"Scotland?" I asked Wilhelm, my eyes widening at the prospect of it all, my anticipation on the rise as I turned to look at Maria Anne and Charlotte, fast asleep beside our great bed. "Victoria has ordered it?"

"It has all been arranged," Wilhelm replies. "Maria Anna shall remain at court as official companion to Princess Alice, and Charlotte shall go to Rosings Park. I have written to your mother, and she tells me she would be glad to care for her in our absence."

I sigh, placing a hand on my belly, which had just begun to swell with our fifth child, which then moved within me. "How can we go?" I asked. "Surely, it would be dangerous for me..."

"Not so," Wilhelm tells me. "We are to have a carriage to ourselves—Albert has requested it specifically."

I raise an eyebrow. "Has he now?" I ask. "I do believe you had a little something to do with that, my love..."

Wilhelm smiled, not letting on to anything as he looked down at our two younger daughters, sleeping soundly. "I know you were saddened to miss the trip to France, for you were so ill and to close to your time with Charlotte," he said gently. "I have been made aware by Albert that there will be plenty of physicians around, so we will be well looked after on this tip. And it is only Scotland, my dear—it is not as if we shall have to take a steam ship."

I sighed. "Well, as we are traveling with Victoria and the prince, I am quite sure to be heavily guarded as well. Very well," I say, taking another look at the sleeping forms of Maria Anna and Charlotte. "Can you do something for me?" I ask, not taking my eyes from them.

"Anything, meine geliebte. All you need do is ask," Wilhelm replies, climbing upon the bed beside me.

"You know how we are sworn allies to Lord Alfred and to Edward Drummond?" I say, keeping my voice down in case a gossipy maid found herself cleaning our outer rooms.

Wilhelm leans down so as he is resting his head gently upon my shoulder. "Yes, meine geliebte. Of course I know it. Once I was able to have a better understanding of just how corrupt the institution of marriage truly is... Well, suffice it to say that I wish things could be different..."

I reach down and fast my hand into his own. "Part of me wishes, I suppose, that we could divorce and demand the same rights for those two gentlemen we hold so dear to us," I reply, tears pricking at my eyes.

Wilhelm chuckles. "Do you wish that?"

"Yes. I even mentioned it to Lord Alfred..."

"Did you?" Wilhelm asks, tickled. "I myself brought it up to Edward Drummond, who thought such a thing was a gross overreaction."

I sighed. "I'm afraid Lord Alfred thought so too—in fact, he went so far as to ask if you and I were mocking him..."

"Do not find fault in it, meine geliebte," Wilhelm whispers, turning to brush his lips against my temple. "Perhaps it shall happen one day, but for now, we are stuck in an unfair society."

"Mayhap it changes soon," I reply bitterly.

Wilhelm reaches down and caresses my belly. "Well, I suspect it will not be for a while," he says, disappointment riddling his tone. "But, we shall make the best of our trip to Scotland, and remain vigilant... You said that Miss Coke seemed to suspect something?"

I shrug. "I cannot be sure—I would not wish to gossip about a fellow duchess's family, but here I feel that I must..."

"What did she say that unnerved you?" he asks.

I bite my lip, leaning closer into him. "Well, after she requested that we cease our conversation on the famine in Ireland, she immediately brought up Lord Alfred and Edward Drummond, almost at the drop of a hat..."

"Did she?" Wilhelm asks, intrigued. "It is not so unusual from the outset, my love, truly. Of course, Miss Coke is often seen in the company of Lord Alfred, and she stands to inherit a lavish lifestyle—and Lord Alfred, well, he too would likely get a generous sum of money upon his marriage. Methinks that perhaps Miss Coke fancies Lord Alfred..."

"But that was not all," I protested. "It was what her tone and eyes insinuated almost immediately thereafter—like Lord Alfred and Edward Drummond were doing something wrong by keeping company together..."

Wilhelm sighs. "She could not know anything, could she? We have been so careful to keep it quiet..."

I sigh. "Perhaps another ally will make themselves known to us," I reply, forcing myself to remain positive about the outcome. "It is illegal, what they're doing—and so too is our assisting them. Who knows what could happen if any of us are caught? The consequences could be dire..."

"I hope that the queen's and Prince Albert's love for the two of us could ease some of the punishment," Wilhelm says, tightening his grip upon me then. "But let us hope it does not come to that."

I nodded. "Let us hope," I reply fervently.

. . .

Victoria had quite a busy itinerary planned, so it did not come as a surprise when we were told we could amuse ourselves in Scotland. I had been to Scotland a few times in my youth, but my last trip had been at ten-years-old, and I confess that I hardly remembered such a thing. When we arrived by carriage, I found myself eager to take a walk; once the servants showed us to our chambers, I immediately relieved myself of my traveling gown and requested a walking one, and Wilhelm and I made our way out into the gardens of the castle.

"It is beautiful here," I whispered, finding myself overwhelmed with joy at the sight of the beautiful rolling hills around us. "I do hope that Victoria finds joy in this trip."

