Queens Gambit

14

Chapter 14

They were all up early for the sunrise service. Adam was escorting their entire family minus Sean course. When they walked outside they found they were not the only ones going to services. There were agents Sheena recognized everywhere. Seemed she would be protected no matter her claim of being able to take care of herself. Big B and the Purple Tyrant were taking her safety seriously. There was a long procession to get to St Paul's Cathedral. This was going to be a very long day Sheena thought to herself.

Upon their arrival home, the staff had laid out a buffet breakfast so they could eat when they returned home from services. To Adam's surprise, no one felt like eating. After yesterday's abduction, they were all out of sorts. Sheena made her way into the music room where she sat at the piano and played seasonal music. Adam could not be thinking she truly had a voice of an angel. He found he was not only impressed with her singing and playing but the woman he was married to was very impressive as well. He could not think of one single woman who would jump out of a carriage and walk home.

They went to the parlor after she finished playing music. They were going to open presents. Adam handed Sheena the golden slack rope box to open first. He was happy for her excitement. He knew she had wanted it but would not let him buy it for her and he did not know why. Next she opened the jewelry box. It was an amethyst necklace that matched the bracelet he had bought her for her birthday. His mother presented her with a signet ring showing she was the current Duchess of Marlborough it also had an amethyst set into the ring at each side of the crest.

William gave her something that she had always wanted and was surprised he had remembered. It was her mother's pearls. She remembered when she was little and she would play dress up she would always put her mother's pearl necklace and earrings on. They were precious to her. She handed the presents she had bought everyone out but when she handed Adam his she seemed a little sad. He could not imagine why after all she had gotten him the prize he had been seeking for a long time. "An Evening Walk and Descriptive sketches" by William Wordsworth was the first edition he had been searching for since he was a young boy. When he first started to look for it was to give to Aaron since Wordsworth was his favorite author and it was published in the year of their birth. Now it had a different significance. Sheena had given it to him.

He had to laugh when she leaned over to whisper something in his ear and said that she had something special for him tonight when they went to the tree house. He laughed to himself he had not known they were going to go to the tree house. That night when they finally were alone he carried her to the tree house she had started to limp as the day wore on and he could not stand to see her suffer. He even carried her up the stairs. He placed her carefully on the fur rug he had purchased for them. He had noticed she was getting bruises from making love on the blanket in the tree house it was not thick enough for her delicate skin.

They were silent for a time when Sheena started to cry.

"I am so sorry I know you did not get to play father Christmas last night because of me."

He gently wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her lips.

"Do not worry yourself over that. I message Mr. Cabby and told him of our difficulty and he made sure the toys were delivered. The children all received a toy. Do not fret."

"There is something else I am sorry for."

Adam waited there was nothing she had done he could not forgive her for.

"When I went out and was abducted I went because I was buying her a special gift. But I lost it and the shopkeeper does not have another copy. So the danger I put myself in was for naught."

"I will say you should have used better judgment, but the idea you thought more of getting me something special and not worrying about your own life makes me a little warm inside. Do not think for one minute I am not upset you did something so foolish but I do appreciate the sentiment. Now do not be sad for our driver retrieved it and brought it to me. See here?"

He took the book off the table and handed it to her.

"This is for me? I wonder what could be so special about this you almost lost your life for it?"

He opened the package. He found a book he had already on his selves but he would never divulge that information to her."

"Read the inscription that is the important part. I know you already have this book but I wanted to inscribe it with something special. That would always have meaning to us.

He opened the cover she had written a love note for him. "Ever wish upon a star and have the wish come true? That was the way it was with me the day I met you. We fell in love how could we see the happiness it would bring? I love you to the stars and back Sheena."

He took her in his arms and hugged her those were the most precious words she could have ever said to him. They were meant from her the depths of her heart. When he let her go which was a while she stood up and smiled at him. She undid her robe and let it slide down. Instead of being nude, she was in a lace contraption that barely covered any of her. God how he love this woman and that is just what he was going to do love her until he no longer breathed.