disappointment, and of having to deceive her husband. But she was determined that he not know she had miscarried. He did not need to be reminded of Elena or his mother. She would simply become pregnant again, and as soon as possible.
A twinge of pain in her lower abdomen reminded her that it would be a few more days before she could begin.
"How was your trip?" she asked. She sat up.
"My trip was fine. I longed every moment to be back here, but the meetings went well."
As Gabriel spoke, he watched her, his blue eyes intense. Lorilla inwardly cringed under his gaze. She had never lied to him. She wasn't sure she could.
"Lorilla? Are you feeling better this morning?" he asked softly, reaching out to catch a strand of her hair. He let it twirl around his fingers, then drop from his touch. He moved his hand to her cheek.
"A bit." She pressed a kiss into his palm. "I'm sure I'll feel fine in a couple of days."
Gabriel sat up and pulled her into the circle of his arm. She was relieved. She loved to lie against him, his arms protecting her. Plus this way he couldn't see her face.
"You're lying abed late this morning," she said.
"Si." His hand ran the length of her arm, caressingly. Then he slid his fingers beneath her arm to spread them against her abdomen. "I thought perhaps I might have better luck than I did last night. I'm feeling rather unappreciated."
Lorilla closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his hand, feeling her reaction deep within her. But as her muscles tightened in desire, a cramping pain caught her. She gasped.
Gabriel tensed, then sat up and pulled away from her. He grasped her shoulders, making her look at him. "What's the matter, Lorilla? How sick are you? And with what?"
"It's j-just my monthly," she stammered, refusing to meet his gaze. She shrugged. "It is worse than usual."
She felt his gaze on her, sharp, assessing. Steeling herself, she met his eyes. If she didn't look at him he would know something was wrong. If she did look at him, she was afraid he would read her grief in her eyes. Either way she was lost.
Gabriel stared at her. He had never seen her like this. Perhaps she was sick, but her actions told him there was something more. Her eyes held a sadness he'd never seen before. She had blossomed in the weeks she had been here. She had gone from a frightened but determined little mouse to a strong, confident Patrona . Gabriel had watched and enjoyed every moment of it.
But now, she was hiding something. And he was sure that whatever was wrong with her, it was not her monthly. In fact…he thought back, considering what he remembered of the past few weeks.
"Lorilla, when was your last monthly?"
Her gaze flickered away, then back to meet his eyes. "I suppose it was…last month."
He shook his head. "No. It has been well over a month since--" He stopped. He swallowed. A certainty began to build in him and with it came a slow growing, but relentless joy. He was afraid to give voice to his suspicion, afraid that to speak it might make it go away. His heart swelled in his chest until he could barely breathe.
" Chiquita ?"
Lorilla's face had turned pale, and he could feel her arms trembling beneath his hands. Her head moved jerkily, once, as if in negative answer to his unasked question.
"C hiquita , are you with child?" His voice almost broke. "Are you? It has been weeks since--."
She shook her head again, her eyes wide. Then as he watched, tears welled, and one spilled down her cheek.
He touched a thumb to the tear, then pulled her into his arms, hugging her. "Don't worry," he said comfortingly. "You'll be fine. You're probably feeling sick right now. The first months are like that."
Her shoulders shook, and he felt the warm dampness of her tears as she buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder. "I know you're frightened, but I will take care of you. And Josepha knows all about babies."
She shook her head and a sob escaped her
A twinge of pain in her lower abdomen reminded her that it would be a few more days before she could begin.
"How was your trip?" she asked. She sat up.
"My trip was fine. I longed every moment to be back here, but the meetings went well."
As Gabriel spoke, he watched her, his blue eyes intense. Lorilla inwardly cringed under his gaze. She had never lied to him. She wasn't sure she could.
"Lorilla? Are you feeling better this morning?" he asked softly, reaching out to catch a strand of her hair. He let it twirl around his fingers, then drop from his touch. He moved his hand to her cheek.
"A bit." She pressed a kiss into his palm. "I'm sure I'll feel fine in a couple of days."
Gabriel sat up and pulled her into the circle of his arm. She was relieved. She loved to lie against him, his arms protecting her. Plus this way he couldn't see her face.
"You're lying abed late this morning," she said.
"Si." His hand ran the length of her arm, caressingly. Then he slid his fingers beneath her arm to spread them against her abdomen. "I thought perhaps I might have better luck than I did last night. I'm feeling rather unappreciated."
Lorilla closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his hand, feeling her reaction deep within her. But as her muscles tightened in desire, a cramping pain caught her. She gasped.
Gabriel tensed, then sat up and pulled away from her. He grasped her shoulders, making her look at him. "What's the matter, Lorilla? How sick are you? And with what?"
"It's j-just my monthly," she stammered, refusing to meet his gaze. She shrugged. "It is worse than usual."
She felt his gaze on her, sharp, assessing. Steeling herself, she met his eyes. If she didn't look at him he would know something was wrong. If she did look at him, she was afraid he would read her grief in her eyes. Either way she was lost.
Gabriel stared at her. He had never seen her like this. Perhaps she was sick, but her actions told him there was something more. Her eyes held a sadness he'd never seen before. She had blossomed in the weeks she had been here. She had gone from a frightened but determined little mouse to a strong, confident Patrona . Gabriel had watched and enjoyed every moment of it.
But now, she was hiding something. And he was sure that whatever was wrong with her, it was not her monthly. In fact…he thought back, considering what he remembered of the past few weeks.
"Lorilla, when was your last monthly?"
Her gaze flickered away, then back to meet his eyes. "I suppose it was…last month."
He shook his head. "No. It has been well over a month since--" He stopped. He swallowed. A certainty began to build in him and with it came a slow growing, but relentless joy. He was afraid to give voice to his suspicion, afraid that to speak it might make it go away. His heart swelled in his chest until he could barely breathe.
" Chiquita ?"
Lorilla's face had turned pale, and he could feel her arms trembling beneath his hands. Her head moved jerkily, once, as if in negative answer to his unasked question.
"C hiquita , are you with child?" His voice almost broke. "Are you? It has been weeks since--."
She shook her head again, her eyes wide. Then as he watched, tears welled, and one spilled down her cheek.
He touched a thumb to the tear, then pulled her into his arms, hugging her. "Don't worry," he said comfortingly. "You'll be fine. You're probably feeling sick right now. The first months are like that."
Her shoulders shook, and he felt the warm dampness of her tears as she buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder. "I know you're frightened, but I will take care of you. And Josepha knows all about babies."
She shook her head and a sob escaped her
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