Fic: Cold December's Winds Were Stilled (2/2)

[melyanna]

Part I, with fic information and excessively long notes, is here.

I do apologize in this one for the sheer amount of babbling about dressmaking. ;)


Laura Beckett had enjoyed having her husband to herself for the three days of the storm, but now she was grateful that the piercing winds had died off. By the end of the storm Carson had been getting a little uneasy, so it was good that he had more occupation now. Not long after the storm had passed, Cameron Mitchell had come by to explain that a stranger had been caught out in the storm on Ferguson's ranch. He'd managed to burrow into a haystack, which had probably kept him alive, but he was still in need of a doctor's attention.

So Laura was alone, making coffee for when her husband returned, when there was a startling rap on the back door. She hurried to open it and was surprised to find Kate Heightmeyer on the other side. "Kate, come in!" she said, flinging the door wide open to let in her friend.

Kate stepped inside, and as she unbuttoned her coat Laura frowned. Hadn't she been wearing that dress at church on Christmas Eve, four days ago?

But that wasn't all Laura noticed. Kate's whole body was exuding excitement over something.

"You look like you're about to burst," Laura said. "Whatever you came to tell me, come out with it!"

"Laura, Marcus asked me to marry him!"

Joyfully, Laura laughed and threw her arms around her friend. It was hardly unexpected news, but it was still good. "Oh, Kate, that's wonderful," she said, drawing back a little from their embrace. "Have you talked about setting a date?"

Kate nodded a little apprehensively. "He wants to get married today."

Laura's jaw dropped. "Today? But -" Suddenly she thought of Kate's clothes and what that might mean. "Kate, where have you been the last three days?"

Her friend's cheeks flushed a bright red. "With him," she replied. "We went to his house to wait out the storm. Nothing happened," she added anxiously, seeing Laura's skeptical look. "Well, almost nothing."

Laura just grinned in a slightly wicked manner. "I don't think I'd blame you if anything did happen."

"Laura!"

Laura didn't answer. She ran to fetch her wraps, saying, "We have to go to your house and choose a dress for you to wear, and then we have to put together an entire reception for you. We don't have time to waste!"

Kate's house was quiet and cold. Laura started a fire in the stove while Kate hurried to put on clean clothes. It was something of a relief to put on fresh garments, even though she knew she needed to do some laundry.

As she stretched to fasten a hard-to-reach button, she suddenly realized that the next time she washed clothes, she would be a married woman. Again. It hardly seemed possible.

Laura stepped into the small bedroom and helped Kate with the rest of her buttons. "Are you nervous, Kate?" Laura asked.

"Dreadfully," Kate replied, laughing shakily. "It's all so sudden."

Laura smiled kindly and hugged Kate briefly. Then she looked at her friend's hair and said, "I imagine you want to do something with that. I'll start looking through your dresses to help you pick one. You have so many lovely dresses."

Kate sat at her table and started pulling pins from her hair, but she shook her head. "I know which one I will wear," she told Laura. "I just finished it last week. I was intending to wear it on Christmas Day, but it will do for a wedding dress."

Laura lifted the lid of Kate's trunk and gasped. "Kate, this is gorgeous!" she exclaimed, lifting a dress of deep blue cashmere from the top of the box. Fine white lace, which Kate had knitted herself, adorned the sleeves and collar, and the flounce at the hem was a wide band of blue silk, shot through with a pale gold pinstripe. "Oh, it's exquisite. How did you find the time?"

Kate smiled a little, running a brush through her hair. "I started making it months ago, almost as soon as I finished your wedding dress."

She then explained that for the last year or so, she'd been making everyone's dresses with more room in the skirt than was strictly necessary, fearing that hoop skirts were coming back into fashion. She'd been right, and her own set of hoops had just arrived a few weeks ago. Kate had already decided that she would wear hoops with the dress, but now it seemed that much more important.

"Marcus should paint you in this dress," Laura said, still admiring the silk at the hem.

Kate flushed a little, thinking that Marcus would rather do other things with their time just now.

"Oh!" she suddenly gasped.

"What is it?" Laura asked, carefully draping the cashmere dress on the bed.

