Read Online One-Night Pregnancy by Lindsay Armstrong - Free Book Online Page B

unseat Henry?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Then who? And why?’
    Adam sipped his Scotch. ‘I’m somewhat at a loss. It could simply be shareholder uneasiness, but I’ve done nothing to promote that.’
    ‘Hmm…’ Julius swirled the amber liquid in his glass. ‘You know, my boy, I’ve never meddled much in Beaumont affairs. It was Samuel’s baby, not mine. ButI do have a fairly significant holding. And I suppose I was loath to meddle in the natural order of things. Your father taking over from Sam, Henry taking over from Kevin when he died from all his excesses. Now I’m not so sure—did it ever occur to you that you were lucky, by the way?’
    Adam smiled faintly. ‘Frequently, but what particular aspect do you have in mind?’
    ‘Both Kevin and Henry suffered from “rich man’s son” syndrome, that’s what,’ Julius barked. ‘Everything fell into their laps, and that doesn’t build strong characters. But because they contrived to hold you away from Beaumonts, other than what you inherited from your mother, you went out and proved yourself in another direction. Did you the world of good.’ Julius broke off and sighed. ‘I’m getting on, and thinking of getting out.’
    ‘Only out of Beaumonts, I hope you mean?’ Adam murmured.
    Julius thumped the padded arm of his wheelchair. ‘The rest of it’s not much fun, and when your time comes it comes.’ He grimaced. ‘But there’s still something I want to accomplish. I want to see you settle down, Adam, my boy!’
    ‘Thank you, but I am settled and—’
    ‘No, you’re not,’ Julius contradicted him querulously. ‘For one thing, you’re still single.’
    Adam shrugged. ‘In the normal course of events I do have a few years up my sleeve.’
    ‘In the normal course of events you wouldn’t still behankering for Marie-Claire, your brother’s wife,’ Julius shot at him.
    Adam put his glass down. ‘Uncle Julius,’ he said coolly, ‘don’t.’
    ‘You can’t stop me!’ Julius Beaumont had the family blue eyes, old and rheumy now, but for a moment they flashed fire. ‘I may never have married, but I know all about these heartbreak girls: all eyes, all legs, take your breath away just to look at them. It’s because of one of ’em I never did marry, if you must know.’ He looked at Adam aggressively. ‘Never told anyone that, and I don’t expect you to repeat it.’
    ‘I won’t. She—broke your heart?’ Adam hazarded.
    ‘Damn near to it,’ Julius agreed. ‘And they may not make the best wives, necessarily. My nemesis married three times and never did get it right. Although in Marie-Claire’s case she did marry Henry and give him two kids, whatever may—’ He stopped rather abruptly.
    Adam frowned, and waited as he wondered what Julius had been about to say. When his uncle didn’t go on, he said briefly, ‘That point has been made. And I’m getting a little tired of all this.’ He picked up his glass to drain it.
    ‘Then how about this?’ Julius said sharply. ‘If you show me you’ve consigned Marie-Claire and all that baggage to the past I’ll hand over my proxies to you, so if there is uneasiness amongst the shareholders—and I wouldn’t be surprised, because Henry’s a fool—between us we would have the balance of power.’
    Adam Beaumont found himself staring not at hisgreat-uncle but at a magnificent grandfather clock that had fascinated him for almost as long as he could remember. The long gold pendulum swung backwards and forwards behind its glass door.
    He forced his gaze back to Julius. ‘Why?’
    ‘I want to see Beaumonts back to its former glory for my brother Samuel’s sake. And I don’t want to see you drift down the years like I did, a confirmed bachelor until you find yourself in a wheelchair, with no one but paid employees to care about your welfare.’
    ‘Uncle Julius,’ Adam said firmly, ‘that is a gross exaggeration.’
    ‘Well, maybe,’ Julius conceded. ‘You’ve been very good to me, my boy, I