Conquest of the Heart

by R. J. Dillon

  He knocked on the bedroom door.

  “Come,” said Emile.

  “Good afternoon, Emile. We came as soon as we could. What did you want to talk to me about?” Morgan walked over to the window and pulled the chair closer to the bed.

  “I need your help with Faith. I want her to go back to work.”

  “That’s easier said than done, Emile. She’s devoted to making sure you’re well cared for. You know I can’t make her stop doing that.”

  “I want her to choose of course, but it has to be an offer she can’t refuse. When I married Faith, one of the things that I fell in love with was her love for life. She was so active, even in my healthy state I could barely keep up with her. Now, she can barely stay awake during the day, and have you noticed how thin she’s gotten? She barely eats. I’ve watched her slowly lose the glow she once had. Her smile still brightens my day, but she’s become frail. I don’t want her to die with me. Unfortunately, that’s what’s happening. She needs to get out of this house.”

  “She has gotten thin, you’re right,” said Morgan. The situation seemed hopeless, but he looked at his son-in-law and said, “I’ll see what I can do, okay? I can’t make any promises.”

  Emile nodded, “Thank you.”

  “Now, enough about Faith. How are you, son?” Morgan gently touched his shoulder.

  “I’m as good as I can be. I’ll be much happier when Faith is back to normal. I hate seeing her like this.”

  “You’re amazing, you know that? You’re sick and yet you’re more concerned about how Faith is doing.”

  “She’s my wife. I love her deeply. There’s nothing I can do about this disease in my body, but I can do something about her welfare.”

  “I understand,” Morgan said.

  Faith called from downstairs to let her father and Emile know that dinner was ready.

  “Well, let’s get you down to dinner, shall we?”

  Morgan helped Emile out of bed. He would be able to walk on his own after a day or so, but he was still weak from the chemo he’d had earlier. Emile leaned on Morgan as they walked downstairs. All of them sat down and enjoyed a nice dinner together. It was the first time in a few months that Emile saw a slight hint of brightness in Faith’s face.

  A week later, Adrian called Morgan to let him know he was in France.

  “Morgan, I’m in town to see you. I need your help with something.”

  “It’s good to hear from you, friend. How are you? What can I help with?”

  “I’m fine. Listen, C&A needs a better community presence. From what I’ve read, Spring is well known in its area. I need to know your secret and how I can go about implementing something similar. We need your help.”

  Morgan couldn’t believe that his prayers had been answered so quickly. “Adrian, meet me for lunch. There’s someone you should meet.”

  A few hours later, Adrian and Morgan were sitting at a table, catching up on family, business, and old friends.

  “I thought you said there was someone you wanted me to meet,” said Adrian.

  “There is. She should be here any minute.” Morgan looked up, nodded and said, “Here she comes.”

  Faith approached the table. “I’m sorry I’m late, Dad. Traffic was a little backed up,” she said leaning down and kissing her father on the cheek.

  Adrian was surprised at how much she had grown. “I don’t believe my eyes.”

  Faith looked over immediately, recognizing his voice. “Adrian?” she smiled. “Adrian Carlisle, how are you? It’s been way too long.” He stood and gave her a big hug. “What are you doing here?” she asked as they sat down.

  “Your father,” Adrian motioned to Morgan, “told me to meet him for lunch because he wanted me to meet someone. C&A needs his help. He didn’t tell me I was here to meet you.”

  “What kind of help does C&A need exactly?” she asked, looking at the two men.

  “Spring is ranked first in Europe for its community presence. C&A needs to increase its exposure. I need to know what their secret is,” said Adrian.

  “You’re looking at her,” smiled Morgan.

  Adrian looked at Faith, “I don’t understand.”

  “Faith is the reason that Spring is so well-known and respected among the people. She’s the best. You wouldn’t believe how many companies have tried to steal her from me,” replied Morgan.

  Faith smiled, “Dad, you’re biased. I’m not sure I can be of any assistance to you, Adrian. I’m not working any longer.”

  “That’s too bad. We could really use your expertise. I only like to employ the best. Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”

  “I really need to care for my husband,” she replied.

  “Faith, it would do you some good to work again. Emile sleeps most of the day. There’s a family friend in New York whose specialty is in-home care. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to help out.”

  “New York? We’d have to move? Absolutely not,” she shook her head. “Emile is in no condition to travel. We don’t know much about America. We don’t have a house, or a car. We don’t even know if there’s a center there that specializes in prostate cancer treatment.”

  “Cancer? Oh Faith, I’m so sorry. I hadn’t heard,” said Adrian.

  “Emile has already been cleared for travel. I’ll have a car ready for you when you arrive, and we can purchase a house as soon as you find one you like. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is the best center in New York for prostate cancer patients. I looked into it this morning,” said Morgan.

  “I see. My husband wouldn’t have anything to do with this, would he?” asked Faith, suspiciously.

  “Faith, a friend called this morning and asked for help,” he pointed to Adrian with his head. “You’re the best at what you do. Are you going to tell him no?”

  Faith sat quietly, not sure whether she was angry, relieved, or both.

  “This will be good for you, Faith. You need to be distracted from all that you’ve been through. We’re starting to get concerned for your health.”

