Mystery1- Think chapter 2. There's...suggestive dialogue in there. On top o' that, babe, they're a married couple...married couples do it all the time. wink
Huntress16- Hannah is indeed my own creation. I believe Pullings is married in the books, but I have no idea on his real wife's name.
Since y'all asked for more, here it is...
You May Be Just Yet Chapter 6
"Really?" Lilith broke into a broad smile. "Tha's wonderful, Mizzus Pullings! There now, why y'cryin'?"
Hannah buried her face in her hands, then burst out, "I've no idea how to be a mother!"
Lily looked at her, eyes full of pity for the obviously lost woman. "There now, Mizzus Pullings, don't you fret! I'll help you through it, don't cry. After all, I'm five times a mother! Dun't you worry, I'll get you through the whole thing."
She looked up. "Will you really, Lily?"
"Of course! What good is the knowledge of an experienced mother if she doesn't share it with the inexperienced? By the way, have you told your husband yet?" She gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Believe you me, Mizzus Pullings...Mr. Pullings is a lovin' man, much like my husband. No doubt he'll do what Barrett did when I was with child...spoiled me to no end. Was lookin' forward to that babe, I tell ya. Don't worry, Mizzus Pullings, it'll come naturally." She leaned forward. "By the way...have you told your husband yet?"
"No...I wasn't sure. But now I am!" Hannah sniffed and wiped a tear away.
"Aw, don't be scared, darling. Aside from me, I'm sure Dr. Maturin'll be of good service. Delivered my Aubrey, and my twins. The other two I had no help with, except my husband, unfortunately. Couldn't get a midwife in time. But get Dr. Maturin to be your midwife...or midhusband, if you like. And talk to my Barrett, he's quite experienced in being a father and being cursed at during delivery. Don't you fret, Mizzus Pullings, I'll help you through the whole thing..."
Hannah thought back to her kissing Tom on the spur of the moment, and tried to sort out the strange mixtures of thoughts she'd surely had. Actually, she didn't even remember if she was thinking at all. She's practically tried to conceive the baby right then and there. What HAD been going through her head?
Come to think of it, when had this baby been conceiv- oh.
Of course.
The night he'd come home.
...
Meanwhile, Tom sat at home on the couch, chin in his hand. Hannah had been acting utterly odd lately, utterly odd indeed. She'd been starting sentences and then going tight-lipped. Then she'd just went quiet and soft-spoken altogether. That was...not Hannah. Not her at all.
Even before that...she'd KISSED him! And it'd been her own doing! But trying to start the...act in itself...now what had THAT been?! She could've sworn she was possessed.
It hadn't been the softest kiss he'd ever received, buty it'd been one of the sweetest, despite it's peculiar origin. And his being pulled down on the bed...that too had awoken a combination of strangeness and love that had been entirely new and bizarre to him. He had to admit though...her aggression had been quite attractive.
She is a woman, you will never explain her, Tom, he reminded himself. As Bonden said, only God knows what He created.
Now, what had this illness been? Could be nothing out of the ordinary. A cold...influenza, perhaps. He'd have treated her like a baby if she wouldn't have lectured him on how undignified it was.
He wished she was a carefree woman. What a wonderful person she'd be, and the world would not help but love her, instead of thinking her an old crank.
"Ah, apple tart, what's gotten into you?" He mumbled to himself. "What troubles you, my love?"
...Come to think of it, she'd been out for quite a while. Where was she?
Was she- no. "How could you even think that, Tom Pullngs? What a wretched husband you are to think that of your wife..." He immediately shoved the thought aside. She would never, ever commit adultery. Never.
"Thomas! I'm home!"
"Ah, apple tart, come join me!" He turned in his seat, smiling brightly at her.
She looked very nervous, walking over cautiously.
"Thomas, I must tell you something."
His heart felt as though it'd sunk right down to his stomach; he didn't like the sound of those words. Nonetheless, he took her into his arms as she sat down. "Speak with me, then, my love."
She looked almost embarrassed; frightened to say what she had to.
He braced himself for the worst, his wife looking at him so pitifully.
"Thomas..." She inhaled and held it, pausing for what seemed like an endless moment. "You...you're a father, Tom..."
His jaw dropped, eyes staring blankly.
Hannah bit her lip and looked at the floor, ashamed. His expression told his thoughts, and she was humiliated by them.
But what she missed was the broad, ear-to-ear smile that slowly crossed his lips. "C-can this be true, Hannah?" He asked quietly, leaning down. "Have y-you really a babe in here?" He reached around her waist and patted her belly.
She nodded, brushing a single tear away.
He smile quickly dropped, his face going instantly concerned. "There now, apple tart, why're you crying?"
Hannah looked up at him, sniffling. "I-I...thought you weren't...aren't you unhappy with this?"
"Oh, Hannah!" He hugged her tightly, clutching her head to his chest. "No, no, Hannah, it is not at all like that! I was just so surprised, I apologize if that misled you! Quite frankly, I'm shaking with joy!" His smile regenerating, he stroked over her hair. "This is the greatest thing God has ever done for me, how merciful He is! No, no, I am quite happy you are pregnant!" He looked at his grip enough to look at her. "Are you?"
