While screams of pleasure and ecstasy echoed in one part of the palace, in another, Lady Ella and her husband sat in quiet tension. Ella lay on the bed, facing away, clad in a light, long gown.
Candlelight flickered through the window, casting shadows across the room, while the soft scrape of ink on paper echoed from the table.
Regent James was writing a letter, his back to the room, his table facing the window. The silence lingered. Ella, lying there, slowly turned her eyes toward her husband as she stared at his back.
The question she wanted to ask hovered on her lips, but she hesitated, knowing he was busy. They were leaving tomorrow for their estate, yet she didn't want to disturb him. Still, the thought gnawed at her.
Her hands moved instinctively to her bump, caressing it softly. This child had been such a blessing. A small smile curved her lips as she remembered that fateful night when she had first learned she was with a child.
