Accidental Surrogate

“Well,” Henry answers, hesitating. “Cora and Roger will see the prophecy.”

My face falls a little when I realize the implications of this. “Really? Unfair,” I declare, pouting.

Henry laughs a little along with me. “It will bring them closer to him, give them a bond.”

“Well,” I sigh, “I want them to have that. What sort of things do you learn, though? Do you share them with the parents?”

“If you choose,” Henry shrugs. “I always did. And Sinclair and Roger’s godparents shared with me, for which I was grateful.”

“What did they tell you?” I ask, curious.

“That Sinclair would be a great leader of men,” Henry says, looking down at the baby again, clearly remembering his baby who looked so like this one. “That was no surprise. But Roger, that was…”

I pause, curious, suddenly fascinated. “What did they say?”

He hesitates and then meets my eye. “I never even told Roger about it. But they told me that his destiny laid less with who he was, and more with the children he would sire. The many children, who would be…” he looks away a bit, trying to sort his thoughts, “it was hard to understand. But something about a set of extraordinary children who would bring much joy to the world.”

stomach drops at this, though I work hard to keep it off my face.

Cora was

a father is important to Roger – his destiny, even. And if Cora can’t give him children… Henry meets, my eyes, perhaps understanding the direction of

gives us many mysteries, Ella,” he says quietly. “Don’t think too hard on her messages they often present themselves

–

up straighter in my chair, smiling down at my baby, who’s staring up at me with his wide eyes, which are just starting to turn green. “Besides, today is about this little one.

again. “And his future is very, very bright. This I know for sure.”

see all of them – especially Isabel, James, and Sadie, who I

much as I wanted to, as I have to greet all of our guests and introduce Rafe around to his new friends and family. But still, Isabel and I make plans to have a good long talk later this week before Cora comes

top of my glittering silver gown, which I picked expressly for the occasion. It’s perhaps too much for a trip to the woods, but we’ll be having champagne later – and then everyone coming back to the house to celebrate all evening – so it seemed right that we be

it right? God, I don’t know. I’ve

looking gorgeous in his tuxedo. He rests two reassuring hands on my shoulders. “Everything

want everything to go smoothly, and everyone to have a nice

They’re here to help you. You could have come down in

I say, turning on him

for a quick kiss. “What I mean, Ella, is that you should just calm down and enjoy the night. It’s

right,” I murmur, smiling against his lips and then looking down at my happy baby in my arms. “I

says, putting an arm around my shoulders and moving towards the door. “It’s good that you figured that out now, because

us all out in the woods. “Oh, Dominic!” I say, spinning in his arms and