Mrs. Elsom beamed at her, her cheeks flushing a little. “Bless you, ma’am. Do ring for me if you need anything else.” She bobbed quickly and left the room, leaving Adelaide smiling after her.

Then Adelaide took a moment for herself, exhaling slowly.

She could wait to tell Basset she could be with child until she was certain, but that hardly seemed appropriate, and it would not be fair. After all, he had been participating actively in the means by which a child would come about, so the outcomes of such things ought to affect him as well.

Much as he tried her patience, he was her husband, and the child would be his. And she needed to know how involved he would wish to be in raising a child, if he were in any way interested in her progression, and just how he would feel about the prospect, now it was likely upon them. They had yet to fully settle into the routine of life at Trevadden together, and now even the time to do that was limited.

Unless they settled on absent parenting, having the child raised by nannies, tutors, and governesses. Adelaide had endured such a childhood, and though her parents had taken the time to greet her daily and share their affection, the distance had prevented significant attachment for her, and her parents were merely the figures in her home.

Perhaps if she had formed a better connection with her father, he might have cared more about her feelings with regard to her marriage.

It still would not have given her Phillip, but it might have spared her the pain of Basset. Although… he was not so dreadful as she’d originally imagined. She could not venture further, as she had never suspected him of being a villain, but he was not so bad.

Yet.

Not even a month of marriage had passed. He could still be on his best behavior.

If that was his best, it was not especially encouraging.

Adelaide shook her head, confused about her husband, of all things, when she ought to have been confused about the child potentially growing within her.

It was unseemly to be confused about too many things at once.

She moved from the room and descended the stairs to the main floor of the house, knowing better now than to bellow for her husband. He would ignore every attempt to locate him, give her no response at all, and expect her to hunt for him throughout the entire house. Which, naturally, made her want to bellow just to see if it would irk him in the least.

But for this…

This did not seem like something one ought to bellow for.

It was still relatively early, but Basset had not given her any indication as to his schedule. He never did, and she did not particularly care from day to day.

Until this moment, of course.

When she needed him.