What if (ON HOLD)

Chapter 10: An Unexpected Surprise

The next morning, I woke up to someone shaking me. I open my eyes and see that it's Gail.

"Maria. It's time to get up," she says. I sit up and turn to the side of the bed and whimper in pain. Gail looks at me with a sad look. I look down and see blood on my nightgown. "Oh Maria," she says sadly. She was about to say something more, but I put my hand up to stop her.

"Please Gail. I don't want you feeling sorry for me. I don't need that right now," I say. She nods.

"Of course. Let's get you washed up," she says and led me into the washroom.

After my bath and my legs have returned. Gail dressed me in an underdress. She then led me into the bedroom where I saw Victoria changing the bedding. She looked up at me and gave me a look of pity. I hated that look. I folded my arms at my stomach and looked down at the ground. 

"Please don't look at me like that," I say.

She looked away and I heard her say, "Sorry," and went back to changing the bedding.

Gail then continued to help me get dressed. While putting the dress on, I found that it was a little tight so I told Gail to loosen up the corset a bit.

Once I was fully dressed and had my hair and makeup done, she led me downstairs into the dining room where Beckett was waiting for me.

"You may go and shut the door on the way out," Beckett says to Gail. She exits the room and closes the door behind her. "Sit," he demands. I do so hesitantly across from him and look down at my lap. "Maria, darling, look at me," he says. I look up at him slowly and hesitantly. "Now Maria, you have to learn to respect me, or I will have no choice but to punish you like I did last night, do you understand?" He says. I nod hesitantly. "I need words," he says demandingly.

"I understand," I say quietly, but loud enough so he can hear me.

"Good. Now eat your breakfast then you can go," he says.

I do so hesitantly. I didn't really want to eat because I didn't really have much of an appetite. I finish my food slowly and then leave the room and go to my room and lay down on the bed and cry.

I wanted to go see Elizabeth, but at the same time I didn't. I didn't want her to know I was raped again, and I know Beckett wouldn't let me see her anyway.

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The next two days I've been feeling kind of sick, mostly in the mornings. I've been kind of feeling exhausted all the time and my dresses were feeling a little tight. I've also noticed I haven't had my monthly cycle in two months and I was a little worried.

While Beckett was doing his usual work and of course waiting for Will to come back with Jack's compass, I asked Groves to take me to the town doctor without Beckett knowing.

"Why do you want me to take you to the town doctor without Lord Beckett knowing?" Groves asks me.

"Because I'm feeling under the weather and I don't want Beckett knowing I went so please tell him you're taking to go see my father," I explain.

"Okay fine. If Lord Beckett finds out I lied and kills me for it, it'll be on you," he says finally giving in.

"It won't be a total lie because I think I will go see my father afterwards," I say. He nods at me and leaves the room.

I hear him and Beckett conversing down the hall. A few minutes later he comes back into the room.

"Come on. Let's go," he says.

While visiting the town doctor I told him how I was feeling, and he did a checkup on me and gave me news I was not expecting at all.