The day after the couple got home, they announced Lizzie was pregnant. Everyone congratulated them - except one. Alice sat out of the way, pouting. Their mother went on about how much Lizzie would enjoy motherhood and Nanny told stories of when Lizzie and Alice were newborns. Alice heard enough. She picked up her cat and went up to her room.

"Can you believe them, Dinah? Everyone is so happy for that evil man. Why can't they see how unhappy Lizzie is?" Alice said. Dinah meowed her answer.

"Exactly!" Alice said as if she understood the cat. "I know my sister. She's faking her happiness. She does the same around father's students. He's hurting her, I just know it. Lizzie told me how horrible he was and when they leave, I'm going to tell mother and father."

"I don't think you will, Alice." Alice jumped and saw Bumby in her doorway. Alice gasped and held Dinah close to her. He stepped into her room and closed the door behind him. Alice was scared. What was he going to do? "Alice, you wouldn't tell on your own brother-in-law, would you, love?" Alice shook her head. "Good. Because if you tell, I'm going to do very bad things to you, your parents, and your sister. Do you understand?" Alice's lip quivered. She looked so much like her sister. "Alice, do you understand?" he asked once more. Alice nodded her head. "Good girl." He pat her on the head and left her room. Alice plopped down on the floor and started to sob. She was scared. She wanted to save her sister, but she also wanted to stay safe. She didn't want to know what horrible things Bumby would do to her. A couple hours later, Nanny found Alice in the same spot

"Come downstairs and say goodbye to your sister." Alice jumped up from her seat on the floor and raced downstairs and latched her arms around her sister. Lizzie hugged her back, both understanding what the other wanted to say. They were both threatened by the same man to keep their silence or perish. Lizzie kissed her sister on the forehead and whispered low so only she could hear.

"I'll be alright. I promise." Lizzie let go and once again, she was gone. Her mother noticed her looking sad and held her close.

"Alice, I know you miss your sister, but people grow up. Lizzie is starting her own family, but that doesn't mean she'll forget about you. She still loves you with all her heart." Alice didn't respond. She just walked silently back to her room.

Lizzie stared at her reflection. She looked at herself from different angles. Her breasts had definitely gotten bigger and she could see the beginnings of a bump. Angus came up behind her and noticed the worry in her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm getting bigger." she answered. "I think I'll need new dresses soon."

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing." Angus said. Lizzie frowned at him. "What? It's only natural your stomach will get bigger. We'll need to get you some new dresses so our child could have room to grow." He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Unless, of course, you want to go naked? I sure wouldn't mind."

"When can we get the dresses?" Lizzie asked without hesitation.

They visited the tailor and Lizzie was fitted for a couple dresses. For now, they got two: both with high waists and puffed sleeves. One was a beautiful rose color and the other was an emerald green. They also got her a maternity corset that had extra laces on the sides so she could adjust it as her baby bump grew larger. Lizzie didn't want to go back. She tried to stall their return home as long as she could because after this, there was no leaving the house. Pregnant women weren't usually seen in public. Besides, she was supposed to be only about one month pregnant. If anyone they knew saw her stomach already expanding, they'd suspect something was up.

Angus saw right through her stalling, though he didn't mind. He'd much rather have Lizzie entertained than have her screaming at him. The one thing that bothered him was that she would bat her eyes at him and suddenly their purchases went up by one. He was going to be sure she paid him back... with her beautiful, perfect body.

"Angus, please? I've been craving those peppermint sticks for three years!" Lizzie tried to get her husband to buy her candy. He whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

"Fine, but know for every piece you get, I get to do something to you tonight." Lizzie stared at the candy through the store window for a long time. Was it worth it? She hadn't had one of those for years. Surely she could wait? Oh, but would she really get another chance once the baby was born? She sighed. He's going to do it anyway. Might as well get candy out of it. Lizzie got her peppermint stick and bought one for Angus, too.

Angus was surprised when Lizzie came out of the candy store and dropped a peppermint stick in his hand.

"I figured you were sour enough. I hope that maybe some sweets would help." She said. Angus smiled at her quip. So Lizzie really did care for him. They strolled down the sidewalk, arms linked, and enjoyed their candy. As they walked, Angus stole glances at his wife. He realized how perfect they were together. In public, they played the part of the happily married couple perfectly. Though in the privacy of their home, their passion emerged, whether in an argument or through their love-making. He was in constant conflict with himself, between wanting to give her the world and needing to remind her who was in charge. It was hard to determine which would drive her in the right direction: a slap to the face or a kiss on the lips. It was difficult to predict how she would act to either, especially when she was angry.

The day went by and the couple went home. That night, Lizzie paid for her shopping trip by having her hands tied behind her back and Angus devouring her like she was a piece of candy. The following week, they began to prepare a nursery. The room next door to their bedroom used to be Angus' room when he was young. Angus and his friend, Jack, had cleared the room and arranged the furniture they received from Lizzie's family. Her mother had kept nearly everything from when she and Alice were babies. It was all tucked away in the attic. There was a crib, a rocking chair, a dresser, and a chest to put any toys away. Alice had generously donated her blocks and a teddy bear, which surprised Lizzie, considering Alice had been quite attached to her toys.

