Piracy

36. Following Him

I stared at Hadley in shock for several long moments. I realized that she was on the verge of hysteria, so I finally pulled myself together and asked, "A baby? Are you sure?" 

That's when her tears started flowing freely. "I'm almost positive," she nodded. "I'm already a few weeks behind on my menstrual cycle. And I don't know, I can just feel it." She and I had always been on the same cycle, as far back as I could remember. I'd had my monthly flow about twelve days earlier, shortly after Harry and I had reunited after my kidnapping. 

"Are you feeling ill?" I questioned.

"I am, but who knows? It could be just nerves, right?" She asked hopefully. 

"Possibly, but probably not. If you missed your monthly flow, that's a pretty good sign."

Hadley sat down and began to convulse with sobs. "What am I going to do?" She wailed.

I sat next to her, hugging and consoling her. I could understand why pregnancy might be a shock, but it wasn't necessarily something to cry so bitterly about. "There now, Hadley," I said, trying to comfort her. "It's not so bad. Babies are wonderful things."

She shook her head. "No! Not like this. I don't even know how to be a mother! And what if Niall doesn't want anything to do with me? What if he sends me away? I can't raise a baby by myself!"

I sat up on my knees and took her shoulders in my hands. "Now listen. This is Niall's doing as much as it is yours, so I doubt he'll walk away from you so easily. I've seen how he looks when the two of you are together, and I think he's smitten. However, I can promise you this." She looked up at me with eyes full of hope. "No matter what happens, I will be there for you. Even if Niall does the very worst - which I don't think he will - I promise I won't abandon you. You and I will stick together and I'll help you every step of the way. Understand?" I felt much less convinced of my own words than I was letting on. I hadn't a clue what would become of my life in the next few hours, let alone the coming months and years. But Hadley and I had been together since childhood. It seemed like a small thing to consider our lives being lived out together for years to come. 

Her face relaxed considerably. "You would do that for me?" She asked.

"Of course," I said. "Why wouldn't I?" 

She sniffled and wiped the back of her hand across her nose. "I haven't always been very kind to you. And you're no longer a slave to my family. For heaven's sake, Wren, you might even be a queen!"

"Nonsense," I laughed. "I don't about all that queen business, but I do know that you're more like a sister to me than a master, so I want to help you, all right? No more questions."

She hugged me more tightly than she'd ever done before. And then she asked, in a voice that was still shaky. "Do you think...I mean, would you talk to Niall for me? If he makes it back?"

I smiled reassuringly. "I would be happy to talk to him when he returns."

* * *

Late that evening, Louis, Abigail, Hadley and I sat down to dinner with Tansy. The bread that Hadley and I had made was even better than it had smelled while it was baking. 

"My compliments to the bakers," Louis said with a delighted smile. He had slathered a slice of the cinnamon bread with fresh cream. Hadley and Tansy both smiled proudly. Abigail gave Tansy a funny look that I couldn't decipher. I just enjoyed watching the interactions at the table - it helped me to keep my mind off the fact that the other men had been gone for well over twelve hours. 

After everyone had gone to bed, I heard rustling outside my open window. I crept over and looked out, seeing Louis' shadow pacing back and forth. I put on my dress and went outside to join him.