“I should never have laid that on you,” she said.
“What are friends for if they can’t talk about everything?” he said wistfully.
“In that case, should I be apologizing for not telling you earlier?”
He shook his head. “You’re not at fault, Margaret. You shouldn’t be apologizing at all. I’m sorry for letting it go on this long, and for being so insensitive.”
“I wouldn’t have let you cut me loose,” she said, knowing what he was thinking. “And I still won’t. I’ll learn to suck it up and move on with my life romantically, that’s all.”
“That easy?”
She considered the question for the space of ten breaths. “That easy,” she said finally. “I’m looking forward to spending some time with Mark over the holidays. If we’re going to make a go of a relationship, I can’t stay with you professionally, though. I can’t stay on the road.”
“Of course. I’ll stay in Kingston after the tour, at least until Herman has the baby, so there will be plenty of time to find your replacement.”
He caught her wince, so small that anyone else would have missed it.
“Speaking of hiring people …” She waited for him to go on. “I sort of fired the entire crew last night.”
She sat back on her heels. “You what?”
“They were all drunk. I can’t put up with that, can I?”
“But it was my fault! You can’t fire them because I got them smashed. They have families.”
He frowned. “You would think they’d have taken that into consideration before they took turns banging you, wouldn’t you?”
“That was my fault too. I persuaded them,” she said, looking down at his feet in shame.
“Should I hire them back then? I would have thought you’d have more dignity than that.”
She looked up sharply, assessing the level of cruelty he meant. When she saw none at all, her features softened. “My dignity aside, they don’t deserve to be fired. If anyone does, it’s me.” She lowered her gaze again and shook her head. “I suppose I should be the one to rehire them. And apologize at the same time.”
“I’ll call Reed and make sure the crew hasn’t left yet. Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, it’s best I do it alone. That’s how I got them into this mess in the first place.”
Stephen dialed Reed’s cell phone and first ascertained that he was at the station before he asked if the crew was still there. Reed had to get out of bed to check. Stephen heard him murmur something to Charlotte before she came on the line.
“Thank you,” she said to Stephen. “This is the most fun I’ve had since you left.”
“I’m glad you two are getting along so well,” Stephen said, meaning it.
“The two of you are practically interchangeable. Sometimes I swear …”
“Just don’t forget, he’s not me. Don’t hurt him, okay?”
“I know,” she said quietly.
He heard shuffling from the other end, and then Reed came back on. “Hey, Boss. The crew’s finished working. They’re packing up to leave.”
“Did you notice if everything is set up?”
“It all looks good to me.”
“Okay, go back down and ask them to sit tight for twenty minutes. Margaret’s coming out to talk to them.”
“Will do, Sir.”
Stephen hung up and rested the hand holding the phone on this lap. He told Margaret she needed to get out to the station right away. She stomped over to the bed to retrieve a sweater, and they went downstairs and out to the barn together.
Even as she mounted the horse Stephen bridled for her, she appeared frustrated.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked as she turned the horse in the direction of the station.
She looked confused. “I wanted to read the newspaper before I did anything else.”
Stephen smiled as he watched her ride out of sight.
CHAPTER 32
Apart from Margaret’s enthusiasm the first morning to get at the paper, none of the changes in her were more apparent to Stephen than the evaporation of the tension she had carried for months. And so, in the days after casting the spells, they looked to Antigua, to Stephen’s parents, for similar changes in Nina. The collective opinion of the coven was that the spell could only have been more effective on her, with all six witches present at its casting. She, too, had been desperate to get at the newspaper the day after they cast the spell, but because Nina rarely spoke to the Dagmars, it was more difficult for them to read her. They had no choice but to defer to the impressions of the other staff. The housemaid with whom Nina had formed a friendship said that though she couldn’t be sure, it seemed Nina had become more introspective, like she was trying to figure something out. When asked to question Nina on her thoughts, the girl had come up with nothing but that the young pregnant woman was considering a move to Antigua after the baby was born, to settle there. Stephen took this as a sign that perhaps she was ready for a little distance between himself and her. It was encouraging.
Meanwhile, the look between Charlie and Sarah that he had glimpsed on his first day back was proving to mean what he’d expected. The two had become as inseparable as they had been when the coven was an ongoing part of their lives. To Stephen’s relief, Mark had joined them for dinner at Margaret’s invitation on two of the three nights they spent in Kingston, and the couple seemed to have picked up where they had left off.
And so it was that nine people—the coven, Mark, and a newly trained Charlotte with Reed as her guest—gathered in the Dagmar dining room for dinner on the evening that Stephen was to return to Edmonton and reunite with Herman.
As they drank to love, to magic, and to the beauty of life, an eighteen-year-old woman sat in the midst of her family—her father, her brother, and her aunt—by a roaring fire, watching a television program she had no interest in, her hands on her belly, wishing for her lover. And across the miles, with a mild summery breeze wafting the curtains aside, another woman sat in her room, brushing her hair while she gazed at her face in the mirror, hoping that the child in her womb would have its father’s features even as the contractions began.
