He frowned, then looked at his watch. He had a bit of time before the scheduled meeting with her father. “Fine. I’ll get us a table.”
With a grunt, he set off to the café across the street. This day was not going the way he’d planned at all.
Five minutes later, Darius took a sip of strong coffee and drummed his fingers on the somewhat sticky tabletop that the waitress had wiped haphazardly with a rag. What was keeping Meredith? And what could she possibly want? He was meeting with Horace Cheeseman in less than an hour. Was it a coincidence that the man’s daughter had waylaid him now?
A waitress passed by, leaving the scent of apples and cinnamon in her wake. The bell jangled on the door as more patrons entered.
“Sorry. I had to wait until the coast was clear.” Meredith slipped into the booth across from him. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me.” Her features were pinched, and shadows hugged her eyes.
“What do you want, Meredith? I don’t have much time.”
“I know you’re meeting with Daddy today. That’s why I had to see you. I need your help.”
He peered more closely at her. Clad in a brown dress and plain hat, she looked different today, more subdued somehow. He imagined her world had been turned upside down if she’d told her family the reason Darius had ended their engagement. The possibility existed that she’d lied, made up some excuse blaming him for their parting. He hoped she hadn’t done so, because if she had, he would be forced to tell Mr. Cheeseman the truth in order to uphold both his and Walcott Industries’ good reputation.
“I haven’t changed my mind about marrying you, Meredith.” He needed to establish that fact right away.
Her gaze slid to the cup of coffee he’d ordered for her. “I figured as much.”
“Then what help do you need? If you expect me to lie to your father—”
“That’s not it. I need you to get Daddy to change his mind about something.”
Wariness crept through his system. “About what?”
She bit her lip, her eyes darting to the next booth, as though assessing whether anyone was listening. She leaned closer. “I told Mama and Daddy about . . . my situation. I had no choice, really. They would have found out soon enough.”
“How did they take the news?” Though her deception still stung, Darius wasn’t made of stone. He could appreciate the difficult position she was in.
“Not well.” Her generous mouth, today bare of any color, turned down at the corners. “Daddy is furious with Jerry for shirking his responsibility. He’s determined to hunt him down and force him to face the consequences.”
“As well he should.” Yet Meredith didn’t seem pleased with the notion. “That’s good news, isn’t it? I assume you still have feelings for him if you . . .”
“It doesn’t matter. Even if Daddy finds Jerry, he won’t marry me. He’s made that perfectly clear. Which is why I was so desperate to find someone else.” She let out a sigh. “I owe you an apology for that, by the way. It was unforgivably selfish of me.”
A measure of guilt convicted him, and he lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “You’re not the only one who was selfish,” he admitted. “I had my own reasons for wanting to marry you. Being part of the Cheeseman family would have been beneficial for Sofia and me.”
The clatter of dishes being cleared from the next table competed with the hum of conversation.
“Thank you for saying that.” Meredith stirred her coffee, not looking at him. “I knew you weren’t madly in love with me, so I wondered why you went along with the rushed wedding so easily.”
His muscles relaxed somewhat. At least she wasn’t bent on revenge or trying to pin the pregnancy on him. “So what is it you need me to talk your father out of?”
Moisture welled in her blue eyes. “He’s sending me to stay with relatives in Saskatchewan until the baby is born.”
From her agonized expression, she clearly felt it was a fate worse than death.
“Isn’t that a good thing? It would spare you from the gossipmongers around here.”
She shook her head. “I could never survive there. His cousin lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere. It’s a three-hour car ride to the nearest town. And they expect me to help out with chores until the baby comes.” She reached across to grasp his hand, her eyes pleading with him. “You have to convince Daddy this is a terrible idea.”
Darius stared at her. How would he accomplish that? It wasn’t as if he had an alternate solution. . . .
Or did he?
Slowly, an idea dawned, and he straightened on the bench seat. “Meredith, I have the perfect place for you.” He lowered his voice. “It’s a maternity home here in the city run by two women who have made it their mission to help others in your situation.”
“A maternity home?”
“Yes.” He became more enthused with the idea. Ruth and Olivia would welcome her with open arms. And Meredith would love the grand old house much better than a rustic farm on the prairies. It was the ideal solution. “Bennington Place is beautiful. They have a midwife and a doctor on staff. They’ll help you decide what’s best for you and for the baby when it arrives.”
Indecision played over her features, but then she shook her head. “Daddy won’t agree. And frankly, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable either.”
He squeezed her fingers. “I assure you, the women are very discreet.”
She bit her lip and looked out the window at the steady stream of pedestrians passing by.
“What if I suggest it to your father and see how he reacts?”
“You could try, but I doubt it will do much good.” She rose abruptly. “This was probably a bad idea. I doubt anyone can change Daddy’s mind. Not even you.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “I really must go.”
He jumped