When the room was finished, it looked like a proper nursery. A child's christening gown hung up on the door, awaiting the day the baby was christened properly. It had been the only item from Angus' early childhood they could find. The old, heavy curtains were replaced with soft, light green ones and a quilt straight from Lizzie's old room sat folded up in the crib. All they needed now were clothes, but they expected to get those at a later date.

Lizzie was 15 weeks pregnant and she was NOT feeling the "glow" her mother told her about. Instead, her stomach ached, her head hurt and Angus' constant need for touch was making her irritable. Luckily, he was back at the university for most of the day and out of her hair (literally. He loved her hair way too much!). She was already wearing the high-waisted dresses as her stomach had grown twice as big as it had been less than a month ago.

Lately, Lizzie noticed Angus watching her with an odd expression. Whenever she asked what he was doing, he'd just answer that she looked beautiful. The look wasn't completely lustful, like when they had sex, but it wasn't completely innocent, either. It was almost as if he was proud of what he's done; he was proud of having gotten her pregnant. Now that her condition was obvious, the reality of the situation finally got to him. And he was ecstatic. She was his greatest accomplishment. She was all he ever wanted and, despite the negative ways he obtained her, he got what he wanted. They were married with a child on the way, though the order of those had been in reverse. She was stuck with him for life. At least, until one of them died. Lizzie didn't want to dwell on that fact. She didn't have the heart to kill him, and she hoped he didn't either. No, it would be better to stay where she was and deal with any problems as they came.

Which came to another problem. She didn't know which was worse: being alone all day while Angus was at the University, or dealing with his libido when he was home. Last night, he wanted her to suck him off while he studied. After a long argument, she was able to get off it by claiming her jaw hurt. It wasn't a complete lie. Her teeth had been feeling a bit sore lately, but she knew Angus wouldn't last much longer without using her body. She would have to do something for him soon, or he'll get even grumpier than he was recently. But her own sex drive had plummeted lately. She just was not in the mood for the past few days.

The door downstairs slammed shut, signaling Angus' return home. And he sounded angry. His footsteps stomped up the stairs and he burst through the bedroom door. His books were abandoned on his desk and he sat on his bed to remove his shoes. Lizzie knew she had to do something to ease his anger or else suffer from one of his outbursts.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Angus stayed quiet and Lizzie helped him out of his coat. He sat back on the bed and beckoned his wife to come closer. She did as she was told and ended up sitting on his lap. He began to nip at her neck, leaving red marks behind.

"Angus..." Lizzie shied from his kisses. The murderous look in his eyes told her he was in no mood to fight. She didn't want to end up hurt, so she tried to make it up to him by kneeling down in front of him and unzipping his pants. Her actions were silently praised when his hand ran through her hair. She started to suck the head. Her tongue massaged and swirled around it and he moaned his approval. Little by little, she sucked him into her mouth. She hated doing this. She hated having to demean herself just to please him. But with that look he gave her, it was this or end up extremely sore from whatever punishment he deemed fit. Not to mention his threat of hurting her family.

Angus pushed himself further into her mouth, hitting her gag reflex. She pulled out quickly, hoping she wouldn't end up vomiting on him, and resumed what she was doing. Her hands grasped what her mouth couldn't. By the thrusts of his hips, Lizzie knew it wouldn't be too long before he came. She worked faster and sucked harder until he moaned her name. She released his penis when he came in her mouth and she choked on the white goo. A glob flew out of her mouth when she coughed. She wanted to go to the bathroom to spit out the rest, but was stopped by a hand wrapping around her wrist. Angus pulled her close and kissed her. His tongue moved around her mouth, like he was drinking up what he spilled inside her. It was quite possibly the most disgusting thing he'd done so far. He pulled away and looked in her eyes with The Look.

"I love you." he said. The statement shocked her. Not once did he ever say that, even when they were married. It was clear he wanted her for sex, but love? He looked at her with expectant eyes. Before she could stop herself, he answered him.

"I love you, too." She didn't mean it. Never in a million years would she love such a monster, but if she hadn't said it, who knows what he'd do? He seemed to accept the answer and opened up about his stressful day. She listened to him like a "good little wife" and set her head on his shoulder. He told her about a big project coming up, the fight he had with Jack, a teacher who was giving him a hard time, etc. She briefly told him about how she was feeling lately and about various stories she read in the newspaper. No longer mad, Angus offered to make dinner. Lizzie felt obliged to help, so she chopped vegetables while he did the rest.

Lizzie's lost interest in sex lasted way longer than Angus was comfortable with. For nearly two months, she would push him away whenever he tried to show her how much he loved her. More than once, both would go to bed angry. Was she lying? Did she just make up the story so she wouldn't have to sleep with him? Why would she lie? Didn't she love him? So many thoughts ran through his head. Plenty of them involved Lizzie seeing someone behind his back. He did leave her alone for hours while he went to the university. One November night, he formed a plan. Lizzie would see what happens when he doesn't get what he wants.

