Pretty Baby novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: Get Out

I didn't lie to him.

I was too tired, and there was no lie left that could cover it.

"Since the night you signed the contract," I said. "Since I saw Crane's name on your letter."

He stood very still.

"I'm Mabel's mother," I said. "I'm the woman in that file."

"The woman in that file is dead."

"She isn't. She's standing in your study in your shirt."

"Then you're a very good liar."

"Stefan, look at me."

I took the folded letter out of my bag and laid it on the desk, and he picked it up and read it.

His face didn't change.

"A dying nurse," he said. "Unsigned beyond a first name."

"She was at the birth. She knew."

"And you took a job as my fiancée to get to my lawyer."

"Yes."

"You slept with me," he said, flat, "to get to my lawyer."

"No."

"You were in my study at one in the morning with a hairpin."

"I was looking for the file! I didn't plan to touch you!"

"But you did."

"You touched me first," I said. "You kissed me at the gala. Don't pretend I made you do it."

"I'm not pretending anything," he said. "I'm adding it up."

He pressed a button on his phone, and Crane's smooth voice came on the speaker.

"Stefan. I was about to call you."

"Alistair, I have Lydia Kaufman in my study. She claims she's Mabel's mother."

A pause.

"I see," Crane said. "I should have warned you."

"She came to my office two days ago and made the same claim. She had a photograph of a hospital form she took from your house."

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