All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Fifty-Two

        Laura did tea in style, I had to admit. Scones, biscuits, croissants, cookies, and every pastry imaginable were spread across the table, along with various jams and jellies. There was tea, obviously, in an adorable kettle with water lilies painted on the side. It came with matching teacups, which were so cute that I would've asked where they'd come from had they not been in the possession of Laura. Then I realized they'd probably cost a fortune and were unattainable anyways.

        "Hello, Jackie," she said, standing out of politeness. She wore deep blue, and for the first time I realized that we were having tea outside, in the dead of winter. My sheer sleeves and bare legs were now rather impractical. But of course, it made sense; Laura would thrive in the coldest of Canadian winters.

        "Please, darling, have a seat," she said with a smile, already pouring me a cup of hot tea.

        "Thank you," I said politely, wincing at how the metal of my chair burned the backs of my legs.

        "Sugar? Milk?" she asked.

        "No, thank you," I said. I would drink it raw. Raw and scalding hot, just as it was intended to be. Just as she was drinking it.

        Oh, she put two lumps of sugar into her own cup. Well, I would still bear the raw tea.

        "How was your time in Toronto?" she inquired.

        "Lovely," I said truthfully. "Grayson's conference went well, and we had a ton of time to hang out. He showed me the city, we went out to dinner a lot, it was nice."

        Laura smiled, a smile so big and genuine that I was mildly concerned. "That's very good to hear, Jackie. I'm glad you two got to spend a bit more time together. I know things have been hectic around here, to say the least, so some time alone together was probably good for you."

        Something about her words felt off. But I smiled and took a sip of tea, which was an Instant Regret. It was, to be frank, disgusting. I didn't even know what flavor it was. Perhaps the finest dirt in the world?

        Mistaking my repulsion for delight, Laura proudly said, "It's directly imported from Thailand. Ginger, with a hint of peppermint."

        "Well it's just divine," I lied, faking another sip. I now need to exact revenge on the entire nation of Thailand for producing this cup of dirt.

        Laura daintily set down her teacup and that's when I knew I was in trouble. Her lips were pursed as she sighed and said, "Jackie, dear, I'm afraid I must be direct with you, something I would normally never do as it is unladylike."

        Because that's the only thing she's done that's unladylike. So I gave her a ladylike smile and sweetly said, "You can ask me anything."

        Clearly struggling to ask the question, Laura folded her hands and said in a low voice, "Sweetie, how long have you been pregnant for?"

        I almost shattered my teacup. The blood drained from my face and felt like it had leaked out of me entirely. I froze, not sure how to answer or what answer she was looking for. Surely, she couldn't have found out. We'd done everything to keep Everlie as much of a secret as possible. Yet here was Laura, staring me down with those unnerving blue eyes. Now I saw past her invitation to tea, her diversion with the Thai cup of mud. It was all just to figure it out: how soon would her grand fortune, her legacy, have a proper heir?

        Shaking, I whispered, "I don't quite understand." There was still hope. If I could just find out what she wanted me to say, I could say it.

"Well certainly, you must be pregnant after all this time," she said, a worried crease appearing between her brow. I almost fainted in relief right there, able to breathe again. She didn't know. Everlie was still hidden, locked safe away in the memories of Grayson and myself.