Page 36 of The Elusive Phoebe (The Widows of Lavender Cottage #1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

T he fire in the guest chamber at Rosemont Hall had burned down to glowing embers, casting dancing shadows across the walls as Phoebe sat by the window in her wrapper, watching the moon rise over the estate's perfectly manicured gardens.

She should have been sleeping—tomorrow would bring another day of travel and discovery—but rest eluded her as thoroughly as it had for the past several weeks.

Her hand moved unconsciously to her stomach, a gesture that had become as natural as breathing.

Still flat beneath her nightgown, showing no outward sign of the secret she carried, but she knew.

The subtle changes in her body, the way certain smells made her queasy, the bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of sleep seemed to cure—all signs that could no longer be ignored or explained away.

She was carrying Robert's child.

A soft knock at her door made her jump, her heart racing until she heard Archie's familiar voice.

"Phoebe? I saw your light still burning. Are you all right?"

She hesitated, suddenly aware that this might be the moment she had been both dreading and longing for. "Come in," she called softly.

Archie entered quietly, fully dressed despite the late hour.

His dark hair was disheveled, suggesting he had been trying and failing to sleep as well.

"I couldn't stop thinking about everything we discovered today," he said, settling into the chair across from hers.

"Robert's journals, the hidden passages, the scope of what he built for you. It's overwhelming."

"Yes," Phoebe agreed, though her mind was far from Robert's revelations. "Overwhelming."

Something in her tone made Archie study her face more carefully. "What is it? You look... troubled. More than just tired."

Phoebe felt her courage falter. How did one begin such a conversation? How did she tell the man she was falling in love with again that she carried another man's child? Even though that other man was her late husband, even though the timing made perfect sense, the words felt impossible to speak.

"Archie," she began, then stopped, her throat suddenly tight with emotion.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me," he said gently, leaning forward in his chair. "I meant what I said about there being nothing you could reveal that would change my feelings for you."

His certainty was both comforting and terrifying. "Even if it changes everything about our future?"

"Especially then." His voice was steady, sure. "Phoebe, look at me."

She raised her eyes to meet his, seeing only warmth and patience in his expression.

"There is nothing—nothing—you could tell me that would make me love you less or want to be with you any less than I do right now. Do you understand that?"

The tears she had been fighting finally spilled over. "You say that now, but you don't know what I'm about to tell you."

"Then tell me," he said simply. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together."

Phoebe took a shaking breath and placed both hands on her stomach in a gesture that was becoming second nature. "Archie, I'm... I'm going to have a baby. Robert's baby."

The silence that followed seemed to stretch for eternity. Archie's expression went through several changes—surprise, understanding, and finally something that looked remarkably like joy.

"A baby," he repeated softly. "Oh, Phoebe."

"I know it complicates everything," she said quickly, the words tumbling out in a rush. "I know it changes what you thought you were getting into, and I understand if you need to reconsider?—"

"Stop," Archie interrupted gently, moving from his chair to kneel beside hers. "Just stop for a moment."

He took her hands in his, his touch warm and steady. "How long have you known?"

"I've suspected for several weeks, but I've only been certain for a few days. The timing... it would have been just before Robert died. Our last..." She blushed, unable to finish the sentence.

"Your last time together," Archie completed without judgment. "Of course. That makes perfect sense."

"Does it?" Phoebe searched his face desperately.

"Because it feels like the most complicated thing imaginable.

I'm a widow carrying my late husband's child while falling in love with my childhood sweetheart.

It sounds like something from one of those scandalous novels Lady Joanna pretends not to read. "

Archie's laugh was soft and warm. "It sounds like life, Phoebe. Messy, complicated, beautiful life."

"But what does this mean for us? For any future we might have had?"

"It means," Archie said carefully, "that any future we build together will include Robert's child. A child you already love, and a child I will love because he or she is part of you."

"You would really do that? Raise another man's child as your own?"

Archie's eyes grew serious. "Phoebe, I told you once that you could tell me you carried another man's child and I would raise him as my own. Did you think I was speaking hypothetically?"

