‘And what would I have to do in return?’ I ask tentatively. ‘You want me to keep your secrets if I win?’
Fiona lets out a bright burst of laughter. ‘Oh my God, you’re not going to win, Harry! That’s so sweet. Did you really think—’ She gives me a cartoonish expression of mock-sympathy. ‘That is so cute. You really don’t know who you’re playing against here, do you?’ she says with a shake of her head, before adding seriously, ‘No, the deal is: if Oliver or I win, then you and Ed don’t have kids.’
‘What?’ I snort out a laugh. ‘I’m already pregnant. How the hell does that work?’
She frowns at my stupidity. ‘Have a think about it, Harry, you’ll get there in the end.’
What she’s suggesting suddenly hits me square in the chest. ‘Jesus Christ. You want me to get an abortion? For a game? Jesus Christ, Fiona.’
‘This is not a game – we both know that. I want you to have an abortion and to not have any children with him, at all. That is the deal. They have something on you, and believe me I’ll find out what it is. You’ve done something bad, I can tell. It must be fucking awful because there’s no way you’d have agreed to play tonight if it wasn’t. You had to play, didn’t you? You might be able to fool Edward, but I see you.’
I pull myself up to full height. This is taking too long; I need this to end.
‘Fiona, get a fucking grip. I am not aborting my child for you, so fuck off. Is this about inheritance or some bullshit? Because I don’t want their money, or need it. We’ve got more than enough. How much does anyone need anyway?’
Fiona hardens. ‘Right now, my children are the only grandchildren, do you understand that? If you have that child, if you have Edward’s child, you are taking from my sons. And I am their mother. Does that make sense to you? If you want to keep whatever dirty little secret you’ve managed to keep hidden from Ed, then you’ll do exactly what I tell you to do. Do you understand me?’
‘Ed and I aren’t even married. My child won’t even be a Holbeck. They wouldn’t be able to inherit anything, so they’ll take nothing from your kids. What is the problem here?’
‘God, you’re a stupid little bitch, aren’t you?’ she snarls, casting her eyes back to the house in disbelief. ‘I guess this is why he fell for you. Because you’re easy. You don’t know anything about this family, do you? You haven’t looked into the entailment, have you? Holbeck inheritance runs by blood.’
‘What? What does that—’
‘Edward is the first born. If he has a child with anyone – married, not married, whatever – then that child inherits everything. It doesn’t matter about you, if you’re married to him; you mean nothing. Only blood counts. Only our children count. Even their gender is irrelevant. Blood counts. Children count. We are nothing.’
‘We’re nothing?’ I repeat, turning the idea of that over in my mind. ‘Okay,’ I say finally, her eyes boring into me. ‘Well, in that case, I guess you’re completely fucked, then, aren’t you, Fiona? Because I’m having this baby and I don’t give a shit what happens to you either. If you win tonight, which I highly doubt, I’m still having this baby, and this family will have no choice but to accept my child no matter what I did or didn’t do – according to you. So, the question is, really, do you understand? Because it sounds to me like you probably should have done a bit more research yourself, shouldn’t you? Before you got knocked up by the wrong fucking brother, you stupid cunt.’
Fiona’s mouth drops open in a satisfying gawp. There it is. I guess she must have read me wrong too.
I turn with a hot ember of triumph glowing inside me and crunch on at a jog through the swirling snow.
Once I’ve passed the maze, I slip behind some bushes and let out the tension I’ve been holding in my body. A quick look back towards the house confirms that she isn’t following me, and I’m relieved to see she’s gone.