“Alexander, what are you doing out of bed?” His mother’s exasperated question did nothing to take his eyes off his pale sickly wife.
Debra lay propped up against pillows, and although she was pale, she smiled at him. Alex said the only words he could think of. “I worried when you did not come to eat the morning meal with me.”
“Alexander, you cannot be in here.”
“Mother, we are married.” Alex tried to keep a straight face as he said the words but found himself cringing with shame. Such things should not have to be said.
When she laughed at him, he thought about turning to walk out of the room, but he stopped when looking back at Debra. Although pale, she looked happy.
“I meant,” his mother said with a sparkle in her eyes, “you are unwell and should be in your bed. Debra cannot be near you in her condition.”
Ready to argue against going back to bed, Alex considered his mother’s words. “Condition? What condition?”
“Waverly!” His mother looked to the door and called for the duke. “Will you please take your son back to his bed? He cannot give Debra pneumonia.”
“I want him to stay.” Debra pulled herself into a sitting position, which made Alex nervous. She was ill and needed to rest.
“Alexander, please go back to your bed. You have an infections illness,” his father said entering the room.
Ignoring his parents, Alex looked back to Debra tortured by the thought of having passed one of the illnesses he’d had onto her. She’d kissed him many times over the past weeks while he tried to decide if he would fight to live or quietly pass from life. When he finally realized there was a reason to stay, as Debra constantly told him she loved him, he fought.
“Have I made you ill? Is this my fault?”
Debra smiled so beautifully the glow in her face and eyes caught him off guard. “I am not ill. I am increasing.”
Taken aback by the pronouncement, he looked to his mother and Lady Norwood to see if he’d understood correctly. When he saw the bright smiles on each of their faces, he turned back to his wife. “Are you certain?”
His father walked to him and took his hand to shake it. “I am proud to say we are certain. Lady Trenton has made us all very happy.”
In stunned silence Alex allowed his father to help him back to his bed. Alex found a renewed sense of hope and peace at the thought of being a father, and then a sense of dread. He didn’t know the first thing about raising a child.
Epilogue
Debra walked through the garden at Woodland Manor trying to occupy her day with something other than embroidery. Spring tulips were popping out of the ground for the promise of a beautiful season. She held the last letter Alex sent. He said he was healing and sent his love, but it came three weeks before, and was the last of the communication she’d received. Worried he’d had a relapse she paced through the garden.
She’d written three times only to have her letters go unanswered. Thinking of the last time she’d actually had a conversation with him, she smiled at the memory of his joy over the child she carried. They’d agreed together she should spend the winter with her family while he recuperated, as the doctor informed them Alex was highly contagious and any trauma to the child would not be welcome. Wanting to be supportive, Debra had offered to let him take Portia to Waverly Keep, but was thankful he’d insisted on leaving the puppy with her.
This spring day was much different than the one where she’d met Alex. Although one year to the date, there weren’t any rain clouds in the sky or a hint of a cold breeze. It was a pleasant day, one she’d love to spend sitting on the hill overlooking the sea while writing a new manuscript.
As she rounded the bend to go back into the house, she stopped as she saw Alex standing in the middle of the pathway. Debra thought about running to him as she was ecstatic to see him, but a woman in her condition should not run. The possibility of tripping over a stray rock on the path stopped her from attempting the exercise.
The last update she’d sent, regarding her size, told him she had increased beyond the capabilities of her dresses to where they had to let them out. Currently, her belly could set her off balance with the simplest of movements and the doctor warned her against injury.
“Alex?” she cried as he crossed the walkway to meet her.
Alex smiled and shook his head. “When you wrote you were increasing beyond the size of your dresses, I imagined it an exaggeration, Love.”
Debra missed hearing the deep softness of his voice. She also missed being called love. “Why did you not write back to me?”
He took a few steps forward before answering. “I kept thinking I would be able to travel before now. I expected to be here over a week ago. I thought I would beat any letter.”
Debra saw the sincerity in his face and heard it in his words, but he still should have written. She was not going to let him off so easily. “Why are you here?”
Alex laughed as he rocked side to side on his feet. “I am a fool in love.”
“Why a fool?” She was taken back by his choice of wording.
“A mythological god must have shot me with an arrow because I have not been able to think straight since I met you last spring. I have made a ninny out of myself many times and I cannot seem to stop being a fool for you, my dear.”
Debra’s heart melted with his words. She moved forward and closed the gap between them noticing the comforting smell of peppermint she’d come to associate with her husband. “Promise me you will not ever leave me waiting to hear from you again.”
“I promise.” He took hold of her hands and kissed her fingers. “Tell me Love, are you happy we are married?”
“I have more joy in my life, because of you.” Tears came easily as she looked into her husband’s eyes. It’d been far too long since she’d last had a chance to tell him she loved him. Looking at him, she yearned to be held. “I missed you. I love you.”
Alex placed a light kiss on her lips and whispered the words she longed to hear. “I love you too. I pray every day our daughters will have your imagination.”
“Daughters?” Debra said pulling out of his arms. “How many babies do you think are inside me?”
“I do hope only one. I do not think we can handle more than that at time.”
Accepting his answer, she moved back into his embrace. “Then I pray our daughters will have my imagination and a bit of your wit.”
“Of course, our sons should have my handsome looks and perfect personality.” Alex said with an air of snobbery.
“With a proper knowledge of books?” Debra asked quirking one eyebrow in intrigue.
Alex shrugged his shoulders and gave her an innocent look. “I will leave their education up to you, Love.”
Debra laughed and ran her fingers through his hair as he kissed her. His lips were soft and covered hers in a thorough and loving caress making up for all of their lost time together. She knew they’d be happy. Although they’d had an unusual beginning, their future was unwritten. A blank slate ready for pen, ink, and parchment.
As he released her from the embrace Debra laughed with joyful contentment as he asked, “Have you written anything new of late?”
“No, my love, but I do have an idea forming at this very moment.”
About the Author
Angela Johnson has a love of literature and all things Regency. She loves adventure, especially while reading. Johnson loves learning, and has a degree in English, communications, publishing and is working on an MFA in Genre Fiction. Johnson’s debut novel is The Earl of Arundel.
Traveling and reading are favorite past times and help her form ideas for writing, but she loves being home in Utah surrounded by beautiful mountains.
For more books and updates:
www.angelajohnsonauthor.org
Also by Angela Johnson
The Earl of Arundel (Earls of England book 1)
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Wit & Intrigue (An Assignation to Remember Book 1) Page 22