The Bride Star--Sweet Edition, page 17
Rayne pulled her gloves off and laid them on the table while Hannah and Victoria discussed where everything should go. Hannah stepped onto a small ladder next to the china hutch. “Hand me those glasses, would you?”
Rayne handed up two of the wine glasses.
Christopher came looking for his wife and Rayne thought the vein on the side of his head might burst. “Hannah!”
“Hi, lovey,” she said with feigned innocence. He growled and quickly lifted her off the stool. She squealed in surprise and one of the glasses dropped from her hand. “Knight!” Hannah admonished. “Look what you’ve done!”
“What the hell are you doing on a stool?”
Hannah looped her arm around his neck and smiled. “Helping.”
“Don’t you dare,” he warned.
Hannah wrinkled her nose. “Help?”
“Mince words with me.”
“Was I?” She winked at Rayne.
“Hannah. You’re supposed to be resting... not unpacking boxes. You should have the house staff take care of this.”
Hannah gave a mock pout. “But they’re busy doing other things and I want to help.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not having this conversation with you here. We’ll discuss it at home.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She turned to Victoria. “Sorry about the glass. Knight will buy you another set.”
He growled again in response. “I’m taking you home.”
“Eh?” Hannah sighed. “No you’re not. Don’t you and Quinn need to get back?”
“Yes,” he said reluctantly.
“Well, then I don’t want to be alone.” She laid her hand on her stomach. “What if something happened to the baby and I was without you?”
Christopher grunted in response and then glanced at her feet. “Where are your shoes?”
Hannah nodded toward the corner. “Over there.”
“Hannah.”
“What? You know I hate shoes. I’m in my sister’s house, I shouldn’t have to wear them, for Pete’s sake.” She pushed at his shoulder. “Put me down, baby.”
Christopher sighed. “There is broken glass on the floor, Hannah.”
Hannah narrowed her eyes. “Only because you broke it.”
Quincy had snuck into the room and stood with Victoria, a grin on his face. He shook his head toward Hannah. “Don’t worry about the glass, Hannah. Our housekeeper will take care of it. We should go, Chris.”
Christopher nodded and then raised an eyebrow at Hannah. “No stools.”
“No stools. Now, put me down, love.” Christopher moved away from the glass and set her gently on her feet. She patted his chest. “You were much more fun when I wasn’t pregnant.”
Christopher let out a deep breath, but he didn’t comment. Rayne followed as Hannah and Victoria walked their husbands out.
Once Victoria closed the door, she turned and started to laugh. “I thought Chris’s head might explode.”
Hannah shook her head. “I shouldn’t have been on the stool. He was right.”
Victoria settled her hands on her hips. “No you shouldn’t, but still. He’s being a little over-reactionary, don’t you think?”
Hannah jabbed a finger toward her. “I will remind you of this conversation when you get pregnant.”
“I’m not having kids,” Victoria grumbled.
Hannah groaned. “We’re back to that?”
Victoria shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Why don’t you want kids?” Rayne asked.
Hannah rolled her eyes. “Because she’s crazy.”
Victoria ignored Hannah’s comment. “No immunizations.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.” Rayne frowned.
“Good job... scare her.”
Victoria shrugged. “I’m just sayin’.”
“Don’t listen to her, Rayne.” Hannah turned to Victoria. “Who peed in your cereal this morning? Or are you PMSing?”
Victoria sighed. “Sorry. Quinn and I are in a bit of an argument.”
Hannah moved toward the parlor.
“What happened?” Rayne asked as she followed.
“One of the men Quincy works with was found alone in a compromising situation with a woman,” Victoria said.
Rayne raised an eyebrow. “Compromising, how?”
“They were kissing.” Victoria scowled. “Big freakin’ deal.”
“You’re still fighting about this?” Hannah asked as she sat on the sofa.
Victoria sat in the chair across from her. “Did you or did you not have the same argument with Chris?”
