Page 58 of A Duke, a Virgin and a Baby
“I was scared he would prove to be everything everyone had said about him. I felt discarded already when he did began to avoid me and I was not brave enough to put myself before him again. But… my parents have found me a husband and I am to be wed next week. I know it is foolish and perhaps I should simply give up but I wanted to see Seth one last time and hear from his lips that he doesn’t want anything to do with me or our child. I need to know. I cannot simply leave my son like this, letting him grow up believing that he was abandoned by both his parents.”
At this point, she was crying, wiping her tears away with the handkerchief in her hand.
“Do not worry, Miss Snowley. I will send for my brother immediately and we will have this situation sorted out as best as we can. In the meantime, perhaps you would like to see your son?” Julian offered looking at Anna.
The duchess nodded, rising to her feet and holding her hands out to the other woman.
“Oh, can I really?” she gasped, looking as though she was reluctant to hope.
“Of course. Let me take you to him.”
Marjorie took her hand gratefully and Anna led her to Nicholas’ nursery.
“You gave us quite a fright,” Anna teased lightly. “We were all so stunned to find a little child in a basket. But we adapted rather quickly to his presence. All my maids have fallen hopelessly in love with him. He has been remarkably cared for since his arrival here, so you can be rest assured that he is in good health.”
Marjorie nodded, gasping when the duchess opened a door to reveal a maid cradling Nicholas in her arms. The boy turned at the sound, his eyes immediately falling on his mother. Anna had always wondered how he would react to seeing her if they were ever reunited, unsure if he would recognize her.
Nicholas stared at the women approaching him and he began to make a fuss, reaching for Marjorie with a whine.
“Oh, my little berry bundle,” Marjorie whispered, her voice choked up with tears as she lifted her son into her arms.
Anna and the maid stood back to watch the tearful reunion with a few tears of their own. Looking at how emotional she was, Anna could tell how difficult the separation had been for her. She understood that Marjorie had truly thought it would be best for Seth to care for their child, as he had the resources to do so, and she even understood Julian’s speeches about responsibility now.
“You have gotten so big, my darling boy. I am so sorry to have missed all that time with you. I was worried to the brink of insanity but I prayed every day that you would be safe and cared for. And you were,” Marjorie said to him softly, gently running a hand over his clothed limbs.
She turned to Anna after she had gotten her fill of her son for that moment and said earnestly,
“I am so grateful. Thank you so much for looking after him. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been. He is quite a fussy eater.”
Anna agreed immediately. “That he is. He is quite fond of berries though. Anything our cook prepares for him is acceptable, as long as it contains enough berries for this little prince.”
She reached for his hand, smiling tearfully when he clutched one of her fingers in his hand and would not let her go.
“He absolutely loves berries. That is why I call him Berry Bundle. I believe he got the trait from his father. Seth might seem like a sour man, but he really does have quite the sweet tooth and a fondness for berry tarts.” Marjorie sighed wistfully. “I am scared to face him. I fear that I deluded myself into believing that he loved me too and only disappointment awaits. What if he truly wants nothing more to do with me because of Nicholas?”
Anna shook her head and wrapped an arm around the young woman, gently patting Nicholas’ hair with the other.
“I cannot speak on his feelings for you, but I believe you should know that Seth has met Nicholas. And he was enchanted with him. He is unsure of what the life of a father will be like, but I believe he wants to try. For the sake of your child. And I think that is quite brave. You have made mistakes in the past and you are all ready to pay for them and you wish to do right by your son. What matters is that you do it all together. I don’t quite know what it’s like to be loved, but I know that love that persists is all that you will need to keep each other strong.”
Marjorie nodded fiercely. “If he wants me too, I would like to start a life with him. Properly. I did not believe in that sort of thing until I met Seth. And although we did not do things in the right order, I refuse to believe it is too late for us to try again at a decent life.”
“Neither did I. I never expected that I would want to have a family of my own. But tending to Nicholas, caring for him, and protecting him has shown me that my heart had more depth than initially believed. He has given me so much strength and encouragement to want more out of my life, even though it might not work out the way I wish.” Anna admitted.
It was all so heavy, the feelings swirling within her. The sense of loss she had feared would manifest when she faced Nicholas’ mother had been smaller than she expected it to be, towered by the understanding of this woman’s predicament and the situations that led her to make the choices she did.
She already missed Nicholas immensely but even more so, she was eager for his life to begin the way it was meant to unfold, regardless of whether or not his father would step up to do the right thing for all their sakes. But also, it pushed her to reflect on all that had transpired between herself and Julian, and she believed she had waited enough.
She waited for him to remember her, deem her worthy of a proper marriage, and return home. She waited for him to choose to try and have a meaningful relationship during his stay, hoping it would convince him that he was where he belonged. And she had waited for him to love her as she loved him.
But it was clear now, that none of what she hoped for was ever going to come to fruition the way she wanted it, because Julian was simply not that sort of man.
It was devastating, but she needed to accept her reality for what it was.
“I am glad he was able to bring you some semblance of comfort. You are a wonderful, lovely woman, Your Grace. I am certain that your children will be blessed to have you as their mother. And my son is fortunate to have such a wonderful aunt.” Marjorie assured with a smile.
“Thank you, truly —”
“Marjorie! Marjorie, are you really here?!”
