"So, Gem, what are your plans for your baby?" Felicity says to me first thing the next morning. We are sitting around the breakfast table.

"I suppose I will have to get a job. Where I'll find one that will hire a woman I'm not sure, but that seems to be my only option." I answer.

"Jeanne and I discussed it, and we decided that if you want to, it would be quite alright, if you wanted to come back to Paris with us." Fee says.

"Thank you, Fee" I turn to her and kiss her on the cheek. "And thank you too, Jeanne. I'm not sure that Paris is the right place for me though."

"And where's that?" Ann asks as she yawns.

"I have no idea." I respond. The only place that sounds like a good place to be is where ever Kartik is. I must stop feeling sorry for myself. I'm going to have a baby, and I bloody well start acting like it. From now on the baby will be my top priority.

"Paris it is, I guess." I say faking a smile.

"O Gemma! You won't regret it!" I haven't seen Fee this happy since our Spence days.

Later that day I return home. When I get there I see a letter has arrived for me. It's from Tom. I rip it open.

Dear Gemma,

Hello, Gemma. How are you? I hope you have been well. I have been. In fact I am writing to inform you that I am to be married in the spring. Her name is Hattie Gibson. She comes from good breeding and had a small fortune. She is very beautiful and shall make me a wonderful wife. I will write you again to inform you of our wedding date. Grandmamma and Father send their love.

Sincerely,

Dr. Thomas Doyle.

I reread the letter just to make sure I've read it correctly. I have. Tom is getting married! I laugh at the letter; it's like to Tom to be so formal. I wish I could go, but by the spring I will be very far along, and there's no way my family can know about my baby. They would make me give it up. They would force me back into proper society. It makes me sad to think I shall have to miss Tom's wedding; that I will never know my nieces and nephews, or see my family again. All of a sudden I feel sick, very sick. I feel the throw up coming and I do the only thing that I can think to do at the time I run to the window, throw it open, stick my head out and vomit. As soon as I'm done with the whole horrid affair, I hear a knock at the door. I don't really want any company, but I assume its Fee or Ann so I rush to the door. On the other side of the door is standing the last person in the world that I would expect to be here.

"Hello, Gemma." Simon says, as he bends down to kiss my hand.