by Paula Mabbel
“What do you believe it is?” Louisa pushed, when she realized that Claire was lost in her thoughts.
“Oh, Miss, I hope you don’t mind me saying because I know what it would mean to your good name, but I think you might be with child,” Claire said with an anxious look on her face.
Louisa managed to stand up. She didn’t need a doctor to know that Claire was right. She could feel it as soon as Claire had said the words. Her hands had reached up to her stomach without thinking, and she realized that she was stroking gently with her fingertips. She was going to be a mother. She couldn’t believe it. It was all too much, and yet she was sure that it was happening.
She looked at Claire with scared eyes, but did not say anything.
“Miss, can I ask you something?” Claire’s eyes looked nervous as she waited for her mistress to answer her.
Louisa nodded, but found herself still too in shock to speak.
“I was hoping you might tell me who the father is? I mean I assume it is one of the dukes?”
Louisa looked at Claire and opened her mouth, but she found herself closing it again. She didn’t know who the father was. She had spent time with both Arthur and Sam. It could have been either of them, and she had no way of telling until the baby was born and its likeness could be judged. She could feel her body starting to tremble as she realized that she would need to tell her father the truth about what happened between the three of them.
Louisa walked into the study and found her father sitting beside the fire. He looked content with a book open on his lap and for a moment he didn’t notice her entering. “Ah, Louisa, to what can I owe this pleasure?” he asked when he looked up and noticed her walking over to the empty chair that sat beside him.
“Father, I have news that is going to sadden you greatly. I am with child, and I do not know who the father is. I have spent time with both Duke Jameson and Duke Horseforth, and it could be either of them. I know that this will bring shame to our name and I am truly sorry for that. I don’t ever expect you to forgive me, but I ask only that you accept your grandchild into this family because it was not his or her mistake, but mine.”
Her father didn’t say anything. Louisa watched with surprise as he stood up and walked out of the room. She wondered for a moment whether she should follow him, but footsteps returning to the room told her that she could remain where she was. She looked over to the door as it opened, and swallowed hard when she saw both Sam and Arthur walking into the room with her father behind them. Their faces looked concerned, as though her father was yet to explain what they had done. Louisa could do nothing but look between them with anxiety.
“My daughter is with child and one of you is responsible,” her father said without any warning when the door was firmly closed behind him. “I do not care which one of you accepts responsibility for this, but one of you will.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but it is not my fault that your daughter is so willing to give away her body. I was nothing but a victim in her seductions, and my life shall not be ruined because of it,” Arthur said with a sneer running across his lips.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Louisa’s father spat at him.
“I think you should be pointing that fury at your daughter, sir, considering the fact that she is about to bring great shame on your family. I doubt that Sam is going to marry a girl who has slept with more than one man. He could have any girl of his choosing. Why would he choose one who’s already been ruined?”
“Hold your tongue, Arthur,” Sam said with deadliness to his voice that seemed to stop Arthur’s words at their source. “Louisa, is it true that you have slept with both of us?” he asked as he turned his attention away from Arthur and onto Louisa’s worried face.
“It is true. I slept with Arthur on our ride out together, but I can assure you that it was he who led me on. I was under the impression that he was quite taken with me and that I should have expected his proposal before he left, but then the next day he acted as though I was nothing but dirt on his shoe.”
“Do you have feelings for Arthur?” Sam asked her with steady eyes that seemed to be examining her soul and sniffing for any lies in her words.
“I do not,” Louisa said as she shook her head.
“Louisa, I think you are a wonderful girl and I am not a man who judges people on their mistakes. I think a person should be judged on who they aim to be. You are a beautiful woman, and you’re smart too. I was seriously considering coming back this winter and proposing to you, but it would seem that winter would be too late. If we wish for people to stay in the dark about our secret, then I suggest we marry at once,” Sam said with a strange mixture of happiness and sadness on his face.
“Are you being serious?” Louisa asked him with surprise. “Why would you do that for me, when I slept with your friend?”
“I’ve just told you. I’m never going to find another girl like you and I’m never going to judge you for your past. What matters is what we make of the future and that we raise our child so that one day they might be smarter than their parents,” Sam said with a small laugh.
“I think,” Louisa stuttered, “I think that I love you,” she finally managed to stutter out.
“Well, that’s a good thing, really, because I’m sure that I love you,” Sam said with a gentle smile as he walked over and put his hands on Louisa’s stomach gently.
*****
THE END
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Only Way To Tame A Rake
Gregory looked startled as his mug crashed into the table below it. He watched as frothy beer started to bubble over the lip, and then he turned his attention back to the girl who was sitting beside him. She was pretty, but she wasn’t anything special. She wasn’t exactly smart either, but that was just what Gregory liked. If a girl ever seemed too smart or too in the know about her beauty, he would lose interest quickly because girls like that took work.
