Underground Captive (65 page)

    
             
Through her hazy vertigo, she heard the quickened sounds of Jared's boots on the stairs.  They drew rapidly nearer.  The door burst open.  Jared rushed through with Mary Douglas and Elizabeth close behind.

    
             
"God's mercy!  Nicki!"

             
Jared ran to her side, gathering her in his arms and off the floor and putting her down on the bed.  The room continued to spin and her mouth was dry.

    
             
"What happened?"

    
             
"I...I feel so sick, Jared."  She lifted her head and rested it against his chest.  The spinning slowly ceased, but her mouth still felt dry.  "I...may I have a drink of water please?" she asked wearily.

             
"I'll get it, mum," Elizabeth volunteered and left the room.

    
             
Mary Douglas walked up to the bed.  "Mum," she said.  "I canna call ye lassie anymore, ye ken.  Ye may be me new mistress but ye're still a young mummie tae be.  Dinna fret, mum, 'tis only the bairn ye carra that 'as ye sae sick!"

             
Nicollette raised her head from its place on Jared's chest.  Wide-eyed, she

fixed Mary Douglas with her astonished gaze.  "W-what?"

             
"The master's bairn that ye carra, mum, is why ye're always sick.  But it

willa noot last verra long," Mary Douglas reassured her.

    
             
Nicki sat upright.  She glanced from Mary Douglas to Jared and back to Mary Douglas.  "A b-baby?  I'm....I'm going to have a baby?  B-but how do you know, Mary?" she whispered, looking up with the most innocent expression that they'd ever seen.

    
             
"Las...I mean mum, ye 'ave all the signs.  Dinna ye ken when ye missed yer monthly?" Mary Douglas asked, ignoring Jared's presence.

    
             
"
Non
!" Nicki answered, her cheeks flaming at Mary's personal question.  "I...I just thought the pneumonia was the reason it stopped.  I...I...I thought when I felt better it would come back."  Totally confused, she regarded Jared a moment.  Deep in thought, the innocence in her eyes and on her face never changed.

    
             
Jared gaped at her in astonishment.  He couldn't believe what he heard.  She
didn't
know.  It never occurred to him that Nicki was totally unaware of her condition.  Aye, it had.  He'd just been too proud to come to her.

    
             
Nicki peered up at him, her eyes wide and luminous.  "Did you hear, Jared?  We're going to have a child," she whispered with awe, her eyes shining adoringly at him.

    
             
"Aye, Nicki," Jared said, bowing his head, his voice break
ing.  "I heard."

    
             
Elizabeth returned to the bedchamber.  "'Ere's yer water, milady."

    
             
Nicki accepted the glass of water offered to her.  "Thank you, Elizabeth."

    
             
"Thank ye, ladies.  Ye may go back to yer quarters.  I'll summon ye if I need ye."

    
             
"Aye, master.  G'night, mum," Mary Douglas said, following Elizabeth through the door.

    
             
Alone with him now, Nicki remembered the scene of less than an hour ago.  She looked up at him then lowered her eyes.  "Our child will never know its uncle," she lamented, "because its father is going to kill him."

   
             
Jared knelt beside the bed and took her hand in his.  "Nicki...I..." he began.

             
She snatched her hand away.

             
This time, Jared saw a metamorphosis take place.

    
             
"You may force me to sleep in your bed, milord.  You may even force your body upon mine, but you will never force me to give you my heart.

    
             
"We share the creation of a new life made in the heat of mind
less passion.  That will be the only tangible thing between us unless you give up your vengeful quest to murder my brother."

    
             
Jared's mind whirled.  How dare she give him an ultimatum?  He had been about to humble himself before her.  She rejected what he had to say before he said it.  He stood.  "Madam, I neither beg nor bargain for affection.  I certainly won't be forced into an ultimatum for it.  Ye've made yerself quite clear who ye favor.  I
will
meet Ricard Duplantier on the dueling field and ye'll have to live with the outcome.  In the meantime, ye're going to have to live with the decision ye just made.  Ye'll do quite well to remember I have the power to make life as easy or as hard for ye as I see fit.  Since by yer own words our child is the only thing that's tangible between us, the child won't suffer because of our differences.  Ye'll be treated very well while ye carry my heir.  I suggest ye enjoy yer condition."

    
             
Jared walked to the chair and sat down.  "I'll not be leaving here any more tonight."  He pulled off his boots and lifted his feet to the edge of the bed.

    
             
Nicki looked at her husband with trepidation.  The brave, determined haughtiness with which she’d spoken to him dissolved into overwhelming fear.

How, indeed, would he treat her after the baby was born?  What could she do?

    
             
She loved Ricard.  She'd known all along that she loved Jared.  There was a possibility that she could lose them both.  If Jared killed Ricard she would lose Ricard and never be able to love Jared again.  If Ricard killed Jared, in her heart she knew she would never be able to forgive the brother she loved so dearly.

    
             
Nicki laid in a heap of misery trying to quell the rising tide of nausea that was again fast overtaking her.  Tonight, not only had her heart been crushed but so had her, heretofore, invincible will.

