CHAPTER 8
"So you are thinking it was one of us?" Richie asked as Joe put a couple of beers on the bar in
front of them. It had been almost a week since Beth had shared the story about how her
husband's murder, and ever since then she had been a little more distant … making the excuse
that the bakery was more successful and keeping her busier than she could have imagined. Mac
hadn't had an opportunity to ask her any other questions … but he had a feeling that he needed
to know more …
"I don't know Richie, but it's a possibility … I mean how many common thugs carry a sword?
They carry guns and knives … but a sword is a little extreme … unless you have a reason."
"I could ask around." Joe offered. "See if any of the Watchers have heard of an immortal that
stoops to common street crime. If he's really in prison they would know it."
"No … I don't think we should be that obvious." Mac replied. "If the wrong person found out we
were interested, it could lead them here to Seacouver … and Beth. No … we need a way that
can't be traced back to her."
Richie and Joe understood and agreed.
"Want me to try and get in touch with the old man?" Joe asked. "There's never been a safeguard
they could put on that computer system he couldn't bypass."
"He's been staying on my barge in Paris the past month … and as luck would have it, when I
mentioned you added a few new varieties to your beer selection, he decided it was time for a
visit. He'll be here sometime this week I think."
Joe smiled as he wiped off the bar. He'd missed his friend and had hoped he would find his way
back to Seacouver. And now that they could use his help … his timing couldn't be better.
"Did you tell him we needed his help?" Richie asked.
"No … I didn't want to give him a reason to turn me down … and if this does involve an immortal,
I'm not sure he would have been so quick to come."
"He's such a coward." Richie muttered and Duncan quickly caught him by the arm, looking
directly into his face.
"If you value your head … you'll never say anything that resembles that remark to him … ever."
"ok … ok … don't get bent out of shape. I just meant he spends an awful lot of time under the
radar." Richie replied, pulling his arm out of Mac's grasp.
"He didn't survive 5,000 years by simply 'flying under the radar'. He may not be as active in the
game right now as we've chosen to be …but never … ever … let yourself believe it's cowardice.
Methos is as lethal as it gets … he's a survivor … and he knows how to do whatever is necessary
to keep it that way."
Back at the bakery, Esperanza watched her young employer with a careful eye. Her usually
glowing complexion was pale and her face a little drawn, and a few times that week she noticed
that she had to steady herself on the counter in the kitchen.
She waited until the last customer had left and walked to the door to close the shop.
"It's only quarter till Esperanza … we might have a few stragglers."
"We've done enough today." Esperanza insisted. "And I think you could use a cup of tea."
The older woman took her by the elbow and led her back into the main part of the house.
"You sit and I'll make the tea … and then we have a little talk … si?"
Beth knew better than to protest. She'd only known Esperanza for a few weeks, but in that time
she'd found her to be very protective … and firm. She sank into the soft leather of one of the
chairs and waited while her friend made both of them a cup of tea.
After she took a few sips from the cup, she looked up … knowing Esperanza had something to
say.
"You need to see a doctor." The woman was direct and to the point.
"Esperanza I don't need to see a doctor … I'm fine … really."
"You are not fine. You've been sick every morning this week … you are pale … you have dizzy
spells."
"I'm not sick."
She wasn't making this easy for the older woman. Esperanza narrowed her eyes and put her cup
down on the table between them.
"All right then … you aren't sick." Esperanza said in a matter of fact tone. "But I am thinking
there is much we will need to do to get ready. Have you started planning the nursery?"
Beth almost spit out her tea. She hadn't expected Esperanza to be so observant … or to just
come out and say what she suspected.
"I am right? You are expecting?"
Beth's tear-filled eyes dropped to her cup and then back up to the older woman. "I'm due in April
… early April."
Esperanza moved beside the young woman and took the cup from her hands, setting it aside as
she pulled her into an embrace.
