"Southern Witch is more like it." Dmitri swung her off the floor. Her slippers flew off, and the red ball gown slipped past her shoulders. Startled, she glanced up at him. His mouth was smiling in the twisted way which was Dmitri's alone. The single gray eye sparkled like a bright diamond. Camille slipped her free hand around his neck. His gaze still held hers.
"You have bewitched me. J'tte adore."
Camille closed her eyes once more. Her full breasts rose and fell as she sighed. He said he loved her. But believing him was difficult. Dmitri's lips ground against hers. Then he kissed Camille between her breasts. Again he had taken her to that other place. She felt drained of all strength, yet somehow different.
He set her back on her feet and helped her to remove the gown. Then with many caresses, Dmitri finished undressing her. Nude, he sat her down at the dressing table.
Without a word he leaned over to pick up her brush from the table and stood behind her. Dmitri pulled the brush through her thick hair. She enjoyed what he was doing and leaned her head back against the tug of the brush. Gentle fingers stroked her throat. She felt...voluptuous that was the word.
Camille turned to unbutton the dress shirt he was wearing. With the buttons undone, she slipped her hands beneath the material, Camille stood on tiptoe to kiss Dmitri's smiling lips. She pressed against his bare chest.
"Did you mean it? Is that the truth?" She whispered, her lips just inches from his. "Do you love me?"
"Yes. God help us both." He replied. Dmitri kissed her again. Her hands stroked his back, passing over the deep scars with a light touch. Dmitri lifted his head to stare at her.
"Who are you, Camille?"
With a laugh, she rubbed her cheek against his chest. Camille paused once to nibble delicately on his bare skin. "I am your witch."
She threw her head back and stuck out her tongue then laughed at the shocked expression on his face. "I am the little girl you taught to be a woman." Camille pulled away from him and blew out the lamp on the dressing table. Heart pounding in her chest, she ran over to the bed. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, she opened her arms to him.
"Come here husband, let me finish removing your clothing." With a smile, she nodded toward the lamp on the nightstand. "Then we will blow that one out."
Dmitri reached the bed in three strides. Once they had quelled the passion they kindled, the couple lay entangled on the bed. Camille felt the time was right to give Dmitri her news. He was almost asleep; she could wait no longer.
"Dmitri, I must tell you something."
"Mummm." He mumbled, then yawned.
"I am with child."
She knew by the sudden tensing of his body that Dmitri was now awake. "Are you pleased, Dmitri?"
"I am not displeased. You have taken me by surprise." Dmitri was silent for a moment. Then he drew her head down onto his shoulder.
"You must understand, Anya's mother died because of bearing my child. I do not want to lose you. Tomorrow, I want you to see the doctor. Further, under no circumstances are you to have the child on the island. We will stay here in Sitka for two or three weeks before the baby is due."
"Yes, Dmitri." She answered. Then, cuddling against him, Camille went to sleep.
***
Dmitri lay awake with his jumbled thoughts. Why had he not realized this might happen? It was too soon. There were steps he could have taken. But he thanked God he had already made arrangements with Basil Kaminski.
Perhaps he was wishing for this in his heart. If so, he knew what he was doing. It was too soon, Camille herself was just a child. But, once this child came, she could not leave him. Camille would be his forever. After berating himself, Dmitri fell asleep.
Camille sat twisting her fingers together in the kitchen of Doctor Kaminski's home. She wondered why she had so meekly agreed to see him. That she had agreed with Dmitri about seeing the doctor added to her irritation. Her rebellion consisted of refusing to speak with her husband. Camille kept her eyes on the floor in front of her.
Then, she found her hands in Dmitri's grasp. Her grave face turned toward his. Dmitri smiled at her, placed her small hands on his knee and covered them with his own. When the young Doctor Kaminski entered the room, Dmitri rose. He and the man shook hands.
"I had not expected to have need of your services so soon. I received news last night, after Fedor's gathering, which made this visit necessary."
The young man smiled as he ran one hand through his thick black hair in a nervous gesture. "I am sorry the office is not set up now. I have been planning to turn the parlor and study into a suite, but it is still under construction."
Dmitri nodded. "No matter. My wife has informed me she is expecting. I am concerned. It is a long journey from the island to Sitka. Since this is her first child, I find myself very concerned for her welfare."
Camille blushed and kept her face averted. It was embarrassing to have the men talking about her pregnancy in such a manner. They were discussing her as if she were a mare or heifer.
The doctor turned to Camille. "This is your first child, Madame?"
Camille nodded. The doctor's tone was soothing. Camille glanced up at him. He sat on the other side of the table, with his hands resting on the linen cloth. Last night he had been in the background at Olga's dinner party. He kept himself apart from the somewhat rowdy young officers of the U.S. military stationed there.
Camille did not mind the junior officers; they had behaved no different than her first husband's friends. It was a long time since she thought about those days and her first love. And perhaps it was as it should be. She was carrying Dmitri's child. Life had moved onward.
"Madame?"
The question startled Camille. She realized she had not responded. With a glance up at the doctor, she nodded agreement without speaking. Kaminski was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, he watched the couple for their reaction.
