Colin leaned away to look at Araminta, sitting in a dazed stupor. “Will you come home with me so I can explain? So you can explain to me?” He sighed at her hesitation, looking at his brother in frustration.
Patrick smiled. “Fiona and I were talking about how we’re concerned that Savannah’s house has been empty all these months. Gabriel agrees that we should stay there a few nights, so no one thinks it’s abandoned. You’ll be ensured privacy at your home.”
Colin flashed him a grateful smile and waited for Araminta to nod her agreement. He rose and held a hand out to heave her upward. He gave her time to gain her balance, then followed Patrick and Gabriel outside, noting Clarissa had already departed.
* * *
Colin entered his home, opening his mouth to apologize for the mess, before closing it to find it remarkably tidy. He motioned for Araminta to sit, watching her settle on the settee before he sat on a chair facing her. After a few moments of silence, he rose, heading to the kitchen. He returned with two glasses of apple cider.
“Here. I thought you might be thirsty.” He handed her one before drinking half his glass in a few swallows. He sat again, crossing his legs in an attempt to appear calm, but his foot tapping the air belied his nervousness.
She took a sip and set aside her glass.
“What did I do wrong, Ari?” he asked, wincing at the near-begging tone of his voice. “I know I waited too long to show you how much I care for you, but I thought, once I did, you’d want me too.”
Araminta sat with her hands clenched in her lap, her gaze averted. Her pristine wedding dress was now wrinkled with a torn hem, while her veil had been forgotten at the church. The beautiful bouquet ruined in her pique of fury as she had railed against Colin remained clenched between her fingers. However, her placid detachment had vanished, and she trembled with pent-up emotions.
Colin hissed out a sigh of frustration. “Why would you agree to marry such a man?” He held up a hand. “I understand in the beginning that I hadn’t offered yet, and that makes me an idiot. But afterward, after we were together, why would you still agree to go through with it?” He clamped his jaw shut as his voice shook with hurt and betrayal. “I love you, Ari. The thought of you with such a man …” He shook his head.
“You don’t really love me, Colin. You’re just afraid that your life will change when I marry another.”
Colin leaped forward, looming over her and caging her on the settee with his body. “Don’t you dare tell me how I feel. I’ve never told a woman that I love her before. You’re the only woman who could have provoked me to such madness as to interrupt a wedding.” His eyes shone with fierce intensity and unshed tears. “You believe because you’re an orphan that you are unworthy of love. And you were willing to accept a man who would treat you as nothing more than a servant in his home.” He raised a trembling hand to trace her eyebrow. “Why would you accept that when you know how precious you are?” He waited for her gaze to meet his. “To me?”
She shook her head as tears poured out. She leaned forward, butting her head into Colin’s chest and almost knocking him off balance.
He plopped onto the floor and pulled her down with him until they sat in a tangle of legs, with her half on his lap. “Tell me, Ari. Tell me why you turned your back on us,” he entreated, kissing her head.
“I didn’t.” At his incredulous scoff, she reared back and hit him in the shoulder. “I had to marry him to protect you!”
Colin watched her, thunderstruck. “What? That’s preposterous.”
“He … He says that you are a German sympathizer, and that he has proof. He says he can send you to jail due to that new law,” Araminta said between her sobs.
“He thinks to use the Sedition Act to coerce you into marriage?” He shook his head in confusion. “I don’t understand.” He cradled her head between his two strong hands. “I love you. You know I do. But I can’t imagine wanting to send a man to prison so as to marry anyone. Why?”
Araminta shook her head in confusion. “I have no idea. But I couldn’t let you go to prison, Col. I just couldn’t.” She looked down. “I love you too much to see you harmed.”
His hold on her tightened at her words. “I’ll need you to repeat that for me, Ari.”
She raised fearful eyes to meet his hopeful gaze. “I love you, Colin, but I don’t know how that will aid you.” She gasped as he tugged her to him, holding her tight and rocking her in his arms.
