“Given your past history, it all makes sense,” Andrea murmured. Once again she rested her golden-brown head against his shoulder.
His chin grazed her soft hair. “Did Papa ever tell you the background story on our château?”
“No. I want to hear. I can’t get enough.”
He couldn’t get enough of her.
“When it was built, my original Du Lac ancestor named it Joyous Gard. It means the ‘happy keep,’ after Lancelot’s castle which is somewhere in Northern England.
“Legend has it that before he broke the spell of a sinister enchantment, it was called Dolorous Gard, which means ‘painful keep.’
“When Lancelot explored the castle, he came upon a tomb with his own name upon it. He knew at once it was destined to be his home and eventual resting place. After Arthur and Guinevere visited there as his guests, the name of the castle was changed to Joyous Gard. But the strife that ensued caused the name to revert back to Dolorous Gard. Ultimately Lancelot’s body was taken there for burial.
“I wanted to explain all this so you’ll understand that when Corinne came into our lives, our happy home turned into Dolorous Gard. That’s the way I thought of it. I’m sure my father did, too.
“But no longer, and that’s because of you.”
“What a beautiful thing to say, Lance.” She turned in his arms and kissed his lips. Not with passion, but a sublime sweetness. “Let’s go up to bed. Whether she comes or not, we shouldn’t give Corinne any more power over us.”
Lance knew it wasn’t an invitation to make love. But they’d become friends, and that was a start.
He picked up his bride in his arms and carried her to their bedroom. When he laid her down, the picture of Lancelot leaning over the queen assailed him.
One day Andrea would welcome him with love and trembling. One day he would know the heat of her embrace. He was dying for it.
Andrea came awake suddenly. The storm had passed over. It must have been her bad dream, but she couldn’t remember it. Her watch said five-fifteen.
She turned on her other side. In the semidark she could see Lance’s outline, but not his scar. He slept on his stomach with one arm outstretched, as if he’d been reaching for her.
Such a beautiful man.
So much pain in the last ten years.
He wanted to be a father and had married her to that end. It made her want to be the kind of wife he deserved. She would make their marriage work for as long as Lance wanted it.
She slid off the side of the bed and padded into the en suite bathroom. Her trips were becoming more frequent. When she came back in the room, she was wide-awake.
Lance was sleeping so soundly, she decided to go downstairs to the study and phone her aunt. With the time difference to the States it would be a good time to reach her. She should have called before now to tell her about the baby and the change of wedding date, but too much had been going on. Finally Andrea felt ready to explain everything.
Once her aunt got over the happy shock that Andrea was expecting, they talked about Corinne.
“You’re dealing with someone who’s unstable, Andrea.”
“We know.”
“You need to be careful.”
“Don’t worry. Lance won’t let anything happen.”
“He must really be something.”
“He is.”
“I’m sorry we won’t be getting to meet him for a while.”
Andrea bit her lip. It was better this way. “Maybe one day after the baby’s born.”
“A miracle happened to you. I couldn’t be happier for you. Send pictures over the Internet.”
“I will. Talk to you again soon.”
As she put down the receiver, her diamond sparkled in the light. She took her rings off to examine them and noticed an inscription on the wedding band.
She held it closer. Her breath caught when she read the words.
Joyous Gard.
CHAPTER NINE
DR. SEMPLIS stared at Lance. “The receptionist told me you two are now officially Monsieur et Madame Du Lac. That was fast work. Congratulations.”
“After our first visit here last month, I decided I liked the idea of being Andrea’s husband. Fortunately I was able to talk her into it.”
The doctor looked down at Andrea who was lying on the examining table. “Marriage becomes you. I would hardly know you’re the same dehydrated woman your husband carried into the clinic before.”
“The medicine did the trick, along with a lot of pampering.”
Over the last month Lance had done everything to make her comfortable. When he came home from work at the end of each day, he was so attentive to her she could almost believe he was excited to see her.
Sometimes they ate out, or went for walks. They’d entertained his friend Giles and his wife. Geoff and Percy were constant visitors now that he’d recovered from his pneumonia and could drive to Rennes.
Her days were full of doing light gardening. Louise had been teaching her how to cook some French foods Lance would like. All in all Andrea knew her life to be idyllic. On the surface…
But since their wedding night when she’d asked Lance to be patient with her, he’d honored her wishes to a fault! She feared she might have turned him off for good and couldn’t bear it.
What if he never reached out to her again? What if the time came when he turned to another woman for the intimacy Andrea had denied them? If she tried to initiate something tonight, would it do more damage? She wanted Lance’s love, was aching for it, but he’d given her no sign to indicate he was aching for it, too.
In all fairness to him, she knew he had other things on his mind. Since the night Corinne had disappeared from the hospital, there’d been no word of her. She hadn’t made contact with Geoff. As long as her whereabouts remained a mystery, Andrea couldn’t totally relax and knew her husband couldn’t, either.
