Katherine’s voice held a small tremor when she asked, “Have you assisted in a birth like this before?”
Marie was silent for some time. Finally, she said, “Yes. Don’t worry. I have done it. I know what it’s like, and I’ve seen how badly it can go when a mother is ill-prepared.”
Of course. Lann understood even before Katherine said with surprise, “Who?”
Marie gave her an incredulous look. “Why, Clelia’s birth, of course. I assisted her mother, Katik.”
Katherine glanced at him, empathy shining in her blue eyes. “I sometimes forget she grew up here.”
“So,” Marie said, calling the attention back to herself, “I’m not going to let you go from this life frightened and scared. You will be well prepared, and it will be easier for everyone.”
Katherine nodded. Lann put his arms around her, pulling her tight. He couldn’t listen to Marie’s talk about death, about losing the woman he loved, but he knew she was right. They had to prepare for the inevitable, no matter how hard it was.
“We’ll start with some Reiki,” Marie said, “and then breathing exercises. Where are we going to work?”
Lann got to his feet, pulling Katherine with him. “Clelia prepared a room where we can work undisturbed.”
They made their way upstairs to a room on the first floor that Clelia had equipped with exercise mats, a bed, a desk, chairs, and plenty of soft cushions on the rugs that covered the floor. The room had a fireplace in addition to the central heating, and Lann was thankful. Inside, he was frozen.
Chapter 16
The team, joined by Katherine, gathered in the library after lunch. Lann had tried to convince his obstinate wife to take a nap after their long morning with Marie, but she wanted to be there for the call he was about to make to Vanessa. She was as anxious as he was to learn what they could about Richardson’s source.
The team sat down around the long table. Katherine took the seat next to him. Equipment took up most of the surface, and monitors were placed on the shelves and mounted on the walls.
“We really need a room set up for working,” Clelia said to Joss.
Joss smiled at his wife. “Not a bad idea, little witch. Since the castle is going to be our base in France, we may as well do it properly.”
Maya gave Lann the secure phone and handed around the earpieces. “Ready everyone?”
“Diverters in place?” Joss asked.
“If she has a bug on her line,” Maya said, “our satellite will take it on a boogie ride into space and bring it home as dizzy as a record on spin. She’ll never know where the call came from.”
“Recording’s on,” Clelia said.
“Good.” Joss gave Lann a signal.
Lann glanced at Kat briefly before he hit the dial button. The phone rang for a long time without going onto voicemail. Just as he was about to hang up, Vanessa answered.
“It’s Lann.”
“Lann, darling,” she drawled, “what a pleasant change from business calls.”
It worried Lann that she didn’t seem surprised to hear from him. “You’re going to be let down then. This is business.”
“Really?” Her mock-disappointed tone filled him with ire. “What kind of business could possibly justify this late-night call?”
“It’s not late for you. We both know it.”
“All right. I won’t pretend that I was,” her voice turned seductive, “already in bed.”
Lann glanced at Katherine, but she kept a stoic face. “I assume you know why I’m calling.”
“To ask me out on a date?”
“Stop playing games, Vanessa. I’m sure you want to get down to business.”
“I’d like to get down to a lot of things with you, Lann, but why don’t we start with you telling me why you called.”
“Let’s start with the incriminating articles you’re publishing about me.”
She laughed. “Please, give me some credit. Don’t insult my intelligence by treating me like the women you usually date.”
He clenched his jaw. “Fine. Why are you leaking information to Gideon Richardson?”
Without bothering to deny the accusation, she said, “Gideon is a means to an end. Of course he doesn’t know the role he’s playing in my scheme. He thinks I just want a headline story.”
Lann didn’t like what he heard in her voice. For a while, she said nothing. She was going to make him ask, so he gritted his teeth and said, “What do you want?”
She chuckled. “Your baby.”
Lann battled to keep an even face as his gaze moved back to Katherine. His wife’s expression showed shock, but not surprise. Katherine had met Vanessa only once when she’d escorted Lann to a Valentine’s ball in Santiago, and the journalist had been a bitch to Kat. He, on the other hand, was thoroughly taken aback. How did Vanessa know about the pregnancy? Not even Richardson did. The possible rewards Vanessa could be after included money, fame, maybe even climbing up her career ladder, but not this.