Taurus (16 page)

Virga lowered her voice. “You love her, don’t you?”

Ice water ran through his veins. Yes, he loved her, but he would never see her again.

“It matters not, Virga. She ran away thinking me a monster. I ill-used her, and she broke free when she had the chance.”

“You do love her!” Virga smiled.

Taurus held her gaze, defeated by her optimism. “You have with your husband what I hoped to have with her. Except he knew better than to make a fool of you.”

He turned on his heel and left. He had revealed too much and cared not to relive past mistakes. It proved unbearable to be in the company of two people who loved each other so well.

Chapter Thirteen

Kallie sat in the warm sunshine, her belly too huge to move far, but she rested and relaxed as Atticus and her parents talked over old times together. The baby shifted often, kicking fiercely to announce the presence of a new and vital life. Waiting for a sign of the impending birth and not knowing which day this new life would arrive irritated Kallie.

Her mother and father had welcomed her with open arms after her brief flight to Greece. She had intended to live there indefinitely, but on discovery of her condition, she collected her belongings and journeyed home to her parents’ estate. Occasionally she thought about Taurus, but for the most part she banished him from her thoughts, knowing the futility of wishing things were different. His sights rested firmly on duty and the responsibility to his people, and marriage to the Hestonius girl.

“Daughter,” her mother called from the shade tree by the main house.

The tone of her mother’s voice made her smile. Attentive and caring during these last months of pregnancy, Kallie’s mother possessed a wealth of knowledge regarding childbirth, for which Kallie was grateful. After all, she had borne three children, Caius, Germanicus, and Kallie. And when it came to family, Carissa devoted her energies to them when they needed her most.

“Hmm,” Kallie answered, wiggling her toes.

“A scroll has arrived from Rome for you.”

Kallie wrinkled her nose. Caius searched for a suitable husband for his dishonored sister, promising not to force her into a union, but they both knew eventually she must submit to the will of her brother. The good graces of her parents stretched far but were not limitless. And Caius pruned the family tree so as not to leave any fruitless branches.

Her beautiful mother sat on the grass, looking up with unconditional love. “Do not worry. The baby will come soon, and your figure will be restored to its former glory.”

“I spare no thought for my figure, Mother. The needs of a baby are mysterious. I have no idea what to do with a child.”

“It will come naturally enough, and I will set you on the right path when needed.”

Kallie sighed. Her mother and father never failed to provide comfort. “What does Caius want with me this time?” Caius usually penned imperious orders pertaining to family business.

“Nothing. Virga writes to you.” Carissa chuckled.

Kallie perked up and unfurled the scroll. She enjoyed Virga’s long missives full of interesting details of people and events. Kallie suddenly reached for her mother’s hand. “She is beautiful, is she not?”

Carissa laughed. “You know I set no store in beauty, but she has a lovely nature and suits Caius well enough.”

Kallie agreed. When she had first met Virga, it never occurred to her that she and Caius would make the perfect couple. But now to imagine one without the other seemed impossible. Kallie lifted the scroll.

My brother arrived in Rome to renounce the governorship of Panua. Caius is the de facto ruler, with plans to oust Lidia and Barca from their comfortable position. Truly I am shocked my brother has reneged his duty and shunned the Paulinus name. I can think of no reason to do this. Can you, Kallie?

There is a place on the outskirts of our province, near the sea, a place where we lived as children, by the town of Thalassia. He intends to live on the old Aquilus estate in a simple house. He knows nothing of you but tried to make discreet inquiries.

Your dear sister,

Virga

The scroll dropped from Kallie’s hand as she struggled from the chair.
Taurus in Rome!
To think he no longer ruled Panua churned her mind.

“Mother, I must go to Thalassia immediately.”

Carissa shook her head. “The baby is coming any day. Your impulsive ways must bend to your impending motherhood.”

“All the more reason to be on my way today.” She stopped at the door of the house and gripped the edge of the frame, crying out in pain.

Her father and her uncle came running at the noise.

“The baby comes soon, whether you have plans or not,” her mother chided.

