Under The Blade {Sequel to 'In Time'}

Prologue

A/N: And there I was like 'yeah I'm gonna make them wait'... truth is I cant wait myself! For some reason I still don't know, In Time seemed to be popular with you guys so I hope to live up to it! Sorry this Prologue will be short, but it's just to set up the story! I hope you enjoy.

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Leaving London in the state you had done on that fateful day was the worst thing that ever happened to you- your heart was all but broken and your hope of ever loving Jacob again was gone.

Returning to Kent, you were greeted by your mother and the carriage- and forced a brunt of happy returns and warm welcomes, and your mother blindly didn't detect the wavering sadness or the tear stains on your cheeks.

Shortly after returning back to your country estate home, you had fallen in. At first you assumed it was the loneliness and the heartbreak making you the way you did- rushing out of bed each morning and rushing from your 'proper lady' lessons to find the nearest basin to be sick.

Confused and curious, your mother had called for the local doctor immediately, finding something wasn't quite right.

You still remember it like it was just seconds ago, the rainy miserable Wednesday morning, where the sun was a bleak white and your mother was stood beside your bed with a face like growing thunder.

"My fears have rather been realised, Mrs Bell." he addressed to your mother, as the doctor began to pack away his things, and you lay looking groggily across at him. The previous days had been the worst, the sickness gripping you violently and unexpectedly at various points in the day.

"Fears? What fears, Dr Shipton?" she asked with a hoity tone, her mannerism quick and snappy. Your mother had always liked things being delivered to her quickly and to the point- she didn't like things being drawn out or complicated. The truth is the truth - she always used to parrot at you when you were young.

Dr Shipton took a nervous breath in, is rounded metal framed spectacles perched on the end of his rather beaked nose- as he cast his cool steel blue eyes over your form tucked in bed.

"Well Mrs Bell, your daughter appears to be- expecting." he said, looking up with a solid glance as he braved the look your mother directly in the eye. Casting your hazed eyes over between the doctor and your mother, you felt your stomach knotting slightly in fear and in shame of your mother's harsh words and anticipated lectures... Pregnant?

Jacob's child...

As soon as the Doctor took his hasty leave, (He was clearly able to sense the growing tension in the air), your mother pressed the door shut, her back to your in her fine dress as you heard her take a loud, deep breath.

"You're pregnant?" she hissed quietly, before she lashed around with wild wide eyes, an animal look about her which convinced you she would consider tearing your throat out. "How very dare you- out of wedlock! How... how... Whore-ish of you! Impotent child!" she screamed, so loud you feared the whole house and beyond would hear.

Grasping the cover, you pulled it towards your face and covered your features slightly, your eyes filling with tears. She was constantly undermining you and degrading you- she had never even met the father of your soon to be baby, she hadn't seen how in love the pair of you were.. but even after telling yourself this, your (eye colour) eyes sank knowing she wouldn't approve of Jacob's stature.

"I should've never let you go to London! With that lummock of an Uncle watching over you this sort of debauchery was bound to happen-"

You threw the covers from your face, the last thing you were having was your mother talking about Uncle Aleck in such a way.