Christmas At Pemberley: And the Bride Wore Prada. Katie Oliver

said airily, and picked up her mobile phone. ‘We had a lovely chat yesterday evening. She really is nursing a broken heart, you know.’

      Dominic couldn’t imagine the red-haired ball-breaker having anything approximating a heart in the first place, but he wisely kept his opinions to himself. ‘Really? And what poor bloke did she tangle with?’

      ‘An older man, apparently. Very dashing, she said, and wealthy. But he turned out to be a complete shit. Caitlin says he used her and tossed her aside like a crumpled tissue.’

      ‘Imagine that.’ Privately Dom thought it must’ve been the other way round, but he said nothing.

      It didn’t matter, at any rate, he noticed with a flicker of irritation, as Gemma wasn’t listening, anyway.

      She was far too busy posting updates about her upcoming wedding and her silk, hand-beaded Prada gown to notice much of anything where he was concerned.

      ‘Pregnant,’ Rhys muttered after he’d shown the doctor out, and went into the library to pour himself a stiff drink.

      ‘What’s that, old boy?’ Tarquin asked affably as he entered the library in search of a good book.

      Rhys looked up, startled. ‘What? Oh, nothing. Just...thinking out loud.’

      ‘I understand Doctor MacTavish was here earlier to see Natalie,’ he added. ‘I do hope she’s all right?’

      ‘Yes. Yes, she’s fine.’

      ‘Glad to hear it. Any idea what was wrong?’

      ‘He seemed to think it was a...reaction to something she ate. Prawns, possibly.’ Rhys disliked lying to their host; but until they could be certain, there was no point in saying anything. Besides, it wasn’t something he felt ready to share, just yet.

      He needed to come to grips with the news himself, first.

      When Natalie awoke the next morning, Rhys was already up and gone. She rolled on her back and stared up at the ceiling with her thoughts in a tangle.

       So I’m pregnant, possibly...yet how could that be? I’ve taken my pill every day without fail. And those pills are 99.09 percent accurate, aren’t they?

      Natalie sighed. It was that .01 percent that always got you...

      She pushed the covers aside and got up. Her handbag sat on the armchair where she’d tossed it yesterday; she riffled through it now until she found her pill case and took out the instruction sheet tucked under the lid. With a frown, she skimmed it.

      ‘...pill must be taken at the same time every day...’

      Well, I’ve done that! she thought indignantly.

      ‘…if a pill is missed, take two pills the following day…’

      Well, I’ve done that, too, once or twice, she admitted.

      ‘...be advised that allergy medications may negate or lessen the effectiveness of the pill...’

      Natalie stared at the words on the folded sheet of paper in her hands with dawning dismay.

      Her allergies! Of course, that explained it. She’d taken a couple of allergy pills on the way here to Scotland to curb her sneezing fits. She lowered the bit of paper in her hands and bit her lip in consternation.

      On the one hand, she was thrilled – elated! – to be pregnant. She’d longed for a baby of her own ever since she’d held her sister Caro’s little girl in her arms and smelt her sweet, baby scent. She couldn’t wait to do up the nursery and shop for strollers and cribs, and some of those darling little baby shoes and outfits...

      On the other hand...there was Rhys to consider.

      He hadn’t said much last night after Dr MacTavish left them – in fact, he hadn’t said anything apart from ‘goodnight’ and ‘we’ll talk about this in the morning’. But he’d looked decidedly shell-shocked as he’d got into bed.

      Now he was gone off God-knew-where in this enormous castle, and she didn’t know quite what to do.

      Natalie frowned. She couldn’t share her happy news with anyone just yet; it wasn’t certain, after all. The doctor had said most emphatically that he’d need to run a urine test first.

      She brightened. That was it! All she needed was one of those at-home pregnancy test kits, and she could have a wee on the stick, and find out for herself whether she was really pregnant or not. She was beyond anxious to know if she was to be a mother.

      She wanted to know the answer now.

      Without wasting another moment, Natalie rummaged through the drawers and flung on a pair of jeans and a jumper and thrust her feet into a pair of wellies. Then she grabbed her handbag and headed out the door.

       Chapter 15

      As Natalie hurried down the hallway towards the stairs, Helen’s door opened.

      ‘Oh – hello,’ Natalie said, pausing in mid-flight to take in the other woman’s coat and boots. ‘Where are you off to this morning?’

      Helen slid the strap of her purse over her shoulder. ‘I’m meeting the tow truck driver. He’s taking me – and my late, lamented hire car – into the village.’

      ‘I see,’ Nat said, disappointed. ‘Then I don’t expect you’d have room for one more.’

      ‘Did you need to go into Loch Draemar?’

      ‘Yes. Rhys has disappeared, and I need to buy,’ she paused ‘something, erm, personal...from the chemist’s.’

      Helen smiled. ‘I quite understand. I’m sure we can make room for one more in the truck’s cab.’

      Colm was waiting downstairs as they descended the stairs. ‘I’ve come to take you into the village, Miss Thomas.’

      ‘But...I arranged to ride along with the tow truck driver,’ Helen told him, puzzled. ‘He said I might. So there’s really no need for you to take me. Us,’ she amended as she glanced over at Natalie.

      ‘Well, you haven’t much choice, I’m afraid,’ Colm informed her. ‘Your car’s already been towed away. Now, ladies, if you don’t mind,’ he added brusquely as he reached for the door, ‘I’ve things to be doing. Let’s go.’

      And so it was that Natalie arrived in Loch Draemar a short time later, after agreeing to meet Helen and Colm in an hour’s time. She made her way with trepidation into the chemist’s and winced as the bell jangled over the door.

      But after the proprietor called out a pleasant ‘good morning’, no one bothered her, and she found herself alone, studying the assortment of pregnancy kits on offer with a frown of concentration.

      She’d no idea there were so many brands available to tell you if you were pregnant or not. It did her head in. How was she to know which test kit was the most reliable?

      Was it best to buy this famous one she’d seen advertised on TV? Or the one that claimed to be ‘easy to use’? Or this one over here, that screamed ‘doctor recommended’ in large blue letters?

      In the end she went with the famous one. It cost the most...so that meant it was the best, surely?

      Just before lunch they piled into the Range Rover and returned to Draemar.

      ‘It looks like I’ll be depending on the kindness of strangers for another week,’ Helen remarked as Colm turned up the drive that led to the castle.

      ‘What? Your car won’t be ready until then?’ Natalie asked.

      She shook her head. ‘The mechanic says they have to send to Inverness for the parts. I really hate to impose on Tarquin and Wren any more than I already have.’

      ‘Oh,