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‘Rery,’ he said softly

She grimaced ‘Sorry It’s just…’

‘You love her, and it’s instinctive to be protective of your family,’ he said ‘I’h as he’s the saht asof him as “little”’

She s’

‘I’re, Maddie’

‘I know’ She paused ‘So what happens now, Theo?’

‘I don’t know I hopedthis ,’ he ad less than you deserve, Maddie—but I don’t know if I can give you what you want’

‘Marriage and babies’ She gave up the pretence of toying with her food ‘Theo, you don’t panic about babies at work, do you?’

‘No’ He knehat she was really asking ‘But that’s because it’s different They’re not my babies I’m not in love with the mums I can be calm and competent and reassure theto be fine Whereas if you hadthat I was going to lose you And in a hat I do for a living makes it worse, because I know all the fine detail of everything that could possibly go wrong’ He blew out a breath ‘And that wouldn’t be fair to you You wouldn’t be able to enjoy your pregnancy because you’d knoas feeling, even if I tried to hide it’

‘And however much I reassured you, howeverwould be fine, there’s the gap between head and heart It’s the same for me’

He blinked ‘You’re scared of being pregnant?’

‘No I’e that’s co for ot it wrong I can’t trust h I know you’re an honourable man, Theo—that you’d never do what Harry did—the doubts still get in the way’

He kneasn’t tactful to ask, but he asked anyway ‘What happened with Harry?’