Page 25 of Alessandra (Chisholm Manor #1)

Two weeks later, Edward approached Alessandra as she was looking through store cupboards with his mother, making what seemed to be endless lists of things they would need to have delivered in the following weeks.

"Mother, I would like to take my wife away now, if you do not mind," he said.

The words caused his mother to experience equal amounts of love when she looked at her son, and frustration at his timing when she felt she was teaching her daughter-in-law something important.

"Edward, things need to be learned..."

Edward nodded and kissed her on the cheek, playing on his ability to charm his mother, and making Alessandra smile at him knowingly.

She'd gotten very used to seeing how he could turn both of his parents to his way of thinking so that he could do what he wanted, when he wanted.

"I do appreciate that, Mother, but today there is a smell of spring in the air, and this sunshine might not last.

I would like to take Alessandra out for some fresh air while I can."

Edward's mother sounded resigned as she gave her consent for Alessandra to finish what she was doing.

Soon Edward was walking Alessandra up to their room as she laughed at him.

"What are we doing, husband? You are not going to pull me into our bedchamber so blatantly at this time of day..." she teased him and saw him grin back at her.

"No! Although..." he started to tease her back, before laughing and continuing.

"Put on your riding habit.

I need to ride, and I shall enjoy it infinitely more if you are with me."

They quietly changed in each other's presence, both too focused on the sunshine they could see outside to be tempted into anything else.

Soon they were on their horses again, after what seemed far too much time stuck inside the house.

As she sat on her quiet little pony, Alessandra could sense the power of Edward on Beauty, and the desire of both of them to not only be out, but also to be having a good run.

"Edward, you and Beauty look like you are ready to run a race, but I cannot accompany you on that," she said to him, worried about where she was going to fit into the excursion.

"Worry not, my love.

Once we are beyond the gate, I would like you to make your journey to the summit, as you feel confident to.

I will let Beauty run, as he needs to, but I will keep coming back to you so you will not be alone," he said.

Alessandra could see the excitement on his face as he spoke.

Always, when he had been out on his horse since she had arrived at the estate, he had forced himself to remain slow and steady beside her.

She found herself looking forward to seeing him enjoy his horse riding to the full degree she had not seen before.

"Very well," Alessandra replied tentatively, not certain about the plan that had been presented to her.

After they passed through the main gate to the yard, Edward positioned himself beside her, looking at her with almost the same look he had during passion.

The brilliant smile he delivered to her made her melt.

"Take your time, going the same way as we normally go," he said and saw her nod and smile at him.

Once Edward left her side, Beauty carried him at a speed that took them far away, as Alessandra and Misty began their slow journey toward the hill.

For the duration of Alessandra's journey, now and then she would see Edward riding not too far off in the distance, running at what seemed like a frightful speed to Alessandra.

The sight made her thankful that Misty did not seem in any way inclined to move with such fervour.

She made her way up the hill.

When she reached the summit, she secured Misty and spread out the blanket to sit down and watch her husband's horse skills from the distance.

Soon he was riding up toward her and then slowing, finally, to dismount and secure Beauty next to the timid pony who always looked like a dwarf next to him.

As Alessandra looked at Edward, she remembered how she had thought him not in any way handsome when she'd first met him.

With his face full of excitement and passion, as he was at that moment, she regarded him in a new light as a most handsome man indeed.

When he sat down beside her, grinning as much as he was, she laughed at him.

"If you gain this much joy from riding, you must have been missing it greatly since I arrived," she said.

"Yes, but it has been a great pleasure seeing you learn and develop your horse riding skills, Alessandra," Edward said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"On the other side of spring, when summer truly arrives, Father organises a hunt that brings many people.

Then you shall truly see some horse-riding skills!"

Alessandra drank up the vision in front of her.

Her husband looked excited and full of life.

It made her wonder what kind of father he would be.

As she let her mind wander there, she realised she had not had her monthly visitor, which by her calculation should have already arrived.

Edward saw a look of confusion pass over his wife's face and immediately felt concerned.

"What is it, Alessandra?" he asked, revealing his concern.

Alessandra looked at him, still trying to count weeks in her head, but wasn't entirely certain.

