"Meg, my darling...wake up." Meg opened her eyes, surprised to find Andrew fully dressed beside her and knowing it was well into the day. She sat up.
"What time is it?" She asked, rubbing her middle and eyeing him. She still hadn't forgiven him for the day before.
"Noon." He said with a smile, as he kissed her forehead.
"Noon!" She cried, struggling to get up. He handed her the dressing gown she'd gotten from him on their honeymoon.
"Put it on Meg...I have something to show you..." He said and she glared at him.
"Why should I listen to you? After the way you treated me yesterday." She said, with her arms crossed. He sighed.
"I know...I'm an idiot. A bastard...please Meg, I swear I am going to make it up to you." He pleaded with her.
"How?" She asked coldly and he grinned.
"Get dressed and meet me in the bedroom beside ours in two minutes." He said, leaving the room.
Scowling, she drew the robe on and ran a brush through her hair, rising from the bed and tentatively padding toward the door. She found the bedroom door to the next room shut and bit her lip before opening it. Her breath caught at the sight of it. In the middle of the room sat a beautiful blonde wood crib, adorned with white lace trimmings and pillows. As she touched them, she could tell they were made of the finest fabrics available. The rest of the new nursery consisted of a cushioned rocking chair and a bureau along with a changing table it seemed.
"Oh Andrew..." She said softly, "You did this for me?" She asked and he nodded, putting his arm around her confidently.
"Of course Meg...when I said I was sorry I meant it. I had to show you that this child means everything to me." He replied, a grin playing on his lovely lips. Unable to hold back any longer, Meg stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh Andrew, I do love you so..." She said allowing him to kiss her, thought it was a messy kiss compared to the sweet brush of lips she'd hoped for. She smiled anyway...just glad that they were working toward having a better relationship. She pulled away and moved to inspect all of the wonders of her baby's room.
"Of course, we will have to pack it all up again when we go to London after he is born." Andrew said and she stopped dead.
"London?"
"Well, if it isn't the Lady Westcliff herself..." Sissy Avenant's voice carried over the rush of Christmas shoppers. Christine had picked up Meg to buy something for her mother and had brought Roxana along, unknown to Andrew, who had to run back to his office. The three girls turned to see Sissy along with Jacqueline and another unfamiliar girl.
"Sybille...what the hell do you want?" Roxana asked, stepping protectively in front of the pregnant girl. Sissy smirked, looking at Jacqueline.
"We're only being polite..." Jacqueline piped up, her gaze shooting daggers at Christine. "Hello Madame le Vicomtess..." She said, the tone of her voice making Christine wince.
"Yes I do think it has a rather nice ring to it." Meg surprisingly shot at the girl who had been her friend before.
"Oh you think so?" Jacqueline asked her icily. Meg nodded, smiling with a sugary sweetness.
"Absolutely...Madame Christine le Vicomtess de Chagny...probably Comtess de Chagny one day..." She said, making sure to pronounce every syllable. Jacqueline was visibly jarred, but held her cool, pulling the new girl to her side.
"This is Delilah Willman...her father is an American business tycoon." Roxana nodded impatiently at the girl who was sadly homely and looked conceited enough for ten rich girls.
"Yes, actuallyMeg dear..." Sissy began, "We were wondering if you've seen Brett?" She asked and Meg looked at her confused.
"No...why would I see Brett?" She asked and Jacqueline gave Sissy a look.
"You tell us..." She said sweetly. Meg glared at her.
"Well I don't know where he is..." She said and Sissy shrugged.
"Ah well, we were just trying to introduce him to Delilah here." She said and they walked away leaving Meg to her anger.
"Well done Meg! I am proud of you!" Roxana said, patting the girl's shoulder but frowning when she saw the look on Meg's face. Like someone had slapped her and laughed in her face.
"Are you alright?" Christine asked Meg. She nodded.
"Fine...I just...that was odd. Why would I care about Brett? The nerve of her!" She said, her hands clenched into fists. Roxana studied her expression, which held the same intensity that Brett's had when he'd cried with her at Raoul and Christine's.
