“Don’t be silly. I’m in perfect health. Women give birth all the time. And it’s months away.”
“Nevertheless, I shall advise him of it. And alert him to the fact that we might call upon him at any time.”
“If you must, darling.” Nellie sighed and leaned her head against his chest, breathing in his comforting smell.
As the sun peeped through a crack in the curtains the next morning, they lay in bed discussing how Feeley had asked Lilly to marry him. There had been a small celebration in the servants’ hall.
“How clever of you to find them employment together,” Nellie said. A letter had reached them from London where Baron Lynch was staying. He was only too pleased to engage a married couple at his home in County Cork. “Now Feeley will have to marry her,” she said. “There will be no backing out.”
Charles chuckled. “You don’t trust the fellow.”
“Not much, but I may be unfair.” She sighed. “And now, I shall have to replace Lilly. I will miss her.”
Charles murmured agreement. “And I, an excellent valet. Barlow will have a pile of applicants’ letters arriving in the mail in a day or so, which I must vet. But I will never find a valet quite as entertaining as Feeley.”
“Of that, I am sure.” She traced a finger over his jaw, enjoying the rasp of his heavy beard. “I should get up. I promised your mother I would take her out into the garden after breakfast in the bath chair.”
“It’s still early.” Charles’s hands stroked over her body. His kisses on her neck prickled and made her shiver with delight. “We have plenty of time. Aunt Frances won’t arrive until this afternoon.”
Nellie stiffened. She had not seen his Aunt Frances since the wedding. “I must make sure everything is in readiness for her visit.”
“And there’s the foxhunt planned, weather permitting,” Charles said in a casual tone, which didn’t fool her.
Nellie sat up. “How can I forget,” she said stiffly. “It is the main subject of conversation among the staff, Lilly tells me. I daresay, there is much to be done to prepare for it.”
“Nellie.” He frowned. “I thought we were done with this. What’s the matter?”
“I just hope your aunt doesn’t upset your mother.”
“Why should she? Aunt Frances will be engaged with the hunt. Only thing that concerns me is that even though the younger dogs have been trained, there are some as yet untested because we haven’t had a fox hunt here for some time.” He rested his head on his hand and surveyed her, drawing a wisp of her hair back behind her ear. “You needn’t fear my aunt will ask you to take part. I don’t anticipate it, but if she does, you must refuse. You have ample reason for it now, and even if you didn’t, I would never expect you to.”
Charles threw back the blankets and stalked naked to where his dressing gown was thrown over the chair. Nellie studied his splendid body regretfully. The mood was spoiled. Aunt Frances was sure to cause some kind of fuss. It was in the woman’s nature. She did not know Nellie was pregnant, but that would make little difference to her even if she did.
“I must write to my mother about the baby. Shall we tell your mother together?”
“Yes, I should like that.”
As she moved to leave the bed, a wave of nausea rolled over her. Nellie fell back and moaned.
*
Alarmed, Charles swiveled. Shrugging on his dressing gown, he strode over to the bed. “Nellie, what is it?”
Nellie was pale and distressed on the pillows.
“Marian told me to expect this. It’s something we suffer in the mornings. It will pass shortly. Send a footman for Lilly and ask her to bring me a weak cup of tea and a biscuit, please, Charles.”
“I’ll ring. I don’t want to leave you.”
She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “You men. Jason is just as bad. You must not treat me like delicate bone china, Charles. I won’t have it. It’s a natural state, and I’m a healthy woman. I intend to live a normal life.”
He had wanted children. A son and heir, and a daughter or two, but now the danger facing Nellie came home to him with force. Women died in childbirth.
When Lilly brought the tea, Charles arranged the pillows behind her.
The tea brought some color back to her face. “I feel much better, darling. I won’t have you fussing over me. After breakfast, shall we go and see your mother? Then you must do what you planned to do today. And I shall take your mother outside into the garden. It looks like a beautiful day.”
Charles took a deep breath. “Very well, sweetheart, I’ll spend a couple of hours with Barlow, then visit one of my tenants who could use a hand fixing his leaking roof. I’ll be back around two.”
“Come back before your aunt arrives, please?”
He laughed. “You will manage my aunt. Better than I can, I suspect.”
It was hard to remain too worried while riding Thor across the green paddocks, the sun warming his back. Especially finding his mother so pleased with their news. Charles pushed back his hat and grinned. “I’m going to be a father, Thor!”
Thor whinnied, sidled, and broke into a canter.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The coach bearing Lady Dickenson, Charles’s Aunt Frances, pulled in just after luncheon. Charles had not yet returned to the house. With a faint heart, Nellie stood on the porch to greet her, watching as she gave orders to the footmen and grooms, and sent them scurrying off in all directions.
“Take those to the stables,” she said, gesturing to the saddles and riding equipment she’d brought with her. “I want that saddle well-polished before the hunt.” She turned to Nellie. “How are you, Cornelia? You look in
