AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Mhm," Leah nodded, not even aware of what she had just confirmed.
Alicia placed the biscuit back on the tray. "Leah... are you with child?" The question caught them both off guard. Leah had to think about it.
"Well... it isn't impossible," she smiled, blushing slightly. "Edward and I have been consummating our marriage for a while now."
"What about your monthlies?"
"I don't think I've had one this month," Leah remembered. "With everything that has been happening, I haven't even paid attention to it. Actually, it did come to me once, but I thought that I was simply under a lot of stress, then everything with the Marquess. I attributed my lack of a monthly to all of that."
"But now with the morning sickness–" Alicia squealed with delight, clapping her hands joyfully. "I am going to be an aunt!"
Just as she shouted that aloud, the door opened, and Edward appeared. Leah stared at him, wondering if he'd heard anything.
"Who is going to be an aunt?" he repeated, and Leah shot a glance at her cousin, which meant that the cat was out of the bag even before it was in it.
"Alicia is just being silly," Leah tried to brush it off, but the more she thought about it, the more possible and appealing the thought sounded.
"About what?" he wondered, approaching Alicia and kissing her hand. "It is a pleasure to see you, Alicia."
"You, too, Edward," Alicia smiled mysteriously, and something told Leah that neither of the two would be willing to let go of the subject before it was all out in the open.
"Now, that aunt business?" Edward urged.
"It's really nothing important," she waved her hand dismissively, but the look on his face immediately made her regret doing so.
"I thought we agreed there would be no more secrets between us," he reminded her. "This sounds like a secret you are trying to keep from me."
"Of course not," Leah tried to convince him. "It's just that Alicia pointed my attention to something I haven't been thinking about, or even considering. And now I wonder if there is anything to it."
He approached her and pinched her cheek. "So many words, and you still told me nothing. Only you can do this, Leah."
All three burst into a chuckle at his words. She knew that she should tell him now, even if what Alicia was suggesting wasn't true. But Leah did not want him to feel like he was purposely being kept in the dark about anything. That was the last thing she wanted to do to him.
"I have missed my monthly," she admitted. "I have attributed it to everything that has been happening. We've both been under a lot of stress, you know." This was where she was intending on stopping simply because she wasn't certain, but Alicia would not have it.
"Tell him about the morning sickness," Alicia urged.
"There is morning sickness as well," Leah frowned at her cousin, then smiled at Edward. "But I didn't want to tell you anything before I was certain that–"
Before she could continue her thought, he rushed over to her, grabbed her by the waist and swirled her into the air, much to her amusement. She gazed deeply into his eyes, and she realized how he had longed for this news. She didn't even know that. They hadn't even managed to talk about family, children. Everything between them had happened so swiftly, that sometimes, she still felt that they were only getting to know each other in some respects, while she felt as if they had known each other all of their lives in others. It was such an odd feeling.
"Are you telling me that I am going to be a father?" he finally asked when he put her down, but he was unwilling to let her out of his arms.
"I don't know, you silly thing," she chuckled. "It is possible, and I didn't want to mention anything to anyone until I was completely certain of it, but Alicia could not keep a secret if her life depended on it."
"There is that word again," he reminded her. "Secret. You promised."
"I know," she said apologetically. "Does that refer to even happy secrets? The one that will reveal good things?"
"Hmm," he said, pretending to be lost in thought. "Let me think about it. No." He laughed, and she joined in. "I want you to share everything with me. The good, the bad. Everything. When you suspect something, tell me. When you are sad about something, tell me. When you are happy about something, tell me. I want to know everything... so, tell me."
"All right then," she smiled, her heart full of joy. "In that case... Edward, I'm not certain yet, but I might be with child."
"Exactly like that," he grinned, pulling her closer to himself for another embrace. He released her reluctantly, addressing Alicia. "I am only letting her go because you are here, Alicia and she hasn't seen you in a while."
"She has to tell me everything that has happened," Alicia nodded. "I only know what thetonknows."
"That is a distorted version of events, as always," Edward pointed out, bringing Leah's hand to his lips one more time. "Leah will tell you exactly what happened. And just so you know, if she forgets to mention it or somehow diminishes her part in the story, she is the true hero, not me."