He never talked about Corinne. That in itself made Andrea suspicious. His brooding moods when he thought she was asleep didn’t fool her.
“I’ll start the ultrasound now. If we’re lucky, we’ll find out if you’ve got a boy or a girl in there. Sometimes the baby won’t cooperate.”
Lance had pulled up a stool next to her. Smiling into her eyes, he grasped her hand. “This is it, ma belle.”
She nodded.
It was the first endearment Lance had used with her since their marriage. No doubt he wanted to impress the doctor that he was the loving husband.
Lance played the part so well there were times when she was in danger of forgetting their marriage was on paper only.
He lifted her hand to kiss the palm. A feeling of delight trickled through her body making her feel weightless.
“Are you excited, chérie?”
“I’ve been living for it,” she confessed.
“So have I.”
As the doctor undraped her to get a reading, she felt Lance’s intense gaze fasten on her belly.
How odd was it that he should see her like this when they’d never been intimate or anything close to it. In the last two weeks she’d noticed herself beginning to blossom. She’d already put on a few pounds, and was hardly a fetching sight for a man who could have any beautiful woman he wanted.
The doctor moved the instrument around, intent on the task. In the semidark of the examining room, the baby’s fast heartbeat reverberated, drowning out other sound. Andrea wanted to ask him if everything was all right.
“What’s the verdict, Doctor?” Lance demanded.
Andrea had come to find her husband’s impatience rather endearing. He was a man of action. For him the shortest distance between two points was a straight line no matter the obstacle.
“So far everything looks fine. The baby’s the right size. It’s growing in the right location. The heart sounds strong and perfect.”
“Oh thank goodness,” she cried softly.
Lance squeezed her fingers. She sensed his emotions were too involved to realize how much
pressure he was asserting, but she didn’t mind. This was one of those unforgettable moments in life.
The doctor made a satisfied noise in his throat. “What did you say you were going to call your child?”
Andrea told him her choice of names.
“Take a look at the screen right here and say hello to Geoff.”
“A boy!”
She wasn’t quite sure what she was looking at, but it didn’t matter. Tears filled her eyes. “Oh Lance—We’re having a little boy.”
He leaned over and kissed her warmly on the mouth. “A son. We’ll christen him Geoffroi-Richard Fallon Malbois Du Lac.”
Moved by his deliberate mention of her husband, she cupped the side of his arresting face. “He’ll be the luckiest little boy in the world to have you for his father.”
While he kissed her fingertips, the doctor covered her with the sheet. “When you two are ready, here are the printouts of your baby. Keep up what you’re doing to stay healthy. See you next month.”
He put the pictures on her tummy. After turning on the light he left the room.
She blinked to get used to it again. By this time Lance had gotten to his feet. He walked around studying the photos with a look of happiness on his face she’d never seen before.
“I can see his profile, and hands and legs. Do you know how incredible this is?”
Incredible was right. Earthshaking events had happened to her since arriving in Brittany.
Andrea sat up and swung her legs over the side. The gown rode higher, exposing her limbs. Having captured his attention, his gaze wandered over them and continued until it reached her face. She hurried to cover them and could hardly catch her breath for the physical sensations attacking her body.
He came closer. “Here. See for yourself.”
With one arm around her shoulders, he used his other hand to give her the pictures. Together they examined them in detail.
“I’ve been working on the baby book you gave me. There’s a special page for these.”
“This calls for a celebration. After you get dressed, we’ll drive back to Rennes and pick out baby furniture for our son.”
“I can’t wait. But first let’s stop by the château and show these to your father.”
He caressed her arm. “I knew you would say that. He’ll be delighted.”
“I hope so,” she lamented. “Geoff needs cheering up. He puts on a happy face, but I know he’s worried about Corinne. Frankly I am, too. She could be up to anything.”
Lance helped her to get down. “Let’s make a pact and not think about her. This is our day. I’d rather concentrate on the baby.”
That was easier said than done. “So would I.”
“I’ll go out to the reception room and wait for you.”
She nodded. “I’ll hurry.”
“Take your time.” He pocketed the pictures before disappearing out the door. Today he was wearing a pastel green sport shirt and jeans that molded his powerful thighs. Her knees went weak just looking at him.
A half hour later they were sitting on Geoff’s veranda eating lunch with him.
“When Lance was born, there wasn’t such a thing as an ultrasound. We had to be patient and wait to see what God sent us.”
“I’m glad I didn’t have to do that. With this news we can get the nursery outfitted for a boy right now and be ready. There are so many darling things for babies.”
“My wife had Lance’s christening gown and cap preserved. I’d like to give it to you for Geoff’s.”
“How sweet of you!”
Lance eyed his father in surprise. “I didn’t know that.”
“The box is on the shelf in my closet. I’ve kept it all these years in the hope that it would be used again.”
As Andrea got up to give Geoff a kiss, Henri appeared. He walked over to Lance.
“There’s a man at the door here to see you.”
“Who is it?”
“He’s from the court to deliver you some papers.”
