After finding out she was pregnant, Maren did not come out of her rooms for the rest of the day. She cried off and on and slept a bit from exhaustion, but was no closer to deciding what to do.

Maren wished she could telegram her parents and tell them not to come, but it was too late. She had received a telegram from her parents that morning saying they were leaving Clifton and would send another when they arrived at Blackstone.

She had absolutely no idea what she was going to tell them. Of course, with one route, she would not need to tell them anything and that would be ideal. Only she still wasn't sure she could do that, even if it was for the best. And if she decided to have the baby...gods...what could she say?

"Hello, Mother, Father, it turns out I'm pregnant, and I can't marry the man I'm engaged to or the father and I also can't go home, so I'm having your grandchild and giving it to the father and his wife and then disappearing forever, so I don't get murdered and the baby's psychopath uncle doesn't find out that I'm its mother."

It would be ugly. But there was no way to sugarcoat it for them.

Alec arrived around tea time, but she refused to let him in. He did leave a note from his father, though, which she did allow in.

Dear Maren,

I want you to know how very sorry I am that you are distressed. I hope very much that you will let me know if there's anything you need or if you'd like someone to talk to.

Please know that regardless of how things land between the two of us, I wish you nothing but the best. Whatever decision you make, I will fully support you, either as husband or friend.

I insist only that you do whatever you feel is best and that you remain in the Duchess's Suite.

My very best regards,
Jonathan

It was so irritatingly, embarrassingly kind that it made her cry all over again.

She was so frustrated. She had barely begun to have a modicum of peace with her situation, only to have it turned upside down the very next moment. It felt monstrously unfair.

She slept fitfully that night. She thought about taking more of the sleeping medication Alec had given her, but wasn't sure it was safe for the baby. Maren didn't want to ask because she wanted to avoid talking to Alec and hearing more meaningless platitudes.

The next morning, she stayed in her rooms for breakfast and was going to stay in for luncheon, only Alec arrived with her maid in tow and demanded she dress.

"You can't stay in here forever, you need some air. Come have luncheon on the terrace," he said.

She scowled at him.

"Go back to bed after if you like, but you are going to come to luncheon!"

"Fine, on one condition. I do not want to hear you breathe a word about...the situation," she snarled.

"I'll agree to that."

She nodded. "I'll be there shortly."

He sat down in one of the armchairs in her sitting room.

"I'll wait."

She made Donovan's growling noise and stomped off into her dressing room.

A worried-looking Jenny helped her dress. Maren thanked her and assured her she had done nothing wrong and that Maren was angry at Alec and not her. Then, when she was finished, she stomped back into her sitting room, where he was still waiting. He offered his arm to her, but she refused it, stomping off to the terrace and leaving him to follow.

She managed to pull together a friendly-adjacent attitude by the time she arrived at the terrace so that Jonathan would not think she was angry at him. She was relying quite a bit on his good will for her current wellbeing and did not want to jeopardize that. So, they managed a pleasant but somewhat strained luncheon, with Maren not really speaking to Alec. She knew she wasn't being fair to him, but she was annoyed he dragged her outside like a child.

Luncheon was nearly over when Mr. Fredericks, the butler, came out onto the terrace.

"Your Grace, a man claiming to be Prince Donovan has arrived and is requesting, well, demanding, really, to see Lady Maren. He drove himself, though, and I'm not at all sure he is who he says he is. Shall I call the constable?"

Maren felt the rage boil up inside her instantly. She glared at Alec. "What did you do?"

"Maren, I had to, you know I had to," he insisted.

"How dare you?" she cried, furious.

"I was going to tell you, I had no idea he'd get here so fast."

The butler cleared his throat, and Maren decided to pause her beratement of Alec until they were not in front of staff.

"No, no, don't send for the constable, it most likely is the Crown Prince," Jonathan said.

"Shall I show him in?"

Jonathan looked back and forth between an enraged Maren and a defiant Alec.

"No...someone...one of us will go to the drive directly," he said.

Mr. Fredericks nodded and left.

Alec made to get up from the table, but Maren stopped him.

"Not you! Not until I'm done with you!"

Jonathan rose. "I'll go."

Maren looked at him and tried unsuccessfully to look less furious. "I do not want to see him."

He looked surprised but nodded. "As you like."

Once he left, Maren stood from the table, so she could more effectively yell at Alec.

"I told you I didn't want to see him! I certainly didn't want to see him until I made up my mind! Do you even realize what sort of position you've put me in? How could you? And without even telling me? This is outrageous!"

Alec was not as remorseful as she thought he should be. He yelled back at her. "You have to see him and I know you want to see him and I even know you want to marry him, but you're too stubborn to admit it. I did this for your own good!"

"You know nothing about what is for my own good! What did you even tell him?"

"I very discreetly informed him you were pregnant. That's all he knows. But I had to do it! You are trying to choose between two things you don't want without even finding out about all your options!"

"You had no right to do that!"

"I did it because it had to be done," he snapped.

"You did it to help out your friend and throw me to the wolves," she snarled, and then turned to storm away from the table.

He tried to call after her, "Maren-"

"Don't you dare speak to me again!" She did not turn back to look at him.

--

The Duke was the last person Donovan expected to meet him in the drive. He recognized him immediately, the Duke looked roughly the same as he had five years ago when Donovan last saw him, but Donovan found his presence alarming.

