month ago. It was a feeling of… excitement. The little bump in my belly is my child, mine and Christopher's. Soon, only a few months from now, I will deliver

this little person and it will be ours, our son, or our daughter. I will experiencethe joy of watching Christopher be a father. He'll be wonderful at it.

As though her thoughts had summoned him, Christopher arrived, his dark

hair rumpled by the spring breeze. “Hello, love,” he said, kissing her forehead.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close for a much longer

kiss, mashing her lips to his and squeezing him tight.

“Well, well,” he said, “it seems you're feeling all right.”

“Yes, wonderful. Here, give me your hand.” She pressed his fingers to her belly.

“What, Kat?”

“Hush. Just wait.”

He waited. Long moments later, a little squirming sensation fluttered under his fingers. His eyes widened. “What was that?”

“Our baby.”

“Oh, Lord.”

“I know. Isn't it amazing?”

His smile grew huge and beautiful. “Yes. I can't believe it. Oh, love, you should see yourself. So happy. Are you happy, Katerina?”

“Yes. I think I finally am. There's a baby here.” She pressed her hand over his. “A baby who is part of you and part of me.”

“Yes. I love that.” He lowered his lips to her forehead.

“Has there ever been such love?”

“Not that I know of,” he replied. “Well, every couple probably feels this way,

but it's special because it's us.”

“Yes.”

He cupped her cheek with the fingers of his free hand and lowered his mouth

to hers, kissing her again. “I love you so much, Kat.”

“And I love you, Christopher.”

“And you're not so worried anymore?” he asked.

She looked away. “You knew about that? I didn't think you noticed.”

He cupped her chin and drew her back into his gaze. “Do you think there's

anything about you I don't notice?”

“Weren't you upset?” She bit her lip.

“No. I understood. I'm just glad you're accepting it now.”

She smiled. “You know, I think I am.”

CHAPTER 20

T he evening of Katerina's twentieth birthday party began as she sat in

front of the mirror with Katie behind her brushing her hair. The green

sprigged yellow dress she had ordered for the event fit like a glove from the rib

cage up and floated away from the swell of her belly below, disguising the fact

that she was past halfway through her pregnancy.

"Your dress looks lovely, ma'am," Katie commented.

"Thank you, I quite agree," Katerina replied. "Madame Olivier is truly a genius. Still, after this party, I'll have no choice but to enter confinement, and not attend any other public events until I recover from the delivery. It sounds rather

boring, all in all, though Mother's promised to keep me company."

Katie ran a brush through her hair and began twisting it into a heavy bun at

the back of her head. "I'll keep you company too, ma'am, and perhaps I can help with the wee one. I have a lot of brothers and sisters." She began tucking pins into the thick coiffure.

"Thank you," Katerina said softly.

"There you go, ma'am. All done. Have a lovely evening."

Katerina smiled and hoisted herself to her feet, ready to depart from her in-

laws' house. “Are you ready, love?” she called to Christopher, who shaving. “I'd

rather not be late to my own party.”

“Almost,” he replied.

Katerina sighed in resignation.