A Convict's Lover by Kayla Trautman (the false prince series .txt) 📕

***

Julie was feeling ill the next morning; not just mentally but physically. Her stomach was cramping and the pain was unbearable. She was still in bed way into the afternoon. She had to say that it was around four by the time the door opened and Jeffrey came in. She was still in his room.

Jeffrey came over and sat on the side of the bed, "Are you going to stay in bed all day?" She turned her head into the pillow and cried, "I can't! It hurts!" "What hurts?" He sighed; sounding a little annoyed. She hugged her stomach even tighter and cried, "My stomach! Something's wrong!"

He sighed, "I'll send for a doctor right after supper but for right now come down and eat with me." She groaned and sat up, hunched over as she could hardly keep herself upright. Jeffrey stood and took a couple steps away, obviously annoyed by the wait.

She stood, still hunched over, and cried out as more pain exploded inside of her. She saw red and realized that her chemise and thighs were covered in blood that had just spilled out of her womanhood.She cried and fell to her knees, "Jeffrey, please!" He rushed over to her and helped her to the bed, "Dammit, now I'm going to need new sheets. I'll go get the doctor." He layed her down and covered her up with the blanket before leaving.

***

She had a miscarriage. She was with child and she didn't even know it. Jeffrey came in and he didn't look happy. Maybe he did have some kind of emotion for his child. He came over and crossed his arms across his chest, "So you were pregnant." She sighed, "Yes, I'm sorry. If you want to try again ..."

"Try again?" He said, with disgust and anger. "Do you think that this was my child?! Hell no! I'm not medically capable of having children, thank god! No, that was the child of that damn convict! You should be lucky! If I had found out about it before the miscarriage I would've beat that thing out of you! You're a damn whore!" Then he turned and stormed off. She was in her own room now.

She gasped and grabbed her stomach. She was pregnant with Daniel's baby?! Of course, it made sense now that she thought about it. How could she even think that it was that monster's child? She had made love to Daniel a lot more than she had let that poor excuse for a man touch her! She was so stupid! She turned on her side and cried into her pillow, soaking it once again with her tears.

There was a knock on her door that made Julie sigh. She was sitting up in bed in her robe with the blanket up to her waist, trying to read a book to keep her mind off of the recent events. "Come in." She called out. When the door opened Jacob came in, closing the door behind him, "What is this I hear about the doctor needing to make a visit here already? It's the day after your wedding and he's hurting you already?"

She looked away from him and just looked out of the window. She felt the bed shift and then his hand was on her arm, "Are you alright? What did he do to you?" "He didn't do anything to me this time. I was pregnant with Daniel's baby and I had a miscarriage. Doctor said that I was under a lot of stress which is strange for a woman who just got married, in his words." She humphed, the sound leaked with tears that welled in her eyes.

"Oh, Julie. I'm so sorry. Are you in any pain right now?" He asked, more concerned with her physical being at the moment. She chuckled, "Am I in pain? My stomach still hurts, Doctor told me that the cramps will persist for a few day and that I should stay in bed until they go away. But am I in pain?"

Julie turned to look at him, "I was pregnant with Daniel's child and I didn't even know it. I was so far gone that I put the baby in danger and now it's gone. Daniel's gone. I had a piece of him with me and now he's gone. I'll never see him ever again. I was going to have his baby! I would've fought the devil himself to keep it safe! But now the baby's gone and I just ... I feel like I lost Daniel all over again!"

Jacob hugged her and held her as she sobbed. She was so distraught and the pain that she was feeling inside was not easing at all. She knew that it would not get any easier to deal with and having that knowledge made it just that much worse.

***

After Julie was recovered her father invited them over to stay for the weekend. She was withdrawn during any coversation that they had. Her brothers were there as well. She kept her head down most of the time but she saw the glances the threw her way from the corner of her eyes.

It was now Sunday and they were going home that night. They were having dinner and she was barely touching her food. She jumped a little when she felt Jeffrey's hand touch her leg. She glanced up at him and he was engaged in th conversation with her father as if nothing was happening. Why was he messaging her leg under the table in front of everyone? They couldn't see but how could she keep her composure?

