Duty With Honor Book Five: An Unexpected Pause

by Jordan Bollinger

  She'd enjoyed their ride around the Garden District. Their dinner had been incredible. But it was Andrew that had made the night so special.

  He'd been sweet, supportive, and patient.

  He'd been the man she'd married.

  God, how she hoped that man was still with her today.

  *****

  Drew thought their evening had gone very well. He'd been taken aback how quickly she'd accepted her wedding rings. And, touched by her wanting him to place them on her finger. Even more so when she slipped his wedding band on his finger.

  They'd had a wonderful evening. So, he was very careful not to let her notice his arousal. Jack was right -- don't rush her. And that meant he wanted her to see he appreciated her and not her body.

  Although, he did so want her. He'd abstained for six months now, and he was tired of taking cold showers. He'd even started biting the inside of his cheek whenever he felt himself getting hard. And, it had worked -- for a while.

  The real problem was neither of them had addressed the rather large, polka dot elephant in the room -- James' death. Andrew didn't want to bring it up first. After all, that didn't seem 'rock-like'.

  At least, not to him.

  Andrew knew it had to be faced before they could move on. There had been a moment the night before, as they walked through the dining room, or their way to the kitchen and the Chef's Table, when they'd passed an extremely pregnant woman, he was worried she was going to become distressed.

  She hadn't. But, she also hadn't said what he was sure she was feeling -- thinking. He didn't know if that had been a missed opportunity, or a dodged bullet.

  The thing was he just hadn't a clue as to how approach their child's death. Even though he'd told himself any number of times that his ignoring it, or hoping that Beth would bring it up was sticking his head in the sand, he just couldn't force the issue.

  And, of course, he hadn't even hinted at how someone followed her from London, across an ocean, and from one country to another, killing women in an attempt to kill her. He just hoped Jack was right, and whoever it was, believed they'd succeeded in killing Beth, when they'd killed that poor prostitute.

  *****

  There was a knock at the bedroom door, and when Beth called out, "Come in." Andrew entered, carrying a tray.

  "I'm afraid this is the last of the food, Elizabeth. We have coffee and tea, and the like, but no more actual food. So, we'll need to eat out from now on."

  As he set the tray down on the table and poured her coffee, Beth said, "Or, we can just order out."

  "No," he said. Then when he saw her face, hurried to explain himself, "I don't think we're supposed to let anyone know we're staying here."

  "Oh, I forgot," Elizabeth conceded. She took a sip of her coffee, smiled at Drew, and said, "Well, Paul Prudhomme's restaurant, K-Paul's, is just a block or so up Chartres towards Canal St."

  "Excellent!" Andrew told her, "We'll plan on that, then."

  "In fact," Beth said, "Why don't we plan on going as soon as they're open for dinner? That way we can avoid the rush, and it will still be early enough to talk a stroll around the square before it gets too late -- or too wild," she added, smiling.

  "I'll call and find out what time they open, while you're in the shower. Remember, you promised to show me around today."

  "I haven't forgotten. Just let me finish my breakfast, and we'll get going."

  "Beth," Andrew began, tentatively, "Don't you think we should call your folks, or maybe your Father and Richard?"

  She pushed her plate away, frowned, and answered, "No. I don't want to talk to anyone yet. You said that they all knew I was safe and you were with me."

  "They do, Sweetheart. I just thought you might want to speak to them." When she looked as if she might cry, he hurried on, adding, "But, it's your decision. All anyone knows is that we're together. Well, I mean Jack knows where we were. But, I haven't heard from him. He might think we've moved on."

  "And, just how can we do that?"

  "What do you mean?"

  Beth scowled, but then thought, maybe he didn't realize it, and said, "My purse was stolen. I don't have any passport or ID."

  "I have a copy of your driver's license and passport. But, it's not our official credentials. Right now, we're just Mr. and Mrs. Oliver -- an old married couple on holiday."

  She smiled at him and said, "You think of everything, don't you?"

