by Alisa Adams
She could never have imagined that the skin on a man's body could be so soft or his lips so sweet. She had always imagined men as hard and hairy creatures, much less sensitive than she was. But Auguste took pleasure from her every one of her touches and kisses and reveled in every sound she made.
Even running her hands through his hair gave her such sensuous delight that she moaned with it, and when he touched the secret places that only he knew, she thought she might go mad with her need for him. No matter how many times she said 'I love you' it never seemed to be enough – because she was so greedy for it. How could three little words contain this huge emotion that had taken over her life so completely?
When their bodies had been satisfied, Auguste fell asleep with one hand still on her breast. She looked closely at it. It was long-fingered and sensitive-looking but strong and supple at the same time. She smiled as she thought how often those hands had caressed her almost to madness.
She had often envied Shona and Lachlan, their love and devotion to each other, but she did so no longer because now it was hers too.
45
Destination
Alexa had thought that Peterhead was busy, but Genoa was in a class of its own. She had never seen so many ships. There were tall ships with a myriad of sails like the one in which they were traveling, even bigger ones with both sails and oars, and lighter, smaller craft with only a few sails. There were even smaller boats with a single oarsman that were used to unload lighter cargo from the ships and take it onto the shore.
Among the mayhem, on the dock itself, there were the usual carts, horses, barrels of wine and rum, great bundles of wool tied with rope and quite a few live animals. Alexa saw sheep, cattle, and goats being led onto ships as well as quite a few handsome horses.
There seemed to be dogs everywhere – tame ones on leads with owners and stray ones begging for scraps and making a nuisance of themselves. None of them looked thin, so Alexa assumed that they stayed at the harbor because the pickings were good. She saw a cat sneaking into the shadows with a great fat ship's rat in its mouth, and presumed that they made a good living off the ships too!
Alexa was quite shocked to see that there were quite a few 'ladies of a certain kind' plying their trade for the benefit of the sailors and any other man who passed them. She had never witnessed anything like this before and was intrigued.
"Auguste – are those women selling their bodies?"
"Alexa, ma Chère – you are such an innocent!" He laughed and put an arm around her shoulders then kissed her hair. "Do not judge them too harshly. Many of them have families to feed, and this is the only way they can do it. There is much poverty here."
"Have you ever… taken advantage of their services?" she asked, a little fearful of his answer.
He shook his head firmly. "I would never do such a thing. But sometimes I give them food and a few spices if I have any to spare."
Alexa looked up at him adoringly. What a good man she had married!
The smell was indescribable. It was a mixture of fish, seaweed, and frying food, but there were underlying accents of more unpleasant smells. Because Genoa was much hotter than Peterhead, perishable goods went rotten more quickly, but they were soon gobbled up by the dogs. Despite the smell and general air of seediness, Alexa loved the place, because it was so full of life and vigor.
* * *
She became particularly interested in the banks, public spaces where merchants exchanged one state's currency for another for a fee. Auguste told her that some people even left their money there, which the banker would invest for them and give them interest on. This was called a 'bank account', and she was thrilled to know that Auguste himself had one.
"Are you rich?" she asked, incredulous, as she saw him taking a small pouch of gold ducats from the banker's hand.
"Alexa." He took her by the shoulders. "You are my wife. Every single thing I have is yours, but the answer is no, we are not rich, but we are comfortable. We will always have enough to eat, and enough to enjoy a few of the finer things in life. Does that answer your question?"
She nodded.
"So, may I buy you some silk dresses?" he asked, hopeful. "Because we may need to entertain at some point and you cannot sit at a banqueting table in your plaid and hose."
Alexa cast her eyes heavenward.
"If you must." She sighed, but her eyes were twinkling.
That night they slept on board ship again, falling asleep to the gentle rocking of the boat. Alexa spooned her body into Auguste's and let her mind wander to the places that they would be seeing soon.
She was looking forward to seeing Venice, that most romantic of cities, where Auguste had said they would spend two weeks exploring, rowing down the canals on gondolas, and wandering through the palazzos gazing at the beautiful churches and grand buildings.
She wanted to see Venice by starlight, moonlight, and in the bright light of the noonday sun. She hugged Auguste's arms close to her and went to sleep.
She was drowning in joy and could think of nothing that could possibly make her any happier than she already was.
* * *
Venice was everything she had hoped it would be, although it was fortunate that Auguste spoke fluent Italian; otherwise, Alexa would have been totally adrift.
The palaces, bridges, and the gondolas entranced her, but the Venetians were intrigued too by the beautiful woman with hair the color of sunshine.
Everywhere she went she was noticed, and Auguste took her arm possessively and proudly.
When he had concluded his business in Venice, they were due to move on to Byzantium, the crossroads between Asia and Europe, but the morning they were due to sail, Alexa was violently ill and vomited over the side of the ship.