"Mayhap she will—if there are forests about," Wilhelm joked. "For if His Royal Highness is happy, then Her Majesty shall be happy."

I nodded. "I like to think so," I replied, leaning my head down upon his shoulder in an effort to feel closer to him. "I heard tell that they were to go on an excursion tomorrow..."

Wilhelm nods. "Yes, Albert mentioned it to me. I think he wishes to compare the forests of Scotland to England and Coburg."

"One day I hope to see some German forests," I say quietly. "And your family," I put in hastily, so as Wilhelm will not think me prejudiced. "I do hope they are not terribly disappointed in me—this English girl you've married who has borne you one daughter after another..."

Wilhelm pulls me closer to him, pressing his lips to my forehead. "If they ever dare speak those words aloud, then they shall not be hearing from me for quite a long time, meine geliebte. I could do far worse to them all for speaking in such a way to you, but I could not. I could never forgive myself, nor could you forgive me, for it would give people just cause to take me from you..."

"Don't say such things, I beg you," I reply, ducking beneath his elbow and quickly enclosing myself in his arms. "I never want to be parted from you, Wilhelm—I love you. To even think it is madness..."

Wilhelm holds me gently yet firmly against him, one of his hands resting upon the small of my back, while he uses the second to tilt my chin up. "It is madness to be parted from those that you love," he replies. "Rest assured I shall do all I am able to remain by your side," he declares, leaning down to kiss me.

. . .

Victoria calls me in to her chambers the following morning as she is being readied for the excursion into the forests surrounding the Scottish castle. Her expression is one of brightness as I enter her rooms, and I find I am pleased to see her. I await her utmost attention, hand on my belly as my child stirs within, and keep at attention so as she will not think me rude. When she speaks, I am all ears, as an ever-loyal companion of a monarch should be.

"The carriages have been made ready for the nobles who are unable to walk long distances, or simply do not wish to ride on horseback," Victoria explains. "I'm afraid I could not get you a carriage with Miss Coke, Felicity—she is sharing one with Drummond, Lord Alfred, and my dear cousin Ernest," she says, a smile on her face to let me know the oversight was not done on purpose. "You shall be in another grand carriage... But do keep an eye on her, would you, Felicity? I fear she may be prone to gossip..."

"Gossip, Your Majesty?" I ask, feigning ignorance. "Surely Miss Coke is well-bred enough to know that speaking of such trifle things in an errant manner is frowned upon in courtly circles..."

Victoria's mouth twitches in amusement. "It was mentioned to me by Lord Alfred, I'm afraid. A servant such as dear Lord Alfred must always be considered... I'm told that you've made yourself a friend to Lord Alfred, as your husband has done to Edward Drummond..."

I nod with a smile. "Yes, of course. They are kind and considerate gentleman. I am an old friend of Drummond's fiancée myself—we grew up in close proximity to one another... And Lord Alfred is so kind—he is quite like a brother to me," I say, and find I am able to speak the truth in this matter.

Victoria nods. "A brother, you say?"

I blink, knowing her meaning but not letting onto it so quickly. "Surely, a brother, ma'am," I reply carefully. "As we are often in each other's company, I must say so, or wayward gossip would continue."

She purses her lips—this is obviously not the reply she was looking for. "There are no romantic inclinations between you and Lord Alfred?" she asks.

I very nearly laugh aloud—if only Victoria knew who Lord Alfred Paget truly felt romantically towards, she would never in a million years ask me this question. "I can assure you, ma'am, there has not been, nor shall there ever be, anything romantic between Lord Alfred and I."

Victoria smiles. "Ah, well, of course not. You're so devoted to Wilhelm," she says, and takes a look at my gradually expanding belly, a note of suspicion flickering through her silver eyes. "Quite sure now, Felicity?"

I do my best to keep my temper with her—I did not wish there to be a repeat of The Bedchamber Crisis, as I was sure nobody did. "Of course not, Victoria," I say, ignoring the servants around us, and I feel their eyes on me as Victoria raises her eyes from my belly to mine. "None whatsoever. I am in love with my husband, and I shall always be so."

She doesn't fault me for using her Christian name in public, and merely steps forward to take my arm and walk with me out of her chambers. We proceed towards the main doors of the castle, meeting our husbands along the way and breaking away from one another to walk with them. Wilhelm and I remain close behind Victoria and Prince Albert, nodding and smiling to the citizens who have gathered around the gates to wave to us all. I give Wilhelm a quick kiss as we approach my assigned carriage, getting inside and watching from the window as Victoria, Prince Albert, and my husband take to their steeds and await the head of the party to escort us into the forest.

The roads outside the forests were fine enough, but once we'd cleared the first row of trees, it was plain to see that they were not used to having carriages upon them. I held my tongue from outwardly complaining—I may have been a queen's favorite and with child, but I didn't wish to be known as someone who readily complained about things which were trivial to people who weren't in my condition. Finally, we were permitted out of the carriages, and I saw that the carriage that Miss Coke, Prince Albert's brother, Duke Ernest, as well as Drummond and Lord Alfred had already freed its passengers.