“We’ll fight this together, Ari,” he said, his voice triumphant. “That’s what it means.” He groaned. “God, all I want to do is make love with you. But I need to talk with Pat and Gabe about what you told me.” He leaned back and met her gaze. “Stay with me tonight?”
Araminta smiled, joy finally reaching her eyes. “Of course. The town already thinks I’m a harlot.”
Colin sobered at her words. “Then they’re misinformed. You’ll soon be my wife, and you are an honorable woman.” He smiled mischievously. “Who happens to anticipate her vows.” He winked at her as he rose and offered her his hand to help her off the floor.
* * *
Gabriel watched as Clarissa snatched a few letters from the front hall table and then followed the children upstairs to help them change into clothes they could romp around in outside. When he heard them overhead, he faced his brother-in-law. “Did you see anything disturbing at that wedding?”
Patrick met Gabriel’s concerned stare and nodded. “Any idea why he would be here?”
Gabriel shook his head, momentarily distracted as he heard Billy shriek with delight upstairs. “Why should my bastard of a cousin care who Bartholomew Bouchard marries?”
Patrick shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’m certain he’s still in cahoots with Mrs. Smythe.”
“Will we never be free of their meddling?” Gabriel muttered.
Patrick shook his head again in frustration and then smiled as Fiona entered Gabriel’s house with Rose. “Hello, my loves.” He kissed them both on the cheek.
Little feet clattered down the stairs, and Rose chased after her cousins as they raced outside. Patrick stopped his instinctive inclination to follow and play with them when his sister called his name.
“Fee, would you watch the children?” Clarissa asked. “I’m sorry, but I have to speak with Patrick, and I need Gabriel.”
After Fiona departed, Gabriel ran a finger over Clarissa’s ashen cheeks. “It’s all right, Rissa. We already know my cousin was at the wedding.”
“No,” she rasped, holding up a letter. “Oh, it’s so much worse.” She fell to her knees.
Gabriel was at her side in an instant. “Tell us, love.”
She gripped his hand and met her brother’s worried gaze. “It’s Melinda. She’s … She’s dead.”
“Dead?” Patrick asked as a tremor ran through him, the only outward indication of her words’ effect on him. “How?”
“Influenza,” Clarissa said as a sob burst forth.
Patrick backed up until he hit a chair and then collapsed into it. “My … Melly,” he whispered, his gaze shattered. Suddenly he rose. “I will be with the children.”
“Patrick,” Clarissa croaked, but he stormed from the room to the backyard.
“Let him go, love,” Gabriel soothed as he held his wife still dressed in her wedding finery. “We all have our own ways of mourning.”
She sniffled as she clung to her husband. “But he doesn’t believe he has the right to mourn,” she cried out. “I received Lucas’s letter that he was rushing to Boston because Melly was sick, but I never realized it would be this serious. She’s too young to die!” Her wail was muffled against Gabriel’s shoulder, as she took comfort from his quiet presence. After many minutes, she eased away. “I need to change. I need a little time.”
He ran a hand over her shoulder. “Take what you need, my darling.”
* * *
Colin gripped Araminta’s hand as he attempted to stand still on Clarissa’s front porch. He shared a chagri
ned smile with Araminta as he shifted from foot to foot. When he felt Araminta’s soft caress down his back, he relaxed as he raised his hand to knock on the door.
Gabriel flung open the door, a menacing glower on his face. He attempted to soften his expression, but sorrow clung to him. “Thank God you came.” He pulled Colin into the front hallway, clasping him in a hug for a moment. He then embraced Araminta.
Colin tensed at the undercurrent of despair in the house. He raised his head, cocking it to one side at the quiet weeping coming from upstairs. “What’s happened?”
“Go to Rissa,” Gabriel said. He cleared his throat as his voice thickened. “I know you have every right to be angry with her but please.” He paused as it looked like he fought tears. “Go to her.”
Colin nodded, gripping his shoulder a moment before taking the stairs two at a time. He entered her room, closing the door behind him. “Rissa?” he whispered.
