In spite of the socializing, Liam kept a watchful eye over Athena. He didn’t want her becoming too exhausted given her condition. Aside from Nandi, no one knew of the pregnancy. Liam needn’t have worried. Athena was using the party to make connections with women she hoped to draw into seamstress positions once her husband’s factory idea took flight.
The men were in the midst of business chatter as well.
“Your impressive moves are how we found you,” Emilio said. “The Tesano everyone was raving over wasn’t one of us, so...”
“Tell us about these impressive moves of yours, Li,” Giaimo urged.
“Well we’ve already-”
“They’re no more impressive than anyone else’s. They’re just coming from someplace new so people make more of it than necessary.” Liam cut into Beniton’s opening. He had no wish to share much with his brothers.
“I’m curious to know how all this is being viewed by the Americans,” Micalino put in. “They don’t take too kindly to us doing business in any way, shape or form.”
“Too right!” Giaimo bellowed. “Much of our success comes from seeing that our people don’t have to endure such treatment.”
“But this is neither the time nor place for discussing such business,” Emilio raised his glass. “It’s a day for our brother. To Liam! Salud!”
The others acted in kind. “To Liam! Salud!”
~~~
Much, much later, Liam was taking his bride up the five flights of stairs to their home. He had carried Athena from the cafe. The trip wasn’t a speedy one, and not because the bride was a burden in her husband’s arms. The newlyweds had talked and laughed for much of the way, which gave Liam’s sure-footed steps a much slower pace.
Conversation and laughter had turned decidedly slower by the time they’d reached their door. Liam turned the knob without relinquishing the hold on his bride.
Athena bit her lip as she watched her husband with an anticipation that had her all but panting. Arousal had a great deal to do with it, but there was much more. Knowing that the jarringly handsome and intelligent man in whose arms she rested, was actually hers, was a lot to process. So much so, she began to tremble.
Liam realized this soon after he kicked the door shut with the heel of his boot. He took Athena to her bedroom and set her down. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“Nervous,” she laughed. “Me of all people, uh?” She sobered. “I don’t want to disappoint you, Liam. I don’t want you to feel you’ve settled-”
He was kissing her before the word settled into silence on her tongue. The kiss deepened, becoming lustier the more intensely their tongues battled. He covered her on the bed, his mouth at the bodice of her dress when he kissed her there.
Athena kicked off her shoes. Feverishly, she drew her small feet up and down the length of Liam’s long, powerful legs still encased in the linen trousers he’d worn that day.
Suddenly, Liam switched places, pulling Athena up to straddle his lap. “Unbutton this,” he ordered.
She dutifully complied. The bodice dropped to reveal her bra and slip beneath. Liam drew her back down into another kiss. Trailing his mouth across her collarbone, he cupped her breasts squeezing and reacquainting himself with their shape beneath him on the bed. Her slip was tugged away, followed by the bra.
Approving sighs filled the room on both sides. They grew in intensity when Athena pushed the shirt from Liam’s shoulders and re-familiarized herself with the toned, sleek expanse of his chest. Her gasp was sharp when he tugged her higher against the pillows and settled between her legs amid the lush folds of her gown.
Another sharp gasp rounded out on a cry then there were a jumble of muttered words followed by more cries and gasps. Liam realized his wife’s response wasn’t due to desire.
“Athena?” He backed away to study her face. In the soft glow of the room’s lamp light, he could see that her cheeks were flushed. The panic in her eyes was unmistakable.
“Athena what is it?”
She was pressing at his chest. “Some-something’s wr-wrong...”
“Shh...calm yourself,” he was moving to pull her close when his panicked gasp filled the room. The front of his pants were stained with faint red streaks. The folds of Athena’s dress were marked by larger patches of crimson.
“Athena!” His heart promised to beat out of his chest as he surveyed the extent of the smears. In moments, the bridal gown and bed covers were soaked in blood.
~5~
She had known what was happening long before she’d been able to communicate the details. The heavy, deliberate flow of moisture-this was no result of arousal or even normal menstrual flow which would have been just as unnerving. She was miscarrying the child conceived in the dark bowels of an old ship. She was heartbroken. She was relieved. Liam was heartbroken. He did not seem relieved.
She recalled his beautiful panic stricken face as the blood pooled. She told him she was losing the baby and what she needed. He had insisted on calling a midwife when she’d hotly refused going to the hospital.
In the end she had succumbed to Liam’s wishes and allowed him to bundle her into the truck for the drive to the hospital. A midwife's involvement would’ve been too messy. So far, no one knew of the child she lost on her wedding night, or that she’d even been pregnant in the first place. It would be cause for scandal Liam couldn’t afford to have associated with him.
Now, two days later, she was home, tucked in her own bed and wearing her own nightgown. A tray of hot tea sat within easy reach on the table at her side.
Liam had tended to her every need which she kept to a minimum. His color still seemed off to her. She’d teased that he looked like he’d been the one to lose the baby. Liam hadn’t seemed to appreciate the joke.
By week’s end, things were regaining a sense of normalcy. Liam was back to taking meetings with his crew. Athena’s hospital stay had ushered in a new wave of ideas. There was no mistaking that establishing the tentatively named Tesano Textiles as a bonafide fabric manufacturer would be far more difficult than anyone had anticipated.
The garment industry was a surprisingly small world. No one was especially willing to welcome someone new to the scene, not when the country was still in the depths of its great depression. Definitely not when that someone boasted far finer fabrics and a staff to wield them into remarkable attire at a competitive price.
Liam’s competition seemed to have agreements with everyone who could potentially help him acquire the machinery needed to make the factory fully operational. No one was willing to sell to a new face on the row. Liam had no intention of giving up. Instead, he set his focus on other ideas until opportunities for more ambitious growth presented themselves.
“Hospital uniforms?”
“Hospital maintenance uniforms,” Liam clarified Beniton’s query. They were gathered in the office of their yet to be Christened factory. “While Athena was hospitalized, I took time to get to know some of the staff.”
“And?” Marco probed.
“Many of them haven’t had new uniforms since they started their jobs. Replacement costs are a disgrace. The hospital considers maintenance staff uniforms special requests as the doctors and nurses are their primary concerns.”
