"Maman…it's me…" Meg called softly as she rapped on her mother's door. Antoinette appeared at the door, somewhat frazzled with her long red hair down. She'd been getting ready for something.
"Meg! You look like you've been to Hell and back love!" Her mother said, pulling her into the house.
"Ma…I know this is going to be quite the shocker…" She began as Antoinette looked up from the pile of clothes she was rifling through.
"Did Andrew hit you?" She asked, suddenly realizing Meg had obviously been crying. Meg shook her head.
"No…I'm um…I'm pregnant." She said softly as Annie dropped the dress she was holding.
"You're what?" She asked and Meg took another breath.
"I'm pregnant?" She said, it came out sounding more like a question. Annie sat in the armchair.
"How long?" She asked her daughter who sat gently on the sofa.
"A month and a half. I am due March ninth." She said and Antoinette nodded solemnly, smiling slightly.
"A year ago, we were in rehearsals for Hannibal…remember?" She said and Meg nodded, nervously.
"Of course Ma…remember the time Christine was late and we found her asleep on the bench backstage? Carlotta threw a fit!" She laughed. Antoinette sighed.
"That girl never did get enough sleep." She said as she moved to sit beside Meg.
"And now you're going to be a mother…and me…I'll be a…a…"
"Grandmother?" Meg laughed and Antoinette gave her a stern look.
"Yes, that." She retorted. "What do you think it's going to be?" She asked Meg, who shrugged.
"A baby!" Meg replied with a laugh, "Although Andrew is dead set on having a son." She added. Annie frowned.
"Yes, he would be wouldn't he?" She said dryly as Meg bit her lip uncomfortably. She knew her mother wasn't all that fond of Andrew, but she usually kept her opinion to herself.
"I personally wouldn't mind a girl…" Meg said softly as Annie smiled, forgetting her animosity to her son-in-law.
"She's bound to be beautiful with blonde hair and blue eyes." Annie said, as Andrew and Meg both had blonde hair and blue eyes. They were like a couple of precious porcelain dolls and no doubt their child would be too.
"Oh Maman…I love you." Meg said laying her head on Annie's shoulder. Annie smiled, eyeing the portrait of her husband on the wall.
"I love you too Marguerite. I remember, when you were born, we named you Marguerite after my mother. I was going to call you Margie. Your Papa wouldn't have it. From day one you were his Meg…his little Meg. Once, I argued that your name was not Megan…God forbid. He told me all of the letters of Meg were in Marguerite so it was a legitimate nickname. He was so funny…" She sighed.
"Maman…I'm frightened." Meg said quietly as Annie looked at her.
"Why?" She asked. "Women have been having children since the beginning of time." She said and Meg shook her head.
"Not about the baby. I'm not worried about the baby…it's Andrew. I went to his office to tell him and his clerk wouldn't allow me in. I pushed past him and the door was locked, so I banged on it and told Andrew to let me in. When he opened it, Jacqueline was with him and he said her help was greatly appreciated." Antoinette frowned.
"You don't think they were…"
"I don't know…all I know is he seemed pretty damned annoyed with me until I told him I was pregnant. After that, it was like I was his queen. We even made love on the rug…" She stopped herself blushing fiercely. "He wants to go on a honeymoon with me for a month. In London…"
Antoinette sighed, not knowing what to say. She had her suspicions, but she didn't want to stress Meg. Especially not while she was pregnant.
"It's hard Meg, it is…being newlyweds…and first time parents. But you two will be fine…give it time…that's all." She said holding Meg gently. "Everything will be fine." She reassured her daughter, even though, she herself knew it was going to be a long road for Meg.
"Ma…one question?" Meg asked, looking up at her mother and to Annie's relief she had the old mischievous gleam in her blue eyes.
"Mmm?"
"What are you getting all dolled up for?" She asked and Antoinette's eyes shot open.
"I'm not…it's just…Comte de Chagny's brother…I have to…" Meg grinned.
"You're being courted by the Comte's brother aren't you?" She asked and Annie sighed.
"We're just friends. Friends who…get dinner together and go…dancing together, yes. Alright? He's courting me…sort of." She stammered.
"Sort of?" Meg asked. Annie sighed loudly.
"I haven't done this in over seventeen years!" She cried and Meg stood.
"Well first off, you have red hair Ma. Which means that this bright blue dress will make your eyes stand out as well as your hair. We'll put half of your hair into pins and let the other half flow naturally." She said, standing with a purpose.
"Meg…I am sure my braid will be fine…"
"Ma…it's time to try something new." She said pulling a brush through Annie's long thick hair.
Meg smiled to herself satisfied as she finished shopping. She'd dared to go into a baby boutique and purchased a tiny pair of black shoes that either a boy or girl could wear. She giggled to herself as she left the boutique, picking up the rest of her bags. She'd also purchased some maternity dresses and undergarments for her impending expansion. Biting her lip, she realized she had a bit more than she could carry and although she'd managed to get the packages outside, she nearly collapsed as some of them went tumbling onto the walkway.
"Damn!" She said to herself as she knelt to pick up the scattered boxes.
"Well, well, well…you cursed." She looked up to see a pair of black dress shoes. Her eyes then traveled up the tan pants to the man leaning casually against the window of the boutique.
