Perhaps married women discussed such things. She would need to find women to have such conversations with rather quickly if she was indeed with child.

Heavens, what was she going to tell Basset?

“Good morning, my lady.”

Adelaide turned on her heel in the middle of her pacing, smiling too brightly for her nerves. “Mrs. Elsom, good morning. Please, do come in.”

The housekeeper did so, coming forward and clasping her hands before her. “Is there something I can help you with, my lady?”

“Yes.” Adelaide bit her lip, twisting her fingers together and moving toward the chairs in the center of the room. “Er… will you sit down?”

“If you like, of course.” Mrs. Elsom walked to the chairs herself and waited for Adelaide to sit before doing so herself.

This might have been worse than facing her husband after their first night together.Well, perhaps not worse… but the awkwardness and vulnerability were certainly on a level with each other.

Anything mortifying was.

“Do you have children, Mrs. Elsom?” Adelaide asked softly, folding her hands in her lap to keep from wringing her hands together.

“Yes, ma’am. Three of them. A boy and two girls.” Mrs. Elsom smiled a gentle, sentimental smile that caused a strange twitching in Adelaide’s heart. “They are my pride and joy.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond to that, given she had never known such feelings about anything. She could not have smiled such a smile and meant it. She did not feel so warm and loving about any particular topic or idea. Nothing softened her in such a way; not Phillip, not her cousin, not her wedding day…

Adelaide was not one to be softened. But she would want that if she had children. She would want to feel connected to them, as though her own life meant something because they had blessed it.

“I must confide in you, Mrs. Elsom,” Adelaide said in a rush of air, her cheeks heating. “I have realized this morning that I missed my courses.”

Mrs. Elsom’s eyes widened, her mouth forming a thin line for just a moment. “All right… how long has it been?”

“Thirty-six days.” She tried for a smile. “And I was unwell this morning.”

“Hmm.” The housekeeper slowly rubbed her hands together in thought. “Well, it is a little early to be certain, ma’am, but I think it likely that you could be with child.”

Adelaide exhaled in a rush. “I was afraid of that.”

“Afraid, ma’am?”

“Concerned,” Adelaide corrected with a slight smile. “Curious. I don’t know how I feel about the possibility. I recognize that certain… activities bring about such consequences and that I will one day be a mother, but I have never truly considered what that would be like. I thought… I thought—”

“That you would have more time, ma’am?”