Part Time Marriage (21 page)

'That's-w-wonderful,' she choked, her voice all wobbly, knowing as she did that she had better tell him-and soon!

`I'm glad you think so. This is such an intense emotion-it hadme scared.'

`Scared!You?'

`I can't begin to tell you. There was I, desperate to see you, yet scared of being alone with you in case I got carried away with the pure delight of having you near. To have dinner with your parents seemed a safe enough idea-but then I found I didn't want to part from you.'

`You didn't`?' She stared at him, recalling how on their return he had kissed her goodnight outside this apartment block and then, without saying another word, had gone quickly back to his car.

Noah shook his head. `I wanted to come in with you-to hold you through the night. It seemed to me then as I drove home that the sooner I got my workload dealt with the better.

My dear,' he went on, `barring today, when the moment I knew you were ill I delegated my second-in-command to give my speech, I have honoured all my work commitments. So-' he broke off to gently kiss her forehead ` do I have your permission to come courting?'

`Y-you don't want a divorce?"

'You've not been listening,' he rebuked her sternly. `Mrs Peverelle, I should like to be married to you for ever.' Oh, Noah. `I asked you a little while ago if you had any feeling for me apart from liking me "a bit". You said "Yes, of course!" You wouldn't care to add anything to that, I suppose?"

'Oh, Noah!'The words would not stay down. Incredibly, it seemed to her that he was actually a touch anxious as he waited for her answer. `I've loved you from that first night when, instead of throwing me out because I couldn't", you offered to make me some tea-and actually laughed.' He looked stunned. `Since then?' he asked incredulously. `You've loved me-since then?"

'Since then.'She smiled. `You're not the only one who's found a reason to lunch or be walking past the Montgomery on the offchance...' And suddenly she was held fast against his heart, locked to him for long soothing minutes.

`Oh, sweetheart,' he breathed when at length he drew back. Tenderly he kissed her, and then gravely stated, `You're starting to look more like my Elexa, but, not to put too fine a point on it, I don't think I'm going to be able to hide for much longer that I am going quietly out of my head worrying about you. Could you not give me a clue what's wrong with you so I can get the best specialist to come and treat you?'

`I...' She tried to get started, tried to tell him, but a mixture of shyness and uncertainty held her back.

`My love, believe me, this is no time for modesty.' Noahh tried to help her out. `Can you not tell me of these "women's problems" that you've never had to be off work with before?' he urged. `I-um-I've n-never been married before either,' she managed, and found Noah was as sharp and as quick on the uptake as ever.

`This, you being ill, has something to do with our beingmarried ?' he discerned, and looked so seriously worried and horrified as he questioned, `I'm the cause?' that she hurriedly rushed to explain.

'I'm half the cause,' she said quickly. `And there's nothing wrong that isn't absolutely quite normal.'

`Go on,' he pressed, the strain he was under starting to show.

Elexa quickly obeyed. `It appears I'm not as numerate as we both thought I was.'

`You're-not?"

'I made a mistake in my calculations,' she confessed. `Well, it is new territory for me,' she defended. And when Noah stared at her, his serious grey eyes fixed on hers, she went on, `And, because of that, I now have to drink orange juice instead of the occasional gin and tonic, which I would much prefer.'

Noah's brow went up, and she wasn't sure he hadn't lost some of his colour. But his voice was tightly controlled when quietly, his grip on her tensing, he questioned, `What are you telling me, Elexa?"

'That I feel sick the moment my feet touch the floor.That the person who first named it m-morning sickness must have been totally unaware that it seems to last most of the day. That-'

`Morning sickness!'Noah exclaimed, looking absolutely thunderstruck. 'You're you're-having my baby?' he questioncd hoarsely.

Elexa nodded. `Do you mind?"

'Mind?Oh, my love! Oh, let me hold you.' And with that he held her tightly up against his heart once more. `You're having my baby,' he breathed exultantly, as if he could barely believe it. `Our baby,' he said in wonder, and for long, long minutes he just held her, sometimes planting a kiss in her hair sometimes kissing the side of her face. `And this is what's wrong with you?' he demanded to know, pulling back. `Having my baby has thrown your system out of gear?" 'You could say that.' She smiled. `I managed to get into work yesterday. This morning-it was just impossible.'

`Oh, sweet love,' he crooned, `and I did this to you.'

`I don't remember complaining,' she laughed, her heart so full of love for him.

`It happened down in Sussex, didn't it?' he stated. `When I loved you and you loved me.'

`Oh Noah,' she cried in delight. `Our baby was conceived with love for each other in our hearts!'

For long moments then they just sat and held each other, then Noah was drawing back to examine her face. `How are you feeling now?' he asked.

`Given that I'm a bit wary of trying to put my feet on the floor-on top of the world.'She grinned, and was held safe by him for more minutes.

`How long have you known?' he asked, and, as alert as ever, `You chose orange juice last Saturday!' he recalled.

Elexa smiled, and as her confidence grew she was happy to tell him, `I hadn't a clue until the other Sunday, when I was idly checking everything and I suddenly realised...I did a test the next day and my doctor confirmed it last Friday.'

`Oh, darling, and you've kept it to yourself-' He broke off. `You did intend to tell me?' he questioned, a shade severely.

`I did think about telling you last Saturday, only...' His groan halted her.

`Only I told you last Saturday that to have a son wasn't the best idea I'd ever had.'

`You didn't know,' she quickly excused him. `And I'd started to have maternal feelings of a strength I'd never expected. And, while I knew you'd every right to know, just as I knew that at some time I would tell you, I've also discovered that no matter what we agreed about-er-your son-living permanently with you-I just won't be able to part from him. I'm sorry, but, knowing the way I feel now, I just don't know whatever made me think that I could.'

`You won't have to, sweet love,' Noah soothed. `It's our baby.'

`You don't mind about it? Er-you're all right about the baby?' she asked tentatively, and Noah bent to gently kiss her.

`I couldn't be more pleased,' he assured her softly.`Or more proud. But my first concern at the moment, sweetheart, is you.'

`I'll be fine,' she promised him. `This awful sickness doesn't last long they say.'

`Let's hope they are right. In the meantime, my darling, I'm going to take good care of you. Now, are you coming home with me? If you don't want to risk testing your feet to the floor I'll carry you to my car, no problem. Or would you prefer me to move in here with you while we look for that place in the country?"

'Oh, Noah,' Elexa cried, suddenly feeling she could not only put her feet to the floor, but that she could dance a jig as well.`You w-want us to live together?"

'I'll settle for nothing less,' he replied firmly. `You're my wife.' And he owned, `While I confess I thought I'd considered every angle before we married, it never even remotely came to me that I might fall in love with the woman I married, but that is what happened. I love and want you with me with all that I have, my dearest Elexa,' he said, tenderly brushing her hair back from her face. ` I want you with me, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, and to guard and keep you safe with me.' Elexa felt near to tears again. It was almost as if Noah had just renewed his marriage vows. `Would you now be so heartless as to tell me I must live alone?' he asked.

Elexa looked at him with nothing but love in her eyes. `I wouldn't dream of saying any such thing,' she answered lovingly. `Um may I come home with you?'

Noah gazed at her for long adoring moments. `Sweet darling,' he breathed, `you're wonderful,' and, gently, he kissed her.