"Oh, Alfred, isn't the scenery sublime?" Miss Coke asked, looking about at the trees around us, while Lord Alfred's eyes were elsewhere.

"Heavenly," Lord Alfred replied, his eyes fixed upon Drummond, who had taken it upon himself to fish in the shallow waters of the brook below.

"Alfred!" I cried out, stepping forward, not wishing him to get caught in a rather compromising position. "I believe Wilhelmina was referring to the trees, and not the brook," I said, raising my eyebrows at him, and Alfred, to his credit, looked quite humbled.

"Yes, of course, Miss Coke," he said quickly, desperate not to fumble over his speech as he turned away from Drummond. "I do enjoy the trees, Miss Coke, truly I do..."

"Prince Albert enjoys the forests, I think," Miss Coke said softly. "Well, perhaps you are more of a mountain man."

"More of a sea lad, actually," Alfred said with a chuckle.

"I like the mountains!" I say, just a little too wildly, in my effort to keep Miss Coke from figuring out what I'd known for so many months. "But what does it matter, really?" I ask. "All nature and scenery has the propensity to be beautiful, if only we take the opportunity to look for it." I turn then at the sound of Victoria's voice, and at the notion that she is informing the duke, our host, that she would like to ride back with Prince Albert. I can clearly see that she wishes to ride back with him alone, but the duke doesn't seem too keen.

"Lady Felicity!" Victoria shouts, and I excuse myself from Wilhelmina and Albert, shooting the latter a warning glance to be careful as I spin around and make my way to Victoria's side, quickly fetching her flask of water from the saddle bag upon her horses' hip.

"No, I don't want that—" She tells me, ready to protest.

"Be quiet and take it," I say quietly to her, quickly smiling so as she will know I am in on her attempts to escape.

"My lady-in-waiting, the Duchess of Marquardt," she says, emphasizing my title to our host, "and I would speak in private," Victoria finishes, and the duke—who takes careful note of my swelling belly—orders his men to stand back, while he quickly moves to do the same. "What is the plan?" she whispers.

"You will act like you are prepared to return with the company," I tell her in a whispered tone, placing a hand upon my belly so as anyone daring to look at us will believe I am telling her about my child. "I'll let Wilhelm in on the plan—he will help," I tell her with a smile. "Allow your horses to fall behind—as long as you are seen within the company, it will not matter," I say. "Then, when you find a break in the trees—take it. I've heard there are many shortcuts around here. Take the shortcut—you will truly be just behind us, and have a few moments on your own without our host screaming in your ear."

Victoria narrows her eyes. "He is a duke."

I don't allow her to get to me, and instead grin up at her. "But he does shout commands like a small child," I reply.

Victoria laughs at that, agreeing to my plan. She motions that she is readying herself to go as I return her flask into the saddle bag, before turning on my heel and walking towards Wilhelm, who is beside the brook, allowing his horse a drink before we return to the castle. I walk towards my husband with confidence—this man was mine, and all of the court had to be sure of it.

"Husband," I say, getting his attention rather quickly.

He turns about and smiles at me. "You're not exhausting yourself, are you?" he asks me gently, placing a hand on my belly when no one is looking. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Just fine, thank you," I reply, standing on my toes to kiss him. "Listen... Do you see Victoria speaking to the prince?"

Wilhelm looks up and spots the royal couple. "I do."

"They would like a few moments to themselves," I inform him quietly. "I need you to help them achieve that."

"What are my orders?" he asks, grinning.

"Make sure they get as far back into the group as possible," I reply. "They intend to use one of the smaller paths as a shortcut on their way back to the castle. They will just be a few minutes behind us, my love," I say, straightening his long coat as he begins looking concerned. "Not to worry."

"To lose a queen and her husband is a serious offense... What if we are caught?" he whispers, fear in his voice.

I shake my head. "They will not betray us," I reply. "We are merely acting on behalf of the monarch and her husband—it was our sworn duty since we entered their services. We cannot refuse."

Wilhelm nods. "Very well, then. I'll do my best to ensure that the rest of the guards are preoccupied—so much so that they will not be missed."

I stand on my eyes and kiss him again. "You are wonderful," I reply, turning about and returning to my carriage. "I shall see you at the castle," I tell him, climbing inside and sitting down. Just as we move to leave the forest—and the elderly passengers I am sharing the carriage with drift off to sleep—I turn and look out from my window. Smiling to myself, I watch as Victoria and Prince Albert slip on their steeds through the trees, and the company is none the wiser.

We return to the castle more quickly than I'd originally expected, and I am relieved when my carriage door is opened, and Wilhelm is standing there. As he holds his hand out to me and guides me down the small steps, I look up at him with a smile upon my face, letting him know that the mission was successful. However, his gaze upon me is dark and worried—I had never seen him like this, and it truly frightened me.

"Wilhelm?" I whispered. "What is it?"

"The queen and Prince Albert are missing," he whispers to me and, turning, I see that the entire courtyard of the castle in in chaos.

