Chapter 20

A young woman stepped into Duke's Club, looking around before stepping further inside. She had left town months ago when she found out how her life was going to change she felt it was the right thing to do. As she looked across the room she saw him, the man she loved, the man she wanted to believe could love her. Margaret Munroe had heard some interesting things during her time away. Maybe telling him the truth won't ruin everything after all.

It wasn't until after she was seated that he noticed her. Duke was working the room greeting his guests, he watched her as she spoke to the hostess. Her long dark hair hung loss around her shoulders, she smiled happily then glanced in his direction. Did she see him watching her? What was she doing here? He hadn't seen her since he left for New York when Anna first asked for the separation. How many nights had he found comfort in her arms when he couldn't face another argument at home? At first, it was because he could close his eyes and easily pretend it was Anna he was holding, that was holding him. Duke knew she had developed feelings for him and he should never have slept with her but he had felt so lonely. He knew he had taken advantage of her, what was she doing here now.

He had to know what she was here, Duke made his way across the room. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked as she looked up at him.

"Please," she said with a polite smile. He pulled out the chair and took a seat. "I recently heard you were back here," she told him once he was settled.

"Is that why you're here this evening? Did you come here to see me?"

Margaret looked into his beautiful brown eyes, "Yes. I had to come and talk to you. You deserve to know."

Duke had noticed her round belly before he'd sat down. He looked down then reached out and touched her stomach. "Is it mine?" She nodded her head, never looking away from him. "Is this why you left town?" There was movement and he looked down at his hand. There really was a baby in there and growing bigger. She just said it's his child.

"I didn't want to cause you any more problems. I wanted you to be happy, I wanted to make you happy. I thought if I got the chance you might see I was the one you wanted to be with." Margaret put her head down. "When I found out I was pregnant you were already gone. I didn't know if you were going to come back here. If you would even want to be a father to our baby."

He leaned in close, "Of course I want to be a father to my child." Then he looked around. "Are you staying in Port Charles or were you planning on leaving again?"

"I am staying here at the moment." Margaret was not sure yet what her next move was going to be. If Duke wanted to be a part of this baby's life then she owed it to him to be close by, didn't she? They at least needed to talk about this. Being here might break her heart a little every day loving him when he didn't love her but at least he would be there for their baby. "I might be willing to reconsider my recent move. I just don't want to interfere with your life more than I already have."

"You didn't interfere. You were a friend when I needed one. You were there for me when I was feeling down. I took advantage of that. I was the one that took advantage of you," Duke admitted.

"No Duke, don't say that. You didn't take advantage. I knew what I was getting involved in. I knew about your wife and I understood what we were doing was wrong but I didn't care."

"Maggie," he whispered, realizing how badly he had treated her. She loved him, he was sure of that. She used to come here fairly regularly. The first time he noticed her she was here with some friends. It had struck him that first night that she looked very similar to Anna. Her hair, her build, similar but definitely not the same That had been what had first caught his attention. As upset as he was with Anna at the time, as much as they were fighting that first night it had been nice to just talk to such an attractive woman. He had never planned for what ended up happening between them.

Margaret had started coming in more and more after that first night, usually by herself after that as well. She would sit at the bar and at first, it was just a little harmless flirting while he worked, someone to talk to at the end of a long day. The first night she had gone up to the apartment all they had done was talk. He told her all about the problems in his marriage, about the jealousy he felt toward the relationship between Anna and Robert. When she had hugged him, then just held him. It had felt so wonderful to feel that kind of comfort again. A comfort he should have been getting at home.

The night he had kissed her he had gotten into a huge fight with Anna earlier in the day and left for the club in a terrible mood. That changed when he saw her partway through the evening. That night he wanted to do more than just hold her once they were alone. When he had kissed her, he hadn't expected the passion she returned the kiss with. It was a few days before they ended up sleeping together and he knew he should have felt guilty but all he felt was hurt. Hurt that he had to find comfort in another woman's arms because Anna was shutting him out because she couldn't accept the man he is.

He isn't perfect and yes there are parts of his life he isn't proud of. Duke had wanted Anna to accept his flaws, accept that she didn't need to know everything that he was involved with. If she could have done that there wouldn't have been a problem and they would have gotten to move on with their life together.

