Whoops! Blogfest – Steam Palace

Whoops!

Here’s my entry in the Whoops! Blogfest. Click the link to find the other entries.

NOTE: Prudencia has just arrived home after a long journey where she had gone missing and presumed dead. From my WIP Steam Palace.

The sounds of crying met her at the door. She rushed up to Bea's bedroom to find the woman on the edge of her bed, her head on her hands, sobbing. "Aunt Bea! Aunt Bea! I'm home! I'm alive."

"Oh, Prudencia!" The women hugged. "I heard you were well yesterday. I'm so relieved you're back. But that's not why I'm crying."

Prudencia released the woman. "What is it, Auntie? Why are you so sad?"

Bea flopped onto the bed. "I just completed a visit with my physician."

An icy hand gripped Prudencia's heart. "Oh, no. Please don't tell me you're at death's door. I couldn't stand it."

"No, no. It's much worse. I'm so ashamed. All my life, I've lived a certain way, believed certain things. And now—Oh, Prudencia, what am I to do?"

"Bea, what is it? What happened? Is it a dreadful disease? A hideous infection?" Prudencia couldn't fathom what upset her Aunt so.

"I cannot bring my lips to say it."

"Beatrice Harwinton, tell me this instant what is going on."

The woman swallowed. "I—I—I'm pregnant!"

Whoops!