Her father nodded curtly. ‘Good, because once people find out, you’d never live it down. You’d be called all sorts of names …’

Olivia frowned uncertainly. ‘Won’t they wonder where the baby came from?’

He rubbed his fingers over his bare chin. ‘There’s lots of different options to consider, but I personally believe it would be best if you gave the baby up for adoption.’ Seeing the look of horror on his daughter’s face, he continued hastily, ‘We’d make sure you’d be able to visit whenever you wanted, and that they were good people, more like fostering than adopting.’

Olivia remained doubtful. ‘I’ve got ages to go yet. Won’t people wonder where I’ve gone?’

He shook his head. ‘We’ll wait until the last few months, then I’ll say you’ve gone away to a boarding school; they’ll not even question it.’

Olivia thought for a moment before shaking her head decidedly. ‘I couldn’t give Mum’s only grandchild to strangers.’

Her father pulled his mouth into a dubious pout. ‘Very well, but consider the effect watching her underage daughter go through childbirth might have, not to mention living with a newborn baby that cries from morning to night. The baby will take a lot of your attention from your mother, and I dread to think of the effect that could have on her health. The stress alone …’

Olivia covered her ears with her hands. ‘All right, all right, I get the picture.’

Her father held his hands up in a reasonable fashion. ‘It’s your choice. I was merely pointing out …’

Olivia nodded grimly. ‘I’ll do it.’ She knew full well what her father was trying to do, and even though she hated herself for it, deep down she was worried he might be right.

‘I shall set the wheels in motion,’ William said authoritatively, placing the documents back in the filing cabinet.

She was about to leave the room, when a thought occurred to her. She turned in the doorway. ‘What’ll happen to Mum? Who’ll look after her and what do we say?’

‘We tell her the truth, that you’re going to go away for some peace and quiet and that you won’t be returning until you’ve had the baby.’

‘And if she asks what we plan to do with the baby?’ said Olivia.

‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Besides, you’re only young – chances are …’ He threw her a shrewd look.

Olivia stared at him, uncomprehending. ‘What?’

Her father shrugged. ‘You’re too young to be carrying a baby. Chances are it might not survive …’

Olivia left the room before an avalanche of tears descended. She knew her father wouldn’t be thrilled, of course she did, but it almost sounded as though he wished the baby wouldn’t survive. She turned her thoughts to Ted and his treacherous ways. How could she have got him so wrong? He had made himself out to be her confidant, the one she could always turn to, yet he’d left without checking to see if the rumours were true.