“We resolved it,” Hannah whispered.
Victoria snorted. “And you are a liar.”
Hannah stuck her tongue out at Victoria. “Try and prove that in a court of law.”
Rayne sat next to Hannah and looked back and forth between the two of them.
Victoria gritted her teeth. “The bottom line is that it’s wrong!”
Hannah nodded. “You’re preaching to the choir, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Rayne raised a hand. “Could one of you please explain the argument?”
Hannah grimaced. “The woman’s family is insisting they marry.”
Rayne raised an eyebrow. “Because they were kissing?”
Victoria nodded. “Yep. And Quincy thinks they should!”
Rayne gasped. “But what if she doesn’t want to?”
Victoria shrugged. “Quincy doesn’t think she should have a choice. She allowed it to happen after all.”
Rayne groaned. “Sometimes you don’t really have a choice.”
Hannah nodded. “I know, right? I mean, Christopher was dragging me into dark, secluded areas to kiss me pretty much the moment we met. We never got caught and I’m madly in love with him, but what if I didn’t want his advances? He’s twice my size!”
“Exactly.” Victoria huffed. “What happens if a man who’s not honorable does that to a young woman and she’s forced to marry him?”
Rayne gasped. “Does that really happen?”
“Apparently so.” Victoria leaned forward.
“That’s awful!” Rayne bit her lip. “Can’t she just say no? Refuse to marry him?”
Victoria shook her head. “If she does, she’ll be ostracized and branded as a whore.”
Rayne’s mouth dropped open. “Does that really happen?”
Hannah nodded. “Yes. It does.”
Rayne stood. “How do we stop it?”
Hannah sighed. “I don’t know.”
Victoria groaned. “We’ve been trying to come up with a plan for weeks.”
“We should start something, a refuge of some sort,” Rayne suggested.
“Easier said than done,” Victoria grumbled.
“It all starts with an idea, right?” Rayne crossed her arms. “I started a shelter for abused women and children at home and it was working. We don’t have anything keeping us occupied during the day, so why don’t we work on it together?”
Hannah sat up. “That’s a really good idea.”
With a plan in mind, they unpacked a few more things and then stopped for lunch. Afterwards, they moved around the spacious kitchen, arranging cupboards and drawers.
“Mrs. Butler?”
“Yes, Marie?” Victoria turned to the housekeeper.
“The beds are made, ma’am. Do you have a moment to go over the dinner menu?”
Victoria nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Hannah grabbed Rayne’s hand. “I’ll show Rayne to her room.”
As Victoria and her housekeeper discussed dinner, Hannah led Rayne upstairs. The room was simple and large, and Rayne felt immediate comfort. The colors were muted creams and burgundies, and a large fireplace took up most of the west wall. It had been lit and the room was engulfed in warmth.
“Come and see the bathroom.” Hannah grinned. “It’s amazing.”
Hannah led her down the hall and opened a door in the center of the hallway. Black-and-white tile covered the floor and a large claw-foot tub sat next to the outer wall. There appeared to be a set of pipes that carried water to the canister for the toilet and another set to carry water to the tub. “Wow.” Rayne let out a whistle. “It’s huge.”
“They converted a bedroom. There’s this weird pump thing to make a shower... sort of. At least you can rinse your hair.” Victoria chuckled. “The great thing is you can actually draw hot and cold water into the tub and then drain it. There’s a vat in the basement that houses the hot water, but the biggest relief is they were able to fashion a toilet of sorts.”
Rayne studied the room. “It’s quite remarkable.”
Hannah nodded. “They did the same next to their bedroom, but it’s not as large. Sophie has several in her new house and helped with the concept.”
Rayne raised an eyebrow. “I wonder what Sam’s house is like.”
“You’ll find out in a few days.” Hannah smiled. “And you should start referring to it as your place as well.”
Rayne chuckled. “Yes, it’s just weird to be moving into a house I’ve never seen before. What if I hate it?”
