Forbidden (10 page)

Liz studied Richard’s eyes and saw only concern there, not condemnation. For a moment she’d regretted blurting out her situation.
But he was a compassionate man, and she needed to talk to someone. Up to now she hadn’t told anyone, not even Molly. She knew
Molly only too well. Her friend would list two options: tell Adam or get an abortion. Liz was unwilling to do either. “I’m
telling you this in confidence. Please don’t say anything to my parents.”

Understanding, he nodded. “Of course not. What about the baby’s father?”

Liz straightened. “I don’t want to talk about him. He doesn’t know, and I intend to keep it that way.”

“All right.” Richard let out a deep breath. “What are your plans?”

“I really don’t know what I’m going to do.” She watched her hands shred the tissue.

He had a solution, one that would be good for her and an answer to his prayers. “I have a suggestion.” For a long while he’d
wanted Liz to be his wife. He’d stayed in the background, thinking that apparently she had to get a youthful fling out of
her system and he’d be around to pick up the pieces when it was over. The current situation she found herself in wasn’t ideal,
but if it would make her his, he would take it. “You could marry me.”

Liz shot him an incredulous look, then got to her feet.
“Please don’t joke about this, Richard.” Needing to move about, she went to the kitchen and put water on to boil. Perhaps
a cup of tea would settle her stomach.

Richard trailed after her. “I’m not joking.” At the stove he turned her to face him. “I’m very serious. We can get married.
No one will know about the pregnancy until later. Furthermore, I promise never to ask you who the father is.”

She thought the tears might begin again. She’d known that Richard cared more for her than she did for him, but she hadn’t
dreamed he’d go this far. “You’re such a sweet man. But I can’t let you do that. I can’t let you sacrifice your way of life
to help me out.”

“That’s not how it would be, Liz. Marrying you wouldn’t be a sacrifice for me. It would be a dream come true.” He saw the
disbelief in her eyes. “Do you know how long ago I started loving you? Probably back when you still wore braces and I was
a brand-new attorney in your father’s office.”

Liz reached to turn off the stove, her need for tea forgotten. Could she be a real wife to this man, still loving Adam? “I
don’t know, Richard.”

He took her hands in his, afraid she could see how hard his heart was beating, afraid she’d turn him down. “You say our marriage
would change my life, and it would. For the better. Liz, I rattle around in that big house I bought in Pacific Beach, and
I think that it cries out for children, for a family. Marry me, Liz. Make us a family.”

She felt suddenly overwhelmed. “It’s such a new idea, Richard.”

“There is one thing I have to tell you.” Richard sucked in a deep breath, wondering how to say it, hoping his revelation wouldn’t
turn her from him just when he felt she was beginning to weaken. “I can’t have children of my own. I had mumps in my teens.
You need to know there’d be no more. But we could adopt other children.”

Compassion for him softened her eyes. She didn’t know what to say.

His fingers gripped her arms, so desperate was he to convince her. “But I want you to know I’ll treat this child as if it
were my own.” Trembling with emotion, he pulled her into a rough embrace. “Please say you will.”

Liz closed her eyes for a moment, then stepped back. “I… I have to think about this, Richard. I just found out about the baby
today and now this. I need time.”

“Of course.” She hadn’t said no. He had hope. “Would you like me to leave you alone?”

“Maybe that would be best. I’m very tired.”

“You get some rest.” He walked to the door.

She waited till his hand was on the knob, then followed him, unable to let him go just like that. Nervously she touched his
arm. “Thank you for the flowers and… and everything. I want you to know I do care about you, Richard. And either way we go
on this, I’m grateful to you.”

“There is one thing I’d like to know. This man—is it over between you?”

“Yes.”

“Because if you agree to marry me, I would expect you to be faithful. I mean, I know you’re not in love with me, but—”

“I wouldn’t be unfaithful. You have my word.”

He smiled at that and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Sleep on it and call me when you’ve reached a decision.” And he was
gone.

Liz leaned against the closed door, letting out a ragged sigh. Such a good, kind man. Why couldn’t she have fallen in love
with him instead? she asked herself.

Liz stepped back from the completed bust, angling her head this way and that as she studied it. Definitely it was her best
piece yet. Perhaps because the subject matter was so dear to her heart.

