A/N: Thanks to everyone reviewing and favoriting this story!

Ella had always been a charming, humorous child not very reserved and not really acting like a real lady. Her aunt was sometimes angry with her for not being serious enough, but now her underlying humour was slowing changing into the opposite. Lettice didn't know, when it had started, but her niece was looking more and more alien to her.

The day of the wedding she had been a beautiful yet lonely and sad bride – however young debutants weren't supposed to smile and wives-to-be were expected to look severe, not happy. Somehow Ella had mastered both, something maybe that was too much for her considering her age. When almost immediately pregnancy was added to the list of her duties, Lettice felt for the first time that she was possibly anticipating too many things at once.

Her son-in-law by marriage appeared to be busy working, because neither Ella nor Lettice saw much of him.

"Have you already thought of a name?"

Ruth was with them very often. She already had become a good friend of Ella, someone the young woman could talk to.

"I think it's a bit early to think about that. After all it's only been a month," Lettice answered for Ella, who was staring into space – wondering about her husband?

Lettice had no idea, but she was equally concerned.

Mr Lindsay had been so eager to get hitched to her and now it was like he had totally forgotten about his young spouse. Dimly Lettice recalled the conversation had had with Ruth just before the wedding took place.

'Maybe you are misjudging him.'

Perhaps she had indeed mistaken his intentions? Was he really just one this millionaires, who cared about gambling only and Ella was just there for giving him an heir?

Ruth had been adamant that Mr Lindsay was hiding something and Ella had been reluctant to tie the knot – definitely too sad even for a serious bride.

Lettice looked at her niece, who was pretending to be sewing, but she would – in Penelopian style – be unstitching it again, whenever she had reached the end of the line. Lettice watched her worriedly.

"Aren't you feeling well, dear?"

Ella turned her head.

"I just feel a little dizzy," she said hoping her aunt would be satisfied.

In truth Ella too was wondering about Jack, but mostly about her husband. She knew that he hadn't married her out of love, but still she found he was a little bit too independent and should spent more time at home.

"Mrs Lindsay, there's someone at the door for you."

"Tell them, whoever it is that my niece isn't…," Lettice began, but Ella had already gotten up.

"No, I'm going to look, who it is."

At the door she met a young girl about eight.

"Are you Mrs Lindsay?" she asked and at Ella's nod she handed her a small piece of paper. "Here, I've been told to give you this."

"Wait…," Ella reached out her hand wanting to thank her, giving a penny.

Before Ella could ask her from whom she had been sent, the girl had already run off. When she opened the note reading it she felt her suspicions confirmed.

Watch your husband and Mrs Dawson – a friend.

She had already expected something like this, so the words came as no great surprise to her. Ella couldn't understand Rose. She had the best husband one could get and yet she wasn't gratified.

She felt sorry for Jack, who didn't deserve anything of this.

"Ella, is everything alright?"

Quickly she tugged the paper away in her pocket, when she heard Lettice's voice and footsteps coming towards her.

"And, who was it?" she wanted to know.

"Just someone who required money," Ella answered smiling. "I gave them something."

"Oh, honey, who shouldn't have, now they know that here's…," her aunt started to scold her but Ella had already returned to the living room.

When Rose got back home, still shaking inside, she went up straight to Jack. She couldn't tell him. Somehow she had to get out of this mess. Opening the door to the room she surprisingly found her mother sitting at Jack's bedside.

"Mother?" her eyes grew wide.

"Oh, hello, Rose…"

Rose was even more startled at the cheerful tone her mother was talking to her.

"Your mother has been reading something to me," Jack explained to her sitting up in bed. "Keeping me company…," he added reaching out his hand to her drawing her to him.

"Oh…ahem…sure…"

Had something happened while she was away? It must've…Jack and her mother…it was simply…

Rose had thought that the two of them hated each other.

"I'm going to leave you alone now, dear," Ruth got up "You certainly want to be alone with your husband."

Rose looked after her mother, who was closing the door behind her, ushering to Jack.

"Hey," she said. "You're feeling better?"

"Yes, luckily it wasn't this bad…," he looked at her eyebrows raised in wonder.

Please don't ask me where I've been.

Rose didn't want to lie to him.

"You were shopping?" he suggested and Rose was glad that she only had to nod, not really needed to invent a story.

"Yes, I was…"

Jack watched her carefully. She seemed alerted, didn't she?

"Rose, is something wrong with you?"

"No, why do you ask?" she asked back in a rush grinning at him.

"Nothing special…I just…I'm happy that you're here now."

Yet, some part of her wished that he would've questioned her further and now this part was truly disappointed.

"I'm too," she said leaning her head on his shoulder, feeling his most welcome arms encircling her.

Ruth listened to the laughing voices coming from inside the room, when she noticed Roger Lindsay coming towards her. The expression on his face wasn't really content to say the least. In fact he looked like he would burst up any minute.

"Mr Lindsay?"

What was he doing up here?

"Is Mr Dawson better?"

"Yes, he…," she started noting that he was about to open the door, she stopped him. "Mr Lindsay, he's with his wife. Don't you think that we should leave them their privacy?"

Both knew it was really a demand.

"Of course," he grumbled angrily trying to hide his emotions.

Something had to be done he thought as he walked off leaving Ruth shaking her head in astonishment.

Whatever was wrong with this man?