Thank you for the positive feedback once again...always makes me want to keep going! So here we are with a little bit more to finish up the evening...hopefully you will be happy with the outcome.

Chapter Fourteen
Keeping his Duchess Happy

Once they had Cordelia settled in her bed, dressed in a fresh cotton nightgown and her hair in braids for the night, Meredith conferred with Izzie. "So she did lose the baby?"

"I'm afraid so, Meredith. Not far along…still, it is always a tragedy when it happens." Izzie's sympathetic gaze swept over the sleeping girl. The palace physician had been roused from his sleep after Meredith had insisted on having him there. He had prescribed a sleeping potion and agreed there was nothing else that could be done at the moment but let the girl rest. Cordelia was young and healthy, there was no indication she wouldn't be able to carry a baby to term the next time.

"She never indicated any knowledge of it to me. I wish she had confided in me," Meredith sighed and looked at Izzie sadly. "I feel like I have failed quite miserably in my duties...first Rowena, and now Cordelia. The Queen will be unhappy."

"You couldn't help it if the girl had taken a lover. It happens, after all," Izzie reminded her.

"Still...she was my responsibility."

"Thank god you and I have never had to deal with that kind of loss."

"I know...and I am so thankful for my children. Even if we do not have another one, they are all so precious."

Izzie regarded her friend carefully. "Have you discussed it with Derek? I'm sure he would be thrilled if you were expecting a child again, no matter what."

"Oh, we have discussed it, several times..." Meredith smiled.

"You have that look..."

"What?"

"That look you get when things are going the way you want..."

"Perhaps..." Meredith nodded. "Do you feel all right? I suppose you and Marcus need to return home now."

"We should leave, but you know we are in London until Christmas."

"Yes, of course. Maybe we will be done here sooner than I expected, now that this happened."

Izzie hugged her. "That would not be so bad, after all, would it? You could be home at Gracewood for the holidays, then."

"I would like that. No more court intrigue for me!"

Meanwhile, Marcus and Lord John gathered with Derek in his suite. A fire had been lit in the big fireplace, and the three men relaxed in their chairs with glasses of brandy and cigars. Lady Eleanor had remained in the ballroom with some of her acquaintances, waiting for Meredith and Izzie to fill her in with the details.

"Rather a sad ending to the evening," John commented, watching the flames leap in the grate. "I gather the girl was not married, however..."

"No, one of the ladies in waiting to the Queen. She always seemed to be very charming and innocent, so this is quite a surprise," Derek mused, before sipping the brandy that warmed his body. He had discarded the scarf from his head, but otherwise was still attired in his costume.

"Any idea of who the father could be?" Marcus asked, sending a plume of cigar smoke into the air.

"Not exactly, though I have my suspicions."

"Huntington?"

Derek shrugged slightly. "He is a rake and a scoundrel, who loved his dalliances. I am quite sure he was bedding several women while he was here. Cordelia could have been one of them."

"Better off without him, in that case."

"Speaking of paternity, Sloan…" Derek started to say, but Marcus held up his hand to stall the inevitable comment.

"Isobel is thrilled, even though we did not exactly expect this one. Besides, we need another girl to balance things out."

"Careful or they will outnumber you if you aren't careful," Derek grinned. "Look what happened in my family, after all."

"Your father was brave indeed…" Marcus grinned.

"He escaped into his study quite often, as I recall!" Derek laughed, before the door opened and the three women swept inside. Meredith, Izzie and Eleanor all looked a little tired and saddened by the event that ended the evening. The men immediately rose to their feet, each taking an arm of their respective partner.

"How is Cordelia?" Derek asked Meredith, kissing her cheek.

"Sleeping now, I shall speak with her in the morning." She sank into his discarded seat, gratefully resting her feet.

"We should leave, and let you rest," Eleanor said firmly, looking at Lord John.

"Yes, of course. It is far past my bed time," he joked. He brushed a kiss over Meredith's forehead. "Good night, daughter. Sleep well, and this will all look better in the morning. It was wonderful to see you both. Kiss the children for us, and we look forward to seeing you all at Christmas hopefully."

Derek hugged his mother as well. "Hopefully we will be out of here soon and back to Gracewood, if not by Christmas, then after the New Year."

"Keep in touch, Derek. I am glad that all has gone well for you here, but still it could have been disastrous."

Marcus and Izzie prepared to take their leave as well. "Much too short a visit, Meredith," Izzie sighed as she exchanged a hug with her friend. "Not enough time to gossip properly."

"Soon, Izzie, I hope..."

"Soon and with good news..." Izzie smiled conspiratorially.

