As her body began swelling, she would have to stop going to the club. She couldn’t risk being seen there in her condition. If some of his customers were hinting that they thought he’d taken a mistress, it wouldn’t do at all for them to realize that mistress was pregnant. Even if they weren’t sure it was her, if it caused the tiniest of speculations—she couldn’t risk their association being discovered.

They would have to make other accommodations.

The price of what they’d done suddenly seemed far too high. When she had set out on this mission, she hadn’t expected to fall in love.

She arrived at the bookshop without her sisters. She’d considered sending a missive with their regrets, but in the end, she wanted to see the shop all put together, wanted to see Aiden in a setting other than a bedchamber.

After much thought, she decided she couldn’t be certain she was with child. She would give it another week, perhaps two, before calling upon her physician to solicit his opinion on the matter. Then she would decide her course of action.

For now it was enough to see him waiting for her outside the shop, the sight of him always bringing her a kick of joy, joy that increased as he opened the door and closed his fingers around hers, assisting her out of the carriage. How many times had he handed her up or down? Not nearly enough.

“Is something amiss? You seem a bit pale.”

“I’m perfectly fine. My sisters are unwell, however. They send their regrets.”

Concern narrowed his eyes. “Is it contagious?”

“No. They’ll be right as rain in a day or so. Can we take a stroll through your sister’s shop now?”

“By all means.” He tucked her hand within the crook of his elbow. The familiarity of it after such a short time was astounding.

But then everything about their relationship seemed to have happened at breakneck speed, as though they’d been sitting astride a runaway horse. Never had so many varying emotions pummeled her as they did now. A mixture of joy and sadness, a need to hoard away memories.

Inside the shop, she took comfort from the musty aroma emanating from the books stacked neatly on the beautifully carved bookcases.

Fancy hurried over to her, curtsied. “Your Grace, I’m so glad you were able to come by for a peek.” She glanced past Selena, her delicate brow furrowing. “Your sisters—”

“Are indisposed. They send their apologies, but as their mourning period is not as long as mine, I’m certain they’ll pay a visit at the appropriate time.”

“I look forward to welcoming them. We already have the punch set up if you’d like some. Mick has asked his hotel chef to prepare us some tea cakes, but they won’t be here for a while yet.”