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How odd, her husband lay in exactly the same position as she’d left him the night previous.
The footman turned towards his master and gasped.
“What is it?” Jane asked.
“He’s…” Mister Footman stepped over to the Baron and placed his ear near the man’s mouth. “He’s not breathing at all.”
Fear spiked Jane’s blood.
“He’s what?”
Mister Footman swallowed and blinked hard.
“Dear heavens, I believe he has expired.”
“This is not a clever jest!” Jane scolded. “Do not treat me so-” But as she looked at her husband, his expression was truly the same as that of the evening before. Except his skin looked ever so pale, and his lips had a tinge of blue to them. “Wake up, My Lord!” She poked his shoulder. He did not move at all. Oh dear. She lifted the covers to check on the rest of his body, to see if his chest rose and fell. That’s when she noticed that his hand was still clutched around his member. “Oh dear God!”
She stepped back, hand over her mouth in shock.
“What is it, My Lady?”
Mister Footman raised the covers to see for himself, then quickly dropped them.
Jane reached for a chair to steady herself before she fell to the floor.
“This is a tragedy.”
Mister Footman said, “We’d best hope you are with child, my Lady, as that is all that stands between us and the streets.”
No. This shock of her husband expiring was enormous enough. It was not fair to deliver another so soon on the heels of the first.
“Allow me to digest this ghastly piece of news before serving up the next course, please Mister Footman.”
“Please, forgive me,” The footman said, “It is indeed ghastly, but it is also the truth. Once the Jardines learn of this, they will move themselves in and throw us out.”
“They do not need to know, not yet.” Jane said, her mind and body reeling with the shock.
How quickly fortunes change! Only a few minutes ago, she’d arisen from a wonderful night’s sleep and was on her way to thank her husband. Now she was a widow, responsible for the welfare of her late husband’s staff. The full complement of which she had not yet even had a chance to meet.
“I am sorry to say, they will find out soon enough,” The footman said. “I did not mean to add to your misery. But the Jardines will be in attendance this afternoon, and they plan to stay for the next three days.”
How very rude of them, Jane thought, to encroach on newlyweds during this most private time.
“How incongruous of them. Even Mama is planning on leaving tomorrow. Oh dear, what shall we tell Mama?”
Jane and Mister Footman looked at pleadingly at each other. He had such an honest face and although she did not know him that well, he seemed trustworthy.
“Please do not burden your mother with this news. Only the two of us know. We shall tell the Jardines that the Baron is fatigued after the wedding, and we shall forbid them from entering this room.”
“Will they accept that?”
“I do not know. But…” Splotches of red appeared on his neck and cheeks. “Would you happen to know if you are already with child?”
The question floored Jane. She’d done all that was asked of her, so there was a chance. She felt sore in her upper thighs from the Baron thumping against her. Was that a sign?
“When am I likely to find out?”
“You must ask your Mama. But be careful not to let on. I know little about these matters, not being married myself.”
