And I am back again :)
Here's a new chapter
A week later
The women around her giggled as she recounted the story of how she had told Eric about her pregnancy.
She smiled.
"How nice it must be to be that young," Madeline said and shook her head as she lifted the teacup to her mouth. "But how are you feeling, my dear?"
"Better now that I know there is nothing wrong," Wendy said with a smile and noticed that she had unknowingly put a hand over her belly. "And everyone has been so understanding. Eric practically treats me like I am made of glass."
"Men always get like that." An older woman said. "You have to worry he will return to his senses when the child is born."
Wendy's smiled and sipped her tea. "I am not complaining."
The other women laughed, as she merrily leaned back in her comfortable chair and closed her eyes in the warm sunlight.
Her mother-in-law had told her that the sun would be good for her, so today's tea party was on the uncovered part of the terrace.
She stroked her belly as she listened to the other women talk.
It was growing bigger and bigger, and it was getting harder for her to move, but no one seemed to stress about anything.
The few duties she had taken from the Baroness' plate after her marriage had now been given back and most of her time was spent relaxing and being tended to.
She could not remember a time when she could do what she wanted just like this.
Of course, riding was off the table. Though with the way that Eric had brought it up as a plea because he was scared of either her or the baby getting hurt while riding alone, she hadn't minded.
"Yes, those fairy portraits are really doing good." One of the women said and woke Wendy from her daydream.
"Well, Wendy is quite the trendsetter." Wendy opened her eyes to see Madeline smiling in her direction. "That Italian painter is really living well off your paintings. Everyone now wants to be painted in the like of a fairy."
"Though I also hear he is beginning to dabble in other forms of paintings." Another woman said.
Wendy straightened her back again and reached out for her teacup. "Really? What is he doing now?"
"Well…" The woman sat down her teacup and looked a bit perplexed. "I do not know if there is a name for what he is painting. The landscapes and paintings of houses and such, but with fantastical creatures."
"Yes. One of my cousins bought a painting of his. It was this beautiful open field with a deer and a beautiful man covered in vines, standing next to it." One of the other women said.
Wendy smiled bitterly.
People were beginning to buy his paintings, which meant that things must be going well for Elias. Just from the description alone, she could tell that he had begun painting the elvens that lived in the forest - not that she thought they minded.
She hadn't seen him since the day in the forest when she told him about her pregnancy. She had told him before she had told Eric.
He had reached out and touched her hand on her belly.
He hadn't been kind, but she understood.
Elias had told her how Eric would never change, that a child would not change and that he would wait for her. She would always be his muse.
"Is he still around here? The painter?" She tried to sound nonchalant.
"Oh yes, of course." A third woman said. Wendy believed she was a Countess. "He is earning quite well. In a year or two he could probably buy his own title."
"Could you imagine?" One of the other women asked. "A man like him becoming part of civilized society."
"Oh, I could," Madeline said with a giggle. "And I think a lot of young girls could as well."
"Well, hello." Wendy heard Eric's voice and turned around in the chair to look at him as he stepped out onto the terrace. "Is your day going well, ladies?"
"Quite young Baron, we were just talking about you." The older woman said.
Eric chuckled as he stepped closer. "Nothing bad I hope." He closed the distance between her and Wendy, and put gentle hands on her shoulders, as she turned back to face her guests. "How are you doing, my rose?" He asked sweetly and pressed his lips against her temple.
Wendy smiled and leaned into him, as his hands wrapped around her in an embrace from behind.
"I am feeling quite content," she muttered.
She heard the other women's sigh as she looked up at him. He came to see her every day, multiple times a day, just to hug her and kiss her and tell her how beautiful she was - and she loved every second of it. "I was thinking of taking a short walk after the tea party. Would you like to join me?"
"Are you going into the forest?" One of the other women asked.
"You are such a mysterious being." Another remarked cutting the first one off. "Sometimes you seem just as fantastical as those paintings of you. Like a fairy that could just disappear at any moment."
"That is what I am here for." Eric said and pressed his lips against her temple again. "to keep it from floating off into the wind. I just have some paperwork I need to finish up then we can go on that walk."
Six months later
Wendy huffed as she looked down at the small child in her arms.
She was sweaty and exhausted, but she couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful little thing lying in her arms.
He had screamed at first, but after being fed he now just snuggled in her arms.
He had Eric's eyes.
He was beautiful and she did not want to let him go.
"You did well, my sweet." Her mother said and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Wendy looked up at her with a smile and then just down at the baby again. How could she ever take her eyes off this little thing?
"Such a beautiful baby." Her mother-in-law said from the other side of the bed.
When she reached out to touch the baby, Wendy pulled the baby closer to her chest.
None of them were angry. Instead, they laughed.
"Do not be frightened, Wendy. No one is going to take him from you."
"I know…" Her voice sounded so hoarse. "But he is so perfect…"
Wendy felt her mother stroke her hair. "Yes, he is, my sweet. That is exactly how I felt when I first held you."
Wendy looked up at her, confused. She could not imagine loving anyone as much as she loved this baby.
"We understand how you feel, dearest." The Baroness said from the other side of the bed with a smile. "It will not get easier."
The doors to the room opened slowly and gently.
Eric peeked into the room.
"Wendy, can I come in?" He said softly.
Wendy smiled at him. "Come in. Come in and meet him."
Eric stepped into the room, and the two women on the bed pulled away so he could sit there next to Wendy.
He looked at the little boy in amazement.
"He is ours." He whispered and reached out for the child.
Wendy let him do it and he caressed the child with a finger.
The little boy yawned and Eric pulled his finger away.
