David stroked her rich auburn hair with a gentle hand. 'I asked myself those same questions when I had that crash and killed Elizabeth. I would have given my life to save hers, yet I was the one who killed her. It was such cruel irony. I never got an answer and still don't have one. These things happen out of the blue to anyone without rhythm or reason and it's no use complaining that they're not fair'.
She was silent for a moment,then asked huskily, 'Ate you absolutely sure that there is no chance of an operation? Wouldn't it be worth taken a risk?'
David shrugged, 'They've told me that there was almost no chance of them removing the tumour without killing me and I have been rushing to put my affairs in order. If I had died a few months back when they first suspected the tumour, I'd have left chaos behind me. I hadn't made proper provision about anything. My wife's death invalidated my only will and I had serious decisions to make and now I have tidied things up. One of my decision was to bring Bryan to London and put him in a position in the bank where he would get to know everything about the bank and be able to inherit all my shares when I died '.
She frowned. 'Have you told him? Does Bryan know that you're ill?'
David shook his head. 'You are the only person I have told apart from my specialist and my own doctor. Bryan has no idea.
'But he does know that you've made a will leaving everything to him, all the shares in the bank?'
David shook his head again. 'Snd after what you've just told me, I am having second thoughts. I need an Heir to carry on after me at the bank and you need a father for your baby. The child will have my blood in his veins afterall, it seems a perfect solution to both our problems, don't you agree? So, Sharon, will you marry me?'
She almost thought for a moment that she hadn't heard him correctly and she didn't answer, just looked at him blankly.
He started back, a half smile curving his pale mouth, his blue eyes wry and gentle.
'Will you marry me, Sharon?' he repeated, looking at her face and seeing the expressions flick across her incredulous white face. 'At once and don't spend much time considering my proposal. There's no time to lose for either of us'.
Sharon didn't even need to think for a second, shaking her head in utter disbelief, she whispered, 'David... thank you... you're the kindest man I know and that's the most wonderful offer... you've taken my breath away and I'll never forget that you asked me, but, you know, I couldn't possibly accept'.
'Why not?' he seemed taken aback as if he had expected her to jump at his proposal.
She made a husky sound, half sob, half laughter. 'Dear David, I couldn't marry you for your money even if it was all intended for my baby. I wouldn't live with myself if I did. No, it was very thoughtful of you to want to help me but money isn't really the answer to my problems. I earn enough to be able to take care of my baby myself, afterall, and I have plenty of savings put by. I shall work something out after it's birth, find some one to look after the baby while I work. Lots of other women find themselves in this predicament and manage to cope. I'm sure I shall once I put my mind to it. And as for you needing an Heir with your family blood in his veins, well I can't advise you on that but Bryan is still your nearest relative and he understands merchant banking better than anyone I know apart from you'.
She got up, pushing back her auburn hair with both hands and David got to his feet too, frowning.
'I thought you hated him?'
She laughed. 'The way I feel about him doesn't stop me from assessing his abilities honestly and recognizing that the man is brilliant'.
'Yes, he is, isn't he?' Davibd murmured pushing his hands into his pickets and rocking on the balls on his feet. 'Brilliant but amoral, it seems. I'm not sure that makes him a suitable candidate to take my chair in the bank, Sharon. I'm not someone who believes you don't need a morality if you're in banking'.
'I'm sure, Bryan has high ethical standards where banking is concerned', she dryly told him and David grinned at her, his face lightening.
'You can always make me laugh even when I'm very down. And you are astonishingly fair minded.I don't think many girls in your shes would have been strictly scrupulous where Bryan is concerned'.
She couldn't quite meet his eyes. In a low muffled voice she said, 'He didn't force me to do anything that I didn't want to do, you know'.
David was silent but he took her hand and held it tightly, comforting her without words.
'I may hate his guts but he didn't make me any promises', she went on with bitter humour.'He didn't cheat me or lie to me. We didn't even have a affair. I think Gerhard put it in a nutshell...'
'Gerhard?' David repeated, looking astonished. 'He knows about the baby?'
'No, but he did guess that I'd been involved with Bryan. He said being with the two of us was like being caught in an electric storm'.
David laughed. 'He hit the bottom there. I know exactly what he means'.
:Well the first time we made love was like being hit by lightning but getting up and walking away feeling dazed. I still don't know why I let it happen. But it is personal David just between me and Bryan. Don't let what happened between me and him make any difference to you. I must admit that I never trusted Bryan from the start but if I had known that you were so ill, I wouldn't have been quite so suspicious of him, I think. The point is, I thought you were being so premature, sending for him to join the bank and talking of making him your heir. I thought you were much too young for that and Bryan was going to take advantage of you. You were running only on one cylinder all these months and Bryan was taking over right in front of my eyes. Now I know what was behind your thoughts and actions and I have to admit that you've made the best possible choice as far as the bank is concerned. He's streets ahead of any other candidate to take over from you'.