Page 39 of Bluebell’s Fate

Sick? Rose hadn’t seemed sickly. “I’m sorry to hear you are unwell,” Bell said. She was certain there was more to their leaving, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Rose playfully swatted at her husband’s arm. “Don’t fret, Bell. I’m hopeful you will come to visit once you’ve become an aunt.”

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place with a swift click. Bell clapped her hands. “You are with child! Oh, I am so happy for you both!”

Looking at Frederick’s open admiration for Rose and their unborn child caused Bell’s heart to constrict. He was so obviously thrilled with the idea of becoming a father. Did her own husband even want children? Certainly, he’d like an heir—but did he adore children the way she did? There was so much she didn’t know about him, so much uncertainty about her future. Her desire to know him better sparked further. She turned to Nathaniel, and to her great surprise, he was looking at her just the way Frederick was looking at Rose. Bell reached out and squeezed his hand. “I’m going to be an aunt,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper. “I think I’ve trained all my life for this. Who better to tell children stories and meander through the woods with than a doting aunt?”

Nathaniel swallowed and bent his head toward Bell so as to be unheard. “I believe the only person better to fill that role, would be a mother.”

Bell felt her sharp intake of breath. Could he mean that he thought she would be a good mother? Or was it simply that he thought Rose ought to fill that role in her own child’s life? She sought Nathaniel’s hazel eyes for the answer. He smiled at her, and Bell’s cheeks warmed once again. Had they really moved toward such familiarity so quickly since yesterday? Bell wanted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming. Then again, she had a tendency to enjoy her dreams, so she decided against the idea of forcing herself awake.

Frederick coughed from the opposite side of the small room. “I was hoping we could take a walk about your grounds here at the cottage before we leave, Nathaniel. With the prospect of being in a carriage for most of the day, I’d like to stretch my limbs first.”

Nathaniel pressed Bell’s fingers before he released her hand and stood up. “That sounds like just the thing.”

Bell took Frederick’s place beside Rose on the sofa as the gentlemen left the room. “How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?”

“Tea would be nice, and some bread if you have any. I find that nibbling on food keeps the nausea away.”

Bell left for a moment to ask Mrs. Carter for a tea tray and then rejoined her sister. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

Rose smiled. “I’m far more confident in my abilities now that I’ve had some practice with my niece, Juliet. Frederick is going to be an incredible father, but his antics are only bound to get worse with time.” Her infectious smile was irresistible.

“I never thought you’d marry someone like Frederick. I always pictured you with a very proper duke.”

“Pish,” Rose scoffed. “What is a duke to Frederick?” Then she grew more serious. “I never knew that what I needed in my life was more fun and spontaneity. I cannot fathom life any other way now.” She raised her eyebrow at Bell. “It seems you and Nathaniel have come to an understanding of some sort.”

Although said as a statement, Bell knew her sister was asking a question. “I believe I have judged him poorly. I am far more comfortable in his presence, knowing that he does not have the habit of wandering with other women.” Bell’s neck was hot even thinking about all the terrible notions she’d believed Nathaniel capable of.

“That is a good start, at the least,” Rose acknowledged. “I have reason to believe he will face a little less hostility from his parents after our departure. I needed to stay long enough for them to understand perfectly that if they do not treat you with more respect, they could be sunk quite easily.”

Bell didn’t doubt her sister’s abilities of persuasion. She’d witnessed her older sister manipulating situations to her precise desire more than once. “Do I want to know how you accomplished such a feat?”

Rose arched an eyebrow. “A lady never reveals her secrets. Besides, it doesn’t matter much. Dinner last night with Nathaniel’s parents proved to be quite the diversion.”

Bell shook her head, smiling. “I am beginning to believe I don’t want to know what you did.”

“Just know that you and I now correspond weekly. I expect not to miss a letter.”

Rose had always been a good correspondent unless she was traveling, but Bell typically had her head in the clouds too much to bother with letter writing. “You know that is not my strength, Rose.”

“All the more reason for you to put forth more effort. Besides, if you do not send me a weekly letter, your mother-in-law may need some smelling salts. I have informed her that I expect consistent updates on the status of your new marriage and how well you have been received into the neighborhood.”

Somewhere, deep inside of Bell, she felt bad for the Paynes. However, after the way they’d treated her thus far, that feeling was buried deep, like a sunken pirate ship in the ocean. More than anything, she felt grateful to Rose for helping her find her footing in her marriage, and now with her in-laws. Surely, a constant battle against her in-laws and closest neighbors was not going to help her be confident in her new role as a wife. Bell allowed herself to slump back into the cushions of the violet sofa. “I’m going to miss you.”

Rose smiled, but it had a sadness to it. “I will miss you as well. You must come after the baby is born. I’d love for you to be there for the christening if it’s possible.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. Please let me know when your time is close at hand.”

“We write to each other every week, Bell. You’ll likely hear all too much about my uncomfortable state towards the end. Now, we really must be going.” Rose stood up and smoothed out her traveling gown.

Bell also stood, but more slowly than her sister, wanting to keep her there as long as possible.

“Oh,” Rose tugged her gloves. “Do you remember what father always told you about bluebells?”

From Bell’s earliest memories, she’d been taught about bluebells from both her parents as well as her nursemaid. However, her father tended to focus on the legends of them. “You’ll have to guide my thoughts. I seem to have quite extensive knowledge of bluebells.”

Rose took both of Bell’s hands in her own. “A person is only able to win the one they love if they can turn a bluebell inside out without tearing it.”