Page 59 of A Wicked Duke's Redemption
“Do you hope that you are pregnant?” her mother asked softly.
“I—I think so,” Violet said. She had not wanted to worry her mother and thus refrained from mentioning the carriage accidents. A baby—an heir to the dukedom—was finally something pleasant, a bright spot in a dark time of her life. “I want to wait a little longer before I tell Leo, though. I want to be sure that I am.”
If she was pregnant, she might be a mother. The thought filled her with a powerful mingling of joy and trepidation. She might be pregnant! Her heartbeat quickened, her blood roaring so loudly that she heard it in her ears.
She and Leo might have to contend with the whispers and fear in town, but perhaps, if they were a family, she could persuade the villagers to understand Leo the way that she did. Maybe she could make them see how kind he was beneath the cold façade, built from years of trying to protect himself from being hurt further.
“If it continues for much longer, you should speak to a physician,” her mother said. “To be certain that you are not terribly ill.”
“I will,” Violet said.
She might bepregnant, though! Violet desperately hoped her mother was right.
***
The snow in the gardens was shoveled, leaving sparse paths which would be filled with flowers once springtime came. Violet smiled at the gardener and his assistants. It was only January, but she knew that the gardens would need preparation for the coming season soon.
“Violet!” A woman clad in a blue coat waved at her from some distance away.
“Lady Priscilla!” Violet exclaimed, hurrying to her friend. “I have not seen you in weeks!”
Lady Priscilla laughed. “I have only just returned to London, and I brought you more chocolates.”
She offered the box, and smiling, Violet took it. “Thank you.”
“I will not keep you long,” the lady said. “I only wanted to let you and Leo know that I have returned to Essex, and I wanted to give you some more chocolates. I am so glad to see you are doing well. I was dreadfully worried while you were in London.”
“I was, too,” Violet replied. “Fortunately, there had been no incidents since Leo and I returned to Essex.”
“That is wonderful,” Lady Priscilla said. “Let us all hope that there will continue to be no more incidents.”
“Yes. Thank you for coming by. I promise that I will visit you tomorrow.”
“I look forward to seeing you,” Lady Priscilla replied.
They parted ways, and Violet entered the manor. She returned to her room, where Emma had prepared a bath for her. Violet happily sank into the tub of water filled with scented oils. She inhaled the sweet scent of lavender, which aided her in calming her nerves. Once she was finished, she dried herself and let Emma help her into a nightgown.
Violet sat at her vanity and opened the box of chocolates. The rich, sweet scent filled her senses. She should have found it comforting, but instead, Violet’s stomach lurched. She closed the box and put a hand over her mouth. Violet swallowed, forcing the bile back.
“Are you well, Your Grace?” Mrs. Gunderson asked, as she entered the room.
“Just a little nauseous,” Violet replied. “Lady Priscilla brought me this expensive, delicious chocolate, but I am so ill that I do not think I can even bear to eat it.”
Mrs. Gunderson furrowed her brow. “That is not good. Shall I fetch a physician?”
Violet shook her head. “It is late,” she said, glancing out the window. Already, the moon had risen high in the sky. “Maybe if I still feel this ill in the morning, but in truth, I have felt sick for a few days now. Maybe longer if I think about it.”
Mrs. Gunderson carefully seated herself beside Violet. “Is it just nausea that you feel?”
“Mostly.”
A slow smile crept across Mrs. Gunderson’s face. “Your Grace,” she said, her voice light with amusement. “Have you considered that you might be pregnant?”
Violet laughed a little. “My mother asked that same question yesterday,” she said.
“And what did you tell her?”
“I do not know, but I like the idea.”