  "I try, Elizabeth. I try."

  "Andrew, instead of walking around the quarter today, what if we drive up the River Road? There are several plantations that are open. Have you ever seen anything like that?"

  "No, I haven't. Would you enjoy that?"

  "I've seen them. But, I'd like you to get a better feel for this place." She giggled and added, "And maybe, appreciate the apartment a bit more."

  She jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom, while Drew dealt with the breakfast tray.

  *****

  After a rather tenuous beginning, where Beth stared out at the passing landscape, as Drew drove, things picked up. There were several small children among the other tourists visiting the first plantation. Initially, Elizabeth appeared to be pretending they didn't exist. At least she did until a tiny little girl became fascinated with Andrew. Of course, that was because he was smiling and winking at her.

  "What are you doing?" Beth asked him. But she was grinning at him.

  "I'm shamelessly flirting with that darling little girl. I think you must have looked like her when you were that age. I'm sure I've seen a picture of you that looks just like her. Besides, she started it," he insisted, grinning.

  "You're incorrigible," she told him, giggling. "Although she is adorable. But, I don't think I was ever cute as she is. Remember, I was an army brat -- well, an Air Force brat. I was taking karate instead of ballet and was out on the shooting range instead of a tennis court. I never really thought of it before, but I guess I was kind of a tom-boy."

  "Don't be silly. I've seen pictures of you in frilly dresses. You were even wearing little hats and gloves in several."

  "I'm pretty sure those must have been Easter pictures then. Trust me, I did not wear hats and gloves on a regular basis."

  Andrew looked at her, smiled and admitted, "You know, except for the sunhat, I've never seen you in a hat."

  "Well," Beth told him, "as a matter of fact, I have a couple really great hats. The thing is, hat opportunities don't come up every day."

  "I see," Drew said, "I guess we'll have to see if we can't find some."

  Beth turned and looked at him and asked, "Did you flirt when you were a little boy? Did you, as the nursery rhyme says, 'kiss the girls and make them cry?'"

  "First, as you very well know, when I kiss a girl, she doesn't cry." He wriggled an eyebrow and added, "She might moan -- but she definitely does not cry."

  "And second?" Beth asked.

  "Well, Edward and I were 'home schooled'. At least, that's what you'd say now. Back then, we called him a tutor. I didn't go to school until I went to Eton, when I was about ten. I never went to school with girls, so I'm not sure if that's a fair question."

  Beth smiled at him, but stayed quiet.

  "What?"

  "Nothing," she said, with what Drew supposed she thought was a straight face -- until he grinned at her. Then she burst into a fit of laughter.

  He took her hand, brought it up to his mouth, and kissed it. Then he said, "I do love your laugh. And, I've missed it so very much."

  "I'm not sure if you'll believe me, Andrew, but I've missed laughing. I know I haven't been fair to you--"

  "It doesn't matter, Bethy."

  "But it does, Drew. I know I was unfair to everyone. All any of you did was care about me. And, I treated you like you were the enemy."

  "Elizabeth, things might have been different if you'd come out of the anesthetic right away. We all would have been equally stunned. The problem was that we had time to grieve. And, a lot of our emotional energy was shifted to
worrying about you."

  "Andrew, I'm not sure you should make excuses for me."

  "I'm not making excuses, Beth. At least, I don't see it as that. I'm telling you that we -- your family -- understood why you needed time to yourself. We accepted it, because we love you."

  "I see," she answered. But Drew wasn't at all convinced.

  They finished their tour of the first plantation, and had gotten back into the car, when Beth admitted, "I'm kind of tired. The other plantation is probably close to an hour up the road. Maybe we should head back to town."

  "If that's what you want, of course. That will give us some time to poke around some shops before dinner." He smiled at her, and added, "I'll be right back," as he dashed back to the welcome center. He returned a few minutes later, carrying two Cokes and a packet of crisps. "I don't know about you, but I'm thirsty and ready for a snack."

