The Prince's Pregnant Challenge (The Royals of Monaco, #2) Read online

  He was not prepared to face his cousin after what he had done. At the same time, he did not regret sleeping with Liane. He had not stopped thinking about her since that night. In fact, she was the reason he left so quickly as he couldn’t bear the thought of her marrying the Crown Prince. Seeing her now, he was reminded as to how much she annoyed him as well. She was quite feisty. She seemed calm and soft on the surface but when it came to him, she was not. Every time they were together, they argued about something.

  Liane looked at Jean Pierre with a frown. She couldn’t stand that the person she detested the most was the father of her baby and what was worse was that she still found him incredibly attractive. She got up to leave the room.

  “Where are you going?” Jean Pierre called after her.

  “I need to eat,” she said. Jean Pierre followed her out of the bedroom. He still needed to speak with her. Liane sat at the table and waited for her food.

  “You are six months along now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know the sex of the baby?”

  “No.” While Liane had regular visits with her doctor, she had decided not to know the sex of the baby. She was going to let it be a surprise. Those were the kinds of decisions she needed to make with her husband. Unfortunately, she was not married and the pregnancy was the result of a one-night stand with a man she could barely tolerate.

  Jean Pierre sighed. “Do you want to find out the sex of the baby?” he asked.

  “I will wait,” she said and started eating as soon as the maid dropped off the food. She wanted to eat in peace but unfortunately, that was not a choice. Jean Pierre was not going away.

  Liane was glad to see Macee and Francesca walk in and join her at the table. They were both surprised to see Jean Pierre there and they stared at him not knowing where to start.

  “Your highness,” Jean Pierre greeted Macee and bowed his head. She still stared at him with a blank facial expression.

  “Jean Pierre,” she finally responded.

  “Where were you?” both Macee and Francesca asked him at the same time. Liane closed her eyes momentarily. If Jean Pierre thought she was bad, then he was not going to survive Macee. She was the feistiest one of the three.

  “Excuse me?” Jean Pierre was confused.

  “You simply slept with her and took off?” Macee asked.

  “Macee!” Liane said.

  “But he did,” Francesca said.

  “She was to marry the prince. We should not have done what we did, so there was no reason for me to stick around,” he replied.

  “While I can understand that, what I don’t understand is why you didn’t check up on her to see how she was doing. You were her first after all.” Macee did not hold back on her thoughts. Jean Pierre whipped his head in her direction. He had not known that she was a virgin at the time. While he could tell that she was inexperienced, he did not know that she was untouched.

  “Are you shocked?” Liane asked him.

  “Of course, I am. You did not tell me,” he replied defensively.

  “So, you thought that since I’d been betrothed to the Crown Prince for ten years that I simply slept around and YOU were one of those times?”

  “That is not what I said.”

  “Then, what are you saying?” Francesca demanded.

  My God, there are three of them, Jean Pierre thought to himself. They were all ganging up on him as if he was the one at fault.

  “I am saying that she never said anything. Just like she did not say anything about the pregnancy.”

  “How was she to reach you when you simply left?” Macee asked.

  “She could have tried to find out my whereabouts.”

  “So, you sleep with people and then leave without looking back?” Macee asked.

  “You have responsibility in this too,” Francesca added. Liane burst out laughing. They all looked at her as if she was crazy. She actually felt bad that Jean Pierre was being attacked by her sisters like that but she found it amusing.

  “I am sorry, carry on,” Liane said, as she continued to laugh.

  Jean Pierre had never been cornered like that in his life. He had to remain calm because of Macee. She was the future queen and he had to behave in her presence. He was already in enough trouble with the royal family; he didn’t dare make things worse with the princess.

  “I admit that I should have called, but I came as soon as I found out and I am here now,” he replied.

  “Do you want the baby?” Macee asked.

  “Of course, I want him,” he replied.

  “Him? What if he is a she?” Francesca asked. “Would you not want her then?”

  “Now that is not what I meant.” Jean Pierre was getting agitated. He ran his fingers through his hair as he took deep breaths.

  “Does your mother know?” Macee asked. “No, if she did, she would have been here by now trying to take Liane's head off.”

  “I will give you a ladies some privacy, excuse me,” Jean Pierre said suddenly, as he got up and left the room. He needed to cool off.

  “You guys were so mean,” Liane said before she burst out laughing.

  “We were not that bad,” Macee said and grabbed a piece of fruit from Liane's plate.

  “Especially you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. Oh my life, Macee, you were like a pit bull off its leash,” Liane added as she kept giggling.

  Macee started laughing. She knew that she was feisty but she did not think that she had been that bad. She could not help it when it came to her sisters. She was over protective.

  Chapter 8

  Jean Pierre went to see Prince Louis in his office. The prince was happy to see his cousin, as he greeted him with a warm smile and asked him to join him at his desk. Jean Pierre bowed his head before he sat down.

  “It is good to see you,” Prince Louis said.

  “I am ashamed to face you,” Jean Pierre admitted.

  “Don't be, I should thank you.”

