Claire had never been so humiliated in her entire life. It was one thing for hosea to make all those subtle jokes while she and

Austin were on the horse but it was another thing for him to keep making her feel like she wasn‟t attractive as a woman. She was

glad when he couldn‟t eat the caviar. She enjoyed watching him squirm under Austin‟s intense stare. Austin had a perfect poker face.

No one could tell for sure what he was thinking if he didn‟t want them to. It probably helped him succeed in business since he had to deal with some crummy people. She sighed as she got out of

her costume for the play that Tristan wrote.

She was glad to be out of those clothes. She bit her lower lip as she looked at the clothes she had packed. She brought a couple of dresses but had been so busy riding horses and helping with fixing parts of the barn her family hadn‟t had time to get to yet, that she hadn‟t bothered to wear a dress.

Dresses weren‟t practical on the farm,

though marie managed to wear them. Marie also stayed in the house and cooked and cleaned. Maybe I‟m not a good catch for a man. Who wants a woman who knows more about fixing stable doors and riding a

horse than cooking and cleaning?

A soft knocking on the bedroom door interrupted her thoughts. “Just a minute.” She quickly threw on the pants and

shirt she had been wearing earlier that day and opened the door.

Maire smiled at her. “Can I come in?”

Claire nodded and led her into the room.

“What is it?”

Marie shut the door. “How are you doing?”

She rolled her eyes. “Was I that obvious?”

“Only to the careful observer.” marie sat next to her on the bed.

“I just spoke with hosea about letting up on the jokes.

He didn‟t realize he was coming off so rough.”

“I know. He means well. His jokes never bothered me before but with Austin here...” She sighed.

“Austin did a good job defending you. I think he does like you. It may not be a romantic relationship but it seems that you two are forming a friendship. I like him for you. He‟s a good man. And I have to admit, I have a lot of respect for anyone who can stand up to your brothers the way he did.”

She laughed. “You should see him when he does business. He has a way with people.”

She smiled. “How have you been doing?

You‟re due any day now.”

“I‟m hanging in there. I‟m anxious to give birth so I know the baby is alright.”

Claire nodded understandingly. Marie had gone through three miscarriages and a stillbirth, so she spent most of this pregnancy worried. “Would you like me to pray for you?”

“That would be nice,” she admitted. “I always feel better after you pray for me. It‟s very comforting.”

Claire held her hands and prayed that God would watch over her and her child and protect them. She wanted the baby to be

born alive and well. After the stillbirth, she and marie had spent their times together crying over the loss of another baby. Maire

had handled the miscarriages well since her mother had gonethrough two of them before she gave birth to maire and her two

siblings, but when marie suffered the stillbirth, she feared that she would never have a living child.

Maire had cried on Claire‟s shoulder one time, “but sometimes I tell God I would rather have a living child and die of

pneumonia than to keep losing children.

I know it hurts Jeremiah too, though he does his best to be strong for me. I just feel so inadequate as a woman because I can‟t give my husband a child.”

Now as Claire looked at her, she noted that mixed in with her fears was a ray of hope. “I‟m very thankful you made it as far

as you have. I will continue to pray for you. Is the baby kicking well?”

“The baby kicks all the time. It‟s very reassuring. He‟s kicking now. Would you like to feel him?”

She nodded and let Marie guide her hand to the part of her expanded belly where she felt a sharp kick.

“He‟s strong.” She grinned.

“Have you picked out any names?”

“We are going to name him Kevin if he‟s a boy and Sarah if she‟s a girl.”

“Those are wonderful names. I hope you don‟t mind if I‟m excited for you. I have a feeling that everything will be fine.”

“Deep down, I do too. I just hate to say it in case I jinx myself.”

“Well, it‟s your pregnancy. You can handle it any way you want to.”

She looked at claire thoughtfully. “I know it was wrong to lie about the mouse being in my cabin.

I‟m sorry.”

“Oh, I‟ll survive the rest of my visit. I don‟t suppose Hosea and Tristan will let me go back to teresa‟s bedroom?”

“Not a chance. The more they get to know Austin, the more they‟re determined to keep you and Austin together, and you know

when they set their minds to something, they pursue it until the end.”“Unless it‟s caviar.” She giggled. “But everyone has to

understand that what Austin and I have is a business deal.

It‟s not meant to be more than that.”

“I hope you‟re wrong about that,” Marie softly confessed.

“It would be nice to see you married. I worry that you may get lonely.”

“I managed before without a husband and I can manage again. I have plenty of things to keep me busy. I don‟t get lonely.”

“Still, some companionship would be nice.”

“I‟m fine, Marie. Just focus on yourself, alright?”

She patted her hands. “You‟re right. I‟m sorry.”

“You‟re a good friend. I‟m glad I got the chance to talk to you.

With everything else that‟s been going on, it‟s been hard to find some time to sit and talk.”

“I‟m glad too.” She sighed. “I better get dinner ready.

Are you going to head outside?”

“Yes. If I dare enter the kitchen, hoesa and Tristan will haul me out to the barn and tie me up.”

She laughed.

“You think I‟m joking but I‟m not. They‟ve done it before.”

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Much love

V.A 💙