I know I always say this, but thank you so much for the kind reviews!
I meant to get this posted sooner, but 3D life got in the way (along with the distraction of an idea for a new story). This chapter carries on with the return to domestic life at Gracewood, so hopefully you won't be bored with it.
*NOTE - I'm not sure if the site is having problems, but I have been informed that this chapter was not showing up on first posting attempt - trying again.*
Chapter Nineteen
Domestic Joys
"Lady Meredith, you need to rest," Rose fretted. "No good will come of you making yourself ill. You look rather peaked, if I may say so." She touched Meredith's arm gently.
"If I move, he will wake up." Meredith indicated the way Michael was curled against her side, the bedding kicked aside. "He needs to sleep."
"Well now, His Grace has sent for Dr. Wilding from the village, so it will not be long till we know what is wrong with the young Master." Rose sat down on the other side of the bed. "I expect he will be up and running around, right as rain, in no time, you'll see."
"He is just so hot, it can't be good."
"Meggie is bringing up some cool water and cloths, we can sponge him down. And then you will go and get dressed, and have some tea."
"Is that an order, Rose?" Meredith smiled slightly.
"Oh no, my lady, I would never dream of such a thing," Rose replied innocently.
"Very well, then." The door opened and Meggie bustled inside, carrying a basin and clean towels. Between them, the managed to bathe Michael and cool him down slightly. He opened his eyes briefly, still groggy from sleep, moaning a little.
"There is no rash," Rose observed. "That is a good sign, m'lady."
"Good." Meredith rubbed Michael's back, wishing she could just massage away his pain. They dressed him again, in the lightest cotton nightclothes possible, and he seemed to fall asleep again, his breathing somewhat easier.
"Please, m'lady, now you can go and freshen up. Shall I come and assist you?" Rose asked gently.
"You stay. I can manage, and Derek is able to help me if I need it." Meredith kissed Michael's cheek. "I will be back as soon as I can."
As she hurried into their bedchamber, Meredith rubbed her temples, trying to will away the headache that was threatening to take over. Sinking into the chair beside the fireplace, she reached for the teapot, but found her hand was shaking badly as she poured some of the steaming liquid. It splashed over the edge of the teacup, and she set the pot aside with a little gasp at the feel of the hot tea on her fingers.
For a second, she stared at the cup, rubbing her fingers with the linen napkin. Suddenly, tears filled her eyes, and slid down her cheeks, and she stifled a sob in the napkin. It was still too soon, she realized, to know if Michael had scarlet fever, but the thought filled her with dread. There were too many instances of children brought down with the fever, and if they did survive, they were confined to bed for a long period of time and were weak as kittens as well. She could not imagine her busy little boy in that condition.
She didn't know how much time passed, before she felt Derek's arm around her, pulling her into his arms. He carried her towards the bed, and settled her there gently. "Hush now, love..." he murmured. "Was Michael's condition getting worse?"
"Not much change...I just feel so helpless...and far too emotional."
He kissed the top of her head, feeling her slight body shake with another little sob. It made him feel just as helpless, but he tightened his grip on her. She didn't have to say what her worst fear was; he was just as aware of the dangers of scarlet fever. "We should just wait to hear what Dr. Wilding thinks, Meredith..."
She nodded, reassured by his heartbeat under her cheek. "What would I do without you to hold me when I am upset?" she sighed, as he stroked her back in the same way she had done for Michael.
His soft chuckle rumbled in his chest. "I live to keep you happy, love, you know that."
"I love you, Derek..." she whispered. "Whatever happens, we will get through everything together."
"I love you..." He caught her hand and kissed her fingers. "Are you feeling well enough to have some tea? I can ring for a fresh pot."
"Of course, and then we need to speak with the girls. They must be worried."
"I was just with them, but of course, you should speak with them too." He sat up, and held her hand as she swung herself to the floor. For a moment, he hugged her close. "At least we are all here at home, where we have the support of Rose, and the rest of the staff."
"I agree. We are so fortunate, and we have each other." She wiped away the last of her tears, and took a deep breath. "Nothing else matters."
Later the next day, Meredith was rocking Michael gently. The physician had examined Michael thoroughly, and given his diagnosis of a cold and fever only. Dr. Wilding was fairly young, and advanced in his thinking about illness, so she was quite confident that he was correct. He advised bed rest for a few more days, with liquids and cold compresses to cool the body temperature. There was a touch of soreness in Michael's throat, and he was coughing sporadically, but Dr. Wilding was adamant it was not scarlet fever. There had not been any epidemics of the disease in the area, nor in London. Still, he advised Meredith to watch out for any changes, especially the appearance of any kind of rash.