"I'm happy about it … really I am" Beth cried into her shoulder. For several long minutes the two
women held one another as one let the other shift some of the burden she was carrying to the
other. Beth's voice was a whisper when she finally confided the truth of the baby's paternity to
the older woman. Esperanza was a little surprised, but understood why she had kept it a secret
so far. She'd shared with her some of what she'd told Richie, Duncan and Joe about her
husband being murdered … and why she had hidden herself on the other side of the country …
but hadn't been ready to say any more.
"Please help me keep my secret for a little while longer." Beth asked her. "I need to really know
who I can trust and who I can't before I let anyone else find out."
Esperanza nodded. "But you will take better care of yourself. We will begin to interview a shop
clerk to help with the customers so you won't have to be on your feet so long during the day …
and for when you will need to be with the baby later."
Beth agreed. It had been something she'd thought about a few times, but until Esperanza knew
the reason, she had been hesitant to mention it.
"I think this news will be very difficult for your friend Richie." Esperanza told her. "He wants to be
more than your friend .. si?"
Beth let out a long sigh. "I try not to encourage him … it's not something I'm looking for … with
anyone."
Esperanza nodded.
"He's a nice man … and so are Joe and Duncan. And they are great friends … I need good
friends." Beth explained what the older woman already knew. "And besides … Richie's never
been in love before … not really. When it does happen it should be with someone who is more
like him … young … adventurous … with no baggage … and for sure … not with a baby on the
way."
"I agree … but you may have a hard time convincing him of that. You seem comfortable with him
… are you sure you don't have feelings for him?"
Beth nodded. "I'm sure I care about him … I enjoy talking with him and laughing with him … and
watching games on TV with him … and I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to him … He's
what my niece and her friends would call "buff". She laughed a little at Esperanza's reaction to
the word. "But it's not love … I've been in love … and I watched my love torn to shreds in front of
my eyes … I don't know that I'll ever be able to feel like that again … I don't know that I want to. I
only know that I don't want to hurt him … not if I can help it."
"So you are thinking it was one of us?" Richie asked as Joe put a couple of beers on the bar in
front of them. It had been almost a week since Beth had shared the story about how her
husband's murder, and ever since then she had been a little more distant … making the excuse
that the bakery was more successful and keeping her busier than she could have imagined. Mac
hadn't had an opportunity to ask her any other questions … but he had a feeling that he needed
to know more …
"I don't know Richie, but it's a possibility … I mean how many common thugs carry a sword?
They carry guns and knives … but a sword is a little extreme … unless you have a reason."
"I could ask around." Joe offered. "See if any of the Watchers have heard of an immortal that
stoops to common street crime. If he's really in prison they would know it."
"No … I don't think we should be that obvious." Mac replied. "If the wrong person found out we
were interested, it could lead them here to Seacouver … and Beth. No … we need a way that
can't be traced back to her."
Richie and Joe understood and agreed.
"Want me to try and get in touch with the old man?" Joe asked. "There's never been a safeguard
they could put on that computer system he couldn't bypass."
"He's been staying on my barge in Paris the past month … and as luck would have it, when I
mentioned you added a few new varieties to your beer selection, he decided it was time for a
visit. He'll be here sometime this week I think."
Joe smiled as he wiped off the bar. He'd missed his friend and had hoped he would find his way
back to Seacouver. And now that they could use his help … his timing couldn't be better.
"Did you tell him we needed his help?" Richie asked.
"No … I didn't want to give him a reason to turn me down … and if this does involve an immortal,
I'm not sure he would have been so quick to come."
"He's such a coward." Richie muttered and Duncan quickly caught him by the arm, looking
directly into his face.
"If you value your head … you'll never say anything that resembles that remark to him … ever."
"ok … ok … don't get bent out of shape. I just meant he spends an awful lot of time under the
radar." Richie replied, pulling his arm out of Mac's grasp.
