At Long Last Ch. 03

"I just want you to know, Helen, that if you need any help, want anything at all, the whole family will be behind you in this. We'll support you any way we can."

"Thank you, but the only thing that worries me at the moment is keeping it out of the papers. I haven't even told my own parents yet, and I would hate them to read about it over breakfast in their morning newspaper," I said.

"You can count on us," Mrs Drummond told me, "When do you expect to have it?"

"In about seven months time, I reckon," I answered.

Mike's mother put her arms around me and gave me a warm hug.

"I'm so glad Mike found a nice girl like you, Helen. There are so many gold-diggers about. When he told me you liked him for his dancing, and didn't even know who he was, it made me smile. When he was young, I made him take his sisters to dancing classes and encouraged him to learn too. I told him it would be a social asset when he grew up. He always said it made him quick on his feet, and helped him with the boxing," Mrs Drummond said, wiping away the tears, mine as well as her own. The next day I went to spend a week with my own mother and father, and took some comfort from the familiar places and things around me. Christine, my youngest sister, was at school during the day, but her presence cheered me in the evenings. I even got on well enough with my other sister, Marie. She had always seemed to resent the closeness that Christine and I had for each other, but at last we appeared to get on fine. I didn't mention my suspected pregnancy to any of them at this time. I had finished with morning sickness and was still a long way from showing any outward sign of my condition.

My state of mind was much improved by the time I got back to London and had seen my doctor to have my suspicions confirmed. I felt a sense of relief when he told me I was definitely pregnant. I realised how much I wanted to have Mike's baby. The knowledge of what was growing in my womb softened my grief for my lost lover.

Sophie welcomed me back with hugs and kisses, making a big fuss over my return.

I told her about the pregnancy and she said she hoped I was doing the right thing in keeping it.

"It might cramp your style somewhat," she warned, but she also offered to do anything to help.

At first I resisted her attempts to get me going on the old party circuit. Then after five or six weeks, I relented. There was an engagement party at Roberto's flat and was the sort of noisy cheerful affair that Italians seem so good at arranging. Everyone had a good time and I had no objections to sharing his bed with Roberto's friend Leo. 'At least,' I thought to myself, 'I don't have to worry about contraceptives now.'

I didn't know what the future would bring. Sophie, Wanda and my friends Sylvie and Veronica, as well as Solly, all knew about my pregnancy. I knew they would stand by me. All I had to do was what everyone kept telling me was essential; I had to tell my parents!