Kire16
"Maybe you should speak to Archie," Julia suggested.
I immediately bristled at her comment. "Why in the world would I do that?" I asked incredulously. In less than two hours, my wife had gone mad. Call upon Archie Leach! Indeed!
"You seem very upset," Julia commented, seemingly growing frustrated by my tone.
"And what precisely do you expect Mon-si-eur Leach to do about it?" I asked, doing my best to imitate him.
As if conjured out of thin air, Archie appeared down the hall looking dapper and obnoxious as ever. I blinked, hoping he was little more than a figment of my horrid imagination.
There would be no such luck, especially not for me. Damn him.
"If they had a song for here comes the groom, believe me, good sir, I would sing it for you."
And most likely perform a grand spectacle I had no doubt. He would probably juggle knives and fire, ride about on a unicycle, and tame lions. After he thoroughly annoyed me, I suspected he would perform an encore.
He shook my hand, then stood back, placed his hands on his hips, and smiled like a grand fool.
"Did Julie dear tell you the news? Two cottages!" he exclaimed.
"She did," I replied, making every attempt to remain civil. "You are most generous."
He—of course—clapped. "Think nothing of it, Mon-si-eur Kire," he said in his usual jovial tone. "Why, I've been meaning to take a holiday for quite some time, and what better reason to go on holiday than to celebrate marriage. We're practically family now!"
He motioned as though he were about to embrace me. Instinctively I stepped back. Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice.
"You cannot imagine what it's like to be an international entrepreneur," he continued. "Everywhere I go, there I am, and I am everywhere."
Apparently this made perfect sense to him.
"I've noticed," I said tightly.
Julia cleared her throat. "Archie, with all of your traveling about, have you noticed anyone unfamiliar in the neighborhood?"
"I cannot say that I have." He looked to me and his expression sobered. "I gather you saw a suspicious individual?"
"There was a man I saw twice," I explained. "Or at least I believe it was the same man."
"What was he doing?" Julia asked.
"Nothing," I replied, feeling somewhat foolish.
"Nothing?" Julia and Archie asked together.
"He seemed to be staring."
"And he followed behind you when you walked home?" Julia asked. She hugged her arms over her chest, a worried look in her eyes.
"We returned in a cab," I explained. "I would assume he did the same," I said before either of them asked. "He was across the street when we returned."
"The same man?" Julia questioned.
"Yes," I said readily. "I'm almost certain."
They both looked skeptical, which made me second guess myself. Perhaps they had been two different people and seeing them had been coincidental.
"My brother," Julia started. She swallowed and gave Archie a worried look.
"Gone," he said firmly. "Anthony said he saw your brother board a train this morning. Made certain he bought a ticket back home."
Julia seemed relieved.
"And your uncle is too preoccupied with the new opening season, I think," he said before she could ask. "He said he was feeling well enough to attend opening night at the Grand Promenade tonight."
"Coincidence, then," I said, though my words lacked sincerity.
The three of us stood in silence for a moment, mulling over our separate thoughts. I suspected Max didn't necessarily need to stay in Paris in order to stir up trouble, though I also assumed he would instruct whomever he sent to spy on me with very specific instructions.
Max also would not be so foolish as to only send one man to follow us. He would have sent an entire gang and I knew without a doubt that at the worst they would have killed me and taken Lisette. At the very least—and this rattled me immensely—he would have stolen Lisette. Now that I had a chance to consider the possibilities, I was shaken by the thought of her ever being harmed. She was far too delicate and gentle to ever suffer at the hands of her own family.
"Well." Archie clapped again, which startled me. "A few days out of Paris will do you some good, my dear old friend."
Dear old friend indeed. I would have corrected him, but Madeline returned down the hallway with a baby in her arms and motioned for me to follow her.
Gladly excusing myself, I glanced down at the baby nestled in her grasp and realized I had no idea which infant she carried.
"And who is this?" I asked, my tone more stern than I had intended.
Madeline furrowed her brow and I apologized, though the baby was sound asleep and didn't seem startled by my voice.
"This is Audrey Madeline Lowry," she said proudly.
"And what of her brother? "Is he well?"
Madame seemed to appreciate my worry for the second child. "You are as concerned for him as you were for Alex whenever he was out of your sight," she commented.
I started to protest, but she only smiled. "Of course I know Alex was never out of your sight, but yes, my grandson is fine. He is spending time with his father."
"Good," I replied.
"Would you take Audrey back to her mother?" Madeline asked innocently.
I straightened my spine and stared at Madame. "Me?" I nearly gasped.
"Well, we were not expecting two babies and there are not enough diapers," she explained. "Would you rather run to the store?"
I turned and looked down the hallway to see Archie on his way out and Julia rush down the hall toward the kitchen.
"That hardly seems appropriate for me to walk into their private room when she's just…performed an act of giving life," I pointed out quite awkwardly. Having no idea what state Meg would be in after half a day spent giving birth, I had no interest in discovering this information with my own eyes. Honestly I expected I would not see her at least a week, if not two.
