Victoria ran down the hallway, but with every step she took, the corridor seemed to get longer. Hannah screamed again, but Victoria couldn’t reach her.
“Hannah!”
“The baby!” Hannah screamed. “The baby’s coming.”
Victoria shook with terror. It was too soon.
“I’m coming!” Victoria yelled and tried to push forward. She hit a wall.
“Hannah!” Yelling for her friend, she pounded on the wall.
“My baby’s dying. Victoria! Help me!”
“Hannah!”
Black. She could see nothing but black. She forced herself to wake up. It took several minutes to push out of the darkness.
Victoria sat straight up and took a few deep breaths. Running her hands through her hair, she looked at the clock and saw that it said three. She climbed out of bed and took a few sips of water. She lay back down on the bed, but she knew it would take her a while to fall back to sleep. She decided to check on Quincy, feeling like she needed to be close to him. She put a robe on and snuck across the hall and into his room, standing quietly to stare at him. The moon was high and illuminated the room, the light falling on his face.
He is a beautiful man.
“Victoria?” he mumbled sleepily.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
He sat up. “Are you all right?”
“I had a nightmare.”
He held his hand out to her in invitation. “Come lay down.”
“No, I’ll just go back to my room.”
“Victoria. Let me hold you a while.” He patted the mattress, and she made her way to the bed and climbed onto it, keeping the covers between them. She laid her head on the pillow and faced him. Quincy stroked her cheek. “Tell me about your dream.”
“It started with Hannah screaming, mingled with really loud thunder...” She relayed the nightmare, giving him a few details that she had forgotten until then.
Quincy smiled gently. “Hannah will be fine, sweetheart.”
“I hope so, Quinn. She’s the closest thing I have to a sister.”
“Why don’t you stay here tonight?” he suggested. “Just to sleep. I’ll wake you before the morning.”
Victoria shook her head. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
He pulled her closer. “Probably not, but I’d still like you to stay.”
She giggled quietly and rested her head on his uninjured shoulder. She found herself absently running her fingers across his chest.
Quincy grasped her hand. “Sweetheart, you need to stop doing that.”
“Oh! Sorry,” she said, blushing in the dark. “You just have such a nice chest.”
He chuckled. “Thank you.”
“Tell me about Millicent,” Victoria said. Quincy groaned. Victoria tipped her head up to see him better. “She appears quite, um, enamored with you. Should I be jealous?”
“Good God, no!” he exclaimed. “She’s the most irritating woman alive.”
“That bad, huh?” She glanced up at him with a smile. “Why?”
“She hovers and seems to think herself in love with me. She’s been like that since we were children.” Quincy rubbed her arm absently. “The worst part is that she tells everyone we’re to be married. I’ve been caught off guard several times with people offering congratulations.”
“Oh, no. Well, maybe you should marry her,” she joked.
“Don’t start with me, Rebel. You’re the only woman I’m going to marry.”
She kissed his chest. “Rushing it a bit, aren’t you?”
“Not at all.”
She looked up at him again and couldn’t help but move farther up his body to kiss him.
He broke the kiss, both of them trying to catch their breath. “My little rebel.” He took a deep breath. “You’re not making this easy for me.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?”
Victoria let out a quiet snort. “You’re apparently much more disciplined than I am.”
“You’re just lucky I have an injured shoulder.”
“Oh, really?” She flattened her hand over his ribs. “Why’s that?”
“Because if I didn’t, I’d wed you and bed you immediately.”
She laughed. “Well, at the rate we’re going, you may end up doing that soon anyway.”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
Victoria traced his bandage. “How’s your shoulder?”
“It’s fine.”
“Do you want some painkillers?”
He shook his head. “Not if it means you leaving the bed.”
Pushing herself to lean over him slightly, she kissed his cheek and climbed off the bed. “I won’t go far, Gus. I left the bottle in here.”
She went to the bureau and poured him some water then retrieved the pills.
