Walking past him, Ellie began to squirm in his arms. Gretchen didn't pause for a moment to acknowledge the baby whose cries were now intensifying as she made to pull the door open.

“Ma... ma... ma!” Ellie screamed.

Stunned, she paused in her tracks, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Mama!”

She turned around slowly, her heart racing in her chest as she considered the infant who sat screaming in frustration in Ethan's arms, her face stained with tears and her arms outstretched toward Gretchen.

Gretchen didn't know what to feel in that moment. Not once had she given the little child the inclination that she was her mother. While she cared for Ellie and spent her entire waking and sleeping moment with the child in her arms, she didn't think it was enough for the child to think of her as her mother.

For a second, her gaze shifted to Ethan's, afraid he'd be furious —would he think that in his absence, she had convinced Ellie that she was her mother? Would he think this was part of her plans to displace his wife?

Why did everything have to be so complicated? She sighed, almost light headed. One would think that after scheming her way in California to break Matthew's marriage and failing so badly, she'd be finished with married men. But that wouldn't be the case, for here she stood once more, being accused of trying to break another marriage; something she wasn't even guilty of.

Ellie's cries intensified as she began pushing her tiny fists against Ethan's chest in protest.

Gretchen watched with increasing horror as the frown on Ethan's face deepened, his gaze fixed on her with accusation setting his eyes ablaze. He stepped forward, her body stiffening as he came to a halt before her and held Ellie out to her.

She stood, unable to do anything but stare at him. She hoped with all her heart that he saw how shocked she was by the development —she had no idea how Ellie had come up with the word, neither was she exactly pleased with it. But Ethan didn't seem to understand that. Indeed, he stood still before her, holding a wailing child out to her until she was left with no other choice but to take the child from him and into her arms.

Turning from her, he made his way out of the room, a loud sigh escaping her lips as he slammed the door shut.

**

THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION for Ethan's fury toward the new nanny and he knew it quite well —he knew he couldn't blame Gretchen for being such a good caregiver that his nine month old baby now mistook Gretchen for her mother. He knew he couldn't blame Gretchen for Juliet's decision to leave, or to dump their baby on his doorstep and leave such a short and impersonal explanation for her foolish behavior. It wasn't Gretchen's fault that he was alone and heartbroken. The worst part was, it wasn't Gretchen's fault that his gaze was beginning to linger on her for a lot longer than was appropriate.