"Finally," Marguerite said with a smile as Lissianna placed her new granddaughter in her arms.
It had been two weeks since she and Christian had been rescued from Vita's home. Julius had spent the time since fussing over her like a mother hen, feeding her bag after bag of blood and coddling her long after she had healed. He'd also spent that time telling her more about the period when they'd first met, hoping to bring back the memories that were missing.
It hadn't worked so far. Marguerite feared she may never remember, but she had her lifemate and her son, and that along with her other children and the rest of her family was enough.
Lucian, Lucern, Bastien, and Vincent had stayed at Julius's home in Italy for a couple of days while waiting for the European council to pass judgment on Vita. Once they'd pronounced that she be executed and the deed was done, they'd returned to York to collect their lifemates and head back to Canada. Marguerite had talked to everyone on the phone since then, but had only returned home to Canada the night before, flying in with Julius, Christian, Dante, Tommaso, and Marcus.
Bastien and his lifemate, Terri, had met them at the airport and brought them home, but everyone had left them alone last night to allow them to recover from the journey. Tonight, however, her family had congregated at her home, a family gathering to introduce the two families. Even Jackie, Vincent, and Tiny had flown in for the occasion, and it was an occasion, this was her first sight of her beautiful granddaughter.
"We named her after Uncle Lucian," Lissianna announced as Marguerite ran a finger lightly down the baby's soft cheek. "Her name is Luciana, but we'll call her Lucy."
Marguerite tore her eyes away from the beautiful baby and glanced worriedly toward her son-in-law at this news. The two men had not got off to a grand start and she was surprised he'd allowed the name.
"Lucian and I have worked things out," Greg assured her with a smile. "Like the rest of the Argeneau men, he's really not so bad once you get to know him."
Marguerite smiled, her gaze slipping across the room to where Christian, his cousins, and the majority of the Argeneau clan were seated, talking. Christian had spent a lot of time with his half brothers, his new cousin, and his Uncle Lucian during the two nights they'd remained in Italy, and they all seemed very relaxed and comfortable around each other. But then she'd expected no less.
A gurgling laugh drew her gaze back to her sweet granddaughter and Marguerite smiled and whispered, "Little Lucy, you're perfect."
"Yes, she is," Lucian agreed, appearing beside her. He reached over Marguerite's shoulder to offer the child a finger and little Lucy immediately grasped it in her tiny fist and tried to draw it to her mouth. "And soon she'll have a playmate."
Marguerite glanced up wide-eyed at this announcement. "A playmate?"
He grinned and then drew a petite brunette closer so she could see her as he announced, "We're pregnant."
"Already?" Marguerite asked with surprise and then beamed on the pair, thinking how much happier Lucian seemed. Things were really looking up when Lucian Argeneau actually smiled. "I'm very happy for you."
"Thank you," he said solemnly, then reclaimed his finger from Lucy to lay his hand on her shoulder, cleared his throat, and said quietly, "Marguerite, I want you to know I had no idea what was going on back then. I believed that Jean Claude was dead. He didn't even contact me during those years and he never explained his absence to me. It was a bone of contention between us for centuries."
Marguerite frowned at the hurt in his eyes, knowing he felt betrayed by his twin's silence during that time. Squeezing the hand on her shoulder, she said, "He couldn't have told you, Lucian. It would have put you in an untenable position. You were a member of the council in Europe at the time. You would have been faced with the choice of turning in your own brother, or breaking some of the laws you helped put in place. It was better he didn't tell you. I know it must have been hard for him too."
Lucian nodded, but he wasn't finished. "I was happy for you when you found Julius back then. It had been obvious to me for some time that you and Claude were not true lifemates and he'd made a mistake there, so I was happy to hear you had found someone who made you happy. But when Jean Claude returned..." He paused and shook his head. "He said the two of you were working things out and had decided to stay together. He told Lucern the same thing. I had no idea about the three-on-one or the--"
"I know, Lucian," Marguerite interrupted quietly and assured him, "you have too much honor for me ever to have thought that you had known or been involved."
Lucian nodded and patted her hand, his gaze sliding to Thomas as he led a pretty dark-haired woman over to join their little cluster. "We'll get out of the way and go join the others. Thomas has something to tell you."
Eyebrows rising, Marguerite watched the handsome young couple approach, smiling as she noted the way they moved, their footsteps in sync. Thomas was measuring his longer stride, reducing it to match the woman's shorter stride.
"Aunt Marguerite, I'm so glad you're safe and feeling better," Thomas greeted her, bending to press a kiss to her cheek.
Careful not to crush the baby, Marguerite smiled and hugged her nephew before letting him straighten. She then raised a quizzical eyebrow as her gaze slid to the woman at his side.
Thomas grinned at her expression as he drew the girl forward. "This is Inez Urso."
"Yes, I know. She works for Bastien," Marguerite reached out to squeeze her hand in greeting. "I met Inez when she came to Canada for a tour of the offices after her promotion to the executive position. I see Bastien finally introduced the two of you as I suggested," she added with satisfaction.