Rose entered the room quietly. "He seems to be sleeping easily," she observed, changing the bedding efficiently.
"Yes, thank goodness. I feel much better myself. I was fearing the worst."
"That is what happens when you are pregnant, my lady..." Rose smiled. "Emotions can get the best of you!"
"What? Oh, Rose...of course you are probably right."
"Of course I am...do I not have much experience in this situation?"
"We both do." Meredith realized just how much different she was now, compared to her first time with Michael. At that time, she had been so unsure, needing Kate's wisdom in the matter. "Sometimes it seems like only a short time ago that I was having this one, and now he's getting so big."
"That he is, m'lady."
Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden flurry of activity in the corridor, and then Meggie appeared, looking rather flustered. "Oh, Lady Meredith...I am so sorry to bother you with this..." She glanced over her shoulder, at the closed door, her hands braced against the oak panels.
"What is it?" Meredith exchanged a worried glanced with Rose. "Is one of the other children sick?"
"No, nothing like that...however, the twins have been playing outside and brought in an animal..."
Meredith had to smile. Both girls were fond of bringing in kittens from the stables, or baby bunnies, or wounded birds, whatever they felt would need to be nursed back to health. It obviously did not take them long after arriving home to find something else to bring inside.
"Meggie, you know they love to do that. They had no opportunity to do so in London..."
"I know, my lady, however this time..." Meggie's eyes were a little wide. "This looks like a weasel of some sort..."
"A what?"
"A small, furry thing," Meggie nodded. "About this long..." Her hands spread apart to show the length.
"Where are the girls now?" Meredith asked.
"In the playroom, I believe..."
"All right. Let me settle Michael here and I will speak with them."
"Here, let me help you," Rose took the sleeping child gently. "If he wakes, I will find you."
"Thank you, Rose..." Meredith stood up, and turned to Meggie. "All right, where is this creature…do I need to enlist Derek for the capture?"
"Well, it is quite small, my lady," Meggie confessed. "Perhaps you do not need His Grace's help."
A little smile quirked Meredith's lips. "Excellent." They found the girls still occupied in the playroom, with a small box between them. Meredith crouched down beside them, and peered cautiously into the crate. "What you have found this time?" she asked them.
"It's a ferret!" Hannah informed her proudly. "We found it in the stable…"
"…and he was cold and wet…" Ella added.
"…so we brought him inside!"
"Can we keep him, please Mama?" The little creature in question was looking rather forlorn indeed, except for his bright, inquisitive eyes, as he curled into the blanket that they had put into the box for him.
"The cats were after him," Ella offered. "We had to rescue him!"
"I see." Meredith wasn't entirely sure if it was a good idea to keep the animal inside, but he did look harmless enough. "Well, perhaps just until he is recovered. Then you have to let him go."
Meggie looked a little horrified at this suggestion. "What if he escapes?"
"We promise to look after him!"
"Promise that you will be careful," Meredith warned them.
Hannah and Ella both nodded vigorously. "We will!" they chorused, and Meredith smiled at them.
"All right then."
"Is Michael going to be all right?" Ella asked. "We want to see him. Maybe Henry would cheer him up!"
"Henry?"
"Yes, he looked like a Henry," Hannah replied, stroking the ferret's head.
"Oh, well, maybe later Hannah. Michael's sleeping."
"But he will be all right, won't he, Mama?" Ella's eyes were concerned.
"Of course he will. He will be up and chasing you around with his toy sword before you know it." Meredith looked down at the little animal now curled into a ball, with his tail over his nose. "In the meantime, what do you suppose this little fellow would eat?"
Derek found Meredith resting in their bed some time later, and he paused for a moment at the doorway before she was aware of his presence. He had been out in the stables, checking on all of the horses, and was grateful that all had gone well in his absence. The grooms were all interested in the tales of what happened at the royal stables, and that Midnight had won the race against Lord Huntington. Storm was settling into his new life at Gracewood, and Derek was sure he would be a good addition to the bloodlines. Then he had taken Satan out for a leisurely trot around the fields, once again relishing the sensation of being away from the crowded life at court.
Now he walked towards the bed, and she opened her eyes at the sound of his footsteps. "Derek..." She held her hand out to him, and he sat down next to her, taking in her sleepy appearance of loose hair and belted robe. "Did you have a chance to check on all of the horses? How is Mistral?"