Auguste was frantic.
"What is wrong, Alexa?" he asked desperately. "Tell me!"
Alexa passed a hand over her eyes. She was trembling and pale, but she was smiling.
"Nothing at all, sweetheart," she replied, cupping one of his cheeks with her hand. "Everything is just fine."
Then she looked up at him and put her hand on her stomach. It took a moment for the meaning of the gesture to sink in, but when it did, Auguste gave her the widest, most joyful smile she had ever seen.
"A baby? OUR baby?"
"I hope so!" She laughed before he threw his arms around her and almost crushed her to him.
She gasped, and he let go.
"I am sorry, Alexa," he said, shaking his head. "But I am so excited – pleased – shocked – happy!"
"And we were the ones who did not want children!" She laughed. "But now look at me! Auguste – I can't wait!"
"When?" he asked with eagerness.
"Autumn I think," she replied dubiously. "I hardly know about such things!"
"We will find out. Together."
Auguste had planned to go on to Alexandria in Egypt as their last port of call before returning to Scotland. He had not bought all the spices he required, but his child was more important, and he did not want it to be born in the middle of a long and possibly tempestuous sea voyage. So they returned to Scotland just before the time of Alexa's confinement.
It was a perfect piece of timing. As soon as Alexa stepped off the ship, she felt a throbbing ache in her back. This in itself was not unusual, but this pain was different, accompanied as it was by a low ache in her stomach.
"Auguste—" She stopped with a gasp as she saw a puddle of water spreading around her feet.
Luckily, the captain had a calm and competent wife whose name was Petrina. Auguste carried Alexa to the captain's house, and Petrina called the midwife to come and attend to her. Auguste refused to leave the birthing chamber and sat by her side through the whole agonizing process, almost weeping himself as her screams tore through him.
At last, with one great heave and a scream that was truly horrific, the wriggling red bundle slid out and swiftly began to voice its indignation at being ejected from its moist cozy home.
Alexa was too tired to speak for a moment. Her face was red and running with sweat, but to Auguste, she had never looked more beautiful.
"It's a girl," he said happily and kissed her hands. His eyes were full of tears. "Merci, mon amour."
Alexa held out her arms for her daughter, and the midwife helped the baby latch onto Alexa's breast for her very first meal. By the noise of satisfied suckling she was making, she was enjoying it very much!
Petrina and the midwife, Grace, tidied her up and left.
"So…" Alexa’s voice was stern, but her eyes were twinkling. "You said if it were a girl, I could pick the name, and if it were a boy, you could pick the name. Right, husband?"
Auguste nodded in agreement. "I did."
"Then I vote we call her Shona Augusta." Alexa looked down at the little face which was a little less purple now. "What do you think?"
I like 'Shona'," he replied thoughtfully, "but Augusta? Are you sure?"
"It's a perfectly lovely name." Alexa kissed her daughter's head, then shook her own in wonder. "Look what we have done, Auguste. Look what we have made. Is she not the most beautiful baby ever born?"
"Of course she is." His eyes were shining with love.
Auguste got into bed with them, and they lay for a long time looking at the newest member of the Chevalier family.
Alexa and Shona fell asleep, and Auguste looked at them lovingly, feeling a surge of protectiveness so strong it almost scared him. So this was fatherhood… He wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Back at Castle Ness, Shona was standing on top of the battlements looking out to sea when she felt a strange tingling in her breasts. She laughed because she knew that feeling. It was a mother's response to a baby's cry of hunger when her body let down its milk supply for her nourishment. Someone, somewhere, had just had a baby, and Shona McGregor's 'Sight' knew just who it was.
Alexa Montgomery Chevalier, the woman who was never going to have a child, had just given birth.
"I told ye so!" she called out to the sea, laughing.
46
A Month Later
Shona Augusta Chevalier was christened at St Michael's Church in Peterhead a week after she was born, and shortly thereafter the new parents and their little girl made a much slower journey back home than their outward bound one.
It had been impractical to travel by ship, so Auguste had invested in a cart for their supplies and for Alexa and the baby to ride in, but it was very slow going.
At night time, they would camp by the roadside if they had to, but they found a few wayside inns and once they were able to stay in the hostel of a monastery, which seemed like luxury after the rough accommodation of the previous days.
The only person not affected by all the discomfort of the journey was little Shona, who slept in two woolen blankets and was cuddled close to Alexa's body most of the time, with her food supply constantly ready and waiting.
Shona looked as though she was going to be another Alexa. Her hair had been dark at first but was becoming fairer with every day that passed. Her eyes were blue, as were most new babies', but they were beginning to lighten too, and Auguste could see that by the time she was a few months old, Shona would have Alexa's halo of fair curls.
