"George?" she asked, looking up at him through the darkness. She could see his face through the moonlight. They should have long since fallen asleep but neither wanted to, for tomorrow they would be apart.

"Yes, Emma?' he whispered softly as his fingers danced along her arm.

"Must you go away on business? We have only been married for three months. I do not wish for us to be apart, even for a day. Surely you can put the trip off once more."

"I'm sorry," he said snuggling closer to her, "but I must go. I have put off meeting with my solicitor for too long. I shall be but five days."

"I know, but I shall miss you so very much." She had grown accustomed to sharing a bed with him. The first night, he had tried to leave, but she convinced him to stay. She wanted the intimacy of sharing a bed each night; she had decided before their marriage that it was important to her. At first, they both found the bed too hot and too small, but they had since found a way to sleep comfortably together.

"And I am going to miss you too, but I cannot put this off any longer. I must leave tomorrow. The sooner I leave, the sooner I shall return."

"I wish I could accompany you. I long to see John and Isabella and the children. I wish so badly that I could go to London," she said, her eyes beginning to tear.

"Oh, Emma," he said rubbing her back to comfort her.

"I do not know why I am getting so emotional. I know I must stay behind with my father." She had resigned herself to never visiting London years ago, but she was suddenly aching to accompany her husband.

"One day, I will take you to London, even if it's when we're both old and grey," he promised.

"I would like that very much," she sighed dreamily.

"Me too," he whispered as he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, he rose early to leave for London. Emma and her father saw him off before taking a walk together. Though she did not let it show, tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she saw her husband off. Emma rarely accompanied her father on his walks, but thought it would distract her. She missed her husband already, though she was embarrassed to admit it. She had lived for years without Mr. Knightley but today it felt like she could not function without him.

"Emma, you're very quiet today, what is the matter?" he asked with concern as they began the final lap of their walk.

"Nothing is wrong. I just miss Mr. Knightley." She shivered despite the warm air and wrapped her shall tighter around her shoulders.

"But he has gone away before and you have always been fine," Mr. Woodhouse reasoned. Though he had once been married, he had long forgotten what it was like.

"Mr. Knightley has never been my husband before. It is very different now." She could not explain to her father that she would miss him tonight in bed when she was not wrapped in his arms like every other night since their wedding.

"Very well. I think we should cut our walk short; you look very pale. You should wrap yourself in a blanket and sit by the fire." He had a panicked glint in his eyes and looked distressed.

"Papa, Doctor Perry says you should stick to your routines but I will go sit inside and wait for you." Though she would not admit it to her father, she did not feel great. She assumed it was due to Knightley being away, but she felt fatigued none-the-less.

She obliged her father and retired to the parlor. After his walk, they talked for a while and she tried a bit of needlework before she found her eyes flickering shut. She woke a few minutes later. Her father, still talking, had not realized she had fallen asleep.

The rest of the afternoon was a challenge to stay awake. Never before had this happened to her; she had gotten enough sleep the night before and could find no explanation for her fatigue. She took a nap before she changed for dinner, but still struggled through the meal. She only picked at her meal and could not find her appetite. After she tended to her father, she retired immediately and fell into a restless sleep without her husband by her side.

In the morning, she woke to an unsettled stomach. She joined her father at the table to break her fast hoping that the bread would settle her stomach. As she reached for a roll, she was hit with a wave of nausea and found herself rising from the table and emptying the content of her stomach in a nearby vase.

She heard her father calling for servants and fretting. "Have Doctor Perry called over at once," she heard him cry. He was distressed but she could do nothing to sooth him. She attempted to rise but could not.

She felt her knees grow weak and collapsed into the arms of a footman. She was so terribly dizzy and had suddenly grown hot. The footman carried her up the stairs and deposited her on her bed. She opened her eyes, but was hit with another wave of nausea that caused her to close her eyes once more. She had never felt so ill before. Surely she must be dying from a broken heart from being apart from her husband for just a few hours.

Before she knew it, Doctor Perry and an unknown female entered the room.

"Mrs. Knightley, how are you feeling?" he asked, taking in the scene.

"Nauseous, but not terrible," she answered, trying to pull herself together. She did feel less terrible than before but she felt more ill than she had ever felt or at least that she could remember.

"This is Mrs. Haverford; she is a midwife. I brought her here to aid in my examination. I bring her when I deal with married ladies."

"Pleased to meet you," Emma moaned, though she tried to smile.

"Mrs. Knightley, can you describe what has been ailing you?" He asked taking out his notebook and a pencil to note her symptoms.

