Chapter 170: Baby Bump Blues

Six months had crawled by like a grumpy troll with a sprained ankle. Jane, sporting a belly bump that wouldn't quit,stared out the window, feeling like a beached whale. The once-pretty countryside mocked her with its cheerfulness. Everything was blooming and buzzing with life, except for her love life, which was drier than a stale biscuit. Silence pressed down on them like a thick fog, broken only by the rhythmic clack clack of Olivia's knitting needles. Hyacinth, ever the lookout, had swapped embroidery for castle-wall patrol duty, her eyes scanning for any sign of Lucian or a carrier pigeon with good news (carrier pigeons were a long shot, but hey, desperate times). Jane absentmindedly traced her belly, a bittersweet pang tightening her heart. The little life growing inside was a constant reminder of Lucian's love, but also a ticking clock of worry. Would Lucian even get to meet his child? Jane had never felt worried for anyone in her life as she felt for Lucian, not even when she