"Marcus gave me something for Christmas," Kate replied, hurrying to pull the small jewelry box from her coat. She opened it and laid the sapphire pin against the white lace of the collar. "Oh, it will be perfect."

Laura beamed and started to say something, but there was a light rap on the front door. Kate ran to get it, and found Marcus on the other side. She smiled, though a little confused. "What are you doing here?" she asked, letting him in.

"Hello to you too," he teased. He looked like he was going to kiss her, but then he saw Laura enter the room. "I just wanted to let you know, I spoke to the minister. He'll marry us at eleven o'clock, if that's all right with you."

Kate nodded. "Will we just go to his house, or -"

There Laura cut her off. "You'll do nothing of the sort," she said firmly. "Don't you want a wedding with friends present?"

"Laura, I would love to have my sister present, and I'm sure Marcus would like some of his family to be there as well, but there's only so much we can manage without delaying it by six months, or maybe even more," Kate replied. "Besides, neither his house nor mine is large enough to accommodate all the friends we'd want to invite."

"Have it at my house, then," Laura said, matter-of-factly. "I've spent the last three days with nothing to do but clean house, and it's large enough to hold as many guests as you like."

Kate looked up at Marcus, who was smiling gratefully at Laura. "Are you sure?"

The young redhead nodded. "I'll even host a dinner for you before the ceremony," she replied. "Let it be my wedding gift to you."

After another smile at Laura, Marcus touched Kate's loose hair and kissed her lightly. "I'll tell the minister," he said, "and start inviting our friends." Laura had discreetly turned back to the bedroom, and Marcus lowered his voice. "There's something else I want to show you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out two plain gold bands, one much smaller than the other. "These belonged to my grandparents," he explained. "Mother sent me with them when I came west. She wanted me to use them if I ever found a wife. Do you..." He hesitated a moment. "Do they suit you?"

They were beautiful rings, but Kate thought she wouldn't have cared one way or the other. She closed his hand around the rings and kissed his cheek. "They're perfect," she said. "Now, I think we both have much to do."

Grinning, he kissed her and left.

Marcus headed back outside, into the sea of white, but he hardly noticed how cold it was. John Sheppard waved him over, confusion on his face. "You planning on freezing to death, Lorne?" the gunslinger asked, gesturing at Marcus' unbuttoned coat.

"Not today, Sheppard," Marcus replied. "Kate and I are getting married."

"Today?" John asked, blinking several times.

Marcus shrugged. "What's the point in waiting?"

"Don't weddings take a while to plan?"

"Only if you're rich and back East," Marcus said. "We just want some friends there as witnesses. Will you come?"

Sheppard seemed a little taken aback by the invitation, but Marcus still felt a debt of gratitude to the man. After all, it was Sheppard's gun that had ended Kate's nightmarish first marriage at last.

"Of course," John replied after a moment. "Anything I can do to help?"

Marcus grinned. "Well, Laura Beckett's throwing us a dinner and having the wedding at her house," he explained. "Might want to ask her if there's anything you can do."

As he turned toward the nearby mercantile, he suppressed a laugh. Somehow, he couldn't imagine Sheppard helping Laura and Kate in the kitchen.

John had been lucky during the storm, at least to an extent. He'd managed to get Elizabeth to her store at the first sign of the blizzard, and he and Ronon had both made it to McKay and Zelenka's house before things got too bad. Throughout the days, listening to the sound of the wind and the two scientists bickering about something he could care less about, John was glad that he didn't have to worry about Elizabeth. She had plenty of supplies, and enough sense to stay out of the storm.

Finding Kate Heightmeyer at Marcus Lorne's house had been a bit of a shock, but he and Rodney had quietly agreed not to tell anyone about it. It was none of their business, and besides, Kate and Marcus deserved some happiness, after everything they'd been through.

The haste with which the two were getting married was surprising, but John could see Marcus' point. He glanced at the mercantile and let himself wonder. When the Wraith were gone, and if Elizabeth would still have him, would he want to wait another day, or spend another night alone?

His feet took him to Elizabeth's door without him giving conscious thought to it. She was open for business but had no customers. Instead, she was setting a basket of fresh eggs on a countertop. "Vala just brought these by," she said. "She's got a few people to cook breakfast for, but after that -"

John had walked forward purposefully, saying nothing, but he interrupted her instead by framing her face with his hands and kissing her soundly. She was startled, but soon was kissing him back, her hands resting on the collar of his shirt.