He was besotted with his daughter and spent hours just looking at her as if to make sure she was real. He especially loved to watch Alexa feeding her, and he found the little snuffling gulping noises she made hilariously funny.
He called Alexa and Shona 'Mes fillettes' or 'My girls'. Sometimes he thought he must be dreaming. It seemed unbelievable to him that, just over a year before, he had been a confirmed bachelor, determined never to marry or father a child.
Alexa had not only changed his mind about that. She had changed him in some other, fundamental way. Before, he had been defensive, keeping all women at bay, but since they had opened their arms to each other, his stores of love for everyone had been unlocked. Add to that the fierce protectiveness of a father, and he was a completely new man.
* * *
After almost three weeks on the road, they came within sight of Castle Ness, where they were met by Shona and Lachlan's butler, a gray-haired, middle-aged man called David. He escorted them into the castle and made sure that Alexa and the baby were comfortably seated in a deep armchair before he sent for Shona.
"Who will I say is callin', sir?" David asked politely.
"The Chevaliers," Alexa announced proudly.
Auguste loved the way she said it. She seemed to consider it a privilege to bear his name.
Shona McGregor had been resting, but the moment she heard who had arrived, she jumped out of bed and dressed in such a hurry that she was still tying the ribbons in her hair on the way downstairs.
She gave an ear-splitting whoop when she saw them and enveloped all three of them in a mighty hug.
"I'm that glad tae see ye all!" she said with joy. "An' who is this wee stranger?" She bent down to look into little Shona's face, smiling. The baby opened her eyes and squinted at her. "Lad or lassie?"
"Lassie," Auguste replied, still ever the proud father. "Shona Augusta Chevalier. We borrowed your name."
Shona looked horrified. "Has she been christened? Is there still time tae change it?"
"Yes, she has," Alexa said, somewhat frosty. "And no, it can't be changed. We thought you'd be flattered."
Shona looked at them for a moment then her face slowly stretched into a wide smile, eyes twinkling.
"Of course I'm flattered, ye daft pair!" She laughed. "I am delighted, an’ Lachlan will be an' all!"
She took the baby from Alexa's arms and looked down at her, and her beautiful face became even more so as she looked at little Shona.
"Lachlan an' I werenae gaun tae have any mair bairns," Shona said wistfully, "nut they aye look sae lovely."
Just then the baby began to fuss and grizzle.
Shona laughed. "She needs her Mammy, I think."
She handed the child back to Alexa, who began to feed her, her eyes not leaving her daughter till she went to sleep.
Shona ordered one of her own children's cribs to be taken to Alexa and Auguste's room. It was mid-afternoon, but Alexa was already yawning.
"I think Mammy needs a sleep an' all!" Shona laughed. "Can I haud her another minute while we go upstairs?"
Alexa handed her over, knowing her baby was in the safest possible pair of hands.
"It's lovely tae hae a wee bairn in yer airms, is it no’?" Her tone was slightly teasing.
"You're going to say it, aren't you?" Alexa laughed.
"Aye!" Shona said with triumph. "I told ye so! This is the Alexa Montgomery that didnae want onything tae dae wi' babies? Look at ye – happily married wi' yer ain bonny babe!"
Alexa gave a faint smile and flapped her hand at Shona. She was too tired to talk any more.
* * *
When they got to the bedroom, Shona took charge of changing the baby's soiled linen napkin so that Alexa could lie down. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep almost at once.
Shona gently wrapped the child in her blankets again and tucked her into the crib, then she sighed, and gazed at them for a long while before leaving quietly. She had been where Alexa was at that moment, and she knew what hard work being a new mother was, but she still felt very, very jealous!
* * *
Auguste had begun to tuck into a plate of bannocks and cheese. He had suddenly realized that he was ravenously hungry, and it was while he was enjoying the taste of ripe, homemade cheese and soft new bread that Lachlan strode in.
The two men hugged in delight and patted each other very hard on the back.
"Auguste!" Lachlan stood back to admire his friend. "You look wonderful! Clearly, marriage agrees with you."
Auguste laughed.
"Not just marriage, my friend," he replied, eyes twinkling. "Fatherhood too!"
Lachlan had been about to start pouring ale, but he stopped and stared at Auguste in amazement for a moment before putting the jug
down.
"You?" he asked in amazement. "A father?"
"Yes. Shona Augusta Chevalier is resting upstairs with her mother."
Lachlan's expression of disbelief did not change. "Shona?"
"We just loved the name." Auguste shrugged.
Just then, Shona came back down, grinning from ear to ear. She opened her mouth to speak, but Auguste put up a hand to stop her.
"I know what you're going to say." He laughed.
Lachlan poured ale for all of them and held up his mug.
"To Shona Augusta!"
But Shona Augusta slept through it all. She had everything she needed right beside her.
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Highlander’s Stolen Wife
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