Chapter 29

CHAPTER29

"Icannot believe you took down the Marquess of Dawbridge!" Alicia squealed as soon as she arrived. She kept talking all the while, as she and Leah walked from the main door to the parlor, where they sat down. Leah wanted to share everything with her, but it seemed that her friend was already acquainted with the entire story from other sources.

"We did not really take him down, as you say," Leah chuckled. "My mother figured out who he was. She wrote down his address, that is the address of the home he had purchased so he could continue with his crime business without being spotted. This knowledge cost my mother her life, but I know she would be glad to know that justice prevailed."

"Your mother was a lovely woman," Alicia smiled. "And you are following in her footsteps."

"I thought that would mean that I would have to keep away from my father, but I am happy to say that he finally understands me, just like he initially understood my mother. Then, his love gave way to fear. But if you love someone, you have to allow them to be themselves. Otherwise, you do not truly love them at all."

"That is so true," Alicia nodded. "You know what is also true?"

"What?" Leah wondered.

"Now that this has happened, everyone wants you to attend their ball!" Alicia clapped joyfully.

"Ugh, I do not think Edward would like that very much," Leah chuckled. "You know that neither of us enjoys all that crowd and chattering."

"Oh, but you must! You absolutely must attend every single ball!" Alicia exclaimed. "Everyone is dying to hear your story!"

Leah rolled her eyes playfully at her friend. "That means that I would need to tell one and the same story over and over again, how many times?"

"As many times as is necessary, my dear. You are a hero! Do you realize that?"

"No," Leah shook her head. "At least, I do not feel like a hero. I feel like just a regular woman who was fortunate enough to have a good man by her side, who believed her doubts and who did everything in his power to help her. See? I’m no hero."

"Well, say it in whatever manner you wish," Alicia did not fancy this ordinary way of telling the story, obviously. She wanted it with a bit more pomp. But that was who Alicia was, and Leah still loved her for it, or perhaps in spite of it. Sometimes, she could not tell which one, but she loved her, nonetheless. "Everyone wants you to attend their ball, and you simply must."

"If we must," Leah giggled.

At that moment, the tea arrived, along with some biscuits. The servant girl placed them nicely before the two friends, then she left the room. Alicia immediately grabbed a biscuit and bit into it with much delight.

"These are my favorite," she said, with her mouth full. She was careful enough never to do this in public, but with her best friend and cousin, she was always much more relaxed. "Aren’t you going to have some?"

Leah frowned. "I’m not really hungry. Besides, I have been having an odd feeling in my stomach for the past several days, especially in the mornings immediately after waking up."

Hearing this made Alicia stop munching on the biscuit. She quickly swallowed, unwilling to take her eyes off of her friend for even a single moment. "Mornings, you say? Like feeling nauseous in the mornings?"

"Mhm," Leah nodded, not even aware of what she had just confirmed.

Alicia placed the biscuit back on the tray. "Leah... are you with child?" The question caught them both off guard. Leah had to think about it.

"Well... it isn’t impossible," she smiled, blushing slightly. "Edward and I have been consummating our marriage for a while now."

"What about your monthlies?"

"I don’t think I’ve had one this month," Leah remembered. "With everything that has been happening, I haven’t even paid attention to it. Actually, it did come to me once, but I thought that I was simply under a lot of stress, then everything with the Marquess. I attributed my lack of a monthly to all of that."

"But now with the morning sickness–" Alicia squealed with delight, clapping her hands joyfully. "I am going to be an aunt!"

Just as she shouted that aloud, the door opened, and Edward appeared. Leah stared at him, wondering if he’d heard anything.

"Who is going to be an aunt?" he repeated, and Leah shot a glance at her cousin, which meant that the cat was out of the bag even before it was in it.

"Alicia is just being silly," Leah tried to brush it off, but the more she thought about it, the more possible and appealing the thought sounded.

"About what?" he wondered, approaching Alicia and kissing her hand. "It is a pleasure to see you, Alicia."

"You, too, Edward," Alicia smiled mysteriously, and something told Leah that neither of the two would be willing to let go of the subject before it was all out in the open.

"Now, that aunt business?" Edward urged.

"It’s really nothing important," she waved her hand dismissively, but the look on his face immediately made her regret doing so.

"I thought we agreed there would be no more secrets between us," he reminded her. "This sounds like a secret you are trying to keep from me."

"Of course not," Leah tried to convince him. "It’s just that Alicia pointed my attention to something I haven’t been thinking about, or even considering. And now I wonder if there is anything to it."

He approached her and pinched her cheek. "So many words, and you still told me nothing. Only you can do this, Leah."

All three burst into a chuckle at his words. She knew that she should tell him now, even if what Alicia was suggesting wasn’t true. But Leah did not want him to feel like he was purposely being kept in the dark about anything. That was the last thing she wanted to do to him.

"I have missed my monthly," she admitted. "I have attributed it to everything that has been happening. We’ve both been under a lot of stress, you know." This was where she was intending on stopping simply because she wasn’t certain, but Alicia would not have it.