  Beth accepted her open can of Coke, took a couple of chips from the bag, and returned to looking out her car window.

  After a few miles, Andrew said, "I didn't tell you about my shopping experience yesterday."

  "Of course you did," Beth insisted. "You said it was a nice place and the saleswoman was very helpful."

  "Well...I might have edited things a bit."

  "Why? What happened?"

  "I was barely through the door, when I was pounced on by several young saleswomen. And one was so...so...aggressive."

  "Aggressive?"

  "Well, she was so flirty. And not in an attractive way."

  "Yes..."

  "Well, last night, before I fell asleep, I got to thinking about it--"

  "Oh, really?"

  "Not like that Bethy," he insisted, coloring. "I meant," he said, grinning, "it made me think about how I flirt with women to get my way."

  Beth held the chip bag out for him and admitted, "I must be missing something, Andrew."

  "It was those younger women -- the way they stayed near the door, just waiting to throw themselves on men who came in to shop. This woman looked me up and down, and I just knew she was estimating how much I was good for...how much I could be persuaded to buy."

  "Okay..."

  "I felt badly for the older woman. Don't misunderstand me, she wasn't old or anything. She was in her forties, well-groomed, and attractive. But I'm sure those other women make her life a living hell. I bet she does most of the actual 'work', while they just preen, gossip, and lie in wait for innocent men."

  "Andrew, don't you think you might be exaggerating?"

  "A bit, perhaps. But, here's the thing...I hated how they acted. And later, I realized that's how I act."

  "No, it's not."

  "Of course, it is. Remember how I acted at the airport in Hartford and how upset you became?"

  "Yes, but it's not the same."

  "How do you figure?"

  "Drew, you might flirt to get a better table at a restaurant, or board a plane first, but you never do anything to make others feel badly about themselves. From what you're saying about these saleswomen, they don't just flaunt their...assets. They go out of their way to make the older woman feel old and unattractive. And, they do all they can to snag the big buyers, while they let her do the work."

  "Well..."

  "Besides," Beth continued, "You don't think of just yourself. You want everyone with you to have the best experience -- whatever that is. And, you also take complete strangers’ feelings into account." When he looked at her, she asked, "What did you do when we flew from Washington to London?"

  "I don't know. What?"

  "You remember...that's where the young mother was traveling with two little ones."

  "What..."

  "Andrew, you so remember."

  "Well, they were tired, and cramped in the two, tiny, coach seats. And, she couldn't sit with the one baby in her lap across the Atlantic. How could she possible take care of the toddler?"

  "So, what did you do?"

  Drew stared through the windshield for a moment, and then answered, "I just asked if they couldn't move up to First Class. There were empty seats."

  Beth laughed. "No, there weren't. I know for a fact, you had the gate attendant offer free tickets to the first two people who gave up their seats. And those were the seats that the little family moved into."

  "I--"

  "Don't even try to deny it, Andrew. It's not anything to be ashamed of. You're a thoughtful, considerate person, who sees others around him, and empathizes with them." She reached over and touched his hand, and said, "It's one of the many reasons I love you."

  Chapter Thirty

  Once they arrived back at the apartment, they changed clothes and then made the short walk to Jackson Square. They took advantage of the remaining light to stroll around the park like grounds surrounding the famous statue.

  Eventually, they'd left the square-proper and sat on a bench opposite St. Louis Cathedral.

  "It's still early enough," Drew told her, "we could pop into the cathedral before mass starts, just to see inside."

  "I've been inside. And, to be honest, I am a little tired. What if I just sit here for a few minutes -- people-watching, while you check it out?"

  "Well," Andrew said, "only for a couple minutes, and you won't move, right?"

  "I won't move, Drew. I promise."

  "All right," Andrew agreed. Then, he kissed her cheek, and crossed to the church.

  Beth hummed to herself, happily. Of all her places on Earth, this bench at the Canal Street end of the closed off portion of Chartres Street was probably her most favorite. She'd spent time here whenever she visited the city. It was a magic corner -- a window to the world.

