by Hunt, Brenda
Nate raised an eyebrow. “Your mother, your father?” The poison must have made her hallucinate.
Dulcey nodded. “Yes. Lord James, as well. I think Grammy was nearby, too.” She could tell from the look on his face, he did not believe her. But they had come to her in a vision. They felt as real to her as he did. She wondered if he would ever understand the forces that surrounded her and brought her visions. Maybe one day, in time.
“They told me, I needed to come back to you. You needed me. They said, we would see our children’s children?” Dulcey smiled at the thought. She would have Nate’s children. She liked the thought of that.
“Our children’s children?” asked Nate. That meant he and Dulcey would have children and they would be together for a long time. That he would gladly believe.
“Yes, our children’s children. That is why I needed to come back to you,” explained Dulcey. She wanted him to know, all they had told her. She wanted him looking toward the future.
“Then I’m glad they gave you back to me.” Nate would believe anything she told him at the moment. She was back with him and that was all that mattered.
Dulcey sighed. She was tired. “Will you come to bed and hold me, Nate? I’m sure my bed is more comfortable than that chair.”
Nate smiled. “An invitation by a beautiful woman to join her in her bed. How can I refuse? Of course, my love.”
Dulcey smiled. He had said almost the same thing when he was ill back at the cottage. He wouldn’t remember but she did. He was meant to be with her.
Nate blew out the candle at the bedside, crawled into bed beside her and wrapped her safely in his arms. It felt so good to have her in his arms again. It felt like his heart had come home to where it was meant to be.
Dulcey snuggled so she lay spooned against him. It felt so good to have his arms about her. She remembered the time at the cottage, the feel of his body against hers. She longed for those feelings again but she knew she would have to wait a few more days.
“I love you, Nathaniel Beckham,” said Dulcey but she could feel herself falling asleep, knowing she was safe and secure in Nate’s arms.
As Nate closed his eyes, he glanced at the foot of the bed thinking of what Dulcey had told him. There stood a two men with a woman between them floating just passed the edge of the bed. He quickly opened his eyes only to see darkness there.
Nate smiled and just in case, he whispered, “Thank you for sending her back to me.”
“Umm?” murmured Dulcey almost asleep.
“Nothing, my love,” answered Nate as he cradled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. How good it felt to have her in his arms. He finally felt whole again. The other half of his heart lay cradled in his arms. Dulcey was going to be all right. Hadn’t they said, they would see their children’s children. Nate closed his eyes with a smile on his face, Dulcey safely in his arms. Tomorrow, he would see about the pleasure of the beginning of those children they just talked about. Yes, he would.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve one year later.
As you give love, you will have love.
Lord Alfred Tennyson
Nate walked out of his study and down the hall in time to watch Evers direct several of the footmen as they brought the yule log in. He raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Did we get one large enough Evers?” asked Nate
Evers smiled. “Lady Dulcey ordered that we get biggest one that would fit in the fireplace, my lord.”
Nate laughed. That sounded very much like what Dulcey wanted. He stopped and sniffed. He looked at Evers in question, then smiled. “Gingerbread planks?”
“Lady Dulcey, Miss Abby and Miss Franny are in the kitchen.”
Nate shook his head. So much for his attempt to have Dulcey take it easy today and let the staff handle everything that needed to be done. He should have known better. She would not listen to his advice. “I’ll be in the kitchen, Evers.”
“Of course, my lord,” nodded Evers with a smile.
Nate walked into the kitchen. The sweet smell of gingerbread planks cooking permeated the air. Abby had flour in her hair as usual. Miss Franny was helping stamp the planks. Dulcey was across the kitchen deep in conversation with Cook.
Dulcey looked up when she felt Nate’s presence and smiled as she watched him walk over to her. It still surprised her at times that this man before her was her husband.
Nate nodded to Cook as she walked away. Lightly, he kissed Dulcey’s lips. “I thought you agreed to take it easy with the Christmas preparations and rest.”
Dulcey smiled back at him. “I am. I rested all morning,” but reached behind her and rubbed her lower back.
Nate stood behind her and had her lean back against him. Nate rubbed her overgrown belly that carried his child. He raised an eyebrow in question at her answer.
“I’m just over seeing the gingerbread planks. It is tradition,” stated Dulcey. “Cook, Abby and Franny are doing all the work. I promise.”
Abby walked up to Nate munching on a gingerbread plank, “It’s tradition, Uncle Nate.”
Nate raised his hands in surrender. “Very well, who am I to mess with tradition?” He took a piece of gingerbread plank from Abby’s hand and popped it in his mouth. He smiled. There was something to be said about tradition. These gingerbread planks were delicious.
“Am I getting another present tomorrow, Uncle Nate?” asked Abby as she looked at the small pug puppy asleep in the basket on the chair. Uncle Nate and Aunt Dulcey had given her the puppy as her present a few days ago. It was going to be the best Christmas ever.
