The Wolf's Pregnant Bride Page 5

  He reached his hand out and touched the rope to ring Reggie but then he pulled it back. He had done nothing wrong. He had done exactly as he had been commanded to do.

  Snow and Winter looked up as he opened the door but they made no move to follow him. Jonah would be up for them in an hour or so and until then they could enjoy the comfort of his bed.

  He made his way down the stairs to the dining room. Eldon was rubbing his temples and sipping a mug of ale though this time there was also a tart on his plate. Claire was seated beside him. Remnants of eggs and jam shown on the plate before her. She was speaking animatedly to Mercy who was across from her. Mercy's plate still had eggs and bacon on it but it seemed her attention had been more on the book that sat beside the plate than the food on it. He glanced at the title Der Schweizerische Robinson.

  His sister had not been given the were-gift but she had been able to learn other languages with speed better than most young ladies he had conversed with. She could speak adequately in French and could read German well. She also could read Russian though not quite so well as the other languages. It was something she was still educating herself on.

  "Could you imagine being shipwrecked on an island?" Mercy asked.

  "At least they have their family. Not like poor Robinson Crusoe," Claire said.

  "Crusoe just had to take care of himself. The very worst that could happen to him is his own death. Imagine trying to provide for your whole family on a deserted island. If you are injured or died then your whole family might die as well," Mercy said.

  "I think that as long as family is together to watch out for each other everyone is better off," his father said. He was seated at the head of the table.

  "At least until the family cannot decide what the best choices are to care for each other. What does a family do if one brother believes a house should be built to the north and the other to the east?" Nathaniel asked.

  "Let the father decide," his father said gruffly.

  Nathaniel grabbed a plate off the sideboard and filled it up. He was feeling ravenous this morning. Bedding Sophronia the night before had taken much more out of him than he had suspected it would.

  He was surprised his drunken brother ever managed loving a woman. It seemed much more energy than Eldon would want to expend.

  He kept his eyes on his food and tried to ignore the table until he heard a gasp. He looked up to see both Mercy and Claire covering their mouths with their hands.

  "Whatever happened to you?" Mercy asked. At first, Nathaniel was not sure of her meaning but then he followed her eyes to Sophronia. Perhaps his attentions to her neck the night before had been too intense. His wife had a large redness on the side of her neck.

  Sophronia looked at her with confusion.

  "Your neck," Claire whispered. Sophronia brought her hand up to where the redness was. Damn, he had not realized he had been so rough with her. It was a wonder it did not hurt.

  "Did Ruth see this while she was helping you dress?" Mercy asked standing up to get a closer inspection. Sophronia pulled back.

  "It was her daughter that dressed me but she can hardly be blamed. The light was dim," Sophronia said.

  "It would have to be very dim for her not to notice such a thing," Claire said.

  "Is there some creepy thing in the house that has bitten you? I've never seen any bug leave a mark like this before," Mercy said. Sophronia's face blushed and Nathaniel wished that the floor would suddenly crack open and suck him into the depths of the earth.

  Eldon looked up and let out a choking noise. His father coughed delicately.

  "It appears to be a bedroom mishap. Nothing any of the rest of us needs to be bothered by. Mercy, find your sister a scarf to wear for the sake of her modesty," their father said. Claire looked over at Nathaniel with a look of confusion and perhaps a bit of reproach. Apparently his brother had never taken to such deep kisses of his wife.

  "Perhaps you should go as well," Eldon said to Claire. She nodded hesitantly but stood up to join the other women.

  "You did not need to prove to me that you obeyed my command," his father said gruffly after the women had departed.

  "What the devil were you doing?" Eldon asked.

  "What father commanded me to do," Nathaniel spat.

  "I commanded you to consummate the marriage. Anything above that was your own doing so do not blame me," his father said.

  "It would not do to kill the girl. Especially if that is my babe in her belly," Eldon growled.

  "A few rough kisses would hardly damage either her or the child," Nathaniel defended. Of course, he had not expected following his desire to leave her bruised either. Had he been trying to punish her?

  "No real harm done I am sure. She is not the first woman to have a few love bites. Especially from a werewolf. Just try next time to cover them before breakfast so as not to upset your sisters," his father said.

  "I do not intend to leave them again," Nathaniel said.

  "I should say not," Eldon said. Nathaniel was not sure exactly what Sophronia had seen in his brother. She had liked the loving he had given her even if it had been a bit rougher than a gentleman ought to give his wife.

  "I will make sure we rush building you that house. It seems that more privacy is warranted," his father said.

  "It is not," Nathaniel growled but the sudden aching in the pit of his stomach made him wonder if his father would end up right. Last night he had sworn he would sleep with her only that one time and only because his alpha commanded but now he was not so sure.

  "There is no need to fuss over me," Sophronia said. While Mercy and Claire had been searching for a scarf she had seen the mark on her neck. It certainly looked worse than it felt. She had not even noticed it until they were at the table and she had not thought that her husband's kisses the night before could cause any such thing. Now that the scarf covered it she felt as if it was not real and nothing but a trick of shadows.

  "It is not fussing. Not really. I just want to be sure that you get rest," Mercy said.