“Gods!” Kallie muttered. “Of all the inconvenient times for a child to…” She had no thought to speak further as pain ripped through her body.

“Maximus, help me get her to bed, and Atticus, you send for the midwife,” her mother coaxed confidently.

In no condition to do anything but comply with her mother’s wishes, Kallie lay on her bed panting while her mother prepared the room.

“I’ll track him down and show him how much I’ve suffered on his account,” Kallie gritted her teeth as another sweep of pain washed through her body.

“You’ll have a sweet baby in your arms soon, and by then you won’t care about the pain and will hardly remember this part by the time it’s over.”

Kallie shot her mother a withering look. The excruciating spasms came quickly and left just as suddenly, heralding the start of a completely new experience. From now on she shouldered the responsibility of another life.

“Mother, I don’t think I’m ready for this!”

“Few of us are ever truly ready,” Carissa soothed, “but we learn as we go.”

A fierce scream erupted from her mouth even as the midwife arrived. Her mother took the opportunity to speak with her father.

A somber expression covered the face of Maximus Octavius. “How is she?”

“Time will tell.” Carissa shrugged.

“I’ll kill him if anything happens to her or the child,” Kallie’s father vowed gruffly.

Carissa squeezed his arm. “She is a strong girl, with a will to match.”

“I mean to go to him, Father,” Kalllie panted between spasms.

Maximus held his daughter’s determined look. “Why? Your life here with us is a good one. You and the babe will want for nothing.”

Carissa spoke up. “You of all people know the answer to such a question.”

Maximus relaxed his stance, nodding at his daughter. “You must make up your own mind about the baby’s father, one way or another.”

****

Kallie lay back on the bed with her infant cradled in her arms and mused, partly in awe and partly in resignation.

Why must he look so much like his father?

She traced the contours of the tiny face with her fingertip. The nose and mouth, forehead and cheeks, even his tiny shell-like ears, were all Taurus in miniature.

The entire family mooned over the new baby as the focus of the Gregorian household firmly fixated on his needs. Grandparents and great-granduncle wrapped willingly around his little finger at merely three days old. Kallie, recovering quickly from the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth, hummed a tune as she nursed him. Her father sat by her side.

“What will you name him?”

“I want his father to choose the name.” Kallie voiced her optimistic idea.

Maximus nodded thoughtfully. “A great responsibility comes with a child,” he reminded her.

Kallie stared at her father in delight. “Yes, you are right. That’s what I’ll call him for now,” she smiled.

Maximus waited to be enlightened.

“The perfect name for the son of Taurus. Magnus!”

Chapter Fourteen

Kallie watched from afar as a man walked into the small village of Aquila, returned from a day of laboring in the field. How different he looked from the first time they’d met. Still ruggedly handsome and powerful, but now with an inner peace, absent when he governed Panua. His reaction to her appearance might be anger, but she had little choice. Her secret must be told. It mattered not if the whole world never found out, except for him.

He shared a laugh with a few men before they wandered away to find a watering hole to slake their thirst and return home for the night. The last drops from his waterskin dripped into his mouth before he turned onto the north road heading out of the village.

Kallie remained hidden under low-hanging branches. Her horse and cart waited behind the thick cover of the trees. She breathed in and out slowly, her head full of reasons to turn and leave without ever looking back. Perhaps a woman filled his nights. One who erased his interest in the past and the memory of those he once knew. And perhaps he didn’t care to be found.

She bit her lip and steeled her resolve after the long journey with Atticus. She glanced to the trees where her uncle waited, a sentinel. Her faithful guard for many months must be free of the responsibility placed on him. From this day forward she must either live off her brother’s good graces or tread an unknown path with a man who could bring her absolute misery if he desired. She risked everything. As soon as Taurus knew her secret he would gain power over her. He might want the child but leave her to face life alone. The question was whether he would do such a thing. Would Taurus be so cruel, break her world in two and shatter her heart with one swift move?

She followed his path into the woods. A small home lay in a clearing amidst the heart of the undergrowth. She had lost sight of him as the cottage came into view and guessed he was inside making use of the last hours of daylight to eat and prepare for the next day.

