mma decided to put her plans for the building of a hospital aside until she felt she had a better grasp on her duties as the

new manager of the Ashbourne estates. Three months later, however, she had a new reason to postpone construction: she

was pregnant.

She shouldn't have been so surprised, she supposed. After all, the way she and Alex had been behaving, a baby was inevitable. But when she missed her first monthly, the possibility of motherhood still seemed somehow remote. With all of the happiness

her marriage had brought into her life, a baby seemed too much to hope for. But then she began to notice slight changes in her body, and she woke up in the morning feeling slightly queasy. She didn't want to tell Alex until she was certain; there was no

need for both of them to be disappointed if it proved to be a false alarm. When she missed her second monthly, however, she knew that dreams really could come true.

So one morning, as Alex was preparing to get out of bed and get dressed, she put her hand on his arm to still him.

"What is it, darling?" he asked.

"Don't get up just yet," she said softly.

Alex smiled with love in his eyes and eased back under the warm covers. He pulled her to him and dropped a gentle kiss

on her nose, thinking that the pleasure of holding his wife was certainly worth the loss of a few minutes of work that day.

"I have some important news," Emma said.

"Really?" Alex murmured, busy nuzzling the spot of silken skin just behind her ear.

"Mmm," Emma sighed, enjoying his caress. "I'm going to have a baby."

"What?". Alex said loudly, setting her back from him so that he could see her face. "Did you say...?"

Emma nodded, her entire being aglow.

"A baby," he said in wonder. "A baby. Just imagine that."

"It's a little soon, I know, but—"

"It's not too soon," Alex interrupted, crushing her to him. "I can't wait. A baby of my own."

"And my own, too," Emma reminded him.

"A baby of our own. It will be a girl with carroty hair, I think."

Emma shook her head. "No, a boy. I'm sure of it. With black hair and green eyes."

"Nonsense, I'm certain it will be a girl."

Emma laughed, caught up in the magic of the moment. "A boy."

"A girl."

"A boy."

"A girl."

"It will be a boy, I tell you. Would you mind so terribly having a boy?" Emma teased.

Alex pretended to give the matter careful consideration. "A little boy with black hair and green eyes would be acceptable,

I suppose. One's got to get an heir, after all. But a tiny little girl with carroty hair—now that would be splendid."