For anyone who followed this fic when it was originally published – this is not a new chapter. I just decided to split the story into three chapters because I felt that it was too long as one single piece.

XXX

June 1913

Even after Marian's reminiscences ended, Harold gazed at his wife with spellbound eyes. He had always known she was a passionate woman, but he hadn't realized just how close she had been to giving herself to him that day. It was truly fortunate he hadn't known this – after months of wrestling with temptation, Harold had been fast approaching his limits; he doubted he would have been strong enough to resist her invitation.

"So you see, you're not the only one who's been trying to cope with such – feelings," Marian said shakily, her cheeks still crimson. "I was already passionately in love with you before, but now I feel even more so – keenly so. Mama says this is quite normal for a woman who's expecting; her emotions and cravings for many things intensify." She smiled wanly. "She says I should enjoy it while it lasts, because when the baby comes, these feelings will fade and I'll miss them." Her smile disappeared. "But when we make love – and like you said, it is intensely passionate – I think, this can't be good for the baby. Yet I can't help myself, and long for you. When we've finished, I feel so dreadfully wanton – "

"You are not wanton," he interjected, irritated.

" – so I've been spending my time sleeping, instead. But that only dulls those feelings for awhile, and I wake up with even more longing. I shouldn't have thrown myself at you like that this morning; I know your rehearsal was too important to miss – "

Harold shook his head. "I could have rescheduled," he acknowledged. "But I had grander plans; I wanted to make sure we were completely and utterly alone, with no chance for interruption. And so here we are – alone again," he said in a determinedly lighthearted voice, gesturing to the vista before them. "And everything was properly done, just as I promised. As tempting as it might have been to make love to you that day, I wasn't about to do anything that would rob you of your dignity or reputation. I told you I wanted more than mere kisses, and I meant it. I still want more than that, Marian."

Marian gazed at him with a rueful expression. "Harold," she said quietly, and opened her arms to him.

And instead of rebuffing Marian's overtures, as he promised himself he would, Harold found himself with his head in her lap. As she stroked his hair, he sighed and said, "Oh, Marian… you definitely don't fight fair."

"Neither do you," she replied with a smile.

Harold sat up and gave her a serious look. "Marian, if I'd had the ring on me that day, I would have proposed to you right here."

As she had the night of July twenty-third when he first asked her to the footbridge, Marian felt that wonderful, dreamy sensation welling up in the pit of her stomach as she gazed at her beloved. Though she had surmised this was true, somehow it still elated her to hear him confirm her suspicions. "Really, Harold?" she asked, beaming at him.

"Marian, you're not the only one who has a hard time with self-control out here," Harold said earnestly. He chuckled. "And wouldn't you know it, the ring was waiting for me at the post office that very afternoon – which I didn't discover until right after I had seen you safely home!" His smile faded. "But maybe it was best that I believed the ring was still on order from Des Moines."

Marian's brow crinkled. "Why?"

"Because," he said, taking her hands in his and tugging her nearer, "after I proposed, I would have had to kiss you."

"That's assuming I said yes," she teased, but she eagerly moved closer to meet his mouth with hers.

At first, their kiss was light and gentle, as if they were still courting. Determined to maintain a respectful distance – after all, the hard ground of a field was no place to make love to his pregnant wife, and it was no use getting too worked up when they were many miles away from a comfortable bed – Harold didn't even put his arms around Marian, even though she soon pressed closer to him and sought to deepen their embrace.

But his resolve was severely tested when Marian broke their kiss and traced her lips along his jaw line until her mouth was brushing his ear. "Touch me, Harold," she whispered. "Please… "

Harold couldn't contain the tremble that swept through his body and shook his frame. "Where?" he croaked, his voice barely audible.

"Everywhere," she breathed.

Marian's alluring entreaty was an invitation even Harold's rational mind couldn't refuse – his heart certainly couldn't. Seemingly of their own volition, his hands reached out and grasped her shoulders, and he pulled his wife close for a searing kiss. Never let the demands of tomorrow interfere with the pleasures and excitements of today, was his last coherent thought before he surrendered to desire, his hands hungrily reacquainting themselves with his wife's tantalizing curves.

For a seemingly interminable interval, Harold knew nothing but the warmth and softness of Marian as she writhed blissfully in his arms, his tender but eager caresses eliciting from her the most delicious and delightful moans. He knew all too well that opportunities like this didn't come around often. Eight months had passed since Marian had first brought him here, and this was only their second visit to the field. After the birth of their first child, who knew when they'd be able to get back here again? Always a man to live life to the fullest, Harold knew if he didn't seize this opportunity, he'd sorely regret it.

