He smiled at her fluster. They had yet to mention marriage. Liam, propped on his elbow, reached for something under his pillow. It was a small black velvet box. “Dolly, I’ve loved ye since I met ye. Of course, I’ll marry ye, if ye were askin’ just now.”
She was completely taken by surprise. She sat up and curled her legs under her. “Are ye sure, Liam? Do ye really want me?” Overcome with happiness, she burst into tears.
“Of course, I do. I wouldn’t be askin’ if I didn’t,” he said. He appeared to be amused at her reaction at the same time she was deeply touched.
She opened the pretty velvet box to find a fine gold chain with a gold filigree Cupid’s heart attached.
“This’ll remind ye every day that I love ye with all my heart and that we’re promised to each other.” He took the delicate necklace out of its velvety confines and got to his knees to put it around her neck.
She lifted her hair, tousled with their lovemaking, while trying her best to control her overly deep breathing. When the necklace was clasped, he laid it next to her heart.
“I had the chain made long enough so this gold heart would lay right on top of yours, hidden, where no one else can see it.”
She let out a sigh. He pulled her to him one last time before parting. She came willingly. He asked again.
“Will ye marry me, Dolly Mahan?”
“Yes, I will marry ye, Liam Dady.”
~~~
Mid-afternoon, Dolly woke alone in her bed in the servants’ quarters. She knew Liam had been gone for many hours. Tucked under the covers and feeling the void his departure created, she reached for the gold heart next to her own and held it firmly in the closed palm of her hand. She brought it to her lips and kissed it. I vow to ye Liam that I will be strong for as long as it takes.
Chapter 12
During the rest of June and July, the first cut of hay was finished, and a second was finished in August. Quarts and quarts of blueberries, strawberries, and cloudberries were gathered and processed into jams and mehu. The sheep were shorn and the fiber processed and spun, cheeses were made, the variety of grains were harvested, ground in the windmill, bagged, and shipped on their way. The vegetable gardens were harvested, and many canned goods were put up in the pantries. A few pigs were butchered, salted and smoked. Fish were caught and preserved by smoke, salt or lye. Eva was very busy, rising early and falling into bed late, day after day.
Yuri Popov came during that first cutting, much to the delight of Liisa, and stayed for the summer. The Mattsons gave Yuri Eino’s bed. He earned his room and board by working. He said he wanted to learn about farming to see how he would like it. It was obvious to Eva and the rest of them that he was in love with Liisa, and that Liisa’s feelings were mutual.
By early September, Yuri returned to Rauma to start courses through the university. Eva knew the day he left was difficult for Liisa. She and Eva saw him off. He promised a visit before winter set in.
“I will be back, Liisa. My heart is with you and not with my courses. Something will change, soon. I promise.”
Eva held Liisa as they watched Yuri ride down the lane.
~~~
Work on the cabin by the lake hit a fevered pitch. Victor knew he didn’t have much time before winter set in, so he spent all his spare time at the cabin. He put it out of his mind that Eva had missed her monthly, three now? He knew because they had become very active after juhannus, running off for a tryst in the lean-to or hayloft, with Eva taking the lead on when and where. He was amazed at how insatiable she had become when they had a chance to be together. They even did it in his bedroom when everyone was out doing something. It made the sex that much more delicious for him with the idea of being caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing.
The first time in his bedroom in the middle of the day, they had been standing alone in the kitchen of the farmhouse just after dinner. Mamma Mattson had gone out to the fire pit to start making a batch of squeaky cheese and everyone else had gone back to chores.
“I want you, Victor,” Eva said and put her hand right on his soft penis.
“Where? Here?”
She rubbed him. “You’re getting hard. Let’s go do it fast in your bedroom.”
“Oh my God, Eva. I can’t wait any longer. I have to get inside you.”
She giggled and they ran off to his room, closed the door, and scrambled to remove what clothing was necessary.
“Wait. You don’t have your bloomers on.”
“I know. I like to be ready for you.” She lay on his bed. Knees up and spread wide, her arms above her head.
