This is the same night as the previous chapter.

Since there are very few reviews/comments compared to the number of hits for the previous chapter I am most likely going to delete it. If you want it to stay you have to let me know.

Mike didn't know what to do. She had really crossed the line this time. All he wanted to do was let her know Gracie Brooks's body had been found and she could send her family the bill. Instead he walked in to find worst nightmare had come true. He had spent his day not researching and investigating his cases, but trying to find anything he could on the Internet as to how this could have happened. He couldn't find anything so he decided to go work out his frustrations at the gym. A much more satisfying way to deal with things would have been to go home and drown himself in a bottle of whiskey. He wasn't allowed so much as a drop of alcohol. If the department shrink even suspected he was drinking he could lose his job. He much preferred the alcohol, especially when dealing with his current thoughts.

Vicki woke up in Henry's arms and looked up at him through still sleepy eyes. She saw a small smile on his face and reached up to pull him closer to her so she could kiss him.

"I'd have thought that seeing as you are going to be a father, for the first time in 480 years you'd be a bit happier."

He sighed and kissed her again before starting his story.

"I am happy, but our baby is not my first."

"What?" she said confused.

"It's not in any recorded history, I made sure it was kept a secret."

"Why?"

"For a few reasons. For one, I was ashamed at how Mary got pregnant; I came home one night from a hunting trip and raped her."

"You what?"

"Are you going to let me tell you what happened or not?"

"Sorry."

"Yes, I raped her. We had been married for 2 years and our marriage had not yet been consummated. I had a mistress whose company I enjoyed, but she was away due to an illness. So when I came home, my wife was my only other option. She wanted nothing to do with me, ever. That night was no different. But long story short she ended up pregnant. I threatened our staff, if word got out before the baby was born, then I would have them executed. I knew what my father would think if I had a daughter instead of a son. He told me many times the consequences and I was in enough trouble with him for not having consummated the marriage. I didn't want to anger him further. I figured if we had a daughter we could raise her in secret and if anyone asked, we could say she belonged to a member of the staff. I figured I would outlive my father and when he died we could tell everyone the truth then. It wasn't a very good plan, but it was all I could come up with. I knew if we had a daughter, my titles would be taken away, and both Mary and the baby would be executed. I didn't love my wife, but didn't want to see her hurt either, and I had hurt her enough already. About 7 or 8 of our household staff had been executed during the course of the pregnancy. When their whereabouts were questioned by anyone outside all that was said was they had disappeared and we had no idea where they were." He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. "When Mary finally went into labor there was so much tension everywhere in the estate. No one knew what to expect or what my reaction would be. It was a hard labor for Mary and seemed to last forever and I paced the room the whole time. I was unsure of what to do or to think."

Vicki watched as the tears began to fall from Henry's eyes. He sat up and placed his head in his hands and cried. Vicki had no idea what to do to try to comfort him. He continued his story through the tears.

"I remember hearing her tiny cry. I watched, amazed, as they wrapped my baby in a red silk blanket. I wasn't able to get a good look from where I was standing but I thought my baby was beautiful. Then Mary looked at me and asked if I wanted to hold my daughter. I looked at her then I looked at my daughter and got out of the room as fast as I could. I went and got on my horse and rode. I didn't stop till I was far away from the estate. I got down off my horse and sat down by a tree and cried. I was so ashamed that I had a daughter instead of a son. I wanted so badly to please my father."

Before I continue I want your thoughts on this chapter and your ideas of what may have happened to the baby.