Inside Darling (Darling #1) [complete]

Chapter Thirty-Four

I T   H A D been difficult for Louelle to hide such a secret from Thatcher; even if it would have been without Dane being aware. She'd lie awake in the night as he snored softly into her ear, arm draped across her abdomen, while he soundly slept. She knew he had to eventually know, however she was absolutely frightened.

He would be ecstatic. That was not a worry of hers. The prince would be an amazing father, completely opposite of his own father - King James. He'd be supportive and loving; touching and caring; a teacher of life and a confidant. Prince Thatcher had taught himself how not to be when his time came to be a parent.

It did not mean he didn't have his own fears of being a father. While discussing their futures after the arrangement ended one night, he mentioned his trepidations of becoming just like the king. Louelle assured him repeatedly he would be a fantastic husband and father in hopes it would get ingrained into his mind - that it was silly of him to have those fears.

She knew he was aware of how foolish it sounded. He did not want to be a father like the king because he understood how it felt. He understood how it felt to be belittled; to be emotionally and physically abused nearly every day of his life. He despised his father for more reasons than one and if he ended up like him, he'd also despise himself.

Therefore, keeping the secret of her being with child away from him was not because she felt he would be a poor father.

It was because of his father.

She was frightened of King James.

If he was made aware of her situation, he undoubtedly would take care of it. Perhaps he would have killed her; perhaps he would have her escorted into one of the nearest villages to the woman who handled problems such as those. If he'd gone with the latter option, she quite possibly could have died. It was not the safest of procedures. In fact, it was quite a fatal one.

The king was the only hesitation she had for informing her prince. If others heard she was with child out of wedlock, she would not have minded the glares of disgust or the whispers of gossip. She never had cared for it - never paid it much mind.

Louelle was only afraid for King James to hear of it.

It was why she had kept it secret.

She was shocked when she heard the news herself. Every emotion imaginable washed over her like a tsunami - panic, elation, sadness, fear.

The story of the day she found out was told to Dane when she spilled the secret. They sat in the library, asking and answering questions. He had been speechless for quite a while. All of his thoughts jumbled together inside of his head, causing it to be nearly impossible to string a coherent sentence together. Louelle completely understood. She informed him of something life-altering that she herself was still attempting to grasp the concept of.

She was with child. She and Thatcher were not careful enough. It was something the two of them were not ready for. They still had to resolve the arrangement. The unplanned pregnancy was not something they could have been able to use to their advantage.