  She sighed, feeling helpless and cornered. She sipped on some water, saying nothing for a few moments. Finally she said, “Adrian, I’d love to help. It’ll take some time to prepare for the move. Can you give us a month or two?”

  “Absolutely. Let me know what we can do to help.”

  Faith nodded. She looked at her father without speaking. “Please excuse me, gentlemen.”

  She stood, left the restaurant, and went to see her mother. The two men watched her leave.

  “I hope I didn’t cause any trouble. I had no idea.” Adrian was concerned for her.

  “No worries, my friend. She will get over it. Let’s finish our meals. I’d like you to meet Emile. He’ll want to know of my progress.”

  “So her husband is behind this after all?” asked Adrian.

  “Yes, but Vivian and I both agree with him that Faith needs a healthy distraction. Your timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Emile and I just talked about this a week ago.”

  “Won’t Faith be home? She’ll suspect - ”

  Morgan shook his head. “She’s upset with me. Whenever that happens, she goes to see her mother. We should have plenty of time.”

  They finished eating, paid for their meal, and went to see Emile. Morgan called ahead to let him know they were coming.

  At Emile and Faith’s house, Morgan and Adrian joined Emile in the family room.

  “Emile, this is Adrian Carlisle, a close friend of the family,” said Morgan.

  Emile extended his hand, “Nice to meet you. Sit, sit.” He motioned to the sofa.

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry to hear about your condition,” Adrian said.

  Emile nodded.

  “Adrian is actually on a business visit. He had a position created for Public Relations Director at his company. They want to increase their community presence in New York. He’s offered Faith a job.”

  “So soon,” Emile’s eyes lit up.

&nbs
p; “Yes. If you’re up to it, you’re cleared to travel to New York. There’s a center there that specializes in the treatment you need, possibly better than the one here.”

  “Did Faith accept the offer?” he asked looking at them. They were sitting across from him.

  “She did. She didn’t like it, but she did. She asked if you had anything to do with it, but I took responsibility, which to an extent, was true,” replied Morgan.

  “Thank you, Morgan.” Emile paused. “I do have one more request.”

  “What is it?” asked Morgan.

  “I don’t want Faith to be alone when I’m gone.”

  “She won’t be. We’ll be here for her, and so will your family, and her friends. The two of you have never been in this alone,” said Morgan.

  “That’s not what I mean. I want her to meet someone, someone special who can capture her heart.”

  “This is an even harder task than the job, Emile. You know Faith loves you with everything she is. She will never allow anyone near her. She values your marriage too much.”

  Adrian was overcome by the love that Emile had for Faith. His love was so strong, he was willing to let her go, due to his sickness.

  “Morgan, you and I both know that Faith should never have married me. Perhaps with the move, and working, she will have a good chance of meeting the right one.”

  “That would be a long shot.” Morgan sat quietly, and then a light came on.

  Looking at Adrian he said, “Adrian, is Gavin still single?”

  Adrian looked down in disappointment. “I’m afraid so. Juliet and I don’t approve of his current activities, but there’s not much we can do.”

  Morgan and Emile sat and stared at Adrian. It took a moment for him to realize where Morgan was headed with his question.

  “I see where you’re going. Gavin would definitely be attracted to Faith. Based on what I know about her, she wouldn’t make things easy for him. He would find that challenging.”

  Emile was still concerned. “What about her sensitivity? She can’t be won over by just anyone.”

  “Emile, all we can do is try. There’s no guarantee,” Morgan answered.

  Adrian was perplexed. “What sensitivity? I only recall that she speaks in uncontrolled French when she’s uncomfortable.”

  “It’s complicated. We don’t need to go into that right now. Let’s just hope that Gavin is persistent. He’ll have to be,” said Morgan.

  “He is,” said Adrian. “Maybe Faith will turn out to be the one he needs as well. He hasn’t been serious about anyone since Aubrey.”

  “Let’s hope for the best,” said Emile.

  * * *

  “I’m afraid you were set up, son,” Adrian finished. “So was Faith. Of course, we had no idea if it would work out. I’d say so far it has. When I wasn’t sure what was going on with you two, Agnes filled me in. I called Emile weekly to update him.”

  “Emile has been behind this the whole time without Faith knowing?”

  “Yes, and she can’t know. She’s been through so much already with the attempted rape, Emile dying, and the possibility of losing you. I don’t think she can take much more.”

  “She’s not losing me. I love her,” Gavin said.

  “Did you tell her that?”

  “I did. Given the circumstances, I felt she needed to know.”

  “Good. I told you that time would come.”

  “What happens now?” Gavin asked.

  “I believe that’s up to you and Faith. She’ll need you more than she’s ever needed you. Oh,” Adrian remembered, “how does she react to you touching her?”

  “She can’t resist my touch, and that’s not me being arrogant. She told me. In fact, just hearing my voice does something to her. Why?”

  “That, she’ll have to explain. Is she still here?”

  “I had to send her home. That’s the other matter we need to talk about.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “I didn’t find out from Faith that she was married. Chandler told me.”

  Adrian shook his head in disbelief. “How the hell did she find out?”

