cherished baby she acted the part to the hilt letting everyone spoil her rotten.
They ate dinner together getting acquainted. Xzan was shocked intrigued and thrilled by the family’s earthy way of speaking. Every subject was matter of fact no matter how bold the topic. Shauna had the glow of a happy woman which attracted Xzan to her. Her own life had been such a tangle she wanted to discover how another woman could take the same destiny in stride and be so enthusiastic. All in all her first impression of the Fenierre family was favorable. They were a caring family. Strongly bonded by love and familiarity. They seemed to like her as well sensing that if she seemed less than gregarious she was in mourning and didn’t feel too social.
“ This was a wonderful meal, it’s made me quite sleepy.” She yawned daintily into a lacy handkerchief. “It was wonderful to finally meet all of you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She retired for the night feeling good about them and the choices she had made for her future. Over the course of the next few days the two women began bonding as friends. Xzan instinctively felt she could trust Shauna, and began relaxing her guard for the first time in years.
One afternoon the two women were in Xzan’s cabin darning socks, seeking privacy for a real girl talk.
“ You know my Jason has his eye on you.”
Xzan scowled.
“ Nothing personal… he is your son…but I’m just not interested”.
Shauna raised a blond brow.
“ Did you love your husband that much or is it just too soon to think of someone new? You know it’s the natural course of things to be mated.”
“ Natural for animals maybe!” Xzan spat vehemently.
Seeing the look of confusion on her companion’s face the younger woman hesitated, then blurted out, “Brett … hurt me.”
There it was said. She expelled a breath she hadn’t even been aware of holding in. Shauna stopped darning, shocked. Her face melting with compassion.
“ Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! I had no idea! But surely you must realize that like women, not all men are alike. My Jason is young sometimes even impetuous but he would never hurt a woman. He’ll be a good husband like his father is. You can’t judge all men by the black deeds of one.”
Xzan laid her work aside disgust clearly written on her dainty features.
“ Can you tell me you honestly like it? First you nearly choke to death to get pregnant then you labor in agony to have a child. Why would any woman willingly suffer that way?”
Shauna looked bewildered.
“ I don’t understand what you mean Xzan. Choke on what? And what do you know about childbirth? Have you had a baby?”
Xzan blushed a fiery red unable to meet her new friend’s compelling gaze. It was Shauna turn to flush hotly as comprehension dawned.
“ Oh God, you poor thing!”
For the next hour Xzan was educated in the ways of a man and a woman. Shauna spared no detail no matter how lurid or disconcerting it might be. Xzan was stupefied, humiliated and then outraged. Shauna in turn was appalled as she heard the truth behind the younger woman’s marriage. Xzan appeared still visibly shaken at dinner later that evening. She would really have been devastated if she had known that Shauna had confided in her husband. He was extremely courteous to the young widow reinforcing he hoped as did his wife that all men were not perverted or sadistic.
Despite her new found knowledge Xzan still wasn’t the least bit interested in any of the young men who flirted with her. Jason grew bored by her rejection after a few weeks and set his attentions on Miss Felicity Stone who was also becoming one of Xzan’s confidantes. The vivacious blond was well versed in the art of trifling, seemed to know exactly when to back off before things got out of hand.
The real reason she had agreed to move to New York was one Mr. Edwin O’Brien. Unfortunately the gentleman was older. A partner in her father’s business. He couldn’t get over
They ate dinner together getting acquainted. Xzan was shocked intrigued and thrilled by the family’s earthy way of speaking. Every subject was matter of fact no matter how bold the topic. Shauna had the glow of a happy woman which attracted Xzan to her. Her own life had been such a tangle she wanted to discover how another woman could take the same destiny in stride and be so enthusiastic. All in all her first impression of the Fenierre family was favorable. They were a caring family. Strongly bonded by love and familiarity. They seemed to like her as well sensing that if she seemed less than gregarious she was in mourning and didn’t feel too social.
“ This was a wonderful meal, it’s made me quite sleepy.” She yawned daintily into a lacy handkerchief. “It was wonderful to finally meet all of you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She retired for the night feeling good about them and the choices she had made for her future. Over the course of the next few days the two women began bonding as friends. Xzan instinctively felt she could trust Shauna, and began relaxing her guard for the first time in years.
One afternoon the two women were in Xzan’s cabin darning socks, seeking privacy for a real girl talk.
“ You know my Jason has his eye on you.”
Xzan scowled.
“ Nothing personal… he is your son…but I’m just not interested”.
Shauna raised a blond brow.
“ Did you love your husband that much or is it just too soon to think of someone new? You know it’s the natural course of things to be mated.”
“ Natural for animals maybe!” Xzan spat vehemently.
Seeing the look of confusion on her companion’s face the younger woman hesitated, then blurted out, “Brett … hurt me.”
There it was said. She expelled a breath she hadn’t even been aware of holding in. Shauna stopped darning, shocked. Her face melting with compassion.
“ Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! I had no idea! But surely you must realize that like women, not all men are alike. My Jason is young sometimes even impetuous but he would never hurt a woman. He’ll be a good husband like his father is. You can’t judge all men by the black deeds of one.”
Xzan laid her work aside disgust clearly written on her dainty features.
“ Can you tell me you honestly like it? First you nearly choke to death to get pregnant then you labor in agony to have a child. Why would any woman willingly suffer that way?”
Shauna looked bewildered.
“ I don’t understand what you mean Xzan. Choke on what? And what do you know about childbirth? Have you had a baby?”
Xzan blushed a fiery red unable to meet her new friend’s compelling gaze. It was Shauna turn to flush hotly as comprehension dawned.
“ Oh God, you poor thing!”
For the next hour Xzan was educated in the ways of a man and a woman. Shauna spared no detail no matter how lurid or disconcerting it might be. Xzan was stupefied, humiliated and then outraged. Shauna in turn was appalled as she heard the truth behind the younger woman’s marriage. Xzan appeared still visibly shaken at dinner later that evening. She would really have been devastated if she had known that Shauna had confided in her husband. He was extremely courteous to the young widow reinforcing he hoped as did his wife that all men were not perverted or sadistic.
Despite her new found knowledge Xzan still wasn’t the least bit interested in any of the young men who flirted with her. Jason grew bored by her rejection after a few weeks and set his attentions on Miss Felicity Stone who was also becoming one of Xzan’s confidantes. The vivacious blond was well versed in the art of trifling, seemed to know exactly when to back off before things got out of hand.
The real reason she had agreed to move to New York was one Mr. Edwin O’Brien. Unfortunately the gentleman was older. A partner in her father’s business. He couldn’t get over
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