her to explain be it briefly her circumstances “Sir Archibald Birmingham the sixth was my husband. He was 30 years older than me when I married him at the age of 18. I was employed as the assistant Stable Manager here on the Estate and it turned out that he needed a woman to produce an heir. I guess that I was the closest thing around. We married in a private ceremony with Agnes and Harold as our witnesses.” What had made her mention that? She glanced at Brandon who had a very focused look on his face. He was giving her all the time she needed to tell her story. She had never put her loveless marriage into words before. All those she was close to were on the estate and had watched her life unfold. She told a deep breath and continued “It was a completely loveless relationship. Sex was awful and only an act in the hope that I would become pregnant.” Embarrassment overwhelmed her and she turned on the chair to go. Why was she telling him this? He was a playboy and didn’t want to hear her tales of woe. He wanted bright and bubbly, not this. He grabbed her by her upper arm and forced her to slide back into the chair then took her chin in his hand forcing her to look at him. He kissed her again. This time he kept his manhood out of it, but his head was spinning when they came up for air. She was having a very foreign effect on him. It was just a kiss yet it was having such a strong physical effect on him. He drew her in and kissed the top of her head. Sophia thought he was playing dirty, very dirty indeed. How was a woman supposed to think clearly when they have just experienced a second kiss that made her terrified by her response? She had a fleeting desire to rip his clothes off and have her way with him. Steady Sophia, steady. Another deep breath and she continued “About six years ago Archibald, came home in a terrible state. He announced that he had inoperable brain tumors and the specialists gave him just months to live. I had spent 10 years with a man that at best I could say I was fond of.” She looked up at Brandon at this point. He let her go and looked directly into her eyes. “He never abused me or hit me, never raised his voice at me. At times I wished that he did argue with me. The indifference was unbearable to live with. It just cemented his total lack of interest in me, I guess.” she took up her position back in his arms. It felt surprisingly nice to have her snuggling into his chest as she went on. “I felt so sorry for him and he had consumed a number of brandies. Without going into the logistics I found out I was pregnant six weeks later. Ten years of nothing and then when he is dying, I am expecting a baby.” A desperate sadness overwhelmed her. Maybe if she had been able to produce a child earlier he would have been more loving. Sophia had been completely unaware that she had voiced this aloud until Brandon offered a wordless response of pulling her closer to him. She could feel his heartbeat through his shirt and could also feel the firmness of his chest. He was really well built. Stick to the story, with a level of resignation that he would regard her as a weak, needy woman she blundered on with her story. “Archibald was too sick to come to the hospital to participate in the arrival of Lilly,” She giggled “poor Harold took me to the hospital and did a very good job of apprehensive relative. Apparently he wore a track in the hospital floor with his pacing. Anyway I delivered Lilly on my own and Archibald had three short weeks with her before he lost his battle.” A series of small silent tears ran down her face and as she had already embarrassed herself enough for one day she tried in earnest to not let Brandon see her lack of emotional control.
It wasn’t working, he pushed her away from him and looked at her face. No. No. No. Was her silent scream in her head, don’t look at me, but it was too late the flood gates had