And the Lightning Strikes by Robin Deeter

Author:Robin Deeter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: western historical romance, victorian romance, multicultural romance, historical romance, american historical romance
Publisher: Word Mine Publishing
Published: 2018-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

FONG ENTERED HIS ROOM and smiled at Mary, who sat curled up on an overstuffed chair. “What are you doing?”

She’d been staying with him the past few days since Gregory had beaten her and thrown her out. In her dazed state, it had been the first place she’d thought of to go. In many ways, Fong was her only true friend. All the people in her upper-class circles were mainly Gregory’s friends so they would side with him.

None of the women with whom she was friendly would want anything to do with her once they found out she was pregnant with a bi-racial, illegitimate child, which she’d conceived while she was still married. There would be little sympathy for her anywhere.

“Nothing, really,” she said. “Something occurred to me.”

Fong took off his shirt and tossed it on the bed before sitting down on the floor to do some stretching. “What’s that?”

“Gregory doesn’t know where to send the divorce papers,” she said.

“I’ve been thinking about that.” He twisted and cracked his back, making Mary wince. “I made an appointment for you with Walt Gaines. He’s a family friend of ours. You should get some sort of divorce settlement from Gregory.”

Mary shook her head. “I have some money from what I brought with me and I can get a good price for my jewelry. I don’t want his money.”

“If not for yourself, then for the baby. Gregory shouldn’t get away with hurting you,” Fong said. “I’d like to beat the shit out of him so he knew how it felt.”

“Fong,” Mary said in warning. “We talked about this.”

“No, you talked about it and I reluctantly agreed.”

She smiled at his sarcasm. “You’re very sweet, but I don’t want to cause trouble for you. Besides, Gregory would have you arrested.”

Fong laid down and rolled over to her. “Listen, once your divorce is final, we should get married.”

“Are you on some sort of drug? Laudanum? Opium? Why would we do that?”

“So the baby isn’t born out of wedlock. I don’t want him or her to have that hanging over their head.”

Mary caressed his cheek. “I’m not going to marry you. Even if we loved each other, I don’t want to get married again.”

Fong smiled and Mary found herself captivated by his male beauty. “No, we’re not in love, but I do love you. We’re friends and lovers.”

“I pay you to be my lover.”

Fong made a graceful hand gesture. “No more money then. The fact is, neither one of us has anyone else to love, Mary. This baby needs a stable home and we can provide that for them. You said you always wanted a baby. Here’s your chance.”

Mary shook her head. “Don’t you want to fall in love with someone? You can’t find someone if you’re married.”

Fong sighed. “Mary, the chances of me finding a soulmate or whatever are about a million to one. Besides, we’d always have to hide our relationship. No one is going to accept me and another man openly having a relationship.

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