Page 97 of The Scandalous Love of a Duke
When they reached the open door his arm dropped from beneath her hand.
She felt bereft for an instant, but then he took her hand and held it tightly as he had done at the church.
She remembered at last how strained his relationship had appeared with his family the night she’d conceived their child. She felt sick as they entered, but straightened and lifted her chin.
‘I’ve brought you a surprise,’ John stated.
The room was huge. Over half a dozen times the size of her father’s parlour.
John’s father was kneeling on all fours, forming a climbing frame for the younger children. He carefully spilled John’s younger brothers from his back onto the floor and got up from his knees.
The two older boys, Robbie and Harry, were playing a game of chess in one corner. Robbie looked up and stood as he saw John.
John’s mother held John’s youngest sister on her lap as she sat in between two of the older girls who were busy sewing samplers. Five-year-old Georgiana was on the floor with a tiny porcelain tea set spread before her.
Mary was not in the room.
‘What did you do to your lip? Did you fight?’ Robbie asked in a surprised yet awed tone.
All the children stared after Robbie had spoken.
John’s mother and father must have noticed but had been too polite to say anything as she stood with him.
Katherine smiled towards the children. Then smiled at his parents but her smile felt stiff and awkward.
His mother looked from John to Katherine, her smile uncertain. ‘Kate, this is a surprise.’
John’s father walked towards her. ‘Kate?’ It was a welcome and a question.
John’s hold on her hand was painfully tight. ‘Mama, Papa, Katherine and I are married.’
‘Married?’ His mother sounded upset more than surprised.
‘John!’ His father’s expression was disbelief and reprimand.
Katherine wished the ground would swallow her up.
‘I am sorry,’ his mother said then. ‘That was very rude of me, Kate. I am surprised. I mean to say, welcome to the family, I wish you well. I am pleased.’ She sounded anything but pleased. ‘It is just a shock,’ she added. Then she looked at John. ‘Why did you not tell us? When were you married?’
‘Today,’ he said quietly. ‘We needed to keep it understated for a reason.’ He took a breath then concluded, ‘Katherine is with child.’
Katherine felt herself turn crimson as his mother’s skin became paler. ‘John.’
Not a single nerve or muscle in John’s face indicated any discomfort but he did not look at Katherine and she knew he had slipped back into his ducal armour. Her fingers wrapped about his arm but he did not respond. Then she was forced to let him go as his father embraced him.
It was only a cover. She heard him whisper by John’s ear. ‘That was badly done, son. Very badly done. Still, explanations can wait.’
She longed to tell them this was not his fault, as his mother kissed Katherine’s cheek.
His father did the same. ‘Congratulations, welcome to the family, Kate, Your Grace, daughter. Or should I say, welcome to the rabble.’
They must think badly of her.
She bit her lip, feeling the heat of a blush again. ‘Thank you, my lord.’ She was about to curtsy deeply, then remembered she should not now. Now people ought to curtsy to her.
‘Just Edward, Kate,’ he said, smiling. Then he looked back at his offspring. ‘Children, come and meet your new sister.’
She had always liked John’s father and mother. She thought they had liked her, though, they could never have thought she might one day be their daughter-in-law.
