Page 43 of The Baron's Return
She turned to look at the small clock she kept on her bedside table and was surprised to see Cranston slumped in an armchair that had been moved into the room. Dark stubble lined his jaw.
Had he been worried about her fall?
Ice-cold dread settled in her belly as she remembered her final thought before fainting. With a soft sob, her hand went to her midsection. She didn’t need to wait until she’d missed her monthly courses to know she was with child. Fainting spells had plagued her only one other time in her life—when she was carrying Gemma.
How far had she fallen? Clearly she’d injured her head, but had she also risked her pregnancy? It was still early, and she knew that falls could cause a woman to miscarry.
She shifted into a seated position on the bed. “Gideon?”
His eyes snapped open. He rose from the armchair and moved to sit on the edge of her bed.
“Did I faint?” she asked, knowing the question was a foolish one.
He nodded.
“I apologize for worrying you.” Her hand rose to her temple. “Did you do this? Did I bang my head on the stairs?”
She wanted to ask if she’d bled elsewhere but was afraid to hear the answer.
He grasped one of her hands. The intensity of his stare frightened her, and she feared the worst. “What is the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Abigail, you fainted on the stairs two days ago. I called for a doctor immediately and he bandaged your temple. I…” He closed his eyes, and a spasm of pain crossed his face. “We didn’t know how far you’d fallen. I was so afraid you’d hurt yourself… And then when you didn’t wake up…”
She gripped his hand between both of hers. “I’d only taken two stairs when I felt weakness overtake me.”
His eyes scoured her face, and then he dragged her into his arms.
“Never scare me like that again.” He spoke into her hair, his breath warm against her scalp, before dropping a kiss onto her head.
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” she said. “Oh no—what did you tell Gemma when I didn’t come down for breakfast yesterday?”
He pulled back to look down at her as though she’d lost her mind. “We heard you call out after leaving the dining room. Gemma was at my side when I found you. She’s been worried sick. She’s been spending her days here, drawing pictures for you and reading to you.”
Her hand went to her mouth, and she choked back a sob. “Oh, my poor baby. I must go to her now.”
She started to get out of bed, but he held her in place. “I checked on her before coming in here to watch over you. She’s sound asleep.”
“But—”
“As you told me, Miss Phillips has the bedchamber next to hers. If Gemma wakes up frightened, her governess will hear her. And she has instructions to contact me no matter what time it is.”
Abigail took a deep breath, trying to calm her concern. “I hate that she’s had to see me like this.”
“Our daughter is a wonder. You’ve done an amazing job with her. She was frightened when she first saw you, but she pulled herself together quickly and showed a strength of spirit that amazed me.”
Abigail let out a sigh. “She’s always reminded me of you. The way everyone loves her, how her spirit refuses to be daunted.”
Cranston shook his head. “Abigail, you’ve just described yourself.”
She made a soft scoffing sound. “I recall you not liking me very much, and that wasn’t very long ago. I imagine you spent years hating me.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “Perhaps, but I was a fool in love who’d been thwarted. My feelings about you after that fact weren’t exactly reasonable.”
She looked away at his reminder that his love for her was firmly in the past.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were with child?”
Her gaze swung to his. “What?”
