Read Online A Dangerous Nativity by Caroline Warfield - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caroline Warfield
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mean?"
"I carried on alone for months, Catherine. My
father died, and Chadbourn Park fell to me. He left it in good
condition, but the responsibility weighed on me. Before I met you,
I had no idea how lonely I had become."
She could formulate no reply to that.
"I came here to find the land abused,
disasters everywhere, and, well, you've met Sylvia and know my
worries for Charles. Before I met you, I was at my wits end."
"You're managing well. What did I do?"
"You found me Archer, for one, and a market
for the excess of blasted sheep. You rescued Charles."
"I?"
He grinned ruefully. "Perhaps your brothers
rescued Charles." He sobered quickly. "You have no idea how I
feared for him. His father left him so nervous and afraid, that
everything I said made him cringe. Freddy and Randy have been a
blessing."
She nodded. "Animals that have been beaten or
abused are like that. Love and attention usually works, but not
always. You give him that."
"Friendship helps. It helped him. I need it,
too. I think my sister does, also."
"She won't welcome me."
"She did well, at first, last night."
"Until my father's story upset her."
"I don't think he meant to do that."
"No, and I don't believe his story was the
main problem," Catherine mused. "I've been thinking about her."
"What do you mean?"
"There was an elderly man in the village, the
shopkeeper's uncle. He had been in His Majesty's Navy for many
years. He came to live here, because he could no longer support
himself. The family told me he was one of three survivors of a ship
that took a direct hit to the powder room. It blew up around him.
Once he was back on land, fire sent him running. Loud noises of any
kind made him shake and weep. He would hide in shame."
"He relived the memory over and over. I saw
men like that in the army," Will mused.
Catherine decided to take a chance. "It isn't
my business, Will, but did your sister experience violence at the
hands of Papa's father?"
His face looked bleak. "Perhaps. At her
husband's hands, without any doubt, although she won't talk about
it."
"I think Papa's story triggered her own
memories. I suspect she uses the tonic to deaden them. Give her
time."
"I have given her time. She needs to be
pushed out of her stupor. Last night helped."
"Helped? She almost collapsed."
He shook his head. "She can't hide, any more
than your father can."
"What do you suggest?"
"Come again, this time for longer. Stay one
night. Christmas Eve. The boys will love it, and it may give your
father time to get his stories out. He needs to. Sylvia needs to,
also."
She thought about it. "It might work, at
least for Papa. Not the twenty-fourth, though. Papa takes us to
Christmas Vespers, and then we eat cakes and tell stories. The boys
will expect it."
The longing in Will's face struck her to the
heart. How long has it been since he had family intimacy?
"I won't interfere," he said sadly. "Come the
day and night before, and share some of your stories with us.
Please."
She couldn't deny him. "I'll try to convince
Papa. He may be ready to come again. He has had many good years
here to strengthen him."
"And Sylvia does not?"
She shook her head. "Too soon, I think."
"Let's make a start, at least. I can face the
thing with a partner," he told her.
"Partner?"
"A partner makes many things more bearable.
They can make the impossible possible." He took her hand.
"I'll bring Papa for a visit, if you wish,"
she agreed.
"Cath? Cath? Come and see how the piglet
looks in Freddy's old baby bonnet," Randy called from outside.
Catherine clamped a hand over her mouth to
suppress a laugh at the picture Randy's words created. Will's
laughing eyes made her drop her hand to smile back. Before she
could think, he dared a quick kiss, thrust her deeper into shadows,
and stepped out. "I am looking for her, too, Randy. "Let's try
behind the house."
***
Will wished desperately that Catherine stood
at his side two days later, when Sylvia soaked his neck-cloth and
sobbed
"I carried on alone for months, Catherine. My
father died, and Chadbourn Park fell to me. He left it in good
condition, but the responsibility weighed on me. Before I met you,
I had no idea how lonely I had become."
She could formulate no reply to that.
"I came here to find the land abused,
disasters everywhere, and, well, you've met Sylvia and know my
worries for Charles. Before I met you, I was at my wits end."
"You're managing well. What did I do?"
"You found me Archer, for one, and a market
for the excess of blasted sheep. You rescued Charles."
"I?"
He grinned ruefully. "Perhaps your brothers
rescued Charles." He sobered quickly. "You have no idea how I
feared for him. His father left him so nervous and afraid, that
everything I said made him cringe. Freddy and Randy have been a
blessing."
She nodded. "Animals that have been beaten or
abused are like that. Love and attention usually works, but not
always. You give him that."
"Friendship helps. It helped him. I need it,
too. I think my sister does, also."
"She won't welcome me."
"She did well, at first, last night."
"Until my father's story upset her."
"I don't think he meant to do that."
"No, and I don't believe his story was the
main problem," Catherine mused. "I've been thinking about her."
"What do you mean?"
"There was an elderly man in the village, the
shopkeeper's uncle. He had been in His Majesty's Navy for many
years. He came to live here, because he could no longer support
himself. The family told me he was one of three survivors of a ship
that took a direct hit to the powder room. It blew up around him.
Once he was back on land, fire sent him running. Loud noises of any
kind made him shake and weep. He would hide in shame."
"He relived the memory over and over. I saw
men like that in the army," Will mused.
Catherine decided to take a chance. "It isn't
my business, Will, but did your sister experience violence at the
hands of Papa's father?"
His face looked bleak. "Perhaps. At her
husband's hands, without any doubt, although she won't talk about
it."
"I think Papa's story triggered her own
memories. I suspect she uses the tonic to deaden them. Give her
time."
"I have given her time. She needs to be
pushed out of her stupor. Last night helped."
"Helped? She almost collapsed."
He shook his head. "She can't hide, any more
than your father can."
"What do you suggest?"
"Come again, this time for longer. Stay one
night. Christmas Eve. The boys will love it, and it may give your
father time to get his stories out. He needs to. Sylvia needs to,
also."
She thought about it. "It might work, at
least for Papa. Not the twenty-fourth, though. Papa takes us to
Christmas Vespers, and then we eat cakes and tell stories. The boys
will expect it."
The longing in Will's face struck her to the
heart. How long has it been since he had family intimacy?
"I won't interfere," he said sadly. "Come the
day and night before, and share some of your stories with us.
Please."
She couldn't deny him. "I'll try to convince
Papa. He may be ready to come again. He has had many good years
here to strengthen him."
"And Sylvia does not?"
She shook her head. "Too soon, I think."
"Let's make a start, at least. I can face the
thing with a partner," he told her.
"Partner?"
"A partner makes many things more bearable.
They can make the impossible possible." He took her hand.
"I'll bring Papa for a visit, if you wish,"
she agreed.
"Cath? Cath? Come and see how the piglet
looks in Freddy's old baby bonnet," Randy called from outside.
Catherine clamped a hand over her mouth to
suppress a laugh at the picture Randy's words created. Will's
laughing eyes made her drop her hand to smile back. Before she
could think, he dared a quick kiss, thrust her deeper into shadows,
and stepped out. "I am looking for her, too, Randy. "Let's try
behind the house."
***
Will wished desperately that Catherine stood
at his side two days later, when Sylvia soaked his neck-cloth and
sobbed
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