But even as he delighted in bringing Marian unbridled pleasure, the former conman still retained a vestige of conscience. "Oh, my dear little librarian," he murmured in between kisses, "this is exactly why it was a good thing I didn't have the ring on me that day… "

Marian giggled and, wrapping her arms around Harold's neck, she pulled him to lie down with her. "It all worked out for the best," she agreed, nuzzling his neck. "But ssh, darling, no more talking… "

Harold was more than happy to acquiesce to his charming wife's embrace. Lying cuddled together on the blanket, they kissed and caressed each other until the warm, late-spring breezes reduced them to a drowsy stupor. Halting their ministrations but still holding each other close, Harold and Marian turned their faces heavenward to gaze at the puffy white clouds, before finally drifting off into a delightful doze.

XXX

When Marian awakened, the shadows had grown much longer and the air was cooler – though by her estimate, they had at least three or four hours of sunlight left. Still in a dreamy daze, it took her a few moments to register that Harold was now seated upright, watching her with his usual fond gaze and lightly stroking her stomach as she slept.

The moment their eyes met, he apologized and quickly moved his hand away, but when Marian smiled at him with genuine joy and assured him his actions weren't bothering her in the least, he relaxed and returned his hand to her stomach. "How are you doing, darling?" he gently inquired.

Though Marian was slightly stiff from lying on the ground for the past few hours, she felt better than she had in a long time. "Wonderful, Harold," she said softly.

Beaming at her, Harold helped her into a sitting position. "I couldn't bear to wake you up," he said affectionately. "You looked so peaceful and content."

Marian covered her mouth to mask a yawn. "How long have you been awake?" she asked, her voice still hoarse with sleep.

Harold paused, and she could tell he was thinking about it. "Probably about a half hour."

Her eyes widened. "That long? What were you doing, all that time?"

"Thinking," he said honestly.

Marian raised an eyebrow at her husband. "What about?"

"Nothing in particular," he replied with a devil-may-care shrug. "Just engaging in the sort of lazy, idle ponderings perfect for a sunny, faraway field: the lovely afternoon we just spent together… the first time we came here… how much I'm looking forward to what lies ahead for us… our child and the children we may yet have together… " He trailed off and smiled. "Take your pick, darling."

She smiled at him in return. "How many children do you want, Harold?" she asked curiously.

Lacing his fingers through hers, Harold brought Marian's hand to his lips for a tender kiss. "I was thinking two would be ideal."

"What – the heir and the spare?" Marian teased – though her heart gave a pleasant little flip-flop at the promptness of his reply. Clearly, she wasn't the only one who was anticipating building a family together.

"Exactly," he said cheerfully, before pausing and regarding her with earnest eyes. "But in all seriousness, there is some thought behind that number. It's not that I'm averse to children – I've always rather liked them. And I think you'd make a wonderful mother, whether you had one child or ten. It's just that given the difference in our ages, I'm likely to make you a widow, and I don't want to leave behind more than you can handle by yourself."

Marian's smile faded. It was a sobering thought, the idea of having a large brood to care for and no husband to help her.

"But – knock on wood – that's not likely to happen for many years, given my iron constitution," Harold said in a lighthearted voice – though a shadow had passed over his countenance as well. He gave her a wink. "Who knows? I could very well live to be a hundred… "

"Well, let's start with two children," Marian said firmly, getting to her feet. Now that rational practicality had convinced her to curtail any dreamy-eyed notions of having a large family, she wasn't about to let Harold get lost in such flights of fancy.

Although as they packed the blanket, pillows and lunch things in the tuba case, Marian couldn't help reflecting that her mother and father had become parents to Winthrop rather late in life, and neither of them had ever expressed the least regret that things had happened the way they did. Even after her father had passed away, her mother had never complained about bearing the burden of being a widow with a young child…

But as husband and wife began to walk back down the hill together, Marian put such thoughts out of her mind. God willing, they had years and years ahead of them to ponder such inevitabilities and, when Harold wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her closer to his side, she focused her senses entirely on the present moment. Nestling into her husband's embrace, Marian reveled in the warmth of the sun on her skin and dreamily drank in the blossom-perfumed air. The couple's pace back to town was slow and meandering and, every so often, Harold halted their progress to take Marian in his arms for a soft, lingering kiss. Happily complicit in his attempts to extend their time alone together for as long as possible, the librarian let out a wistful sigh when she finally felt the pavement of civilization beneath her feet and her music professor moved away to a much more respectable distance – though he did keep a gentle hand on the small of her back as he escorted her down River City's avenues.

Her mind returning to the prosaic along with her physical self, Marian was struck with a sudden thought – one that made her cheeks flush with barely-repressed mirth.

Harold immediately noticed. "Yes, darling?"

"It's foolish of me, I suppose," she said, giving in to her inclination to laugh, "but I can't help wondering what ultimately came of that betting pool regarding our engagement!"

Harold's face lit up with a suspiciously triumphant grin. Though he soon schooled his features back into a neutral expression and innocently inquired, "What betting pool?" it was too late. Reaching out to take his hand, Marian tugged her husband to a halt. "Harold," she said warningly, "what did you do?"