"Mmhmm..." he murmured, leaning in to kiss her softly. His lips were cool against hers, and the scent of autumn air clung to him, mingled with the usual equine aroma. "They are all well and content. Mistral will be ready to go out whenever you are, love." He was relieved to see that she seemed more relaxed now that Michael was resting comfortably. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I feel very well," she smiled up at him. "Considering that I'm carrying a baby again..."
"You are sure?" Her delighted expression was enough to make him smile in return, and he rested his hand on her belly.
"As sure as I can be, and even Rose agrees, so..."
The rest of her words were lost against his mouth, as he gathered her against him and kissed her deeply. No matter that he had been reluctant to put her through another pregnancy; the news of impending childbirth always filled him with a sense of wonder and happiness. She lifted her arms to bring him closer, revelling in the flowing strength of him covering her, and the robe slipped down a little. With every breath, his chest slid against the sensitive tips of her breasts, the light friction eliciting soft cries from her throat.
His mouth broke from hers, exploring her shoulders and chest with hot open kisses, as if he were intent on tasting every part of her. He caressed her stomach with the backs of his fingers, teased his thumb around the curve of her navel…his hands wicked and yet gentle at the same time. He was not even undressed, and nowhere near the point of making love to her, and yet she could already feel him at the very center of her being…the pulse, the pleasure of him inside of her.
The delicate robe she wore was pushed aside further, and he spread her wide beneath him. His mouth dragged over her, sucking and teasing so that she was absolutely wet for him in an instant. He touched her with his tongue, delving with the tip until he found the spot that throbbed exquisitely. His arms slid beneath her legs, cradling her against him, continuing to swirl and glide his tongue over her.
Her senses were dazed as he lifted her over him, her knees on either side of him, and then his mouth was on her again. She whimpered helplessly as he caressed repeatedly over the heated wetness, alternating with his fingers sliding into her, taking her into a swirl of ecstasy. Her body tipped backward, and her fingers dug into the bedding as the spasms rocked her body. Only when she was gasping for breath did he relent and tumble her backwards, relishing the dazedly erotic look on her face as he started to strip his shirt and pants off.
"Come here, my little love..." he urged her, crawling back to meet her halfway in the twisted bedding. Meredith moaned his name as he knelt between her legs, and his hands grasped her hips, lifting and bracing them on his thighs. Derek watched her, his eyes smoky with desire, while he stroked her, toying with the soft cleft and the dampness inside of her. All she could do was surrender to his knowing touch, his thumbs swirling against her sensitized clit, as she strained against his solid strength. Her breath was a hiss of pleasure, and all she could think of was the pure sweetness of sharing this with him. Her hands reached for him, and for a moment he let her go before pushing into her, filling her completely. Her hips lifted to bring him deeper, but he resisted with a deliberate slowness that made her gasp.
"Derek...do not tease..." she begged, trembling with need. "I can't bear it much longer..."
"Ah, but you have to, my vixen..." he murmured, his breath fanning her cheek before he kissed her temple.
Meredith caught her breath as he pulled back, leaving only the tip of his cock teasing her. "Rogue..." she muttered.
"I love to tease you..." Giving her that wicked grin she knew only too well, he took his time to push inside her again, his hands caressing her, every infinitesimal movement so deliciously arousing that she shuddered and climaxed. Then he held utterly still, throbbingly hot, while he pinned her hands to the bed. "There...is that what you wanted?" he whispered, flexing his hips against her.
"Y-yes...oh yes..."
He began to thrust slowly, repeatedly building up the tension and then slowing down, until she was so hot and consumed she was almost dizzy. He bent lower, driving into her harder, taking pleasure from her satisfaction as she clenched around him again and again. Letting go of her hands, he caught the back of her head as he kissed her deeply, his tongue relentless and his needful groan lost against her mouth while his own release spun through him. Meredith clung to him, her hands tracing delicate patterns on his back as he slowed and held himself on his forearms to keep from crushing her. His kiss turned gentle, and he shifted their bodies to lay side by side, fitting her tightly against his sweat dampened skin.
"I adore you, Meredith..." he smiled in the dim light. "And our life and our children...and baby..."
She traced the side of his face with her fingers. "I love you just as much...and thank god for all the joy we have..."
Before she could finish the sentence, there was a sharp clatter of footsteps in the corridor, and the sound of someone shouting. The higher pitched squeal of one of the twins could be heard, and then Meggie's voice. "Catch him!"
Derek looked at Meredith in confusion. "Oh, dear...I didn't have a chance to tell you about Henry..." she managed to say before dissolving into helpless giggles.