“I’m pretty sure Sam’ll let you change whatever you want.” The girls made their way back downstairs and Hannah raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning on traveling with us to Harrisburg for Thanksgiving?”
Rayne shrugged. “I haven’t talked to Sam about it, but I think it would be fun.”
Hannah sighed. “I’m really looking forward to the trip. All of our family and friends together. I miss Sophie terribly.”
“She’s coming when your baby is born, right?”
“Yes. But that’s several months away.” Hannah laid her hand on her stomach. “I haven’t been able to travel with all the complications of the pregnancy, so Thanksgiving is going to be awesome for me.”
They arrived downstairs just as the front door opened.
“Helloooo.” Emma poked her head in through the door and the girls met her at the threshold.
“Hi, Em.” Hannah hugged her, then the three girls made their way to the parlor.
Emma removed her gloves. “Where’s Vic?”
“I’m here,” Victoria said as she walked through the parlor doors. “I was just changing.”
“I heard Rocky whinnying when I tied Apollo to the carriage house.”
Victoria giggled. “He’s apparently dying for a ride as well.”
Rayne let out a snort. “You did not really name your horses Rocky and Apollo, did you?”
Emma grinned. “We so did. Cute, huh?”
“Do you want to join us, Rayne?” Victoria asked.
Rayne shook her head. “Honestly, I’d like to just hang out.”
Victoria nodded. “Have fun.”
Emma gave a little wave. “We better get going so we can get back before dark.”
SAM AND QUINCY arrived home an hour before dinner and Chris showed up a few minutes later. Victoria let Sam know where his and Rayne’s bedroom was, so he made his way upstairs and let himself quietly into the room. Noticing the dying fire, he put a log in it and stoked it back to a decent roar. Rayne was sound asleep.
He smiled as he climbed in beside her and pulled her body close to his.
Rayne sighed as Sam kissed her neck. “George! What are you doing? My husband mustn’t find you here.”
Sam chuckled as he reached his arm over her hip.
“Hi.” Rayne rolled over to face him. “How did you know I was here?”
“Quincy told me.”
Rayne yawned. “I didn’t actually intend to fall asleep.”
“You need to remember you’re getting over a nasty flu.”
“Right. Flu. I just want you to know, I will never have the flu again.” He chuckled and she stroked his face. “Have you sorted everything out?”
“Not really, but we’re getting close. How are you feeling?”
“Better. Especially, now that you’re here.” She kissed him.
“I don’t want you to overdo it.”
“I just took a really long nap. Does that look like I’m overdoing it?” She grinned and pushed him onto his back. “Of course, if we could overdo it a few times before dinner, I wouldn’t object.”
She pulled her chemise over her head and kissed him as she unbuttoned his shirt. Every little movement, however, caused the bed to squeak, and Rayne got lost in the giggles. Sam tried to roll her over, and Rayne groaned. “Shh. Hannah’s sleeping just down the hall.”
“How am I supposed to not move?” Sam growled.
“Floor. Let’s move to the floor.”
They climbed out of the bed and he pulled the quilt off the end to lie on the floor in front of the fireplace. They took their time and by the time they pulled the quilt around their bodies, Rayne felt like another nap. “Wow!” she whispered. “That’s what I call afternoon delight.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s a song about making love in the afternoon.” She sang a few lines and giggled at his confused expression.
“Delightful is one way to describe it, I suppose.”
She laid her head on his shoulder and looked up at him. “You don’t like delightful?”
Sam chuckled. “It seems inadequate somehow.”
Rayne shivered. “Yes, it does.”
Sam wrapped the quilt tighter around her body when he saw her shiver. “Cold?”
“A little.” She moved her body closer to his. “When can we go home?”
“Not for a couple of days.” Sam rubbed her back. “Eager?”
Rayne nodded. “I want to be able to scream. This whole trying to stay quiet thing bites.”
