A Ring for the Pregnant Debutante

by Laura Martin

  Last night he’d found himself making bargains in his head. He would just stay until the baby was born and then he would go; he would just stay until Rosa was recovered from the birth and then he would go; he would just stay until the baby had smiled or crawled or walked.

  ‘Thomas darling, will you be joining us for tea?’ his mother called over.

  He started to walk across the lawn, reaching the wrought-iron table just as Rosa did and pulling out her chair for her. She smiled up at him with affection in her eyes.

  Thomas felt his heart squeeze. This was all any man could want. A lovely wife, a child on the way, a family who loved him and a comfortable home. Maybe he should allow himself to be content, to enjoy his unexpected good fortune. Surely after the years of uncertainty, after all the people he had lost, he deserved a little slice of happiness.

  He shook his head. It would be too selfish. Giving Rosa that hope, that glimpse of a normal life, only to burden her with a rapidly declining husband if and when the disease struck. His aim had always been to protect his loved ones from the illness, he couldn’t falter now.

  Rosa had just poured the tea and was digging into a large slice of sponge cake when one of the footmen came hurrying across the lawn.

  ‘My lord, a gentleman is here to see Lady Hunter.’

  Rosa looked up expectantly, but Thomas could hear the hesitation in the footman’s voice.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘He wouldn’t give his name, my lord, but he insisted Lady Hunter see him. He is a little out of sorts. Indisposed.’

  ‘Drunk?’

  ‘Quite, my lord.’

  He saw the colour drain from Rosa’s face, just as it had when the Di Mercurios had turned up at his villa demanding she be returned all those months ago.

  ‘I will deal with him.’

  ‘No.’ Rosa caught his arm. ‘I wish to come with you. I won’t hide away in my own home.’

  Out of the corner of his eye Thomas saw his mother smile as Rosa described the place as home.

  Thomas was about to protest, about to insist she stay safely hidden whilst he dealt with whoever this drunkard turned out to be, but then he saw the determination on her face and knew she would not be deterred. She’d come so far from the scared girl he’d met climbing over the Di Mercurios’ wall. He wouldn’t deny her the chance at saying her piece to whoever this was from her past.

  Hand in hand they followed the footman across the lawn and into the house.

  ‘I have put the gentleman in the green room, my lord. Do you wish for me to come in with you?’

  Thomas waved a dismissive hand. There weren’t many men he’d met that he couldn’t best in a one-on-one fight. Not that this would come to that, hopefully.

  ‘David,’ Rosa said, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. ‘What are you doing here?’

  The man standing by the window staggered as he took a few steps towards them, but then stopped as he caught sight of Rosa’s figure.

  ‘It’s true,’ he slurred. ‘You are pregnant. I didn’t believe it when you told me.’

  Thomas felt Rosa bristle beside him, but allowed her to remain in control. Any sign of violence and he would step in.

  ‘There were rumours you’d been sent to Italy in disgrace.’

  Rosa said nothing, just laid a hand protectively on her bump.

  ‘And now you’ve married this...’ he seemed to search for the right word ‘...libertine.’

  As insults went it was rather weak.

  ‘I can’t see that is any of your concern, David.’

  ‘Of course it’s my concern. You are carrying my child.’

  ‘No, she isn’t,’ Thomas said calmly.

  David spluttered and held up an accusing finger. ‘That is my child. I know it is.’

  Thomas put a protective arm around Rosa and gave her a little squeeze.

  ‘Rosa is my wife. The child she is carrying is my child. Now please state your business and then leave.’

  ‘Do you know what a whore you married?’ David spat, hatred in his eyes.

  Thomas dropped a kiss on the top of Rosa’s head in a way he knew would just infuriate the man.

  ‘I know exactly the kind of woman I married.’

  ‘She begged me to take her. Couldn’t keep her hands off me. Squealed like a whore, too.’

  ‘We both know that isn’t true,’ Thomas said with a shrug. ‘But if you need to tell yourself that to sleep at night then so be it.’

  ‘I bet she said I raped her, forced myself upon her. She was willing, looked up at me with those big eyes and pleaded for me to take her.’

  ‘I thought you loved me, David,’ Rosa said sadly. ‘I was young and naïve and stupid, but I never asked you to ruin me. I begged you to stop.’

  ‘What do you want?’ Thomas asked.

  ‘I could tell the world,’ David said, a malicious grin spreading across his face. ‘I could tell the world the baby is mine—that you have married a fallen woman and the child is a bastard.’

  Thomas took a step closer to David, drawing himself up to his full height. The other man took an involuntary step backwards as he approached and Thomas had to suppress a smile.

  ‘You could tell everyone that, but what would be the point?’

  ‘I want money. Five hundred pounds and I won’t say a word.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘No?’

  Thomas shrugged. ‘There’s no scandal here. Rosa is a married woman. She’s pregnant with my child. My heir. The baby will be a Hunter.’

  ‘Rumours can cause a lot of damage.’

  ‘I’m sure they can. But you won’t be the one spreading them.’

  ‘I will.’

  Thomas placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder and felt him flinch.