. . .

"Other than His Royal Highness Prince Albert, you were the last person seen speaking to Her Majesty," the Duke of Atholl tells me, this time growing impatient with me.

I nodded. "I know that. You have been preaching that to me for the last hour, my lord duke," I say, my tone clipped. "And as I have informed you for the last hour, I have no idea where the queen is."

"You were the last person to see her and speak to her, my lady duchess," the duke went on, almost as if I had not spoken. "Surely she mentioned something to you about leaving..."

"She mentioned wanting to be alone with His Royal Highness," I replied, "and that you would not allow it."

"Of course I would not allow it—in public!" he said, slamming his fist down upon the table before him. "Her Majesty doesn't know the land as I do, and now they are missing! What on earth possessed you to say what you did, my lady duchess? Tell me, or you shall be locked away—"

"You may not make idle threats to me, my lord duke, for I am an English subject, answerable only to Her Majesty Queen Victoria," I said softly, fighting to keep my tone civil, "and as her subject, I swear loyalty to her. As her loyal subject, I cannot inform you of falsehoods, and as I've said, Her Majesty did not inform me that she did not know the land. She is Queen of Scots, as you say, and yet this is her first time in the country. We have maps in her study in the palaces in England, so I naturally assumed she had looked at them before our trip and attempted to look at the lay of the land—she has other things occupying her time, after all, my lord duke," I say. "None of this is my doing, nor my fault," I say, my tone firm as I rise to my feet.

"That is beside the point—"

"And I shall not continue to sit here until you realize how to attempt to find the monarch and her spouse that were lost in the country you call home," I say, my anger rising then. "I want Her Majesty found as much as you do—more so, probably, as I am English and her dearest friend. I will not sit by and have you speaking to me in such a way—implying that I wanted her gone. I want no such thing, and neither does my husband!"

"Of course he wouldn't, if the rumors are true," the duke replied snidely.

I cross my arms. "And what rumors do you speak of, my lord duke?" I ask, my voice resembling the hiss of a snake.

"The rumors that your husband was fathered by Ernest the First of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha!" the duke thundered.

I felt my hands twitch then as I reached up with one and firmly smacked the duke across the face. "Don't you dare sully my husband's good name!" I thundered at him, my voice full of rage.

"Nobleman talk," the duke replies, running his hand along the angry red imprint I'd made upon his cheek. "Your husband's would-be father was fighting for the Russian Empire in the Caucasian War at the time he was conceived. By slightly altering the dates, his mother was able to evade suspicion for a while, but she was always so unnaturally close to the royal family, that after Wilhelm's younger brother, Ferdinand, that Wilhelm could not have been his son." The duke smiles at my shocked expression. "Yes, for I know you have also not met his family, for his family suspects—as he doesn't resemble any of his sisters."

"I don't believe you," I whisper, yet I find that I am shaking, fighting with myself as to how Wilhelm could have kept this secret from me. However, could Wilhelm have known such a thing? I'd remembered then just how determined he was to return to Coburg with Prince Albert after word had reached England that the former duke had died... "It's not true," I say quietly.

"Ask your husband," the duke replies with a smirk.

Shaking my head, I back out of the room, wanting to scream and to possibly break something into a thousand pieces. As I dashed along the corridor, images came into my mind as I considered the predicament I was in. Perhaps that was not all that Wilhelm was hiding—I imagined him in the arms of a beautiful German woman, who was blonde, of course—and concluded that he was hiding a great many things from me. As I tried to convince myself otherwise, I remembered that Wilhelm was on the hunt for Victoria and Prince Albert, and suddenly remembered something else as I heard the pretty Schubert piece enter my ears from the music room of the Scottish castle...

I followed the music into the music room itself, where Duke Ernest was sitting at the piano, his perfect fingers deftly playing the intricate piece. I shut the door behind me, the curtain falling down after me, and the duke raised his eyes and smiled at me, the pools of never-ending darkness sad. I knew then that he was overwhelmed with sadness at not being able to be with the woman he truly loved, my dear friend Harriet, while I myself was overcome with sadness at potentially being lied to.

"How are you, my lady duchess?" Duke Ernest asks.

"Felicity, please," I reply, clicking the lock in the door at just the correct moment in my speech so as he will be none the wiser. "That was beautiful," I go on as I cross the room towards him. "I know it is Schubert, but I forget the name of the piece of music."

Duke Ernest smiles. "It is Serenade," he replies patiently. "I like to play it when I am feeling sad or worried about things."

"You must be worried for your dear brother and Her Majesty," I say softly as I sit next to him upon the piano bench. "I know I am so."

He nods. "Yes. And then there is the sadness..."

"About Harriet?" I ask quietly, and he averts his eyes from mine. "Don't be saddened," I tell him as I take his hand. "I know she cares a great deal for you and if she is meant to be yours, she shall be returned to you."

"You don't know how lucky you are, Felicity, to be allowed to marry one that you love so dearly..."

"Love comes with trust," I inform the duke quietly.