  Street musicians entertained the throngs of sightseers, while fortune tellers read tourist's palms and tarot cards, and local legends -- like the pigeon man who allowed himself to be covered in the birds or the water glass player spinning out music by rubbing his finger on the rims of dozens of carefully arranged glasses filled with various levels of water -- amused others.

  Beth loved this spot.

  She sat, watching all the people moving around her, enjoy how different everyone was from each other, when a man caught her eye. She thought he looked familiar, but once she leaned forward, in an attempt to see him more clearly, he was gone. And, when she turned around, she was looking up at Andrew, smiling down on her.

  "That was a fast tour," she told him.

  "Well, it is getting close to mass, and I didn't want to risk getting interested in something and then not want to interrupt the service by my leaving. Besides, it's so near to the apartment, I'm sure we'll pass it again." He held out his hand for her, adding, "Are you ready? I think we can get into the restaurant now. Then, we can sit and have a cocktail."

  "That sounds like a plan," Beth said, accepting his hand.

  *****

  After another fabulous meal, they walked back down Chartres Street and the apartment. But, they didn't go upstairs right away. Instead, as they passed through the little door in the gate, Andrew took her hand and said, "Close your eyes." Then he led her into the far corner of the lush patio garden. He leaned in, so that his breath kissed her cheek, as he whispered, "Take a deep breath."

  She inhaled the balmy night air, and discovered the delicious scent of gardenias filling her lungs. "But, how did I not smell these before?"

  "Because the bedroom and gallery face the square. But I knew you'd like it. I've been saving it for a surprise."

  She patted the bench beside her, signaling him to join her, when she froze for a moment -- as if the action reminded her of something. But, just as quickly, whatever it was, disappeared. She took Drew's hand, pulling him down to sit, and then she leaned against him, lightly.

  "I want you to know," Beth began, "I do appreciate your patience. I know we've been avoiding... well... I've been avoiding talking about our... well... my problem."

  "James?"

  "Yes," she said in a soft voice, "I know we...that I...have several problems, but that me accepting his death, g
racefully, is the most important."

  "Beth, I'm willing to wait until you're ready to discuss this. Really."

  "I know. The thing is...I'm just not sure how," she said, doing her best to hold back the tears.

  "Sweetheart, this can just wait until you know what it is you want to say--"

  "But that's just it. I don't know what to say. After all this time, I haven't managed to figure very much out at all."

  "Well, what if we go over some things," Drew asked, smiling. "You know I love you, right?"

  "Yes," she said.

  "And, you know your family all love you, don't you?"

  "Of course."

  "Do you love me? Do you want to be married to me?"

  "Yes, but--"

  "But what?"

  "I don't know. That's what I find so frustrating."

  "Perhaps," Andrew suggested, "you're just worrying about it too much. What if you just try not thinking of it for a while? And, we'll see how things go."

  "I'll try," she agreed with a sigh. "But it seems like that's all I've been doing."

  "Just relax and try not to think about it. Now, come on. Let's go upstairs and go to bed."

  "Andrew..."

  "I didn't mean it that way, Beth. I'm not rushing you."

  "Well, what I was going to say was that you don't have to sleep on the accouchement couch. I trust you to sleep in the bed."

  *****

  Drew bit the inside of his cheek, before he spoke, "I appreciate that Beth. It would be more comfortable...but... I'll stay on top of the covers." When she stopped mid-stair, turned around, and looked at him, he added, "Beth, I want to be close to you. I also want to be close to you. I'm doing my best to respect your wishes, but I've also been spending an inordinate amount of time in the shower. So, let me stay on top of the covers. At least, for now."

  "All right, Andrew."

  They got to the first landing, and Drew asked, "Would you like a cup of tea, or a drink?"

  "Yes...well...no, never mind. But," she said, "I would like for you to read some more. Do you mind?"

  "Of course, not."