She could only stare up at him.
Huntress16- Hannah is indeed my own creation. I believe Pullings is married in the books, but I have no idea on his real wife's name.
Since y'all asked for more, here it is...
You May Be Just Yet Chapter 6
"Really?" Lilith broke into a broad smile. "Tha's wonderful, Mizzus Pullings! There now, why y'cryin'?"
Hannah buried her face in her hands, then burst out, "I've no idea how to be a mother!"
Lily looked at her, eyes full of pity for the obviously lost woman. "There now, Mizzus Pullings, don't you fret! I'll help you through it, don't cry. After all, I'm five times a mother! Dun't you worry, I'll get you through the whole thing."
She looked up. "Will you really, Lily?"
"Of course! What good is the knowledge of an experienced mother if she doesn't share it with the inexperienced? By the way, have you told your husband yet?" She gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Believe you me, Mizzus Pullings...Mr. Pullings is a lovin' man, much like my husband. No doubt he'll do what Barrett did when I was with child...spoiled me to no end. Was lookin' forward to that babe, I tell ya. Don't worry, Mizzus Pullings, it'll come naturally." She leaned forward. "By the way...have you told your husband yet?"
"No...I wasn't sure. But now I am!" Hannah sniffed and wiped a tear away.
"Aw, don't be scared, darling. Aside from me, I'm sure Dr. Maturin'll be of good service. Delivered my Aubrey, and my twins. The other two I had no help with, except my husband, unfortunately. Couldn't get a midwife in time. But get Dr. Maturin to be your midwife...or midhusband, if you like. And talk to my Barrett, he's quite experienced in being a father and being cursed at during delivery. Don't you fret, Mizzus Pullings, I'll help you through the whole thing..."
Hannah thought back to her kissing Tom on the spur of the moment, and tried to sort out the strange mixtures of thoughts she'd surely had. Actually, she didn't even remember if she was thinking at all. She's practically tried to conceive the baby right then and there. What HAD been going through her head?
Come to think of it, when had this baby been conceiv- oh.
Of course.
The night he'd come home.
...
Meanwhile, Tom sat at home on the couch, chin in his hand. Hannah had been acting utterly odd lately, utterly odd indeed. She'd been starting sentences and then going tight-lipped. Then she'd just went quiet and soft-spoken altogether. That was...not Hannah. Not her at all.
Even before that...she'd KISSED him! And it'd been her own doing! But trying to start the...act in itself...now what had THAT been?! She could've sworn she was possessed.
It hadn't been the softest kiss he'd ever received, buty it'd been one of the sweetest, despite it's peculiar origin. And his being pulled down on the bed...that too had awoken a combination of strangeness and love that had been entirely new and bizarre to him. He had to admit though...her aggression had been quite attractive.
She is a woman, you will never explain her, Tom, he reminded himself. As Bonden said, only God knows what He created.
Now, what had this illness been? Could be nothing out of the ordinary. A cold...influenza, perhaps. He'd have treated her like a baby if she wouldn't have lectured him on how undignified it was.
He wished she was a carefree woman. What a wonderful person she'd be, and the world would not help but love her, instead of thinking her an old crank.
"Ah, apple tart, what's gotten into you?" He mumbled to himself. "What troubles you, my love?"
...Come to think of it, she'd been out for quite a while. Where was she?
Was she- no. "How could you even think that, Tom Pullngs? What a wretched husband you are to think that of your wife..." He immediately shoved the thought aside. She would never, ever commit adultery. Never.
"Thomas! I'm home!"
"Ah, apple tart, come join me!" He turned in his seat, smiling brightly at her.
She looked very nervous, walking over cautiously.
"Thomas, I must tell you something."
His heart felt as though it'd sunk right down to his stomach; he didn't like the sound of those words. Nonetheless, he took her into his arms as she sat down. "Speak with me, then, my love."
She looked almost embarrassed; frightened to say what she had to.
He braced himself for the worst, his wife looking at him so pitifully.
"Thomas..." She inhaled and held it, pausing for what seemed like an endless moment. "You...you're a father, Tom..."
His jaw dropped, eyes staring blankly.
Hannah bit her lip and looked at the floor, ashamed. His expression told his thoughts, and she was humiliated by them.
But what she missed was the broad, ear-to-ear smile that slowly crossed his lips. "C-can this be true, Hannah?" He asked quietly, leaning down. "Have y-you really a babe in here?" He reached around her waist and patted her belly.
She nodded, brushing a single tear away.
He smile quickly dropped, his face going instantly concerned. "There now, apple tart, why're you crying?"
Hannah looked up at him, sniffling. "I-I...thought you weren't...aren't you unhappy with this?"
"Oh, Hannah!" He hugged her tightly, clutching her head to his chest. "No, no, Hannah, it is not at all like that! I was just so surprised, I apologize if that misled you! Quite frankly, I'm shaking with joy!" His smile regenerating, he stroked over her hair. "This is the greatest thing God has ever done for me, how merciful He is! No, no, I am quite happy you are pregnant!" He looked at his grip enough to look at her. "Are you?"
She could only stare up at him.