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"I am here about your wife," she announced, straightening her cane before her and looking for all the world like she was about to command an army.
"What about my wife, Grandmother?"
"She is not with child."
Nicholas quirked a brow but now out of surprise. He had been expecting this for a while now. "Yes, she is not. I know you consider Seaton’s heiryourheir but I am not going to give you an explanation.”
She thumped her cane on the carpeted floor and her face slightly reddened. "You have been married for months. It is unnatural to not have a child on the way, Nicholas."
“What makes you think she is not with child?” he asked, his tone beleaguered.
“She told me she is not when I asked her.”
"Do you really think that Jenny would tell you if she were with child? If I were Jenny, I would avoid you at all cost, lest you curse my child."
"Well, the morning you left for Heartsbay, I found her unwell, positively dreadful. We had a little chat and she insisted—perhaps too vehemently—that she was not expecting." Persephone’s keen gaze narrowed as she spoke.
He wondered if there was any truth in what the woman was saying—she had the proclivity to be dishonest if it would serve her—and Jenny had never mentioned being unwell. Then again, he hadn’t given her the chance to tell him of her troubles, had he? It had always been about him and his never-ending problems. And now he had dragged in another one. The worst of them yet.
"Nicholas!" Persephone snapped, breaking into his thoughts. “Are you listening?”
"What are you implying?" he asked.
"A number of things. Either your wife is lying or there is something you are keeping from me."
"Do you really want the truth, Persephone?" An idea began to take form in his mind, one that was certain to completely stop her prying. His use of her Christian name was also deliberate.
“How dare you!”
“How dare I not? Now, do you want the truth or not?”
"Why else would I put myself through the trouble of coming here?" she responded impatiently, thumping her cane again.
"Jenny cannot have children," he deadpanned gauging her reaction. Some of that was true. The mire he’d put himself in could see to that if he did not find a solution soon. If his marriage with Jenny ended, then she would never have a child with him. The mere thought of that cut through his heart and he grimaced.
"I beg your pardon?" Persephone sat up, her expression horrified. "Surely you do not mean that she—"
"Yes, Grandmother. Jenny cannot have children," he repeated. "Ever."
She was silent for a short stint before she finally asked, "When did you find out?" Her voice was dangerously calm and there was no trace of the initial horror her face had displayed. This unsettled him more than whatever fit she would have thrown instead.
"Recently," he lied. "We found out recently. She was devastated." Nicholas hadn’t thought this through and it appeared it was backfiring. Still, he remained firm in what he’d said. He needed Persephone out of his way while he sorted out the ruined pieces of his life.
"I am sure she was." Persephone was pensive as she drew her shawl tighter about her small shoulders.
In all the years he had grown to understand the sort of woman his grandmother was, she had never been as unreadable as she was now. She rose from her chair, her back ramrod straight and her chin set in a proud manner.
"I shall leave you to your work, Nicholas. Do have a good day." She turned and left the room before he could gain his own feet.
Something was telling him he had made yet another grave mistake.
