Hey guys, thanks so much for the reviews and I'm so glad that you're still enjoying it. I have to warn you that this chapter is a little smutty so...those of a sensitive disposition stop reading now!!!

Preston woke the following morning feeling tired and groggy, no doubt as a direct result of the emotion of the previous evening. After they had talked, he and Rebecca had fallen into an exhausted sleep, but she had slept in his arms for the first time in as many weeks and for that he felt grateful.

For a while when he woke, he lay staring at the ceiling, listening to the sound of Rebecca's even breathing beside him. She was laid on her stomach, her face turned away, her hair cascading over the pillow. He rolled over and watched her for a while before leaning over, pulling her hair back and dropping a soft kiss on her neck, causing her to stir and moan.

"Good morning," he greeted her quietly.

She mumbled a response and rolled over to face him, her eyes still welded shut against the morning sunshine. He kissed her forehead, eyelids, nose and down to her mouth, which she opened willingly for him. When he pulled back, she opened her eyes and regarded him sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Early."

"Then why did you wake me?" she moaned, rubbing her eyes.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right." She stopped the action and looked at him. "I'm sorry," he looked down. "I just…"

"I'm all right," she said softly.

"And us?" he asked, looking back at her, "Are we all right?"

"Preston, last night…I thought that we…"

"I know," he said quickly, "but I can't help feeling that…"

"What?"

He shook his head and flopped over onto his back, sighing heavily in the process. "I don't know. When I think about everything that's happened…it doesn't feel real somehow."

"I know," Rebecca propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. "I feel the same. But as long as we're committed to staying together then surely we can overcome anything. Isn't that what our marriage vows were all about?"

Preston looked at her, "Yes," he replied, "yes they were."

"Well then."

He searched her face, the sleepiness of her eyes, the way he hair fell over her face, the swell of her breast that he could see through her nightshirt. "I do love you."

"I love you too," she lowered herself down and kissed him while his hand wandered to her breast, gently pressing it through her nightshirt. Suddenly, he pulled his hand back. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied quickly.

She looked down to her chest and saw two damp patches on her nightshirt. "I wish it would stop," she said miserably. "I wish my body would realise that there's no child to feed."

Preston put his fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. "It will stop. You just need to give it time."

He cupped her face and she leaned her face into his palm, "Do you think your mother would mind if I had another bath this morning? I just feel as though I need to…" she didn't want to spell out that, however natural it was, it made her feel dirty.

"Of course she won't," Preston replied. "I'll have Lily draw one for you before breakfast." He pushed the covers back and climbed out of the bed.

Rebecca made to follow suit but when she got to her feet, she felt the blackness start to descend on her. At first, she wasn't sure what it was, it having been so long since her last attack, but then she heard her heartbeat slow in her ears and knew exactly what it was. She looked round to see if Preston had noticed but he had already seemingly left the room. Gripping onto the bedpost, she tried to regulate her breathing as the buzzing started in her ears. Then, moving as quickly as she could over to the vanity table, she opened the drawer and pulled out the vial of digitalis she kept there. Taking a few drops, she instantly started to feel better and her vision cleared again.

"Lily will be with you in a moment," Preston said, returning to the room and causing her to jump.

"Oh, thank you," she said, opening the drawer again and slipping the vial back in.

"What's that?" Preston asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Nothing," she replied quickly.

He opened the drawer and looked at the vial nestling on some handkerchiefs. "Did you have an attack?" he queried.

"Only a very mild one," she tried to reassure him.

"You should lie down," he instructed, taking her arm and trying to pull her back towards the bed.

"I'm fine…"

"It's only been a few weeks since the birth and you're not strong enough yet," he said, "you really must lie down."

"Preston!" she pulled her arm away from him. "I'm fine, honestly. It was very mild and I'm feeling better already. Please," she put her hand on his arm. He didn't look convinced. "I'll have my bath and I'll feel much better." She looked at him beseechingly.

Preston nodded, "All right, as you wish." At that moment, there was a knock on the door and Lily the maid entered. "I'll leave you to relax." He lifted his clothes from the chair and left the room.

Rebecca sat on the edge of the bed waiting while Lily filled the bathtub. Once she was done and had left again, she pulled off her nightshirt, dropped it onto the floor and stepped into the warmth, sinking down until the bubbles were at her neck. Soaping a flannel, she washed herself and then closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she relaxed.

After a few minutes, she thought she heard a noise and, starting, opened her eyes to find Preston standing watching her, fully dressed, a cup and saucer in his hand. "Oh…" she said, unconsciously sliding further down into the water. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry," he apologised stepping closer. "I thought you should have some tea." He set the cup and saucer down on the nightstand and then stepped back again.