When he pulled back, her eyes were sparkling. "Good morning," she said.

"Morning, ma'am," he replied, giving her a flirtatious smirk.

She brushed her lips against his briefly before turning back to the counter. "Have you heard the news?"

John nodded, resting his hand against the small of her back. "Lorne just asked me to come to the wedding."

Elizabeth was smiling when she looked up at him again, but something on his face must have given away some of his thoughts. "What is it?" she asked.

"Just seems awfully sudden," John replied, being partially truthful, at least.

She shrugged and drew a dishcloth over the basket of eggs. "Kate may dress at the height of fashion, but some of that is her job," she said. "She's not a woman who likes frills for the sake of frills. And Mr. Lorne doesn't strike me as the type who'd want the whole town present anyway. Why not get married with just a few good friends there to wish them well?"

Before he could respond, Elizabeth picked up the basket and pushed it at him. "Take these to the Becketts'," she told him. "I've got a few more things to gather up before I go over to help Laura with this dinner she's preparing."

Laura's kitchen had never seemed so busy.

Elizabeth had arrived at the Beckett house to find John standing around outside, looking distinctly nervous. "John?" she said. "What's going on?"

"You sure you want to go in there?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes and marched into the house.

Once inside, she could tell immediately why John had decided to stay outside. There was such a rush of ladies going here and there that Elizabeth could hardly rest her eyes on any one thing. Then Kate stepped out from the chaos, flour all over her pink work dress, and hugged Elizabeth almost desperately.

Elizabeth hugged her back with one arm while clinging to the foodstuffs she'd brought with her other. "Oh, I'm so glad you've come," Kate said, in a rare show of deep emotion.

"I wouldn't miss it," she replied. "Now, how can I help?"

She was soon kneading bread while Kate and Laura set about doing other things. On top of the dinner for Kate and Marcus, they were also getting ready for a somewhat belated Christmas supper. Thankfully, though, Vala and Janet soon arrived to help, and most especially so Vala could make the wedding cake.

Then Laura looked up at the clock on the wall. "Kate, it's time to get you ready," she said. "Marcus and the minister and everyone else will be here soon."

Elizabeth watched fondly as Laura ushered the bride into the bedroom. She and Kate had done the same for Laura just a few months earlier. Her mind drifted inevitably to the days before that wedding, but for once, she thought only of waking in the back room of this very house, and of John's warm, eager kisses.

She was absently stirring the potatoes in the frying pan before her when Vala nudged her. "You're stirring those too much," Vala said. "They'll never crisp up unless you leave them be."

"Oh," Elizabeth said, embarrassed, and bringing her attention back to the task at hand.

"You're not much of a cook, are you?" Vala asked.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She could cook just fine, but she wasn't fond of the activity. "There's not much point in going to all the trouble of cooking for one."

"Well, when you and Mr. Sheppard have settled everything between you, you may want to be sure you know how to prepare a proper meal." Vala smirked. "For him and for the children you're sure to have."

Despite herself, Elizabeth blushed.

Laura had thought that Kate's new cashmere dress was beautiful before, but it was so much lovelier now that Kate was wearing it. From collar to hem it fit her perfectly, which was nothing less than anyone expected from the town's seamstress. Laura also knew from the moment she saw them that she was going to hate wearing hoops, but Kate looked like a princess.

They had just gotten Kate's hair pulled up as she wanted when they heard a knock on the front door of the house instead of the back, through which several people had already arrived. Someone answered it, and before long they heard Marcus and the minister both talking in the front room.

Kate gripped Laura's hand tightly, and in her friend's eyes Laura could detect a little fear. She could hardly blame Kate for that. She knew Kate did not fear Marcus, but her first marriage had ended so terribly. It would be difficult for any woman to ignore such a painful truth in this moment.

Laura kissed Kate's cheek. "You love him, Kate," she said. "You always have. And he loves you."