"I'm fine," Meg shouted from the doorway to her bedroom. She poked her head out the door and seemed exasperated.
"Should she be standing?" I asked Madeline as I looked from mother to daughter. No one answered fast enough for my liking and I started toward her. "Sit. Lie down."
"Are you ordering me around or your dog?" Meg asked with a laugh.
I was convinced she had not given birth to two babies, but had become an entirely new entity with a razor sharp edge. The Little Meg of old would have meekly returned to her room without question, but ever since she had begun her journey to motherhood, she was nothing like the dancer I had once known.
She was, for better or worse, turning into her mother. I decided it was best not to tell her such a thing.
"You should not be walking about the house in your condition," I said sternly. "Around my house," I reminded her, as though my words would have any effect on her.
"I'm fine," she said with an exasperated sigh. "Tired, but I'm fine. Honestly."
I tensed as she waddled toward us, her hand skimming the wall, her face crumpled in a grimace.
"You most certainly are not fine," I snapped.
"I need a moment to stand and regain my circulation," she argued. "My legs are so swollen. Oh, I feel like I have bags of sand attached to my legs."
Pride outweighed her good sense, and just when I prepared to order her back into her room, Julia turned the corner and gasped at the sight of her patient.
"You should be resting," Julia said firmly. She glanced at me as though I had anything to do with the situation.
"I'm not very good at sitting still," Meg said with a weary sigh.
Julia shook her head. "I think by the end of today you will find enough reasons to rest while you can." She started toward Meg, but a frantic knock at the door made her pause.
Madeline practically shoved the newborn into my arms and marched toward the door. I couldn't see who stood there, but judging by her expression, she hadn't been expecting company.
"Dr. Montepelion?" Madeline said. "You shouldn't be here."
"Yes, yes, Madame. I was concerned about Madame Lowry. Is she experiencing pains still?" I heard him cough, the sound muffled by his sleeve or a handkerchief.
"No, she has had her babies," Madeline answered. "Healthy babies at that."
"Oh, dear," the doctor said. He coughed again and I silently wished Madeline would shut the door and be rid of the doctor and his hacking, wet cough. "Twins, then? I'm afraid no one was expecting twins."
"Delivered by my new daughter-in-law," Madeline made sure to mention.
Julia, who had escorted Meg back into her bedroom, came up beside me and placed her hand on my shoulder. I clutched the newborn in one arm and snaked my free arm around Julia. She didn't say anything, but she smiled as I ran my fingers down the length of her back.
"Any complications?" the doctor asked.
"None," Julia chimed in. She kissed me on the cheek before joining Madeline at the door. "She's doing quite well and both babies are strong and healthy. We employed every person within the household to tend to mother and both children."
"Well, thank you very much, Madame…"
"Kire," Julia answered.
"Ah, that's right. The composer?" the doctor asked.
"Yes, that's him," Julia beamed.
"He helped save my grandson," Madeline added before she excused herself and walked out the door in search of more diapers.
I looked down at the baby sleeping in my arms and exhaled, wondering how something so small could bring both joy and pain. I could still recall the swell of ecstasy and trepidation I felt when Christine had told me of her condition, then the absolute nauseating feeling when she viciously claimed she would not bear our child.
My life had changed drastically the moment I had held Alex and I had no doubt that even though I was no blood relation to the two newborns within my home, that they would change all of us.
"Ah, he's a very talented man," the doctor said, sounding somewhat impressed. "I believe I have seen almost every one of his operas. My wife is very partial to Casa del Mar. We haven't yet had a chance to see Margarite, but I intend to see that one very soon. Give him my regards, Madame."
"Of course, Doctor," Julia said with a curtsy.
I watched her from a distance and felt myself flush at their exchange. Ten years previous, my life's work had not been well received. Though I had sold much of my music since then, I was still quite surprised when someone recognized my name. Hearing a waiter, a shop keeper, and now a doctor all seemingly impressed by my music felt surreal—especially since I had encountered all three in the same day.
The doctor coughed yet again, and Julia stepped back. "Where on earth is your umbrella in this weather, Doctor?"
"Oh, I left it in the cab. Would you believe it?" he said, sounding disgusted with himself. "I should return home. You know doctors make the worst patients."
"Yes, and nurses as well," Julia added.
Once she sent him on his way and shut the door, she turned to me. "I do believe I found your gentleman across the street in the rain," she said brightly.
I nodded, though something didn't feel right.
"What's wrong?" she asked when she approached me. Pulling down the blanket, she examined the baby's face and smiled.
"I have music to write," I answered.
Julia stepped back and looked me over with a curious smile. "There is something very handsome and alluring about a man holding a baby," she said before I asked. "Something very alluring indeed."
I furrowed my brow and looked from Julia to the baby and back again. "You enjoy this?" I asked.
"I do." She ran her hand up my arm and leaned into me. "Because I cannot wait until the day you're holding our child for the first time."
