A/N: Almost 40 reviews on chapter 9? - gasp - Amazing. Thank you so much!
I was very pleased that most of your wrote that even though the pace of Nat/Kitty's relationship-development was a bit too quick, it suited the story :)
Review responses sent out as usual.
Also thanks to: Four Strings, LandUnderWave, Musica Diabolos, 4everrandom, uptowngirl48, Angelnanoo, Rebel Rose, Duck Goddess, Saldaen farmgirl, gremlin, Queen Dragon, mewhoelse, Hello, Irisz, Aiko Moonchild, XxBlackChaosxX
Chapter 10
Jane's Ire
Nathaniel had never yet felt so much at peace. With Kitty resting her head on his chest, playfully drawing invisible circles on his abdomen, he thought that the world was perfect. Something at the back of his mind reminded him that it wasn't, but he decided not to let such thoughts ruin the moment. He'd think about Jane and all the unpleasant aspects of their bygone relationship in the morning. But not now. Not when he held Kitty so close, feeling her warm and still somewhat ragged breath on his bare skin. It was too perfect to ruin in any way.
Suddenly her index finger stopped its circular motion and Kitty rose to look him in the eye. Even in the semi-darkness, he saw that she looked apprehensive.
"What happened?" he asked. "You look like someone who's seen a ghost."
"No…" She shook her head with a half-smile. "I just realised we haven't used protection."
"Yes, we did."
"We did?" She blinked. "How?"
"You might have wondered already how magicians prevent conception…"
"Yes, it occurred to me…"
"Well, there's a law saying that every building that magicians live or work in, has to have a contraceptive shield around it. Whenever a magician buys a house or any kind of real estate, he or she is obliged by the Magical Succession Act, 1878, Section 76(c), to put this shield on it. I too had to put the shield on this house and its garden, even though I was only fourteen when I bought it and it was highly unlikely then that I would impregnate anyone within these walls."
"Magical Succession Act?" She arched an eyebrow at him. "What is it about? Besides forbidding magicians to have children…?"
"It says that since we aren't allowed to have blood relations, our properties go to our spouses after our death, and after the spouse's death, it returns to the Treasury. The apprentices can't inherit anything from their masters, except their library, if they have one."
"And what if a magician has sex outside of a building that has this kind of protection?" she asked, and Nathaniel wondered whether he was imagining it or her voice had indeed sounded hopeful. What could she be hoping for, after all? Perhaps some day he'd have an apprentice and Kitty would get a chance to mother him or her, but that was all she could hope for…
"According to Section 85(d), the magician is obliged to perform a contraceptive spell if he or she 'accidentally' makes love outside a protected area," he explained.
Kitty's face fell, but she quickly forced her features to look more or less impassive. "Am I right that you magicians get all your powers from the demons?"
"Yeah, but don't spread the news." Nathaniel grimaced. "Why are you asking?"
She rested her chin on his chest again, looking contemplative. "I was just wondering – do the demons directly prevent conception?"
"Uh… what do you mean by that?"
She chuckled. "I just found it hard to imagine a demon standing by our bed every time we make love... it sounds bizarre. And perverted!"
Nathaniel let out a laugh. "No, they don't do it directly. It requires a 3rd level djinni to create the contraceptive shield, and once it does it, it can be dismissed. Don't worry, no one's peeking at us while we're at it…"
"Whew, good to hear." She kissed him lightly on the lips, then withdrew, as if struck by a lightning. "But… John! I've just realised… I'm resistant to magic! What if the shield doesn't work on me?"
Nathaniel again had the impression that her voice sounded hopeful. He hated having to dampen her excitement, but it had to be done. "Don't worry about that, this shield doesn't affect the female. It affects the male."
"Oh." She again made a disappointed pout. "Does it sort of kill the… swimmers?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, it sort of kills them. So we're safe, Kitty. Here, or in any room of the house, even in the swimming pool."
"The swimming pool?" she purred, rubbing her nose to his. "Having a vivid imagination, Mr Mandrake?"
"You inspire my creativity." He leaned forward to kiss her.
"Do I? Show me."
o o o O O O o o o
Kitty stayed in Nathaniel's bed even after he'd left for Parliament. She snuggled herself into the soft pillows and smiled. She simply couldn't wipe the smile off her face.
If someone had told her before the wedding that two weeks after it she'd be sleeping with her husband and would be happy about it, she would have given that person a serious beating, resulting in a few broken ribs and a horribly painful shinbone. But now… it seemed all too natural.
