Evelyn switched off her computer and gathered her things to leave.
Miss Evelyn, theres some young lady asking to see you. Says its a personal matter.
Let her in, by all means.
Into the office stepped a petite, curly-haired girl in a shockingly short skirt.
Good evening. My names Harriet. Id like to present you with a proposal.
Good evening, Harriet. This is rather mysterious. We havent met before, have we?
Not you, no. But I am quite well acquainted with your husband, Oliver.
The girl strode up to the desk and tossed down a piece of paper. Evelyn reached for it and began to read.
Harriet Bennett, pregnancy 56 weeks.
What is this? Im not sure I follow Why are you showing me this?
Theres nothing that complex to follow. Im pregnantwith your husbands child.
Evelyn gazed at her, utterly bewildered. Was this some kind of elaborate joke?
And what am I supposed to do with this information? Offer my congratulations?
No. Id like some money, if you value your husband
And precisely what are you expecting money for?
Ill terminate the pregnancy and vanish from Olivers life. He doesnt know about it yetthought you should be first to hear. If you refuse, hell leave you for me, as you cant have children. I know all about you. So, whats your answer?
Evelyn struggled to process this surreal encounter. Thoughts swirled like leaves in a windstorm.
And whats the price for your silence?
A mere thirty thousand pounds. Pocket change for someone like you. In return, you and your dear husband can grow old together in peace
How exceptionally generous of you! Thank you so much for the offer. Very well, Harrietleave me your number, and Ill let you know my decision.
Dont leave it too longthe clocks ticking, and I need to act if, you know, I do go through with this
Harriet scrawled her number on a scrap of paper and strode out, as if this were nothing stranger than a shoe fitting.
Miss Evelyn, are you finishing up? The cleaners waiting
Evelyn folded the paper and dropped it into her handbag.
Yes, Im heading off. See you tomorrow, Angela.
Stepping out into the dusk, Evelyn slid into her car, dazed. What on earth just happened? Who exactly was this Harriet? Could Oliver possibly have?
Arriving home, she pored over the paper again. She would have to thinkher husband would soon be home.
Darling, Im back! What smells so delicious?
Come in and see
Oliver bounded into the kitchen, rubbing his hands with anticipation. Evelyn sat, legs crossed, staring at him with a steady, cool gaze.
Whats wrong? Youre looking at me like Ive just run over the vicars cat
Oliver, who is Harriet Bennett?
Shes with the agency I collaborate with. Why do you ask?
Shes expecting your child. Hereread for yourself.
Oliver snatched up the paper and ran his eyes over it in disbelief.
This is absurd Ive nevernothing ever happened with her! How is this even possible?
You tell me. Shes demanding thirty grand for the abortionotherwise, she claims, youll leave me for her, since I cant have children.
I dont understand any of this Where does she get these ideas? Evelyn, as sure as my favourite cricket bat, I know nothing about itmust be some twisted fantasy of hers.
I realised the same. Not that I ever thought you were a saint but I know when someones spinning a tale. She came for easy money.
She can check every inch of me for proofIm not hiding. The girls got nothing on meno one else means a thing to me, Evelyn.
I believe you. Now, shall we eat?
The next day, Evelyn called the number. She invited Harriet back to her office. Within half an hour, Harriet arrived, a foxs cunning in her eyes.
Heres my answer, Harriet. Oliver isnt the father. I trust him. You wont be getting easy money off us. Do as you wish.
Youre an odd woman. Such blind faith! Fancy looking in the mirror? Youre forty now, loveno matter how good you look, theres always someone younger, someone prettier.
Is there anything else youd like to say?
There is. Ill sell you the baby. Any test you likehes your husbands. I am certain. You can have the child for thirty thousandsimple.
But you said nothing ever happened with you and Oliver. How can that possibly be?
Alright, Ill give it straight. About six weeks ago we had the company doI met Oliver there. A mutual friend let slip Olivers married to a rich woman who can never have childrenno matter what, even surrogacy failed. Perfect situation: have a child, make a packet. I tried to seduce himnot interested. That stungIm used to men falling over themselves.
So I took another tack. My sisters a chemistshe gave me this powder. Makes people lose memoryacts a bit possessed. I dosed his drinkkeep it handy for situations like this. Led him home, had him entirely in my powerhe didnt know what he was doing. Fortunately, I was ovulating. Thats how it came to be. He remembers nothing. Ive even got a video.