  Jean Pierre raised his eyebrows. “Thank me, for what?” he asked. What Jean Pierre had done was unforgivable. Had this been a different century, he would have been killed for it.

  “Because of this situation, I was able to marry Macee,” Prince Louis replied. Jean Pierre was not sure what to say. It was a twisted situation.

  “You are welcome, I guess,” Jean Pierre said, as Prince Louis laughed.

  “Have you been to see Liane yet?” Prince asked.

  Jean Pierre sighed heavily before he replied. “I met all three of them,” he said as he pulled a face.

  “What happened?” Jean Pierre told him everything that had happened as Prince Louis laughed. He was not surprised that Macee had taken his head off. He knew that his wife was quite feisty. It was one of the things that he found attractive about her. He found it even more amusing that Francesca had joined in.

  “It was a battlefield in there and I believe that was only the beginning,” Jean Pierre said. Prince Louis laughed.

  “You will be fine. The sisters are not that bad once you get to know them.”

  “Your wife was ready to have my blood. You should have seen the look in her eyes.”

  Prince Louis laughed. He knew all too well, what Jean Pierre was talking about. “But you and Liane, how did that happen?” he asked. He was still curious about that. He knew that they attended the same country club but he had not expected them to get along because of how they argued the night he introduced them to each other.

  “It was at the country club and we had had a few drinks.”

  “Liane is not the type to get drunk.”

  “She was not drunk but perhaps the champagne had gotten to her a little bit. Before that night, I was pretty sure she disliked me. In fact, I’m sure that she still does.”

  “Yes, I remember the heated debate the two of you had over King Henry the Eighth.”

  Jean Pierre grunted. He too still remembered it. They both were highly opinionated and determined to be right. Nei
ther one of them was willing to back down. In the end, it was the prince who stopped it.

  “She was always arguing with me. Something about me ruffled her feathers.”

  “Jean Pierre, you are like that with many women.” The prince raised his eyebrow. How did his cousin not know how much he offended women?

  “Yes, they start to hate me once they realize that they can’t have me. She had a different kind of hate.”

  Prince Louis shook his head. His younger cousin was the same as ever. “So what happens now?” he asked him.

  “I have no idea. I guess my mother is not going to take it lightly when she finds out.”

  “Bridgette will be the hail storm that falls upon us all.” The Prince knew that Bridgette was not going to like this at all. She had disliked the LeBlancs from the moment she met them and it was she who outted Liane to the world. Little did she know that the pregnancy she was so quick to reveal was her own grandchild.

  ***

  The queen called Bridgette back to the palace. Jean Pierre wanted to tell his mother in person but the queen had summoned her back to the palace before he had the opportunity to go see her and tell her. The queen was sitting with Bridgette in the courtyard when Jean Pierre and Liane arrived.

  They approached the queen and her sister. As they both greeted the queen, Bridgette made a face. “Why is she here?” she demanded. Liane bit her tongue. She still had much to say to Bridgette.

  “That is what we need to discuss,” the queen said.

  “Let me tell her,” Jean Pierre interrupted. It was better if he was the one to tell his mother. The queen nodded and allowed him to speak.

  “What is going on?” Bridgette demanded.

  “Mother, the child Liane is carrying is mine,” he said.

  “What?” Bridgette was not sure that she had heard correctly.

  “I was responsible for getting her pregnant.”

  Bridgette was silent for a moment. She let the sickening news sink in. Had she heard correctly? Her son had gotten the crown prince's fiancée pregnant. After six months, she was only now finding out? She was not sure whether to cry or yell.

  “Mother?” Jean Pierre asked. He had never seen his mother that quiet. A tear rolled down her face. That was definitely not the response he was expecting.

  “You slept with the Crown Prince's fiancée and then got her pregnant?” Bridgette spoke so quietly.

  “I am sorry.”

  Bridgette slapped him across the face. “What is your cheap apology going to achieve now?” Bridgette shouted. She turned to face Liane, “I thought you were the most decent one in your family but then you seduced my son, WHORE!” she screamed.

  Liane's eyes flew open. “I never seduced your son. You have no right to speak to me like that,” Liane snapped. Bridgette really had some nerve.

  “Mother, please calm down,” Jean Pierre said. Bridgette smacked his arm a few times. She was so angry with him.

  “Do not tell me to calm down. How do you expect me to react when you are only telling me this now?” Bridgette started fanning herself. She felt as if she was going to faint that was how angry she was. The queen sat there quietly. She knew that was how her sister was going to react.

  “He did not know until a few days ago,” Liane said.

  “Is it even his?”

  Liane laughed. Of course, Bridgette would say something like that. It was very much of her calibre. “Would you like a paternity test then?” Liane asked her.

  “We need to do damage control,” the queen said.

  “Of course, I want a paternity test!” Bridgette screamed.

  “Mother, stop it. The child is mine,” Jean Pierre said quietly. Bridgette backhanded a cup that was on the table, which went flying and shattered into pieces as it hit the ground.

  “This is preposterous! This cannot be happening!”