First, he drugged Lizzie's evening meal. It wasn't strong enough to hurt the baby, but it was just a little something to put her to sleep. When she finally fell asleep, he brought her to bed. Then, he went out and traveled to the Liddells' home.

Lizzie woke early the next morning. Angus was already up and eating breakfast. The newspaper was sitting untouched on the table in front of her usual spot. One glance at the headline, and Lizzie screamed. She grabbed the paper and read the story, hoping she had read the headline wrong. Realizing she hadn't read it wrong, she dropped to her knees and cried her eyes out. She hadn't cried so hard in her life, even when Angus first took her. Nothing in the world was worse than this. Her parents were dead from a house fire and Alice was in the hospital, being treated for severe burns, though she wasn't expected to make it. Angus calmly finished his tea and decided to comfort his wife. He held her close and rubbed her back as she cried into his chest. He'd never seen her so heartbroken. Perfect.

Lizzie refused breakfast and spent the rest of the day in bed. The next day, Radcliffe, the Liddell family's lawyer came by, asking of the plans they had for the funeral. Of course, Angus played the part of the grieving son-in-law and made the funeral arrangements with the man. Lizzie was too distraught to help with the arrangements, but he knew she was lurking nearby, so he decided he might as well give her parents a nice funeral. Lizzie stayed quiet until Alice was mentioned. Radcliffe asked what they should do about Alice. She was in critical condition and wasn't expected to survive. He wanted to know if the funeral would include her, too.

"NO!" Lizzie protested. "My sister is still alive! Until I see a coroner's report for myself, you will keep her out of this!" Angus wanted to say to dump the girl in a coffin anyway and bury her with her family, but he couldn't. Not with Lizzie around. He agreed to not have any coffin for Alice and sent his wife to their room so she could rest once more.

The funeral was a nice one. Family, friends, and students and teachers from the university attended. Despite aching from head to toe and standing for hours in frosty weather, Lizzie didn't leave until her parents' coffins were locked up in the family vault. She accepted condolences from family and friends. She could hardly believe any of it was real. Just a month ago, she and her mother were talking about baby names and outings and had mentioned how excited she was for her first grandchild. Her father mentioned how he wanted to take the child's first portrait when it was born. It would have been a family photo.

It took Angus a long time to pry his wife away from the Liddell vault. She asked if they could visit the hospital to see Alice. Angus denied her request, saying she had been out in the cold for far too long and needed to go home before she caught a cold. She reluctantly complied and let him take her home.

The months rolled by. Christmas came and passed. Lizzie was allowed to visit her sister in the hospital then. She looked like a mummy, wrapped up in so many bandages. What little skin that showed was pale and her eyes looked dark as she slept. Lizzie prayed her sister would get better. That was the last time Lizzie was able to go anywhere, as her expanding stomach made it difficult to walk anywhere. Seeing as anyone who cared was now either dead or incapacitated, Angus no longer cared who knew how far along Lizzie was. When the time came for the baby to be born, Angus hired a nurse to come by and watch Lizzie as the due date came closer and closer. Finally, in early March, it came.

Early in the day, Lizzie's water broke. Lizzie was laid down in bed and given some medicine for the pain. Lizzie laid in the bed for hours. Pain gripped her as her contractions became more frequent. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take it. She wondered if she, too, would soon be added to the family vaults? Angus came home to the sound of Lizzie screaming. He entered the bedroom to find Lizzie in labor. He wiped her sweaty forehead and whispered encouraging words. Finally, with one more push, Lizzie gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He was cleaned up and handed to Lizzie.

She was exhausted and almost fell asleep when she felt the bundle of blankets placed into her arms. She opened her eyes to see the squishy red face of her son. It felt surreal. This was her son. She smiled. Her son was crying - a sign he was healthy and alive. Angus caressed the bald head of his son and kissed the baby's head. He was a father! The vision of his beautiful wife holding their first baby was breathtaking. It was perfect. He had everything he wanted.

They named the baby Daniel. It was a name Lizzie's mother had chosen. Angus didn't mind. Daniel Bumby. His son, his heir. It was like a dream come true. Daniel wrapped a tiny hand around Angus' finger. The family was enraptured by the tiny wiggling baby. Within his first hours of life, Angus gave him more kisses than he himself remembered getting in his entire life. This baby was going to be so spoiled. Daniel opened his eyes and looked up at his daddy.

"Hello, Daniel." Angus said to the baby. Daniel's eyes moved to his mother's face. Lizzie stroked his cheek with her finger. The nurse, nearly forgotten, encouraged Lizzie to start breastfeeding Daniel. She had to start getting her milk flowing and Daniel would need to eat every 2-3 hours. The nurse left the couple alone and Lizzie started to feed Daniel. He suckled greedily at her breast and Lizzie knew he was his father's son. After a feeding session, Daniel's eyes fluttered closed and he was asleep.

Angus insisted on letting Lizzie sleep while he put Daniel to bed. He promised to wake her when their son needed to be fed again. Lizzie allowed him to take the baby as her own eyes started to droop. She had a son. She had a son! He was a healthy baby boy and she knew her parents would have loved him. She nodded off and slept soundly.