With Kate reassured, Laura peeked out the door and saw all the invited guests gathered in her living room. At the slightest creak from the bedroom door, Marcus, dressed in his best suit, whirled around to look. Laura smiled. "Kate, I think your soon-to-be husband is anxious to see you."

Kate took a deep breath, and together the two of them stepped into the living room.

Laura knew not when her own husband had returned, but Carson reached for her hand as soon as she was near enough. Kate kept walking forward, a white handkerchief clutched in one hand, until she was at Marcus' side before the minister.

All around everyone was smiling, and soon the bride and groom were too. Laura leaned against Carson, and he set his arm about her waist. Near them, John and Elizabeth were standing together, holding hands. "Dearly beloved," the minister said, and it was begun.

Kate's eyes were shining, and Marcus looked so wonderfully happy as they promised to love and cherish, forsaking all others, for as long as they both should live. When they had exchanged rings, the minister pronounced them man and wife, and the groom kissed his bride.

With handshakes and hugs and kisses all around, they stood around in the living room for what seemed like a long time, well after the minister had left. To no one's surprise, it was Rodney who said, "When are we going to eat?"

In the days and weeks that followed, neither Kate nor Marcus could remember a single thing they ate at that dinner. She was sure the food was good, and the cake, being one of Vala's creations, was probably the best wedding cake that anyone in the county had ever had, but her mind was far from the meal.

Every once in a while, she and Marcus would look at each other and just smile. It hardly seemed real that they were married now.

After dinner, Kate helped clear the dishes and wash them, even though Elizabeth and Laura both tried to insist that she didn't need to help. Then while they set about making pies and bread and other things for the supper that night, Carson started popping corn, which the men strung for the Christmas tree at the church.

It had been some years since Kate had seen a Christmas tree, and she'd been looking forward to it for weeks, as though she were still a small child. There were few times when she truly missed being back East, but Christmas was one of them.

When the ladies had finished in the kitchen, they joined the men in Laura's sitting room. Kate, feeling rather bolder than usual, took a seat on the arm of Marcus' deep, cushioned chair and set her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and took her hand, smiling. "We ought to get some of your belongings over to my house," he said quietly. "I'd rather not move your furniture until after the snow is gone, but if there's something you want, I'll get it over there."

Kate stroked her thumb across the side of his hand. "Not all the furniture is mine," she told him. "Some of it belongs to Miss Weir, along with the house."

Elizabeth looked up at them then. "I heard my name," she said, from where Mr. Sheppard had risen to give her his seat.

"My husband thinks I need to move my earthly possessions to his house," Kate said, smiling at the opportunity to call Marcus that.

"Well, he's right," Laura replied, wiping her hands on her apron before removing it. "This is the problem with getting married in a hurry. When the doctor and I married, all my belongings were here before we even left on our honeymoon."

"We had three weeks of waiting, love," Carson said. "They had three hours. In hindsight..."

Eyes narrowed, Laura tossed her apron at his face.

In the end, only Elizabeth went with Laura and Kate to the little house next to the mercantile to pack up her clothes and dishes and other things she would want before the snow was melted and her larger belongings could be moved more easily. Kate expressed a little concern about that anyway, as Marcus' house was not very big, having been built for a bachelor, not for a man and his wife.

"He will build on to it, I'm sure," Laura said. "It may be very snug for you two now, but as soon as you have a baby, you may not think its closeness a virtue."

"And what makes you an expert on such things?" Elizabeth teased.

To her surprise, Laura blushed. Kate's jaw dropped. "Laura, are you-"

Laura shook her head quickly. "No, I'm not - not yet, anyway," she said. "But Carson wants a baby so badly. And I... I guess I do too."

Kate reached over and squeezed Laura's hand, her wedding band shining on the first finger of her left hand. Suddenly Elizabeth felt rather alone with these two married friends, like she was being left behind.

She loved John. She was sure of that, and just as sure that he loved her. But though they'd come to a strange understanding a few months earlier, Elizabeth felt a lingering frustration about it all. She did not want to wait any longer. She did not want to be always watching him go, not knowing if he would survive this time.

She wanted him to stay. Perhaps it was selfish of her, but she wanted to start a life with him, and she couldn't do that until he decided to stay.

