Chapter 71
Going into her father's office, Catherine nearly shocked Marylyn, her father's secretary, into dropping the phone receiver she'd been holding. "I need to see him Marylyn. Is he in?" Catherine asked in a hushed voice because of the call the other woman was on.
Covering the mouthpiece, Marylyn replied, "I'm sorry Cathy, he's in a meeting all morning. Can I help you with anything?"
"No, I'll just have to catch him at lunch. He doesn't have plans for that does he?"
"He does now," Marylyn smiled and wrote Cathy's name down on her father's calendar.
"Thanks Marylyn!" Catherine smiled and turned to head to her own office.
Ten minutes before noon her father walked into her office, "I got out of my meeting early and Marylyn told me that I had a lunch date with my favorite daughter."
Catherine laughed, standing up to hug him, and then remind him, "I am your only daughter, daddy!"
"Yes, and think how awful it would be in that case if you weren't my favorite!"
"Oh dad!"
"Where would you like to go to lunch kiddo?" he asked.
"Somewhere quiet, I have something I need to talk to you about."
"Is something wrong Cathy?"
"No…well…I guess you might see some of it that way, but over all it's good news."
"Now you have me totally confused and worried."
"Let's wait till we are at the restaurant please dad."
"Alright," he agreed reluctantly.
Several minutes later he looked at her expectantly after the waiter had taken their orders and left them alone. "I know you remember my attack and the unexplained ten days following it," at his nod, she went on, "Those days weren't really forgotten, although there is still a part of the attack that I gladly don't remember. But the days after it, I was in a secret place recovering. I couldn't tell you, or anyone for that matter, about it because it wasn't my secret to share. The man that found me in the park took me there to protect me and to let me start to heal. His father is a doctor and he was the one that saved my life after Vincent brought me to him. Daddy it is a wondrous place where they live and Vincent is the most wonderful of all!"
She reached across the table to take hold of his hands and give them a squeeze.
"There has to be more to the story than just that Cathy."
"There is daddy! But I'm not sure what to tell you next," she hesitated.
"Why don't you tell me more about this wonderful Vincent? I am guessing that he is the one that put that glow on your face," Charles smiled at her.
"He is part of that, but there could be another reason I am glowing. You see Vincent and I are going to get married, daddy, I'm also pregnant."
Her father tilted his head to the side and stared at her intently. At first Catherine was afraid that he was going to be very upset with her, and then out of nowhere a brilliant smile blazed across his face and he said, "I can see the same joy in your eyes that your mother had when she was carrying you. But Cathy, I wouldn't be a responsible father if I didn't tell you that if you are going to marry this man you should have a pre-nup in place. I know with Tom, you and he were on the same financial plane, but not knowing anything about this Vincent I have to wonder if he might be after your money."
"Oh Daddy! Nothing could be farther from the truth! Vincent didn't even know who I was when we first met. I had to tell him I was a Chandler and even then he didn't have any idea what that meant. Please believe me that he has no interest at all in my money!"
"I guess I will have to reserve judgment on that until I get a chance to meet him. When do you think I will get to meet the man who is making me a grandfather?"
"That's just it daddy, part of what I need to tell you…I don't know who got me pregnant. After the three men that grabbed me, cut my face, I passed out. While I was unconscious I was…assaulted. So I may never know, nor am I sure I would want to. But on the bright side, I met Vincent because of the attack and we fell in love. Daddy, Vincent will be this child's daddy, even if he is not related by blood," Catherine waited for her father's reaction.
To be continued….