“Jesus, I need to put my cock in you.” He slid in. “You’re so slippery.” He thrust in and out madly.
Eva smiled and moaned in her pleasure. “I like it, Victor. Kiss my breasts. Is there a naughty word for making love?”
“Vittu.” He bit her lightly. It sent her to her climax. Her hips bucked against him. He, too, climaxed.
He was happy and felt wanted with her. She was so giving, and willing to do just about anything … except oral sex. He did it to her but she was still afraid of doing it on him, so she gladly spread her legs for him.
Now, the cabin’s exterior walls and roof were finished. He was building the interior walls. The back door faced the lake and the sauna. The front entry faced the woods, and the paths to both the farms were center, and off to the right.
Eva spent all her time between the Mattsons and her own family, hard at work with the rest of the harvesting, the preservation of fish and meats, and storing the root vegetables in the root cellars. It all had to be done fast to prevent spoilage before processing. The majority of the cheeses, woolen products, and grains went to town, Hannes and Jacob delivering. Victor was unable to spend much time with Eva, except meeting for mid-day meal, now that he was rushing to finish the cabin. Except for a bi-monthly trip to Niemi’s he avoided going to town, knowing Vilho and Olga had married. He refused to accept it, and pushed the whole thing out of his mind.
~~~
On a rainy and chilly September morning, Eva could not budge out of bed. She was exhausted and felt like throwing up, the third morning in a row. On her way to the privy, she ended up running. Not caring that it was raining, Eva barely got to the privy before she heaved her guts into the pit. The smell of the privy made it worse, and she heaved again, feeling as if her insides were coming up. She was making enough noise to wake the dead, but as she peered teary-eyed through the cutout in the outhouse door, she saw no one running to her aid. Had she eaten something spoiled? Did she have an illness? I don’t know what is happening to me, she thought. I’m worried. There’s still so much work to be done.
She staggered shakily into the sauna. I’ll splash my face and sit here for a few minutes. I think I’m done throwing up, though.
Soon, the wave of nausea passed, and she was able to go back into the house. Eva discovered Liisa taking an apple pie out of the oven. She gave Eva a quizzical look.
“You look pale and tired. Are you not well?”
“I was in the sauna, washing up.” Eva felt the remnants of the queasiness. “I may have an upset belly, that’s all. I just threw up in the outhouse.”
“Maybe you should go back to bed. You have been working quite hard between the two houses without much of a break. Mamma was saying last night that you seem worn out to her, which is not like you at all.”
Eva loved the idea of going back to bed for a while. Her muscles ached, and she felt like she had no energy at all. “Where’s Mamma this morning?”
“She went with Pappa to the Niemi’s for a visit. Mamma wanted to get out of the house for a day.”
“If I go back to bed, no one will find out. Just wake me up in two hours.”
“Aili has gone to Mattson’s for you. I think she likes going because of Hannes. You can catch up later.”
Feeling relieved, Eva kissed Liisa and shuffled back to bed, where she cuddled up in her quilt, hers and Victor’s, to sleep for a w
hile.
~~~
When she awoke much later, feeling better, Eva sensed she was not alone. Somewhat startled, she looked towards the rocking chair to discover Victor sitting with a foot crossed over his knee, looking at her with intense, brown-eyed love and concern.
“What’s going on with you?” Victor said softly. “You are never sick. You even show up with a sniffle.”
Eva didn’t bother to get out of bed. “I feel fine now. I just needed to sleep this morning. We have been working hard for weeks.”
Victor, not missing a beat, said, “I don’t think you’ve had your monthly cycle for three months now. I have been keeping track. Liisa told me you were puking your guts up this morning.”
Eva lay wrapped in the quilt up to her chin, listening.
“Why are you frowning?” Victor said.
She gave no response.
“Now, my experts say,” he got a faint smile out of her with that reference, “that women who don’t get their monthly and start throwing up may be with child.”
She felt a storm cloud of horror cross through her mind. She threw the quilt over her head, hiding from what Victor had just blurted.
“What are you saying, Victor?” she said through the quilt. She felt him sit next to her on the bed. He gently pulled the blanket away from her face.
