Page 238

As soon as Elizabeth and William gained the privacy of their suite, their lips locked hungrily with their hands mutually exploring one another.

William was surprised when his wife pushed back from him, thinking that his wife did not want him as much as he needed her.

Elizabeth read the emotions that were evident in his expressive eyes and giggled, causing him to look affronted.

“William, my love,” she said seductively as she slid her hand into his and guided him toward her, pulling his arm so she could initiate the kiss she needed to bestow as much as he needed to kiss her.

“There is nothing I desire more than for us to love one another, William,” she promised, smiling when his face transformed into its most handsome version as he gave her a dimple revealing smile, placing her finger on his lips to stay a response and smiling when he kissed it in lieu of her inviting lips.

“We need to talk before we get distracted in the many ways, I hope to keep your focus on me, William.”

“What is there that cannot wait until after we at least gotten into bed, Elizabeth?” William frowned.

“When you get me in bed the only word I can remember is your name, William, and I have to share something with you before I lose my reason, so stop with the distracting.” She looked down where his finger was sliding down her arm and he chuckled.

If that did not make a man feel like his world was right, nothing would.

“Then speak fast, Elizabeth, or I can just say yes now, and you can tell me what it is later,” he agreed, not ceasing the slide of his finger down her wrist to take her hand in his.

“Oh, I have missed how you touch me. Yes, speak fast. I am under the impression we will soon be parents. Now it is your turn to make good on your promise,” she demanded, pulling him in and sliding her hands up his chest to bring him lower so she could claim the kiss he had been so determined to give her, scowling when he pushed her back.

“Are you welching on your side of the promise?” she demanded, smiling when his deep, rich laugh filled the chambers.

“You teach your lessons well, my love.” He agreed.

“I promise from now on to respect your wishes when you say you want to talk to me for a moment first. Now are you actually saying that you believe we are to be parents my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth?” He knew she believed it was so when she smiled a smile that had the warmth and glow of the rising sun and nodded that she did. “When, how…”

“William are you really asking me how ?” Elizabeth teased her husband gleefully.

“I always thought you to be an intelligent man. Are you telling me that you do not know how babies are conceived?” she asked with her eyebrow arched as high as he had ever seen it before.

“Silly man, if you are not sure, we will soon be practicing the art again…” He silenced his teasing wife with a kiss that melted her into him.

“I know how.” He locked their eyes. “And I admit I had a vague suspicion before I left Falconwood, but as you said nothing to me, I did not raise the question with you,” he said as he feathered kisses on her face. “Have you seen a doctor yet to confirm your state?”

“No, William, I have not,” she informed him. “My plan was to wait until I was home and had a chance to tell you.”

“Does anyone else know?” he asked.

“No, my love, I wanted you to be the first that I told,” she kissed him again and then again before she pulled back and met his eyes, “although…” She hugged her husband tight, revelling in the smell of his sandalwood and spice cologne.

“Although…” he led her to continue as he breathed in lavender tinted essence of his wife which he loved to smell as it was so quintessentially her.

“Oh yes, sorry. I got distracted by my extremely handsome husband,” she punctuated her statement as her lips skimmed his jaw.

“Our mothers had a very strong suspicion and asked me if there was anything to tell them. I may have been a little short with them, but I told them that if and when there was news to share, it would not be done until I have spoken to you first.”

“Thank you for informing me prior to anyone else. How long do you estimate you have been with child?” he asked as he rubbed her still flat belly protectively.

“I have missed two courses, so my guess is that I am about two months along, my love,” Elizabeth surmised.

“What say you, Lizzy, if we take a trip to Seaview for a few weeks,” William suggested. “We can stop at Broadhurst and collect Georgie after we make a stop at Darcy House so that Mr. Bartholomew can examine you, and if required we can see Sir Frederick Gillingham.”

“Seaview sounds like a wonderful idea, but why not be seen by Pemberley’s doctor before we travel, William?” Elizabeth asked, not sure why he would want her to see the London physician.