He smiled as the girl started to twirl her red, frizzy hair around her finger. The beer had improved the vision of her greatly, but even still he knew he wasn’t about to fall in love with her. She caught his smile and grinned back at him with dopey eyes filled with sunshine. She’d been drinking, too, and Gregory could tell from her sway that her better judgement had long since been left behind.
“You know, you’re very beautiful,” Gregory said as he leaned into the girl, so that he didn’t have to speak above a whisper.
“I’m sure you say that to all the girls.” The girl giggled and then a hiccup forced her whole body to jolt in its place.
“I only say it to the beautiful ones.” Gregory sent her a smoldering smile, the same one that had been tried and tested on many girls before her. His eyes almost rolled back as he watched her cheeks turn blush with pink. “We should get out of here,” Gregory suggested with a mischievous smile on his lips and playful eyes.
“Oh, where should we go?” the girl asked dopily.
“Somewhere quiet,” Gregory said as his eyes widened. He could tell from her expression that she understood what he meant, and he waited for her to stand up.
“Oh, I’m not sure we should do that. My father would kill me if he ever found out.”
“Then we’ll make sure your father never finds out,” Gregory whispered as he ran his eager hand up her leg.
He could feel her shaking under his touch, but he’d stroked enough legs to know that it was the good kind of shiver. He could see it in her eyes, as his fingers danced across her skin. It was a look of relaxation and longing. “Come on, we should go,” he whispered when he was sure that his fingers had persuaded her.
“I told you that we can’t.” The girl shook her head and a cro
ss look filled her eyes.
Gregory sat back and picked up his mug of beer. He shook his head as she stood up and quickly walked away. He’d been so sure that he was going home with her. He’s spotted her early in the night and hadn’t bothered with any of the other girls who might have been options. He started to tut under his breath when he realized that his night had been wasted on a girl who wasn’t willing to follow through with her flirtations.
“You don’t sound happy,” Tessa said as she started to clear away the empty mugs that Gregory had left at the table.
“If I was happy then you wouldn’t have a customer,” Gregory quipped, and then he took a long drink from his mug. “Here, you can have this one, too.” He held out the mug without looking at the landlord’s daughter.
“You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to show some manners,” Tessa scolded him as she took away the mug from his hand.
“Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing when you get all fired up,” Gregory said with a smirk playing across his lips.
“Oh, you are joking? You’ve spent all night all over that poor girl with the red hair and now you’re turning your attentions to me? I would say I’m flattered, but I was taught to tell the truth as a child,” Tessa said, and then she walked away without giving Gregory a chance to reply.
He watched her as she walked away. It had always been a mutual understanding between the landlord and Gregory that Tessa was off limits. It wasn’t that anything had been discussed about it, but Gregory knew that his reputation as a rake wasn’t undiscovered, and he was sure that the landlord wouldn’t serve him his beer if anything happened to his precious daughter.
That didn’t matter at the moment, though. He’d spent the night with his attentions on the wrong girl, and now there was a chance that he might have to go home alone. He stood up at the thought and walked over to the bar. “I’ll have another,” he said to the landlord who walked over.
“We’re closing up now,” the landlord said, shaking his head.
“Just one more for the road,” Gregory pleaded as his eyes moved from the landlord to his daughter, who had bent down to pick up some broken glass. “I’ll tell you what, either let me have a beer or let me take home Tessa. I’m a good guy, I don’t mind which.”
“I think you better leave,” the landlord said with eyes that could have killed at a distance.
“I think you better make me,” Gregory challenged him, his good sense clouded by the several beers he had chugged down.
The landlord stood up straight and opened up his shoulders. He was at least two inches taller than Gregory and, although that wasn’t a huge amount, at that moment it felt significant enough. Gregory stepped back from the bar and properly eyed up the man in front of him. He’d spent many nights at the tavern wondering who might win between them in a fight and, although his gut was telling him that his chances were slim, he couldn’t help but feel excited over the prospect of finally putting the debate to rest.
The landlord walked around the bar and indicated for Gregory follow him, which he did. They walked in a kind of silence that was only broken the sound of both of their heavy breathing. The air outside was cold as they walked into the clear night, but Gregory couldn’t feel it. He’d had too many beers to feel anything other than drunk.
“Look at you, you’re stumbling all over the place,” the landlord said with pity in his eyes. “I’m not even sure I can fight you.”
“Don’t be a coward. I thought you wanted to protect your wench daughter’s honor?” Gregory stumbled again as he finished speaking and held out his fists. He waited for the landlord to take a swing, but he didn’t. “I said you need to protect your wench daughter’s honor,” Gregory shouted.
The windows of the houses next to the tavern started to open. The landlord shook his head and walked back into the tavern without saying anything. Gregory could feel the eyes of the townspeople on him, but he didn’t flinch under their scrutiny. He didn’t care what they thought. He didn’t care what anybody thought about him, which was a good thing considering the fact that nobody who knew him thought anything nicer.