"Don't do it Meg. Don't you let them get to you." She said, ushering the girl toward her carriage. "Time for you to go home and rest." She instructed as they all escaped the cold.
"I hate sitting in that house alone." Meg lamented and Roxana thought a moment before clapping her hands together.
"I know! We'll invite Angelina and Rachelle over for tea and have a tea party in bed!" She exclaimed and Christine agreed.
"Yes! And you could rest...and we could see Angel and Trevor's daughter!" She said and Meg giggled.
"I would like that." She replied and as the baby kicked, she looked at Christine who had seen the movement. "You know Chris...I always expected you to be going through this first." She giggled. Christine nodded.
"I'm terrified to death of it..." She admitted. "Raoul talks about it sometimes and I simply freeze. The thought of raising a child hardly having parents myself scares the living daylights out of me." Roxana nodded.
"I was scared too, but when Justin and I found out, he cried...I mean bawled his eyes out, he was so happy! His support really brought me through it and I know that Raoul is a lot like my Justin was." She said fondly.
"You must miss him terribly." Christine said, holding Roxana's hand. Meg nodded.
"I can't imagine...even as...dynamic as my relationship with Andrew is, I would be devastated to lose him..." She said and Roxana could only look at her, mind racing. And yet, losing him might be your only chance for salvation...She thought sadly, wanting so badly for Andrew to have changed, but she knew he was insincere with Meg as he was with anyone who he wanted to get something from. Meg had quieted.
"He wants us to go to London after the baby is born..."She whispered. Christine gasped.
"Meg, no!" She cried and Meg nodded.
"The baby and I will go first and he will join us a few months later...that's what he said." She replied as Christine's face fell.
"You just can't! What about all of us? We will miss you too much and your mother! Oh I cannot even think about how heartbroken she will be..." Meg began to cry.
"I know...and what's worse...he was so sweet about it...he really thinks this is the right thing. He went out and bought all state of the art baby things and set them up this morning. I was so happy, and then he told me. He started talking about how happy we would be and how smart our child would be, being taught in the English schools. How could I protest?" She asked brokenly and Christine shrugged.
"I don't know Meg." She said looking at Roxana, who was deep in thought.
"What is it Roxy?" She asked and Roxana shook her head.
"It's just...Andrew always said he hated London..."
"Mother is running late..." Raoul said to his sister who was sitting inside the seamstress's shop. She laughed incredulously.
"And they sent you?" She asked and he glared at her.
"Yes...sorry." He said angrily as she took his hand.
"It's just, you're a man...men don't usually come to this sort of thing. A dress fitting?" She said as the seamstress appeared with the dress. It was an elaborate creation, made of thick silks and satins...it had long sleeves and a high color. Since she and Garrett were marrying outside his family's estate, they'd had a special white cloak made for her creating the long train and white gloves. Her veil would also be long and they had decided on white roses. Now hopefully it would snow on their wedding day. The weather had been suspiciously mild the past few days and Alana was worried she would be married in the mud.
As the seamstress helped her get it all on, her mother and sisters came flying through the door.
"Alana...I am so sorry...your father, bless him, locked himself out of the house again and I was on my way home from Christmas shopping when I saw him sitting outside Katherine and Andrew's." She rolled her eyes, and kissed Raoul's cheek. "Good to see you love..." She said leaving the older and younger girl to him as she disappeared in the back with the seamstress and Alana.
"Raoul, I'm being courted..." Rosaline said finally, catching his attention.
"Oh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She nodded smiling nervously.
"I haven't told Mama and Papa yet..." She said and he looked at her, confused.
"Why?" He asked and she sighed.
"His family...they're not...well, they own the bakery and sweet shop." She said. He gasped.
"Julian Rousseau?" He asked and she nodded.
"We've been courting for a long time now...since early August..." She said and his eyes widened.
"Rosaline Arielle...you have to tell them!" He said and she nodded.
"I will...after Christmas..." Izzy just simply raised her eyebrow and exchanged glances with her big brother as Rosie began to flip through a novel she'd brought along.