Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

E liza stayed in bed for the entire next day.

She told her mother she was still feeling the ill effects from whatever had overcome her the night before, a fact which was not a lie.

She wasn't sure if it was the recognition of the situation, the potential that she was actually with child, or how Fitz had reacted to everything, but it felt like there was a ball in the pit of her stomach that had become painful. She felt best lying in bed with her knees tucked beneath her. While she knew that she couldn't spend forever in this chamber, for today, it was where she had to stay.

Then her maid walked in with a tray of ham, eggs, and rolls, and Eliza gagged, nearly becoming sick.

Her maid quickly hurried out, and it wasn't long until Henrietta and Sloane arrived in her stead.

"Eliza?" Sloane said with some hesitation. "Are you well?"

"Not really," she said, wishing she could speak of this, but she most certainly could not tell Fitz's sisters anything about her precarious predicament.

There was only one person she could speak to about this. Siena. Eliza wondered if her letter had made it to Siena through the post. She closed her eyes as she thought back to the joy with which she had written it despite her confusion, and how much her situation had changed from that day to now.

"I must ask a favor of you," she said. "Has any mail arrived for me?"

"Not that I know of, but I can ask Hastings," Henrietta said with a kind smile. "Is there anything else we can do for you?"

"No," Eliza said, covering her mouth with her hand before the moan could escape. "Thank you."

"Of course," Henrietta said, patting the bed beside her before she and Sloane left the room.

Eliza must have slept for a few hours, for when she woke to a knock sounding on the door, the sunlight was no longer shining through the window. Remnants of tears sat upon her eyelashes. She assumed her mother was at the door, and she had to blink a few times for her figure to come into focus.

"Oh, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," came the soft, familiar, and oh, so incredibly welcome voice.

"Siena!" Eliza cried out, practically flinging herself out of bed toward her friend, pausing to assess how she felt, relieved to find that her symptoms seemed to have abated. She patted Siena up and down her arms to convince herself that she was actually present. "What are you doing here?"

"I received your letter and could read what you were not telling me – that you needed someone to speak to. I can imagine it would be rather difficult to explain all of this to Henrietta and Sloane, even now that they have returned."

"Yes, it most certainly would be," Eliza said, taking Siena's hand and leading her over to the bed. "Is the duke here as well?"

"He is," Siena said, a soft smile gracing her lips, and Eliza's heart jumped in happiness that her friend had found such a love. "He would never want me to travel this far alone. Besides, I think he misses Fitz, even if he won't admit it."

Eliza leaned in. "How much did you tell him about my letter?" she asked in a whisper.

"Not much," Siena said, shaking her head. "Just that you and Fitz had become close. He was surprised, for the two of you barely spoke when you were at Greystone."

"That was by design, apparently," Eliza said, biting her lip before telling Siena what Fitz had said about being attracted to her and forcing himself to avoid her.

"Well, that is interesting," Siena said, looking around as though she had a secret even though they were alone in the bedroom before dropping her voice down low. "How were your… relations? Were they everything you had imagined?"

"Oh, Siena," Eliza said with a large sigh and a chuckle. "They were so much more."

They giggled for a moment before Eliza sobered, holding Siena's hands in hers. "There is, however, a problem. A great problem."

Siena waited patiently for Eliza to continue.

"I believe I might be with child," Eliza said, her voice so low that Siena had to lean in to hear her. Goodness, why could she not speak louder when discussing this? It was almost as though she believed that if she kept it quiet enough, it wouldn't be true, but of course, her belief wouldn't cause any change.

Siena's eyes widened, her mouth forming a round O.

"Oh, Eliza," she said, gripping her hands within hers even tighter. "Oh, dear."

She sat like that for so long that Eliza tilted her head to study her. "Siena?"

"I'm so sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I am just shocked, is all. I suppose I shouldn't be. It is a natural result."

She bit her lip, looking up at Eliza. "Does it help that I am as well?"

"Siena!" Eliza said, bouncing her bottom up and down on the bed excitedly. "Congratulations." Siena's greatest wish had always been to be a mother, so it truly was the most wonderful news.

"Thank you," Siena said, squeezing Eliza's hands. "But I do not want to overshadow – nor ignore – your situation."

"My situation," Eliza said with a sigh, shaking her head. "Yes. I do hope that my cycle is simply late, however I am always so regularly on time that it seems far too great a coincidence that it would be late the one time that I have been with a man."

"Have you told Fitz?"

"Yes," Eliza said, her tone harsher than she intended before she recounted their conversation – if one could call it that – from the night before.

"He truly said that?" Siena said, aghast.

"Yes."

"I can hardly believe it," Siena said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can understand his shock, but he is just as much a part of this as you are. Besides, what would be so terrible as the two of you being married?"

"I wish I knew," Eliza returned. "But it seems that it is not something he wishes to even consider. I could understand his reluctance, but his accusations were another insult entirely. I believe he thinks that I am trying to trap him into marriage, but I can assure you that I would have no desire to marry a man who had no wish to be with me nor thinks so ill of me."

"Of course," Siena murmured before shaking her head. "He will come around. I am sure of it. Men can be rather obstinate sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Eliza snorted. "All the time."

"Do you wish to go for a walk?" Siena asked suddenly, rising from the bed.

"A walk?"

"I find that fresh air clears both my head and stomach," Siena said with a small smile. "If you are truly with child, then it will be some time before you are feeling any better."

