“This will never work,” Amelia said, lacing up her loosest corset on Gideon’s tiger.

“You’re supposing this creature has good eyesight,” Gideon pointed out. “We don’t know it does. And it only needs to be convincing for a few moments.”

He patted John on the arm. “Don’t worry. You’ll not be in any real danger.”

Young John nodded stoically, putting up a brave front that Amelia saw through. The poor boy was trembling.

They were at Lilywood Cottage, Gideon’s small property in Devon. It lay a few miles away from the ruins of the Abbey, where Gideon had laid his trap.

“Now, tell me again your role so I know you’ve understood.”

John’s arms hung awkwardly at his sides. He looked so ill at ease in her gown Amelia wanted to tell him she would be the lure in their scheme, but she knew better than to try. Gideon refused to allow her to take part, and she was tired of arguing with him.

The entire ordeal had been so draining that Amelia had spent most of the time since arriving in Dorset sleeping.

John recited his instructions as if they were a school lesson. “I keep my wig and cloak on at all times and don’t show too much of my face at any of the windows. The men outside will light torches all around. At your signal, they’re going to fall back and pretend they’ve seen it somewhere off the grounds. If it comes the men hidden in the house will run out with their long hammers, forcing the creature to one of the weak spots in the floor. I must stay on the other side of one of these so it will try to cross and fall through.”

Gideon nodded approvingly. “The fall is long enough that it will most definitely shatter when it hits the ground underneath.”

“And if it doesn’t come to the house for my facsimile?” Amelia asked with folded arms, frowning at the soreness of her breasts.

Was it her imagination or were they more ample than she remembered?

Gideon adjusted the wig and sent John out of the room with a little push. “Then we try again tomorrow night and every night hereafter until it comes.”

He put his hands on her shoulders. “It will work. I’m certain of it.”

Amelia suspected he was not being entirely truthful but decided not to take issue with it. It wasn’t as if she had a better plan.

Rubbing her arms, she went to the window. It was safe, so long as she didn’t open the curtains. In life, Sir Clarence had not been aware of this property, or that it belonged to Gideon. They had arrived via an anonymous hired carriage, using her more distinctive conveyance as a decoy. Gideon would take that one up the main drive before guiding his faux-countess inside.

Mr. Clarke had disguised himself as a clergyman, one summoned to the Abbey on the pretext of blessing the grounds before they rebuilt the house. In the meantime, their superfluous male staff were making themselves visible on the house’s grounds.

Crispin, along with half a dozen of Gideon’s best men, would stay behind at the cottage to watch over her. That suited Crispin just fine. He wasn’t eager to set foot in the ruin again. “I’m about as graceful as a sow with this leg. I’ll end up falling through the floor myself.”

Gideon assured him such a thing wasn’t likely. The men who would face the creature were secured to the stairs and the beams undamaged by fire with strong rope. The rest would be tied to each other. If one fell, the strength of the others would keep them from plunging into the abyss.

The earl was sure he had thought of everything. Amelia hoped he was right.

In a few minutes, Crispin came up to inform Gideon that everything was in readiness. Then he went back down to check the state of his pistols again.

“He’s loaded and reloaded those guns at least three times now,” she said.

“It makes him feel better to be armed. And bullets do damage it, just not as easily as I would like.” Gideon took her in his arms. “Please don’t worry. We have everything ready.”

His big, warm hands moved to cover her stomach. Self-conscious because her middle had expanded a trifle the last few weeks—the richness of the food again—she tried to shift his hands.

“Rest,” he ordered. “Growing an entire person is exhausting.”

Amelia’s mouth dropped open as her mind wrapped itself around what he was saying. She couldn’t be increasing! She would have known.

As if on cue, a sudden wave of dizziness rose to overwhelm her. Gideon caught her up and set her on the wide double bed. “As I said, growing an entire person is exhausting for any woman, but bearing my heir is enough to tax even a goddess like you.”

Amelia slapped his hand. “How long have you known?”

His grin was smug. “Not long.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

He kissed her forehead and drew back. “You had enough on your mind.”

But he conveniently tells me now so I won’t worry. Amelia’s arms tightened around his neck, pulling him close for a fierce hug.

“Come back to me in one piece or suffer the consequences,” she said, fighting tears.

“You have my word,” he vowed, holding her tight.