He raises an eyebrow. "You do not trust Lord Wilhelm?"

I shake my head, dashing the tears from my eyes. "After the conversation I had with our esteemed host, I don't trust anyone anymore."

"What did he say?" he asks me. "Perhaps a duel can be arranged to avenge your good thinking of your husband."

I shake my head. "No, my lord duke—"

"Ernest, please," he replies, squeezing my hand. "Tell me. What has this rogue said of my dear friend Wilhelm?"

I lock my eyes with his. "Ernest... The duke has implied that Wilhelm is... That he is the son of your father...a...bastard," I say, the last word wretched from my throat as I force myself to speak it.

Ernest sighs, shaking his head and shutting his eyes. "I would have thought that Wilhelm would have informed you of it long ago," he tells me softly.

My breath catches in my throat for a moment on a sob. "It is true, then?" I ask of him, my voice shaking. "He is your brother?"

"And Albert's, although there are rumors that he was fathered by our uncle Leopold, although he does not know that I know this," he says with a smile. "But I doubt they are true. My uncle comforted our mother, nothing more..."

"Why would they keep this from me?" I whisper, wanting to get to the bottom of my husband's deception. "Why?"

"To protect you," he replies simply. "Had Wilhelm been acknowledged, he could have married someone far greater than that of a newly-created viscounts' tenth child," he tells me simply. "I mean no offense to you, Felicity," he tells me, his tone gentle. "Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive," I say, "although there is something you could do for me, Ernest."

"All you need do is ask me," he replies.

I shut my eyes then as my final tears fall. "I want to have a secret to keep from Wilhelm, as he has kept this from me."

"What kind of secret?" Ernest asks.

I open my eyes and turn to look at him. "You know what kind of secret, Ernest—goodness knows you've committed a fair few yourself in your time. Wilhelm has told me of your nightly visits to whorehouses in Coburg."

"That is hardly an appropriate discussion for a noblewoman to—"

I lean across the space between us before I can change my mind and press my lips to his, lifting his arms and putting them around my form. To my surprise, he does not pull back and protest, and instead, captures my mouth quickly in his own. It did not matter to me—the weight of the wedding band upon my finger—nor the child stirring in my belly. It did not seem to matter to Ernest either, as he pulls me towards the window, where a chaise longue lies beneath. He pulls the chord of the curtains around us, shrouding us in darkness, as he unlaces my gown in the dark, making quick work of it.

"You are experienced," I mutter in amusement in the darkness.

Ernest chuckles back. "I am a man, Felicity."

"A man I want," I whisper.

"This cannot continue past this night," he tells me, hesitating as I pull my skirts up to allow him access to me. "You are married...and carrying a child..."

I bite my lip. "Perhaps when this child is born, and the secret can be kept, and if we even like each other..."

Ernest nods in the shadows of the darkness. "Perhaps it may continue," he allows then, unknotting his tie and pulling me into his arms, kissing every inch of my available flesh before I reach out then and yank down his pants with all my might and wrap my legs around his torso. "Careful, there," he says.

I pull him closer to me. "We need not speak," I reply.

Taking the hint, Ernest does what he likes, but all I can do is stare at a swatch of the wallpaper that is imperfect. Tears fill my eyes again as I commit this—this deception of my own—and know that I am no better from Wilhelm. I also don't know how I shall ever be able to turn back from it, nor if I should even be able to, for I have committed the greatest sin of all.

. . .

After Victoria and Prince Albert were found, we returned to London soon thereafter and I keep my mouth shut on two counts—one, the secret I knew about Wilhelm; and two, the secret I shared with Ernest. He had sworn not to reveal it, but I knew that Ernest liked to drink, and when he drank, his tongue became lose. I knew I could not risk that, and begged him to remain vigilant in the weeks that followed, as my pregnancy progressed.

I had to send Toria back to Rosings Park in the days that followed, for Princess Vicky was quite ill and Toria was sure to catch it. With Princess Alice and Maria Anna located to my chambers for the time being, I did my best to keep my mind off the ill-health of the princess by keeping myself busy. I was never far away from the nursery, but sometimes it was nice to retreat to Victoria's presence chambers and simply stitch a sampler or two...

"You lied to me," Wilhelmina said one afternoon when we had returned from Scotland as we were stitching samplers.

I blinked. "I've lied to you, Wilhelmina?" I asked her, bemused. "What makes you think so?"

She looks up at me. "After Her Majesty and His Royal Highness were found, I came upon a rather curious sight in the gardens."

"Oh?" I ask. "Do Scotland's native plants differ greatly from England's?"

Wilhelmina threw down her sampler. "Do stop it, Felicity!" she cried out, but quickly lowered her voice so as we would not be heard. "I saw Alfred and Drummond locked in a passionate embrace—"

Immediately I fly at her then; I was relieved that, after so many nights of supervised company provided by Wilhelm and me that Alfred and Drummond had acted on their feelings, but not at this cost. "Wilhelmina, you must understand that this must be kept secret," I whisper to her. "The complications that could inevitably arise from it could be dire..."