She’d managed to capture the essence of Adam McKenzie, she felt. There was tenacity, self-assurance, and boldness in his face
and determination in the firm chin. But there was that hint of gentleness about the eyes that tempered the fierce, almost
warrior look. She doubted if strangers would recognize the subject, but his identity was unmistakable in her eyes.

She went to the kitchen to wash up. She would let the piece dry, then fire it. After it was set she’d put it away where she
couldn’t see it, where it wouldn’t haunt her, wouldn’t remind her daily of all that had been hers briefly but would never
be again.

The phone rang just as she finished drying her hands. She caught it on the third ring.

“Liz? This is Fitz.”

Surprised, she stretched the phone cord to the living room. “How have you been, Fitz?”

“Fine, thanks. And yourself?” There was an edge to his voice even he recognized as he listened to her tell him she, too, was
fine. For the most part he loved his work, but there were things that Adam asked him to do that rubbed him wrong. He could
always refuse, but that wasn’t his nature. “I’m calling for Adam. He’s reserved a suite of rooms for the weekend at the Sheraton
and would like you to join him. There’ll be a ticket waiting for you at the airport Friday night. Flight leaves at six. All
right?”

She waited a moment, letting the sharp jolt of the pain pass. “Too busy to call himself, is he?”

Fitz gave an embarrassed laugh. “Yeah, it’s unbelievable here. Three weeks and it’s back-to-back meetings. Problems at every
turn. He told me to apologize for him.” Only silence met his remarks. “He… he really wants to see you, Liz.”

No. He really wants me in his bed. A nice quiet flight, a clandestine little weekend in a tucked-away hotel, forty-eight hours
wrestling in the sheets, and then send the naive little
girl back home. No, thank you, Mr. Attorney General. “Please tell Adam that I’m busy this weekend.”

Surprised, Fitz groped for an answer. “Is anything the matter?”

Plenty.
“Not a thing.”

“You’re sure you can’t make it?” Adam was going to be pissed.

“Positive.”

“All right. Well, take care of yourself, Liz.” Slowly Fitz hung up. There had been something odd in Liz’s voice, a defiant
strength he hadn’t heard before. He rose and walked next door to Adam’s office.

“Okay, Sam,” Adam said into the phone. “Get back to me on this ASAP.” He hung up and looked at his brother’s frowning face.
“Something wrong?”

“I’m not sure.” Fitz took the chair opposite Adam. “I called Liz. She says she’s busy this weekend.”

He didn’t need this right now. “Did you tell her all the arrangements were made—the airline ticket, the hotel reservation?”

Fitz nodded. “She said she was positive she couldn’t make it. I asked if there was anything wrong and she told me not a thing.”

Adam leaned back on his chair. He should have called Liz himself. It probably annoyed her to have Fitz play middleman. If
he phoned her now, it would sound like begging. His eyes drifted to a stack of messages needing callbacks alongside a pile
of file cases demanding his attention. She simply had no idea how little free time he had, how difficult it had been to clear
his calendar and arrange this weekend with her.

But he’d done it because—
damn it all
—he wanted to see her. There were times when the need to be with her was so strong, it would keep him awake. He’d reach for
the phone, then realize the hour and hang up. Which was just as well. He didn’t want Liz to know just how weak she could make
him, even from miles away. His father had been weak. Adam was determined not to follow in those footsteps.

He looked at Fitz. “Thanks. I’ll call her myself in a day or two.” Fitz seemed as if he wanted to say something more, and
Adam waited. But instead his brother got up and left the room without another word.

Adam stared at the closed door. Fitz didn’t approve of the way he was handling Liz. Tough. He wasn’t the one struggling with
a relationship bordering on obsession. Fitz had fallen in love four years ago, and when Sandy Wilkins had betrayed him by
getting pregnant by another man, Fitz had turned from her and never spoken her name again. Fitz was stronger than their father
was and much stronger than Adam.

That was another reason he should be pleased that Liz couldn’t make it this weekend. Determined to put her from his mind,
he picked up the phone, but before he could dial there was a knock at the door. Diane Cramer walked in. She’d toned down her
wardrobe recently, which was a big improvement, Adam thought as he noted her simple blue dress.

