Chapter 0004

            “Oooo!  Here it is!” Katherine excitedly cooed as she dragged Julius into the newly opened art gallery.

            Though its grand opening was still a week away it was open for business.  Located along East Houston Street it enjoyed proximity to several other galleries and ensured a steady stream of curious visitors.  His father might not have much experience when it came to art but he knew a good location so Julius was not surprised; however, it still didn’t explain why his father bought the art gallery in the first place.  

            He sighed.  It had only taken a day for Katherine to recover from his father’s public rejection.  Julius hated to admit it but she had some fortitude.  She probably thought it earned her sympathy from him but he couldn’t care less, if she wanted to punish herself by irritating his father that was her business.  

            Julius glanced around him to distract himself from her irritatingly shrill voice.  Gray Studio Gallery’s mission was to be the premiere proprietor of M. Gray’s work: both past as well as current.  Gray’s new show was set to debut exclusively at this location and promised to garner quite the reception during its grand opening.  It was rumored the illusive artist in question would even be making a personal appearance.  No effort was spared to present a sophisticated atmosphere in the gallery including the rather odd addition of a grand piano.  

            Julius didn’t have an eye for art but as he looked at the various photographs his interest was piqued.  There was something captivating in the compositions whether in color or in black and white.  Lighting, angle and focus all harmonized to create subtle but intriguing moods. Images were raw when they were meant to provoke the viewer and soft where they meant to inspire.  He could see why M. Gray was touted as a ground breaking artist.  The praise was definitely earned.

            “Doctor, how is she?” Augustus demanded as soon as she exited the bedroom.

            Signing for quiet, the doctor peered into the bedroom at her patient comfortably resting before pulling the door closed.  Maia Darman had been practicing for over two decades and had gathered a rather exclusive clientele.  Though her hair was slowly fading to gray now, her wits were as sharp as ever.

            It was often assumed the rich were entitled and self-absorbed, and in some cases that was undoubtedly true.  However, there was also a reason for their entitlement, especially in terms of healthcare.  After all, ensuring their good health as well as the health of their heirs was doubly important when the rumor of a cold was enough to affect their company’s profits and stocks. 

            With such stakes, it wasn’t a surprise they rarely stepped into a hospital, preferring the physician to make a house call.  Of course, that doctor had to be trustworthy enough not to succumb to idle gossip, not the promise of selling confidential information to the media.  Augustus DaLair was no different, but he wasn’t impossible with his demands.  As such, she was able to maintain her own practice aided by his generous donation and endorsement. 

            Many people feared him, but they would be surprised to see the concern and worry he exuded now.  There was nothing more important to Augustus than his family and their health.  The fact he had been pacing the hallway the entire time while Maia checked on her patient was proof of how dearly he cared about his daughter-in-law. 

            “She’s resting comfortably now,” Maia said.  “I prescribed her something for the nausea if it gets worse, but the most important thing for her right now is rest and to reduce her stress levels.”

            “Stress?”

            “This is her first pregnancy and, according to what she told me, her cycles are generally irregular,” the doctor explained.  Macey had known Augustus would be concerned for her health and had given her permission to share this much information.  “Irregular cycles can be a sign of hormonal imbalances, in which case getting pregnant can be more difficult and also more difficult to maintain, especially in the first trimester.”

            Augustus felt himself go pale.  His wife had a hard time conceiving and Rose had as well.  Was Macey similarly cursed?

            “What about the baby?”

            “As far as I can tell, without further tests, it’s fine,” the doctor sighed.

            Augustus let out a slow breath.

            “She should continue to rest and allow the pregnancy to establish itself.  She should take it easy and relax and you should keep as much stress out of her daily life as possible.”

            “It shall be done,” Augustus nodded. 

            “I’ll return in a couple of days for a follow-up, but call me if anything comes up before then.”

            “Of course, thank you doctor.”

            A sidelong glance at Stephen was all that was necessary to instruct the younger man to escort the doctor out.  When they were both gone, Augustus quietly let himself into the bedroom.  With a sigh, he took a seat beside the bed and stared at the woman comfortably sleeping.

            It had been two days since she left Julius.  She left everything behind aside from a handful of cash.  Even her cell phone had been discarded.  If he hadn’t the foresight to send Stephen to shadow her, she would have disappeared completely forever out of his sight and protection.  Augustus couldn’t let that happen.

            He owed his life to her father.  Carl Grayson was a simple man, or so Augustus thought at their first meeting.  They met in basic training along with the other men that would soon be placed under Augustus’s command.  Their training had centered on working together until their deployment.  While the other men in the squad soon developed close ties and camaraderie, Carl maintained an aloof manner and kept everyone at a distance.