"It will be necessary for me to conduct a physical examination. I do not have an assistant at the moment, but I want all the proprieties to be observed. We should have another female in the examining room the entire time. I have no wish to embarrass or upset you, but a complete examination is necessary. We must determine if the birth canal is in proper shape to carry out its function without complications."
Camille gasped, then turned several shades of bright pink. "Is this necessary? It does not seem proper!"
"Madame, many things can happen to the child. The birth cord can become wrapped around its neck as it turns in the womb. This can cut off the supply of blood to the child and strangle it as it is emerging. The infant can turn the wrong way prior to contractions and become wedged in the canal, unable to descend. All of these things are dangerous to the infant and its mother. We owe it to the both of you to be sure you can give birth without difficulty. It is better to be informed."
"I do not want my baby to die." Camille blurted out.
"So I assumed, Madame. Then this examination must be conducted. My housekeeper is available to serve as a companion for you during the examination if you wish to proceed."
Kaminski sat back in the chair and waited as he observed the couple who sat at his kitchen table.
The Count searched the younger man's face for a moment. Then he turned to Camille. "Please, my dear, do as the doctor asks."
She looked up at Dmitri before giving him a slight nod.
Kaminski sighed in relief. "If you will go into the other room, Madame." Kaminski stood and gestured toward an open door on his right.
Face burning, Camille entered the room, shutting the door behind her. The doctor left Dmitri in the kitchen to go in search of his housekeeper. After giving instructions to the woman, the doctor returned to the kitchen. Kaminski offered the Count a cigar, lit his own, then Dmitri's. Kaminski leaned back in the chair.
"I was just a boy when your first wife died Count, but my father was already discussing his cases with me."
Dmitri lowered the cigar and watched the smoke curl upward. "Then y
ou understand my concern for my present wife."
"I do. But, let me warn you. Some people think the new methods I have learned to make childbirth safer, are nothing more than an excuse to make shameful advances toward my female patients."
The young man blushed, but his eyes remained fixed on Dmitri's face. "After examining your wife, I will have a reasonable idea of how her body will respond to labor. Will you trust both my teachers and myself, Count Bresoff?"
Dmitri looked at Basil before giving a rueful smile. "The world is making great progress in mechanical things. It would be foolish to expect everything else to continue on in the same old paths. Do your best for my wife and gossip has never bothered me."
A smiling Basil Kaminski tapped on the door, where the two women waited. Dmitri puffed at the cigar as he sat waiting in the kitchen. The sunlight streaming in the window warmed the room and comforted him. Dmitri looked down at his hands and watched them tremble as he tapped off the cigar ash into an ashtray.
Until Basil returned, no amount of worrying on his part would resolve his doubts. He must leave Camille in Doctor Kaminski's hands that was the hard part. Not accustomed to relinquishing his responsibilities, Dmitri acknowledged he was jealous. It was difficult for him to allow the doctor the freedom to examine her. But his fears for her safety overrode his jealousy. Dmitri steeled himself to remain calm.
Kaminski returned to the kitchen and resumed his seat with a smile. "You may rest easy, Count. Madame Bressoff is in the best of health. I think she will have little trouble during child birth unless something changes between now and the time she goes into labor."
Dmitri released his breath in a deep sigh. The sense of relief that filled him was amazing. This new development forced him to acknowledge that Camille and Anya were his whole world, but Anya would one day grow up and have a home of her own. He and Camille would spend the rest of their lives together.
Would Vanessa consent to sharing the rest of her life with him? If he made it worth her while, indeed. What did Camille ask of him? She had made no demands.
Camille had been so pleased at hearing him declare his love for her. He recalled how her face had glowed at his admission. She had not declared her affection for him, but considering the manner in which their marriage had begun, it was understandable. Last night, Dmitri saw the truth in her face. Camille was more than a little fond of him. If he wanted her love, he must cultivate it. He would break with Vanessa.
No more idling in Juneau. Dmitri vowed to devote himself to his family.
***
Both men rose as Camille entered the room. Dmitri took her fingers and guided his wife to the chair he had left. Camille stared up into Dmitri's face. The smile he wore was broad, and she wondered at the change in her reserved husband. When she tugged on her hand he refused to release it and maintained his position next to her.
The doctor nodded as he thought to himself it was good to see the Count so happy. Fatherhood often affected even the dourest of men in just the same manner. Things were as they should be. He cleared his throat to get the couple’s attention.
"I believe your little one can be expected about the middle of April. If you move into town on the first of the month we will have more than enough time to prepare for the baby's arrival. Between then and now, I wish to see you at least one more time, Madame Bressoff. Then I can be sure everything is progressing as it should."
***
The doctor showed them to the door. Before they left, he cautioned Camille to get plenty of exercise and to eat well. Dmitri thanked him and took her arm to lead her down the street. Together they took the short walk to the Arctic Tern. Every time Camille glanced upward at Dmitri, she saw the same broad smile.
The men hoisted the sails on the Arctic Tern and the party left Sitka for home. The weather was good, but heavy swells promised a storm soon. Camille stayed on deck. It was easier to bear the motion of the boat in the sunshine. They drove southward with all sails set.
