Past Sins Revisited

by Mary Goldberger

  “I was wondering if you could give me Calida’s number,” the young woman asked and immediately Ms. Welsh went on the offensive. The woman seeing it shook her head as she stated, “I was hoping to hire her to make a cake for my mother-in-law’s birthday that is coming up. We’ve hired a caterer for the party, but my mother-in-law loved the pastries at Mrs. Treston’s bakery. Mrs. Treston told me that if I wanted to get someone to make the cake then I should look into hiring Calida Lindley.”

  Ms. Welsh softened slightly but there was still a wary look in her eyes as she said, “Mrs.…”

  “Call me Jenny, ma’am,” the young woman said getting a startled look from Ms. Welsh.

  “I haven’t seen Calida since Edric went out of town on business,” Ms. Welsh admitted watching the young woman’s face fall at her words. Seeing that look, Ms. Welsh grabbed a notepad and pen, and handed it to her saying, “Put your name and number down, and I will make sure that Calida receives it.”

  Jenny’s eyes flared with gratitude as she took the notepad and wrote down her information, and she was just handing it back to Ms. Welsh when Sophie called her name.

  Ms. Welsh watched as Jenny’s lips twisted at Sophie’s voice before she smiled at her. “Thank you, Ms. Welsh.”

  She walked out of the kitchen in an unhurried stride as Sophie asked in a petulant voice, “Why did you go in there and bother my servant?”

  Ms. Welsh eyes flared with anger at those words as Jenny said bluntly, “I wanted to know if she could get in touch with Calida for me.”

  Ms. Welsh heard Sophie gasp as the other women began to ask questions, but Jenny merely looked at her watch and made her excuse to leave since she was meeting her husband for dinner.

  Ms. Welsh chuckled as she walked over to the phone and called Wilma giving her the information about Jenny, and Wilma listened on the other end as Calida came into the living room tired from her day of standing still for Miss Anders.

  “Calida, a young woman wants to know if you would make a cake for her mother-in-law’s birthday,” Wilma told her seeing Calida’s eyes light up at the prospect. “I have her information here.”

  Calida walked over and took the paper from her before she nodded her head and said as she walked out of the kitchen, “Hi, Ms. Welsh.”

  Ms. Welsh, on the end, laughed as she said ‘goodbye’ to Wilma and she had just hung the phone when Sophie stormed into the kitchen.

  “What did Jenny really want,” she demanded as Ms. Welsh went back to making dinner.

  “She wanted Calida’s number so she could call and hire her to make a cake for her mother-in-law’s birthday,” Ms. Welsh told her honestly catching the ugly look that crossed Sophie’s face at her words.

  “I don’t want to hear that damn woman’s name mentioned again in this house,” Sophie screamed pointing a finger at her. “When Ric and I finally get married, you are the first person I’m firing besides that damn secretary he has on staff.”

  Ms. Welsh turned to look at her as Edric said from the doorway, “I may have something to say about that, Sophie.”

  Sophie spun around at his voice her eyes wide and face pale before she said with a nervous laugh, “We didn’t hear you come in, Ric, since I was helping Ms. Welsh with dinner.”

  Edric glanced over at Ms. Welsh seeing the woman who had been around since he was young roll her eyes had him and he wanted to laugh although he pushed it back as he asked, “Is dinner almost done, Ms. Welsh?”

  “Another half hour, Edric,” she answered taking a look at the clock on the wall.

  He nodded his head before giving Sophie a brief glance and then turned on his heel going to his office, and after an angry look at Ms. Welsh, Sophie followed him.

  “How was your day,” she asked in a soft tone seeing how tired he was.

  “Fine,” Edric responded as his cell rung and he pulled it out of his pocket opening it with a brisk, “Walwyn.”

  Sophie watched as a slow smile began to cross his face as he said, “So you did it, huh, Mariah?”

  He nodded his head glancing up to see the scowl on Sophie’s face as he talked with his secretary a little longer before he hung up and she snapped, “I wonder if Tomas knew how often you two talk to each other.”