She had never imagined that a cold, egoistical man like John Mandrake could be so gentle and loving… Before the wedding she had imagined him a selfish lover, one that only cared for his own satisfaction, but last night he'd proved her wrong. He'd been passionate, yes, but still careful enough, taking into account that it had been her first time.
Kitty closed her eyes, sighing contentedly. She could barely wait till the evening to have him back in her arms…
The only thing that bothered her was the contraceptive shield. She didn't like the idea of not having the chance to have a child of her own, ever. True, John had told her about the magicians having no offspring when he'd proposed to her, but then she'd felt relieved at the prospect of not having to give 'John Arsehole Mandrake' an heir. Now, she felt downright disappointed, and was surprised by her own disappointment.
Kitty had never been the girly type - she'd worn baggy jeans and dirty t-shirts all her life, and she'd never cared for any activity that was considered feminine. She had learned to cook and sew but regarded both as a waste of time. As for babies… she had never even thought of becoming a mother. Not until last night.
She didn't understand her own feelings. John had managed to completely confuse her. In the evening, on her way to his room, she'd felt worried and ashamed of what she was about to do, but deep down she'd felt some kind of an excitement too. After all, she had started to think of her husband as 'attractive' weeks ago. But having a child with him… she would have considered the mere idea ridiculous.
Now she no longer did, and the more she thought about never having a chance to be a mother, the more she wondered what a child of theirs would look like, if it ever had a chance to be conceived, which it apparently did not.
You're being silly, Kitty, she told herself. Why does it bother you that you won't have his children? He's not exactly the father material, admit it. Can you imagine him changing nappies or reading bedtime stories? She let out a chuckle. No, she couldn't.
I agreed to their laws when I married him, and if it includes me dying childless, then so be it. I can still have a wonderful life with John, so why bother?
She got out of the bed, deciding to push such thoughts out of her mind. They weren't worth dwelling on, because they would only make her sad. And the last thing she wanted was to feel sad now, when she'd finally found love.
Her mouth tucked into a grin. Love. Hah! Who would have thought? Kitty, Kitty, you're going hopelessly sentimental!
o o o O O O o o o
Jane Farrar examined herself in the mirror of the ladies' bathroom. Perfect, she thought. Her make-up was just perfect. She looked lovely enough to melt any male's heart, but she only intended to melt John's. She'd heard that he'd been released from the hospital the previous day and she intended to make up for a whole week spent apart from him. Possibly a candle-lit dinner, then… She grinned like a Cheshire cat. How she'd missed him in her bed!
She made her way towards the bathroom door and was just about to open it when she heard a voice from outside.
"Ah, John, how nice to see you up and about!" It was Ffoukes' voice.
"Thanks, Ffoukes," came the reply.
"You look healthier than ever! Why, my friend, you're practically beaming! And am I mistaken or did I hear someone whistling before I turned the corner?"
"Hmm… it might have been me," said John's voice merrily. Merrily? Jane had never heard him sounding so… chipper.
"Any reason for your happiness?" Ffoukes asked, and judging by his voice, Jane imagined him smirking impishly.
"Weeeeell…"
"Oh, tell me, John, did something happen between you and Kitty?"
Jane had to roll her eyes – Ffoukes sounded like a gossiping teenage girl.
"Might have…" came the reply, and Jane thought he'd heard a chuckle. John, chuckling.
She froze.
"Oh, come on, out with it!"
"Okay," John chuckled again. "It happened. And it was wonderful. All three times."
"Three? Wow."
Another chuckle from John.
Jane's hands balled into fists.
"And what about… Miss Farrar?" asked Ffoukes.
A sigh. A rather heavy one. "I have no idea, Ffoukes. Absolutely no idea…"
"Ah, John Mandrake!" a third voice, that sounded very much like Deveraux's called. "How nice to see you here again! You look a little thinner than usual, I hope they weren't starving you in the hospital!"
"Not in the least, Sir," John replied.
"Very well, come, today's session is about to start in five minutes."
Jane heard the sound of steps die away, and realised that she'd dug her fingernails so hard into her palms that they'd left ugly little marks.
How dare he? – Her mind screamed.
"Will you never touch her, John? Never touch her in ways you touched me?"
"Never."
"Promise?"
"Yeah, promise."
Remembering this little conversation after John's engagement, Jane felt she could kill him with her own hands. But… what if she'd misunderstood something? What if the 'it' that John had done three times with that commoner tramp had been something… different? Like… playing chess?