She purses her lips. "What sort of consequences?"

"Execution, banishment, or a mental asylum," I say, letting go of her and returning to my own seat. "They are our friends—"

"Are they...in love?" she asks.

Immediately, I know the answer, so much so that I did not even need to think of it at all, really. "Yes," I replied. "Yes. Very much so." It is then that Alfred himself comes upon us and takes me away from Wilhelmina, and I do my best to follow him to a private location to talk. "What is it?" I ask him. "What's wrong?"

"I had dinner with Edward last night..."

I smile at that. "That's wonderful!" I cry out.

Alfred shakes his head, lowering his impossibly perfect blond head. "Edward informed me that he wished to end his engagement and implied that it was so that he could..."

"Oh," I said, biting my lip. "Supposing his wife-to-be was an imbecile, it would certainly make matters for the future easier... What did you say to him?"

Alfred sighs. "I told him that he could not. He wishes to be a great politician, Felicity, and a great politician needs a wife by his side."

"Do you love him?" I say, my tone barely above a whisper.

Alfred stares at me for a moment. "Love?"

"Yes, love," I reply, utterly serious. "Come on—you must feel something from him after what happened between you in Scotland."

"You know about...?"

"One of my spies—don't worry, they can be trusted," I assure him, a small smile coming to my lips. "Now tell me—do you love Edward?"

"Yes," he replies.

"Then write to him," I reply. "Tell him that you wish to meet at the same location and that you wish to talk over things. From what you've just told me about dinner last evening, it did not seem like a particularly long conversation..."

Alfred chuckles. "It was not."

"Write to him," I tell him, knowing that he was to be in privy council all day at Peel's side. "Write to him and inform him that you're willing to negotiate terms for your future together. It is time."

Alfred throws his arms around me and kisses me on the cheek. "You're quite wonderful—do you know that, Felicity?" he asks, before dashing off to find his quills and ink.

I stand there for a moment, hesitating as I place a hand upon my belly. "Not wonderful enough, it would seem," I say to myself.

Deciding to get out of the palace for a while, I get a carriage and decide to ride out for hours. The sun is high in the sky by the time we get to town, so I leave my carriage outside the rows of ladies' shops and purchase some yards of fabric, ribbon, and some hats for the upcoming warm weather. Perhaps Victoria would be fond of my choices, as we always needed a bit of brightness in our days. The shopping lasted far longer than I imagined, and as we turned around and returned to the palace, the sun had begun to set.

As we turned on the street at the privy council building, I see a great crowd of people gathered, and know that court must have just ended for the day. I knew then that the carriage could go another way, and tell the driver to stop and to let me walk the rest of the way to the palace. As I exit the carriage and walk along the sidewalk, I spot Sir Robert Peel and Drummond in the crowd, engaged in conversation. As I step closer to them, I am able to snatch their forthcoming words from their lips. Little did I know that, in this moment, my life as I knew it was about to change forever.

"Are you sure I can't take you home?" Peel asks.

"Thank you, sir, but I have an engagement," Drummond replied, and my heart leapt—it must have been Alfred's invitation he'd accepted!

"Thank you for stopping me from making a fool of myself over Bentinck," Peel says graciously to Drummond.

"Thank you," Drummond replies with a smile.

Suddenly there is a break in the crowd then as a man of ill-repute steps forward, and brandishes a gun. "Sir Robert Peel, prepare to meet your maker!" he declares, and moves to fire.

In the next moment, Edward himself steps forward, shoving Sir Robert into the crowd and taking the bullets himself. As people scream around them, I find myself doing the same as Edward falls immediately to the ground as the man, and his weapon, are seized. Peel immediately bends down to inspect Drummond then and shouts at him, but to no avail.

"Drummond!" Peel shouts, his voice cutting through the rest of the screams at the men and women in the crowd make no efforts to stop. "Oh, God, talk to me!" Peel begs him. "Drummond! Drummond, talk to me! Drummond!"

Walking through the crowd then and towards Peel, I gently place a hand on his shoulder, and I am surprised that it is so easy to get to him. Peel immediately stiffens at the feeling of a hand upon his shoulder and turns around, seeing me standing there before him.

"Just me," I say, finding it difficult to speak.

"My lady duchess..." He turns and demands that Drummond be moved directly and taken to the hospital. "You saw..."

I nod. "Yes," I reply. It is then that I feel a sharp pain in my abdomen, and let out a sudden gasp as it moves through me.

"Lady Felicity?" Sir Robert asks, placing his hands upon my shoulders. "Are you all right?"

"No," I whisper, shaking all over. "I need... I need to go to... I need a physician, Sir Robert!" I say in a desperate whisper, gripping my belly.

"Good God, is it time?" he whispers, snapping his fingers for someone to see to me to get me back to the palace.

I shake my head. "Months too soon... Oh, God in heaven help me!" I whisper, feeling faint as a carriage is summoned for me. "Buckingham Palace!" I am able to shout to the driver before getting in. "Drummond...?" I whisper, turning to get a look at the other carriage taking him away.

