The Five-Year Baby Secret

The Five-Year Baby Secret
Liz Fielding

Married for a day…Fleur Gilbert and Matt Hanover married in secret, believing their love could end their bitter family feud. They were wrong.Six lonely years later, Fleur hardly ever dreams she'll see Matt again. But Matt has never forgotten Fleur–or forgiven her. And when he learns that their one-night marriage created a son he never knew he had, he's determined to claim back his child….And his wife…?

Harlequin Romance

is thrilled to present another wonderful book from award-winning author

Liz Fielding

Liz Fielding will keep you captivated for hours with her contemporary, witty and feel-good romances.

RITA

Award-winning author Liz Fielding “gets better and better with every book!”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub

Dear Reader,

Some books spring from our own experiences, needing nothing more than the well of memory and imagination to fill the pages. Others are driven by ideas that require much research: reading any number of fascinating books, delving about on the Internet, sending impertinent e-mails to total strangers who respond with amazing patience and kindness. Fleur Gilbert’s story falls into the second category.

Whilst I understood the basics of plant breeding, I am eternally grateful to Clare Green at the Royal Horticultural Society (www.rhs.org.uk), Derek Luther at the British Fuchsia Society (www.thebfs.org.uk) and Bob Hall at the Ammanford Fuchsia & Pot Plant Society for many of the details I used in this book. I am also indebted to the Web site of the Stroke Association (www.strokeassociation.org).

Any errors are my own.

With love,

Liz

The Five-Year Baby Secret

Liz Fielding

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Liz Fielding started writing at the age of twelve, when she won a writing competition at school. After that early success there was quite a gap—during which she was busy working in Africa and the Middle East, getting married and having children—before her first book was published in 1992. Now readers worldwide fall in love with her irresistible heroes, and adore her independent-minded heroines. Visit Liz’s Web site for news and extracts of upcoming books at www.lizfielding.com.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

PROLOGUE

FLEUR GILBERT hesitated on the registry office steps. This was not how her wedding day was meant to be.

She should have spent the morning being fussed over by her mother, laughing and crying, remembering all the stupid things she’d ever done. Her friends should have been there, the girls she’d known all her life. She wanted Sarah, a posy of little bridesmaids in frilly frocks.

Bells should be ringing in the village church where her parents had been married, as had countless generations of Gilberts before them.

She should be dressed in white with her father at her side, squeezing her hand to give her courage, to tell her that she was the most beautiful bride ever; proud and happy and hiding a tear as he gave away his little girl to some man who couldn’t possibly be good enough for her.

But she was marrying Matthew Hanover and their wedding could never be like that. She knew Matt was right. This was the only way, but, locked inside their private world, insulated by a love so intense, so perfect that nothing and no one else had seemed to matter, she had overlooked the reality of what today would be like.

‘Not having second thoughts, are you?’ She looked up at the man she loved, for one blissful moment believing that he was seeing this from her point of view. Had, at the last minute, recognised how far from her dreams this day must be.

But he was smiling. Joking to cover his own nerves.

‘No,’ she said. ‘No, of course not.’

His smile faltered. ‘I’d be happier if you sounded a little more confident.’

She shook her head, smiled and leaned against him.

Her first thought on meeting Matthew Hanover face to face, seeing beyond his name, had been that this was it. That he was the one. Nothing had changed that.

‘I’m not having second thoughts about you, Matt. I’m just not looking forward to telling either of our families what we’ve done.’

‘What can they do? A month from now we’ll be working far away from Longbourne.’

‘I suppose so.’

‘Whatever happens we’ll be together, Fleur, man and wife.’ His hand closed protectively over hers. ‘Nothing our families do will ever be able to change that.’

CHAPTER ONE

‘HAS the post come?’