The Vixen of the Thieves – Chapter 5 – Happy News
It was still early summer.
Isabelle was already hot. She sat fanning herself as she looked about the patrons of the small establishment the guild ran. La Volpe had been of a business mind. He hoped to expand. Soon he planned to move himself and his lover, once Antonio and the guild were stable again, to Roma.
She sighed and moved to rise to her feet. She suddenly felt before hot. She gasped reaching for the table. She cracked two fingernails trying to steady herself. Then everything went cold and her legs felt like lead. She blinked and dropped earthwards.
Ugo spotted her. He paid little mind to her until she suddenly dropped earthwards and there was a loud sound as she hit the edge of the table, which thankfully was rounded, and fell to the ground in a heap. He ran to her calling out to Antonio who was nearby.
They gently rolled her onto Ugo's lap. Blood oozed from her forehead. Antonio pressed a cloth to her head and gently touched her face.
"Isabelle! Belle!" He called sharply to his former lover. "Wake up and speak to me."
She did not.
He looked at Ugo. "We must get her to bed." He lifted her into his arms and rose to his feet, her head against his shoulder. "Belle…" He whispered. "Are you well?"
Silence.
Ugo touched her head gently. "I will fetch a doctor."
"Good."
Ugo moved off. Antonio walked quickly to the stairs and up to the upper floor. La Volpe walked into the guild. His jealousy flared as he looked up and spotted his lover in the arms of Antonio, her former lover. Isabelle was easily recognizable by her clothing. Dressed in the clothing of a commoner she did not look like the thief guild women and she did not look like the courtesans. She also was the only woman to wear her hair pleated as she did. He took a breath and calmed himself. Surely there was a reason for her head being to his breast and Antonio carrying her like a babe.
Antonio carried her into the rooms of La Volpe. He gently laid her down and was gently wiping the fresh blood away from her hairline when La Volpe walked into the sunlit room. Antonio looked up at him. The thin wiry man still cared for Isabelle and La Volpe knew it, but it was more like brother and sister than lovers. Antonio was well aware she bedded another and that man was before him now.
"What happened?" La Volpe asked seeing the blood.
"She was rising to her feet and suddenly fell. I think she fainted. She has not woken since, but her heartbeats and she is breathing."
La Volpe nodded. "That cut will make her head hurt for at least a day when she wakes."
"Yes." Antonio agreed.
There was a knock. La Volpe walked to the door and opened it to the plague masked doctor and Ugo. "Doctor welcome."
"Salve." The Doctor nodded. "What seems to be the trouble?"
"She seems to have fainted for no reason and cracked her head on a table." Antonio said.
The doctor nodded. "Very well. I will send for you when I have finished my examination."
"But…" La Volpe gasped.
"Come, brother. I will buy you some wine." Antonio said clapping him on the back.
La Volpe reluctantly moved after him as the doctor removed his mask and opened the case he had brought with him. Ugo shut the door and nodded to Antonio that he would stand guard.
The doctor came out more than an hour later. La Volpe and Antonio had returned from their drink and were leaning against the railing. The doctor was wiping his hand on a cloth. "She is awake now." He said quietly as he shut the door behind him.
La Volpe came to him, his dark eyes glittering. "Is she well?"
"She is a pale pallor. She must eat more."
La Volpe nodded. "And her wound?"
"Will heal in a couple of days. I have given her a draft to help her rest through the first part of the pain. I suggest some tea when she is awake again. She needs rest often. Overtaxing herself has caused this." He smiled. "However, all is not lost. The babe will be born soon enough."
La Volpe, Ugo, and Antonio's eyes riveted on the man.
"Prego?" La Volpe finally said.
"She is with child." He smiled a little at La Volpe. "First time father?" He asked.
La Volpe just stared at him.
"Yes, he is." Antonio said.
"She is not far enough along to be ill in the mornings, though that will start in a few weeks. I am certain she is no more than two months along. The child should come in late January to early February."
La Volpe nodded and lifted coins to the doctor. The doctor left and La Volpe swallowed.
Antonio smiled at him. "Is it too early to offer congratulations yet?"
"No." La Volpe answered.
"When are you two going to marry?"
"We are not planning to currently." La Volpe said lifting his eyes.
"Surely you do not want the Kit to be a bastard."
La Volpe spread his hands. "Then you talk to her about it." He hissed. He took a breath and then opened the door. He walked in and sat her sitting by the window. "Hey, why are you not in bed?" He asked softly, his voice light hearted and teasing.
She winced and turned to him. "Are you angry?"
He almost laughed, but her face was so serious, he bit it back. "Of course not, my love."
"But…we have only been lovers for…"
"I know how long." He said lifting a hand. He lowered his cowl and sighed. "Come. You need rest." He said.
She allowed him to lead her to the bed. She went willingly. As she laid down she held his hand pulling him into the bed with her. He sighed and allowed it. He would remain until she slept. It would not be long. Her grip was not hard with the draft in her veins.
He kissed her cheek and watched her snuggle into the bed. "I am happy." He whispered into her hair.
"I am as well." She said.
"I love you." He said. He lifted his hand and pressed it over her still nearly taut stomach flesh. Over the years she had a small bit of softness there, but she was not fat.
She smiled a little, dreamily as the draft took hold. "You can't feel it yet, Gilberto." She smiled. "It is too small, yet."
He chuckled. "When will I be able to feel it?"
"In a few months."
He pouted playfully.
"I love you." She whispered and leaned up to kiss him. After a few moments her lips slackened and he realized he was supporting her head as it lolled backward. She was sleeping. He eased her to the pillow and he settled behind her. A few more minutes would not harm him.