His hand started to move up her leg and she slowly moved her hands to her lap so that no one would notice. Then she grabbed his hand and pushed it away. He didn't persist but she did notice the little lift of the corner of her mouth as he smirked.

"What's wrong, girl? Is the food not good enough for you?" Her father asked. She kept her eyes on her lap and muttered, "It's fine, Pa. I'm just not hungry." Her father snapped, "Speak up girl! No one can understand your muttering."

"She'll be fine. It's probably just her back. That convict whipped her something fierce. Now she's constantly complaining about aches in her back." Jeffrey said. Her father chuckled and shook his head, "Women complain too much. If she didn't start complain before then she wouldn't have had to deal with that convict. She was the one who insisted that we save him. He would've been dead before he had the thought to put her body to good use."

Jeffrey laughed and nodded, "Indeed, you're right. Women and they're mouth get themselves into so much trouble. But lucky I found her when I did and killed the dirty convict. He would've likely killed her and I would be wifeless. She's also lucky he didn't get her with child." Her father made a sound of disgust and shook his head, "Thank goodness! I will not have my family disgraced by a bastard child."

Julie set her napkin on her plate and stood, "Excuse me." Jeffrey grabbed her wrist and looked up at her, "Where are you going?" She frowned down at him, "Outside of some fresh air. The air in here suddenly became foul."

His hand around her wrist tightened and he gave her a stern look. She smiled and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "You may have won me as your prize but let me tell you something. Daniel was much more satisfying between the sheets than you'll ever be." His grip on her wrist tightened more to where it hurt and he whispered in her ear, "We'll see if we can change that by morning."

Julie pulled her hand back so hard that she knocked the tray out of a maid's hands when she did. She looked at the girl and sighed, "Sorry." She turned to glare at Jeffrey. "Would you stop disrespecting your husband, girl?! He saved your damned life!" Her father demaned.

She smiled and grabbed a glass of brandy that was on the table, "What like this?" She turned the glass upside down and just watched as it spilled over Jeffrey's head and down his face. Jeffrey gasped and looked up at her. He glared at her and she knew that she was in for trouble.

Jeffrey stood and walked towards her as she backed away. In an instant Jacob, Percy, and Henry were out of their chairs and heading over to stand between them. Henry took a step forward, "You won't take one step near her in that mood." "Get out my way." Jeffrey ordered.

Mr. Mortoff slammed his hand down on the table and turned to her brothers, "Get out of his way! She deserves a good slap. It's the only way she'll learn to be a good wife." Percy turned to look at him, "What is wrong with you?! She's your daughter!"

Mr. Mortoff stood and pulled the bellpull, "Move out of the way or I will have you bodily removed." "Then that's exactly what you're going to have to do because we will not just stand by and allow him to hurt her." Percy said.

Julie sighed, "No, no. Just stop, no one's going to get hurt because I'm in a foul mood." She walked around them and grabbed a napkin. She turned and cleaned Jeffrey's face, "There." Jeffrey grabbed her upper arm, "Say goodnight, dear, we're going home. I'm in need of a bath and a change of clothes."

She looked over at her brothers and smiled, "Goodnight." Jacob walked over and grabbed Jeffrey's shirt, growling, "We will be over there tomorrow to see her. If you hurt her you'll have us to deal with." "Not a problem." Jeffrey replied, there was just as much of a threat in his voice as well.

***

The ride home was quiet but she felt his gaze on her. She ignored him as she just stared out of the window. When the carriage stopped she was pulled from her seat and rushed inside. Once inside Jeffrey slammed her against the wall and yelled, "What the hell has gotten into you tonight?!" She frowned, "Maybe I'm just tired of being treated like a piece of property. And maybe I'm done listening to you talk about Daniel that way!"

Jeffrey back slapped her, causing her to screech and hit her head against the wall, "He was a convict so I'll talk about him anyway I please!" He then lifted her dress and bent his head to whisper in her ear, "I remember what you said to me. You're not going to get any sleep tonight. You'll be sore in the morning from exhaustion. You'll be begging for more." "Never." She whispered.

He lifted her chemise up with the dress and lifted her up against