******
Gregory sat up with some difficulty and found his hands reaching up to support his head. He could hear the sound of a thousand drums in his mind, even though there were none in real life. That made no difference to his poor brain, though, which seemed to cringe with every deep thud. He tried to swallow, but found he couldn’t because his mouth was too dry. He frowned as he thought back to how much he’d drunk the night before. It made no sense to him how he could be so thirsty merely hours after consuming so much to drink, but he was, and there could be no denying of it.
He slowly moved his legs to the edge of the bed and stood himself up. A queasy feeling in his stomach quickly seemed to intensify at his new position and he felt himself pulled against the urge to sit back down. He forced his feet forward and walked over to the small wash basin that was sitting beside the window. It had a jug of water that had been filled the day before, which he lifted to his lips without a moment’s hesitation.
The water tasted stale and slimy as it ran down his throat, but it didn’t matter because his mouth no longer felt as though he’d been eating sand, and that was all that he cared about. He looked back at the tangled sheets that were strewn across the bed and considered returning to them. He felt too rough to face the day and his will was weak. He walked back over to the bed slowly and sat down on the mattress, but barely a second had passed before he found himself standing back up.
“Gregory, I insist on you coming down this instant,” his father’s voice called from the bottom of the stairs. He sounded angry. Gregory could hear the way his voice was breaking as he tried to keep it steady.
“I’m coming now, Father,” Gregory called and then he sighed quietly. His memory of what had happened the night before was somewhat sketchy, but he was sure that his father’s tone meant that he was about to find out the full story.
He got to the top of the stairs and found that his father was still waiting for him at the bottom. He took the time he was walking down them to measure how angry his father really was. His cheeks were burning a bright, blotchy red color that didn’t help Gregory hold out much hope. His eyes flickered up to his father’s forehead, and his stomach jolted as he realized that the dark purple anger vein was throbbing from underneath his dark brown hair.
Gregory considered turning around and going back up the stairs. He was sure that his bookcase would be heavy enough to block the door. He turned his head and tried to work out how long it might take him to run back up the stairs and move the bookcase. He couldn’t even convince himself that he could move the bookcase. He turned his attention back to the stairs below and realized that he would quickly run out of them. He could feel his palms started to sweat under the heat of his father’s gaze and then the stairs indeed ran out, and he was standing right in front of him.
“I’ve just been out to the bank,” his father said with an unfaltering glare.
“I take it you had a long wait?”
“This is no time to think that you are funny, Gregory. You have made a spectacle out of yourself, and I’m not impressed. This has to stop. I had a good reputation in this town once. Now I see people turning away from me in the street. I’m simply not having this anymore. I have to do something before your reputation is damaged beyond repair.” His father took a deep breath and his eyes clouded over.
Gregory didn’t say anything for a moment. He knew that his father had a temper. He knew it because that’s where he’d got his from, but he also knew that his father calmed down much more quickly than he ever could. He watched his father to see whether the outburst had been enough, but the quick rise and fall to his chest told him that it was far from being over. “I don’t know what to say, Father,” he said when it was clear that he was expected to say something.
“You are a disgrace and I am only willing to offer you one more chance. You are my son and I love you, but we cannot go on
like this. I will not. You are either to marry a girl and settle down or leave this house and the fortune that it will bring to you.”
Gregory stared at his father. He could barely believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, but at the same time he could tell that his father meant it. There was a resistance in his eyes that told Gregory that, even if he backed down later, it wasn’t because it had been an empty threat. He shook his head at the unfairness of the proposition. “You can’t do that. You got to marry out of love. Why shouldn’t I have the same kindness shown to me?”
“I have given you every chance to fall in love. You’ve spent countless nights with countless potential loves and you’ve never looked back after leaving them. The town calls you a rake. They think you are a scoundrel that their daughters should be kept away from. You have no hope of finding love here, and I have no hope of you finding love anywhere else. I am your father, and you will do as I say.”
“And who is it that you suppose I should marry?” Gregory asked with a smug look on his face. “You say that I have blown my chances with every girl in town, so tell me who it is that you think you will find?” Gregory could feel the color dropping out of his cheeks as his father’s lips turned up into a smile.
“Well, I’ve actually got the perfect girl in mind for you,” he said without revealing anything else about her.
******
Dawn had hardly broken over the horizon when Gregory’s father came bounding into his room. He could feel his eyes itch for more sleep as he sat up and forced them to stay open. It was too early to be expected to process anything, and yet his father was expecting him to prepare for a day’s journey on horseback. He groaned as he looked around at his room and the mess that he had left.
It took him having to move everything in his room at least once to find everything that he needed. He could feel a thin layer of sweat sitting on his skin from the effort, and he desperately wanted to crawl back into bed. He hadn’t even been drinking the night before; his father had locked him in the house to ensure that he would be there in the morning. But the absence of a hangover made very little difference to Gregory’s mood.