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“You are fit and healthy and as you said, not leaving the country. I would only suggest that you take your journey slowly with plenty of stops to stretch your legs, especially if they start to swell.”

“You have put my mind at ease. Thank you.”

Elena blushed, and it was a good feeling to be able to share her news about the baby with someone.

She went to bed alone again that night. Not technically alone but without her husband. She knew what he was doing was important, but she didn’t have to like it. She had enjoyed her day with Lucinda. It had been quite a while since she had done anything with a female friend. She hoped she would grow a strong bond with Tomas’s family and that they would come to accept her and love the babe in her womb.

Chapter Twenty-Four

When Thomas woke, he was alone in bed. He got up and dressed and went downstairs to find Elena and Lucinda laughing over a mishap with a jar of honey. The sticky mess was quickly cleaned up, and after kissing his wife on the forehead, he sat down to eat.

“You should have woken me,” he said as he took a sip of his tea.

Elena smiled. “You got in so late I thought you needed to sleep.”

“I’m sorry. This is taking a little longer than I thought.”

Lord Ashton joined them. “Please forgive me. It is my fault that you have not seen your husband much in the last two days.”

“I understand,” Elena said. “Your wife and I have been keeping ourselves busy.”

“So I see from the bills of sale that were on my desk this morning.” He winked at Lucinda, who blushed.

Elena smiled. He was not angry that she had spent so much money. He must be very rich. Would Tomas mind if she spent so much money on fripperies and unnecessary things? She didn’t really know how much money Tomas even had. He seemed not to worry about it, but she was not used to having much in the way of money. This was the first time in her life she had custom-made dresses and shoes that were not half-boots.

“So, what do you have planned for today, ladies?” Tomas asked.

“I have had a craving for a pineapple ice, so we may go to Gunter’s.”

“The Pot and Pineapple? I have not been there in years,” Tomas said. “You will love it, Elena.”

“Of course she will,” Lucinda said with a wink at Elena. “Or we could go to the museum and see Elgin’s marbles. I’ve heard they are very impressive.”

Elena turned to Lucinda. “I have never heard of them.”

“They are a marble frieze from the Parthenon that they removed and brought back to England.”

“Why did they do that?”

“Elgin claims that he was preserving them as vandals were destroying them. But I’m not convinced. Perhaps he should have asked permission before he took them. It has caused the government an international headache which is why they are now safe in the British Museum. Maybe one day they may return to Greece,” Lord Ashton said.

Lucinda sipped her tea before saying, “I hope that they will. I would like to see them though, just to know what all the fuss is about.”

“I am intrigued,” Elena confessed.

Lucinda clapped and turned to Elena. “Then we shall go to both.”

Tomas finished off his tea and put his cup down. “In that case we shall leave you to finish your breakfast. I feel terrible for leaving you two to your own devices for two days in a row, but sorting out Stafford’s files is important. As frustrating as it is turning out to be.”

“Will you both be back for dinner? Cook will want to know.”

Ashton kissed his wife. “We will ensure we are back for dinner this evening.”

*

Lucinda waited until both men had left. “You know I could have said we were planning a trip to the moon, and I am sure they would have said have a nice day. Whatever they are doing, it really takes a lot of time. Tony has come to bed with a headache both nights. He never gets headaches.”

“I will make him a tonic he can take if he has another one. It could be his eyes if the headache is due to him straining to see while reading. Or perhaps he is not drinking enough during the day. It could be all three. You will just need to keep an eye on him.”