An Earnest Favour

XXVI

"What on earth was that?" Claire exclaimed. "I am quite certain you just chose a random assortment of vowels to vex me."

Jack laughed again and shook his head. "No, I assure you, it spelt something."

"What?" Claire asked impatiently.

Jack shook his head. "I thought you were clever at this game," he reminded her.

"You are telling me that you actually just wrote something coherent? In the King's English?"

Jack nodded with a sheepish smile on his face. "Absolutely."

"Well, then! Tell me!" Claire demanded. "What if I like it?"

Jack grinned and extended his arm across her torso as he leaned in to kiss her. The feel of him touching her stomach as he leaned into her caused Claire to flinch, and that horrible feeling filled her stomach. Jack stopped immediately, before laying back down on his pillow. Claire sensed the game was cover, so she pulled her nightgown back down over her stomach. "I truly hope you do like it," he replied, "but I'll tell you another time."

"Sorry," murmured Claire.

"Don't apologise," he assured her quietly. "My brother ... he told me that this time can become very uncomfortable for women and that is why ..." he trailed off.

Claire felt terrible. Jack had not asked her about her reluctance or expressed any particular feeling over it for weeks. This was the first time. And he thought it was because she was feeling physically uncomfortable. And she was, though not in the way that he believed.

Claire had been so worried that Jack would feel disgusted by the feel of her if he tried to kiss her, that she had not stopped to consider any other way he might be feeling.

Say it quickly, Claire willed herself. "Idon'twantyoutoberepulsedbyme!" Claire nearly shouted all in one breath.

"What?" Jack appeared dumbfounded.

Claire forced herself to take a deep breath and found the courage to say, "I don't want you to be repulsed by me."

"Repulsed?" repeated Jack in an alarmed tone. He sat up in the bed, turning properly so that he could look upon her. "Wherever would you get an idea like that?"

Claire flushed crimson.

"Claire, please," begged Jack. "If something is bothering you, tell me."

"Well, I ... I can't help but feel awful every time you try to kiss me, and you feel this." Claire touched her hands to her stomach. "That you might be thinking ... oh, I don't know ... about the stupid girl who has the very evidence of her stupidity poking you every time you try to be near me."

Jack frowned deeply, going as far as to close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose with his thumb and fore finger. "Claire, I can swear to you on my life that the last thing I am thinking about when I try and touch you is that you are stupid. And I would certainly never refer to my unborn child as 'evidence of stupidity'."

Claire felt incredibly foolish, though it was not a foreign feeling. She needed to get that through her head. Perhaps her delusions of imagining the baby would look like Jack would help.

"Will you tell me what the last name was?" she asked quietly.

"No," retorted Jack, a smile teasing at his lips. "I'll tell you another time."

Claire sighed. "It better be beautiful and not something dreadful like ... Frederica."

Jack laughed. "Oh, blast. How did you guess it?"

Claire playfully swatted Jack's arm. But he returned his hand to her belly and rested it there for a moment, before he leaned down to kiss Claire softly. She didn't flinch.

At that very moment, she felt a flutter against her hand. Grace had told her that babies kicked inside the womb. Was that what this was? And this time, Jack was the one to flinch.

"What was that?" he asked, alarmed.

"I think the baby moved!"

"Oh my God, is it supposed to do that?" Jack stressed. "Do I summon a surgeon?" He had already leapt out of the bed before Claire could sit up. "Where are my bloody breeches?" he shouted as he tossed a pile of clothes over his shoulder.

"No, no, be calm!" exclaimed Claire. "Grace told me it happens! The baby is big enough to start moving around."

Jack froze as he dropped the clothing that he held in his hand. "That's normal?" he checked.

"Yes," nodded Claire.

"Oh, God, my whole life flashed before my eyes." He slumped down on the trunk and Claire started to laugh. Jack frowned at her, amused. "Just for laughing at me, her name is going to be Frederica, I hope you realise."

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Hope you enjoyed it! Thought I'd give you something nice before I ...

*insert "Laura is evil" comments here* ----->

Anyway, so I spent the day in my classroom today finishing off my reading corner with an arbour which looks AMAZING! I'm so glad when my vision comes to life. I've popped pics up on my Instagram! I still have so much to do though gahh

Okay, next chapter will be Thursday or Friday. I have to actually work on Thursday so we'll see what my energy levels are like. If no chapter pops up at the usual time, that's why, and you'll see me Friday :) 

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