Chapter 9

Katherine Anne Billingsly was born the following February on a cold winter's night. The screaming baby was cleaned up, wrapped in a warm soft blanket and put to her mother's tit for her first feeding. The proud father, after seeing that all was well with his wife and daughter, promptly joined his father and friends for a night of drinking and debauchery.

"Now I feel like a complete woman," she smiled to Ann who elected to stay with her daughter-in-law. The baby's lips sucking her nipple tickled, not like her husband's who turned her body on fire the way his lips.

"As well you should," Ann agreed, having her pinky out for Katherine to hold.

"I think she'll have red hair like myself," Alexis smiled happily.

"She will, she has your emerald green eyes."

"The way she screamed when she was slapped by the midwife, she'll have a temper as well."

"Dear, all redheaded women have tempers. And for my son, he needs a woman like yourself. So use that temper to keep him in line. It took me years to tame my husband. He wasn't brought up around women with his mother dying from his birth.

He wasn't used to a woman to turn him into a gentleman."

"Gentleman?" Alexis laughed. In her view, Billingsly was anything but what Ann described. He was still a loud boisterous man and she was determined that Mark was not going to end up that way. "I love my father-in-law but he isn't my idea of a gentleman."

"You should have seen him when we married." Ann smirked.

"If Mark even strays that way, he'll get my boot up his ass." Both women began laughing until they were red in the face. Meanwhile Katherine finished and belched on her own causing them turn into unladylike guffaws. Tears flowed down their cheeks. Ann, so prim and proper, had a lurid sense of humor. It was obvious that some of Lord Billingsly had affected his wife's behavior.

"She's a healthy one," Alexis covered her bare breast.

"Formidable on the battlefield and in the bed," Ann smiled.

"At least I have two things that I'm good at," she replied.

Word had reached the Billingsly realm that King Offa was dead. Murdered by his wife, Cynethryth. Instead of rejoicing, there was concern. If was as if

Billingsly was comfortable with the devil he knew instead of the devil he didn't know. This left a void in his kingdom and being good friends with the emperor of the Franks, Charlemagne, meant the possibility of an invasion. So

Lord Billingsly was not happy with the results. Once more he had to plan for was, remote as it might seem, and held a council meeting with Alexis holding her daughter in her lap. Billingsly admired his daughter-in-law's perception on tactics knowing she learned it from her father as they played chess.

"If the Franks invade in force, we should try to negotiate first but plan for battle if talks are fruitless," Alexis suggested. Once more she was the center of the council with her long striking red hair and beautiful face plus the swelling in her abdomen had gone down to her original shape with the exception of her breasts which still were full of milk to feed her child.

"I agree," Mark said, standing behind his seated wife. "If we can avoid having to spill blood, we should do so. A war with the Franks will do us no good whether we win or lose. We can't bleed our kingdom white."

"Exactly!" Alexis agreed.

"Other than negotiation, what do you suggest?" one of the generals asked.

"We can't use the same battleground or tactics as we did with Offa," Alexis said. "Charlemagne is too clever to fall for what Offa did. We'll have to come up with an original plan. My father is too ill to travel but we can send a few of you with my husband and me to consult with him. He hasn't seen his granddaughter yet so we're going there in a week or two as soon as the cold rains stop."

"Wonderful!" Billingsly exclaimed. "Isaiah is an old fox and he can give us all some pointers on how to set up a proper defense of our land. Mind you, we're going to be outnumbered four to one if this battle comes to fruition."

The trip took four days by horse and wagon. Alexis wanted to ride her mare but it was too impractical with the four month old baby. It was a cold June day when they embarked. A courier was sent ahead to notify Alexis' parents that she was on her way to show them their granddaughter and to discuss other things. They brought their own food so as not to become a burden upon her kin.

Ruth's eyes glowed with pride as her daughter unwrapped Katherine from her soft warm blanket. Isaiah was able to make it over to look at his grand- daughter too. He held the child first but afraid of dropping her, he gave the girl to his wife.