"You suggested he introduce us?" Inez asked with surprise.
"I don't believe it," Thomas muttered when Marguerite nodded. His gaze shifted across the room to where Bastien was laughing. "I thought I was the first one to escape your famous matchmaking and all the time he was in cahoots with you. Wait till I..." Catching Inez's hand, he started to lead her toward the group, no doubt to give Bastien an earful, but paused as he realized he was marching off on his aunt.
Turning back, he opened his mouth to speak, but Marguerite grinned and waved him on. "Go on, join the others. We'll come over in a minute."
"Oh, give Lucy here, Mother. She's wanting her diaper changed," Lissianna murmured when the baby began to fuss.
Marguerite gave up the baby, but watched with regret as Lissianna and Greg moved to the other side of the room to tend their daughter. Her gaze then slid to the group seated on the couches and chairs arranged around the fireplace. They were laughing and talking as if they'd known each other forever.
"Christian seems to be getting along well with his new brothers and sister," Julius commented, moving to sit on the arm of her chair now that she no longer had the baby.
"I'm glad," Marguerite said, her gaze wistful as she watched the young man laugh at something that had been said.
"What's the matter, love?" Julius asked with concern.
Marguerite shrugged and then admitted, "I'm just a little sad thinking about how much I've missed of Christian's life."
Julius bent to press a kiss to her forehead and suggested softly, "We could have another Christian to make up for it. Or a Christina."
Marguerite peered up at him, "Would you like that?"
"I can't think of anything more wonderful than having a dozen bambinos with you, Marguerite," he said with a smile, and then added, "But maybe not for a couple years. I've missed out on the last five hundred years with you and want to make up for lost time first." He paused and frowned, then said fretfully, "I'm sorry. I should have known you wouldn't have done any of what they claimed. I should have come for you after the maid brought Christian to me."
"I wouldn't have remembered you," she pointed out quietly. "From what Vita said, I wasn't even conscious, or at least mentally competent, for quite a while after the three-on-one."
"But I could have--"
"Done nothing," Marguerite insisted firmly, and then added, "Julius, please don't ever feel guilty about the last five hundred years. We all did the best we could. Even Jean Claude. I've hated him so much and for so long, but in the end, Vita damaged him too, killing his true lifemate and child as she did. When I look back on it, I see the difference in him before the missing memories and after. He wasn't great but he tried before that. Afterward, he was so full of rage and bitterness all the time and I never understood why, but now..."
"His loss didn't excuse his behavior toward you," Julius growled.
"No," she agreed quietly. "But it explains it."
He shook his head. "I still think I should have done something."
"And then I wouldn't have Bastien, Etienne, or Lissianna," she pointed out quietly.
Marguerite saw the flicker in his eyes as he recognized the truth of her words. Had he taken her from Jean Claude five hundred years ago, her three youngest children wouldn't have been born. She also wouldn't have raised Thomas and Jeanne Louise and... There were so many ands.
"I love you, Julius," she said quietly. "But I love them too and everything in my life--good and bad--has led me to this point where I can have all of you. All those experiences have shaped and formed me like a blacksmith beats a sword into shape in the fire." Marguerite peered at him solemnly. "I like who I am, and I'm happy with what I have: my five lovely children and you. It wasn't always easy. Sometimes it was downright painful. But I wouldn't change a thing."
"Then neither would I, my love," Julius whispered and kissed her.
A burst of laughter from the group by the fireplace made them pull apart and glance toward them curiously.
"Our children are up to something," Julius said with amusement.
Marguerite nodded with a smile. Our children. It had a beautiful ring to it. Julius was opening his arms to her family too and that was as important to her as the Argeneau side accepting his family.
"She did!" Tiny was insisting.
"She didn't," Christian said with a frown.
"Yes, she did, and she will with you too," Etienne assured his half brother, slapping him almost sympathetically on the shoulder.
"No," Christian said, but was beginning to look worried.
"Who did, or didn't, or will do what?" Marguerite asked as she and Julius crossed the room to join the circle of younger people.
"We were just telling Christian how you 'helped' us get together with our lifemates," Vincent announced.
"I didn't interfere with you and Jackie," Marguerite insisted at once. "I helped you along a little, maybe, but that was all. I never interfere."
"Oh please, Mother." Bastien laughed, his arm around Terri, his hand absently rubbing her arm as he spoke. "You told me outright that you thought Vincent would be much happier with a lifemate and you were going to see what you could do to help him in that area. And you are the one who suggested I introduce Inez and Thomas. That's part of the reason I asked her to help him when he went to England to look for you."
"You flew to New York to convince Kate to come back to me," Lucern said quietly, reaching for his wife's hand.
Kate smiled and leaned into him as she pointed out, "And you sent me to England to talk to Terri so she'd give Bastien a chance."