“Thank you.” He swallowed them and when she set the glass onto the night table, he pulled her back onto the bed. She smacked his shoulder as she lost her balance and heard his quick intake of breath.
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry. Are you okay? Let me make sure it’s not bleeding.” She knelt beside him on the bed and pulled the bandage gently away from the injury. “It looks fine. I’m so sorry.”
“It was my fault, Victoria. Why are you apologizing?”
“Because I hurt you.” She secured the bandage again and frowned. “Inadvertently or not, I don’t want to be the cause of your pain.”
He stroked her hair. “You are unbelievably beautiful.”
Victoria grinned. “You certainly make me feel that way.”
Kissing her deeply, he laid her down on the bed, the covers falling away from his lower body. Victoria gasped when she saw the smoothness of a naked cheek and jumped off the bed. “What is your aversion to pants, Gus? Jiminy Cricket, I’ve seen more of your body than is probably acceptable. In any century. They have this really great invention, called underwear. Have you heard of it?”
“I’ve never worn undergarments, sweetheart.”
Her mouth fell open. “Never?”
He gave her a slow, seductive smile. “No, never.”
She waved a hand in the air. “Entirely too much information. I’m going back to my own room. You’re lethal enough without a shirt. The thought of you commando makes me crazy.”
He groaned as she climbed off the bed and made her way to the door.
“Well, what else do you want me to do? It’s too tempting for me, Quinn.” She quickly added when she saw his grin, “Don’t let it go to your head. Either one.”
Quincy sat up with a sigh. “I’ll let you retreat. For now. But if you have another nightmare, come back, sweetheart.”
“I will,” she said, and then walked back to the bed. “One more kiss.”
He obliged.
* * *
The next morning, Victoria woke later than normal, dressed quickly, and went across the hall to check on Quincy. She smiled when she found him awake and sitting up.
“Good morning. How’s your shoulder?” Pouring fresh water into the porcelain bowl on the bureau, she turned when he didn’t answer right away. “Quincy?”
“My shoulder’s fine, sweetheart. How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby.” She made her way to the bed. “How about you? You look tired.”
“I didn’t sleep. I kept dreaming of you.”
She laughed. “Riiight. Let me look at your shoulder, then I’ll leave you to get dressed. Do you want to go for a walk with me before breakfast?”
“That would be nice, but I’ll need assistance putting my pants on.”
Hands on hips, Victoria narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “I think you can put your own pants on.”
“I’m not trying to deceive you, sweetheart; Chris had to help me yesterday.”
Victoria raised an eyebrow but then let her hands fall to her sid
es. “I’ll help you with part of it. Then I’m leaving the room for you to finish. You will keep the sheet around you, understand?”
He grinned. “Yes, little rebel, I understand.”
After checking his wound, she grabbed a pair of pants and helped him get his feet in them. Pulling them up to where he could finish with one hand, she stepped away from the bed. “Call me when they’re buttoned. All the way, Gus. Not just partially.”
Quincy laughed as she walked out of the room. She heard him call her in a few minutes later and she nearly stopped breathing at the sight of him without a shirt.
“My stars. Let’s get a shirt on you quickly.” She helped him with the rest of his clothes and they went downstairs. Stepping outside just before seven, the rest of the house still in slumber, Victoria wrapped her hand in his arm. “It’s cool this morning, isn’t it?”
“We can go back inside if it’s too much, Rebel.”
“Bite your tongue. I love being outside, cold or not. Yesterday was an incredible day, flying through the valley on that gorgeous horse.” She paused, but then her evil streak took over and she added, “And of course, time spent with Evan.”
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. “Can Evan do this?” Leaning down, he kissed her.
“I don’t know, honey. I’ll be sure to ask him and see if he might demonstrate for me.”
“Like hell you will,” he said, and kissed her again. “Will you tell me what a car is?”
She glanced up at him. “You have an incredible memory.”
