One Bumpy Ride
She awoke four days later in a tiny cell-sized room with absolutely no windows and a small door with a round port-glass in the centre. Her first thoughts were not of her being alive. They were more along the lines of 'this is totally barbaric'. Then she remembered all that had happened and realized that she must be on the ship. That was the only reasonable explanation for such utterly revolting chambers. She rolled onto her side and came face-to-face with d'Artagnan's sleeping form. As any sane person is aware, it is definitely bad for the reputation to be found in bed with a man to whom you are not wed. But a pain in her lower back would not let her move. Just then, the door swung open. Fearing the worst, Jacqueline cringed and squinted her eyes tight. Before she knew it, a pair of chubby hands was wrapped around her wrist, pulling her up. "Maman, uncle Gerard told us to meet him at four. It is three and we have yet to view land." A young girl looked at Jacqueline with bright, chestnut coloured eyes, raven hair and a crooked smile. She looked so familiar; like a figure from a dream. But why had she called her "Maman"?
"Fear not, sweetheart. We will see some shortly. You and Gabriel should keep post until then!" D'Artagnan was awake now. He seemed to know this child, and neither of them seemed to mind the fact that they were sharing a bed. She tried to sit up again but the sharp pains returned. "Sweetheart, do not wear yourself out. I will help you. Remember what the doctor said? I know you want your independence back, but the baby will not let you have it for a few more months." D'Artagnan beamed at her. She wanted to hit him, to scream at him. She probably would have too, if she hadn't looked down to where he was indicating. There was a clearly visible bump in the sheets where her stomach should have been. Throwing off the comforter, Jacqueline saw that she was, in fact, pregnant. She paled and d'Artagnan put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Honey, what's wrong? You looked surprised! Is the baby kicking again? Or are you going to deny you're pregnant again?"
"I'm not-I mean, that is, I CAN'T BE!" D'Artagnan smiled warmly at her. "Darling, you've said that the last two times as well. Its getting old and so am I. Let's get out of here and take a stroll on deck, shall we?" He took her by the hands and helped her up and into a robe. He placed a hand on her waist and guided her through the door, further into the unknown.
She couldn't figure out how any of it could have happened. One minute she was lying there in a growing pool of her blood and the next she was lying beside the man she loved – who she was apparently married to. Could it be true? Could she and d'Artagnan actually, finally, have a life a together? And children? It had to be a fantasy. She would remember this. But maybe she wouldn't. She had heard of a few cases, in her studies, where somebody would wake up one day and not remember anything for day or two. That had to be it. It would all come back to her tomorrow.
So the little girl was her daughter. And she had a son, too. Gabriel, d'Artagnan had called him. And she was pregnant…with d'Artagnan's child. She couldn't believe it. Everything had worked out! Had it been that carriage ride? Or had something else happened between them after she left for the Americas? Did she leave at all? She must have, there was no way that she would have stayed and left Gerard to die. But he hadn't died. They were on their way to see him now. That's what the girl had said. Jacqueline wished she knew her name. It would be extremely rude, not to mention devastatingly hurtful, to ask your own child her name. She had so many questions but didn't want to be diagnosed as insane. Insanity wasn't a quality she wanted to see in herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a small boy ran over to them. "Maman, you're not going to believe it! I saw a whale!" So this was Gabriel. He looked a lot like his father, Jacqueline thought approvingly.
"I saw it first!" The girl was back again. Jacqueline now knew where she had seen her before: in herself. The tiny creature had so many of her traits, from the hair to the frown. She even had the stubbornness down pat.
"Ah, my sweet Maquenzie. You both have the eyes of a hawk. Why don't you look for some more? And fish, too. They are larger here than at home." The children ran off, speaking excitedly to one another.
Maquenzie, Jacqueline thought to herself. That was a beautiful name. As if reading her mind, d'Artagnan began to speak of the baby. "If it is another girl, my dear, I propose Lucille or Marie. And if it is a boy, how about Henri?" Jacqueline looked at him a moment and decided to join in. Why not? She thought, it looks as though I am here to stay. Why not enjoy myself and my new life?
"I was thinking something more along the lines of 'Jacques LePont d'Artagnan'. It certainly has a nice ring to it." D'Artagnan laughed, lifted the hand he held, and kissed it. Yes, it seemed as though she was here to stay and she had no desire to mess with God's plans. Not this time, anyway.