a good trip?” Eliza brought forth the obvious.
“It was a good trip. Everything was handled pretty fast. That’s why I was able to come home early.”
He spoke to his mother—I’d realized that he reserved a special tone just for her and while he used that tone, his eyes never left mine.
Breakfast curdled and coiled in my stomach, revolting against the death of my surety that this marriage would be okay—maybe even good.
“That’s excellent. Can we get you anything? Coffee?”
“Coffee would be great. Thank you.”
My eyes left his stare and darted around the room in desperate search of somewhere to hide. He made me feel translucent.
I shivered as I found no prospects and against my better judgment looked at him again. Something stewed within him.
“Are you well today, wife?”
How was it that one word could hold two very different connotations? When he called me wife in the shadows of this overwhelming home, it felt like a promise. But when he called me wife just a second before, it felt impersonal—out of touch.
“I am well, and you?”
I knew how he was. He didn’t have to tell me.
“I’m cold. The wind has picked up. It’s a shame. I thought we’d take a tour of the property today, but I wouldn’t want you to get sick.”
His words aggravated me.
“Let’s go into the sitting room. There’s a good fire in there.”
I was going through the motions, returning the kindness from the night before. I didn’t know how to be a decent wife any more than he knew how to be a husband. I hadn’t had a good example, so winging it was the best I had.
He walked in a taxed manner, his steps half the gait of what I’d remembered.
“Would you like to lie down? Or I could get you something to eat.”
He sat at the chair that was much bigger than the other and scooted the smaller chair closer to the fire. At first, I thought it was for me, but then he shucked his shoes and one by one perched his feet up, wiggling his toes.
I wrung my hands, waiting for his answer.
“Have you eaten?”
“I have.”
“I don’t like to eat alone. I’m fine here. Thank you.”
I found a stool with a pincushion top and dragged it closer. June brought in a tray with coffee and despite his denial, he ate the biscuits that she brought as well.
“You ate.” I praised the effort.
“I wasn’t alone.”
I waited a few more moments before broaching the subject I was most interested in at that moment. “What is this fashion?”
I waved an arm, gesturing toward his suit, so strange to me, yet completely attractive on my husband.
“This is what businessmen wear on the outside. I didn’t have a chance to change. I wanted to get home as soon as possible.”
I didn’t ask why and I didn’t have to. At my next breath, his rough hand was on my cheek. His knuckles skimmed along my face before tucking a stray hair behind my ear. I was breathless against the motion. It warmed me from face to feet, never faltering.
“Why?” The word tumbled from my mouth without permission. Inherently knowing his meaning wasn’t good enough for me. I wouldn’t insinuate anything in this case. I needed to hear the words—even if they weren’t what I’d assumed.
“Because I have a new wife that I hardly know.”
“What would you want to know of your new wife?”
He looked at the fire and pulled off the jacket, then loosening the long tie around his neck.
“Anything—everything.”
“It will be a short conversation.”
He ignored my quip. “How many siblings do you have?”
“I have two, Adele and Elaine. They are both married.”
“I had one brother, a baby who died at six months old.” A clap of thunder rumbled outside, as if the clouds were angry with him for bringing it up.
“He was in a high chair and he kicked against the table and hit the back his head on the buffet. His grave is in the back. I’ll show you one day.”
I stretched my back, relieving it of the curved posture that came with sitting on
“It was a good trip. Everything was handled pretty fast. That’s why I was able to come home early.”
He spoke to his mother—I’d realized that he reserved a special tone just for her and while he used that tone, his eyes never left mine.
Breakfast curdled and coiled in my stomach, revolting against the death of my surety that this marriage would be okay—maybe even good.
“That’s excellent. Can we get you anything? Coffee?”
“Coffee would be great. Thank you.”
My eyes left his stare and darted around the room in desperate search of somewhere to hide. He made me feel translucent.
I shivered as I found no prospects and against my better judgment looked at him again. Something stewed within him.
“Are you well today, wife?”
How was it that one word could hold two very different connotations? When he called me wife in the shadows of this overwhelming home, it felt like a promise. But when he called me wife just a second before, it felt impersonal—out of touch.
“I am well, and you?”
I knew how he was. He didn’t have to tell me.
“I’m cold. The wind has picked up. It’s a shame. I thought we’d take a tour of the property today, but I wouldn’t want you to get sick.”
His words aggravated me.
“Let’s go into the sitting room. There’s a good fire in there.”
I was going through the motions, returning the kindness from the night before. I didn’t know how to be a decent wife any more than he knew how to be a husband. I hadn’t had a good example, so winging it was the best I had.
He walked in a taxed manner, his steps half the gait of what I’d remembered.
“Would you like to lie down? Or I could get you something to eat.”
He sat at the chair that was much bigger than the other and scooted the smaller chair closer to the fire. At first, I thought it was for me, but then he shucked his shoes and one by one perched his feet up, wiggling his toes.
I wrung my hands, waiting for his answer.
“Have you eaten?”
“I have.”
“I don’t like to eat alone. I’m fine here. Thank you.”
I found a stool with a pincushion top and dragged it closer. June brought in a tray with coffee and despite his denial, he ate the biscuits that she brought as well.
“You ate.” I praised the effort.
“I wasn’t alone.”
I waited a few more moments before broaching the subject I was most interested in at that moment. “What is this fashion?”
I waved an arm, gesturing toward his suit, so strange to me, yet completely attractive on my husband.
“This is what businessmen wear on the outside. I didn’t have a chance to change. I wanted to get home as soon as possible.”
I didn’t ask why and I didn’t have to. At my next breath, his rough hand was on my cheek. His knuckles skimmed along my face before tucking a stray hair behind my ear. I was breathless against the motion. It warmed me from face to feet, never faltering.
“Why?” The word tumbled from my mouth without permission. Inherently knowing his meaning wasn’t good enough for me. I wouldn’t insinuate anything in this case. I needed to hear the words—even if they weren’t what I’d assumed.
“Because I have a new wife that I hardly know.”
“What would you want to know of your new wife?”
He looked at the fire and pulled off the jacket, then loosening the long tie around his neck.
“Anything—everything.”
“It will be a short conversation.”
He ignored my quip. “How many siblings do you have?”
“I have two, Adele and Elaine. They are both married.”
“I had one brother, a baby who died at six months old.” A clap of thunder rumbled outside, as if the clouds were angry with him for bringing it up.
“He was in a high chair and he kicked against the table and hit the back his head on the buffet. His grave is in the back. I’ll show you one day.”
I stretched my back, relieving it of the curved posture that came with sitting on
Similar Books