Camille watched Dmitri, trying to determine what his real feelings might be. She was still not sure of him. He appeared happy and seemed to become more relaxed as the day wore on.
When they anchored for the evening, Helena and Camille cooked a fat rock cod Gregor had caught on a hand line early in the morning. Gregor pulled in the cod before they sailed from Sitka. Helena placed the fish and boiled potatoes on the table as Dmitri produced a bottle of wine. After removing the cork, he poured a glass for each of them. Dmitri proposed a toast to the "continuation of the Bressoff family".
He grinned at Helena. "Think on it, another child for you and Tatiana to spoil. Are you both up to caring for another young devil?"
He glanced over at Camille with a look on his face, which caused her to blush in embarrassment and stare at her plate.
Dmitri was not deterred. He laughed before speaking. "I recall the day Anya wished to go fishing when she was five."
Camille looked up at him. He had never been loquacious and her husband's sudden attack of joviality was intriguing.
"We were all searching for her. Even the village joined the search party. We screamed until we were hoarse. Then, Anya wandered home. She was carrying her blanket, a piece of string and a chunk of bread. While we were fussing at her for leaving the house and telling no one where she had gone, Anya complained she had fallen asleep, and the fish had stolen the bread she tied on the end of the line. She could not bring home one fish. The child was bitterly disappointed."
He ate the last piece of fish, which he washed down with a sip of the wine. "So, my dear, even if we have another daughter, I am afraid you will not be spared. All the Bressoff offspring are a trial to those trying to raise them,"
"That is correct." Helena nodded in agreement.
Gregor chuckled. "Do not forget they are charming to a fault. I recall trying to restrain you, my friend," He shook his head, "Dmi-devil is what the women all called him."
Gregor was smiling as he spoke to Camille. "They spoiled him rotten. I wondered if he would ever amount to anything. To his credit, our Dmi-devil could rise above all the coddling and emerge a man."
Everyone looked at Dmitri. To Camille's surprise, a great belly laugh came out of the man. Dmitri refilled his own glass, then topped off the other three glasses.
"Now, I suppose you intend to tell all my horrible secrets and frighten Camille. If she produces a boy, she may want to give it away to someone else to raise, until he becomes an adult and attains a modicum of sense."
Horrified, Camille huffed at her husband. "Do not say such things, Dmitri!" A cold chill slithered up her backbone. What if something was to happen to her? Who would raise her child?
"It was a silly joke, Camille. I know you would not do such a thing". His tone was gentle, as was his touch, when he patted her arm. There was a look of contentment about him. The harshness had left his face.
Camille recalled he had raised Anya. Dmitri had cuddled the child and watched over her with all the love and affection for his daughter, any mother was capable of.
No matter what happened to her, the child would be safe with its father. Camille took his hand to squeeze his fingers. He was a good man. Melancholy threatened to overwhelm her. Eyes swimming with tears, Camille dropped his hand and looked away.
As if sensing her mood, Dmitri brought out humorous memories of his childhood. Helena and Gregor joined in the stories and laughter. Helena went into a fit of giggles. Gregor was holding his side as he pleaded exhaustion. The older couple retired. Gregor took his blankets on deck to sleep beneath the stars. Helena went to her bunk in the crew quarters. Dmitri and Camille sat alone in the main cabin of the schooner.
Camille yawned. She tried to hide it behind her hand. Dmitri's smile faded. He rose from the table, then moved to stand beside her. His strong fingers found her chin and lifted her face.
"Tired, moy dorogoy?" His long supple fingers stroked her under the chin, as if she were a cat, then trailed down the line of her neck. Then his hand came to rest on he
r shoulder.
"A little," She admitted. There was a warmth about Dmitri, which radiated from him like a roaring fire. She did not want it to fade. Camille was reluctant to retire, not knowing what he would be like in the morning. Would he retreat, afraid he had revealed too much?
That small insight kept her awake for a while as she thought about its implications. Dmitri was afraid of being hurt. He was afraid! She wondered how many times he had been hurt in the past? How had he coped as a young man when his appearance caused others to look away from him and steal a look back again? She knew he grieved for his dead wife. But then he had a child to keep alive and there was no time to break down and express his sorrow.
His fear in the doctor's office was apparent to her. He was afraid of losing her and the child. This big strong man, with a small fortune at his fingertips was as afraid of the agonies of life, as was the poorest man in the world. No amount of money could cushion certain losses. They were all equal as humans. Camille snuggled against him and got an absent pat as he acknowledged her presence before drifting off to sleep again.
His change of attitude was apparent during the days which followed. Dmitri was gentle with her, but the loving concern he lavished on her, contained no hint of condescension.
Camille became comfortable with the thought that Dmitri cared for her. She was not convinced of his undying adoration, but caring was a start. She lowered the barriers she had raised against the man cautiously. Camille felt the last obstacle to their happiness fade away on a crisp October day.
Two weeks had passed since the Pirov's party. It was early in October. Fall gave way to winter with short days and cool nights. The last of the harvest had come in. Camille and all the household staff had been busy for days preserving food for the winter months.
Behind the Raven Mask Page 27