  "I feel very well," Sophronia said.

  "Still, it might be better to stay inside today instead of playing battledore and shuttlecock," Claire said. She had mentioned the day before that if the weather remained mild she had hoped to play a game of it.

  "Do not be silly. The fresh air will do me good and if I become tired I can sit down," Sophronia said.

  "I do suppose the fresh air would not hurt. We will keep it a light game. Have you played before?" Mercy asked.

  "Once or twice," Sophronia said. It was not popular with her friends in America but she had played it a few times since coming to Europe and so knew the basics.

  "And you will of course stop us if you feel too taxed," Claire said.

  "Of course I will," Sophronia said though she expected fully to feel just fine. Women in Europe might be delicate flowers but she was American and from hardier stock. She had heard of Negro women birthing babies in cotton fields and then continuing to pick. It was likely more rumor than truth but she was not going to let pregnancy stop her from enjoying the small pleasures of life.

  Nathaniel walked two pups around the yard. They were still small little uncoordinated balls of fur but his experience told him that they were the choicest of the current litter. Other pups in the litter would be sold but these two he would keep for use and breeding. Any dogs he planned to keep he always trained himself. He started as soon as they could reasonably separate from their mother.

  For the moment, he was teaching them the basics of following and of watching his movements to stop when he did. When a pup acted as it should he gave it a small bite of jerky. He had just come over a green hilltop when the pups lost their focus and excitedly ran forward.

  Mercy bent down to catch a rushing pup in her arms as Sophronia hit the shuttlecock with her battledore. The shuttlecock they were using was little more than a cork with feathers as trimming but it apparently resembled a small bird enough to get the pups attention. As it flew int
o the air the pups chased after it as Claire raced towards it trying to keep it in the air. He heard a yelp as one paw came under a foot. Claire jumped back and the shuttlecock hit the ground. The other pup took the opportunity to grab the feathered thing and start running with it.

  "Here, Hercules," Nathaniel called to the pup though it paid him no mind at all.

  "I think Loki would be a more appropriate name," Sophronia called with a laugh.

  Nathaniel debated whether to chase after the pup. He hoped if he avoided giving chase that the pup would get bored and return of his own accord. Whether he gave chase or not it was likely that the shuttlecock would be lost forever.

  He gave a bite of jerky to the other pup that was being held by Mercy and seemed less inclined to chase after his brother though it did glance in the direction Hercules had run.

  "Sorry to ruin your game on such a nice day," Nathaniel said. He looked at Mercy when he said it. He did not want to look at Sophronia. The sunlight made her hair look glossy and he desperately wanted to run his fingers through it. The thought of touching her made his body tingle.

  "I was growing weary anyways," Mercy said.

  "In that case perhaps you should take my wife into the house. If the sun is too much for you then it is too much for her and my babe in her belly," he said. He doubted the sun would really hurt her. He had seen the resilience of his pregnant bitches and unlike some of the dandies he had met he was not horrified by nature. He just wanted Sophronia out of his sight. Seeing her created strange longings in his body that he preferred to forget.

  "Thank you for your concern but I am doing well," Sophronia said. The look she was giving him was seething. Was it not his job to show her concern?

  "Perhaps we should take a walk. A walk will be less strenuous and we might find the shuttlecock around the yard if the pup has dropped it," Claire suggested.

  "Will you be walking with us, Nathaniel?" Mercy asked.

  "It seems that he has an errant pup to find," Sophronia said. He wondered if his company created the same tingles in her body that he felt seeing her. He wanted to think that was the reason she seemed to want out of his company.

  "I do," he nodded. He took the other pup from his sister.

  "I shall see you at supper if everything is settled with the dogs," Nathaniel said tipping his hat to them.

  "Remember that father invited Mr. Baltz to supper," Mercy added. Nathaniel nodded grimly.

  "My sister will be here as well. She will be staying with me until-"

  Nathaniel realized as Claire tripped over her sentence that he had not made plans for an excuse to give Sophronia for the excursion he and the werewolf members of the family would be making during the days of the full moon.

  "The hunting trip," Mercy added quickly.

  "Hunting trip?" Sophronia asked. Her interest seemed piqued and that was the last thing he needed.

  "Yes. My father and the Marquess go hunting together about once a month. It is a long held family tradition," Claire said.

  "It is a lovely time to stay home. Much of the staff joins them and the house is quiet," Mercy added.

  "You do not join them?" Sophronia asked. He could see the look of disappointment on her face.

  "No. Eldon and Nathaniel go to hunt and Claire goes because it is a chance to see her father and visit with her sister and step-mother," Mercy explained.

  "And why do you not go?" Sophronia asked.

  "My father feels that the women in his family should not hunt. It is a very masculine sport," Mercy explained. It was not a perfect cover story but he hoped it would do. He could force Sophronia to stay home but he did not want to have to exert his power as her husband over something so trivial. She would likely think him a brute.

  "I do not enjoy the killing of innocent little creatures," Sophronia said after a moment.

  "It will be a lovely time to catch up on reading. Have your read any books by Jane Austen? I have read all that she has written and I do believe they are my favorites. I only read them when the men are away. My father does not exactly approve of such books," Mercy said.