"I... I hoped. But hoping and believing are different things."

"Then believe this," he said firmly. "I want to marry you, Phoebe. You, and whatever family comes with you. If that includes Robert's child, then I will be the best father I can be to that child. They will never want for love or security or a place in our family. "

The tears were flowing freely now, but they were tears of relief rather than fear. "How can you be so sure? You've never even thought about children, about being a father?—"

"Haven't I?" Archie smiled. "Do you think I spent all those years in India building a fortune without imagining what I might do with it? I always hoped there would be children, Phoebe. I just thought they would come after we were married, not before."

"And you're not... disappointed? Or concerned about what people will say?"

"About what? That I married a widow who was carrying her late husband's child? Anyone with basic arithmetic skills will realize the child was conceived during a legal marriage. There's nothing scandalous about that."

Phoebe felt something tight in her chest begin to loosen. "I was so afraid to tell you. So afraid you would think I was trying to trap you, or that you would feel obligated to marry me out of duty rather than love."

"And now?"

"Now I think I might actually believe you when you say you love me."

Archie cupped her face gently in his hands.

"I love you, Phoebe. I love your strength, your intelligence, your courage, your stubborn independence.

I love that you're going to be a mother.

I love that you've given me the chance to be a father.

And I love that somehow, despite everything that kept us apart, we found our way back to each other. "

"Even though our timing is terrible? Even though I'm pregnant and we're being hunted by dangerous enemies and I have no idea what I'm doing?"

"Especially because of all that," Archie said with a grin. "Life with you is never going to be boring, is it?"

Despite everything, Phoebe found herself laughing. "Probably not. Are you prepared for that?"

"I've been preparing for it since I was fifteen years old."

As Archie helped her to her feet and embraced her gently, mindful of her condition, Phoebe felt a peace settle over her that she hadn't experienced in months. The secret was shared, the burden was lighter, and the man she loved had proven once again that he was worthy of her trust.

"There is one thing we need to discuss," she said as they settled together on the small sofa near the fireplace.

"What' s that?"

"No one else can know. Not yet. Not until we're sure I'm safe from Robert's enemies." She placed her hand on her stomach again. "I couldn't bear it if they tried to use the baby against me, or if something happened because I wasn't careful enough."

Archie nodded immediately. "Of course. Your secret is safe with me. But Phoebe, this makes it even more important that we finish this quickly. You can't be traveling around the countryside indefinitely in your condition."

"I know. I've been thinking the same thing. We need to solve Robert's puzzle, deal with his enemies, and find somewhere safe to settle before..." She paused, calculating. "Before late autumn, I think."

"Then we'll make sure that happens," Archie said firmly. "Whatever it takes."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the fire burn down to nothing. Phoebe felt Archie's hand settle gently over hers on her stomach, a gesture of protection and acceptance that made her heart swell with gratitude.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?"

"For making it easy to tell you. For not making me feel ashamed or afraid. For wanting us—all of us."

"Thank you for trusting me with this," he replied. "For letting me be part of it from the beginning."

"Will you really not mind? Raising Robert's child as your own?"

Archie was quiet for a moment, considering his words carefully.

"I think Robert would want his child to be loved and protected and given every opportunity for happiness.

I think he would be grateful that you found someone willing to provide those things.

And I think... I think he would approve of me loving you both. "

"I think so too," Phoebe agreed softly. "He was a good man, Archie. He would want me to be happy."

"Then let's make sure you are. All of you."

As they finally prepared to retire for the night, Phoebe felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The secret was shared, the fear was diminished, and the future—complicated though it might be—suddenly seemed full of possibility rather than dread.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new discoveries, and continued danger. But tonight, she fell asleep with Archie's promise of love and protection surrounding her like a warm cloak, and the knowledge that whatever came next, she would not face it alone.

The baby Robert had given her would be raised by the man she chose to love, and somehow, that felt like exactly what both men would have wanted.

In her dreams, she imagined a future where love conquered fear, where family was built on choice rather than obligation, and where a child could grow up surrounded by the very best that both his fathers had to offer.

It was a future worth fighting for.