  “I’m not sure. When Faith figured out how I knew, she confronted Chandler about it. She slapped her pretty hard, almost twice if I hadn’t stopped her. Chandler’s on leave with pay until further notice. I suspect we might have a civil suit coming if we don’t tread lightly with this one.”

  “You’re right. Let her stew a bit, then we’ll call her in. If she wasn’t so talented I’d fire her myself. She’s been nothing but trouble since she got here.”

  Gavin was still in disbelief, and really wanted to see Faith. “My mind is still reeling from this. Can you handle the rest of the day without me?” he asked as he stood.

  “Absolutely. Take all the time you need. I only ask that you take any contracts or paperwork that need to be signed with you. We have deadlines to meet.”

  “I was planning on it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Gavin turned and walked out of Adrian’s office, went back to his own and put all of his paperwork in his briefcase. Before leaving, he sent a text message to Faith.

  “Meet me at my house,” his fingers typed. He left for the day, hoping that she would respond or just be there when he got home.

  Faith was relaxing at home, talking to Mara, the nurse, about the morning’s events before she got the text from Gavin.

  “Yes, she came to the door and asked a lot of questions. She never said who she was,” said Mara.

  “I can’t believe she did this, though I’m not surprised. She must have been following us to find out where I lived.”

  Faith’s phone chimed. She picked it up and read the message. She looked up and said, “Mara, Gavin wants me to meet him at his house. Do you mind staying?”

  “Of course not, Faith. I was scheduled to be here. Emile is sleeping anyhow. That’s all he does nowadays. He’s very happy for you and Gavin, though. He talks about it all the time.”

  Faith forced a smile.

  “Go, sweetheart. I’ll tell him where you are.”

  “Thanks, Mara. I’ll call if it starts to get late.”

  “Alright.”

  After Faith left, Mara decided to check on Emile. To her surprise, he was awake.

  “What are you doing up? You need your rest,” Mara said as she walked into his room.

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind. I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing,” Emile said, frowning.

  “About what?” Mara walked over and sat in the chair by the window.

  “Faith. I’m not sure I’m as happy as I’ve let on about her being with Gavin. She’s still my wife. It doesn’t feel right that someone else is taking care of her the way that I should be.”

  Mara sighed. “Emile, you know Faith still loves you. Even if you had said nothing to encourage her to meet someone, the attraction between her and Gavin would still be a factor. I don’t even believe they understand completely why they feel the way they do about each other.”

  “Faith understands, though she would never admit it. The only reason she married me was to defy what her mother told her. She spent years running away from the truth. When we met, she was all I wanted. I had to have her, no matter what. Much like Gavin. What I didn’t expect was that I wouldn’t be able to please her.”

  “I grew up with Faith’s mother. I watched Vivian encounter many of the same difficulties with dating that Faith encountered. Vivian accepted her fate, and continued to believe that the right man would eventually come along. Morgan was a godsend. Faith is probably ten times more sensitive than her mother. She never fully embraced the idea there was a man out there just for her. To her, you were enough.”

  “Maybe if I wasn’t sick, things would be different. I could find a way to make her happy.”

  “Emile, you have made her happy. I’ve never seen a man love a woman as much as you love Faith. So much that you’re willing to let her go, even though it hurts more than the sickness in your bod
y. Faith and Gavin are together because you wouldn’t give up on her true happiness.”

  “Then why do I feel so guilty for pushing her into someone else’s arms? Why am I jealous of Gavin? I know that all I have to do is tell her I don’t want her to see him anymore, and she wouldn’t. I could take her away from him.”

  Mara looked at Emile sympathetically. “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel this way. You and I both know that’s not the answer. Say you do take her away. What good would that do? Would you have her lose both you, and Gavin?”

  Emile pondered Mara’s question. He wasn’t ready to answer it. Instead, he decided to rest, avoiding it for the time being.

  “I’m afraid I’ve grown very tired. Perhaps we can talk more about this later.”

  “Alright. You rest.” Mara stood up and covered his legs. She knew he wouldn’t bring it up again, so she said, “We don’t have to talk about this again. You’ll do the right thing.”

  Emile nodded as Mara left his room, closing the door behind her.

  When Faith arrived at Gavin’s, he hadn’t yet made it home. She let herself in, went into the living room and got comfortable. It was cold, so she turned on the fireplace to warm up.

  Gavin pulled up in the driveway and parked next to Faith’s car. He practically ran inside, excited to spend some quiet time with her. The house was nice and warm when he walked in. He noticed her sitting comfortably on the floor, and went to change his clothes.

  After changing, he walked into the living room, sat down next to her and said, “Hi, beautiful.” He wrapped his arms around her, completely engulfing her. She closed her eyes and took in his warmth.

  “Hi,” she said as she hugged him back, squeezing him tightly. Gavin sensed her fear.

  “Hey, you’re holding on to me like you’re holding on for life. I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

  “I know,” she said, burying her face in his chest. “It just feels good to be in your arms. Why are you here, by the way?”

  “I just wanted to hold you. We had a pretty busy morning. Are you doing okay? Still pissed?” he smiled and asked.