"You made me play cupid for Etienne and Rachel," Thomas added.
"And don't even try to deny that you interfered with Greg and me," Lissianna laughed as she and Greg joined them with a freshly diapered Lucy.
"She didn't interfere with us," Lucian commented with satisfaction, relaxing back in his seat and pulling Leigh, who sat on his lap for lack of chairs, back against his chest.
"Actually," Thomas murmured and all eyes turned his way, "the day you arrived with Leigh, Aunt Marguerite told me to make myself scarce and leave you to deal with her on your own. She said she had a good feeling about the two of you."
"What?" Lucian sat up abruptly, nearly sending Leigh sliding off his lap. Catching her, he murmured an apology and then speared Marguerite with a dark look. "You're the reason I couldn't reach Thomas?"
Marguerite scowled right back. "Well, it all worked out for the best, didn't it?"
There was silence and then Victor Argeneau shifted and said, "I hate to even ask this, but did you have anything to do with Elvi and me?"
Marguerite glanced at Lucian and Jean Claude's younger brother. He was Vincent's father and she'd been glad to hear the two men had worked out their issues and were building a relationship.
"Marguerite's the one who suggested I have you answer the ad in the paper when rumors started flying about a vampire in one of the lakeside small towns," Lucian growled with disgust and then shook his head and added, "but she couldn't have known anything about Elvi's situation in Port Henry at the time. The council had only got wind of her a week or so earlier."
"Did you say Port Henry?" Lissianna asked with a frown.
"Yes," Lucian said warily. "Why?"
Lissianna peered narrowly at Marguerite then turned to Greg, "Isn't that where she had us stop to eat when we all drove down to the Mennonite store about the baby crib for Lucy?"
"Mennonite store?" Leigh asked with interest and then glanced at Lucian. "I love Lucy's crib, we should go check out this store."
"It's wonderful," Lissianna assured her. "The workmanship is beautiful. Mom found it. We drove down a couple weeks before she went to Europe and they made and delivered the crib just a week before Lucy was born."
"Oh, yes." Greg nodded with sudden recall. "You were hungry when we left the store and we stopped for dinner at a little Mexican restaurant on the way back. What was the name of that place? Bella something."
"Bella Black's?" Victor asked with horror.
"That's it!" Lissianna exclaimed.
"That's my restaurant," Elvi said with amazement.
Lissianna frowned. "Mom spent a lot of time talking to the owner, but it wasn't you."
"It must have been Mabel," Elvi murmured, glancing curiously at Marguerite. "Though you do look kind of familiar."
"You came over to ask Mabel something while I was read--er... talking to her," Marguerite corrected herself and then shrugged. "It was only for a minute."
"Just long enough for you to read Elvi and decide you'd have me send Victor her way?" Lucian suggested.
Marguerite ignored him.
"You mean to say there isn't one of you that Mar--Mother didn't get together in some way?" Christian asked with amazement.
They all glanced at each other, then Victor said, "Maybe DJ and Mabel."
"Oh!" Marguerite brightened. "How lovely. I liked Mabel and DJ's such a sweetie."
Tiny gave Christian a nudge and teased, "And now it will be your turn. She'll try to find you a lifemate."
Marguerite scowled at the mortal when she saw the worried look on her son's face. Then she smiled archly and said, "Actually, Tiny, I was thinking that you would make some nice immortal a good husband."
Much to her satisfaction, while the mortal's eyes widened in horror at the very suggestion, Christian seemed to relax a bit. But only a bit, she noted unhappily. The last thing she wanted was her own son wary around her.
Sensing her fears, Julius squeezed her gently, his arms tightening briefly around her waist and urging her closer back against him.
"Tell me something," he interrupted in a loud voice when everyone began to speak at once. The moment silence fell, he asked, "Do any of you wish she hadn't interfered?"
There was a moment of silence as the couples looked at each other, then they answered in stereo with quiet nos or shakes of the head.
"Well, there you are then." He glanced to Christian. "You have something to look forward to, Son." Smiling at the doubtful look on his face, he then glanced toward Marcus and the twins and added, "Actually, you probably all have something to look forward to now that Marguerite's here to manage you. Enjoy."
"Welcome to the family," Thomas said with a laugh as the four men peered at each other with horror.
Chuckling, Julius turned Marguerite away and began to lead her out of the room.
Despite his apparent good humor over what he'd just learned, she glanced at him worriedly, and murmured, "I'm not really a meddler, Julius. And I don't have any grand intention to start hunting up a lifemate for Christian right away or anything."
"It's not meddling to want to see someone happy, Marguerite," he assured her, slipping his arm around her waist.
"I do want to see him happy," she said, and then added, "But I also want to get to know him better myself. And I want to spend time with you as well."
"And we will." Pausing in the hallway, he turned her to face him. "We'll get to know each other all over again, and you can get to know our son too. We have the time, that's one thing we have plenty of. Time and love."
"Time and love," Marguerite agreed as his lips descended to her.