"Tell him about the morning sickness," Alicia urged.

"There is morning sickness as well," Leah frowned at her cousin, then smiled at Edward. "But I didn’t want to tell you anything before I was certain that–"

Before she could continue her thought, he rushed over to her, grabbed her by the waist and swirled her into the air, much to her amusement. She gazed deeply into his eyes, and she realized how he had longed for this news. She didn’t even know that. They hadn’t even managed to talk about family, children. Everything between them had happened so swiftly, that sometimes, she still felt that they were only getting to know each other in some respects, while she felt as if they had known each other all of their lives in others. It was such an odd feeling.

"Are you telling me that I am going to be a father?" he finally asked when he put her down, but he was unwilling to let her out of his arms.

"I don’t know, you silly thing," she chuckled. "It is possible, and I didn’t want to mention anything to anyone until I was completely certain of it, but Alicia could not keep a secret if her life depended on it."

"There is that word again," he reminded her. "Secret. You promised."

"I know," she said apologetically. "Does that refer to even happy secrets? The one that will reveal good things?"

"Hmm," he said, pretending to be lost in thought. "Let me think about it. No." He laughed, and she joined in. "I want you to share everything with me. The good, the bad. Everything. When you suspect something, tell me. When you are sad about something, tell me. When you are happy about something, tell me. I want to know everything... so, tell me."

"All right then," she smiled, her heart full of joy. "In that case... Edward, I’m not certain yet, but I might be with child."

"Exactly like that," he grinned, pulling her closer to himself for another embrace. He released her reluctantly, addressing Alicia. "I am only letting her go because you are here, Alicia and she hasn’t seen you in a while."

"She has to tell me everything that has happened," Alicia nodded. "I only know what the ton knows."

"That is a distorted version of events, as always," Edward pointed out, bringing Leah’s hand to his lips one more time. "Leah will tell you exactly what happened. And just so you know, if she forgets to mention it or somehow diminishes her part in the story, she is the true hero, not me."

"I knew it!" Alicia exclaimed loudly, proud of her cousin. She turned to Leah, her eyes wide with curiosity. "I have to know everything!"

Edward waved them goodbye as he left the room, leaving the two girls alone.

* * *

To his surprise, just as he left Leah and Alicia in the parlor, the butler announced that Andrew had just arrived. Taking him up to his study, he wrapped his arm tenderly around his best friend’s shoulder.

"You really have a habit of arriving in the perfect moment, old boy," Edward told him.

"I know," Andrew grinned. "Did I manage to hit it again this time?"

"You most certainly did," Edward nodded, closing the study door behind him and walking over to the cellarette. "We have another reason to celebrate." He proceeded to pour them both a drink, then brought it to Andrew, who was still standing in confusion. "Leah just told me that she might be with child."

Andrew’s eyes widened in shock. Then he smiled.

"Why, that is fantastic news!" Andrew said.

"It is, isn’t it?" Edward grinned a little nervously, raking his fingers through his hair.

"What is it?" Andrew quickly noticed his friend’s apprehension.

"The baby," Edward mumbled. "What if I am not a good father to it?"

At first, Andrew didn’t seem to have heard him right. Then, he burst into a chuckle. "You? Why, you shall be the best of fathers!"

"Do you really think so?" Edward appreciated the words more than he could ever describe.

"I am absolutely certain of it," Andrew urged. "When everyone turned their back on you, thinking you had something to do with your parents’ death, I didn’t. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Edward asked, almost breathless.

"Because you are a good man, Edward Price. A good, kind, loyal, decent man," Andrew continued. "I could not imagine you having anything to do with that fire, and of course, I was right. Just like I was convinced of your innocence back then, right now I am convinced of your capability to love that baby more than any other man ever would be able to."

Edward had never been so touched before. He never expressed his gratitude for his friend’s loyalty. He only hoped that Andrew knew all that.

"These words mean more to me than you could ever possibly imagine," Edward said, his voice faltering.

"Never doubt who you are, Edward. Never," Andrew said. "I know I never did." He lifted his glass. "To your health and the health of that little babe, whether or not it is coming now or a bit later."

Edward smiled. Leah did say that she wasn’t certain. But she didn’t need to be. He was. He knew that there was a little babe growing inside of her the moment she mentioned it. He had a feeling, and his feelings were never wrong.

He lifted his glass and clinked it against Andrew’s. Then, he downed his drink, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth in a satisfied manner. He could not stop smiling. He didn’t want to stop smiling, ever again. There was so much to look forward to, so much to be happy about.

"I can hardly believe that this is my life now," Edward admitted. "When my parents died, I thought my life ended with them. I prayed so many times that another fire would take me as well. That night, it almost did. But Leah was here as well. I could not let any harm come to her. And little by little, we ended up here... together."

"Life has a funny way of surprising us when we least expect it," Andrew smiled mysteriously.

It truly did. Edward could not wait for that evening, to wrap his arms around his wife and tell her how much he adored her, that it was her who saved his life.