At her prodding, he burst into laughter. "Well, I won that betting pool, if you really want to know – courtesy of an anonymous bet made on my behalf by Marcellus, sometime in the middle of October."

Marian gasped. "Oh, Harold!" she scolded.

"What?" he asked with a defensive shrug. "If people are foolish enough to risk their money betting on our personal affairs, why shouldn't we gain from it?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you start that betting pool?"

Harold laughed again. "No, I wasn't that scheming!" he earnestly assured her. "And the proceeds from the pool were pretty meager, anyhow – especially as I had to give Marcellus a cut of the winnings – what? I couldn't let him go unrewarded for his kind assistance," he explained when she gaped at him. After a pause, he added, "If it helps, every cent of that money went into financing our wedding." As Marian's expression softened, he grinned triumphantly again. "I thought it both a fitting and ingenious solution."

"Deviously ingenious," Marian retorted, though she now regarded her husband with more affection than censure. "You and your conman ingenuity! What kind of lessons are you planning to teach our child?"

Harold chuckled and laid a gentle hand on her swollen stomach. "Mind your mother, and follow her example," he replied, a note of real sincerity belying his playful tone of voice.

XXX

When they finally arrived home, Harold quietly observed his wife as she paused by the front-hall mirror to remove her hat and smooth back any stray curls that had fallen out of her chignon. He was pleased to note that despite their long walk, which he feared might prove too exhausting, the dull, worrisome listlessness had completely disappeared from her demeanor. In fact, with the blush in her cheeks and sparkle in her eyes, Marian looked healthier than she had in weeks. Pregnancy had given her beauty an additional radiance – when she wasn't missing him as much as he missed her.

However, Harold still felt that glimmer of uncertainty – which he immediately alleviated by promising himself he would have a chat with Dr. Pyne as soon as he could arrange it, in order to put his conscience completely at ease. And if the good doctor's advice was to abstain completely, he would hate to miss this final opportunity to make love to his wife. Their canoodling in the field had merely whet his appetite and, he was certain, hers too.

But still, Harold hesitated. "How are you feeling, darling?" he asked, his voice laced with tender concern.

"Wonderful," Marian replied, sounding just as content as she had when he asked that question earlier.

Harold grinned; that was exactly the answer he had been hoping to hear. "Good," he said sincerely, turning her to face him. Cupping her cheeks with his hands, he captured her mouth in a soft kiss. As their embrace slowly intensified, his hands stroked their way from her cheeks to her ears and the nape of her neck, until his fingers threaded through her hair, disheveling it once again.

When they finally broke apart for air, Harold smiled impishly and said, "I think you should retire for the evening."

Marian gazed at him with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. "It's barely after five," she coyly teased.

Harold's smile turned into a full-fledged grin, and he twined one of her loose curls around his finger. "Well, I think you should retire anyway."

"I'm not tired," she said provocatively. "I thought I might read in the parlor for a little while."

Normally, Harold would have bantered with her longer, but desire made him serious. Leaning in, he pressed his mouth against her neck, lightly at first, but then harder, until Marian let out a soft moan and tightened her arms around him.

"I think you should go to bed," he said in a solemn voice. His eyes found hers. "And I think I should join you."

Marian grew serious as well. "I think that's a very wise idea," she gravely agreed.

Earlier, Harold had contentedly concluded he couldn't think of a single better way to pass the time than lying together with his dear little librarian in a faraway field and caressing her beneath a warm June sun. But he now reflected that walking upstairs with her nestled in his arms was equally as pleasurable, if not more so. Though Harold had made love to Marian in other rooms of their house, the bedroom was still his favorite place to take her. Whereas trysts in other rooms were usually spontaneous in nature, nothing beat the wonderful silence on the way to their bedroom – it was a delightfully charged silence, filled with the excitement of anticipation.

But just before they entered their bedroom, Marian halted on the threshold and turned to Harold with a wry smile. "We might as well have stayed home, after all, if this is where we're going to end up."

"Oh now, darling," he affectionately chided, waving a finger at her, "surely you expected a better birthday gift from me than that!" He smiled impishly. "But if I had known that's all you really wanted, I might just have taken you up on your offer this morning… "

Marian's expression grew solemn. "Harold, I wouldn't have traded our afternoon together for anything," she said softly. "It's the best birthday present I've gotten in a long time."

Harold took her hands in his. "Marian," he said in a low voice, "when you took me to that field last October, it only reinforced just how much I wanted to be with you. From then on, I was adamant that afternoon wouldn't be the last time we were alone together like that. Today won't be the last time, either – no matter how many children we have."

Gazing at him with that lovely dreamy expression, she replied, "Well then, I look forward to our next time alone together."

"Say now, my dear little librarian," Harold admonished with a mischievous grin, "who says the festivities have to end just yet? Your birthday isn't over for quite awhile; we still have several hours until midnight… "

Marian's gleeful laughter rang throughout the upstairs hallway as he pulled her into their bedroom and shut the door solidly behind them.