Harriet shoved her phone onto the desk and played a video. Oliver, undressed, sheets barely covering him, lay unmoving and dazed, as if hypnotised.
For me, an abortions no big dealtough as an ox, me. But I like money, especially easy money. You wont go to the policeyoure too high up for that sort of scandal. I thought youd jump at the chance, but since you didntwell, Ill go ahead and have the child for you, as promised. Three zeroesthirty thousand, and hes yours.
Evelyn could barely speak. The world tilted at odd, impossible angles.
Harriet, you belong in prison. Youre a con-woman!
Had to do something, didnt I? Alls fair in making a living. My sugar daddy dropped dead, left me in mountains of debt. Think it over, Evelyn. Ill ring you in three days.
As Harriet swept out, Evelyn downed a glass of water, her head pounding. What nightmare had she stumbled into?
That evening, she told Oliver everything. He too was appalled.
Ive been set up Ill see her in court
Oliver, stranger things have happened. Well look at this sensibly. I read online, after week seven, you can do a DNA test on the baby. Lets find out the truth, first. And, weve always wanted a child of our own Even if its happened in this bizarre way, maybe fate is offering us a chance. Dont you think?
Oh, stop making a saint out of hershes a schemer! Let her have the abortion and be gonepaying for this is mad!
Oliver stormed out, all fury.
Evelyns mind spun backward a decade. She and Oliver had met at universitytheir love was instant. They married, shared a grotty flat, built their lives together. After graduation, Evelyns uncle helped her open a business with a generous loan. Things soaredshe repaid the loan handsomely. Oliver opened a shop, she managed her company, life blossomed. They longed for childrenbut it never happened.
One night, walking home from a restaurant in perfect weather, they were attacked by drunken louts. One lurched at Oliver with a knifeEvelyn shielded him, took the blade herself. Days in and out of surgeryshe survived, but the loss of her womb and ovaries meant motherhood was gone forever. The grief almost undid her.
Oliver was her rock, blamed himself, wished hed been the one to take the blow.
Sometimes Evelyn lit candles at church, prayed for her loved ones, handed coins to the old women by the lychgate.
Thank you, my dear. I see sorrow eats at you, but dont grieve so, one old lady told her once.
Its just Ill never have children. Hard pill.
Oh, I know. I never had my own. But a child shall come to youby the oddest means
Evelyn smiled and walked on, thinking little of it.
With time, she threw herself into work, her marriage only growing stronger. And nowthis.
She convinced Oliver to take a blood testto learn if the child was his. Harriet gave blood at nine weeks. The test came back: Oliver was the father.
So? Did you finally see I wasnt lying? Ready to buy the baby? Harriets smirk was wicked.
Heres my offer. There are women whod bear Olivers child for a fraction of that. We werent planning this, but as its happened, well take the child. Well pay you fifteen thousand. The paperwork will be watertight.
I asked for thirty! Whats all this haggling?
We call the shots now. If you refuse, you get nothing. Be grateful we dont call the authorities. Were better than that.
***
Oliver, its settled. Well have a child.
Evelyn, why why endure this? And pay that woman, too
Perhaps its destiny, Oliver. Best not question the gift.
Harriet attended her check-ups, followed doctors orders, and in time gave birth to a healthy boy.
She signed him over, Oliver registered as father, the paperwork trailed in with a sigh. Harriet gathered her money and vanished. To friends and family they simply said a surrogate had carried the child.
Thank you for giving birth to my husbands son, Evelyn said to Harriet, for the last time.
Little Jamie was soon settled in the house of Evelyn and Oliver.
Look at him, Oliverhes the spitting image of you
You think? Ive not a clue about babies though, I do see that same charming face as mine.
Remember that old woman by the church lychgate I told you about? She was right the child came to us by the strangest path imaginable.
They gazed down at their son, wonderstruck by their fortune, the future unseen but the present full of strange, bright hope. The world, it seems, delivers its miracles in the oddest wrappings.
***
Some months later, on a grey London morning, Evelyn saw on the news that a young woman named Harriet had been found dead in her flat. Circumstances unexplained, the newsreader droned. Harriet, always playing games and in the end, the universe played the strangest game of all.