Derek regarded Meredith carefully after they were alone again. "Are you all right?" he asked, dropping down beside her chair. She curled her feet under the voluminous skirts, looking less like a pirate at the moment. Her fingers worried the many colorful beads at her throat as she thought of Cordelia's troubles.

"Just worried about Cordelia, and feeling sad for her loss. I cannot imagine how she will feel when she awakes and realizes the tragedy. We have been so lucky with our family, Derek."

"We have." He leaned closer and took her hands in his. "Shall we go and see them before we retire?"

Her eyes brightened. "Yes...we won't wake them, but I need to make sure they are all right."

"I thought that would cheer you up, love..." He drew her up beside him, holding her against him. "Along with this..." Tipping her face up, he kissed her gently, yet with the passion he felt for her. He knew her gentle nature and tender heart were the best part of her, the part he loved to distraction. But that part of her also made this sort of situation very difficult for her. And he resolved that he would do whatever it took to make her happy as always.

Meredith melted into his embrace, welcoming the strength and the protection of his body against hers. She met the passion of his kiss, her tongue dancing with his until they were both breathless. He relinquished her lips incrementally, before resting his forehead against hers. "Let's go see the children now, and then we can finish what we started out on the terrace."

"Yes, lets..." She wound her fingers with his, and they made their way to the children's room. A small lamp was still glowing, and Meggie was sitting by the fireplace, half asleep with a book sliding out of her fingers. She sat up quickly, when they entered but Meredith waved at her to keep seated, while they checked on the slumbering children.

At the side of Michael's bed, Derek reached down to straighten the quilts, a smile on his face as he looked at his eldest son. "He does look peaceful like this, doesn't he?"

"Mmhmm..." Meredith smiled. "Much more so than when he's awake, but I love his sense of adventure..."

Just then Michael stirred and his eyes opened slowly, then widened when he saw his parents standing there in their costumes. He sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes. "Papa!"

"Shh...don't wake everyone else..." Derek cautioned, sitting down.

"I'll be quiet, promise..." Michael whispered, reaching up to touch the various bits of pirate booty on Derek. "You look very handsome, Papa."

Meredith laughed softly. "A handsome pirate indeed."

"Pirates always have parrots...did you have one?"

"No, we didn't have a parrot, unfortunately."

"Were you a pirate too, Mama?"

"Aye."

Michael smiled happily. "I like it! Can you be pirates all the time?"

"I don't believe so, son. Maybe we can wear them at home for your birthday party..." Derek suggested, glancing at Meredith, who nodded.

"A good idea. We could all be pirates then," she said.

"Oh yes!" Michael bounced a little in bed, excited about that prospect.

"All right then, you need to go back to sleep." Derek eased Michael back onto the pillows, and tucked the covers around him securely. "Dream about pirates."

"And horses..." Meredith smiled, making sure the little wooden horse at the bedside was in her son's eyesight. "Love you, Michael. Sleep well." She kissed his cheek, just as Derek had a moment before.

"Night Mama..." His eyes swept shut, and he snuggled into the pillows happily.

Derek took her hand, and they checked on the rest of the children, all still soundly asleep. Hannah and Ella were snuggled together, as always, with stuffed bears under the covers with them. James was tucked into this trundle, thumb in his mouth, as he slept, and Meredith carefully removed it. She kissed his chubby cheek, inhaling that scent that was still reminiscent of baby. For a moment, they stood, their arms around each other, just content to watch him sleep.

"We have beautiful children," she whispered, looking up at him.

"That we do. We have been blessed."

"I cannot imagine how it would feel to lose a child, even at such an early stage. It will be traumatic for Cordelia. I want to be there with her tomorrow."

Derek kissed the top of her head. "Of course." He paused for a moment. "Meredith, if having another child is truly your desire..."

"It is, Derek." She looked up at him, seeing the expression in those eyes of his that always told her his deepest emotions.

"Then if that makes you happy, it will make me happy," he told her softly. "And perhaps we should work on making that come true, what do you think?" The gentle caress he gave her cheek, and the lazy seduction in his voice was intoxicating and she caught her breath. Mindful of Meggie still dozing in the chair, she just touched his chest lightly, feeling the steady beat of his heart under her fingertips.

"I love that idea, Derek..."

He winked at her. "Then come along wench..."

"Wench now, is it...my pirate lover..."

Without a word, Derek swept her up into his arms, and carried her, the pirate skirts billowing around them, past an astonished Meggie. "Good night, Meggie..." Meredith said breathlessly as they went by.

"Good night, my lady...my lord..." she managed to say quietly. She shook her head in bemusement...Rose had always told her of the Duke's penchant for romantic gestures, and yet this was the first overt example of it that she witnessed first hand. Truly, the man was too good to be true...

I know...sorry to leave you at that, but you can look forward to their sensual encounter in the next chapter!