Page 63 of Sweet Siren
Chapter 14
Place duTertre
Montmartre,Paris
“You look wonderfully rested,"Liv told Marianne as she kissed her on both cheeks. Two happy people, the duc de Remy and his duchesse of only eight months looked sun-kissed in their informal white summerclothes.
"Andre insists I go to bed every hour!" Marianne’s green eyes twinkled as she cast her husband a grin and went to embrace her uncle Killian. "He is apest!"
"The rest works," Killian said as he hugged his niece. "How about you, Remy? Anysleep?"
The tall blond Frenchman clasped Killian's hand. "Verylittle."
Liv and Killian had taken the train from London to Paris two days ago. The holiday with Killian proved a whirlwind of delights. Dining alone with him in noisy, fragrant, sumptuous restaurants. Attending the theatre, thrilled at his taste, his looks, the way other women glanced at him and tossed her knowing glances of appreciation. Walking with him once more under the stars. Every moment was adelight.
"The two nurses he hired are excellent," Marianne put in as the four took chairs around the little table on the veranda of the restaurant. "But he insists on supervising their every move. So, no, Uncle Killian, Andre is haggard. Not completing his latestwork."
A playful smile on his face, Killian tsked. "Which iswhat?"
"I'm sculpting a piece I attempted over a year ago. I was dissatisfied withit."
"Oh? What?" Liv asked, grateful for the shade of the plane trees in the square. In their corner of the restaurant's terrace, the view to the plaza was limited and she gave herself over to enjoying the company of her cousin, his wife andKillian.
"A baby," the new father said with a sillygrin.
Killian laughed. "Re-doing a piece in your new son'simage?"
"He's very good looking," Marianne said with awink.
"Well, I understand your pride," Liv said recalling her own joy in the birth of Camille. She'd never even thought she could get pregnant and her daughter was a present God had granted her to brighten her existence. "Babies are suchfun."
"Rand is the happiest child," Marianne said, a hand to her ribcage, grimacing and looking for a moment very uncomfortable. "No trouble at all. Our nurses areunemployed."
"Are you in pain?" Remy asked her, worry creasing his broadbrow.
"No, no,mon cher. It's the corset. You know I hateit."
Remy took his wife's hand and held tightly to her. "This is why we don't go out for long. Her labor lasted more than ten hours. She's not ready yet to ventureout."
"But I insisted," Marianne was quick to add. "Don't be alarmed, Uncle Killian. If we didn't come out today, I was going to escape my bedroom by sliding down the bed sheets through thewindow."
Liv laughed. "And getting out is good for you. Remy, you mustn't badger her to remain indoors. The sun is glorious today. Besides, we won't detainyou."
The waiter appeared and Remy acknowledged him by name. "A bottle of champagne, Cartot. Five glasses as we expect one moreperson."
"Oui, Monsieur le duc." He nodded and trottedaway.
"So you're calling our Bertrand, Rand?" Killian asked thecouple.
"I like it," said Marianne with a toss of her pale blond curls. "Andre's mother prefers his fullname."
"And I," said Remy, "avoid any controversy and call himmongrand."
"I can't wait to see him. He's big, eh?" Livasked.
Remy winced. "Andlong."
"In those ten hours I pushed to give him birth, I could have sworn," Marianne said with eyes going wide as saucers, "he weighed as much asRemy."
