Page 47 of An Accidental Elopement

“Thank you, I am familiar with the term. What, then, were you doing here if not having an affair?” Cecilia crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Lavinia through narrowed eyes.

Archie took a step forward as if it could prevent the damage that was about to permanently destroy his marriage.

“Well, I am expecting, and I needed Archie’s help finding a family to take care of the baby,” Lavinia told Cecilia matter-of-factly and seemed to think that this should somehow be soothing to her. Archie scowled at her for a moment, before focusing on Cecilia. He gently placed a hand on her arm.

“Cecilia?” he queried.

The most well-placed right hook that Archie had ever seen landed right in his left eye socket. So quick and powerful that he had no time to react. His admiration lasted only a moment before the pain kicked in and he stumbled into the table as he held a hand protectively over his eye.

“No affair! Not slept together!” Cecilia bellowed as she let punches rain down over his arms and shoulders. “You’re having a child with her!”

“That was before, that was before,” Lavinia shouted over Archie’s protest of: “Never while we were married.”

They were interrupted when the door was opened and the innkeeper along with a burly fellow that looked like a groom entered.

“My lord,” the innkeeper exclaimed, and Archie could see the shock on his face. Cecilia was still standing with her fists raised, Archie was cornered at the table where he tried to protect his face, while Lavinia was tugging on one of Cecilia’s arms. All movement had stopped though when the innkeeper burst in. “My lord, are these women bothering you?”

Archie straightened and let his hands fall down his side.

“No, everything is fine. Just a minor disagreement. I am sorry if we were speaking too loudly.” He tried to smile, but the lift of his cheek hurt his eye and he was quite certain that it turned out as a grimace of pain instead.

“Very well, do not hesitate to call me if you need assistance,” the innkeeper waited for a moment while Archie nodded. “And if you would please keep the volume down to not disturb my other guests,” he added, before leaving with the groomsman in tow without waiting for their reassurances.

Archie turned towards Cecilia and gently nudged both her fists to her sides.

“Now if you would please let me explain,” he began.

“What is there to explain? You are having a child with someone else,” Cecilia asked in a thin voice, and Archie could see a sheen of tears cover her eyes.

“Yes, and I am sorry. You do understand, however, that it happened months before I met you?” Archie asked gently. He needed to be completely certain that she understood the situation.

Cecilia nodded and turned towards Lavinia who was still standing right behind her.

“How far along are you?” she whispered.

“Four months,” Lavinia answered in the most compassionate tone of voice that Archie had ever heard her use.

“It will be in March then. Or April,” Cecilia stated flatly.

Lavinia only nodded. Her eyes were fixed on Cecilia as if she might explode again.

“And you wish to give the child away?” Cecilia went on.

Lavinia nodded again.

“Why?” The word was so full of disbelief that it seemed to tell a story in itself. About how Cecilia could never give away a child, how she would love it and cherish it. How she would make a great mother someday.

Archie gulped as he realized that day might never come. He would be lucky if she ever let him into her bed after today. The only chance of the two of them having a child would be if she was already pregnant. Archie felt a flutter deep in his belly at the thought. He had never given children much thought; he had no particular feelings towards the child Lavinia was carrying, except that he wanted it to have as good a life as possible, but the children that he and Cecilia might have... The world did not seem to make sense if they did not come to be born.

“Because,” Lavinia interrupted his train of thought and inhaled deeply before continuing, “I don’t care to have a child. A woman’s life ends when she has a child and mine has only just begun.”

There was a fragile quality to her voice that once again made Archie think about what her background was. He felt a bit sheepish for not having wondered previously.

If Cecilia heard the other woman’s fragility, she did not let it show. Her voice was once again angry when she asked:

“And what did you have in mind then?”

For the first time, Archie saw Lavinia at a loss for words. Her mouth opened and closed without her saying anything. Archie stepped closer to Cecilia. He wanted to put his hands on her shoulders but was uncertain how she would react.