“Ah, so you’ve already seen to things, and here I thought you truly needed my superior advice.”
“Sort of, but your opinion does mean a great deal to me, North. Now, stop jesting, this is important.”
“What did Mrs. Trebaw say?”
“She was quite pleased. She said that Miss Eleanor had been a fine lady, if a bit eccentric, and she missed having laughter and fun in the house. She said little children added more warmth than a dozen fireplaces. She said Mr. Owen was a nice boy but he was still just a boy, rather almost a man, and that was very different, as in, I suppose, not enough jollity for her.”
“No, probably not enough appreciation expressed for her fine housekeeping, how neat and clean she keeps everything, how nicely the plates sparkle on the dinner table. Speaking as a man, Caroline, we don’t tend to notice the nicer things done for us. We’re just oblivious, I guess.”
“You mean when I wear a gown that is particularly fetching, you don’t notice because of this obliviousness of yours?”
“No, a man is never oblivious of a woman’s efforts to please him. Trust me. If you were to pull that gown of yours down just an inch, I would immediately go en pointe like the best of my hounds.”
She laughed, hugged him tightly. He kissed her throat and said, “What about Alice?”
Caroline was silent for a moment. She wasn’t feeling all that well and hadn’t been for over a week now. When she’d first felt upset to her stomach, she’d thought of the oxtail soup and paled, but the ill feeling had gone away. Now a wave of nausea swept through her and she closed her eyes.
“Caroline?”
“Oh, Alice. I don’t know, North. I’m a bit worried about her and I know Dr. Treath is as well. She’s so very thin and small. I would just as soon keep her here until after her babe is born. I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Then I think Miss Mary Patricia and Evelyn should remain as well. We don’t want Alice to be lonely. Why don’t you speak to Evelyn and Miss Mary Patricia and see what they think of your idea. Isn’t Alice’s babe due to arrive in a month or so?”
“I think so. That’s a good idea, North. Ah, don’t forget Owen. He’s here more often than he’s at Scrilady Hall.”
“You don’t think it’s simply because of Polgrain’s fine cooking?”
She smiled up at him. “No, I think he’s smitten with Alice. I think Owen is growing up, and I also think he’s growing up very well.”
North pulled her against him, stroking his big hands up and down her back. He kissed her throat, lifted her heavy hair, and massaged her neck and shoulders. He said, his breath warm and soft against her ear, “When were you going to tell me about the baby, Caroline?”
She became utterly still beneath his hands. “Whose baby?”
“My baby. Our baby.”
“Oh dear.”
“It’s the likely result of the activity you and I both enjoy to a rather immoderate extent.”
“Oh dear, are you certain?”
He laughed. “No, I’m not absolutely certain, but you haven’t felt well, indeed, yesterday at about three o’clock in the afternoon, your face turned quite green. When was your last monthly flow?”
She ducked her face into his shoulder. “A long time ago.”
“Can you be a bit more precise?”
She shook her head. “So much has happened that I really didn’t pay all that close attention. Well, perhaps it was about a month and a half ago.”
“Yes, that’s about right. Ah, well, there it is, then.”
“I’m going to have a baby, truly?”
“Truly, I think.”
“Are you pleased, North?”
“How is your belly feeling right now?”