling all over and in a state of shock. And understandably so. Apart from anything else, what effect might it have on her career? Lucas took control and spoke reassuringly. ‘Look, the first thing we need to do is find out for sure.’

There was still a faint chance, after all, that she’d caught the bug from one of her colleagues at the hospital.

Please God.

Giselle’s eyes were huge. ‘Will you go out and buy a test?’

‘Well, one of us needs to.’

‘You’d be quicker.’

This was true. ‘OK, I’ll go. You’ll need to pee on a stick, right?’

She nodded, still trembling.

Lucas said, ‘In that case, make sure you stay away from the bathroom until I get back.’

Outside, he headed for the nearest small chemist, then promptly left again when he saw one of his regular customers browsing.

In the second place he tried, he spotted Essie’s friend Scarlett buying herself a hairbrush.

In the third pharmacy, Lucas managed to buy two pregnancy testing kits without bumping into or being spotted by anyone he knew.

Never had he felt more like a secret agent, except not in a good way. In all honesty, Giselle wasn’t the only one feeling a bit sick. In theory, of course, he’d always wanted to experience fatherhood one day, but at some time in the future rather than this year. Then again, there was no way he’d dream of telling Giselle this. She was his girlfriend, after all. They were a couple. If they were having a baby together . . . well, he couldn’t possibly abandon her to go it alone. If it was happening, he’d put on a brave face and make the best of it. And hopefully everything would work out OK once the baby arrived and they fell in love with it, as they surely would.

Oh, but the timing really couldn’t have been worse if it tried. Just when he’d been starting to realise that . . . No, don’t think it. Don’t even go there.

As he left the pharmacy, he almost leapt a mile when a heavy hand clapped him on the back and a voice bellowed, ‘Whoa, bit jumpy! What have you been buying in there, eh? Something embarrassing? Picking up your next month’s supply of Viagra, is that what it is? Ha ha HA!’

The owner of the loud voice and the heavy hand was a customer called Brendan Banks, who thought he was the life and soul of every social gathering but who was in fact disliked by pretty much everyone. Lucas managed a fleeting smile. ‘Just painkillers. Bit of a heavy night last night.’

‘Ah, know the feeling well! Sore head, eh?’ Brendan gave him another jovial thump on the shoulder. ‘What you need is hair of the dog, that’ll see you right!’

If only it could. And fate hadn’t finished with him yet. Relieved to have escaped, Lucas reached Percival Square. As he made his way past number 23, he glanced up at the second floor just as a window was being closed and caught a glimpse of Essie’s blonde hair and red jacket.

The next moment, the front door was pulled open and Zillah appeared, as stylish as ever in a silver-grey cloche-style hat and a long pale-blue jacket and trousers. Turning, she called up the staircase, ‘Come on, darling, let’s go!’

Lucas heard the thud of footsteps on the stairs, then Essie joined Zillah on the pavement.

‘Morning!’ Diamonds flashed in the icy sunlight as Zillah waggled her fingers at him and said brightly, ‘Don’t worry, I’m not taking her away from you. She’ll be back in time for work. We’re just popping out to the shops for a couple of hours.’

‘No worries.’ Lucas forced himself to sound as happy and relaxed as Zillah did. ‘See you later.’

Had he managed it? God, he could barely bring himself to look Essie in the eye. If anything was going to take her away from him it would be the two small packets currently hidden inside his jacket pocket.

Five minutes from now, they’d know.

It took less time than that. Giselle, her bladder evidently close to bursting point, cried, ‘Oh, thank God, you’ve been ages,’ and grabbed the packets from his hand.

‘You need to read the instruct—’

‘Are you kidding? You pee on a stick, it’s not rocket science.’

‘Which one are you going to use first?’

Giselle stared at him in muscle-clenched disbelief. ‘Lucas, it’s called multitasking, I’ll pee on both of them at once.’

He stood outside the bathroom while she did the deed. When she emerged, they waited in silence for the seconds to tick by.

And there it was – one extra blue line and one brief statement in pink lettering: PREGNANT.

He’d hoped it wasn’t true but deep down he had guessed it would be.

‘Oh Lucas.’ Giselle’s voice was unsteady. ‘I don’t know what to say.’

‘It’s OK.’

‘We were always so careful.’

‘I know. I guess these things happen.’

She fell into his arms and Lucas held her close, because it wasn’t her fault any more than it was his. These things did occasionally happen; you just really hoped they wouldn’t.

‘I’m sorry.’ Her voice wobbled and broke as she fought back tears.

‘Don’t say that. It’s fine. We’ll get through this,’ he murmured, stroking her curly hair, because what other response could there be?