For a long time she stood in the same place. Dressed in her boyish clothes, her hair tied back in a tight knot at the nape of her neck, she hesitated, knowing it foolish. But once done, there was no going back. Afraid of her future, she turned from the cottage to think clearly. Words tumbled inside her head, and as she took her first step away from the clearing, a voice rang out.

“If you mean to harm me, I will take action against you.” A familiar voice echoed in the clearing.

Kallie froze but called back, “I mean you no harm.” She scanned the trees, waiting for his reply. It came from a different direction.

“Drop your weapons.”

“I have no weapon. I am unarmed.”

“You are playing with your life by delaying,” an amused voice taunted her.

Kallie warmed at the flood of memories. “We could make camp together. I have supplies enough for both of us.” She heard him chuckle nearby.

“With you and your giant friend? I think not.” Taurus stepped out from the cover of the trees. His voice broke with emotion. “How did you find me?”

“With help from a friend,” Kallie whispered, overcome with both joy and fear at seeing him face-to- face.

He stood his ground, unsure of her purpose. “Why?” he rasped.

Unable to speak, she quenched her parched mind at the sight of him. Strength, power, and raw masculinity enveloped him.

His hand raised in a gesture of resignation. Pain flitted over his face. “You have every reason to think me a complete fool. I had no right to treat you as a possession. I took your precious gifts and never once spoke of your beauty or how special you are, Kallie. I care for you more than I have ever cared for anyone.”

“Taurus…” she began, “there is something...”

He shook his head. “I am a poor laborer, and you are filled with the finest Roman blood. I am nothing but a peasant adopted by Lidia and named after a vile creature who clawed his way through life.” He gave a wry laugh. “I am simply Taurus Aquilus. That’s who I truly am, Kallie, merely an orphan without a rich benefactor.”

Staring at each other, the tension threatened to force Kallie to her knees. “You are the same man I knew in Panua. I see no difference because your name has changed.”

“I command no army or city. I have no fortress or palace to call home.” Taurus rubbed his forehead, dirt smudged across his face. “I have nothing, and I want for nothing in return.” He shot a look at the cottage. “Even that sorry shack is borrowed,” he mocked.

“And your wife, the woman you married, where is she?” Kallie forced the hope out of her voice.

His brows creased together. “You think me married all this time?”

“I am not sure. I truly heard no news from Panua until I received a letter from your sister.”

Taurus tilted his head in confusion, eyes glinting in the setting sun. “You traveled all this way unsure if I married another? What then is your purpose?”

The blood drained out of her face. The time to share the reason for her need to find him had arrived, and the explanation failed to materialize. “Come with me. It shall be revealed.”

Taurus hesitated for half a heartbeat but accompanied her to the road. The horse and cart waited at the end of the track. Taurus slowed, wary upon seeing the giant, but the big man ignored him, mindful of Kallie’s instructions.

Taurus drew up behind her, holding back a few paces.

“
Ave
,” Atticus said gruffly.

Taurus inclined his head. “
Ave
,” he replied cautiously.

“We need time alone, Uncle.” Kallie paid no attention to the men sizing one another up.

Atticus grunted, headed for the road, and disappeared around a bend.

“I always intended to fight him to the death, but now I hold no animosity for him.” Taurus shrugged.

Kallie shook her head, distracted. “Taurus, do not be angry with me. When I fled Panua I did not know. Truly, had I known I might have considered staying, even though you shamed me before the whole world.”

Taurus listened while she stammered in disconnected statements.

“I could have put up with it. I might even have liked the girl you were to marry, even though I don’t believe sharing a man is…”

Taurus placed his hands on her shoulders to shake her lightly into the present.

“What are you saying?” Her eyes locked onto his warm and inviting stare. They hadn’t touched in almost a year. “Kallie,” he murmured, as their eyes held. “You are more beautiful than I even dared to dream.” Her lips parted and he bent to kiss her, tender and gentle. Their warm breath mingled in the cool evening air.