  “Considering the fact he was right there and adding his own comments, I doubt he will mind,” Edric revealed, and Sophie’s face went red with embarrassment.

  Sophie was quiet for a few minutes before she asked in slight cooing tone, “Ric, why didn’t you tell me that you had pushed back your vacation until next week?”

  Edric didn’t even glance up at her as he confided, “I didn’t realize that I had to run my schedule by you, Sophie.”

  “But Ric,” Sophie said her eyes widening at his response only for a knock on the door to interrupt her as Ms. Welsh stuck her head in.

  “Dinner will be in ten minutes,” she said getting a smile and a nod from Edric as he grabbed a couple of files.

  “I’m going to wash up before dinner,” he told Sophie ushering her out of the office, and Sophie frowned at him before she scowled and walked away.

  Edric watched her retreating back before he locked his office door although he thought he was being a little paranoid, but he felt better after doing it.

  He ran lightly up the stairs and to the guest bedroom that he had been using since Sophie’s stay in his home.

  He placed the files on the bed and walked into the bathroom unbuttoning his shirt as he did so to wash his face and hands before leaving the room.

  Sophie was just walking into the room as he stepped out of the bathroom and he asked, “May I help you, Sophie?”

  “I thought we could talk,” she said in a soft voice looking at him through thick eyelashes.

  “We can do that at the dinner table,” he replied with a fleeting stare before he took off his shirt and grabbed another one from the closet.

  “Ric,” Sophie breathed in a soft seductive tone walking over to him and sliding her hands up his bare back.

  He moved away from her and with ease slipped the shirt on buttoning it up as he told her bluntly, “You are here to recover, nothing more Sophie.”

  Sophie stared at him in confusion as she said, “But I thought…”

  “I’m engaged to be married,” Edric reminded her seeing a light go off in her eyes while she said with a slight sneer, “And we know how much of a gentleman you are, Ric?”

  Edric raised an eyebrow at her words and suddenly Sophie realized what she said as she stammered, “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean it. I know that you want to wait until you break the engagement with Calida, but Ric why are you making me suffer like this? I don’t understand.”

  Sophie began to weep tears coursing down her cheeks and Edric stared at her before he reached out putting an arm around her as he said, “Let’s go downstairs and eat while we talk.”

  He walked out of the room, but he caught the smug look on her face in the mirror on the dresser, and in that moment, he decided that she was pushing his tolerance to the limit and what happens would be on her shoulders.

  Later that evening after dinner and an unsatisfying conversation, Sophie went to bed when Edric said he had some work to do in his office observing the scowl cross her face when they parted ways in the hallway. Ms. Welsh waited until she was sure that Sophie was in her room before she headed for his office where she proceeded to tell Edric what transpired that day.

  Edric’s eyes gleamed with pride but he didn’t say a word as he winked at her before returning his attention to the work on his desk.

  Ms. Welsh left the office with a smile on his face meeting Sophie in the hallway in a transparent nightgown as she asked, “He’s still in the office?”

  Ms. Welsh nodded her head watching a scowl cross Sophie’s made up face before she smoothed it away running her hands down the silky robe she wore and tousling her hair she headed for the office door, and Ms. Welsh shook her head walking away wondering how she was going to explain the diamond on her f
inger that Edric would see. A brief smile went across her face at the thought before she let out a light chuckle as she entered the kitchen to make her a cup of hot tea before going to bed.

  “Come in,” Edric said absently as a knock sounded on his door already knowing who it would be while he continued reading the papers in front of him.

  “Ric,” Sophie pouted as she closed the door behind her and sashayed over to his desk.

  Edric glanced up briefly before returning his attention to his desk mentally shaking his head at her choice of nightwear which he would’ve find enticing at one time.

  “What is it Sophie, as you can see, I’m working,” he told recalling that he had used the same worlds with Calida one time.

