Her shock was obvious. Ed never took days off for no reason; he rarely even called in sick.

“What do you mean you took the day off?”

“I thought my wife needed me more today than my clients. So I told them I’d be available for calls but wasn’t going to be in the office.” He set his phone down on the kitchen island and walked toward her slowly. “Unless it’s an emergency, I’m all yours.”

Colette couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Seriously?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I already called into work for you, too, and told them you won’t be in, so you don’t have to worry.”

Ed’s approach as he moved toward her was hesitant but Colette wasn’t upset anymore. She wasn’t going to keep going with the discussion. What was the point? It wasn’t as if their arguing about it was going to make any difference. The tests were still negative.

He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so sorry, my love. About everything.”

Colette hugged him back. “I’m sorry, too,” she said, a little taken aback by the hollowness in her voice and the numbness she felt as she spoke. The longer she was disappointed and the more absent Ed was, the more alone and empty she felt. She’d hoped a baby would end the feeling, but even that was being denied to her.

“So we’re going out for the day,” he announced chirpily. “All you have to do is put on some comfortable shoes and we’re off.”

“Where are we going?” she asked. She didn’t understand this. This wasn’t the Ed she knew. Her husband didn’t just take her out on spur-of-the-moment day trips.

“Don’t worry about where. Trust me,” he said with a smile. “Today, it’s all about us, Colette. Just you and me.”

Curiosity got the better of hunger, so she did as Ed asked, got a pair of ballet flats and her handbag, and followed him outside.

His driver was waiting with the car already running when she stepped out onto the street and then her husband followed with a picnic basket in hand.

“Did you pack that?” she asked. If he had then she’d fallen asleep in the bathroom for far longer than she’d thought.

“No,” he laughed. “I had something delivered. I’m sure you’ll like it, though.”

The drive to wherever he wanted to go was a long one. Traffic was especially bad from Belgravia and it took them over half an hour to really get moving.

As they drove along the Mall, Colette glanced up at the Queen Victoria Memorial standing prominently in marble, the golden angels with wings and hands raised to the heavens.

The queen had nine children. The thought ran unbidden through her mind. She shook it away, needing to move away from that mind-set.