"He is precious, is he not?" She asked.
Eric smiled at her. "Yes…" He then looked down at the baby. "I cannot imagine anything more precious."
"What will we name him?" Wendy asked.
In the last few months, they had gone over every conceivable name they could pick, but at the moment she could not think of one.
Eric looked a little embarrassed. "Well, as you know, there are certain traditions."
Six months later
Brian laughed at her and snuggled closer to her chest.
Wendy smiled down at her little boy.
"He is such a little doll." The baroness smiled brightly at the dark-haired child.
"He likes to play hide and seek." Wendy smiled.
Suddenly Brian peaked up at her. "Mama!" He exclaimed.
Wendy felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach anytime he said that word.
She pulled him up in a standing position and kissed his cheek. Then she turned him toward her Mother-in-law.
"And who is that?" She goaded.
Brian cooed at the older woman, as she slowly said: "Nana.", though every time the baby responded with "Mama."
"He will get it in time." The Baroness chuckled, but then looked at Wendy with a serious expression. "And how are you feeling, my dear?"
Wendy smiled at her. "I could not be happier."
The baroness' expression did not change.
"I was just thinking it maybe was hard for you. You have not been able to see your family every day. I do not know about how the countryside is, but that was something I did when I first had Eric. My mother rarely left my side."
Wendy smiled bitterly as Brian tried to pull out her dress collar.
"I miss them and I hope that no matter what, I will still be able to visit them frequently."
Her mother-in-law put a hand on her arm. "Of course, my dear, no one will stop you from going to see your family, and no one will stop them from coming here. By the way, have you parents given any more thought to our offer of educating your brothers?"
Wendy smiled politely. "They told me to say thank you for the offer, but I do not think any of my brothers have thought of higher education, though I do not know with the twins yet."
"The offer will continue to stand." The older woman smiled.
There was a knock at the door.
Wendy was expecting it to be Eric, but it was Abraham the Butler instead.
"Mrs. Wendy, there's a package for you at the entrance." He said politely.
"A package?" She looked at her mother-in-law, confused. "I have not ordered anything."
"Neither have I, my dear." the Baroness said and stood up from the couch. "Shall we go see what it is?"
Wendy went through the list of people who could or would send her something, but she could not figure out who it was.
In the foyer, there stood a big, flat, square-shaped package and a messenger with a letter.
The young man's eyes lit up when he saw Wendy.
"Mrs. Wendy Branigan?" He asked and seemed to be taking her appearance.
It was strange how they continued to do that. She had been in high society for over a year now, almost two, but they still looked at her like she just arrived from the forest.
"Yes," she said, as she soothed the baby in her arms.
The messenger held up a letter. "I was told to give this directly to the Mrs. along with the … package."
"What is on this commotion?" Eric said as he entered the foyer.
"Oh dearest, someone sent Wendy a present, I think." The Baroness said and clapped her hands.
The messenger excused himself and Wendy asked for the paper to be removed from the package as she opened the letter.
She froze as she saw the painting.
It was in a beautiful forest clearing. A group of elven children were dancing in a circle and in the middle danced Eva. It looked like the painting had caught her in the middle of a spin with her arms out wide and a large grin on her face.
Wendy looked down at the letter.
My beloved muse
I hope this letter finds you joyful.
This was meant as a gift for your child's birth, but the little elven girl was rather hard to find.
I call it: A child's blissful joy.
Yours for all time
Elias di Angelico
She smiled up at the painting again. "It is from Elias di Angelico. It is a present for our child."
Eric inspected the painting while he rubbed his chin. "He must not have heard we had a boy." He said, without taking his eyes off the painting. "Though I can see why he has become such a popular painter. That little girl looks exactly like you and he has not even seen you in a long time."
Wendy folded the letter with a smile and gave it to Lillian to take it up to her study. She did not want Eric to see it.
"Yes," she said and smiled at the painting. "He said it's called a child's blissful joy he must wish our child to prosper."
Eric smiled at her and stepped closer and caressed Brian's head. The boy giggled at his father.
"No doubt. Brian is surely growing big fast." He said and leaned his head down for the boy to touch.
The small hand grabbed Eric's nose and cheeks.
"But this reminds me." Her husband says with a nasal voice, as Brian had cut off the air to his nose. "I had a surprise for you as well."
Wendy smiled as she adjusted Brian in her arms. "Did you hear that, Brian? We get more surprises today." She cooed at the baby.
Eric laughed and took the boy from her arms and let her outside to the terrace.
She looked around with interest and saw some men at the edge of the floor and wondered what they were doing.
"Follow me, my love," he said as he led her down from the terrace and out onto the garden.
Everyone seemed to have conspired to keep her out of the gardens. The times she had tried to go outside, her friends, the servants, and even the Baron had directed her to the courtyard, or taken her out for a visit or shopping. So now she was curious why.
As they got to the end of the pathway in the garden. She saw that a new pathway was being made to where the young men were by a white stone structure
"Surprise!" Eric smiled and led her toward the structure, as the men disappeared. "Since you like the forest so much I wanted you to be able to have tea right next to it." He explained.
Wendy smiled at the structure. It looked ancient. Like it had always been there. She could see herself sitting there for hours read, entertaining guests, playing with her children - even the elven queen would be able to come for tea.
She turned to Eric and kissed him on the cheek and the baby laughed."It is perfect I love it."
"I am glad." Eric said and looked at the structure. "This way you can be near the forest, yet still be where I know you are safe."
Wendy stared at the structure with a smile.
It was like a symbol that he knew how important the forest was to her. She felt so lucky.
And that was that chapter
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