"I'll see to it—and telling the queen and the prince," he tells me gently, taking my hand and kissing it. "I shall pray for you both."

I nod. "Thank you, Prime Minister," I reply, and soon the reins are snapped, and we are flying down the street towards the palace.

The gates are opened and servants come running out, and I cannot fathom how they knew to come. I am helped from the carriage and am assisted into the palace, and thankfully Wilhelm—never leaving Prince Albert's side—is nowhere to be found by anyone. I am taken directly to my chambers where I am put to bed, but it does no good. In the hours leading up to the inevitable, I request a quill, ink, and some parchment, determined to write a letter to someone. A thought comes to me and a seize upon it, writing not to Wilhelm, nor Victoria, nor Prince Albert—and instead, to the Duchess of Buccleuch. It was a shocking choice, but I knew that she could be another secret keeper in this matter of urgency, and she was a wise woman as well as a kind one.

My dear duchess,

You may be old, but you are not blind—I know that you know what Edward Drummond meant to Lord Alfred Paget.

This afternoon, I was in town shopping, and decided to go for a walk while I sent the carriage back to the palace. I walked by the privy council building, where I witnessed a startling—and devastating—turn of events. A man attempted to take the life of Sir Robert Peel, but the bullet was stopped by Edward Drummond himself.

I have just received direct word from Peel that dear sweet Drummond is no more, and has passed from this lift into the next.

I wish you to deliver this message urgently to Lord Alfred Paget. He will know what to do with the information, and you are just the person to see him through it, as I, at the moment, cannot do so.

Thank you for helping me in this endeavor, and so too helping Lord Alfred. He is a dear friend to me, and while I cannot directly inform him of this, I wish you to be the one to do so.

Your devout ally always,

Lady Felicity, Duchess of Marquardt

The inevitable came quickly thereafter, after I had dispatched the letter without weeping upon the parchment. The physician was summoned when it was time, and the tiny body of my child was ripped from me soon thereafter. The physician took the baby and washed it and made sure that it was presentable to me before it was taken away to be buried.

"Will you name him?" he asked me, handing over the tiny bundle.

My breath caught in my throat at the notion that I had given birth to another son, but he had been taken as well. "Edward," I said softly. "My little son shall be named Edward Augustus Marquart," I told him in a quiet voice.

The physician nods then, snapping his fingers for my maids to come and clean me up and to make my bed presentable. I am helped from my bed and taken to the water closet, where I am given a bath. When left alone, I lift my head back and dip it into the hot water around me, going beneath it. I very nearly stay down there, but I could not do that to Wilhelm—not after everything else.

My maids help me from the bath and offer up a nightgown, but I find I do not wish to sleep. I request a black dress and they reluctantly give it to me, and I leave my suite of rooms and approach the nursery. Stepping inside, I hear the physician inform Victoria in the next room that the fever has broken, and as I step inside, I avert by eyes from Ernest and approach Wilhelm, standing in the shadows. After wishing the young princess well and apologizing to Victoria for not being there, I tell her all will be made clear later, but I must speak to Wilhelm now. To my utter relief, she allows it, and I take my husband to our chambers, where I make him sit down beside me.

"Princess Vicky's fever has broken, my love! We must celebrate!" he declares, obviously believing my black is for her.

"No, husband. We cannot. We are in mourning."

"Mourning?" he asks. "Whatever for?"

I sighed. "I went into town this morning, and did some shopping," I declare then, nodding to the parcels across the room, which had been delivered earlier that day before everything had happened. "I told the carriage to stop by the privy council buildings and to allow me to walk back to the palace."

"All right," Wilhelm replied, not understanding.

"I saw Sir Robert Peel and Edward Drummond leaving the building," I reply. "And a man came through the crowd and attempted to fire on Peel—"

"Is he?" Wilhelm asked in a moment of fear, for, like Prince Albert, he had a high regard for Peel.

I shake my head. "No. No, he is not, for Drummond stopped the bullet."

"Stopped the...?" Wilhelm's eyes widened then. "No... Drummond is—?"

I nodded. "He is, unfortunately," I reply, averting my eyes as fresh tears form. "I saw it all, Wilhelm—all of it."

Wilhelm immediately pulls me into his arms. "Felicity, love—"

I sob aloud then. "It caused me to lose our child," I weep into his coat. "I am so sorry, Wilhelm—I failed you again!"

"Failed me...?" he asks, pulling back. "What do you...?"

"It was a son," I whisper, pulling away from him. "I named him Edward Augustus Marquardt before the physician took him away..."

"Love, my love, you were subjected to a trying day," Wilhelm tells me gently, pulling me back into his arms. "You are not to blame—"

"Stop," I whisper then, and pull away for the last time. "When we were in Scotland, the Duke of Atholl informed me that you are the son of Duke Ernest the First of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha," I say, scanning his face for a reaction. "Do you deny it, Wilhelm?" I whisper.