"He didn't survive 5,000 years by simply 'flying under the radar'. He may not be as active in the
game right now as we've chosen to be …but never … ever … let yourself believe it's cowardice.
Methos is as lethal as it gets … he's a survivor … and he knows how to do whatever is necessary
to keep it that way."
Back at the bakery, Esperanza watched her young employer with a careful eye. Her usually
glowing complexion was pale and her face a little drawn, and a few times that week she noticed
that she had to steady herself on the counter in the kitchen.
She waited until the last customer had left and walked to the door to close the shop.
"It's only quarter till Esperanza … we might have a few stragglers."
"We've done enough today." Esperanza insisted. "And I think you could use a cup of tea."
The older woman took her by the elbow and led her back into the main part of the house.
"You sit and I'll make the tea … and then we have a little talk … si?"
Beth knew better than to protest. She'd only known Esperanza for a few weeks, but in that time
she'd found her to be very protective … and firm. She sank into the soft leather of one of the
chairs and waited while her friend made both of them a cup of tea.
After she took a few sips from the cup, she looked up … knowing Esperanza had something to
say.
"You need to see a doctor." The woman was direct and to the point.
"Esperanza I don't need to see a doctor … I'm fine … really."
"You are not fine. You've been sick every morning this week … you are pale … you have dizzy
spells."
"I'm not sick."
She wasn't making this easy for the older woman. Esperanza narrowed her eyes and put her cup
down on the table between them.
"All right then … you aren't sick." Esperanza said in a matter of fact tone. "But I am thinking
there is much we will need to do to get ready. Have you started planning the nursery?"
Beth almost spit out her tea. She hadn't expected Esperanza to be so observant … or to just
come out and say what she suspected.
"I am right? You are expecting?"
Beth's tear-filled eyes dropped to her cup and then back up to the older woman. "I'm due in April
… early April."
Esperanza moved beside the young woman and took the cup from her hands, setting it aside as
she pulled her into an embrace.
"I'm happy about it … really I am" Beth cried into her shoulder. For several long minutes the two
women held one another as one let the other shift some of the burden she was carrying to the
other. Beth's voice was a whisper when she finally confided the truth of the baby's paternity to
the older woman. Esperanza was a little surprised, but understood why she had kept it a secret
so far. She'd shared with her some of what she'd told Richie, Duncan and Joe about her
husband being murdered … and why she had hidden herself on the other side of the country …
but hadn't been ready to say any more.
"Please help me keep my secret for a little while longer." Beth asked her. "I need to really know
who I can trust and who I can't before I let anyone else find out."
Esperanza nodded. "But you will take better care of yourself. We will begin to interview a shop
clerk to help with the customers so you won't have to be on your feet so long during the day …
and for when you will need to be with the baby later."
Beth agreed. It had been something she'd thought about a few times, but until Esperanza knew
the reason, she had been hesitant to mention it.
"I think this news will be very difficult for your friend Richie." Esperanza told her. "He wants to be
more than your friend .. si?"
Beth let out a long sigh. "I try not to encourage him … it's not something I'm looking for … with
anyone."
Esperanza nodded.
"He's a nice man … and so are Joe and Duncan. And they are great friends … I need good
friends." Beth explained what the older woman already knew. "And besides … Richie's never
been in love before … not really. When it does happen it should be with someone who is more
like him … young … adventurous … with no baggage … and for sure … not with a baby on the
way."
"I agree … but you may have a hard time convincing him of that. You seem comfortable with him
… are you sure you don't have feelings for him?"
Beth nodded. "I'm sure I care about him … I enjoy talking with him and laughing with him … and
watching games on TV with him … and I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to him … He's
what my niece and her friends would call "buff". She laughed a little at Esperanza's reaction to
the word. "But it's not love … I've been in love … and I watched my love torn to shreds in front of
my eyes … I don't know that I'll ever be able to feel like that again … I don't know that I want to. I
only know that I don't want to hurt him … not if I can help it."