[ I had a little bit of morning sickness during my pregnancy, but I didn’t really gain or lose much of my weight. I didn’t have any special food to cover for, but Mandy, when I was carrying you, I ate quite a lot—especially my craving to eat chicken had been strong as well. I heard that morning sickness would be rather poisonous for a long time. Therefore, I’m sending you a chicken recipe that you had especially liked, so have the chef make it for you. It will taste much better than simple baby food. ]

I used to be blown away and stunned by the surprising comment. It appeared that some details about me was spreading in far more element than I had thought. It was stating that my interval of morning illness had been somewhat lengthy. Even so, I by no means thought that my very own mom would have heard about the truth that I used to be consuming Carl’s child meals along with him.

[ I heard that your morning sickness is getting longer and that you haven’t even been able to eat lately. So, Countess Petrika seems to be worried sick. I tried to think that it would have been much better for me, your own mother, to take care of you. However, the situation is not going very well and I became so anxious. ]

As I puzzled the place my mom had heard of all this, it appeared that Countess Petrika really was the supply. I didn’t suppose that she would relay the rumor to my mom in a really good approach since she was fairly distressed in regards to the information of my being pregnant.

[ Your father is very busy these days with that new job of his. And so are your brothers. In the meantime, since I’m away, there are many things that will bother me in many ways. ]

My eldest brother, who had now been married, was caring for the viscounty on behalf of his mother and father and my two older brothers in addition to Father had each labored for Depend Petrika within the county itself, which my mom got here to find out about. The brand new job that my father and older brothers had taken on was not that of an excellent one. Issues will need to have been going somewhat dangerous that even a mom couldn’t come to see her personal pregnant daughter, however she wouldn’t inform me what was actually occurring and there had been no approach that I might really discover out in regards to the household now.

I had been anxious about my household and was terribly offended by Depend Petrika, however since I needed to coexist with him as a lot as attainable, I endured all of it whereas Carl’s face. Carl’s face was as harmless as an angel who had fallen quietly asleep with out understanding something in any respect. And since this youngster was not an angel who fell proper from the sky, however a baby who would later develop into the Duke of DeMancier, I wanted the assistance of his mom’s household.

I calmed myself down by stroking my swollen stomach as I completed studying the letter. My mom’s greetings had conveyed each her concern for the approaching winter as nicely the anticipation of seeing me and my unborn youngster. How reassuring her phrases had been when she remarked that she would undoubtedly go to and provide her power once I was to provide beginning quickly. I ran my finger over the letter’s signature, which gave away my mom’s distinctive trait earlier than placing the letter again down with a slight sigh.

“I miss you, Mom. Ship over the enclosed recipe to the chef and ask him to suppose whether or not or not Carl can actually eat it.”

“Sure, Madam.”

“And put my mom’s letters contained in the mailbox.”

“Sure.”

The 2 maids took the piece of paper that had the recipe in addition to the letter, respectively, earlier than they ultimately walked away. At my look, one other maid immediately tore off the wax on the subsequent letter.

[ Mandy, how are you feeling? ]

The handwriting of the content material that had been full of worries about my physique’s situation with none type of greetings was merely acquainted. I whispered softly to Carl who can be the opposite particular person that may have been interested by Gellerhard’s information as nicely.

“Your father has despatched you a letter, Carl. I’ll learn it to you when you get up later.”

“Ugh…”

I brushed towards Carl’s tender cheek whereas he was in a deep sleep and stroked his hair tenderly. Smooth black locks gently fluttered throughout my fingertips and over the plump, crimson cheeks of the kid who already slumbered in his sound sleep with such crimson lips.

[ Is Carl bothering you, perhaps? ]

In no way, how good our Carl had really been. Carl nonetheless thought that I used to be in ache, so he didn’t behave like earlier than and even after studying that his personal little brother had been in my swollen stomach, he would quietly put his face on my stomach and talked to it in tender whispers. Not solely that, he even stroked it together with his personal tiny hand.

It was in order that cute that even Gellerhard wouldn’t have been so involved if he had seen it. Carl’s mischievous giggle of working round together with his little youthful brother had already come to thoughts. Even the large daddy was there as nicely. Gellerhard might even maintain each of his two sons, one in every arm. Even when the 2 brothers have been to cling onto his arms one after the other, he would nonetheless be capable of raise them excessive with out flinching in any respect.

[ I’ll get there as soon as possible. As soon as the winter starts, I will definitely be the fastest to go to you. ]

Gellerhard would even be unable to take care of Depend Petrika actively since he was Carl’s maternal grandfather. Nonetheless, I might nonetheless stand upright as I opposed Depend Petrika’s household and the household of Duchess DeMancier who pretended to be, however nonetheless—

I didn’t need to faux that I wasn’t conscious of it, like I did proper now and I simply needed to let him know the menace that I had been via earlier than I want to be comforted in his arms. I actually wished to be protected in these huge arms of his. In the long run, I merely hoped for his secure return.

* * *