Love Sneaked In (Montgomery Family Trilogy) (26 page)

When Henry came into her room, he came over to the bed and gave her a hug. “Hello, sweetheart. You had us so worried. I’m so relieved you’re feeling better.”

“It’s wonderful to see you. I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble,” Helen answered.

Henry smiled down at her. “You’re no trouble. We came as soon as we received word from Matthew about your accident.”

After smiling weakly at Henry, she turned to Matthew and said, “I’m so tired. I think I need to rest,” and almost before the words were out of her mouth, she fell back to sleep.

Helen spent the next few days recuperating. Matthew knew it was time to tell her about the baby, so that afternoon, while sitting beside her bed, he picked up her hand, and after kissing it, he said, “Sweetheart, I have some wonderful news. You’re going to have a baby. When Dr. Moore examined you, he found out that you’re with child. Did you suspect you were with child?”

“Oh my goodness! Is the doctor sure? I had no idea.” With tears of happiness in her eyes, she cried, “Oh Matthew, this is wonderful news. Did Dr. Moore say when the baby would be born? Matthew…is the doctor sure the baby wasn’t hurt while I was unconscious?”

“He said he would need to speak with you to be sure, but he felt you were about two months along. He’ll be here this afternoon to examine you, and hopefully, once he talks with you he’ll have a better idea of when the baby should be born. You did have some bleeding right after your fall, but it wasn’t much, and the doctor felt the baby was all right.”

Matthew held her in his arms as she wept for joy. It truly was amazing that she hadn’t lost the baby. The doctor came that afternoon, and after talking to Helen, he told them that the baby should be born around the end of April.

Now that Helen was out of danger, Matthew devoted himself to trying to find out who had tampered with her saddle. Matthew and Peter questioned all the stable hands, but none of them knew anything. Edwards showed Matthew the girth strap, and it did look like it had been cut. It could have been cut accidentally. Eddie, who had readied the horses that day, may have been in a hurry and didn’t notice the cut.

That made more sense than to suspect someone of deliberately cutting the strap. Everyone liked Helen, and besides, she really didn’t know that many people in the area. It had to have been an accident, but just to be safe he would be on his guard. At least for the next seven months, she wouldn’t be riding her horse, so nothing like this could happen again.

Helen enjoyed having her family around her. Melody came to her room every day so they could talk. The day after Helen found out about the baby, they had a chance to have a more involved conversation. “While I’m overjoyed you came, I hate that you had to come all this way. I’m sure Henry didn’t want to be away from Parliament, what with all this business about the King.”

“Helen, when we received the news about your accident, we left immediately. Nothing is more important than you are right now. Henry has Weston keeping him informed, so he’s fine. I don’t want you worrying about us. You just need to concentrate on getting well.”

After pausing, Helen said, “I appreciate you answering my letter. I know you told me to tell Matthew that I’m in love with him, but Melody, I’m just too afraid. I don’t know how he feels about me because he’s never said anything. I’d hate to tell him and then find out that he doesn’t return my love. When we married, I insisted that I didn’t want to have love, just companionship.”

“Are you sure that he isn’t already in love with you? He was completely undone when you were so ill. I think he already loves you, and why would he not? After all, you’re a very loveable person. You weren’t aware of how he was acting when you were so ill. He never wanted to leave your side.”

Excited, Helen sat up. “Do you really think so? I love him so much, and I’m so happy about the baby. I certainly hope it’s a boy. He really does need an heir, because his brother is such a wastrel that he would ruin the earldom if he were to inherit. I wrote you about him getting into that duel, and it just seems as if he is constantly in trouble. Melody, how can I find out if Matthew loves me?”

Taking her time to answer, Melody finally replied, “I suggest that you watch his actions, because many times you can tell more from actions than words,” Then patting Helen’s hand, she added, “It sounds as if you’ve had quite a bit of excitement since you married Matthew. I can’t believe his sister had to get married. She’s so young, and her husband can’t be more than a few years older than she is. Wasn’t there any way to avoid marriage?”

Helen sighed deeply. “None at all…Margaret gave him her innocence. One afternoon, she didn’t show up for tea. When Matthew found her, he caught her and Mr. Boling in a very compromising position, so there really wasn’t anything to do but get them married as soon as possible. Matthew has told them they can stay with us until Mr. Boling comes into his inheritance. He’s Viscount Hartford’s heir and will inherit the title when his uncle dies. But until then he has no money to support a wife. They seem to be very much in love, but only time will tell if they’re going to be mature enough to handle marriage.”

Melody stood up and squeezed Helen’s hand affectionately. “I hope for their sakes they can overcome their youth. Well, I can see that you’re getting tired, so I’ll take my leave now, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some rest. Remember you’re carrying a precious child, and you need to get plenty of sleep. Take care, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

Helen continued to improve, and within a few days she was up and about. She had even put most of her weight back on and was barely suffering any morning sickness. Every time she thought about the baby, she felt a warm glow come over her. Matthew was over the moon, he was so excited. It really was a miracle that she hadn’t lost the babe, what with the accident and all.