"Thank you." She smiled gratefully at him. "I'm feeling better. Please stop worrying about me."

"That is something I will never be able to do. Would you like me to leave?" he asked after a moment's silence.

"No," she said hurriedly. "Stay." He drew a chair up alongside and sat hunched forwards, his elbows resting against his knees. "Your mother didn't mind, did she?"

"Of course not," he replied. "She did want to know if you were intending on accompanying her to the ladies' circle this afternoon, however."

Rebecca looked away, "Do I have to?"

"It might do you some good to get out for a while and speak to other people. Some fresh air might help your constitution too. They're not talking about you," he added, seeing her expression.

"Helen is part of the ladies' circle," Rebecca said. "How could they fail to talk about me? I'm sure she spends most of her time delighting in down crying me to anyone who'll listen."

"Are you honestly going to allow Helen O'Connor to keep you prisoner in this house?" Preston asked her. "That's not the Rebecca Lodge I know."

"Perhaps you don't know her as well as you think," she replied pettily. Preston sighed and made to stand up, but she reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Please don't go." He sat back down again. "You're right, I know you're right. I can't allow her, or anyone, to stop me from going about my daily life."

"Exactly."

"I'm not the first woman this has happened to nor will I presumably be the last." She looked up at him, somewhat comforted by his presence. "Would you be scandalised if I asked you to wash my back for me? I don't seem to have the energy to reach."

"Of course not," Preston unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and pulled them up beyond his elbows. Then he knelt on the floor beside the tub and lifted the flannel. Wetting and soaping it, he ran it over her back, causing her to sigh and lean back against his touch.

"Thank you," she said.

"It's an honour," he joked. "What man could be more privileged than I at this moment?"

Rebecca laughed as he brought the flannel over her shoulders and she looked up to meet his gaze. "Not every man would do it."

"Then any man who wouldn't is a fool," Preston replied, lowering his head and kissing her gently. She kissed him back and, switching the flannel from his left to his right hand, he moved it around her shoulder and over her collarbone, squeezing it to allow the excess water to roll down her chest before moving it lower.

Rebecca pulled back, "I only asked you to do my back," she reminded him.

"I'm sorry," he said, "would you like me to stop?"

"No," she said, "but perhaps there is something else…?"

Dropping the flannel back into the water, Preston put his hands on her instead. Cupping her face with his left, he allowed his right to slip under the water, move along her stomach and reach up to cup her breast, his thumb trailing over her nipple. "Like that?" he asked huskily.

Rebecca nodded and reached up to pull his mouth down to hers. She groaned softly as he pinched her flesh, his touch sending spasms to her lower body, and she bit down gently on his earlobe and neck, pulling open the top buttons of his shirt in the process.

Preston leaned further over the tub and moved his mouth to her breast, his tongue slowly circling the nipple before closing his mouth around it, laving it as though it were dipped in rich honey. Rebecca let out a sharp cry and wriggled her body closer to the side, manoeuvring slightly over onto her side so his hand could reach over and trace the curve of her buttock. "Lower…" she gasped against his neck, feeling her abdomen pulsate, "lower…"

He moved his hand around her buttock, and between her easily parted thighs, to the softness there. As he did so, he could feel himself straining painfully against the constriction of his underclothes, desperate to feel her touch. Rebecca cried out again as his fingers slowly worked her, and she pulled harder at his shirt, causing several buttons to ping off in the process. She pulled herself up into a kneeling position, allowing water to slide off of her body and slosh over the side of the tub. Preston groaned appreciatively as she hitched one knee up onto the cool steel enabling him greater access to her sensitive folds. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her wet body against his and, unable to take any more, he pulled back from her, causing her to let out a tiny moan of disapproval, and began tearing at his own clothes.

Rebecca made to climb out of the tub but he stopped her with a strangled, "No!"

"Preston…" Rebecca said, watching him wide-eyed as his intention dawned on her. "I'm not sure…" she tailed off as he threw his shirt to one side, followed by his pants and underpants. "Do you intend…?" It soon became clear that he did, as he appeared naked in front of her and then made to climb in beside her. "I'm not sure that there's enough room…" she protested, despite instinctively lowering herself into the water again, anticipating him.

Before she could finish her thought, he was in beside her, on top of her, causing more water to splash over the sides of the tub onto the rug. His mouth found hers again, hot and insistent, and she found she had neither the energy, nor the inclination, to resist him. He broke away from her and moved his mouth down her throat and then to her breasts again, where she found herself arching her back towards him and curling her leg around his. Despite everything that had happened to her, to them, she found she still craved the physical attention she had previously tried hard to avoid.

