brought her cup up to her lips and sipped the tea.
“I thought you’d like Benjamin’s uncle,” Emilia replied. “Michael has a high opinion of ladies and marriage. Benjamin’s mother was his sister, and they were close friends.”
“Did he ever marry?” Lilly asked before she bit into a scone.
Emilia nodded. “He was for five years, but she got ill and died. They had no children, but they loved each other very much. Benjamin said that his uncle encouraged him to marry early so that he could get the most enjoyment out of life while he was still young.”
“That’s sweet but also very sad,” Lilly replied.
“I agree,” Emilia said. “Benjamin says Michael is a second father to him, and I suspect Michael feels like Benjamin is the son he never had.”
“That’s good, especially since Benjamin’s parents are no longer here.”
“It is. I’m sure when Benjamin and I have a child, Michael will take the role of a grandfather.”
Lilly’s eyes grew wide in interest. “Are you expecting?”
“No, not yet. But I’m sure one of these days, I will be.”
The two glanced over at Kitty. Kitty hurried to shake her head. “I’m not, either.”
Emilia chuckled. “Oh, we know that. You’re not the kind of lady Aaron assumes you to be.”
“I don’t want a child with him,” Kitty said. “I hate that I’m expected to have one. It’s not fair that a lady doesn’t have a choice in the matter.”
“I know Aaron isn’t an ideal husband,” Lilly began. “But the child will be yours, too.” She rubbed her large belly. “Feeling the little one moving around in your womb is one of the most pleasant things a lady can experience. Don’t think of it as Aaron’s child. Think of it as yours.”
Kitty sipped her tea. Yes, she supposed there was that. “Just how long does the process for making,” she cleared her throat, “a child take?”
“It depends,” Lilly replied. “Sometimes lovemaking is nice and slow, and at other times, you get so swept up in the passion of the moment that it’s over far too soon.”
Kitty couldn’t imagine getting swept up in passion with Aaron. Not only did she hate the thought of being with him, but she was sure he’d be scowling the whole time he was with her. With a grimace, she shuddered.
“Oh dear,” Emilia said. “It’s going to be interesting when Aaron decides he needs to try for that heir.” Her gaze went to Lilly. “And not in a good way.”
“Claim that time of the month is upon you,” Lilly told Kitty. “No gentleman wants to be with his wife at a time like that.”
Kitty shot her friend a pointed look. “What do you think Miss Britcher is for? She’s there to tell him when I’m done with that time of the month.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Lilly winced.
“Claim a headache!” Emilia exclaimed.
“That might work for an evening or two,” Lilly said, “but I doubt someone like Aaron will leave her alone longer than that. Though he hates ladies, he does want an heir.”
Emilia tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe Michael can intervene.”
Lilly gasped. “You don’t mean for Benjamin’s uncle to sire the child for Aaron!”
Emilia rolled her eyes. “Of course not. What made you think of that?”
Lilly paused for a moment then shrugged. “Well, if I was Kitty, I’d rather be with Benjamin’s uncle than Aaron.”
“But she’s not married to Michael. She’s married to Aaron,” Emilia pointed out.
Lilly gave Kitty a sympathetic gaze. “I know, and for that, I’m very sorry.”
Kitty sighed. “You didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Well, if I had told Benjamin that you’d been the one who talked about him instead of saying it was Emilia, you wouldn’t be with Aaron.”
“That’s not nice,” Emilia said. “I wouldn’t want to be with anyone but Benjamin.”
“You only say that now,” Lilly replied. “If you hadn’t married him, you wouldn’t have realized how wonderful he was. And since you don’t have a brother who’s awful, you would have been spared the marriage with Aaron.”
“What does any of it matter? I’m stuck with Aaron,” Kitty intervened. “No one can go back and change the past.”
As she hoped, the two gave up on their ridiculous argument. “Do you two have any suggestions on how I might hurry things along when Aaron wants to,” she almost gagged, “try for an heir?”
“Start out naked,” Lilly said.
Emilia grimaced.
“What?” Lilly asked. “Is there something wrong with the suggestion?”
“It has a cold feel to it, like she’s offering herself up as a sacrifice instead of making love to her husband,”