My husband bows his head. "I do not."

I gasp aloud then. "Then you are a Coburg prince?" I whisper.

"I am the bastard half-brother of their current duke," Wilhelm replied, his eyes locking with mine. "I know we spoke of honesty from the beginning, meine geliebte, but I didn't tell you because I wished to protect you from the implications of marrying a—"

"Ernest informed me of that," I reply, averting my eyes from his. "He informed me of that...before he comforted me against the husband that I so wanted to believe was honest and true to me, but now it has given me cause for such speculation against you, Wilhelm..."

"Felicity..."

I raise my eyes to his, saying nothing.

"...what have you done?" Wilhelm whispers, looking down at me as if he does not even know the woman sitting before him. "Did you lay with Ernest...as a man should only do with his wife?"

"What of Alfred and Edward?" I demand.

"That is different—and don't change the topic of discussion!" Wilhelm yells at me, getting to his feet. "How could you—and with my brother?"

I rise to my feet immediately, rage flowing through me. "How could you not tell me of your true parentage?" I demand of him. "All this time I believed that you didn't want me to go to Coburg with you because you were somehow ashamed of who I was!"

"I have never given you cause to believe that!" Wilhelm screams. "Although," he says as his shoulders slack, "I suppose I have given you cause to doubt me, and for that, I apologize."

I shake my head. "I didn't want to do it," I whisper, and feel Wilhelm's eyes on me then. "I wanted it to stop the moment it...began," I say, gesturing with my hands so that Wilhelm would know what I was talking about. "But I did encourage it up until that point, I admit..."

Wilhelm nods. "Very well."

"Very well...what?" I ask him.

"I shall not divorce and humiliate you," he tells me. "I won't even annul our marriage, Felicity."

I blink. "What?"

He sighs. "I'm in love with you," he replies simply. "It will always be you, meine geliebte, and for some reason, in the one instance where I was dishonest, you broke our marriage contract." He shakes his head. "I shall be the gentleman and not break it on my end...but until we can learn to trust each other again..."

"Wilhelm?" I ask, the fear of losing him still bubbling beneath the surface.

"...I am going to request rooms of my own," Wilhelm replies.

"No!" I whisper.

"I must," he says, spreading his hands. "I'll send a man over later to collect my things and to organize various trinkets we share."

"How long?" I whisper, going after him.

He shakes his head. "Even I cannot answer that."

"Will you inform Prince Albert?" I whisper, knowing that to address him as Wilhelm's brother would be going too far.

Wilhelm sighs. "I don't know. Will you inform Her Majesty?"

I shake my head. "I don't know."

My husband sighs. "Then we are at a standstill, meine geliebte." He stares at me for a moment, before crossing the room and kissing me on the cheek. "Maybe we can be man and wife again—one day. But for now, my love," he tells me, and my heart shatters when he does not call me 'meine geliebte' one last time, "I feel we both know that a difference in accommodations would be beneficial."

I lower my eyes. "I am sorry," I whisper.

He nods. "I know you are," he replies, "as am I. But we cannot go through our lives without consequences. This is just one we have to face—separately, and not together," he tells me, his voice so gentle as my heart rips from my chest, and follows him out the door, down the corridor, to God knows where, for all I know is, I will be lost without him.

Perhaps, I thought as I shut the door behind him, had I not acted so thoughtlessly, I would not be losing the love of my life. I made no moves to light the candles as the shadows grew thicker around me, and as my tears blinded my vision, all I could think of was, What if?

My heart leapt at the sound of someone knocking on my door then, and I prayed that it was Wilhelm, that he was coming back to me. As I got to my feet and approached the door, I wondered if it was Alfred, checking up on me and wanting someone to speak to. Or, perhaps, it was Victoria, wanting answers that a queen and close friend could give me. All I knew was as I reached out to grasp the golden handle upon my door, and open it to reveal a manservant, I am more than a little perplexed, and I think that Wilhelm has sent a man to take his belongings.

"Yes?" I ask.

"Letter from His Royal Highness to the Duchess of Marquardt."

"Thank you—I am the duchess," I reply, handing over a handful of coins to the lad and taking the letter, hoping that Prince Albert is not scolding me for acting in such a rash manner with Ernest against Wilhelm. I break open the seal then, and find that I am shocked at what I read.

Felicity—

It is done and we have won.

Victoria has finally seen that, with our dear little Vicky in danger, that the baroness is unfitting to care for our children. She has banished her immediately, and the baroness shall leave for Germany by the end of the week.

Such wonderful news is this, and I feel that times will be much easier for us all, knowing that even the royal children are safe from harm.

From your dear friend,

His Royal Highness, Prince Albert

Postscript : Do send for your little Victoria Henrietta immediately—little Vicky is already asking for her now that she is better.

I lower the letter then, wondering what was to come next. As I dipped my pen into ink and proceeded to write to Rosings Park, I heard the manservant come in from behind me. I told him that whatever Wilhelm wanted to take was all right with me —it did not matter to me anymore.

—END OF SEASON ONE—