Eliza groaned and threw herself back on the bed as Siena laughed and crossed over to Eliza's wardrobe to find her a gown that she could wear outdoors.

The only way Eliza's situation could improve was for this all to come to naught – but at least Siena was here.

She was sure she could get through this.

She just had to figure out how.

Fitz hadn't been able to stay in the same house as Eliza for another moment. He didn't even wait to see if she was coming for breakfast that morning. Instead, he had gone for a ride to clear his head so that he could see through to the truth of the matter and determine just what he was supposed to do.

A child. Someday, he would likely be a father, but he had never taken the time to consider just what that would actually mean. And with Eliza. She was such a bright light, but was she too bright?

He closed his eyes as he tried to imagine a life with her. It would be fun, that was for certain. But he could only imagine the talk if he disappeared from London and returned with a wife and child on the way just a few months later. No one would take him seriously. But what other choice did he have?

Fitz reached the long, open field where he liked to allow the horse to have his fill stretching his legs when he noted motion beside him. He turned quickly, prepared to defend himself, but instead, a wide grin stretched across his face and the tension within him eased when he saw who was there.

"Levi!"

He pulled up on his horse as his friend did the same. "What are you doing here?"

He was so relieved that when he dismounted, he nearly wrapped his friend in a hug, but of course, that would never do between the two of them.

"My wife told me she needed to come to see Eliza," Levi said, never one to waste any words.

"So, you came as well?"

"I have no wish to leave her side anytime soon."

"Of course," Fitz said, recalling all Levi and his wife had been through. He could understand Levi's wish to stay close to ensure that Siena remained safe. "And you wanted to see me, of course."

Levi snorted and shook his head, but Fitz saw the spark in his eye that told him he wasn't far off the mark. He and Levi had been friends for ages, as much as Levi always refused to acknowledge what they meant to one another. No matter. Fitz was always there to remind him.

"I hear you've been in some danger," Levi said as they began to walk their horses side by side.

"Potentially," Fitz said before relaying the story. "I am beginning to believe that it was all in my imagination."

"Will you return to London to see if anything comes of it?"

"I have been contemplating it," Fitz said, knowing that he likely would have done so far sooner had it not been for Eliza. "I cannot hide here forever. I would ask my mother and sisters to stay in the country until I have an answer one way or another. I do not suppose that would go over well, but I'm not sure what else I am supposed to do."

He looked down at his hands and fisted them around the reins, wondering how much he should tell Levi, but then realized that Eliza would definitely not be holding any information back from Siena.

"There is another matter. One much more… sensitive."

He told Levi of all that had occurred with Eliza, including the news she had imparted the night before.

"You didn't realize that could happen?" Levi said, no change in his expression, and Fitz would have stomped his foot on the ground if he hadn't been mounted.

"Of course I did! I just hoped… that it wouldn't. Besides," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "I am not certain that she actually is with child. Or that the baby is mine."

"Why would you say that?" Levi asked without judgment, and Fitz recounted his suspicions.

"Well," Levi responded, "it would certainly become apparent in due time as to whether or not she is lying about being with child. Although if you waited to marry her, it would be fairly late and quite obvious as to what brought about your wedded bliss."

Fitz nodded as Levi laid out all the arguments that he had been reviewing himself.

"As to whose baby it would be… I know that I cannot be certain, but from what Siena has told me about Eliza, I would have a hard time believing she was with another man and then contrived to trap you into this."

"But you cannot be sure."

"One can never be sure about anything."

"How do I know?"

"At some point, I suppose you have to decide whether or not you trust her."

Fitz shot him a hard look. "When did you become the voice of reason?"

Levi released a low chuckle. "I was always reasonable. I just decided to start sharing my thoughts since I have obviously made such wonderful choices myself."

Fitz snorted as Levi turned to look at him more closely.

"How much does this have to do with Jessica?"

"I do not like to speak about her."

"Of course you don't. But this situation is remarkably similar."

"Too similar," Fitz said, shaking his head as they turned the horses back toward the house, although he wasn't ready to enter it yet and face Eliza or any of his family.

"You are biased because of it."

"How could I not be? Jessica did this very thing. She told me she was with child, and I nearly married her, until the father of her baby came to me and told me the truth of it all. That they were without means and had planned to use me to support the child."

"How did you know that he wasn't lying to you?" Levi asked, and Fitz pushed back the brim of his hat to meet his gaze.

"I felt it in my gut."

"And you were right – that baby came just six months after you had been together."

"Imagine if I had married her. What my life would be like."

"You would have made it work."

"Perhaps, but what life would that be, one built upon a foundation of lies – if she had even stayed?"

"Not a particularly pleasant one, I imagine," Levi said, and they rode in silence for a few moments.

"After I escaped the trap, I told myself that when I did marry, it would be a practical, advantageous match. Yet here I am again."

"What do you feel now? You said your gut reaction told you the truth before. What is it telling you now, about Eliza?"

Fitz closed his eyes, trusting his horse to know the way, before opening them and looking at Levi with clarity.

"She is not one to fabricate stories."

Levi said nothing, waiting for Fitz to come to the realization himself.

"She's telling the truth, isn't she?"

Levi only stared at him with his one good eye, the other hidden by the eye patch.

"Damn it," Fitz said, shaking his head as he stared ahead. "I guess I'm going to have to marry her."