There would always be threats to existence out in the west. If it wasn't the Wraith, it was a more violent Indian tribe or outlaws. Fire and flood were a part of life Elizabeth had accepted long before John had first come to this town. She could only hope that he'd meant what he said, and that his vendetta with the Wraith would not extend to anything else he saw as a threat to her.

"You're awfully quiet," Laura said, drawing her back from her thoughts.

Elizabeth tried to brush it off. "When have you known me not to be contemplative, Laura?"

Kate sat down on her bed, where she'd been tying two goose-down pillows together. "She's right, Elizabeth."

"I'll not be waylaid by two married ladies," Elizabeth replied, trying to shake off their comments.

"That's what it is, isn't it?" Kate asked. She and Elizabeth had never been tremendously close, but Elizabeth had long ago observed that the seamstress had a gift for reading people.

Elizabeth hesitated, then went on folding bed linens to place in Kate's trunk. "Let's just say I'd like to know what would have happened if I had been trapped with Mr. Sheppard for three days," she said archly.

Kate turned bright red, and Laura laughed. "You'd have killed him, Miss Weir."

Elizabeth smiled. "You may be right."

The Christmas party was gay and bright, every corner of the church building filled with merriment. Before the preacher's belated Christmas sermon, he had Kate and Marcus stand and be recognized as newlyweds. Marcus had hated the stares and scrutiny of the town in the past, but now that Kate was finally, finally his wife, they seemed a little less troublesome.

For the moment, anyway.

It had been tempting, while they were moving some of Kate's belongings over to his house, to shut the others out and take her to the bedroom, even in the middle of the afternoon. The memory of that morning was almost too much to resist, but he did have a little pride left. Kate would never have let him hear the end of it for his impatience.

He tried, once, to suggest that they skip the supper and just go home. All the presents were being brought from the tree and distributed, and Kate blushed a little as people passed by where they were sitting. "We should go to the supper, Marcus," she said quietly. "Besides, don't you want to dance with your bride on your wedding day?"

They joined up with the Becketts and Sheppard and Miss Weir on their way out of the church and walked with them to the old Masterson barn. Mr. Masterson had given up on his homestead claim the previous spring and headed back east. The cattleman's largest barn was empty but in good condition, and was the perfect place now for a dance, especially in the wintertime.

Inside, the lanterns were hung all about, and the floor was clean and dry. Long tables stretched across one end of the barn, and all the food was being set up. When the smell of the food reached Marcus, hunger hit him suddenly. Mrs. Beckett's good dinner now seemed a long time ago.

Kate smiled a little at how much food he stacked on his plate, but she said nothing. He knew she was thinking of his impatience to leave.

The dancing started up before long, and Marcus led Kate to the cleared area on the south end of the barn floor, taking a look at the dress she was wearing. As they began to dance, he said, "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"

She smiled. "As a matter of fact, you have not."

He turned her about, and the blue fabric of her dress swished just above the floor as she spun. The sapphire pin he'd given her adorned the white lace at her throat, and he smiled. "The brooch becomes you," he remarked.

"It's a beautiful piece," she replied. Then her mouth fell open a little. "I still haven't given you your Christmas present -"

"Kate," he interrupted gently, "you married me today. I think I can wait a little longer for a Christmas present that's already late."

She rolled her eyes at him, but didn't argue. Nor did she argue when he drew her a little nearer. One song ended and the next began, and Marcus danced with his bride again and again and again.

As the evening wore on, the party began to dwindle. At the end of a dance, Kate took Marcus' arm and urged him toward the edges of the party. "Do you need to rest a moment?" he asked.

She shook her head and spoke in a low voice. "Do you think anyone would notice if we left now?"

Marcus just barely contained his grin at the suggestion. "I don't know," he said, "but I also don't care."

Her eyes were shining as he lifted her hand and kissed it. He left to fetch his coat and her wraps, and it took every ounce of self-control to keep from running.

Very late that night, Kate and Marcus were still awake, clothing strewn about the floor, bodies bare and hot in his bed.

Marcus rolled off her only when she pushed at his shoulders. "I love you," he murmured, brushing his mouth against her temple.