He smiled. “So I’ve been told.”
“A car is essentially a horseless carriage. It runs on fuel, and can go much, much faster than a carriage.”
“How much faster?”
“Well, if you want to get handcuffed on the side of the road, they can go over a hundred miles an hour.”
Quincy frowned. “How is that possible?”
After several minutes of describing some of the modern inventions Quincy wouldn’t see until the turn of the century, Victoria sighed. “Sorry. Too much?”
Quincy leaned down and kissed her cheek. “The future sounds awe-inspiring.”
She nodded, blinking back tears.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked, pulling her against him.
She dropped her forehead to his chest. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“What brought all of this on?”
Victoria shrugged. “Everything. You are so accepting of my strange story, and you’re so patient with me. I can’t seem to help myself.”
He gently lifted her face and kissed her, pulling her closely with both arms, despite the pain. Breaking the kiss, Victoria stepped away from him. “Honey, you need to be mindful of your shoulder.”
“I don’t care,” he said, and kissed her again. She wove her hands around his neck and leaned her body into his. “I love you, Victoria. You can trust in that forever.”
“I better, because Hannah really will hurt you.”
Quincy laughed and gave her another quick kiss. Victoria heard thunder off in the distance and bit her lip, knowing she couldn’t keep the fear from her expression.
“Sweetheart, it’s a coincidence.” Quincy ran a finger over her furrowed brow. “This is simply the threat of rain, not the manifestation of your dream.”
“What if it’s not?” she asked. “Let’s get back, okay?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
They rushed back inside and found Hannah in the dining room, sipping a cup of tea and looking perfectly healthy.
“Hi.” Hannah gave Victoria a strange look. “Are you okay?”
“How are you feeling?” Victoria asked.
“A little nauseous, but otherwise fine. Why?” Hannah set her cup on the saucer and Victoria relaxed. “Did you have a dream?”
“Yes. But it must be nothing.” Feeling Quincy move closer to her, Victoria leaned back against him.
“It’s never nothing, Victoria.” Hannah patted the space next to her. “Tell me.”
“You have them frequently?” Quincy asked, taking her hand.
“I wouldn’t say they were frequent, necessarily.”
Victoria’s dreams were specific and sometimes premonitions. Usually in detail, and in order. She’d been having them for years, but didn’t often share them.
Hannah frowned. “Tell me the dream.”
Victoria shook her head. “I don’t want to.”
Hannah turned to face her. “How bad could it possibly be?”
Victoria bit her lip. “It wasn’t good.”
“Tell me, Victoria. Please.”
Victoria sat next to her and took her hand. “You went into early labor.”
Hannah gasped. “And?”
“That was it. I woke up.” She glanced up at Quincy, silently begging him to stay quiet.
Hannah rubbed her stomach and smiled. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m here and Stephen is so close, isn’t it?”
“Good way to look on the bright side, Hannah.”
“Look, if that’s all there was, then it’s probably fine. Don’t worry about it. I feel great and I still feel the baby moving, so it’s all good,” Hannah assured her.
Victoria nodded.
“Why don’t we have some breakfast?” Quincy suggested.
Victoria helped Hannah off the couch and the girls followed Quincy into the dining room. He held Victoria’s chair for her while she sat and then prepared a plate for her.
Richard and Christopher came in just as Quincy sat next to Victoria. He took her hand and gently kissed it. Victoria took her eyes off Hannah to smile at him.
“She’s going to be fine,” he whispered.
“I hope so.”
Andrew and Gwen arrived an hour later with Charity and Millicent in tow. Richard offered his office to Quincy, so that he could speak privately with Gwen, and Quincy ushered Victoria, along with his sister and brother-in-law, back to the room a few minutes after breakfast for re-acquaintance and introductions.
Quincy hugged Gwen, kissing her cheek softly. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to speak the other day.”
