Page 68 of Inconvenient Honor
“What are you talking about?”
“You can’t take my baby.”
“What do you take me for? Do you think I’m some kind of monster that would separate a mother from her child?”
“Isn’t that what your lot does? Hide indiscretion away?” She sounded desperate. “I’ve done it for you. Leave me here and?—”
“My son will not grow up in some heathen harem!”
“My daughter will be perfectly well with me, and these people are more compassionate and civilized than your London society.”
“My society? You were comfortable enough in London six months ago.” Dear God. She fainted at Georgiana’s. She must have known even then.
She wouldn’t look at him. He watched her wrap her arms protectively around her belly.
“Did he just move?” He couldn’t breathe.
He did; my son moved. I saw it.
“She did,” Lily looked up with a sad smile.
He walked close, fascinated, and grateful she didn’t pull away. He put out a hand, and the guard pushed away from the wall.
Lily reassured the man with a simple gesture.
“May I touch?
She bit her lip. For a moment he felt certain she would deny him. She nodded instead.
He reached gingerly for the place he saw movement without taking his eyes off Lily’s face, watching for signs she would change her mind. His hand came to rest on silk over a hard, smooth curve.
Too absorbed to think even of Lily, he froze in place. A flutter rewarded his attention and then another. Just before he would have pulled his hand back, a movement so strong he could see it vibrated against his fingers.
“A kick!” He looked up at her then to share his joy and saw only wariness. He jerked his hand back.
“Why Lily? Why didn’t you come to me as you should?”
“As you ordered me to? I told you at Chadbourn Park I would manage myself whatever the consequences,” she reminded him.
“Even if you didn’t want marriage, I would have taken care of you.”
“Pushed me into some cottage as far from London as you could manage—kept us there far from prying eyes? You will forgive me for choosing not to be your shameful secret. This is better. In a few years, I can return home a widow with child, and no one need gossip about the Marble Marquess.”
Richard groped for words. What did the fool woman expect when she wouldn’t marry him? “Lily, we would have managed something.” He had no clue what.
“All I wanted from you was my father home. Papa could have helped, but all you had for me was delay after delay.”
Fair enough. I failed you in that. I let Castlereagh and Foreign Office come first. It can’t be helped now. None of it can.
“Why did you lie about it?” he asked. “You told me no further action needed.”
“I didn’t lie. No action was or is needed from you,” she said, her defiant little chin raised.
“You led me to believe there was no baby.”
“You needed to get on with your courtship,” she said, red color blossoming on her neck. “How could I let you continue your absurd little dance of worry over me when all London knew you were tooffer for Lady Sarah, and I knew I had no intention of taking your help.”
A pained look slid over her face.
