His Beastly Ways

chapter 12

 

Nalia was pleasantly surprised to see her brother waiting for her in the drawing room when she finally managedto go down.

She had had a very difficult pregnancy so far,with the morning sickness striking her every chance.She was blessed if she slept past 6 oclock her mornings now consisted of waking up ,ravished, hurling her supper,taking a long bath,taking a walk then having breakfast at lunch hour.Everything tasted horrid, Mrs.Stockmann had long told her that this should have ended already but it seemed that her body disagreed.

She smiled at her brother as he looked her over in that perceptive way of his and felt foolishly self conscious.Suddenly she wondered if she had gained or lost some weight or if her waistline showed signs of thickening for she herself felt like a whale and it was only 4 months long atleast according to the doctor .

"is it so horrid?"she heard him ask and she gave a small giggle.

"Does anything ever miss your notice Richy?" He smiled at her but gave her aspeaking glance as he came forward to give her a kiss. "Not your change of subject I can assure you."

Again she laughed this time richly and truly. "How I had missed you my love...and yes it has proved to be horrific. Mrs. Stockmann says that it should have ended by now at least the morning sickness but I feel all the worse." She tried to plaster a smile to take away from the sorrow that even she could hear was thick in her voice.

Responding to it ,Nicolai woke from his settee and joined her at hers by the door. He took her in his arms as he usually did and ran his hands through her hair making her feel calm and safe. "That did always work,even when I wanted to stamp my feet on the ground and ball my eyes you always managed to calm me.I truly had missed you ."

She felt him shift in his seat and heard his voice grow hoarse as he said "I am sorry my love, in this I have failed you neither do I know how to help you."

She sensed how it deeply it had affected him,and thought of how he must have bereted himself for not being there to help her.

She turned in her seat ,with much difficulty, and grasped his hand in her small ones.Looking into familiar eyes ,she made sure her voice was strong enough for she feared she might clog on her tears ,she was even more emotional than usual."you would never fail me , never ,you have been with me always in my heart and look even now here you are already thinking of ways and means to help me. I admit, this pregnancy makes me afraid for we both know it will be hard especially in the society but you, you are my rock and I will always need you. I mean what I said last night , I love you and that too with my whole heart. "

Her brother looked at her, his eyes suspiciously moist before he leaned forward and kissed her head and hauled himself to go pour her tea. She did not bother to remind him that she could not eat until luncheon.

...

Hahn walked briskly up the flight of steps to the cottage where his wife was staying. Last night she had refused to see him and he had been forced to go back without setting eyes on her and he was missing her terribly. Today he and Christobal had decided that they would sneak into the house using the servant's entrance while that dragon her butler was being distracted by Westcliff and the gang. It had so far worked for the servants in the kitchen were only two maids who seemed to be too shocked to see lords use the servants entrance that they only stared.

The two of them had taken the servants staircase to the second floor rooms where they had met last night. As he approached her room he had seen her rush out of it with a large smile on her face though her face seemed paler than usual. Deciding against calling out to her until after they were alone he took the stairs following her as quietly as he could.