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Overview: Thiers was a marriage not only of deep affection, but a physical passion that would not be denied. For what was a bit of lost sleep when one resided in the arms of love? And sleep they did, with hands entwined as the aftermath such exertions allowed for the greatest of contentment. But it was not to last, for with the sun’s first rays, a loud pounding could be heard below followed by muted voices.
Groggy, Mary opened one eye against the brutality of dawn. Normally an early riser, she had indulged herself and slept long past her normal hour, finding Atlas already dressed. Drinking his tea from a steaming cup, all remnants of the previous evening’s dinner were gone, replaced by a hearty breakfast.
“Stay, I shall see what it is about,” he insisted.
Both of them were accustomed to urgent calls at all hours, but Mary dived beneath the bedcovers. To her knowledge, there was not a single woman within ten miles that was due to have a child anytime soon. After the previous evening, she had looked forward to several weeks before her services would be needed. However, the short holiday was not to be had as Atlas quickly returned.
“Who is it?”
“Barclay Clegg. He claims his sister is in great pain, but insists upon you. I was not aware that Melanie Clegg was expecting….” he began as Mary dashed from the bed to the adjoining dressing room.
“She is not….at least, not that I am aware of…tell him I will be down directly,” Mary replied, rummaging for her small clothes.
To this, Atlas went silent, and his thoughts immediately went to the worst possibility. Women lost babies in the early stages all the time, and it was usually for the best. During his university days, medical students examined all manner of strange birth anomalies. But he also knew that Melanie Clegg was unmarried. It would not be the first time that a woman hid a pregnancy until delivery, but he had seen her recently in town, and she had been as slim as ever. If she was expecting, it was not obvious. Had she tried to rid herself of an unwanted baby? The law looked upon such actions as criminal, and as a doctor, he was obligated to report any attempt. It was a situation that he found utterly disagreeable and placed both himself and Mary in an awkward position. And if this was a matter unrelated to childbirth, his presence could be vital, but nor could he force his attentions if unwanted. As for Mary, he knew that she valued a woman’s privacy above all else. If Miss Clegg had resorted to ending a pregnancy, would she even tell him? And if she did…then what?
Genre: Fiction > Romance Regency
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