  ‘Your name is David Greenway, is that correct? Son of Mr Peter Greenway.’

  David nodded, obviously nonplussed at the change of direction the conversation had taken.

  ‘Your family home is a lovely old Tudor house with seven bedrooms and your father employs four servants. Unfortunately the Greenway family fortunes have taken a turn for the worse in the last few years—do correct me if I’m wrong.’

  David mumbled something under his breath.

  ‘As I understand it your father has borrowed a substantial amount of money against the family home. Money that he is struggling to pay back.’

  ‘How...?’

  ‘How do I know? Well, I had a long chat with a new friend who was moaning about a debt that will never be paid. He was loathe to turn the family out of their home, seeing as there are four women in residence to consider, but really couldn’t continue as it was. I offered to buy the debt from him and he almost bit off my hand in his eagerness.’

  Thomas watched as the blood drained from David’s face and smiled in a businesslike manner.

  ‘So I could call in your father’s debt at any time. Or not. Tell me, you are the eldest son, are you not? You stand to inherit the house once your father dies.’

  There was a minute nod from David.

  ‘Stay away from my wife, stay away from our child. If I ever hear even a hint of a rumour about the legitimacy of our child then I will call in the debt so fast your mother and sisters won’t even have time to pack their bags before they become homeless. Do you understand?’

  David nodded.

  ‘Good. Thank you for your visit. This has been most helpful. I hope we never see each other again.’

  Thomas stepped back to let David past, watching as he stumbled towards the doorway.

  ‘You were magnificent,’ Rosa said. ‘And you didn’t even hit him.’

  ‘I’m not all about the violence.’

  ‘How did you know about the debt? I didn’t even t
ell you his full name.’

  Thomas smiled at her, placed a finger on her chin and tilted it up towards him. He was feeling reckless and a little out of control. Without thinking of the consequences he dipped his head and brushed his lips against hers, lacing his fingers through her hair and pulling her body closer to him.

  Rosa melted in his arms and as he deepened the kiss Thomas knew he could lose himself in her for ever.

  ‘I thought he might make trouble for us, so I sent a man to find out who he was, where he lived and any dirty family secrets. When my man uncovered the debt it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.’

  ‘You did all that for me? For us?’

  He kissed her again.

  ‘Of course. You are my wife, I will do anything to protect you.’

  Including keeping his distance, a voice screamed inside his head, but for once Thomas shut it down and gave in to his desire.

  He ran his hands down Rosa’s back, caressing her through the thin cotton of her dress, and cupped her buttocks. As he caressed her he felt Rosa stiffen in his arms, and then as if giving in to her own desires she relaxed.

  ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said,’ Thomas whispered in her ear. ‘Constantly.’

  ‘I say a lot of things.’

  ‘You know what I mean.’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘I’d like to take you up on that offer.’

  Rosa pulled away just a little and smiled up at him. Thomas felt his whole body tighten with desire and knew their whole relationship had been leading up to this moment.

  ‘Come.’ Rosa took his hand and pulled him from the room, giggling as they ran up the stairs.

  Thomas knew he should say something to dampen her expectations. This didn’t change his plans in the long term; he would still have to leave in a few months. Theirs would not be a normal marriage. He knew he should say something but he couldn’t, he wanted this too much, couldn’t bear the thought of Rosa pulling away from him now.

  Upstairs, in Rosa’s bedroom, they paused for a second and just looked at one another.

  ‘You’re sure?’ Thomas asked.

  ‘Can I tell you a secret?’ Rosa whispered. ‘I’ve been dreaming of this for a very long time.’

  With a groan Thomas kissed her again, pouring all his passion and desire into the meeting of their lips. His tongue flicked out and tasted her, and he knew at that moment one taste would never be enough.

  Gently he spun her round and with dextrous fingers unlaced her dress, pushing it down hastily to reveal the chemise underneath. The thin cotton was almost see-through, and Thomas felt his desire swell and grow as he saw the outline of her body beneath it.

  Pulling her in close to him, Thomas peppered kisses all the way down her neck to her collar bone, loving the way her body responded to his caresses.

  ‘I want to see you,’ he whispered in her ear, then grasped the hem of her chemise and lifted it up over her head.

  Thomas took a step back, but as his eyes slid over her body Rosa raised her arms to cover her belly. He caught them and gently pressed them back to her side.

  ‘You’re beautiful,’ he said. ‘All of you.’

  Raising one hand, he trailed his fingers down in between her breasts, over the bump of her belly and down to her most private place below. Rosa gasped as he touched her there and he felt her legs wobble underneath her.

  Quickly he gripped his shirt and pulled it off over his head, his trousers following closely behind. Then he led Rosa to the bed and laid her down, sliding in beside her.

  Through all his years of celibacy Thomas had imagined how this moment would feel, but never had he imagined anything quite so perfect. He realised he was glad he had waited, glad Rosa was his first, his only. No one else would ever make him feel this good.

  He kissed her again, a long, sensuous kiss, and let his hands caress her body. He felt her fingertips on his back, pulling him closer to her. Dipping his head, hearing her moan of protest as he broke the kiss, he captured one of her nipples between his teeth. Rosa groaned, arching her back.

