Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
‘No, the fires have not been lit for weeks, my darling, not since the weather improved.’ Mama’s delight transforms into worry. ‘You are not running a fever, are you?’ Her hand slaps onto Eliza’s forehead.
‘No, I feel well enough, just very hot.’
‘Oh, good. His Grace is in the study with your father.’ Mama opens the way to Papa and Johnny, her shinning, excited eyes on Eliza, gazing at her fondly. ‘You will cherish every moment of pregnancy just as I did, Eliza. It is a joyous time, full of wonder and excitement, but, of course, you must not get stressed or overdo it.’
‘See,’ I pipe up. ‘Mama is right.’
Eliza turns her tired eyes onto me. ‘I will stuff an orange in your mouth, Frank, be sure of it.’
‘All right.’ I hold up my hands in surrender. Is this impudence, I wonder, because she is angered about stepping aside, or is it purely a pregnancy thing? My God, women are complicated creatures.
‘Now let us get this over with,’ Eliza says, as she marches to the door, pushes it open rather abruptly, and stands on the threshold.
‘Come, Mama,’ I say, gently taking her elbow and following my sister.
‘Eliza,’ Johnny breathes, standing from his chair, looking like a beaten man. I know not what he has said to incite such an extreme reaction, but right there on the spot, Eliza bursts into tears.
‘It was not supposed to happen so quickly!’ she cries, her shoulders jerking violently.
Papa looks surprised. ‘Then perhaps a chastity belt might have been a good idea.’
‘And I know not if I am prepared to be a mother!’ Her hands cover her face as she cries rivers of tears into them. ‘I wanted you to myself for a time, and now I shall be fat and exhausted, and you may not desire me any more.’
My eyes widen, and I cast a look across to Papa, who is, as I expected, looking wholly uncomfortable. ‘All right,’ he says, suddenly finding life in his tired bones. ‘I think it is time for me to depart.’
‘It is sensible, I suppose,’ Eliza goes on, ignoring our father’s discomfort, ‘as Frank has made me realise, to slow down until the babe is born and I have nursed him to one year.’
Johnny smiles and goes to Eliza, taking her hands. ‘You make me a very happy husband, my duchess, when you are reasonable.’
‘Don’t get used to it.’
He laughs and hauls her into him, and I smile, not because I am finally being blessed with the opportunity I so need, but because I definitely caught Eliza’s soft, loving smile before her face was buried in the Duke’s big chest.
‘Wonderful!’ Mama sings, blocking Papa before he can leave his study. ‘Burt, we will be grandparents!’
‘Yes, Flo, that we will be.’ Papa looks across to me and nods sharply, an acknowledgement as such. Do not let him down. He need not worry, I will not. I just pray he doesn’t bring up that small matter of marriage again.
Papa puts an arm around Mama’s shoulder, leading her out. ‘Come, Grandmama, us old boots should get some breakfast.’
Her laugh is high-pitched, thrilled, and utterly wonderful, and I watch with a certain fondness as they leave, feeling the love all around me.
‘So, sister dearest, I thought perhaps you could release the rest of your story without delay,’ I say, taking a seat at Papa’s desk. ‘Readers will be most perturbed should they have to wait until the babe is born and you have nursed it to one year.’
‘If you refer to my son as an it again, Melrose, I won’t think twice about dismembering you.’ Johnny raises an eyebrow in warning.
‘Son?’ Eliza questions.
‘It will be a boy,’ the Duke assures her, losing the sharp warning in his eyes as he regards my sister’s flat tummy. ‘I am certain of it.’
‘Right.’ The amount of mawkishness happening is overcoming. ‘Back to the matter at hand.’
‘Little Lord.’
I frown. ‘What?’
‘You must call my unborn child a little lord because that, Melrose, is what he is.’
‘Of course,’ I exhale my tiredness. How could I forget? ‘Little Lord it is.’ I smile mildly, and the Duke growls.
‘And what is your plan?’ Eliza asks. ‘You must tell me.’
‘To expand,’ I say.
‘So soon? How?’
‘My plan is still in the making,’ I say, taking the tops of her arms and planting a kiss on her forehead. ‘Now go be pregnant and enjoy.’ I leave her and walk with quite some bounce out of the study but stop at the doorway, something coming to me. I turn and find the Duke. ‘I have a favour to ask of you.’
‘Oh?’
I close the door so it is just my sister, her husband and I, blocking out Mama and Papa, for I should not like them to know of this little problem and cause them untold stress, but also to limit the potential of our crafty little sister overhearing, or, more appropriately, eavesdropping. So I lower my voice too. ‘Eliza and I have decided we must intervene.’