*
It occurred to Virginia that if she was to play out this charade to its ultimate conclusion, she needed to look for a larger establishment that would accommodate not only a butler and housekeeper but also the redoubtable Mrs. Crawford, along with her newborn child.
After viewing several desirable residences in Kensington and Chelsea, closely observed by the two detectives, she settled on a town house in Onslow Gardens that had a top floor Mrs. Crawford assured her would make a satisfactory nursery. When Virginia looked out of the drawing-room window, she noticed one of the detectives taking a photograph of the house. She smiled and told the estate agent to take the property off the market.
The only slight problem Virginia now faced was that despite her father’s generously increased allowance, she certainly didn’t have enough money in her bank account to pay for a nanny, a butler and a housekeeper, let alone the deposit on the house in Onslow Gardens. Her former butler, Morton, had phoned earlier in the week—he was no longer allowed to visit the flat—to say that Dr. Norris had provisionally booked Mrs. Morton into the clinic in a fortnight’s time. As Virginia climbed into bed that night, she decided she would have to call her lawyer in the morning. Moments after she’d fallen into a deep sleep, the phone rang. Only one person would consider calling her at that time of night, because he would still be sitting at his desk.
Virginia picked up the phone and was delighted to hear the deep southern drawl on the other end of the line.
“I guess you’ll be pleased to know we’ve finally agreed terms with Grant’s lawyers,” said Buck Trend. “But there are conditions.”
“Conditions?”
“There always are with a settlement this large.” Virginia liked the word “large.” “But we may still have a problem or two.” She didn’t care so much for “problem or two.” “We’ve agreed on a settlement of one million dollars, along with a maintenance order of ten thousand a month for the child’s upbringing and education.”
Virginia gasped. Not in her wildest dreams … “How can that possibly be a problem?” she asked.
“You must agree not to reveal the identity of the father to anyone, and that means anyone.”
“I’m happy to agree to that.”
“You and the child will never be allowed to set foot in Louisiana, and if either of you ever decide to travel to the United States, Grant’s lawyers must be informed at least a month in advance.”
“I’ve only been to the States once in my life,” said Virginia, “and I have no plans to return.”
“The child’s surname must be Fenwick,” continued Trend, “and Mr. Grant has to approve the Christian names you select.”
“What’s he worried about?”
“He wants to make sure that if it’s a boy, you don’t call him Cyrus T. Grant IV.”
Virginia laughed. “I’ve already selected the name if it’s a boy.”
“And if any of these conditions are broken at any time, all payments will immediately cease.”
“That’s quite an incentive to keep to the agreement,” said Virginia.
“All payments will automatically cease in 1995, by which date it is assumed the child will have completed his or her full-time education.”
“I’ll be nearly seventy by then.”
“And finally, Mr. Grant’s attorneys will be sending a doctor and a nurse to England to witness the birth.”
Virginia was glad Trend couldn’t see her face. Once she’d put the phone down, she immediately rang Desmond Mellor to ask him how they could possibly get around that seemingly intractable problem. When the phone rang again at 7:45 the following morning, Desmond had come up with a solution.
“But won’t Dr. Norris object?” asked Virginia.
“Not while there’s a chance he might have to explain to his wife and children why he’s been struck off the medical register.”
*
Virginia waited until she heard the siren before she called her lawyer in Baton Rouge.
“The baby’s going to be born prematurely,” she screamed down the phone. “I’m on my way to the hospital now!”
“I’ll inform Grant’s attorneys immediately.”
A few minutes later there was a loud knock on the door. When the butler answered it, one of the paramedics picked up Virginia’s overnight case, while the other took her gently by the arm and guided her to a waiting ambulance. She glanced across the road to see two men clambering into a car. When the ambulance arrived at 41A Harley Street, the two paramedics opened the back door and led their patient slowly into the private clinic, to find Dr. Norris and a staff nurse waiting for them. Norris left instructions that he should be told immediately the American doctor and his assistant arrived. He only needed fifteen minutes.