Despite the fact that he had said that about a thousand times - and little else - since they had come home, Kate still smiled at him. She hummed in contentment, her body slowly coming back down to normal. Before tonight she'd been no stranger to a man's bed, but with Bertram it had always been about him, and an obligation for her. That was not to say that she had never been brought to pleasure before now, but it was very different with Marcus. He was almost single-minded in the pursuit, thoroughly seducing her though no seduction was necessary.

Once he had drawn back from her a little, Kate reached for the blankets and tugged them up. "Tired?" Marcus asked innocently.

Kate narrowed her eyes as she lay back down, but then schooled her expression to match his. "Only if you expect breakfast in the morning."

"Is that an invitation to wear you out, Mrs. Lorne?" he asked, smirking.

She merely raised one brow. In retaliation, Marcus grabbed her by the waist and hauled her on top of him. She landed gracelessly, letting out a little shriek, but he soon silenced her with a kiss.

Kate pushed herself up, hands on his shoulders. Her hair was falling down loose in his face but he held it back with his hands. Suddenly, though, she realized that this was real, not a dream she'd wake from feeling cold and lonely and miserable. When next she woke, she would still be beside him.

Something in her expression must have given her thoughts away, for Marcus brushed his thumb against her lips and said, "What is it?"

"I- I've never felt this happy before, Marcus," she whispered fervently.

He looked a little conflicted as he stroked her cheek. "It won't always be like this," he began. Kate couldn't help herself. She cast a significant glance downward at their nakedness. "Not what I meant," he added, moving to pinch her side, drawing a little yelp from her. "But sometimes we'll fight. We may not always have enough money. The town might dry up and we might have to move somewhere else. And maybe the Wraith will come for us, and leave you a widow again."

Marcus swallowed hard, and Kate felt her own eyes starting to tear up at that terrifying thought. "But I want you to know," he continued gently, "I'll always love you. No matter what."

Kate nodded solemnly. "I don't think I deserve you, Marcus."

He pulled her down to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "My darling Kate," he said, "don't you see? You're everything to me."

Her whole body filled with warmth, and Kate smiled.

Epilogue

Winter went on much as winter always did in Atlantis, as though the world was frozen until spring thaws brought new life, but for Kate and Marcus it seemed like something new and wonderful happened every day. That was not to say that they never argued, but neither of them found it wise to allow a disagreement between them to linger long. As Marcus once put it to her, they always had good reason to make up after a fight, too.

Before long, Kate was working again, still in the house next to the mercantile. She hoped someday to move her shop into her new house, but for now there was no room. Marcus was already making plans to build her a sewing room, but that would have to wait for spring, at the least.

One afternoon in late February, Elizabeth Weir came by the shop. Last autumn she'd made the trip to Denver and picked out fabrics for new dresses, and now that Kate had finally gotten a full shipment of hoops, Elizabeth had decided to replace a few of her dresses.

She'd picked out a beautiful cream-colored delaine, a wool light enough to be worn comfortably except in the very hottest days of the year. The skirt and bodice fitted smoothly down the front over Elizabeth's corset and hoops. Elizabeth did not much like the idea of a large bustle, so the skirt was not tremendously full in the back. Tiny brown buttons drew a line up her back, matching the ribbon Kate had used to trim the dress.

Two similar dresses were draped over the back of a nearby chair, one of pale blue lawn printed with little flowers, and one of grey poplin. On the table sat a hat Kate had made from half a yard of cream velvet she'd had in her scrap bag, which would go with any of the dresses. Elizabeth was standing in the middle of the room on a stool, looking so tall and elegant and beautiful that Kate was almost envious. "Well," she said, "how does the dress feel?"

"The fit is perfect, as usual," Elizabeth told her, smiling. "I don't know how you do it."

"I'm not giving away trade secrets," Kate replied with a grin. "It's a shame, though, that red isn't a more respectable color. I do think you would look wonderful in red."

Elizabeth kept talking about the fit of the cream delaine as Kate left the room for a moment to retrieve some of her tools. She came back with her shears, a ruler, and a piece of chalk. This was her least favorite part of her job, but it was, alas, the only way to get a straight hem.

She settled on another stool with some difficulty. Every few inches along the edge of the dress, she measured and marked so that she could turn back the hem evenly at the proper length. Then, before getting up and letting Elizabeth change into the next dress, she had Elizabeth turn around slowly once more as she cut the excess away.