  ‘I need you, Thomas,’ she whispered.

  And he needed her. Carefully he rolled her on to her side, facing away from him, and pressed his body up against hers. With one arm around her waist, pulling her tighter to him, he pushed forward, entering her and hearing her moan of pleasure as he did so.

  Thomas had never felt so alive, so stimulated and slowly he began to rock his hips backwards and forward. He was gentle at first, conscious that he didn’t want to hurt Rosa, but as she pressed back into him again and again he picked up speed.

  He dropped his hand that had been around her waist down lower and began to stroke, guided by her moans of pleasure as his fingers grazed her.

  Thomas felt the climax build inside him, knowing he would not be able to last much longer, but determined to give Rosa her pleasure before he took his. He kissed her neck, thrusting inside her at the same time, and after a few more strokes felt Rosa’s body grow taut around him as she let out a low moan. Immediately Thomas felt his own release, pushing into Rosa one last time and hearing his own moan of pleasure.

  They lay there, bodies pressed together, skin against skin, for a long time without speaking. Thomas felt a peculiar contentment wash over him. For months he had wanted to take Rosa to his bed and it had been even better than he had imagined. He knew, no matter what he told himself, this could not be a one-off. Their intimacy had just fuelled his desire for his wife rather than slaked it.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Rosa beamed as she watched Thomas galloping over the fields in the distance. She loved to watch him in action, appreciated the effort that went into keeping his body in prime physical condition. Now, after he’d confided in her about his family secret, she could understand completely why he worked so hard to maintain peak physical fitness. The threat of losing control of his movements and his body made him look after himself more than the average man.

  Rosa could appreciate the result as well. For two weeks now Thomas had slipped into her bed, pulled her close to him and worshipped her body every night, and Rosa could picture every groove of muscle, every firm contour of his body.

  Each night he whispered it would be their last, that he would not succumb again, but it was as though he were drawn back to her bed as the sun went down.

  Rosa didn’t complain, she was dreading the day he did stay away, knowing that once he had broken away from her she might never get him back. She cherished the closeness between them, loved those sleepy moments when he held her in his arms before they both drifted into unconsciousness. One day soon the doctor would tell her to cease anything even remotely physical and then Thomas would not dare to touch her until the baby had been born. After that...well, Rosa knew how adamant he was that no future generation should be afflicted with the Hunter family curse.

  ‘Is my son showing off again?’ Sarah asked as she joined Rosa on the bench that looked out over the estate.

  ‘He is a very fine horseman.’

  The older woman smiled, a hint of pride in her eyes. ‘Thomas does many things very well. The trouble is he knows it, too.’

  They watched him in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the late morning sun.

  ‘How are you settling in, my dear?’ Sarah asked as Thomas disappeared over the brow of a hill.

  ‘I feel so at home,’ Rosa said quietly. ‘More at home than I ever did in my own house.’

  ‘This is your house now and your home.’

  Rosa felt a lump form in her throat. They’d been living at Thomas’s family home for a little over a month and she felt more at ease here than she ever had before. Her days were spent reading, strolling through the gardens and taking tea with her mother-in-law. Her nights were even more enjoyable and Rosa felt her cheeks flush at the thought.


  ‘I’m very happy here,’ Rosa said and knew it was the truth. For all her hurt and upset when Thomas had revealed his intention to escort her back to England and then leave her to live as mistress of his estate, Rosa now knew it was an enjoyable life.

  ‘I haven’t seen Thomas this happy in years. You’re good for him. And this baby will be good for him, too.’

  Biting her lip, Rosa suppressed a nervous laugh. She did think she was good for Thomas. The last few weeks he’d been happy and relaxed. The haunted look on his face, had disappeared, and the sense of urgency he’d had ever since she’d first met him had mellowed. For once he seemed to be enjoying living a normal, simple life and Rosa knew she’d played a big part in that.

  ‘I wish...’ Rosa started, but found herself unable to complete the sentence.

  Sarah looked at her with the same dazzling blue eyes as her son and smiled encouragingly.

  ‘I wish I could make Thomas want to stay.’

  ‘He’s planning on leaving?’

  Rosa immediately regretted voicing her thoughts. The last thing she wanted to do was cause Sarah any unnecessary distress. She was about to open her mouth to try to rescue the situation when the older woman spoke.

  ‘Of course he is. I don’t know why I’m surprised. Silly boy.’

  An unbidden smile flitted across Rosa’s lips and she quickly tried to suppress it.

  ‘Well, he is a silly boy. Look at what he’s got: a lovely wife, a child on the way, a beautiful home. Men would kill to have half of what he does and he’s determined to run away from it all.’

  ‘I think he doesn’t wish to be a burden if he does become unwell.’

  Sarah sighed. ‘I know. He saw how it hurt me when his father became ill and again with his brother. Thomas lived through the agony of watching someone he loved be slowly stripped away until just a husk was left. He wishes to protect us both from that.’

  ‘But he doesn’t even know if he will develop the disease.’