🌷The Duke and The Widow🌷

{18}Darling

🌷Chapter🌷
Darling

A pregnant Orletha sat comfortable in her chair before the fireplace, rubbing her big stomach as she envisioned what her child would be like. At that very moment, her husband, Henry stepped in drenched in sweat. He had just come from chopping down logs for firewood.

"How's our blessing coming along?" He sat on the floor, his head on her lap as his fingers traced along her belly.
"Pretty fine. Just one more month. I can barely contain my excitement!"
Henry had a conflicting look on his face.
"What's the matter, dear?"
"They need me for another three weeks offshore."
"What? But you only just came back-"
"

I'll try to be back for the birth. I promise."
Orletha sighed, "I can't stand being alone again, dear."
"I know, love. I want to make sure we're all good. Food on the table, kerosene for lamps, clothes for our backs. I want our child to be born into stability." He grabbed both her hands.
"You'll be fine, I promise." He kissed her knuckles gently.

By morning he was already gone. And that was the last time Orletha saw her dear husband.

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"Mother? You're daydreaming again." He climed on the table to wave his hands in her face.
"Oh, sorry dear." She lifted him off the table and set him on the floor.
"Was it about Howie?" He grinned up at her.
"No- now why would you even think that?" She placed her hands on her hips as she glared down at him. His grin became much wider and at that point she already knew what he was going to say.

"Want to run errands for me?"
He nodded up at his mother, he always liked helping her.
"I want to make pie so please go get me a pound of flour and vanilla extract." She gave him a small bag with some coins. "And you can use the remainder to buy something for yourself."
He nodded as he took the money and rushed out the front door.
"Please watch where you're going." She shouted after him.

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Orletha sat in the kitchen, tapping her feet impatiently. "Now where on earth could he be?"
She stood up and began to pace as negative thoughts invaded her mind.

What if he got lost?

What if he had gotten kidnapped?

And sold into slavery?

She couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed her shoes and headed straight for the door to go and search for her baby boy.

Her eyes scanned the streets, every alley, every stall, every nook and cranny. She squeezed between crowds and even shoved people. Dear Gods, he shouldn't be hard to find. He was one of the only redheads in this part of town, for heaven's sake!

"Abel? Abel, dear?" She shouted. As she maneuvered her way through the disappearing crowd, in hopes of seeing his fiery red hair somewhere in this jumple of people.

"What's the matter, dear?"

"I'm looking for my son, I sent him out not too long ago."

"I do believe I have seen him skipping by."

"Where?"

"Deeper into the market."

"Oh, dear...." Her heart was banging against her ribcage at this point. He wasn't supposed to go that far off.

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As little Abel kept on walking, his path was blocked. His eyes landed on a familiar pair of shiny leather boots.

"Abel, where are you off to at this hour?" Asked Howard, he was also on his way to see her.
"Mother ran out of things to make pie. I must go buy for her." He turned around to head off again.
"Easy now, child." Howard held him back, "Do you mind if I go with you?"
"Not at all, Howie! Do come along!" He tugged at his coat.
And so Nicholas told the coachman to wait until he had returned from the market.

Abel held the Duke's hand and led him through the market, Nicholas smiled as he allowed himself to be dragged around by the little red- headed boy. He stopped and grabbed the pouch around his waist, he then held it up to the lady at the stand.
"Well hello there, Abel." The woman grinned at the young child warmly.
"Vanilla extract and flour for mother, please." He smiled, showing off his missing front teeth.
"Baking up a storm, isn't she?" She accepted the money and packed what he needed into his cloth bag.
"Yes, indeed! She's making pie!" He took the bag and thanked the woman.

She waved him off as he skipped away to Nicholas who was not far behind him. She always wondered what was his connection to their family.

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"Mother! I'm home! I got what you asked me to!" Yelled Abel as he removed his shoes and bolted into the kitchen. Howard was confused when Abel came back with a look just as confused as his when he approached him.

"Where's mother?"

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Orletha was tired, the market was empty and the sellers were packing away. There was no sign of her baby Abel. Dragging her feet wearily down the street. She felt empty, like a soulless body roaming down the growing lonely street.

In the distance, she saw a carriage near her house. Without thinking, she started to run. Practically kicking her door open, she screamed, "Abel!"
"Mother!" He attacked her with a hug. Exhausted, she fell to her knees, meeting eyes with her dear son.
She scooped his freckled face in her hands and showered him with kisses while crying altogether.
"I got what you asked me to."
"Thank you, dear."

"My deepest apologies, Orletha. I had no intention of causing you such worry." Said Howard with a sorrowful look on his face.
"I saw him and accompanied him through the market."
"Thank you, again. For everything. " She rose to her feet to hug him, Abel clinging tightly to her waist.

"T-this is nothing much, really, I-" He hesitated as he rested his arms around her waist.

"Why is it when I think of you.. you always appear?" She whispered, "Almost as if you know when I need you. You come to save me."

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