  “I’m lonely,” Sophie said coyly, and Edric sat back in his chair lifting his eyes to stare at her although he wasn’t seeing her as he remembered what happened with Calida when he uttered those exact words while a smile crossed his face green eyes flaring with intense heat at those thoughts.

  He shook his head when Sophie called his name and he stared at her seeing the sexy night outfit and he would admit that she was an appealing woman, but for some reason she wasn’t eliciting any response from him.

  “I’m sorry, Sophie,” he told her in a distracted voice. “I’m trying to get everything finished before the weekend because after I attend Jeffrey’s funeral I’m leaving for my vacation.”

  Sophie’s eyes widened in astonishment before satisfaction settled on her face.

  “So you’ve decided to go to Hawaii after all,” she said in excitement as her hands tightened on the belt of her robe which Edric’s eyes not realizing what she was revealing with her words although Edric ignored them as his eyes were caught by the ring on her finger.

  In her excitement, she didn’t’ realize that Edric never responded to her words as he said with undertone that she caught immediately, “That is a beautiful ring, Sophie, although I didn’t know that you were engaged.”

  Sophie froze for a second before she shifted nervously as she said hesitatingly, “This mere bauble? It’s been in my jewelry box for some time and I recently took it out to wear.”

  “Hmm,” Edric murmured giving her a narrowed look before he smiled. “It complements you perfectly, Sophie.”

  Sophie preened at his compliment as she murmured seductively, “You think so, Ric?”

  “Of course since it is something I would’ve bought for you,” Edric told her with a brief smile before he shifted his gaze back to the work on his desk catching the smug look that crossed Sophie’s face from the corner of his eye.

  The smugness dissipated after a few minutes and she sighed heavily as she watched Edric become engrossed in the work on his desk while a thought crossed her mind.

  She laughed getting a quizzical look from Edric before he returned to his work, and she said, “I wonder how Calida dealt during these times when you became engross in your work.”

  She hastened to add, “I understand that you are focused on your work, Ric, and that you need to be able to work undistracted.”

  Edric heard the note in her voice which he attributed to her belief that Calida hadn’t been able to handle his working habits so he didn’t bother to tell her that with Calida, he would often take his work to bed with him just so he could be with her. At the same time, Calida allowed him to bounce ideas off her as she worked next to him.

  “Are you going to Jeffrey’s funeral,” he asked cutting off her ramblings getting a surprised gasped from her before she laughed lightly.

  “So you are going to do it at the funeral as I thought,” she said as he started to pile the papers together that he had been working on.

  “Do what,” he asked her as he placed them in the folder and closed it before moving to the next one.

  “Break your engagement with her, of course, Ric,” Sophie remarked before yawning.

  Edric stilled for a second before he continued working telling her, “You should go to bed, Sophie. You still need your rest.”

  Sophie opened her mouth to complain before she thought better and said in a soft voice, “You are right, Ric.”

  She walked over to him and maneuvered herself so that she sat in his lap, and Edric glanced up at her.

  “I won’t take up too much more of your time, but Ric,” she said on a soft cajoling voice, “I know that you are protecting my reputation and all especially as you are engaged even if it is unofficial, but you shouldn’t deprive yourself of what you want.”

  Edric smiled at her before he lifted her off his lap telling her without hesitation, “I never deprive myself of what I truly want, Sophie, and you should know that. Right now, I have a lot of work to complete and I really don’t have the time to go after what I truly want. Once this weekend comes, then I fully intend to do just that and enjoy my vacation to the fullest.”

  Sophie smiled brightly at his words before she gave him another kiss and a ‘goodnight’ her mind already making plans, and as she walked out of the room Edric shook his head.

  He wondered if Sophie had always concluded what he was going to do, and he found himself answering his own question as he continued working through the night while Sophie went asleep waiting upstairs for him.

  Calida laid in her bed thinking about Edric and what he was doing as she stared up at the ceiling. She sighed heavily one hand going down to lay against her stomach and tears came to her eyes when she thought about the life she had been carrying and lost because of her actions. She shook her head closing her eyes forcing herself to go to sleep although her hand stayed on her stomach as sleep finally claimed her.