"It began yesterday. I felt, abnormally fatigued… all day and then this morning I awoke with an unsettled stomach. And then I grew ill at the breakfast table. I am so very hot and tired."

"When did you last have your courses?" the midwife asked.

She thought about it for a few moments before answering, "I believe it has been nearly seven weeks."

He shut his notebook and put his pencil away. Doctor Perry and the midwife shared a look, "If you don't mind, I am going to leave my associate to finish the examination." Emma nodded and he left the room.

"Mrs. Knightley, is there a chance that you could be with child?"

She blinked a few times and through the fog of her sickness finally answered, "Yes, I believe there is more than a chance." She had not even considered that she could be with child already. She had hoped, but never thought it would happen this quickly. Sure, Isabella had been with child early in her marriage but she did not realize that sort of thing ran in families.

"Do you mind if I look for the physical signs?" the midwife asked with a small smile.

"Not at all," Emma realized she had been changed into her dressing gown. She had no recollection of being changed. The midwife had Emma lay down on the bed to feel her stomach for the first signs of swelling.

"Is there any tenderness?" she asked as she moved her hands higher up.

"Ouch! Yes." Emma winced. She had not even noticed the tenderness in her breasts.

"Please sit up," she helped her lean back against the headboard.

"Congratulations! You appear to be with child." Emma broke out in a huge grin despite feeling sick and uncomfortable. "I will be able to confirm for sure once you feel the quickening."

"The quickening?"

"Yes, you will feel the babe move inside you. At first, it will only be a flutter, but as your condition progresses you will feel something stronger like a kick. Is there any lady you can speak to about all of this?"

"Yes, my sister has had five children. She lives in London but I can write to her. Also, my former governess lives nearby and she has just had a child recently."

"Very good. Do you have any more questions for me?"

"Are there any restrictions on what I can do?"

"Not really. You must be careful not to overexert or fatigue yourself. I highly recommend against traveling in your condition. Make sure you eat enough."

"Will I be able to share a bed with my husband?"

"I see no reason why you could not."

"Thank you very much."

"Please send for me after you feel the quickening or if anything feels wrong. I will return later with a tonic to ease your stomach."

A few minutes later, her father came in.

"Emma, how are you feeling? Is everything alright?"

"I am feeling much better. Everything is fine."

"I have written to Mr. Knightley so that he can return immediately."

"That was not necessary, but I appreciate it." Though she was pleased to have her husband returning home, she knew he would probably have to leave her again, perhaps in a few days to complete the work with his solicitor. At least she would be able to tell him the news before he returned. Oh, he would be so happy. They had spoken of their desire for children; it was expected after all. He told her he did not care if they had a son or daughter first, but she hoped for a son with an exact likeness to his father.

Her father left her room in fear that he would catch whatever she had. She had decided to wait to tell her father. She knew he would worry and she did not want him to worry until she felt the quickening or until she and George decided it was okay to let him in on their secret. The midwife returned a few hours later, and once she took the tonic, she fell asleep. She awoke a few hours later and had her dinner brought up to her room. She ate the small bland meal before returning to sleep.

Hours later, she awoke to a strange noise in her bedroom. Through the moonlight she could see a male figure. He turned and she saw at once that it was her husband.

"George!" she cried.

"Emma, I did not mean to wake you. Your father wrote that you had taken suddenly ill. I returned at once. How are you feeling?" he asked with concern, as he knelt beside her.

"I am not ill, or rather, not really."

"Did you not take ill?"

"No, I did take ill, but there is nothing wrong with me. I received the happy news that I am with child."

"With child?" he asked as he tried to process the information.

"Yes! I am with child. I have only had my courses once since the start of our marriage and I became sick this morning. I had no idea that I was with child."

"Emma, I rode through the night to return, please tell me I am not dreaming."

"No, you are not. We have been blessed!" she grinned through the darkness.

"Oh Emma. I am so pleased! I love you so very much."

"I love you too, now please, come to bed. I missed you last night."

"I missed you too."

"Tell me that you do not have to return to London. I swear I could not bare it."

"I fear I must return but it can wait for some time. I will have to take care of estate business once the babe is born. When is the babe to be born?"

"I know not. I cannot know until the quickening."

"I promise not to leave for some time."

"Thank you! Now please, let us sleep! I am fatigued and I have been abed all day. Surely you must be exhausted."

"I am. Goodnight my love."

"Goodnight."

They both dreamed of little ones in their lives. Emma dreamed of a little boy with a mess of dark hair learning to ride back and forth to Donwell Abbey, his rightful home. And Knightley, he dreamed of a little girl with light hair and eyes as mischievous as her mother. They both slept with smiles on their faces.