Princess's Secret Baby

When later she cried, James walked over and shook her shoulder, and when still she cried, instead of lying on top of the bed this time he got in. Leila rolled into him and he inhaled the delicious scent of her. He’d had his shirt, the one that held her fragrance from their one night together, analysed. Now a scent with a base of jasmine and a woody note of oud, frankincense and musk lingered in delicate combination, and James drew her closer in.

Oh!

Leila lay with his heartbeat in her ear and strong arms around her and lovely hairy legs beneath her smooth ones and a hand that caressed her arm. She awoke to it too, and lingered there just a moment, trying to pretend she was still asleep, just to revel in the feel of another. The crinkle of hair on his stomach had her fingers itching to explore but she denied them.

‘You got in,’ Leila said as she untangled herself and lay on her back on a sheet that felt too cool.

‘You didn’t complain when I did.’ James looked over and smiled. ‘You were purring like a cat.’

Leila poked out her tongue to him and then got back to staring at the ceiling.

‘I don’t feel sick.’

‘Yay!’

‘Do you think that could be bad?’

‘Of course not, you’re a textbook pregnancy. Well, according to Dr Internet—morning sickness fades in the second trimester.’

‘You looked it up.’

‘Of course I did.’

She liked that he did.

‘You can ask the physician all your questions this evening,’ James suggested. ‘I know what I want to ask her...’

‘You?’ Leila frowned. ‘I don’t want you there.’

‘Well, I have to be there,’ James answered tartly, and got out of bed.

‘Where are you going?’ Leila asked.

‘To the shower,’ James said.

‘But breakfast will soon be delivered,’ Leila protested because she was enjoying speaking with him.

‘I’m over impressing the maids too,’ James responded.

‘You’re cross.’

‘Yep.’

‘Because?’

‘I’m sure you shan’t bother to work it out.’

They barely spoke all morning and it was a relief when Leila went to work. James rang Manu to ask about a dressmaker for Leila but was taken aback when Manu responded angrily.

‘Did you speak with her family before you proposed to her?’ Manu asked. ‘Have you included them in your plans?’

‘No.’

‘That is offensive,’ Manu said.

‘I’m trying to do the right thing here,’ James said. ‘I asked her to marry me, didn’t I? Surely that’s the right thing to do by them?’

‘James, she is a princess, her father is a king...’

‘Well, what the hell was I supposed to do?’

‘Not railroad her into marrying you. Not cause irreparable damage between her and her parents might have been a good start. You should have listened to me when I told you not to do this.’

‘Just give me the name of a dressmaker,’ James snapped, irritated, yet Manu’s words had rattled him. And they were still niggling even as they sat at the doctor’s and he filled out five hundred forms that made even him blink.

He was rather tempted to ask if her harp money might fund an overseas visitor to the US for a pregnancy but decided to choose his battles wisely.

And he chose not to say anything when the receptionist called her name and Leila stood.

‘Did you want James to come in?’ the receptionist offered. ‘Catherine will be doing an ultrasound.’

‘I’ll be fine,’ Leila said. ‘You may not believe it but I’m actually quite capable.’

God, she was arrogant, James thought as Leila strode in.

Leila wasn’t just arrogant, she was terrified.

She did not want to be examined, and neither did she like all the questions that Catherine asked. However, when she lay there trying to be brave as Catherine put some jelly on her stomach, Leila did work out why James had been cross this morning.

Only then did she understand why James might have wanted to be here because there on the screen was their baby. This tiny little thing with a tiny head, arms, legs, fingers, hands and a nose. It even kicked its little legs and Leila was almost overcome with emotion as she saw what that night had made.

‘We’ll do a more thorough ultrasound at eighteen weeks but for now everything looks completely fine. Do you have any questions?’

Leila shook her head.

Catherine tried to engage her, tried to get more information from her, but Leila refused to go there. As she stepped out of the examination room there was James waiting and she could see the anxiety on his features.

‘It is the size of a pea pod,’ Leila said, and held up her thumb and finger in a guess of the size. ‘It has a nose.’