“Pemberley’s physician, Mr. Jackson Harrison, is rather long in the tooth and is not flexible about using new methods.

As soon as his son Benjamin is able to arrive and take over his practice, I believe it will be by November, he will retire.

While he has always been very caring of all of us, his refusal to change his methods has left him far behind the new innovations that most now use, including his son,” William explained. and Elizabeth nodded in understanding.

“I will wait to share our news with the family until my state has been confirmed, if that meets with your agreement, William,” Elizabeth said as she held her husband. “I feel that I can wait on seeing an accoucheur unless, as you said, it is necessary.”

“Perfect, of course.” William said as he started to remove her day dress and then he stopped himself. “I know I will not harm our child if I love you my love, but I want to make sure that you are comfortable?”

“No, I am fine except that I need you closer, William.” With his wish granted, he scooped his wife up in his arms and carried her to his massive bed.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Once Tony and Elliot returned to the parsonage, Tony remained quiet, and Elliot allowed him his space without forcing a conversation as he knew that the young man had much on which to ruminate.

Not too much later Tony excused himself, telling Elliot that he was going to take a ride so he could think.

His mother’s revelation about his parentage had shaken young álvarez, which was not even really his last name as the man that bore it had not been his father.

Tony rode out to the cottage where his mother and Younge had resided for the few days that they were at Pemberley.

He was not sure why he rode to that location, but by the time that he arrived, Younge was interred in the potter’s field and the cottage had been cleaned by some of the maids from the manor house.

The only signs of who had been there and what had occurred this morning was the flattened grass where some tents had been pitched and a trace amount of blood where Younge must have fallen.

Though remembering the whole of the tale, it could ALSO have been from the man that the criminal stabbed in the arm before he attempted to harm the Earl of Brookfield.

He felt nothing at the site of his mother’s downfall. He acknowledged that she had felt some regret, but he could not trust that it was not a ploy of hers to garner sympathy, like she had used many times before. No, he had no regrets over her punishment; she had made her own decisions.

He mulled over her words about his natural father.

As far back as he could remember, his father, or the man he thought to be his father, had bemoaned the fact that he had sired no other children other than Tony.

Yes, Juan Antonio álvarez had loved, no that was too strong a word, had liked him in his own way, but he had never been warm or the kind that raised his son to be better than himself.

Everything had been about maintaining and expanding his empire, and in even those instructions he had held back things for “later” to keep the upper hand.

The more he looked at the facts, the more Tony came to accept that his mother had not lied.

He had not missed the way that the Duke and the Earl had looked at him after his mother had inadvertently revealed the name of his natural father.

Their looks had not been of revulsion, but rather recognition.

Could it be that he resembled his real father in some way?

These thoughts led Tony to the most important question that he needed to answer for himself.

Did he want the Earl of Granville informed of his existence, and how would he feel if the man who was evidently his blood would not want to see him?

Mr. Elliot knew Lord Harry Smythe, and Tony remembered that he had heard mention that his lordship mayhap would want to meet him.

The very fact that he was considered a friend by those at Pemberley said the highest of compliments to his character, that he was honourable was never questioned, but would an honourable man want to know the son that was begot when he was in his cups and seduced by a woman who lied to him?

With the answer not forthcoming as most did for him, he realized he did not yet know enough to make an informed decision. To gain the information, he would take Mr. Elliot and perhaps the men at Pemberley who knew the Earl, especially Viscount Hilldale, up on their offer to discuss this with them.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Lady Sarah had just relayed her suspicions about their middle daughter being with child to her husband, and informed him of her and Lady Anne’s ill-advised questioning of Lizzy.

Lord Thomas was not surprised that their middle daughter had delivered a mild rebuke but did not tell his beloved wife that.

Both mothers were reasonably sure that their suspicions were correct, but they would wait until Elizabeth and William were ready to share their news with them.