Her eyes widened as she realized what he was saying, but there was more.
‘If you think I would allow a child of mine to be swallowed up in the midst of your family—that is also simply not on the cards.’
She swallowed a couple of times. ‘Look, I know that as an adoptee yourself you… you must feel pretty strongly about this, but I would never deny you access to your child—’
‘And do you think you’re strong enough to hold out against your father, Maggie, if he sees things differently? I don’t. So we’ll both be there for it, whether you like it or not.’
She stood up tensely. ‘It’s not a question of liking it or not! What I’m talking about is a shotgun marriage—’
‘That is another possibility.’ He lay back in his chair and steepled his fingers. ‘You could find your father does come after me with a shotgun.’
‘Nonsense!’
‘I’m speaking metaphorically, but marriage, even to me, may be his preferred option for his only daughter rather than single motherhood.’
It came to Maggie in a blinding flash that perhaps even her sanity and therefore the welfare of her baby could be at risk if she allowed herself to become a pawn between these two powerful, arrogant men. Yes, two—I was right about you in the first place, Jack McKinnon! she said to him in her mind.
She put her hand on her flat stomach, thought of the life within her, and breathed deeply. Then she picked up the cordless phone on the coffee-table, and she dialled the Kingaroy homestead number, where she knew her parents were still holidaying.
She suffered a moment of anguish while the phone rang at the thought of their, particularly her mother’s, new happiness, but how happy would either of them be if she ran away?
‘Dad?’ she said when her father answered. ‘It’s Maggie. Will you please just listen to me? I happened to meet and have an affair with a man you detest, Jack McKinnon. I know what all the bad blood is about, but I will never let Mum know. Unfortunately—’
She paused and listened for a while, then, ‘Dad, please, if you love me at all, just listen. I was the one who did the chasing, not Jack. Unfortunately, and this was also my own fault entirely, I’m pregnant. Jack has decided I should marry him although our affair was—completely over before I realized I was pregnant. But while I’m immensely concerned about this baby’s welfare, I don’t think a loveless marriage is the solution—’
Once again she broke off and listened, then, ‘No, Dad, I won’t be doing that either. I appreciate your concern but this is the point I need to make you both understand—neither of you can make me do anything. In fact, if you continue this feud and—’ she raised her eyes to Jack’s ‘—either of you make my life unbearable, I’ll go away where neither of you can find me.’
Her eyes didn’t leave Jack’s face while she listened again, then she looked away and said into the phone, ‘I’m sorry, Dad, I know this must have come as a shock. Please break it gently to Mum. I love you both, but I meant every word I said.’ She put the phone down.
Jack stirred at last. ‘Was that slamming the shed door well and truly, Maggie?’
She shrugged. ‘I’ve been living in a terrible vacuum since I found out. How to tell you? How to tell them? What to do? Until it suddenly came to me I’m no one’s hostage and what I’ll be doing is staying right here and continuing my job as long as I’m able, and letting this baby grow in peace. Yes, I was angry,’ she conceded.
‘Who’s to say it would be a loveless marriage?’ he queried.
‘Jack—’ she rubbed her face wearily ‘—you have given me absolutely no indication to the contrary—’
‘Because I didn’t burst in on you and sweep you into my arms?’ he asked. ‘Your father isn’t the only one to get a shock today.’
She rubbed her knuckles on her chin. ‘I know. I’m sorry.’ She gestured helplessly.
‘As a matter of fact, the thought of my own child has had a rather startling effect on me.’
‘Me too,’ she conceded. ‘I mean, it could probably be quite an interesting child.’ A ghost of a smile touched her lips.