Chapter 17

October 1820

Across town at Cecilia Arlington’s house, Cecilia had just finished her breakfast. She was feeling an overwhelming sense of satisfaction knowing that Helen was on death’s door and not expected to live. Cecilia spent the morning imagining how she would console Matthew over his loss. That afternoon, she went into town, and while at the dressmakers, she overheard Vicar Winslow’s wife talking with Lady Ralston and found out that Helen had awakened from her accident and was expected to make a full recovery. She was also going to have a baby.

Fury swept through her, and it was all she could do to keep from screaming. Cecilia quickly left the dressmaker’s and hurried home. Once she arrived home, she ran upstairs to her room and slammed her bedroom door with so much force that it almost came off the hinges. Spying a trinket that Matthew had given her, she grabbed it up and through it at her mirror, which broke into hundreds of pieces. Cecilia screamed for her maid, and when the girl showed up, Cecilia yelled, “Clean this mess up, and then get out of my sight! I don’t want anyone to bother me today. I’m not home to anyone except my cousin Louis.”

The maid quickly cleaned up the broken glass and left the room. She told the rest of the servants about how angry their mistress was so they could try to stay out of her way. That night, when Louis showed up, she let him have it.

“You imbecile! That bitch is going to make it,
and
she’s going to have a baby. Why couldn’t she have at least lost the brat? I want the slut dead! You promised you would do this for me. You’re just going to have to try again, and this time you’d better not mess it up. There’s no way I want her giving Matthew an heir. If she gives him a son and then dies, he might not feel the need to marry again.”

Trying to placate Cecilia, Louis walked over to her and put his arm around her. “Try to calm down Cecilia. This is just a minor setback. I promised you I would kill her, and I will.”

“Well, you need to try something again right away,” Cecilia screamed, “I want her dead!”

“I have to wait a little while, because they’re looking into how the girth ended up cut. So far, they aren’t sure whether it was cut accidentally or deliberately. Evidently, the stable boy who readied the horses that day was in a hurry. Since they can’t be sure whether it was accidental or deliberate, that will be good for us. It will make it easier for me to get her. I just need you to have a little more patience. Next time, I’ll make sure I’m successful.”

Then pleading with him, Cecilia cried, “Louis, please, you have to get rid of her for me. You promised me that you would kill her.”

“Just have a little patience. I’ll make sure that next time I’ll be successful.”

Going off on another tangent, Cecelia started yelling again. “It’s not fair that he married that bitch! He was supposed to marry me. I waited patiently for three long years. She doesn’t even love him. I can tell when I see her with him that she doesn’t. I’m sure that men find her somewhat attractive, but I’m much more beautiful, and much more passionate.”

“Of course you’re more beautiful,” Louis assured her. “He probably regrets marrying her already. I’m sure he misses you desperately. After she’s gone, I’m sure he’ll come back to you.”

With malice freezing her violet eyes to ice, Cecelia exclaimed, “She’s probably as cold as a statue, and I hope she freezes Matthew’s cock off!” Then realizing how that would affect her, she added, “Well, I really don’t want that to happen, because I’m rather fond of that part of his anatomy…but I hope she makes him miserable. I’m sure she just married him for his title, and Matthew wanted her dowry, since she’s such an heiress. Oh, this is so unfair!”

Trying to reassure her further, Louis replied. “I’m sure you’re right. He just married her for her dowry. Now I need to leave before anyone sees me here with you. Don’t give up hope. I’ll be successful the next time an opportunity presents itself. You just need to be patient, and all will work out.”

After Louis left, Cecilia was so furious that she started throwing things around again, smashing several lovely figurines against the wall. Standing amid the broken shards of glass, she finally calmed back down. There had to be some way she could get rid of Helen and soon, but she knew that Louis was her best chance. Just as Louis said, she would need to be patient. Surely, they would have another opportunity soon, and then, when Helen was gone, Matthew would come back to her.

Cecelia would comfort him over his loss, and this time she would make sure that he married her by making sure she got pregnant. Cecilia was so angry with herself. She could have been pregnant several times, but since she didn’t want any little brats running around, she’d always taken precautions to keep herself from getting with child. If she had known that having a child was so important to Matthew, she’d have made sure she had gotten pregnant. She could put up with a little brat to have Matthew! Well, at this point, she would have to wait on Louis, but he had better not mess it up again!

Now that Helen was almost fully recovered, Matthew was enjoying spending time with Sanderford. He found him highly intelligent and much more down to earth than he would have expected. Henry wanted Matthew to come to London and participate in all the hearings involving the King’s petition for divorce.

While Matthew and Henry were talking a few days after Helen had awakened, Henry brought up the subject of the hearings again. “The sooner this business with the King can be dealt with, the better for the country. It’s embarrassing to have so many intimate details revealed about the King and Queen. The nation needs this to be finished.”

“I can’t agree with you more,” Matthew said. “Even in this out of the way place, there’s been talk.”

“The masses are outraged over the King’s behavior,” Henry said, “and feel as if the Queen’s character is being decimated, when the King’s behavior is far more atrocious than the Queen’s. The defense has brought up the whole Fitzherbert incident, hoping that by alluding to the King’s infidelities that the prosecution would back done.”

Matthew watched as Henry paced back and forth. Matthew knew this whole situation had Sanderford greatly troubled.

Henry stopped pacing. “I heard from Weston, and he says that Brougham gave an impassioned speech on the third of October that was an extraordinary argument and oratory, better than anyone has heard in years.”