ZzZ
It was a week later when Isabelle woke sharply and literally ran to the water basin. It was empty and she wretched into it.
La Volpe woke to the sounds of her coughing so hard he thought she would break into two. He went to her and watched her as she weakly held the bowl. There had been little in her stomach and she moaned a little.
Tenderly he wiped her face and then lifted her up and put her back in the bed to rest.
She rested for most of the rest of the day.
The next day she found eating small bits of bread and water eased the sickness she felt. La Volpe had gone on an errand and when he returned, he found her standing at the bar helping customers. He smiled a little. She was well adapted to be a bar maid and perhaps the best one he could have. Being pregnant she had taken to drinking the juice of fruits in season as well as eating bread much of the time.
ZzZ
It was two weeks before her morning sickness became less and she was able to live a more normal life. La Volpe found her with Antonio at the thief's guild shooting at targets with a bow and arrow. He watched her as she held the arrows rather than used a quiver. He noted it allowed her to fire more rapidly.
Antonio greeted La Volpe with a smile. "She wished to practice. I think being ill in bed was getting to her."
"I do not like being put to the sidelines." She said for herself.
"I do not have you on the sidelines. You are the bookkeeper and you tend the bar. That is as close to the action as I would care any woman to be." La Volpe said.
She took a breath. He meant it. He did not care for women on the frontlines of the activities.
She sighed and then walked to him. He kissed her deeply. She chuckled as she touched his cheek. "Put your dagger back in its sheath." She said smiling as she pressed to him. She had felt him harden as he kissed her.
"You were the one who made me draw it." He said looking as Antonio walked to pull the arrows from the target. He leaned to her ear as he kissed it making her shiver a little. "And you are the one with the sheath, Cara."
She laughed playfully. "Come then." She said taking his hand.
He shook his head. "How you tease." He muttered.
She chuckled. "You love it."
He nodded and then watched as Antonio returned to her. "Teach her well."
Antonio laughed. "She has more skill than I could have ever taught her."
La Volpe eyed her. "Oh, really?"
She smiled sheepishly. "My father-in-law taught me."
"Indeed." He said.
ZzZ
It was later that evening when Isabelle was at the thieves' guild. She had been sharing a meal with Antonio at her lover's request. La Volpe had gone to gather information and refused to have her somewhere not safe. He did not like her in the tavern without those he trusted. He had left several men he and Antonio trusted to be in charge, but they could not deal with customers and a pregnant woman, though, Antonio knew well Isabelle was able to protect herself.
After they had walked around the streets and be bought her a sweet. She seemed to favor sweet now more than ever. He had heard pregnancy did that.
There was a disturbance that broke out in the street and the guards moved to quell the ruckus. Antonio led her away from the fray and they came to the guild headquarters. She found her children safely asleep in their beds. Rosa and Bianca always saw to them. They were so beautiful and Giovanni looked so much like his father it hurt her almost to look at him.
She walked to her small guest room and went to sleep nearly as fast as her head hit the pillow.
ZzZ
The next morning Rosa had her come and join her as they watched a meeting between two men. The men were dignitaries. Isabelle gasped when she saw who one was.
"What is it?" Rosa asked.
"The Spaniard…here?" Isabelle said.
"Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia?" Rosa said. "Ezio has spoken of him."
"He is here." Isabelle pointed to one of the men.
"Can we get closer to find out why?"
"I am sure Ezio will find him soon enough." Isabelle said. She smiled a little. "I am known to him. I cannot go closer. If he sees me…"
"I understand sister." Rosa said. "I am not nearly as good at running since the accident."
"Thank goodness Ezio was there, no?"
"Indeed. The charmer. How did you ever manage to marry his brother and not him?" Rosa asked as they moved away slowly.
Isabelle chuckled. "I was married to Federico or rather I was almost given to him much like a side of good pork."
"You were not ever tempted?"
"Of course, I am a woman, and Ezio, I have heard is as good in bed as he is with his hidden blade, but I never partook of such fancies."
"And now you are La Volpe's woman."
"Yes."
"I have heard a rumor…"
"That I carry a child?"
Rosa looked at her. "Yes."
Isabelle smiled. "Yes. I am carrying a babe."
Rosa laughed and embraced her friend. "I am happy for you."
"Thank you." Isabelle said.
They made it home and Giana greeted them. Isabelle smiled and looked at her drawings as Antonio stood in the courtyard with a wooden training sword. Standing before him was Giovanni who was watching him, calculating his next move.
"I would rather be there, learning how to fight." Giana said nodding down at her brother. "But Antonio told me, my talents are elsewhere."
"He is right." Rosa said. "You draw so well."
Giana looked at her mother. Isabelle smiled and took her hand. They walked down the stairs and Isabelle nodded to Antonio. "Teach her as well. She would likely be best with a knife."
Antonio looked at his former lover. "Is that wise?"
"Women who cannot use weapons can still die by them. She needs to learn to use that mind of hers."
He nodded. "Very well." He turned and tossed the wooden sword to Giana. "Let us see what you have." He said.
She nodded and rushed her brother who parried her move. He looked at her startled by her bold moves. She then pinned the more experienced sword fighter in moments. She smiled at her brother as she held the tip to his neck.
Isabelle chuckled. "If you thought she was not paying attention, you should see her drawings." She told Antonio as she got up and helped her brother to his feet and they dusted each other off.
Antonio took a breath. "She moves like she is in a dance without truly knowing the steps, just moving to the beat."
Isabelle leaned closer as Giana moved circling her brother. "Then teach her to dance, master."
He chuckled and nodded.