It's always nice to get buds before you expect them. The more hybrids I grow, the more I see flowers in the second year. FYI the spotting in hellebores generally is a quality of the inside of the sepals and is not always apparent from the outside of the bud. But as you say "We shall see." This is probably the most acurate expression we can make when growing hellebores from seed. :-) Most of my seedlings from spotted parents do also carry spotting. Enjoy your flower to be!