Page 12 of Storm over the Caribbean
His grin instantly disappeared, replaced by a horrified expression.
“Karim?” Mr Ambrose called out. “Drive.”
“Um…Sahib, I just remembered I forgot something back in my room. Could I go and—”
“Drive.Now.”
All too soon, we arrived in front of a familiar house. I had visited here quite often in my pre-marriage days, and yet now, as I climbed out of the carriage, I was dreading every step forward. Nonetheless, I finally arrived in front of the door. Before I could stop him, Mr Rikkard Ambrose raised his hand and knocked.
“Couldn’t you have waited a little longer?” I hissed.
He cocked his head. “And waste time?”
“Rrrgh! You’re infuriating!”
“And you are too excitable.” Half-turning towards me, he cocked his head. “It is not as if you are the only one who might have to face…unpleasant consequences here. In fact, it is most likely I whom this will be most hazardous for.”
“But you’re made from rock!” I shot back my perfectly logical counter-argument. “You’ll be fine! You—”
Right then, the door swung open, revealing the stoic form of a butler. “Ah. Mr and Mrs Ambrose, I presume? Please come in, you are expected.”
His gaze swivelled down to the bulge of my belly.
“Well…at least most of you.”
And he vanished, apparentlyveryeager to not be present when his employer arrived. I could not blame him either.
We stepped after him into the entryway. Before I even had a chance to slip out of my overcoat or pull out my revolver to defend myself from the coming danger, the door at the other end of the room burst open, and several figures rushed inside. Ella, Edmund, Flora, Eve and…
“Finally!” Patsy exclaimed. “You’re back! And…you…”
Her voice trailed off as she stared at me. Or, more precisely, my abdominal region.
“Surprise!” I gave her my best and brightest smile. “I’m pregnant!”
Laying the Foundations
Over the last few days, I had considered many a tactic to unveil my newly bulging status to my friends with (hopefully) minimal casualties. Then I had remembered that Patsy was among my friends, and realised minimal casualties was an unachievable dream.
Come on, Lilly! They say to never give up hope, right?
Yes, they did. And, I realized as Patsy Cusack’s eyes bored into my skull, “they” were monumentally stupid.
“Lilly?” Patsy began. “Lilly, dear…?”
With the desperation of a condemned woman who knew her doom was nigh, I leapt behind Flora and Eve. They might be able to hold up against Patsy for two seconds or so. Three, if I was lucky.
“Ooooh!” Instantly, Flora drew me into a hug. “Lilly, why didn’t you tell us! You look so cute like this!”
“But not nearly as cute as her little one is gonna look, I bet!” Beaming, Eve gently prodded my belly, and was rewarded with a kick to the finger. “Aww! He already knows his aunty! Isn’t that sweet!”
“He? How do you know it’s not a she?”
“Because I want a cute nephew to cuddle!”
“I want a niece!”
“Nephew!”
