Page 43 of Denying a Rakish Duke
“Nothing. Allow her to rest as much as she can tolerate; she is dehydrated and in need of sustenance to regain her strength, but apart from that, the sickness is quite common this early in pregnancy. She will just need to take care to manage her activity levels in the meantime—”
The doctor had glossed over such important information that Joseph almost missed it. “Pardon me, Doctor, but did you just say that my wife is with child?”
The doctor looked surprised for a moment as if he had presumed that Joseph would have already known. The doctor’s brow furrowed and he clapped his arm on Joseph’s shoulder as he spoke, “I am quite confident that your wife is pregnant, Your Grace. My sincerest congratulations.”
“Pregnant,” Joseph repeated. He swayed as the doctor clapped him firmly on the shoulder.
“Yes. Just mind her activity, and I shall be at the ready to attend you should anything change, Your Grace.”
“I am to be a father?” Joseph asked himself, stunned, as the doctor headed down the grand stairs. He wondered if the doctor had a chance to tell Vanessa before she fell asleep. He pushed open the door slowly and stole inside swiftly. He attempted not to make a single sound as he sank into a chair beside the bed and watched the lines of tension finally start to ease from Vanessa’s brow.
“We’re going to be a proper family,” he whispered to her— and he could hardly contain the joy that filled his chest.
ChapterTwenty-Five
“Mama, I really am much improved. There is no need to fret over me so much.” Vanessa pushed herself further upright in her bed. She felt foolish for having so many people puttering about her. This was more indulged than she was accustomed to being. The doctor had been right to insist that she spend some time in bed recovering. It had only taken a handful of days before she felt well enough to move around on her own once more. Joseph, however, insisted on her taking at least another two days to ensure that she was steady enough. He had asked Petunia to come and stay with them to assist in attending to her— much to the Dowager’s chagrin.
The older woman did not much care for sharing the hallways with those puttering about with the intentions of caring for the new Duchess. She liked the noise that they brought with them even less. The Dowager had not come to visit Vanessa even a single time while the younger woman was resting— but Vanessa did not seem to mind that either. It was for the best that they remain separated until their respective tempers cooled. Unsurprisingly, the Dowager did not seem to warm to Vanessa despite knowing that the new Duchess was presently with child.
“Nonsense. You will indulge your poor, frazzled Mama until she is quite certain that you are well.” Petunia fussed over the covers on the bed, pushing and pulling. Vanessa knew that the attention given to her was more than it might have otherwise been, but Petunia had been doing everything in her power to keep from returning home. Vanessa knew that it was only partially because her mother was afraid for Amanda.
“You cannot hide here and ignore your problems forever, Mama, as generous and kind as you have been in helping me back to wellness.”
Petunia flicked her gaze to her daughter, who now sat comfortably up in bed and rolled her shoulder dismissively. “I am aware of that, naturally, but I have endured what you are presently going through many times over now. I was not able to be at your sisters’ sides often during their pregnancies, and I have seen their children even less often because of how far they all live from me, but I can attend you.”
“You are hiding,” Vanessa said bluntly.
“Hiding? What should I have to hide from in my own home?”
“You are hiding from Uncle Tobias and his relentless efforts to coax you into a marriage— are you not?”
Petunia stilled her puttering finally. “I have been firm in my insistence that I shall not give him an answer until Amanda is returned home to me.”
“You cannot ignore the situation for much longer.”
“Oh, do you think that I am not painfully aware of that very fact, Child? I know very well that I am running out of time! My excuses will only carry me so far! First, I had convinced him that I must wait until all of my daughters were happily matched and married off, but he seems to think that, as Amanda has run away, our understanding now is null and void.” Her hands slapped against her voluminous skirts in frustration. “How he could be thinking aboutmarriageat a time like this is beyond me!”
“You do notlovehim, Mama; you must tell him so … and put him off of this quest permanently.”
“And end up on the streets? He would be well within his rights to put me on the street, kick me out of the home that I have called my own for all of these years and force me to start anew! Where would that leave me? Dejected in some family home in the countryside? Stranger to Society and all alone with naught but sparse letters to keep me company?” There was an edge of panic that started to infuse Petunia’s words as she wrapped her arms around herself.
Vanessa could not imagine such a scenario for her mother. Petunia was the sort of woman to value community— who needed to be involved in the lives of those around her. She thrived in her parties and derived real and genuinejoyfrom hosting events. She would never be happy with a quiet life in the country. Neither would she be happy with a loveless marriage to her true love’s brother. She had never had eyes or affection for any man other than Vanessa’s father. Vanessa could see the fright in Petunia’s eyes each time that she felt the deadline of her answer to the man keeping her in comfort looming ever nearer.
“The letter from Cousin Thomas arrived only yesterday, did it not?” Vanessa asked, hoping to soothe some of her mother’s sadness. Petunia nodded.
“Well, he said that there had been talk of Amanda, of a beautiful woman in the tavern, yes? Albeit a bit low brow and unexpected of her, but the reports claim that she is healthy, and Thomas said that he would be bringing her home shortly, did he not?” Again, Petunia nodded.
“He must have penned that several days ago— he could have her safely on her way back to the City at this very moment!” Vanessa forced herself to sound more optimistic than she actually felt. She hoped that Petunia would not notice.
The chamber door burst open, and Joseph ran in. He clutched a letter with a hastily broken wax seal that Vanessa recognized even from halfway across the chamber. “She has been found; I hope that you should forgive my haste, but I wished to provide good news … and perhaps spare you from any negativity … but she has been found.”
Petunia gasped and ran for the letter. She practically snatched the thing from the Duke’s outstretched hand and quickly consumed the brief contents of the letter three times over before she was satisfied. “Penned not even a day before last. Thomas writes that Amanda is very well and is eager to conclude all of this unpleasantness with her family upon her return.” Petunia sighed loudly in relief as her shoulders finally released some of the tension that had been a constant knot of worry. “I shall have her in my arms again any day now then.” She flipped the paper over to read the address scripted in Thomas’ neat penmanship to try to guess their travel path and how much longer she would realistically have to wait for them to return home.
Distracted, Petunia started toward the chamber door slowly. “I have much to prepare for their much-anticipated homecoming indeed. I should return home at once— I am certain that a similar letter must have been delivered to the Manor. The Earl is likely beside himself at this very moment.” Petunia paused with one foot in the hallway and spun to look at Vanessa with a concerned look. “Oh. Oh, good Heavens,” she whispered. It only took a moment longer for Vanessa to properly understand the insinuation behind her pause.
“That is not a problem for today.” Vanessa attempted to sound optimistic for her mother’s sake, but she feared that she did not do a very good job of it. “Give the Duke and I but a moment to prepare ourselves, and we shall follow you back home to help ease the transition.”
Joseph turned to Vanessa. “Truly?”
