The Unwanted Wife (Unwanted #1)(41)
CHAPTER SEVEN
I won’t be able to go to the doctor with you today, Theresa,” Sandro informed Theresa while they were breakfasting in the sunny conservatory the following morning. She would never have admitted it, but she had really been relying on having him there that day. She was in her sixteenth week of pregnancy and had been scheduled for a precautionary amniocentesis that day. She was a nervous wreck about the procedure and even though she knew the risk of complication was very low, it was still there. While her logical mind told her that her baby would be fine, she was still dreading the possible outcome of the test. Sandro had been a rock during her first ultrasound the month before, holding her hand while he listened to the whooshing sound of their baby’s heartbeat for the first time and squeezing it tightly when they had seen of the fragile fluttering on the black-and-white monitor. The doctor hadn’t been able to determine the baby’s sex but Theresa was confident that it was a boy and had said so. Sandro had remained quiet during the entire procedure but he had been a comfort to her.
“Why not?” she asked casually.
“I have to go to Italy next week and I have a lot to finish at the office before I leave,” he informed her tightly, and she lowered her eyes back to her plate.
“Is your father okay?” she asked softly, and he hesitated before responding.
“Yes. My visit is unrelated to any family business.”
She shut her eyes in pain, suddenly knowing that he was going because of that phone call last night. “Okay.” She nodded, battling to sound nonchalant. “It’s just…I’m getting the amniocentesis today.” He swore quietly beneath his breath.
“I’m sorry, Theresa,” he murmured, seeming almost stricken by the news. “I completely forgot.”
And that, of course, brought the major problem with their marriage into sharp relief. She had been worrying about the procedure, stressing about possible complications, and terrified of the slight risk of miscarriage it presented. She had suffered through sleepless nights thinking about the birth or genetic defects the results could reveal while her husband had simply forgotten about the test. Of course, she would never reveal just how much she had depended on having his solid and stoically silent presence there, so she shrugged carelessly.
“I’m sure Lisa will go with me.” She nodded confidently, and his eyes shone with relief.
“That’s a great idea,” he enthused. “I’ll be at your next appointment. I’ll only be gone for a week or so. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I’ll be fine,” she dismissed airily, digging into her scrambled eggs like someone who didn’t have a care in the world. There was an awkward silence while he watched her eat, but Theresa very determinedly kept her head down while she scooped the eggs into her mouth with as much gusto as she could manage without choking.
“I don’t want you to be alone while I’m gone.” He breached the uncomfortable silence, and Theresa frowned at his words, looking up at him with her laden fork lifted halfway to her mouth.
“I won’t be alone. Rick and Lisa are always around and the staff is ever-present.” As if to prove her words, Phumsile entered the room carrying a plateful of pancakes, which she deposited in front of Theresa with a challenging look.
“Eat it all,” the woman commanded.
“It’s quite a lot of food, Phumsile.” Theresa stared at the pile of pancakes in dismay, but Phumsile crossed her arms over her ample chest and glared at Theresa, looking for all the world like she was prepared to stand right there to ensure that Theresa ate every morsel. Phumsile made no secret of the fact that she thought Theresa was way too skinny for a pregnant woman and had taken it upon herself to ensure that Theresa ate healthily. Theresa secretly suspected the older woman of being in cahoots with Sandro—a suspicion that was now backed up by the approving little nod he gave Phumsile before he avoided Theresa’s eyes.
“It’s not all for you,” Phumsile pointed out. “It’s also for your baby. You don’t eat enough. Stop wasting my food and eat everything on this plate.” On that note of insubordination, she swept back out of the room.
“You’d better finish every scrap, cara. You don’t want to get on Phumsile’s bad side,” he said with a little grin, putting their former discussion on hold for the moment.
“You’re all ganging up on me,” Theresa accused him, and he shook his head.
“We’re taking care of you, we’re concerned about you, and that’s why I want you to stay with your cousin while I’m gone.”
“No.” She went back to her eggs but also helped herself to a pancake, really not wanting to incur Phumsile’s wrath. The silence seethed from the other end of the table.
“I insist.”
“No.” She didn’t even bother meeting his eyes this time.
“Theresa, you’re being very difficult.” He kept his voice level and patient.
“And you’re being unreasonable,” she snapped, glaring at him. “Rick and Lisa have a new baby. I will visit them regularly, and I have no doubt they will come around here, but for me to stay there? That’s just ridiculous. I won’t intrude and I don’t need a minder; I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”