Good, she thought. She dropped the brush, put her hands to her belly, and waited for the pain to pass. Her baby would be born in Antigua where she would stay for a while, close to her Master’s parents. And, perhaps, she could find a lover. It was a delicate idea, but she focused on it, attempting to turn it into an intention. The article she had read on page three of the paper had shown her the way. She would make Master envious of the relationship another man would have with his only daughter. She had prayed long and hard that it was only a matter of divine timing.
She crossed to her dresser to retrieve the knotted rope Master had given her as part of a magical spell, long ago at the hospital in Kingston, and left her room to look for his parents. She wanted to sound as though she was in pain, so she waited for the next contraction before calling out. She didn’t need to fake it. Her water broke with the second contraction, and the beginning of the rest of her life spilled onto an expensive Oriental rug on the Dagmar’s dining room floor.
CHAPTER 33
Stephen and his guests were enjoying a dessert of crème brûlée when the call came from Tarmien; Nina was in the hospital, her contractions eight minutes apart. The baby would be premature. Stephen announced the news and then put his phone on speaker in the middle of the table. Congratulations were passed on by everyone at the table, to Tarmien, to Stephen, and to Reed, who was about to become an uncle to his half-sister’s baby.
“I wanted to be there when the baby was born,” Stephen said once the excitement at the table had settled. “We haven’t discussed a name yet.”
“Nina asked me to tell you that whatever you decide to name your daughter is fine with her,” Tarmien said from the phone’s speaker. “As for being here, it’s hard to say how long the birth is going to take. It could be ano
ther twenty-four hours.”
Charlie nodded. “Are you at the hospital now, Mr. Dagmar?”
“Is that you, Dr. Fletcher?”
“Yes, it is,” Charlie said, smiling. “Point taken. Are you at the hospital, Tarmien?”
“I am, Charlie. Would you like to speak to Nina’s doctor directly?”
“If that’s possible, please. I want to give Stephen my own professional advice on whether it’s worth trying to get there in time for the birth. Not that I don’t trust the doctors there, of course.”
“Of course,” Tarmien said. “I appreciate your expertise, as I’m sure Stephen does. One moment and I’ll get the doctor.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Stephen said. He hadn’t realized he was tapping his foot until Margaret reached under the table and touched his knee.
“Anxious?” she asked.
“I guess I must be.”
At the other end of the table, Charlotte and Reed were whispering. He thought it likely that she was trying to ascertain whether Nina was also Stephen’s sister, since she was Reed’s, and why they were having a baby together if he was in love with Herman. Stephen knew it must seem as complicated as Wuthering Heights to the poor girl, and he promised himself he would talk to her when it was all over.
When the doctor came on the phone, Stephen turned it off speaker so Charlie could speak with him in private. She handed it back after she was finished, and he told his father he would call again after he had made his decision.
“Herman will be devastated,” Margaret pointed out after the call was disconnected.
“I know,” Stephen said. “I’m not happy about it either. But it’s not every day you get a chance to hold your newborn baby in your arms.” He turned to Charlie. “What did the doctor say?”
“Well, the baby is fine, and so is Nina. But there’s no way of telling how long the labor will last. You may get there and wake up to find the baby has already been born, even if you leave now, or you may wait there until tomorrow sometime. Her water has broken, so I doubt they’ll leave her for much more than eighteen hours.
“But it may be a few days before you’re able to hold the baby anyway, since she’s premature.”
He shook his head. “I also want to be there to name her.”
They gave Stephen a moment to think in silence; Charlotte spoke first.
“Could you not take Herman with you?”
“NO!” snapped the six members of the coven in unison.
“Sorry!” she said, raising her hands in surrender. Reed put his arm around her protectively and she leaned on him.
“Sorry, Charlotte,” Stephen said. “It’s complicated.”
He saw no other choice. “I have to call Herman,” he said as he pushed his chair back from the table. “Please, finish your dessert. I’ll be back in a few minutes to say goodbye.”
He ran up the stairs to his room, still not sure what he was going to say. He wanted to be with Herman, but he knew that if he wasn’t there for the birth—or at least the naming—of his first daughter, he would regret it for the rest of his life. His gut told him he wouldn’t know her name until he looked into her eyes.
He pushed the button on his phone to speed-dial Herman’s number, and she picked up so quickly that he thought she must have had it in her hand.
“Stephen!” she said. “The bed is ready, are you coming now?”
He hesitated, hearing her voice, so enthusiastic to see him. “No,” he said quietly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nina has gone into early labor.”
He heard a thump as she dropped the phone, followed by a scream of frustration, a distance from the receiver.
He called her name, apologizing and begging her to return to the phone. After a while she picked up again.
“When are you leaving for Antigua?” she asked.
“In about fifteen minutes. I’ll call you from there, and I’ll come straight to Edmonton after I’ve seen the baby. I’m so sorry, Herman.”
“It’s okay, I understand.”
“You do?”
