Becoming Calder (A Sign of Love Novel)(114)

He took my hand and led me up the aisle and back outside to the carriage where he grabbed the reins and started back to the main lodge.
"Won't we be celebrating?" I asked in a voice that sounded dead, even to me.
"Yes, we'll be celebrating in my bedroom," he answered.
I stared straight ahead, trying to control my racing, aching heart. I was miserable. I looked to the right where the door to the cellar was behind the main lodge. Oh Calder, my love. I'm doing this for us. I have no choice. I only hope it works.
Hector took my hand and led me through the main lodge, up the stairs to his bedroom. I'd been in here before, when I'd stolen some money and a couple pieces of jewelry. My heart clenched in pain when I thought of that moment at the spring when I'd shown Calder and Xander. There had been so much hope then. I had to push that aside so I didn't start screaming.
Hector came up behind me. I felt his warm breath on my neck as he brought my zipper down slowly. I pulled away from him and a warning look came into his eyes when I turned toward him. "Please, let me undress for you," I said, looking up at him through my lashes.
His expression was one of excited surprise as he backed up. His gaze moved down my body and his hand moved to the growing bulge in his pants, petting himself. Bile rose up my throat, but I swallowed it back down and smiled pleasantly.
Be strong, Morning Glory.
I slid off my shoes and brought my dress down my shoulders, letting it fall in a puddle at my feet. I wore nothing underneath. I stood before Hector, naked, the very small swell of my pregnant belly completely on show.
I ran my hand down it with shaking hands. It had only become obvious in the past couple of weeks, and more so because I'd lost weight due to the lack of food at Acadia. In my room alone, while Calder sat in the cellar not more than three hundred feet from me, I'd discovered a tiny, beautiful secret. I was carrying his child. I'd conceived at our spring, the first time he'd made love to me, almost three months earlier. I knew I wouldn't be able to hide it from Hector when I stood before him naked. I had no choice but to beg for our lives.
"Let us go," I whispered. "It's not only my blood that runs through my veins now. It's his, too. Both of us run through my veins now. And the baby is strong, just like its father."
Hector stood frozen, and when his eyes rose to my own, they were filled with deep confusion.
"He's tainted you." He said it almost matter-of-factly. Hope surged inside me. Was he going to give me up now?
I nodded my head, imploring him with my eyes. "Yes, Hector. I wanted to be tainted. Let us go. You don't want me. Please. Just let us go. Let us make a life together. I'm pregnant with his child. We're in love. That's all. It's that simple. Please." I fell down on my knees in front of him. "Please just let us go," I begged. "Have mercy."
"Get out." He said the words so calmly it startled me.
"Get out of my presence while you carry Satan's spawn. I should have known how strong Satan was, how hard he'd try to stop the foretelling." He looked up and squinted as if hearing voices in the air around him. "Yes. Again, I've underestimated his strength, his deviousness," he croaked, looking almost lost.
I stood quickly, gathered my dress, and pulled it on, not bothering with my shoes. Hector took me harshly by the arm and led me out of his room and down the hall to mine where he practically threw me inside and slammed the door behind me, locking it. I sat down on my bed and ran my hand over my belly. "It's okay," I said, soothing myself more than anything. "It's okay. We're going to be okay."
I took the gold band off my finger and laid it on my bedside table, and put my own arms around myself, trying to get control of the shaking. I allowed myself to feel the relief that I hadn't had to endure lovemaking with Hector, but I was even more fearful for Calder.

**********

The next morning, I woke up and blinked at the bright sunlight streaming through my window. I'd forgotten to close the shade last night before I fell asleep. I lay there for a few minutes, my hand going immediately to the small swell of my belly and for just a second, I felt like everything was going to be okay. I had no reason why I felt this. Everything was awful—a terrible, terrible mess. A nightmare. Yet for those brief few moments between dreams and complete wakefulness, a calm peace settled in my heart. Everything was going to be okay . . . somehow. But then reality came flooding in, filling the void, and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Nothing was going to be okay.
I heard a key in my lock and sat up quickly, pulling the blanket up over my now fuller breasts.