  “Please, calm down. I understand how you are feeling. I was just as angry,” the queen said and rubbed Bridgette's arm. Bridgette closed her eyes. It took her a few moments to calm herself down.

  “So, what do you propose we do?” she asked after a while.

  “They must get married.”

  “What?” Bridgette, Jean Pierre and Liane all said at the same time. That was not the solution they were expecting.

  “I am afraid I am not willing to do that,” Liane said. It was bad enough that she was having a child with him. She could not see herself being married to Jean Pierre for life.

  “I agree with the bitch on this one,” Bridgette said.

  “And, I will not have this bitch as my mother-in-law,” Liane shot back.

  “Whore!”

  “Enough!” the queen demanded. “That is the only solution to keep our reputation intact.” Damage control needed to be done. As relatives of the royal family, they could not be involved in any scandals.

  “Can we think about it?” Liane asked.

  “No, you cannot and this needs to be done before the baby is born,” the queen stated.

  “This is unfair,” Liane said. The queen was not even her mother and she was forcing her to marry Jean Pierre. Her own mother had not even suggested that.

  “You should have thought about that before you took your undergarments off.”

  Liane's jaw dropped open. She may have been the queen but she did not need to say such things. Liane knew that she had made a mistake but she needed to fix it on her own. She did not need the queen to behave like this. Jean Pierre was not even her son. Liane had to bite her tongue and not say anything. Charles had taught her very well how not to betray her emotions.

  “I do not like this either,” Bridgette snapped. However, she knew that was the only way to sort out this situation. There was no other way.

  Chapter 9

  Liane had finally agreed to the marriage. Her mother had also said that was the best thing for herself and for the family. She also reminded her that a child needed to have a father in his or her life. While Liane said that she would marry Jean Pierre, she was adamant that she was not going to have a wedding. She did not want it. They agreed to a civil service.

  Her mother was annoyed with Liane at not wanting a wedding; after all, this would be her opportunity to amass gifts that she could use in her new life. When she pressured her, Colonel LeBlanc put a stop to his wife’s behaviour. He simply wanted to put the matter to rest as soon as possible and was pleased that Liane had agreed.

  As they drove to the courthouse, neither one said anything. They simply wanted to get it over and done with.

  “Which department is it?” Liane asked, as they walked inside.

  “How should I know?” Jean Pierre replied. He had not been there before either. Liane rolled her eyes. They read the boards to find out which floor before entering the lift.

  When they arrived upstairs, they checked in with the clerk and waited for their turn. When the judge called them forth, she spent a few minutes explaining procedure as both Jean Pierre and Liane fidgeted impatiently waiting for her to hurry up with the instructions.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Splendid,” Jean Pierre replied.

  “Yes, amazing,” Liane added.

  The judge shook her head as she passed them the paperwork. She could sense the sarcasm in both their tones; however, it was none of her business.

  “Sign here, here, here, and here,” she said.

  Liane and Jean Pierre rushed out as soon as the judge said they were done. As they walked out of the courthouse, Liane wondered how soon it would be okay to file for a divorce. Surely, she was not going to have to stay married to him for too long, perhaps just long enough to appease their families.

  They both got into the car and the driver drove them back to the palace. Jean Pierre sat there thinking about what it was going to be like to live with Liane. Her mother was already sorting out a house for them to live in. This was all very weird for him. While he was twenty-five, he had never considered getting married. He liked his life the way it w
as and one indiscretion had changed his entire life.

  “We shall have separate bedrooms,” Jean Pierre announced.

  “Of course, did you think I wanted to share a bed with you?” Liane asked.

  “Who wouldn't?”

  Liane groaned and rolled her eyes. He thought the whole world revolved around him. It was pathetic.

  “Can we stop for food?” Liane asked the driver.

  “Can you not wait until we get back to the palace?”

  “No, I want to eat right now,” Liane replied petulantly. Since she was pregnant, she got so hungry that it was unbearable and having to spend time with Jean Pierre only made her want to eat more.

  The driver felt awkward. He did not know whether to stop or not. “So...are we stopping?” he asked hesitantly.

  “We are,” Liane said. The driver pulled up near a row of restaurants. Liane opened the door without waiting and went into the burger shop while Jean Pierre remained in the car. Liane ordered herself two meals. She felt ridiculously hungry.

  Growing impatient, Jean Pierre went into the shop to find Liane sitting at a table and clearly on her second burger. He frowned as he approached her. “Just how much are you eating?” he asked her.

  “You try being pregnant and then see if you can be so judgemental,” Liane shot back. Jean Pierre sat down at the table with her and snatched a French fry.

  “Well, could you eat faster?”

  “Take a taxi if you are so impatient,” she told him as she finished off her burger. It would be so much better for her if they went their separate ways.

  Jean Pierre narrowed his gaze at her. He had never taken a taxi in his life and he was not going to start now.

  “No, thanks,” he said and grabbed her milkshake. Liane smacked his hand and took it back, setting it out of his reach as she glared at him.

  “Not this time,” she snapped.