“I’ve got all the data on the Carlisle case for you. And I discovered something surprising.” She moved closer to his desk,
her expression pleased.

Adam hadn’t been crazy about taking Diane along to Sacramento as one of his aides, but Fitz had talked him into it, saying
the woman was really valuable, that she worked tirelessly and was politically savvy. He had to agree she was doing well.

“What’d you learn?” he asked.

“Only that George Carlisle hasn’t filed his taxes in four years.” Diane’s smile was smug. This was the second time she’d found
a flaw in a defendant.

“You’re kidding! I can’t believe he’s that stupid.” He touched his forehead with two fingers in a salute to her. “My hat’s
off to you, Diane. That’s just the sort of thing we needed to gain his full cooperation. Type it up for me, will
you?” Remembering the hour, he glanced at his watch. “Oh, wait. It’s late. You can give it to one of the secretaries tomorrow.”

“I don’t mind staying late.” Adam’s smile of approval was worth the extra hours she’d been putting in. Diane was the only
female aide now, which made her a fairly powerful woman, one men were beginning to respect. And finally Adam was beginning
to notice her work. Soon it would be time for her to get him to notice Diane the woman.

“Well, if you’re sure I’m not interfering with your plans for the evening?”

What plans? she thought, still wearing her smile. “Not at all.” Quietly she left his office.

Adam again picked up the phone, his mind already on his next call.

In her San Diego apartment, Liz replaced the receiver after Fitz’s call, feeling a rush of sadness wash over her. She couldn’t
really blame Adam. From the start he’d been up front with her. He’d said he had no intention of getting seriously involved.
It had been she who’d set aside the rules and fallen in love with him. She’d known better, known his career, his ambition,
came first.

Now she was paying the price.

She stared for long minutes at the piece she’d sculpted of Adam McKenzie. She would discipline herself not to think of him
any longer. She had a child growing inside her, and her first concern must be what would be best for that child. Sometimes
the best thing—the
only
thing—to do was to let go.

Slowly she picked up the phone and dialed Richard’s number.

The Townsend house in La Jolla was perfect for a wedding. Situated high on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. it had bricked
terraces, banks and banks of windows, and stone
steps leading down to the sea. For privacy it was enclosed on three sides by high stucco fencing. Inside, it was beautiful,
with Italian marble floors, hand-carved balustrades, and a dining room that could seat thirty comfortably: exactly the number
it was set for on this Christmas Eve.

Molly walked to the top of the winding staircase and peeked down. Red poinsettias and evergreen roping along with a spectacular
Christmas tree vied with white-and-gold wedding decorations. People were milling about, the pianist was playing softly, and
through the archway she could see an obviously anxious Richard adjusting his bow tie. Everyone, it seemed, looked happy and
smiling. Too bad the bride wasn’t. She hurried back to Liz.

“You sure you want to go through with this?” Molly asked as she closed the bedroom door quietly behind her.

“We’ll be just fine.” Liz pushed a final pin into her hair to hold the short veil in place, her eyes on her mirrored reflection.
The woman staring back at her with the too bright eyes was a shade too thin and much too pale, and she had an indefinably
sad look about the mouth. Liz tried a smile, but it didn’t help much. No matter. It would have to do.

Her mother hadn’t been pleased about this rush-rush wedding. Katherine had point-blank asked Liz if she’d been sleeping with
Richard. Liz had almost smiled as she’d been able to quite honestly say she hadn’t. She’d mumbled vaguely that rushing had
been Richard’s idea, that he simply didn’t want to wait another month after she’d agreed to marry him. Katherine’s expression
clearly revealed that she knew there was more to the story, but she’d not questioned Liz further.

She was only two months pregnant and not showing at all yet. One day soon she’d tell her mother the truth, but not when she’d
scarcely become accustomed to the reality of the baby herself. Besides, the fact that premature babies ran in their family
should keep the relatives from too much conjecturing.

Because of the limited timetable, Katherine had had no choice but to keep the guest list to a minimum, a restriction that
annoyed her greatly. However, in the end she’d acquiesced graciously, and now here they all were.