Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 39383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
“Be sure to tell no one of this. Go.”
“Your majesty.” She curtsied and left the room, after one last look at her lady.
I sat beside her and touched her brow. “Poor sweet, is it that awful?” She smiled through her misery and took my hand in hers. “It will be all worth it Julian, I will have your son.”
“Or daughter.” I grinned at the face she made. “It matters not, she or he will be of us.” I rested my trembling hand lightly on her belly. Her eyes closed and she fell into slumber, leaving me to dwell on the future and what was to be done. I had a sobering thought then. Now that she was with child, would she leave my bed? Like hell!
Chapter 17
King Julian
***
“We go home tomorrow.” She had slept the morn away and now looked refreshed. Her eyes clouded at my words but she held her tongue. I did not say more than that. There was much for me to work out in my own mind first.
I had questioned Hannah intensively and was assured that it was best Cecile not travel overly much this early in her pregnancy. She was to be afforded all comforts and so I decided to get her back to the palace post haste.
“As you wish your majesty.” The rest of the day the servants were busy packing up for the return and no one questioned the short stay as I had promised much entertainment at court upon our return.
The trip back was as uneventful as the one we took the week prior, except for the mornings spent catering to her illness, which meant we got a later start, and the fact that we rode at a lighter pace.
I helped her down from her mare once we reached the stables of the palace. “Do not look so crestfallen my love. All will be well you’ll see.” She had grown more sullen the closer we got to the palace and I wondered if she labored under the same worries as I.
I was not prepared for what awaited me upon our return. Her bloody father was here, haunting my halls and the lady Georgina seemed to have spread her cause while I was gone.
“Lord Anthony, I thought we had dealt with this issue last we spoke.”
“Your majesty, my daughter is a young woman of marriageable age. It is not right that she molt away…”
“My brother has not been dead one year, her period of mourning is not yet up. We will not speak of this again, now leave me.”
Bollocks! I paced my rooms like a caged animal, my thoughts torturing and tormenting. I had guards on her door so that no one could get to her, I did not want her upset. If her father pressured her I’m not sure what I would do.
There was a knock at the door and I answered not in the best frame of mind. “Lady Georgina.” I was in no mood for this one and was ready to tell her as much when she brushed past me and into the outer chamber.
“Your majesty forgive my intrusion but I have something of a most urgent matter to discuss.” I couldn’t imagine what she could possibly want of me. Since the night I tumbled her I’d hardly spared her a glance, too preoccupied with Cecile for her or anyone else.
“And what might that be?”
“I am with child.” I suppose I should’ve expected as much but marveled in the difference in feeling at the news. “Congratulations. I suppose you will tell me it’s mine, but how do I know this to be true?”
She pretended an affront but I was not fooled. I knew what she was not long after the night she landed in my bed. My only question had been whether her sire had been part of the ploy to dupe me.
It was a well known fact that I took care of my children and their mothers even going so far as to arrange good marriages for some of them. She would’ve made a good match seeing that her sire was a lord of the peerage in good standing. But carrying the bastard child of a lesser Frenchman was not the same as carrying one of my bastards.
“Of course your majesty, who else? I was pure…” I held my hand up for silence. Had she been male I would’ve taken care of her already. But lady or no, I will deal with her now.
“Do you know the penalty for defrauding your king?” I could see that she wasn’t so sure of herself any longer. The pulse in her throat beat erratically and I could almost scent the fear. But this one was brave I’ll give her that, either that or desperate.
“But I have not…”
“I know all about your time at the French court. I know that when you came to my bed you were already with child. From what I’ve heard there’s a long list of men who can claim parentage of your child.”