“I don’t know, Poppet, maybe,” replied Nate.
Abby nodded. “I like Honey. She is the bestest present ever.”
Nate smiled. It had been Dulcey’s idea to get Abby a puppy. She thought if Abby had something of her own to take care of, it would be easier for Abby, when the new baby came at the end of January.
“I think there might be another present or two for you tomorrow, Poppet,” answered Dulcey.
“I do know that a present came in from Uncle Colin,” said Nate.
“Can I open Uncle Colin’s one now?” asked Abby.
“No, not until tomorrow. Then you can open all of them,” explained Nate. He looked at Abby, remembering last Christmas and the snowstorm. Abby had blossomed under Dulcey’s care. No longer was she the shy little girl.
Abby nodded and walked back to the gingerbread planks on the table grabbing another one to eat. He could not correct her. They were so good. They were hard to resist.
“Miss Franny can you take over with Abby, while I take Dulcey upstairs to rest and put her feet up like she is supposed to?” asked Nate looking at Dulcey as though daring her to argue with him.
Dulcey smiled. Nate was so overly protective of her and the baby.
“Of course, my lord. Abby and I will bring tea upstairs when it’s time.”
Abby nodded her mouth still filled with gingerbread.
Nate took Dulcey’s arm and guided her up the stairs to her sitting room. He made her lie on the chaise and then placed a wrap about her legs. “Now you are to rest until tea time. I plan on sitting right here to make sure that you do.”
“You are a tyrant,” teased Dulcey.
Nate smiled. “No, just a mere mortal in love with his fairy princess.” He leaned over and lightly kissed her lips. He sat down in his chair bedside the chaise.
Dulcey just smiled at him. It was the same routine every afternoon. “Did I hear you tell Abby, Worth sent her a Christmas present?” asked Dulcey.
They had gotten sporadic correspondence from Worth over the last few months. It had appeared Worth had met his red head and she had indeed led him on a very merry chase from Scotland to London and back to Scotland
again.
“Yes, and that reminds me. He sent a letter with it.” Nate removed the letter from his coat pocket and gave it to her to read. “He mentions you in it. Said to tell you, yes, he is now a believer.
It has been a merry chase but it is at its end. He said they will stop for a visit on their way back to Stonebrooke.”
Dulcey laughed. “I shall be very pleased to meet this woman who has led our Worth on his merry chase. So he believes me now. And what about you, my love?”
“Me?” asked Nate. “My love, I have always believed you.”
Dulcey laughed again. “Only some of the time. But you will when the babe comes, when our son comes.”
When Dulcey had informed him she was with child, she had also informed him, she was carrying their son. He had not believed her at first. She had laughed at his non-belief. But when everyone did not question her when she said she carried his son, he had been told she was the one, all the ladies came to, when they wanted to know whether they were giving birth to a boy or a girl. Slowly, he had begun to believe.
“Then how fares our lil James today?” asked Nate.
She had been so thrilled when he suggested they name the babe, James, if it was a boy. It was the only name that seemed suitable. Since she appeared so certain it was a boy, the last month or so, he had begun to call him James.
Dulcey sighed. “He is doing fine. He moves often.” She rubbed her swollen belly. “He will be here soon. Our first born.”
Nate placed his hand over hers. He felt the babe move beneath his touch. It amazed him every time. He looked at Dulcey and smiled. The love he felt in his heart knew no bounds. Here before him sat the woman he loved with all of his heart, the woman who was the very heart of him, the woman who carried his child.
He smiled. “Yes, and we shall see our children’s children, you and I, my love. That I do believe.”
The End
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
This writer has written all of her life. As an only child for the first fifteen years of her life, she learned story telling could keep her and her friends entertained. But it was only near the end of her nursing career and retirement was on the horizon that she picked up her writing again and began to devote her time and energy onto this new adventure. And an adventure it has been.
She is an avid reader mostly romance novels with historical and regency being her favorites. Her greatest influences were/are Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain, and Johanna Lindsey. They made her believe in romance during a dark time in her life. She nearly gave up after her first endeavor, but with the support and help of her family, friends and fellow authors, she trudges on. Besides writing has become that lost love once found again and one does not let go of. There are too many stories that were begun and never finished in all those years to let go now.
Born in the city of New Orleans, she grew up along the bayous of South Louisiana. Though she has traveled extensively, she will always call south Louisiana home. She now lives with her husband of nearly 33 years in their home on two wooded acres or on their houseboat on the banks of Bayou Terrebonne. Her three daughters and their families live nearby but her son and his family live in Texas. When not writing, most of her time is occupied by her 13 grandchildren. She and her husband have always loved to travel and now that they are both retired have and plan on doing more once their Airstream camper has been restored. Accompanying them on their travels are the three pugs---Kahlua, Maggie and Lillie, her writing compatriots.