  The next morning she woke up feeling rested, but sore from the day before although they didn’t let her overdo it.

  She walked out of her room still dressed in her nightgown and headed for the kitchen where the others were preparing breakfast.

  “Good morning, sweetie,” Marti said with a smile glancing over the nightgown and Calida grimaced her fingers picking at the gown.

  Marti nodded her head as she waved Calida to a seat at the table as she told her, “Don’t worry about it, Calida. You’re still healing so I don’t expect you to come out dressed if you don’t feel like it. Would you like a glass of juice?”

  “If you don’t mind,” Calida remarked sitting down with a sigh glancing around hearing the quietness in the house. “Where are Wilma and Jake?”

  “Finishing up some last minute details for Jeffrey’s funeral,” Marti told her putting down a plate in front of her getting a startled look from Calida. “I want you to eat everything on that plate.”

  Calida smiled her eyes dimming a little as she thought about the funeral but she began to eat as Marti poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table with her.

  “The wake is going to be held at the Reseda house,” Marti told her taking a sip of her coffee as Calida nodded her head pushing her food around on her plate.

  The front door opened and shut as Jake and Wilma returned, and Calida sipped her juice as she began to push the plate away only stop at the stern look from Marti.

  As they entered the kitchen, Calida saw the looks they gave her and she sighed gently before turning her attention to the food on her plate.

  “Calida,” Jake began only for Calida’s soft voice to interrupt him.

  “The house is mortgaged to the hilt,” Calida confirmed looking up as the three stared at her in surprise. “And unfortunately, I don’t have the kind of money they want to stop it from being put on the market.”

  She saw the sadness in Wilma’s eyes and she reached across the table to grab her hand.

  “It stopped being a home when mom died, Wilma,” Calida admitted squeezing her hand slightly. “Dad was rarely around even though he loved me, but he missed mom so much that he just didn’t have time for me. I don’t blame him, but his absence just made Jeffrey a lot more confident.”

  Wilma nodded her head as tears spilled over her cheeks and she squeezed Calida’s hands when she revealed, “Fiv
e years ago when I learned about the mortgage I tried to keep up with the payments but it seemed that Jeffrey learned about it, and decided to go for a second mortgage that I stopped. Besides, the house was left to Jeffrey and he could do what he wanted with it.”

  Calida shrugged her shoulders as she squeezed Wilma’s hand again before she sat back in her seat and with a look at Marti pulled her plate back in front of her to start eating again.

  “They will allow us to hold the wake, but afterwards the house will be closed up,” Wilma revealed as Calida ate her breakfast. “Everything in the house goes with it even the things in the padlocked garage.”

  Calida’s head shot up at that as she turned to Wilma and asked, “Do you think they will let me look through it first as most of the things in the garage was my mother’s?”

  Wilma smiled as she nodded her head telling her, “I’ve talked with them and they’ve agreed to let you go through it first.”

  Calida sighed in relief as she continued eating most of what was on her plate before she pushed it away.

  They watched her silently as she picked up her juice and sipped on it a thoughtful look on her face, and Wilma asked, “When do you want to take a look inside?”

  “After the wake,” Calida finally said after some minutes of thinking and she missed the look the three of them shared as she drained her glass and got up from the table.

  “I think I’m going to spend some time in the kitchen today,” she told them as she gathered her plate and took it to the sink before she began going through the cabinets pulling out ingredients.

  “But…” Marti began only to stop when Wilma put a hand on her arm.

  “Let her do what she does best, Marti,” Wilma advised watching Calida. “It’s not going to hurt her and we can keep an eye on her so she doesn’t over do it.”

  Marti nodded her head reluctantly and Wilma excused herself to leave the room to go her and Jake’s bedroom to use her cell.

  “I thought you would like to know…” she began as Edric answered his cell listening intently to what Wilma told him.