She looked at him, feeling fear grip her belly. Her lower lip began to quiver and she burst into tears. He scooped her into his arms and held her, whispering loving words into her ear, rocking her as she wept. “What are we going to do?”
“Are you serious?” Victor said softly. “You don’t know what we will do now?”
“Why aren’t you fretting and worrying?” She sniffled.
He took his crumpled kerchief out of his pocket and wiped her nose.
“Blow,” he said softly. She emptied out a clogged, stuffy nose. “Don’t you realize what this means? And it’s not enduring the wrath of Pastor Salmi, either. It means we can get married now. Not next year.” His faced beamed. “Something told me to get our house done.”
She blinked at him, breathless because of her stuffy nose. Still holding her, he bent and gave her a passionate kiss.
“When will your parents be back?" he asked. “Liisa told me they are gone.”
“I don’t know. What time is it?”
“It’s about two. You need some food. I don’t think you’ve eaten anything, have you? You must eat now, to keep yourself and the baby healthy. We’ll tell them the news when they get home. Do you think you can get coffee ready if I help?”
“I have to go to work, too. Help me get dressed.”
She started to get up, but he wouldn’t let her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I asked Liisa to go to the farm to help there. I told her I wanted some time with you alone.” He lay down next to her on the bed and started to nuzzle her. “It makes me want you, knowing you are with child,” he said into her neck and hair. He began to kiss her, and then climbed on top of her, the quilt in between them. “Are you feeling better?”
“Maybe.”
“Hmmm.”
“What if my parents come home?”
“Then we better hurry. I think you want it.”
She smiled. “You are so hard,” she said.
He shifted as she pulled the quilt from between them. He pulled her nightgown up to her waist, spread her knees, and let out an audible breath as he pushed himself into her. He thrust ten or so times before he started groaning loudly, then climaxed. As he lay in a stupor on top of her, she finally pushed up forcefully with her hips to get his attention.
“I’m very happy that it was so enjoyable—for you,” she teased.
She could barely hear his answering “Uhhh” with his face in the quilt. A line of saliva dripped out of the corner of his mouth, connecting to the quilt.
“Are you drooling?” she asked in hilarity, then feigning disgust and trying to shove him off her.
He laughed. "What? I just spilled myself into you, and you’re worried about a little drool from my mouth?”
With a laugh, she pushed him completely out of the bed onto the floor. He lay in a crumpled heap, holding his head where he knocked it.
“OW! My head!” He rubbed the sore spot, still laughing.
“Poor little boy, “she said with little sympathy.
“You’re feeling better, aren’t you?”
“Can you please get me the towel over on my wash stand? I need to clean up.”
“Of course, my Liege, Your Highness, Princess, Tsarina Eva.” He crawled on his hands and knees to the washstand. He climbed back on the bed next to Eva, kneeling over her. He kissed her belly. “I love you,” he said and started to clean her.
“And when I am clean, you can give me my pleasure, since I missed out because you were in too much of a hurry. And I love you, too,” she said with a smile. She directed his head to her spread legs. Her hips rocked as he skillfully used his tongue. Her hands covered her face as she climaxed very quickly. She looked down at him. He smiled at her in a devilish way. “You make me feel good.”
~~~
While Eva and Victor prepared coffee, Victor knew that he’d better get Eva married to him as soon as possible. He had heard from an acquaintance at juhannus that around the time of the races, he had seen Eva go into the woods with Eino. He’d heard Eino was still around, camping in the woods somewhere. She’s still in love with him. The sooner she’s married to me, the less of a chance there’ll be to go back to him. It will be too late. I won’t let him win.
~~~
It was three-thirty when Eva’s parents returned from their visit. Eva and Victor had cleaned up and there was no sign of the sexual romp in Eva’s bed. But there was coffee, apple pie, and nisu waiting. By that time, however, the post-sex good feeling wore off and Eva had begun to worry again about telling her parents she was pregnant. Her belly began to churn.
Eva sensed that Mamma, who had grown extraordinarily sensitive to peoples’ moods since her eyes started to fail, felt something right away.
