The Shadow Wife - Diane Chamberlain [67]
“I’m sure it is.”
“And there’s more,” Joelle said.
“Yes.” Carlynn wore a sympathetic smile.
“I’m pregnant.”
Carlynn nodded. “I know.”
“How could you have known that?” Joelle’s hands flew to her belly. She’d thought she had hidden her pregnancy well.
“I’m a good guesser.”
Joelle thought something other than guessing was at work here, but she continued. “Fifteen weeks pregnant. I thought about an abortion, but I’ve wanted a baby so long.”
“And Liam doesn’t know?”
“He has no idea.”
“When will you tell him?”
“I don’t plan to,” she said. “I’m going to leave before my pregnancy becomes too obvious. I’ll move away. I’m not sure where I’ll go yet. Maybe to Berkeley where my parents live.”
“Isn’t it unfair of you not to let Liam know?” Carlynn leaned toward her on the sofa.
Joelle shook her head. “There’s nothing he can do about my being pregnant except feel worse than he already does, Carlynn,” she said. “He can’t marry me.”
“Do you really want to leave Monterey?” Carlynn asked her.
Joelle hesitated a moment before answering. “Honestly, no. I love it here. But maybe I can come back someday.” She let out her breath, looking up at the ceiling. “This doesn’t have to be forever.”
“Does Liam still perform his music?” Carlynn asked the question seemingly out of the blue.
Joelle shook her head. “No. I don’t think he’s picked up his guitar since Mara went into the nursing home.”
“Well.” Carlynn set her sandwich plate on the coffee table. “There is one thing I know for absolute certain about you, Joelle.” There were tears in Carlynn’s eyes as she moved closer to Joelle, wrapping her thin hand around Joelle’s where it rested on her knees. “You are a tremendously noble human being.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Look at what you’re doing, honey. You love this man so deeply that you want to find a way to heal his wife, to return his wife to him, because you know that’s what will make him truly happy. Even though you love him. Even though you’re carrying his child. You’ve placed his happiness above your own. Few people would do that.”
A bit embarrassed, Joelle looked at her uneaten sandwich resting on the coffee table. “It feels good to love someone that much,” she said, her voice a near whisper. “It’s the only thing that feels good about this whole situation.”
“The next time I visit Mara,” Carlynn said, “I’d like Liam to be there, as well. Can you arrange that?”
Joelle grimaced. “I’m not even sure how he’s going to react to your being there today, Carlynn,” she said. “But I’ll ask him.”
“Good.” Carlynn patted her hand and stood up. “Now you’d better get out of here before the fog socks you in.”
Joelle nodded, although she was thinking it might not be that bad to be stuck in the mansion with Carlynn.
At the front door, she kissed Carlynn’s cheek.
“Thanks so much,” she said, opening the door and walking outside. The world was filled with translucent gray air, but all Joelle could think about was that she had a new confidante. An unexpected confidante.
Although she was not very far from Carmel, the fog obscured parts of the road, and she had to drive slowly. She felt trapped inside her car with nothing but the memory of that night with Liam.
She and Liam had sat with Sam on Liam’s bed, looking through a picture book with the little boy and singing him silly songs, like “Itsy, Bitsy Spider” and “Pat-a-Cake,” and Sam didn’t care a bit that Joelle couldn’t carry a tune. He giggled and let her nibble his fingers while he cuddled with her and his dad. When Sam grew tired, Liam carried him into the nursery and tucked him into his crib, but Joelle stayed where she was on Liam’s bed. She was looking forward to talking with Liam about the day, and if she realized the sofa in the living room would be a more appropriate place for such conversation, she didn’t let herself think about it.
Liam came back into the room and fell forward onto the bed, his head resting on his folded arms. His face was turned toward her, but he wasn’t looking at her. Instead, he seemed to be staring into