"B-Brett…" She said, surprised someone had heard her.
"Need a hand?" He asked, crouching to help her.
"No…I have it…I…" Before she could finish he had all of her packages easily in his hand. "Thanks…" She said hesitantly.
"Where do you want these?" He asked and she motioned to her carriage. He easily placed them in the storage compartment.
"You look hungry kid." He said, elbowing her gently. "Want to get some food?" He asked, pointing at a small restaurant.
"I shouldn't, I…" She stopped, remembering Jacqueline coming out of her husband's office. If he could have female friends, then she certainly could have male friends. "You know…I am pretty famished." She said and he offered her his arm.
"So how is married life treating you, Lady Westcliff?" He asked as he scarfed down a piece of bread as they waited for their orders. She watched him in horrified fascination. Men were such pigs…and women were expected to hardly eat anything at all and when they did, they had to be dainty.
"Are you going to eat the plate too?" She asked, unable to resist. He began laughing and she couldn't suppress a smile.
"So the ice queen is melting?" He asked and she shrugged, taking a big bite out of her own piece of bread and chewing it like a man. Again, he roared with laughter.
"You amuse me Meggie." He said and her eyes shot open.
"Meggie?" She asked, making a face of disgust.
He nodded,
"It suits you." He said and she shook her head.
"Oh, but you are crazy…" She said, taking a daintier bite of her bread as the waiter brought their soup.
"I'll bet your husband wouldn't be too happy if he saw you out with another man." He mused aloud and she looked up.
"If he is allowed to be locked in his office with Jacqueline Marquet, then I am allowed to have lunch with whoever the hell I so choose." Brett's face turned serious.
"He was locked in his office with her?" He asked and her hand came to her mouth.
"I shouldn't have said anything." She replied, silently scolding herself. "Besides I don't have a right to…"
"Don't." He said, interrupting her. "Don't say you don't have a right. You're his wife! You have every right…and if I were any kind of man I would go right over there and…"
She nearly leapt across the table and clapped her hand over his mouth.
"You'll do nothing Brett. For me…please. Oh God, I shouldn't have said anything." She said, as he mumbled something under her hand.
"What?" She asked, pulling her hand away and he sighed.
"I said, you're sitting on my lap." He repeated as she looked down at him.
"Oh." She said and quickly stood up. He grinned.
"Not that I mind." He added and she growled.
"You are a rogue." She said and he shrugged.
"Thank you Madame…and I won't say a word. Only for you though Meggie." He said and she winced at the nickname.
"Thanks…uh…Bretty…" She said, laughing involuntarily at the ridiculousness of it all.
"So tell me love, why were you coming out of the baby boutique?" He asked and she sighed.
"Ah…you caught that. Well, dear Brett, it would seem I am expecting." She said and he looked lost.
"Expecting what?" He asked and she sighed.
"A child, you dolt!" She replied and he bit his cheek.
"Is it Andrew's?" He asked with an impish twinkle in his eyes. She rolled her eyes.
"Well, it certainly isn't yours." She said and he chuckled, but the seriousness was still there in his eyes.
"Thank you for lunch." Meg said as Brett walked her back to her carriage. He nodded tightly.
"Sure. I uh…I should go." He said as she leaned up to kiss his cheek and give him a quick embrace.
"I should too. I have to pack tonight." She said and he looked confused.
"Where are you going?" He asked and she smiled.
"Andrew and I are taking a honeymoon in London for a month…" She said and his face nearly fell.
"Oh." He replied and she grinned.
"What? Will you miss me?" She asked. He looked up and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Oh don't you worry about me Meggie. I have other sources of people to torture." He said, smiling, though it still seemed forced to her. She almost felt bad for him.
"I…well…take care Meggie." He said backing away a bit. She nodded.
"I will." She said as her driver came to open the carriage door. Think a moment, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek quickly before darting off as she was helped into the carriage. She shook her head laughing to herself.
"Brett Reynolds…you are not the mindless imbecile you pretend to be." She said as the carriage lurched into movement.
Brett sat down on a nearby bench as he watched the Westcliff carriage disappear.
"Ugh, what the hell is wrong with me?" He asked, and was replied by a strong male voice.
"Indeed…what are you doing with another man's wife?" He looked up to see Andrew standing with his arms folded across his chest.
"Andrew…I…she was coming out of the store and all of her packages fell because she's so little so I helped her…wait, you've been spying on us?" He asked, standing to look his friend's brother directly in the eyes.
"Keeping watch is more like it." Andrew replied icily.
He moved forward suddenly, grabbing the collar of Brett's white shirt and pushing him against the wall.
"Stay the fuck away from my wife!" He said and Brett pushed him off.
"Or what?" He asked, moving away from him. Andrew held his arm roughly.
"Or you will wish you had." He said and began to walk away.
"You don't deserve her you lousy piece of horse shit! What are you going to do? Kill me like you killed Justin?" He asked and Andrew spun around, looking at him for a moment before storming away. Brett turned and strode the other way, fully enraged…and it took quite a lot to enrage Brett Reynolds.
"This is war, Westcliff." He muttered under his breath.