  "He does not want your head filled with nonsense," Nathaniel said.

  "If you had ever read a single book by Jane Austen you would know that they are not full of nonsense," Sophronia said. She gave him a look of indignation. He had no idea she was a book lover let alone a fan of such ridiculous fantasies. He had actually read a few of the books just to see what his sister was always sighing about. She could have her guilty little pleasure books. He preferred Shakespeare and Sophocles. At least characters like Antigone did what they needed to do and did not sit around simpering and waiting for a husband to save them from the woes of poverty or whatever else the silly women worried about. He did not see the same heroics in the Austen characters that his sister did but it was forgivable at least in her. He could see how Mercy's troubles mirrored Austen's characters. She had always expected to marry Daniel but without being a werewolf that was nearly impossible. She might marry a man of some rank someday but there were few who knew about werewolves and were not either were-kind themselves or those serving them. There were not many Dukes, Counts, or Earls out in the world who were not were -kind and still had knowledge of the fantastical world. There was no way that their father could let Mercy marry someone who had no knowledge of their world unless there was a desperate need. Of course, there would never be a desperate need. Mercy would be looked after by her father and brothers into her old age. He could imagine that a woman with few marriage prospects might find the Austen books hopeful.

  Still, he could not imagine why they would appeal to a woman like his wife. She was an American strumpet who had married far above what she deserved. She had made out far better than any of the characters Austen had created.

  "My brother prefers much older works," Mercy said. "Father says he has an old soul."

  "I have read widely. Perhaps one day we will talk and see if our readings have overlapped," Sophronia said. Her smile innerved him. Her haughty stance annoyed him but the moistness of her lips made him want to cover her mouth with his and taste her.

  He was going to need to get past these ridiculous feelings of desire if they were to have a happy marriage. His father had ordered him to bed her but surely he could have had no idea of the results. The last thing Nathaniel needed was to lust after her. At least with Vivian the lust was sensible. She was a she-wolf who would breed healthy were-children. Sophronia was nothing. The babe she carried might be a were-child or not. Her future babes might be were-kind or not. Filling her with children was a toss of the dice as to whether it would benefit the pack. Such lust for her was little more than a gamble at a card game. At least his desire, now useless, for Vivian had been reasonable.

  Chapter 8

  Sophronia's body felt heavy as she made her way down the stairs. She would have preferred to have her supper in her room but at the same time she did not want to miss the visitor who would be sharing their meal. She did however vow to go straight to bed after supper and to stay inside the next day and rest in bed. According to Mercy, Marquess Wolstenholme had a library with a fair amount of books. Many of the books were on philosophy and history. Mercy's favorite books were works of fiction and she had not been able to specify more specifically what books the library held when Sophronia asked. It did not really matter. She was sure that there was some book she could find that would intrigue her. She decided she would lie on her bed with a book in hand and do nothing more strenuous than growing her child once tomorrow came. She had to tell herself that or else she would not have made it into the dining room with a smile on her face.

  "Sophronia, this is Mr. Baltz," the Marquess said as she made her way to her chair. Mr. Baltz had stood up when she entered.

  Mr. Baltz was hardly older than her husband and much more muscled. He had spectacles which gave him an air of sophistications but also brought out the gray in his eyes. If she had been a single woman she might have thought him to be very attractive. Tonight,
perhaps because of the consummation of her marriage the night before, she only vaguely noticed his handsomeness. It created no longing in her as it once might have. Of course she could also chalk that up to her current state of exhaustion.

  "Baltz, this is my new daughter-in-law," the Marquess said.

  "Charmed," Mr. Baltz said with a smile. His teeth were surprisingly white and his clothes particularly fine for someone who was not aristocracy.

  She took her seat beside Nathaniel and Mr. Baltz sat diagonal from her next to the Marquess. Eldon and Claire were on his other side.

  The first course of oysters was served and partially eaten before anyone spoke.

  "How did you find Antarctica, Mr. Baltz?" Claire asked. Her tone implied that she was being polite more than truly interested but the topic grabbed Sophronia's attention and she looked towards him.

  "Cold," Mr. Baltz said with a forced laugh.

  "Did you actually get to set foot there?" Sophronia asked. She knew that Antarctica and the surrounding islands were of interest but she had not heard of many people pursuing that interest. She had heard rumors of an American sealer finding Antarctica in his search for seal breeding grounds but she did not recall if he had simply found the land and viewed it from his boat or if he had attempted to explore the shore.

  "I did. Though only briefly," Mr. Baltz confessed. "The captain of my ship was interested only in finding seals and the particular area we landed had a very sparse population. I can only assume the animals saw our ship coming and fled to safety in the depths of the land. We did not have supplies to travel beyond the coast," Mr. Baltz said.

  "I suppose that was good luck for the seals," Eldon said.

  "Indeed. Though poor luck for those of us more interested in research than hunting," Mr. Baltz said.

  The servants cleared away the oysters and brought out bowls of soup. Sophronia had not felt very hungry at seeing the oysters but the smell of the soup seemed to awaken her stomach. It felt warm and tasted savory as she spooned it delicately into her mouth.