“Victor,” Mamma said, “it is unusual for you to be here at this time of day. Does this have anything to do with Eva’s change in mood for the last few weeks? You are here to say that the wedding must be soon because Eva’s with child.”
Eva was taken aback at her mother’s intuition and began to cry. Her father went to her and put his arms around her.
“I’m sorry, Pappa,” she sobbed into his shoulder.
“Eva, my daughter, everything’s fine. You are a good girl,” he cooed.
~~~
Victor was relieved that all they needed to do now was to give the news to his parents.
It was close to supper when Eva and Victor left the tenant farm to go to the Mattsons.
“You look nervous,” he said. “Don’t be.” He stopped and held Eva’s arm gently to stop her. He looked deep into her eyes. “Are you all right?”
“I don’t know,” she said, avoiding his.
He put his fingers on her chin and gently made her look at him. He gave her a sweet supportive look. Then he kissed her. She tried to smile back, but he could see his attempt hadn’t helped.
A few minutes later, they walked into the kitchen and said hello to Mother who was preparing supper. The three of them waited for Father, who they could hear coming in from chores with Hannes. Liisa and Aili entered, too, carrying jars of the last of the pickled beets they had canned.
Victor saw Eva glance nervously at his mother, who seemed to know something was amiss. Liisa give Eva a quizzical, inquiring glance, but Eva's stern gaze in response told Liisa to be quiet.
“We have a full house tonight,” his father said as he washed his hands and face at the kitchen sink. “I’ll get wine. We could all enjoy a glass for the hard work.”
With glasses in hand, Victor cleared his throat. “I have something I’d like to announce. Eva is going to have a baby, and we’d like to get married as soon as possible.�
��
Everyone looked shocked.
“How in God’s name did that happen?” Hannes asked, seemingly baffled.
Father began to chuckle. Eva blushed furiously, and Victor felt his face burn hot.
~~~
Eva watched the scene from several steps back. An anxious shaking began in her hands and moved to her knees. She watched Victor look at Mamma Mattson, who was starting to sway. He reached out to grab her arm to keep her from toppling over. Pappa Mattson grabbed the nearest kitchen chair, and he and they guided her into it. Liisa came forward and made her take a sip of wine. Liisa then moved to Eva, taking her hand and arm in support. While her anxious shaking continued, Eva gave Liisa a glance of appreciation. Victor took his mother’s hand, kneeling down next to her.
“Aiti,” he said, calling her the Finnish word for mother, “I take full responsibility. Do not worry. I’ve wanted this for a long time, you know that.” As he talked softly, his mother put her hand on his cheek and looked at him with affection.
She looked over at Eva. “My dear Eva, please come over to me.” She held out a motherly hand to her.
Eva came, tears welling in her eyes. “Yes, Mamma Mattson,” she said, feeling uncharacteristically timid. She knelt in front of her future mother-in-law, not able to make eye contact with her. She gazed to the side and down, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Mamma Mattson put her hand on Eva’s cheek. Her scratchy thumb wiped a few tears. “I want nothing more than my oldest boy to be happy. I know he’s found happiness with you, Eva. I do love you and hold you in my heart as the daughter I never had. I thank your mother for allowing me that pleasure, the dear friend she is. It is a little sudden, but none of us is surprised.” She looked around at the group. “All right, now it’s time to eat supper. Liisa and Aili, please join us. You worked hard today. Now I know why Eva wasn’t feeling well and thank you for stepping in.”
~~~
From where she was sitting at the large kitchen table, Eva watched Victor and Pappa Mattson chatting. It looked positive which made it confusing for her. She had an overwhelming urge to run outside and cry her eyes out. She felt like a bottle full of angry bees, about to shatter. Everything had changed. She tried to eat and pay attention to the conversation. It became too overwhelming, however, and soon she had lost all control. Tears rolled down her face and she wailed for all it was worth startling everyone around the table. Liisa stood to go to her, but Victor moved swiftly to her. He pulled her out of her chair.
Eva and the Irishman Page 12