She sat in her rocking chair, curled over herself as she sobbed. He crouched beside her and ran a hand over her back and arm. “Rissa, tell me what happened.”
She toppled out of the chair into his arms, and he held her as she was incapable of speaking. When her tears calmed, she hiccupped and sniffled. Pushing away from him, she dug into a pocket for a handkerchief. “Why are you here?” Her red-rimmed eyes continued to leak tears.
Colin stiffened and backed away from her. “Araminta and I need my brother’s aid and found that he was not at Jeremy’s house. I’m sorry to break your command not to set foot in your home.” He rocked onto his heels and moved to rise.
“No!” She grabbed at his hands, holding him in place. “Don’t go. Not when there’s so much I need to say.” She swiped at her face. “Oh, Colin. I know the conversation we must have.” She met his hurt-filled gaze with one riddled with shame. “I know an apology will never suffice …” She stuttered out a breath.
“Were you weeping because I interrupted Araminta’s wedding?” Colin asked.
A startled laugh emerged before tears tracked down her cheeks again. “Heavens no. I would attempt to bake a three-layer cake in celebration of what occurred.” She looked down, and he followed her gaze, belatedly seeing a letter by the edge of the rocking chair.
“What is it, Rissa?”
“I received a letter today. From Jeremy. I should have thought it strange to receive a letter from him and not Savannah.” She sighed, raising her head to look outside as the day slowly darkened toward night. “I hoped he’d be more forthright with information about how Savannah fared.”
“Has something happened to Sav?” Colin’s terrified voice snapped his sister’s gaze to his.
“No.” Her voice cracked. “Sav is fine. He wrote to tell me Melly …” Her voice thickened with tears. “Melly died. From the Spanish flu.”
Colin’s hand dropped away, and he fell backward until he sat on his bottom on the floor. “She can’t have. She’s young and strong and vibrant. She … She …” He shook his head in denial. “She has her whole life in front of her.”
As Colin fell apart, Clarissa gained strength in soothing him. “She had …” she whispered.
“Dammit, Rissa,” Colin croaked. He raised his hands, covering his face as his shoulders shuddered. She ran a tentative hand down one of his arms, and he opened them wide, pulling her close as he cried. “She can’t have died.”
Tree branches scraped the side of the house as a soft wind blew outside. Footsteps sounded downstairs, and children’s laughter echoed through the house.
“I can’t imagine she’s gone. That she won’t see her nieces and nephews grow up,” Colin whispered as his voice cracked. “That I won’t hear her imitate another of Mr. Pickens’s misspoken words.” His attempt at a chuckle transformed into a sob that he immediately attempted to muffle.
“I should have known that someone in our family would be vulnerable after reading about that horrible illness,” Clarissa said.
“No one wants to envision such a tragedy befalling those they love,” Colin said. After a few moments, he asked, “Where’s Pat?”
“Outside, entertaining my children with Fiona’s and Gabe’s aid. He barely seemed affected by the news.”
Collin sighed. “And still he holds himself separate. He should be here, mourning with us.”
“If you came here today, I think Patrick wanted to give us a chance to finally speak.” She held Colin close when he acted as though he would ease her away. “Forgive me, Col. Forgive me for allowing my fears to override what I knew was true. From acknowledging the truth.”
He leaned against the wall while Clarissa backed up against her bed. “How soon afterward did you know you’d made a mistake?”
“As soon as I left your house and was walking home, I felt sick. And I knew something else explained what had happened.” She flushed with embarrassment. “I was too stupid and prideful to turn around and ask your forgiveness.”
“Did you encourage Ari to marry another?” he asked, his blue eyes shining with a deep resentment.
“No. I tried to talk her out of it. However, her mind was set, and I didn’t want to make her feel as though we weren’t supportive. Although I wasn’t.” Clarissa sighed and rubbed at her forehead. “And Gabriel was most displeased. Didn’t you know from my note on the invitation how I wanted you to act?”
“Why bother sending me an invitation if you don’t inform me of the new time?” Colin asked, his cheeks flushed and eyes flashing.