Lance didn’t act surprised, but something unpleasant was going on inside of him. She could tell by the way the hand resting on his thigh curled into a fist beneath the table.
Alarmed, she asked, “What’s going on?”
His eyes darted to hers. “Just business concerning some litigation over a property. Excuse me for a minute. I won’t be long.”
He was lying, but she didn’t want to say anything in front of Geoff.
“While my son is busy, let me find that box for you.”
Being deserted by both men gave her too much time to get worked up. She’d lived with Lance long enough to recognize certain signs. Whoever was at the door had brought bad news. Andrea could feel it. When she was alone again with her husband, she would learn the truth.
“What do you think, Andrea? Shall we go with the natural wood, or the Provence green?”
The salesman was waiting for her answer.
They’d narrowed down their choices until only two were left. She’d been watching Lance as they looked at all the baby furniture. His eyes kept going to the set the clerk called Goupil.
It included a crib, a dresser with gold knobs, a child’s table and a little rocking chair. The sides of it were in the shape of a very cunning looking fox handpainted in vivid colors. Andrea didn’t need to ask which set had grabbed her husband’s attention.
“We’ll take the one with the fox.”
“A wonderful choice, madame.”
Despite what was on Lance’s mind that had made him so serious since leaving the château, he flashed her a gratified glance. “Are you sure?”
“I love it.”
Lance gave the man a nod. “We’d like it delivered right away.” He walked over to the counter to pay for it, then suggested they go to the Galerie Bouffard to get the rest of the baby things.
Andrea remembered seeing the name of the store on the bags when he’d brought her some gifts a month ago. It appeared the attractive woman in the infant department remembered Lance. In fact she couldn’t take her eyes off him! She didn’t seem to care that Andrea was married to him.
Though Lance did nothing to invite the saleswoman’s attention, Andrea experienced a stab of jealousy. She couldn’t believe she’d just had that reaction.
“How can I help you this time?”
As far as Andrea was concerned, the flirtatious woman was doing her best to make a conquest. It brought out Andrea’s possessive streak—another surprise since she wasn’t the possessive type. Or at least she hadn’t thought so until now.
“We’d like a crib cover, a liner and a quilt. Do you happen to have something with a fox motif?”
“There’s a Renard the Fox collection from the animated cartoon version of Robin Hood. It has a mobile with all the forest animals.”
“May we see it please?”
“Bien sûr.” Her eyes slid to Lance, appraising him. “Un moment.”
The woman wore a dress that clung to her tall, willowy figure. Andrea felt like a vanilla pudding in comparison. She looked away sharply.
“Andrea? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“I’m your husband, remember? I know your moods.”
Her head flew back. “If you must know, I’m surprised how brazen some women can be.”
A broad smile transformed him into someone so gorgeous, she felt her bones dissolve. “Ignore her.”
“If I can’t take my eyes off her electric hips, I don’t see how you can.”
He burst into rich male laughter. Then he sobered. “Today my eyes beheld a wondrous sight in the examination room that blinded me to everything else. I wish we didn’t have to wait so long for the baby to come.”
Lance wanted a child. No doubt he’d hoped for a son. Now that he was getting his wish, he didn’t want or need anything else. Or anyone…? Like the first winter blizzard after a glorious warm autumn, the thought sent a pang to her heart.
“Here we are.” The piranha had returned.
“We’ll take it.”
The woman eyed Lance with a seductive smile. “Can I interest you in anything else?”
“No,” Andrea spoke for him. “We have everything we need.” She reached in her purse and put enough Eurodollars on the counter to cover the cost.
Lance didn’t interfere with the transaction for which she was grateful.
Once the woman had bagged everything, Andrea reached for the handles. “Thank you for your help.”
“A votre service. Come again.”
Not on your life, Andrea muttered to herself. Lance must have heard her. Once the elevator doors closed she heard his chuckle all the way down to the main floor.
He ushered her out of the doors. “I’d like to make one more purchase. The book department is to our right.”
Curious to know what he was looking for, Andrea followed him up one aisle of books and down another until they came to the children’s section. His keen eyes searched authors names.
“Ah…Samivel. This is what I was after.” She watched him pull a substantial nine by twelve book from the shelf. “When we get home, I’ll translate this for you.” He sounded excited. “You’re in for a very special treat.” She could sense his eagerness.
Once he’d paid for it, they left the store. With his arm possessively gripping her waist, he accompanied her to the car parked around the corner.
She eyed him furtively. “Thank you for a wonderful day.”
He put his hand over hers and pressed gently. “It’s not over yet.”
Though he often did that, lately her body felt his touch like a jolt of electricity. Andrea couldn’t talk. She had all she could do to tamp down her emotions that were running away with her.
Lance drove her past Rennes’s famous timbered houses, part of the city’s colorful history. Near the end of the Motte de Madame avenue they ate dinner at a quaint restaurant. It bordered on the parc of the old orangerie. She cherished the time spent with him.
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