Gwen giggled. “You were unconscious. You weren’t quite up to being a good conversationalist.”
Quincy raised an eyebrow. “Mama had no problems cornering me.”
“True, but I knew I’d get more time with you in the end, so I let her have you.”
Quincy let out a quiet snort. “Thoughtful of you.”
“Yes, I thought so,” Gwen said with a smile. “So, tell us everything, please.”
Quincy and Victoria relayed the story of their meeting and everything that had happened over the past few days. Before they knew it, lunch was served.
* * *
The next few days were spent finalizing the sale of the horses and preparing to return to D.C. Victoria watched Hannah like a hawk, but she seemed fine, so Victoria hoped her dream was nothing. Sophie decided to have an impromptu dinner party on the last night they were all in town, and everyone was in high spirits.
Once dinner and dessert concluded, the couples congregated in the ballroom for champagne and dancing. Quincy pulled Victoria onto the floor for a waltz, and Victoria glanced up at him. “You’re not supposed to hold me this close, Gus.”
He chuckled in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “I don’t care.”
Victoria noticed Millicent shooting daggers in her direction and moved closer to Quincy. “Millicent doesn’t seem to like me.”
“Ignore her.”
“Hard to do when she’s constantly in our space.”
Moving his mouth closer to her ear, he whispered, “The girl is deranged, sweetheart. She really does think she’s going to marry me.”
Victoria leaned back and looked up at him. “Well, is she?”
“Is she what?”
Victoria sighed in frustration. “Going to marry you?”
Quincy laughed, drawing glances from the other guests. “I’ve already told you, sw
eetheart. You’re the only one for me.”
“Cheeky man,” she said with a smile.
Christopher and Hannah danced close by, and they were halfway through the dance when a huge clap of thunder sounded.
“Oh!” Hannah said, startled. “That was loud.”
“Yes, it was.” Victoria glanced at the ceiling.
“She’s going to be fine,” Quincy whispered as he tightened his arm around her waist.
Victoria nodded, a sense of doom overwhelming her. All of a sudden, Hannah groaned, and Victoria saw her grasp onto Christopher. Victoria rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?”
“Pain!” Hannah whispered. “Oh. Ow.”
“I’ll find Stephen,” Quincy said.
“He stepped into the library,” Sophie said.
“Knight!” Hannah cried. “Something’s wrong with the baby.”
Christopher looked panicked. “Hannah, don’t say that.”
Hannah groaned. “Victoria dreamed this.”
“Hannah.” Victoria’s eyes filled with tears. “My dream could be wrong.”
Hannah glared at her. “You understated the dream. OW!”
“Shh, sweetheart.” Christopher gripped her tighter. “Quinn went to get Stephen. It’s going to be all right, precious girl. Let’s get you upstairs.”
Christopher tried to help her move, but she groaned in pain. “I can’t, Knight. It hurts.” Gripping her stomach in agony, she sank down to the floor. Hannah tried to position her body to relieve the pain, but Victoria could see it wasn’t working.
“Hannah.” Christopher knelt beside her and stroked her face. “All right, sweetheart. I’m going to lift you. Are you ready?”
Hannah shook her head, her long hair escaping its pins to fall around her face. “No. I can’t.”
Victoria knelt beside her and laid her hand on her shoulder. “Hannah, look at me. Breathe. That’s it. Slow, deep, breaths. Again. Slow and deep. Okay, Christopher is going to pick you up. If you feel pain, squeeze my hand, okay?”
Hannah nodded slowly and allowed her husband to lift her into his arms, groaning in agony as she squeezed Victoria’s hand. The rest of the guests gathered around in horror.
“Stop for a second, Christopher,” Victoria said, and he did, a look of terror covering his face. “Slow and steady breaths, Hannah. That’s it. Chris is going to take you upstairs now. He’s going to go as quickly as he can, and he’ll do his best not to jostle you.” She said it just as much for Christopher as for Hannah.
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