The girls spent the whole afternoon together. After a rather late dinner Charlotte went home, as she was tired and did not want to meet the master of the house, who, fortunately, had not yet arrived from hunting. It was hard to part, but Vivian promised to come to Lillehus tomorrow after lunch.

When Miss Salton had left Wington Hall, Vivian retired to the library, and hoping that her hated husband would not be home for at least another couple of hours, took one of the books, sat down in a chair by the fireplace, and, opening the first page, ran her fingers lovingly over the fine black letters on the snow-white paper.

– Please, Lord, let him not come back… Let Jane come in now and tell me that my husband was accidentally killed on a hunting trip! – She closed her eyes and whispered with emotion.

Suddenly loud footsteps were heard outside the door, as if the Lord had heard Vivian's prayer. The door to the library opened with a violent rush, but it was not Jane, but none other than her husband who stood before Mrs. Wington's eyes.

"Alive… Safe and sound!" – thought the girl with despair, but to hide her disappointment she forced herself to smile.

Mr. Wington was in a bad mood. In spite of his successful hunt, he was cold, hungry as a wolf, and cursing his hat, which he had lost in a swift, wide woodland stream.

– Are you here, my love? – he threw to his wife as he approached the fireplace.

The cheerful hot flames were so pleasantly warming in this cold rainy weather!

– My dear, you need to change into dry clothes," Vivian said softly, putting the book aside. She realised that her husband's return had put an end to all her plans for the day.

– That'll do. We'll go to the bedroom soon anyway," Jeremy replied and glanced at his wife. – How was your day, my dear?

– Oh, I spent it with Charlotte. We sang and gossiped a lot, as all girls do! – Vivian laughed falsely. – She's such a talented pianist that I even wanted to take piano lessons.

– That's a lovely idea. But the teacher should be a woman. – Jeremy sat down in a nearby chair and glanced at the book his wife was holding. – Byron? Do you like romance?

– This collection of poems brings me peace of mind," Vivian replied. – When I was younger, I dreamed of meeting my knight. Brave. Fearless. Faithful. – She smiled dreamily. – But such heroes are only in books.

– You're right. I'm glad to have such an inquisitive wife, but books about knights and their exploits for the ladies make me despise them," Jeremy said with a mocking smile.

Vivian wisely remained silent, smiled, and folded her palms in her lap.

– How was your hunt, my love? – She asked in an even tone, knowing that such questions flattered her husband's ego.

– It rained in my eyes, and my hat fell into the river, but I shot a full bag of game," Mr. Wington said, pleased with himself. – But, devil, I'm hungry as a stray dog!

– I'll have dinner laid out for you, my dear.

– Oh, don't. I haven't the strength for food.

"Fine! You're tired, you scoundrel! Then you won't touch me tonight!" – Viviane was relieved.

– My poor husband! You should go to bed now. I will read some more, if you please," she said with a soft smile.

– You will come with me. I've been dreaming about you all this damn wet day," Jeremy said. A lustful smile appeared on his face, and his gaze seemed to go under the muslin of his wife's dress and touch her body. – And you will give me your best caresses, my love.

At these words, nausea came to Vivian's throat.

No. Oh, no! Not that!

The "caresses" he had made her give him! "Caresses" that made her hate herself and feel disgusted with herself.

– Jeremy, I -" the girl burst out, and she turned her face away to the fireplace.

– What, darling? – he asked quietly, watching her like a cat watching a mouse.

– I can't do it any more! – Vivian said in one breath and looked at her husband's face, so ominous in the bright firelight. – I wanted to tell you that yesterday, but you wouldn't listen to me.

Jeremy chuckled wickedly.

– Why not, my love? – He asked creepily.

Vivian placed her hands on her stomach, looked at her husband again, and then smiled with a calm, joyful smile.

– Because I'm carrying our baby under my heart.

It seemed to Vivian that her words did not immediately reach Jeremy's mind, which was tired from the hunt and the hard day's work: his wife only looked at her, and not a word came out of his mouth for several minutes. The young gentleman's squinted eyes were thoughtful, as if he were considering whether the news he had just heard was true or not.

But the girl was mistaken: her husband's heart was filled with warmth. He was so glad that he could not at once find words to express the intensity of this feeling.

He's going to be a father. A father of a marvellous little heir, or maybe a marvellous little girl. The sex of the child had not been of much concern to him, though he had told his wife more than once that their first child should be a boy. But now, hearing the news and seeing the glow in the emerald eyes of his beautiful wife, Mr. Wington knew that he would be glad to have both a son and a daughter. And it would not be his last child. Vivian would bear him two more… Or three. He would be happy with every one of them. He'd take care of each one. His children would be the centre of his universe, felt, Jeremy, a man who had lost his loving, caring mother early and had never felt love from his father.

– My love… Aren't you glad? – Vivian asked in a deep voice and gently stroked her belly. – We are going to have a child and you are not happy about it?

The voice of his wife brought Jeremy out of the fog of his captivating thoughts, and, hastily rising from his chair, he fell on his knees in front of Vivian, took her palms in his hands and kissed them with feeling.

– 'Of course I am glad! It is the most wonderful news I have ever heard in my whole life! – he exclaimed with trembling in his soul. – My love, I am so glad that I am ready to go out into the most crowded street in London and shout that I am going to be a father!

Vivian laughed softly and ruffled her husband's thick and still damp hair with her palm.

– Don't, my dear love, or you'll get wet to the bone," she said, smiling.

– I'm going to be a father… I'm going to be a father! – Jeremy laughed happily and put his hands gently on her belly. – But are you sure about that? How can you know?

– Oh, a woman always feels that two hearts are beating inside her from now on. The blood hasn't come this month, and besides, I'm suddenly sick of the smell of the coffee you like to drink at breakfast," Vivian explained calmly, watching Jeremy's behaviour and the happy smile on his handsome face.

– 'Darling, you should have told me yesterday… I was so angry at you, at your disobedience… I beat your tender palms with a whip! I'm sorry… I'm sorry, my love! – Jeremy kissed his wife's palms again, and his soul was burning with remorse: what if his act had harmed the baby growing in Vivian's belly? – From now on I will sleep in a separate bedroom: I don't want the passion that has suddenly awakened in me to make me forget that you are now in your position.

It was exactly what Mrs. Wington was so desperate to hear. This child had saved her from her spouse, his excessive passion and too hot love. From now on, she would sleep alone and not fear his coming, not be chilled by his touch or disgusted by what he did to her in bed.

"Fine. Before you found out about our child, you used me like the last whore, were cruel to me and kept me quiet with your caresses, if you can call them that, of course. But now you will carry me in your arms and protect me like a fragile and most precious treasure!" – Vivian thought contentedly.