Marriage was a priority. If he asked her now, she'd most likely say yes, but would it be because she genuinely cared for him or to give her child a name? Did it matter? Could he live with the fact that he would never know who sired a child he raised as his own?
Yes, he decided as sunlight spilled into the room, warming her into the woman he held dear. As long as the deal included Clementine, he could. Gently placing her hand on the bed, he rose. There was tepid water in the basin and he splashed his face, stretching the kinks out of his neck as he dried it.
"Jas…" she croaked out.
He hurried to her side. "Shh, it's all right," he assured her. "The doctor said you're going to be fine." Resuming his seat, he again took her hand. "The baby's fine too," he whispered, looking down at their joined hands.
"I was going to tell you," she rasped out.
Jasper released her and poured her a glass of water, helping her sit up with an arm supporting her shoulders as she drank.
"It doesn't matter, Clem."
"Of course it matters, all children matter."
"That's not what I meant. It doesn't matter who the father is," he calmly informed her, avoiding her eyes as he gently laid her back against the pillows. "My offer of marriage still stands. I love you and I'm willing to raise your child as my own."
"My child?"
"Yes, well it will be our child," Jasper said warily as he noted the color returning to her cheeks in a rapid manner.
"That's very magnanimous of you, Mr. Montgomery," she drawled in a way that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "I believe I'll take you up on your oh so generous offer. After all, a whore giving birth to a bastard in a few months can't be too choosy, can she?"
"That's not exactly how I would put it, Clementine. It's not like I haven't proposed a hundred times," he said sharply. "I came back to tell you…"
"Ah, I see the patient is awake," Nettie said, smiling as she sailed in the door carrying a pitcher of hot water.
"Yes, and feeling a bit better. As a matter of fact, I'd like a bath. "
"It'll be a sponge bath for you, young lady. Doc says you're to rest for a couple of days and that's just what you're going to do," she bristled.
"Oh all right," Clem said with a pout. "Mr. Montgomery was just leaving."
"We'll continue our discussion later; I'll be by this afternoon," he said with a touch of warning in his tone that had Nettie raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"Mr. Montgomery and I are going to be married, Nettie," Clem explained, fussing with the lace at her wrists. "I hope that explains his bossy, proprietary tone."
"Congratulations, I think," Nettie replied rolling her eyes. "Are you sure you want to take this man on permanently?"
"I'm afraid I don't have much choice," Clem said sighing dramatically. "I'm sure Dr. Norwood told you I'm going to have a baby, and, of course, there's all that money."
"Nonsense, offhand I can think of a dozen men who'd jump at the chance to wed you, Miss Crystal, baby or no baby, and money isn't everything," Nettie added. "Miss Jewel would never put you out on the street."
"Oh for the love of God," Jasper snapped, striding to the door. "I'll be back to check on you later."
Both she and Nettie jumped when he slammed the door and then broke into giggles.
"That's Mr. Jasper's baby you're carrying, isn't it?" Nettie asked as she helped Crystal out of bed.
"Yes, it is," Crystal replied as Nettie pulled the nightgown over her head.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely positive."
"Do you love him?" she asked kindly.
"Something awful," Crystal replied smiling. "I think he'll make a fine husband once he learns a thing or two about women."
Nettie laughed. "I believe you're just the girl to teach him." She wouldn't allow Crystal to do much more than use the chamber pot and insisted on helping her bathe. After slipping a clean nightgown over her head and straightening the bed, she tucked her back in. "I'll send Citrine up with your breakfast. You stay in the bed like a good girl. Now, is there anything else I can get you before I get back to the kitchen?"
"Could you hand me that book of poetry?" Crystal asked.
"Here you go. Anything else?"
Crystal thought for a moment and then smiled. "There's a box inside my armoire. Would you mind tossing it in the bathhouse fire for me?"
"What's in this?" Nettie asked.
"Oh, just a gift from Jasper I'm not particularly fond of."
"All right, if you say so, but a gift is a gift."
"Not this one. He gave it to me, but it's really for him and I'd prefer it wasn't around."
Nettie left the room with the box under her arm and carrying the empty pitcher. Downstairs she went out the back door to the wood fire that was nearly always burning. On impulse she opened the box to see just what the girl was so anxious to be rid of. She was still laughing when she carried the box back inside to her room. It would make a fine wedding present.
***