Chess, of cooourse…Before she knew what she was doing, she burst out of the bathroom and stormed into the Chamber.
o o o O O O o o o
Nathaniel clipped a tiny microphone on his suit jacket, in case he felt the need to comment on today's business, the war in the Americas, and was just about to sit down when a rather upset-looking Jane Farrar burst into the Chamber, hurried up to him and grabbed his arm.
"John, out!"
He couldn't even react before she began dragging him out of the Chamber, onto the corridor that was now empty. When she stopped by a marble column, he finally regained his voice.
"Jane, what the…? What do you think of yourself, dragging me out just like th-"
"It's me asking here, not you, and it's you, whose behaviour we're going to talk about!" she snapped, poking him in the chest with a sharp-nailed finger. "I heard you talking to Ffoukes about something that happened between you and your little wife! Answer me John, did you shag her? And three times?"
Nathaniel groaned. This wasn't how he'd wanted to let Jane know.
"Answer me, damn it!" She stamped her foot, her eyes sparkling with fury.
"Yes! I shagged her, three times, and heck, it was wonderful! Are you satisfied now?" he barked, surprised by his own outburst. He usually wasn't the type to lose his head.
"You promised me you'd never even touch that little trollop!"
"Don't ever call Kitty a trollop!" he retorted.
This made Jane freeze, for the second time that morning. "No…" She shook her head. "Don't tell me you've fallen in love with her!"
Nathaniel heaved a sigh. "I'm afraid I have. I'm sorry, Jane."
"But… a commoner! A nobody! A criminal!"
"And a brave and wonderful woman! The most selfless person I've ever known!"
"Oh, are you implying I'm selfish?" Jane hissed. "Me, who has given you anything you ever wanted, and any time, anywhere you wanted? Me, selfish?"
"You never cared for me, Jane," Nathaniel grunted. "Not really. All you cared for is my position and my talents in bed, don't think I didn't know! I knew all along! You never loved me! You didn't even bother to visit me in that freaking hospital!"
"Oh, just because Kitty 'Commoner Tramp' Jones visited you in that freaking hospital, it means she really loves you, eh?" she said sarcastically. "Tell you what, John, I don't think she does! I don't think anyone can really love you! You're an egoistic, power-hungry arse, and she will realise it some day and will leave you! And then, don't even think of coming back to me! Don't ever think of-"
"John, Miss Farrar, please!" Ffoukes came hurrying towards them. "Stop this, or you'll make the front page in tomorrow's tabloids!"
"What?" Jane snapped. "We weren't that loud! Were we?"
Ffoukes pointed at Nathaniel's chest. "I'm afraid the microphone was switched on. Everyone in the Chamber heard every word."
Jane's face turned from red to white within a second. "Idiot! Why didn't you switch it off?"
"It was switched off!" Nathaniel snapped. "You must have switched it on when you were so vehemently poking me in the chest!"
"So everything's my fault?"
The young Minister took a deep breath. "No, Jane. It isn't your fault that I've fallen in love with Kitty. It's nobody's fault. And if you excuse me now… I have a session to attend."
Jane stared at John heading towards the entrance of the Chamber with Ffoukes, her whole body shaking with rage. He'd broken his promise to her, he'd cheated on her, and to cap it all, he'd let the whole of Parliament hear it. She had never felt so humiliated before. And all because of that little trollop Kitty Jones…
An evil smile spread on Jane's face. John wouldn't get away without punishment. She'd ruin his life if that was the last thing she ever did! And she knew just whose help to use for the purpose.
It was time to summon a certain Bartimaeus.
o o o O O O o o o
A/N: yes, in the next chapter Barty appears at last, and we can see his views on the whole Nat/Kitty/Jane triangle. Hopefully, it will be funny. I enjoyed writing that part a lot… At first I thought Barty would be hard to write, but I realised that it was very easy, he's probably the easiest-to-write character. Agi luvs Bartimaeus:D
However, you'll have to wait for our dearest Barty a bit, as I'm (hopefully) leaving for an eight day long Ireland-trip on Wednesday (at dawn, heavens, I'll have to get up at three a.m.!). It will be my first time on a plane (if our air controllers don't decide to go on a strike that they've been threatening us with…), so I'm really excited!
Wish me an accident-free journey and more or less DRY WEATHER (which is rare in Ireland)!
Just to reassure you: my beta has the rest of the story (although the not completely refined version) and my ffnet access code too, so should anything happen to me, he will upload the rest. But let's hope that I return safe and sound and can give you the 'refined' version :)
Until then, review, please!