“I do, although my initial reaction was to tell you to go fuck yourself and hang up.” He heard humor in her voice along with the thickness of tears. “But the reason you want to be there when she’s born is the reason I love you, Stephen. You couldn’t be anywhere else. It’s who you are. I hope you make it in time.”
“Thank you, my love. I promise I’ll be there as soon as I possibly can.”
“I know. I have more than one reason for wanting to talk to you, though. Just a sec.”
She put the phone down and blew her nose. When she came back, her voice was clearer.
“I found out why my dad hates you so much. He told me something in one of his drunken hazes, but he doesn’t understand what it all means. I’m pretty sure you’ll agree I have it figured out right.”
“I’m intrigued.” It was the last thing Stephen expected to hear.
“Trust me, it’s incredible,” she said, sounding a little more like herself.
“I wish there was some way to tell you how much I love you, Herman.”
“You can show me when you get here,” she said softly.
“I can’t wait. I’ll see you soon.”
He hung up and called his mother to make sure there was a place clear to transport to before he changed into something more comfortable than the suit he had worn to dinner. He ran downstairs for one last word with the group in the dining room.
“First, I’d like to thank everyone for coming,” he said, “particularly you ladies for all your help. Keep praying to the goddess that it works.” He walked around the table and kissed each of the coven members on the cheek, stopping at Margaret’s shoulder.
“Charlotte,” he went on, “you’ll be wonderful in the show, and Reed, it was great to see you again. Give my best to your mother and tell her I’ll make sure Nina is well taken care of.”
“I will, Mr. Dagmar, thank you,” Reed said. “And thank you for,” he paused and gazed at Charlotte, who was staring at Stephen with her mouth agape. “Thank you for everything.”
Stephen smiled at him, and at Charlotte. “You’re welcome.”
“Mark,” he said, turning to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man at Margaret’s side, “I’ll be seeing you soon in Edmonton?”
“Yes,” he said. “Do you need a ride to the airport? Or …” He stopped talking when everyone at the table began to shuffle about.
“I don’t need a plane. Margaret,” he said looking down at her, “I think it’s time you told him. But first, can you come upstairs and see me off?”
“Sure,” she said. She placed her napkin on the table, and Stephen pulled her chair out as she stood.
“Do you think Mark would like to come and watch?” he asked, seeing the wide-eyed look on the other man’s face. Stephen had known him almost as long as he’d known Margaret; he believed he could trust Mark to keep his secret.
“That might be a good idea. Come?” she offered, holding her hand out to him.
He followed them out the door. Stephen waved goodbye once more to his friends as he left the room.
Up in his bedroom, he called his mother one more time to say he’d be there within the next two minutes.
“You’re actually going to Antigua?” Mark said incredulously. “Now?”
“Yes,” Stephen said as he lay down. “Margaret has seen this a number of times, she’ll explain as much about it as she can. Margaret, my mom will call you when I get there.”
“Take care, and have a safe trip.” She took his hand in hers, and he squeezed it.
“I’ll see you in Edmonton,” he said, smiling.
He placed both of his hands on his chest. With his eyes closed, he envisioned all that he had on him—all his clothes and possessions—and the place he was going, and he waited. The familiar whistle began, steady and sharp, slowly drowning out Margaret until it seemed she was speaking in a wh
isper.
CHAPTER 34
And then he became aware of his mother’s voice, singing quietly at a short distance. A few minutes later, when he was able to open his eyes, he heard her gasp, and then her face hovered over his.
“Stephen,” she breathed.
He couldn’t speak, but she knew what he wanted to know.
“The baby hasn’t come yet, but they think it won’t be long now.” She squinted a little; around her deep-blue eyes were wrinkles he didn’t remember seeing before. “We have to get to the hospital as soon as you can get up.”
He tried to will the feeling back. After much exhausting concentration on his body, his limbs, his entire nervous system, he dizzily lifted himself into a sitting position.
He finished recuperating in the car on the way to the hospital, his mother driving. With his eyes closed and his head tilted back, his recent paralysis heightened his senses as the car sped and slowed, and turned left and right. He was reminded of his trip from Antigua to Edmonton, when Herman had toyed with him. She had rocked his sensations in a different way then, and he decided to pay more attention the next time he returned to Edmonton: perhaps ask her to make love to him. He was brought out of his reverie as his mother pulled into the parking lot at the hospital.
“How did Herman take the news?” she asked, turning off the car.
“Remarkably well. She understood that I needed to be here, even though she was expecting to see me today after an interminable separation of three and a half days.”
His mother smiled. “I think you should marry that girl, Stephen.”
“I think I should,” he agreed with a thoughtful nod.
The first sign that they were in the right place was the sound of Tarmien Dagmar’s voice and the laughter of women. He stood at the maternity ward’s main desk with so many nurses gathered around him, it seemed unlikely there could be any left for the patients. Stella walked directly to him and placed her hand on his arm. He turned and smiled and kissed her softly on the lips, and all else was forgotten, cementing Stephen’s belief in the possibility of an everlasting bond, despite everything. Tarmien smiled again when he saw Stephen. He stepped forward to hug him and clap him on the back.
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