Chapter 7

Two days pass without any word from my husband or at least no word is given to me. If a letter has been sent in return I haven't been told about it. For all I know Mrs Merrick never actually sent him a letter about my potential pregnancy or he simply just doesn't care enough to come. Or to send a doctor.

I try to cling to the hope that he just hasn't been told or that something very important has distracted him. But even the thought of him being distracted by something fills me with fear for what could be more important to a noble than their potential heir. It adds to my worry that he's taken a mistress in London as that is all I can think of that could keep from returning home to his wife, even a scorned wife like me.

"Your Grace! Your Grace!" Marguerite calls rushing into my room disturbing me from my daydreams as I look out the window. It's how I've spent hours ever since speaking to Mrs Merrick as though I'd be able to see the Duke's return. As my window faces the wrong way and looks over one of the gardens instead it's a pointless endeavour to watch for him.

"Marguerite, what's wrong?" Usually she's very calm so something horrible must have happened to have her running into my room like this.

"His… His Grace is returning," She pants out trying to catching her breath but also too eager to give me the news to wait any longer, "I overheard some of the footmen talking downstairs during lunch and the Duke should be arriving anytime within the next few hours. And he's bringing a doctor with him."

"Quickly help me change so that I can be ready to greet them," I say getting a nod in return before she sets to work. In little time I've been changed into a light pink short-sleeved gown and my hair has been curled and pulled up. To finish Marguerite fastens a simple necklace around my neck, it's one of the few pieces of jewellery I have.

"You look perfect your Grace," Marguerite compliments taking a step back to admire her work. After so many years of having to dress and do my own hair it's amazing to see how much easier it is to get ready with help. Plus she can do my hair better than I've ever been able to.

"Thank you Marguerite," I reply before making my way to the entrance to await my husband's arrival. It could still be hours before they get here but if I'm not there waiting then no one will bother to inform me until the doctor is ready to see me.

During the two day wait for any response from the Duke I'd decided that I'm done being ignored by him. He's had plenty of time to come to terms with our marriage and overall he's the one that'll experience the least changes. It won't hurt him to actually speak to me or acknowledge my existence, at least while he's here. When he's in London he can go back to forgetting all about me.

As I wait in the entrance for them to arrive I can't stop wringing my hands in fear of how the coming conversation will go. I may be able to force the Duke to speak with me here while the doctor is present but who knows how well that'll go over in private. Yet the only way for us to move forward is to speak to each other.

Close to an hour of waiting later I hear hooves coming closer. They're here. Taking a deep breath I smooth out my skirts and force a pleasant smile onto my face as Delves arrives to open the door for them. I have a brief view of them dismounting outside and handing the horses over to the stable hands that had run over to them before they're walking to the door.

"Welcome home your Grace," Delves greets as the two men step inside and were clearly about to continue further into the house only to stop short as they spot me.

"Welcome back your Grace. And thank you for coming doctor," I greet with a curtsy towards my husband, I'd spent hours practicing the curtsy so that it's perfectly executed and flawless.

"Thank you, your Grace. It's an honour to be here," the doctor replies bowing towards me. All the while the Duke stands stiffly next to him trying his best to avoid looking at me, instead he seems to be looking slightly above my head.

"You must be tired after your ride, I'm sure that a room can be set up for you to rest in doctor." I say turning towards Mrs Merrick who I'd noticed coming towards us out of the corner of my eye. Although Marguerite only heard about their arrival today it's more likely that word was sent yesterday about them coming so Mrs Merrick probably does have a room prepared for the doctor.

"Yes your Grace," She replies to my unasked question, "If you'll follow me doctor I can show you to your room." With a final nod to me and the Duke he follows after Mrs Merrick. That leaves me alone with my husband who still doesn't seem to want to speak to me as he turns to leave. I don't let him though as I move around to stand in front of him, blocking his way and making him look at me.

"Wife," He grunts as a greeting before trying to move around me only to be halted again as I move with him. "Do you need something?" He glares down at me likely hoping that it'll scare me away but my need to speak to him is stronger than my fear of his anger.

"No but you're my husband. We can't just keep ignoring each other."

"It's worked perfectly well so far." He retorts trying once again to leave. I step with him though.

"But it's no way for us to spend our lives. Not when I may be with child. What do you intend for us to do then?"

"Exactly as we did a few weeks ago. If you are with child then I will remain here until the child is born. But I don't want to see you unless absolutely necessary," With every word he becomes clearly more annoyed at being made to talk to me. I'm so stunned by his stubbornness that it gives him the opportunity to start walking away from me.

"No!" I call after him not caring who hears me as I race after him trying my best to keep up with his longer legs, "We can't keep on living like this. I know what I did was wrong but surely you can't want things to stay like this?" I nearly crash into the back of him as he stops so suddenly that I almost don't notice in time. He spins around glaring at me with such hatred that I take a step back.

"No, this is not what I wanted from my marriage. But you took that choice from me when it wasn't even me that you targeted," I look down in shame at the reminder of what happened. I'm not sure if it's better or worse that he knows that I hadn't intended to compromise him. "Yes I know that you had planned to force Bedford into marriage. Yet now I'm stuck with the social climbing wife."

