Free The Werewolf's Pregnant Bride by Jane B. Night

mark itself.
    "Are you looking forward to the circus?" Nathaniel asked.
    "I am. Are you?" Sophronia asked.
    "Not particularly. I do not see the point of them," Nathaniel said. She was not sure why the words cut her but they did. Did he think her a silly girl for wanting to see acrobats and trick riders?
    "No one will object if you do not attend," Sophronia said. The harshness of her tone surprised her.
    "It would not be proper for you to go unescorted. I am not even sure how proper it is for you to be seen at such a place in your condition," Nathaniel said. She could feel the heat of anger flood through her body. He was ashamed to be seen with her. He was ashamed to pretend that she was carrying his baby. If he had his way he would probably keep her under lock and key to prevent her from embarrassing him.
"Your brother will be escorting us so there is no need to worry about propriety," Sophronia said.
    She could see the muscle in his jaw twitch with anger. She had not meant to be cruel but Nathaniel had made her angry. She knew a lesser man would have slapped her across the face.
    Nathaniel however simply bowed to her and then retreated.
    Sophronia walked the rest of the way to her room alone. She opened the door and threw herself on the bed. She did not even try to suppress the tears that flowed freely down her face. She usually was not the type of girl to carry on so but it seemed that the babe inside of her along with a life that was so suddenly out of control was making it difficult to control her emotions.
    Her chances at a happy marriage were hopeless. There was no way she and Nathaniel would ever find to be civil to each other let alone friendly. Love was certainly out of the question.
     
    Nathaniel slammed the door which made Snow and Winter startle. The dogs jumped up to sniff at him and a moment later cowered on the floor by his side. They must have been able to smell the stench of his anger. He did not know why Sophronia's words got to him. She was nothing to him. Why did it matter if Baltz looked at her with lust? Why did it matter if she went unescorted to the circus in the company of his brother? None of that should matter to him.
    He tried to pull it together in his mind. The only reason he could imagine for his ridiculous emotions to be so treacherous was the fact that he bedded her. Did bedding a woman really cause such ridiculous proprietary feelings? How could men lay with whores and be well aware that the man in the hallway would bed her the second he left her room? How could Eldon seem uncaring that Nathaniel was married to her and bedding her?
    It was ridiculous. He loved Vivian. He should be married to and bedding Vivian. Sophronia should be nothing to him.

 
    Chapter 9
     
    Sophronia could tell as she sat down at the breakfast table that both Claire and Nathaniel had taken extra time on their appearances that morning. She had a pretty good idea why Claire was wearing her hair a bit more stylishly than usual and why she was in her second best dress though she was not sure what had possessed her husband to make sure his clothes were completely wrinkle free and his face shaved smooth as a baby mouse.
    No one else at the table looked any different than they had at the breakfast table on the other mornings she had shared with them.
    Mercy was at the table with a book which she was paying more attention to than her food. Eldon had a glass of ale in his hands and no plate. The Marquess was absent from the table but likely in his study already working on business.
    She tried to ignore the tension in the air as she filled her plate. Her appetite was especially hearty that morning. The child within her must be growing large and strong. She hoped the babe did not grow too large. She had tried to put thoughts of birthing the babe out of her mind because the idea of childbirth was terrifying. The babe inside her was a punishment for her night with Eldon. She hoped that would be adequate penance. That, and