“I did, but you weren’t home, or you wouldn’t answer the door. I had to stuff the note under your front door this morning.”
He closed his eyes and shook his head ruefully. “I only used the back door this morning,” he mumbled. “Why did this stupid argument between us last more than a day?”
She hit him on the arm. “First of all, you changed your lock so I couldn’t barge in and force a reconciliation the day after I accused you.” She paused and bit her lip. “Then Minta asked me to keep you barred from the house. She didn’t want to see you. Didn’t want the possibility that you could drop by the house at any time. She implied it was the smallest of favors after all she’d done for my family over the years.” She blinked but tears fell. “I didn’t want to agree, but I didn’t want to lose her too, Col. Gabe and I didn’t know what to do.”
Colin exhaled. “You don’t hate me?”
“Of course not!” She brushed at her cheek as another tear fell.
“You don’t fear I’ll hurt your children?”
Her eyes filled. “Never. They’ve missed you desperately.”
“Why did you glare at me at the wedding?” he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
She gave him a gentle kick. “I thought you were aware of the new time, and I couldn’t believe you’d arrive so late.” She rolled her eyes in exasperation before she saw his confused expression. “I wanted you there, outside the church, when Gabe arrived with Minta, so that you could cause a scene before she entered the church.” Clarissa attempted a smile, although her eyes still remained sorrowful. “Although it was quite entertaining to watch you march down the aisle and force them off the altar. I think you’re Billy’s hero. He was despondent this morning that Araminta wouldn’t be his aunt.”
Colin smiled, and his sorrow lifted for a moment. “I can see them again? The children?” At Clarissa’s nod, he sighed with contentment.
“I hate that there was such animosity between us. I hate that we lost that time. Especially now …” Her fingers slid over the letter, and Colin nodded.
“How is Savannah?” Colin asked.
“Terrible. Jeremy worries for her health and the health of the baby.” She bit her lip. “He doesn’t explicitly write it, but I believe he worries that she’ll become ill and die too.”
Colin paled at the prospect. “But the doctors there are certain they can save her and the baby?”
Clarissa shrugged. “As certain as a doctor can be before they perform an operation.” She closed her eyes. “I hate that they a
re so far away. Although I know Aidan and Delia will be there to support them, I still wish we were there too.”
Colin nodded his agreement. He looked around the room, belatedly realizing the sky outside had almost completely darkened. The sounds downstairs had increased as the children played inside. “Come,” he coaxed his sister. “Let’s join the others.” He heaved himself from the floor and reached a hand down for her. She stood and paused at their departure from the room.
“Are we all right again, Col?” she whispered.
He flashed a quick smile and nodded. “We are, Rissa. Although I need your help if I’m to marry Araminta and remain a free man.”
* * *
Araminta watched Colin depart upstairs and buried her resentment at being left behind. Gabriel sat despondently on a chair as she moved quietly through the living room.
“Araminta, what are you doing?” Gabriel asked in a hoarse voice.
She turned to face him with her arms crossed over her waist. “I thought I’d begin preparations for dinner, seeing as there are so many of us here tonight.”
Gabriel watched her with fond amusement and motioned her toward him. She perched on the edge of the settee with her ankles crossed. “Do you even realize you are still in your wedding finery? Did you think to be so efficient as to create a masterpiece in the kitchen in such a fine dress?”
She flushed at the gentle teasing note in his voice. Her fingers picked at the simple lace at the wrists of her dress before smoothing down a crease along her leg. “I’d wear an apron.”
Gabriel smiled. “Fiona’s in the kitchen, and, although I’m sure she’d welcome your aid, I think you should be free of such duties on your wedding day.”
Araminta glared at Gabriel. “This isn’t my wedding day. I will only ever recall it as the day I was saved from a great folly.”
Gabriel outstretched his legs, his smile softening as he heard his children shrieking with laughter outside. “It’s wonderful for them to have time with their uncle Patrick.”
Abiding Love: Banished Saga, Book Eight Page 32