He moved lower still, his tongue trailing down her ribcage, over her belly button and to the juncture of her thighs. Rebecca's breath caught in her throat, but suddenly, he stopped and raised his head to look at her. "Forgive me," he said.

"What for?" she asked stupidly, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

"There's not as much room as I had thought." He rose quickly and stepped out of the tub, then knelt at the side again, pulling her over to him before she could say anything else. Kissing her, he pulled her up and awkwardly out of the tub so that she rolled over and under him onto the rug.

"What on earth…?" she laughed. But she had little time to query him further. Again, he moved down her body, over her stomach to the juncture of her thighs. But this time, he didn't stop. His head dipped between her legs and it wasn't until she felt a white hot sensation flood her that she realised what he was doing. She groaned loudly as his tongue gently flicked around her most sensitive spot, her breath almost taken clean away by the very action. "Preston…" she breathed raggedly. "What…I…" speech failed her as the sensations continued to course through her. "Oh…Lord…" She arched her lower body upward and gripped the rug beneath her tightly between her fingers.

To Preston, she tasted sweeter than he could ever have imagined. Glancing up, he saw her looking down at him, confusion and desire flooding her features. She didn't understand what he was doing to her or why and that thought excited him more than anything. Inwardly, he thanked James for the conversation they had had some weeks earlier after too much brandy. At the time, the content of it had shocked him but now, seeing the results, he had to admit that his older brother had been right…

"Preston…"

Her body was starting to spasm and he knew that her pleasure was building. The strength of his own need was almost unbearable, so he slid back up her body, his mouth finding hers again and catching the breath of her cry.

"Rebecca…" he groaned her name as he peppered her face with kisses, "sweet, wonderful Rebecca…" he lifted his eyes to her again. "I want nothing more than to…but I can still stop if you feel it's too soon…"

"I believe the recommended time to wait is six weeks," she replied breathlessly, whilst simultaneously wrapping her legs around his back. "But…" she was almost ashamed to admit how badly she too wanted him. Wanted things to go back to the way they had been.

"But?" he pressed her, aching for the release but needing that final consent.

"Oh my darling…" she reached up and pulled him down to her, her fingers knotting in his hair, pulling him as close to her as she could. She felt Preston move slightly, allowing himself a better angle and she waited, poised and ready for the moment when she would feel her beloved husband slip gently inside her…

"Rebecca? Rebecca dear? I jus thought I'd come and check…oh my!"

Preston leapt off of Rebecca at the sound of Alice's voice and they both looked up to see her staring down at them in horror.

"Mother!" Preston exclaimed, grabbing the towel lying from beside the tub and covering them both.

"Oh my!" Alice turned her back. "I didn't mean…well I didn't realise that you were…I just wondered if you were coming this afternoon but I see that you're…well…"

"Alice," Rebecca began, "I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"Not to worry, not to worry!" Alice replied breezily. "I'll just leave you…well…perhaps I'll see you later…" with that, she hurried out of the room, letting the door bang behind her.

For a moment neither Preston nor Rebecca spoke, but simply sat with their backs against the tub, still caught up in the shock of what Alice had just witnessed.

"I…" Preston said.

"Yes," Rebecca replied.

"We should…I mean I should…"

"Indeed." She watched as he got awkwardly to his feet and stumbled over to the bed, covering himself with his clothes. Rebecca covered herself with the towel. "I can't believe that your mother just saw…" she broke off and started to laugh.

"A few moments later…" Preston replied.

"Mmm…" Rebecca stood up and wrapped the towel around her before moving over to the bed beside him. "Tell me," she said, "that…thing…"

"What thing?" he asked, as he started to get dressed again.

"You know precisely to what I am referring."

He turned to look at her and she raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Ah, that thing," he teased. "You're not the only one able to shock, you know." He started to button his shirt only to realise that several buttons were missing. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked, moving over to the closet to fetch another.

"It almost seems immoral to answer." He turned back to see her sprawled languorously on the bed. "It's surely a pity to waste the moment though. Do you want to finish what you started…?"

He smiled. "My darling, as attractive as I find you, unfortunately, I fear the moment has somewhat passed. Perhaps…if you are not too tired tonight after the ladies' circle…?" He stopped, leaving the sentiment hanging in the air.

Rebecca sighed dramatically. "I suppose I shall just have to wait. Although, I must say, if the ladies' circle didn't have anything to talk about before then, given what your mother just witnessed, they certainly have now!"

He smiled lovingly at her, "I love you."

She smiled back at him, feeling for the first time in weeks, a sense of, if not happiness, then contentment. "I love you too."