"I am not certain, Edward, but I believe I should have bled..."

Edward briefly had a thought in his head that she was saying she was bleeding, and so would be a bit distant over the next week.

Then he seemed to register exactly what she had said.

"Alessandra, are you saying that you ... might be with child?"

Alessandra continued to look uncertain.

"I am not entirely sure, Edward, but I do think I am late," she responded, then watched his face transform to a similar level of excitement as she'd seen on his face minutes earlier, as he'd come to her from his ride.

"Oh, but Edward, I am not certain.

Would you mind if we not say anything yet? Just for another week or two, to make sure I am not simply mistaken?"

Edward pulled her to him and kissed her hard.

"Yes, of course, my darling," he said.

"Oh, but if it is true, we are blessed, are we not?"

Alessandra sat quietly - too quietly for her, Edward knew.

He also knew that, for her, that meant she was processing things in her mind.

He sat quietly and watched her, waiting until she would speak her thoughts.

"Edward, if I am with child," she said quietly.

"I should very much like to see my mother."

Suddenly, he sensed a seriousness and a slight sadness about her.

He could only imagine how difficult it might be for her to be far away from her mother if she were to be with child.

He also gave thought to how the news could affect his mother, given her sadness at having been prevented from having more children.

Alessandra saw his face change in response to what she had said.

For a moment, she regretted having spoken at all.

"When would you like to see your mother?" Edward asked.

"Father will be happy to arrange for your mother and father to come here, or we can go and visit them," he said, putting his wife's worries instantly at rest.

"Thank you.

Let us wait another week or two so I can be sure," she said and saw Edward nod in reply.

"If it does appear that I am with child, I shall like to visit my mother and father soon, and go and see my brother also, who lives close to them."

"Very well," Edward reassured her.

"We shall arrange our travel when you are ready to do so."

With her worries at rest, Alessandra felt herself melting against him.

Soon they were lying down with him on top of her, enjoying being nestled between her legs even with the level of clothing they each had on.

As Alessandra pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, as always she enjoyed the feeling of his weight on her, and his arms around her.

"I would not like to sleep away from you.

I know it might be expected..." she began and he kissed her again.

"I do not want that either," Edward said.

"We shall do things as we want to do them, Alessandra, not by what other people expect us to do."

"Even your mother and father?"

Edward took a deep breath before he spoke.

"I respect my mother and father, but in this, I think you and I are the only people who should make such decisions," he replied.

"You will be able to calculate your comfort levels, and you will let me know if you wish to be alone."

"I will," Alessandra agreed.

"I promise."

"Well, my wife, if there is any chance that you are with child, we should return to the house before the weather changes again," Edward said, pulling off her and helping her up.

Once settled on their horses, she turned to him.

"Shall I see you back at the house?" she asked, expecting him to want to run again, but saw him shake his head instead.

"I will ride beside you now," Edward replied.

Alessandra suspected that he was naturally moving into possible father mode, wanting to be protective over her.

She greatly enjoyed the feeling that thought produced.

That evening, as the family sat in the drawing room, enjoying the warmth from the roaring fire, Edward held Alessandra's hand particularly close to him.

Edward's mother noticed but said nothing to them, waiting until she could speak to her husband when she was alone with him later.

"Do you sense that Alessandra might be with child?" she asked Charles, and saw his look of surprise.

"Do you?"

She looked apprehensive, as though she didn't want to believe it could be true, given her history of miscarriages and the resulting instruction to not have any more children after Edward had been born.

When she didn't reply, her husband approached her and took her hands in his.

"If they have an announcement to make, they will make it," Charles said.

"Until then, we must not assume anything."

She looked at him and knew he was right.

She was determined to not let her own condition affect how she looked at or treated her daughter-in-law if she was, in fact, on her way to starting her own family.

Since the afternoon weeks earlier when she'd found herself re-engaging in the simple art of pleasure with her husband, they had spent some more time together in a similar way, but still lived in separate rooms.

Thinking about that, she turned to him.

"Stay with me tonight," she said simply.

Charles happily put his arms around her and held her tight.

"Of course."