Had something happened to Maren? Did the Duke want to fight him for her? Should he have brought a pistol? He couldn't duel someone without magic using magic—that would be very dishonorable, and borrowing a pistol from the man he would be dueling didn't seem right either.

"Your Highness," the Duke said with a pleasant smile and an appropriate bow. "It's my pleasure to welcome you. I'm glad you've come."

Based on that greeting, Donovan decided he probably would not have to fight for Maren.

He nodded politely even though he was confused. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"Why don't you come inside? I'm afraid you arrived a bit earlier than we expected, so your room isn't ready just yet, but I'd be delighted to take you to the parlor while you wait," the Duke said.

Donovan supposed that made sense, he had made the drive in a very short amount of time.

"Thank you, but I would very much like to see Lady Maren, will you take me to her?"

The Duke grimaced slightly. "She has stated that she does not wish to receive visitors at the moment."

Donovan found that very alarming. "Is she all right?"

The Duke nodded. "Perfectly all right as of a few minutes ago."

"Then I'd like to see her, I'm sure she'll see me if she knows I'm here."

Donovan was half-mad to see her and could only imagine that she needed to see him too.

"Ah... I'm afraid I find myself in a somewhat awkward position, Your Highness, and seeing as you'll find out anyway, I will tell you even though I am not the appropriate person to do so. It appears that Alec sent for you without her knowledge or approval, and she has specifically asked not to see you."

Donovan couldn't believe it. There had to be some mistake.

"Where's Alec?"

"Last I saw, being yelled at by Maren. Otherwise, I assure you, you would have been greeted by someone more familiar to you than myself," the Duke said with a self-deprecating smile.

Donovan was baffled and concerned. He didn't understand why Maren didn't want to see him. And he remembered he was talking to the man she was engaged to.

"Are you trying to keep me from seeing her?" Donovan asked, trying to be as menacing as possible.

The Duke was nonplussed. "Not at all. I think it would be good for her to see you. Only she is not convinced of that, and I do not think it wise to force the matter."

Donovan nodded curtly. The Duke did seem genuine.

"I do apologize, I know this is probably not the reception you were expecting. Would you like to come into the parlor until Alec is available? I am sure he can explain things better than me."

"Ah...yes, I thank you," he said and followed the Duke into the house.

He led Donovan to a parlor where they sat, and the Duke sent for tea. It was very awkward. Donovan was very concerned and couldn't think of anything but Maren.

"Do you know why I'm here?" he asked.

He wasn't sure how much the other man knew and wanted to find out.

The Duke looked surprised. "I assume because she's pregnant, but if I'm missing something, please do enlighten me."

"Do you still mean to marry her?" Donovan glowered.

"If she wishes and if she isn't having your child."

"If she isn't...why wouldn't she?" Donovan demanded.

The Duke held up a placating hand. "Perhaps you'd best speak to Alec, I want to avoid speaking for her. But I assure you I have no intention of coming between the two of you and, for what it's worth to you, I do not think she wants to marry me."

Gods above, then why wouldn't she see him?

Donovan sat scowling while the Duke sat unbothered, sipping tea and more or less pretending everything was normal.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before Alec appeared.

Donovan leapt up at the sight of him. "What's happened?"

"Ah...well..." Alec glanced at the Duke, who rose.

"I will leave you to discuss this privately. Your Highness, please make yourself at home," he said.

Donovan thanked him as he left and then waited impatiently for Alec to explain.

"Ah, well. She didn't want me to send for you, only I decided to anyway. She's very upset, and she's convinced that her only options are to either end the pregnancy or have the baby and give it up for you and your future wife to raise."

"What?" Donovan cried. "Neither of those are an option! I'm going to marry her."

"I know, I told her that. Even my father told her that. She is certain you either can't or won't."

Donovan was baffled and beginning to be angry himself. How could she think such a thing?

"Listen, it isn't about you. It's about her. She's convinced you don't really want to marry someone like her," Alec said. "And there's the business with heirs..."

Donovan ran his fingers through his hair. He had been thrilled on the drive to Worthingham. Somehow a miracle had occurred and heirs were no longer a problem. Why didn't Maren see that?

"She's been through a lot in the last week. It's been difficult for her," Alec said.

Donovan sighed. He knew that. She was still recovering from Kieran's attack and living in the house of a man she was supposed to marry but didn't want to, and now she was pregnant with someone else's baby. She should be in quite a state, and he knew that. But he hadn't expected it would make her not want to see him.

"Was she really not going to tell me?"

"I don't think so, I think she just wanted to make up her mind before telling you. But I knew she couldn't really decide without hearing from you first...so..."

"Is she very angry with you?" Donovan asked.

Alec shrugged. "Yes and no. But, I'll work it out with her. It was worse because it was a surprise. I didn't think you'd arrive until sometime tomorrow, so I thought I still had time to tell her."

"Ah...well, I was worried," Donovan said. "I thought perhaps there might be some issue with your father..."

Alec chuckled. "That's the only part of this where there is no issue."

"So it appears," Donovan said, and tried to think what to do.

"She said she would rather not see me?"

Alec nodded.

"Would you take me to her?"

Alec nodded again. "Just maybe don't mention I was the one who brought you there."

_______________

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to vote and comment!