"I'm not a good man, Maggie." He lowered his head again, Anna had admitted to a night together with Robert. After that, she said nothing happened until she had decided to ask for the divorce. If that was true he had had an affair with two different women in that time and one of those affairs had also produced a child.

"You might not be perfect but you are a good man, Duke." Margaret put her hand on his, "Would you consider giving you and I a chance. I heard about your divorce. I could love you enough for both of us and our baby would have their mom and dad." She shrugged, "Maybe one day you could even love me."

"I cheated on my wife, why would you want to be with me? After I went to New York I was having angry hate sex with a woman that would happily destroy my life just because I was mad that I wasn't getting what I want."

"I never felt like you were angry, quite the opposite actually."

"I was so angry when I left here. Anna kicked me out and then she was throwing herself at me. I remember thinking this will show her. I wanted to hurt Anna so I was screwing Olivia Jerome for a couple of weeks. It just made everything worse."

"Oh, I see." Margaret's shoulders slumped forwards slightly as her hand slipped away from Duke's. Maybe she didn't really know him at all. Maybe she hadn't meant anything to him either. Was she just kidding herself thinking there could have been anything more than sex between them? That he had cared for her at all.

"No, I don't think you do. Sex with Olivia left me feeling guilty because I was lashing out and using her to hurt Anna." He took her hand in his, "I don't know why but I never felt guilty after we were together, I felt guilty that I couldn't give you what I knew you wanted from me."

"You knew? I thought I was hiding my feelings better than that."

"I want to talk about all of this more but I also need to think about all of this." Duke looked at her belly, "There is a lot going through my head and I don't want to say something stupid. Can we talk again tomorrow evening?"

Margaret let out a breath as she relaxed a little. "I would like that very much. Would you consider joining me for dinner? We can talk about other things this evening. Just get caught up with each other."

He smiled at her, "I'd like that."

…

Anna and Robert were waiting to be called in for her latest check-up. At almost seven months pregnant her appointments were now every two weeks. "You know you don't have to come to every check-up," Anna said with a smile watching Robert fidget impatiently beside her.

"I want to be at everyone and if I can I will be."

"Then relax, it won't be that much longer."

"There aren't even any interesting magazines here to read."

"This surprises you?" she asked with a chuckle. He looked over and saw her smiling at him. She was glowing with happiness, Robert leaned in and kissed her tenderly. "What was that for?"

"Because I can," he told her with a grin.

Anna laughed as she put her hand on his cheek. "I love you."

"And I love you," Robert said just as Anna's name was called. They stood up and walked toward the woman that had called her. As they were about to turn and follow her they both saw Duke walking out of the examination room area. He was with a dark-haired woman neither of them knew and she was most certainly pregnant. "What do you think that's about?" Robert asked as they started to move again.

"I wouldn't know but I'm sure it's only a matter of time until we hear something."

"You don't think that's his kid do you?" Robert asked, his curiosity running wild now.

Anna glanced back but didn't see them now, "I don't know, do you think? No? Oh, but he did say something, oh. I wonder."

"We can wonder about that after we're done here. I want to hear how my son is developing."

"Alright Dad, let's go hear about your boy."

…

After Duke and Margaret had left the hospital he took her for lunch at The Grill. "That was Anna wasn't it?" she asked once they were seated. Maggie had seen how they had all looked at each other and she was sure that had been Commissioner Scorpio with her.

"Yes, that was Anna and Robert."

"How far along is she? Could that be your child?" She knew she had no right to feel like this but she hoped that wasn't the case.

"I thought that for a time. Anna assures me that it isn't. I have a lot of time to think and I believe she's right about it." He took her hand, "I wasn't spending a lot of evening at home around the time she said she got pregnant." Since the night Maggie had shown up at his club again they had talked several times. When Duke told her that he would be willing to see what could happen between them she had agreed to get a doctor here in Port Charles and today had been her first appointment.

"Oh, was I keeping you from her?"

"You weren't keeping me from anything. When I was spending time with you that was my choice. That was where I wanted to be."

"But you had a family."

"My wife went out of town with her ex-husband and figured they could have a secret night together and no one would ever find out. My home life was a mess way before I met you."

"Duke," she started.

"Maggie I don't want you feeling guilty about what happened between us. I don't know what happens now but that's what I want to focus on. What could happen now, not what has already gone on."