    
             
In spite of his anger, Jared caught the pale look on Nicki's face and became concerned.  He dropped his feet to the floor so that she could gain more access to the bed, but said not a word.  His pride hurt from the wounds Nicki had inflicted.  She'd chosen Ricard and rejected him, making her position clear.

             
Nicki lay with her eyes closed.

    
             
He sat, pensively watching her for a long while before finally undressing and going wearily to the other side of the bed.

             
He stayed as far from his young wife as space allowed.

*  *  *

             
For the next two weeks, the only place he saw Nicollette was in bed sleeping.  He came in late in the evening and left early in the morning.

    
             
Although now minimal, the damage from the storm still kept Jared extremely busy.  The shutters that were blown off the windows of the house had yet to be replaced.  The debris of fallen tree branches and limbs, and a felled tree here and there, still remained to be cleared from the property.

             
He also helped Keith and the other stablehands with the thoroughbreds and the new foals.

    
             
So it was that he went inside just before dark.  He welcomed the warmth of the kitchen, pulled a chair out and sat down at the table.

             
Elizabeth, the only one in the kitchen, which Jared found strange, greeted him warmly.   "Master Jared, 'tis good tae see ye in early."

    
             
He smiled at her, but he was filled with sadness.  "Aye, Elizabeth.  It feels good to be in early."

             
"'Ere ye be 'ungry, master?"

    
             
"Aye, Elizabeth.  I could eat a roasted horse," he said, standing.  "Fix a tray and bring it to my bedchamber.  Put enough on it for Nicki."

             
"Aye, Master Jared.  But 'twill do nae good.  The young mum canna keep nothing down.  She stopped eating ennathin' two days ago.  If ye can..."

             
Before she finished her sentence, Jared had reached the first step to the upper floors.  Hurrying into his bedchamber, he rushed to the bed, where Nicki lay covered to her waist.

    
             
Mary Douglas sat next to her in a chair.  "She's sleepin', master," she said worriedly.   "She 'asna been oot o' bed these past two weeks.  She 'asna the will tae."

    
             
Jared went to the side of the bed where Nicki slept.  He sat down and lifted her up into his arms, waking her.  "Nicki," he said gently.  "Tell me what's wrong, my sweet angel."

    
             
Her head lolled against him.  "I...I...I want to go home to die.  I want to die at Crescent Wood, Jared," she whispered feebly.

             
"Nay now...." he began as calmly as possible.  He was stunned!

             
"P-please let me die with my family around."

             
"Ohhhhh, milady, naayy.  Ye canna mean such a thing," Mary Douglas

wailed loudly.   "Naaaayyyy, ye canna die and leave us."

  
             
Jared pierced Mary Douglas with a deadly warning in his gaze, effectively quieting her to silent sobs.

    
             
"Ye will not die, Lady Fleming.  I won't allow it," Jared managed, angry that he hadn't known she'd been abed for two weeks.  He rocked her back and forth, kissing the top of her head.  She felt fitfully thin through her nightrail.

             
'Twas his fault she was like this.

    
             
"P-please, I...Jared, t-take me home," she begged through parched lips.

    
             
Elizabeth came in with a tray of food and placed it on one of Nicki's clothes chests.  "I 'ave some broth fer the young mum, milord."

    
             
Jared scowled at her, his eyes blazing.  "Why did ye not tell me of this sooner?" he demanded.

    
             
"Master," Mary Douglas chose to answer.  "We thought ye kenned.  Ye saw 'er in the mornin's and ye saw 'er in the evenin's."

    
             
"I always left her asleep and found her asleep.  How was I supposed to know she stayed abed between those times unless ye told me," Jared snapped.

             
"Bu' master..." Elizabeth began.

    
             
"Leave us!" he roared.  "Both of ye.  I don't wish to see yer faces unless I summon ye!"

    
             
The two women scurried out of the door, closing it shut behind them.

    
             
Still holding Nicki, he looked down at her, his gaze roaming from her parched lips to her eyes, which were ringed with dark circles.  Jared's heart twisted.  He rubbed the hardened swell of her belly, now quite noticeable from the weight she'd lost, and sud
denly knew a harrowing pain at the grief he'd caused her.

    
             
"Nicki, my love, I want ye to try to drink some water."  Gently laying her back against the pillow, he got the glass of water off the tray.  He put the glass to her mouth.  "Drink it, sweetheart.  Please."

             
Nicki parted her lips and took a swallow.

             
"Good girl."

             
She took another sip and rested her head on his chest.

    
             
It started without warning.  The unbelievable retching that sapped her strength and what little will she had left.

    
             
When the gagging subsided, Jared wiped her face with a damp cloth and eased her back on the pillow.  Taking off his boots and breeches then getting in bed beside her, he gathered her frail form once again into his arms.  "I love ye, Nicki," he said.  "Please, my sweet angel, get well.  Forgive me, my darling, I never meant to hurt ye."

             
"I...I...I forgive you, Jared.  But, I feel so sick.  I...I don't think I...
can