While Elizabeth stepped down to change into the next dress, Kate stood up to put the strip of delaine into her scrap bag. Suddenly, though, she felt dizzy and had to grasp the edge of the table before landing in a chair.

"Kate!" said Elizabeth, hurrying to her side. "Kate, what's the matter?"

"I don't know, I just got dizzy all of the sudden..."

Kate trailed off, thinking. She'd been feeling a little strange lately. She was tired often, and sometimes the idea of eating was enough to make her stomach churn. Her courses had not come in several weeks, but she had not allowed herself to get her hopes up on that score.

Now, though...

Kate looked up at Elizabeth earnestly. "Elizabeth, I need a favor."

"Of course," Elizabeth said worriedly.

"Fetch Janet for me."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in realization and she headed for the door. "Elizabeth, that dress!" Kate called after her.

"Oh!" Elizabeth hurried back toward the bedroom. "You're right, I should change out of this first."

After Janet left, Kate went home, and it seemed like days and days passed before Marcus came home as well. He was surprised but not unpleased to find she had supper on the table already. After they had finished supper and done their evening chores, they sat before the fireplace and he read to her. Normally she would have taken out her sewing or knitting or something, but tonight she just leaned against him and listened to his voice, wondering how to tell him.

When he was finished, Kate stood up, extinguished one lamp, and carried the other into the bedroom. Marcus was not far behind. She sat at her little table with the mirror and began unpinning her hair. As they did every night, once her hair was loose, Marcus stood behind her and gently brushed it out until it shone in the low light of the lamp.

He set the brush down in front of her and kissed the top of her head. He sat down on the bed to remove his boots, and Kate turned in her chair to look at him. When he glanced up at her, he blinked questioningly. Kate smiled and quietly said, "I love you."

Marcus grinned and kissed her lightly before returning to his task. "I'm a little worried about you, Kate," he said after a moment's pause. "You're not eating much these days."

"I know," she replied. "I've not been very hungry."

Having taken his boots off, Marcus touched her cheek. "Sweetheart, maybe you should talk to Doctor Beckett about this. It could be serious."

Kate moved to sit beside him on the bed and took his hand in hers. His hand was broad and tanned; hers was slender and pale. "Marcus, I know what's going on," she told him, then took a deep breath. "You're going to be a father."

His mouth fell open, and a moment later he said, his voice stunned, "We're having a baby?"

Kate nodded, and then she couldn't help but grin. "Yes. Yes!"

Marcus was still for another long moment as the news sank in. Kate didn't blame him; after all, they'd been married less than two months. Then he let out a whoop of delight and hugged her. He held her face in his hands and kissed her joyfully. "I was hoping for this," he said, "but I didn't expect it quite so soon."

She laughed a little, knowing what he meant. Through her terrible time as Mrs. Bertram Samuels, she'd worried that she was perhaps unable to bear a child, though as time passed that had seemed like a blessing. She pushed that thought away, though. It had not been her fault that a child hadn't come before, and she was far away from that now, married to a man whom she adored, who was, she thought with just a hint of triumph, more a man than Samuels had ever thought to be.

He rested his forehead against hers. "I can hardly believe it," he murmured. "You're really with child?"

Kate guided his hand to her abdomen, even though there were no signs there yet. "Yes," she replied, her eyes starting to water. "Janet did warn me, though, that I'm not very far along. There's no guarantee that I'll carry to term."

Marcus nodded. "I know," he said, stroking her belly gently. "But this - just this is a gift too, Kate."

He kissed her urgently then, and it wasn't long before they were lying side by side across the bed, sharing heated, breathless kisses. Then Marcus propped himself up over Kate and said, "There's so much to do before the baby comes. I have to build on to the house, you'll need to make clothes, I'll need to build a cradle -"

"Marcus," Kate interrupted gently, laying her finger against her lips. "All of that will be here in the morning. Besides, didn't we manage a whole wedding in just a few hours?"

He smiled down at her, the kind, sweet expression on his face that Kate had first fallen in love with, despite her steadfast efforts to guard her heart. "I guess we do have a few months now, don't we?" he replied, and he kissed her again.