Covet - Miles Bridgerton's story

Chapter 7 - Unanswered Questions

The next morning Amelia woke up early, probably by the noises coming next door from what used to be Eddie's study connected to his old bedroom, but was now Lavender's nursery whenever they stayed at Aubrey Hall instead of their own house by the meadow in the woods. The nurse was in there with their daughter so she was in no hurry, she could still enjoy the warmth underneath the duvet against Eddie's naked upper body for a moment. She might have been prohibited from enjoying her husband's body any further due to her pregnancy, but nothing could prevent her from simply luxuriating in feeling his skin against hers and inhaling his familiar scent deep into her lungs.

"She's awake..." Eddie mumbled without opening his eyes, but still managed to plant a kiss on top of Amelia's head and wrap his arms around her.

"I know, I will go to her soon... You can go back to sleep." Amelia replied softly and kissed him on his bare chest. "I probably have to throw up, anyway..." She added with a sigh.

"Keep fighting, mama bear..." Eddie murmured tiredly to her. "And thanks, I did have a couple of drinks last night, so..." He continued and let go of her as she was about to get up.

"Mm, I know..." Amelia smirked at his back when he turned on his side and continued his sleep, quite blissfully. She stood up from the bed, got dressed and fetched Lavender from her room before trudging downstairs with a long yawn, followed by the nurse.

"Amelia, over here...!" Geoffrey suddenly hissed at her from the doorway by the front door once she was down in the entry hall with her daughter in her arms.

"Geoffrey, why on earth are you up this early? Have you been awake all night?" She wondered as she saw his turmoiled look and tired eyes. Amelia was barely decent herself with her freely flowing hair. "Has something happened?"

"Just get over here. Now." He said bluntly and went outside.

"Alright..." Amelia muttered to herself. "You can get started with breakfast, I'll be back soon." She smiled at the nurse and gave Lavender to her, before following Geoffrey outside to the front yard of the house, where the sun had just risen. "What is going on?" She tried asking again, but Geoffrey kept marching on until they were surely out of range from the house.

"He kissed me...!" He then immediately wheezed out, as Amelia had finally halted next to him.

"Kissed you...? What, who...?" Amelia stuttered, still feeling half asleep and in desperate need of very strong coffee. "Miles...?!" She then spat out, noticing the anguished expression on his face.

"No, Anthony Bridgerton...!" Geoffrey retorted a bit uppishly, although before last night, he would have felt like there was an equally slight chance that neither the viscount nor his second son would ever kiss him. "Of course Miles...!" He added, somewhat unnecessarily.

"No way...!" Amelia gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Yes...!" Geoffrey exhaled loudly.

"Are you sure you were not dreaming...?" Amelia asked, a bit suspicious.

"No, I was most certainly not dreaming...!" Geoffrey snarled, crossing his arms over his chest. "We went to the stables last night to... I don't know, stalk a horse that was about to get a foal and... We sat up in this hayloft drinking some kind of Irish coffee and talking and then he... He told some stupid joke and I laughed and then he just... Stared at me, in the same way Eddie stared at you at the conservatory ball where you met, I don't know how else to describe it and... Then he asked if he could kiss me and I nodded and he did, but then the horse interrupted us and had her foal and then I... I kind of freaked out when he looked at me again and I rushed back up to the house and left him there and then there was also this gigantic rat at the stables and it –"