"Yes I'd planned to compromise the Earl because of his title and standing. But now for better or worse I am your wife! Surely we can at least learn to tolerate each other, for the sake of our child," I plead a hand coming to rest on my abdomen.

"That won't be needed," He replies coldly, "I'll be returning to London in a few days and won't be back until my child is born. After the birth the baby will be given over to the care of nurses. If the first child is a son then there will be no need for us to try again and you will be sent to one of my other properties, far away from where you might corrupt my heir. There you can reap the benefits of your title."

It's my worst fear come true. I'm so shocked by how he sees our future that I don't bother following as he walks away from me. Feeling lightheaded I return to my room barely remembering the journey there until suddenly I'm inside and sitting down on the bed.

"Your Grace?" I vaguely hear Marguerite say, it sounds as though she's far away.

"I'd like to be alone." I whisper waiting for her to leave the room before allowing myself to fall back on the bed and cry. Every time I think that things could become better the Duke seems to enjoy proving me wrong. Perhaps it would have been better if he hadn't married me, living in complete ruin would surely be better than this.

It wouldn't have been better though. That life would have lead me back to Edmour and living with my brother as he gambling away whatever money he can get his hands on. Before long he may have to sell Edmour just to cover his debts and after that I don't know what will happen to him. So as dreadful my relationship with the Duke is it's better than living in the poverty that Humphrey is plunging himself into.

Using that thought as I focus I try to stop myself from crying and pull myself together. There are still a few hours left until dinner is served and for the first time since coming to Knole House I'll be eating in the dining room. While he's here the doctor will probably take his meals with us and, as much as I'd like to, I won't hide away from the Duke anymore. The only way that I might be able to remain involved in our child's life is by proving to him that I won't be a bad influence on them.

I get up and wash my face to hide to the fact that I've been crying. Needing to occupy myself for the few hours until dinner I pick up some embroidery that I've been working on. It's not my favourite way to occupy my time but I don't have anything in my room to read and I don't want to venture out to the library at the moment. Plus I'm able to fall into an easy rhythm that helps me to relax.

Since I'd only recently changed I don't bother to change again for dinner, instead I pull on some gloves as I head downstairs to the dining room. Marguerite has once again proven a valuable source of information as thank to her I know that the Duke has ordered for dinner in the smaller of the two dining rooms. It's not surprising as the larger room is more suitable for hosting a party as it seats more than twice the number of people as the smaller dining room. There's no need for that when there are only three people dining here.

I'm the last one to arrive just as I'd planned, I wouldn't have put it past the Duke to refuse to eat with me if he'd arrived after me. As soon as I walk into the room their conversation halts and the doctor stands up bowing towards me in greeting. My husband on the other hand simply watches in distaste as I take a seat at the opposite end of the table from him, as is my right.

"I wasn't aware that you would be joining us, wife. Don't you prefer to take your meals in your room?" the Duke asks taking a sip of his wine as he waits for my answer.

"Usually yes. But with the good doctor here," I smile politely towards the doctor who looks rather uncomfortable at the tension in the room, "I thought that I'd join you. It is after all the polite thing to do."

"Yes and you're so very concerned about being polite aren't you, my dear wife?" It seems not even the presence of company will keep my husband from making scathing remarks in an attempt to drive me away.

"I'm terribly sorry about this doctor. The Duke and I are still newly married, we haven't been able to spend the time we'd like together just yet," I don't bother replying to the Duke anymore as all he wants is an argument so I try to engage Doctor Blundell in conversation.

"Of course your Grace," He replies graciously although clearly still uncomfortable with the clear tension between the Duke and me.

Luckily dinner is soon served and my husband occupies himself with eating while I get to know the doctor. Over the course of the meal I'm able to learn where he studied and that he also currently teaches in London. Due to his teaching commitments he won't be staying here for more than a few days before returning to London. While here he'll determine if I am with child and then detail the best diet for me to follow but if we need anything else then London isn't too far away.

"Would tomorrow morning be an agreeable time for an examination, your Grace?" He asks as desert, a delicious cake, is served. It's the first time that I've been able to enjoy desert while here and it may be the last if the doctor prescribes a lowering diet, as is common. So less meat, eggs and spices with more fruit and vegetables instead. My tea and wine intake will also be reduced or forbidden entirely.

"Yes. Thank you doctor," I nod in agreement before focusing on my desert again not sure if I'll be allowed cake for much longer. A bowl of fruit may become the extent of what I could have for desert. By tomorrow morning I'll know for sure if I'm truly with child.

Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. For those interested James Blundell was a real doctor, specifically an obstetrician, who performed the first successful human blood transfusion for treatment of a haemorrhage in 1818. He'd seen many patients die during childbirth due to haemorrhage and proposed a blood transfusion as a remedy. He developed many instruments for blood transfusions and we still use many of them today.

Gentlemen doctors were very popular during the regency and Princess Charlotte's doctor during her pregnancy was a Baronet. Doctors involved in pregnancy, known as accoucheurs, concerned themselves with every all parts of childbearing from conception onwards. I thought that it'd be interesting to use a real doctor in this story and after finding out this information decided to use James Blundell.