Sam laughed. “You can scream into a pillow next time.”
“Ooh, good idea!” She kissed him. “Where’s my bag, by the way?”
“In the wardrobe? Why?”
She rubbed her forehead. “I have a little bit of a headache.”
Sam sat up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because then you may not have done what we just did.”
“You’re right.” Sam rose to his feet and made his way to the wardrobe. “What can I get you?”
“I have Advil in my bag.”
“Advil?”
“Yes, it’s a painkiller.”
He located the bag and held it up. “What is this thing?” Sam asked staring at the zipper.
She sat up. “It’s called a zipper. Bring it here and I’ll show you how it works.”
“Sweetheart, don’t overdo it, please.”
“I’m fine.” She pulled out her Advil with a sigh of relief.
Sam pointed to the container. “What is that strange bottle?”
“It’s plastic. They use plastic for everything now... I mean later.”
“How do you open it?”
“It has what they call a childproof seal. So, you have to push down on the lid and turn... like this.” She demonstrated. “Then, just pull it off.” She took out two of the brown tablets and popped them into her mouth. He handed her a glass of water and she sipped.
“What else do you have in there, Angel?”
“You haven’t looked?”
He shook his head. “Why does that surprise you?”
“Um, because I totally would have!”
“I didn’t want to intrude. I knew you’d show me eventually.” He gave her a mischievous grin. “I also didn’t know how to open it.”
Rayne laughed. “Ah, the truth comes out.”
* * *
Rayne pulled items out and explained each one in detail. He blushed when she pulled out a tampon and gave a brief description of what it was for. She pulled out her round pill packet and saw that she had only two days left before her sugar pills began. “These are modern-day contraceptives.”
“Do you mean to stop pregnancy?” His expression didn’t appear happy.
“Yes, except I take them more to regulate my cycle...” She frowned down at the packet. “But it would appear I won’t have that option anymore. I hope you’re prepared for psycho Rayne once a month.”
“I want to have children, Rayne,” Sam said quietly.
She glanced up at him. “I do, too.”
“I don’t want you to stop anything.”
“I’m not.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Then why didn’t you show me these earlier?”
She dropped the pill packet back in her bag. “Sam, it’s not like I was hiding them.”
“I want you to get rid of them.”
Rayne’s hackles started to rise. “Okay, first of all, they’re almost finished, but even if they weren’t, it would be my decision if I wanted to continue taking them, Sam. My body, my choice. Second, you’re overreacting.”
Sam scowled. “We’ll discuss it later.”
“No, we’ll discuss it now.”
“You’re not well, sweetheart, and I don’t want to argue with you.”
Rayne started to shove things back into her bag. “Then don’t piss me off.”
Sam ran his hands through his hair. “Rayne.”
“We’re going to have children, Sam. God willing,” Rayne said. “But I refuse to be barefoot and pregnant at your whim. We’ll make the decision together or we’ll abstain.”
“Abstain from what?”
She zipped her bag closed. “You’re a smart cookie, you can figure it out.”
Pulling her bag from her hands, Sam pushed her gently onto her back and leaned over her. Rayne laid her hand on his chest. “What are you doing?”
He kissed her neck and she couldn’t stop a sigh. Sam grinned. “How long do you think you’d last?”
“Longer than you,” she retorted.
He chuckled. “So, this isn’t affecting you at all?”
“Nope, not in the least.”
Kissing her neck again, he looked up and grinned. “I can see that.”
Rayne tried to open her eyes wider in an attempt not to look so affected.
He leaned over to kiss her.
Rayne groaned and broke the kiss. “You are evil.”
“I’m simply proving a point.”
“Well, my head hurts, so stop pointing,” she grumbled.
“I’m sorry, Angel.” He cupped her cheek. “I seem to have gotten carried away.”
“Okay, fine. It’s not easy to say no to you, Sam. I just want this to be a joint decision.”
“I was simply caught off-guard.” He stretched out beside her.
