Read Online What a Woman Desires by Rachel Brimble - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel Brimble
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herself and strode forward, forcing a wide smile. “Are you hungry, Mama? Shall I ring for Mrs. Seton?”
Her mother continued to stare toward the window. Monica turned to Jane and raised her eyebrows in silent question. Jane patted their mother’s arm before crossing the space to stand in front of Monica.
“This is all she has to offer now,” she whispered, glancing at their mother. “She’s been getting steadily worse for the last year or so and now her moods are entirely unpredictable. You will grow accustomed to it as the rest of us have.”
“She has grown steadily worse for years, yet neither you nor Papa wrote a single letter telling me?” Anger mixed with Monica’s shock as she glared. “How could you do that? If I’d known—”
“If you would have known, what would you have done? There is nothing to be done. Papa adored her and could do nothing but endure her insults versus love, over and over again. This is my life and should now be yours also. I will not let you return to Bath and let me suffer alone.”
Heat pinched hot at Monica’s cheeks. “Do you really think so little of me that I would abandon you? I told you last night I will stay until I decide what is to be done.”
“And has a night’s rest brought forth any miraculous solution?” Jane’s eyes flashed with fury. “Do you not think that I and the staff have tried everything we thought possible? Dr. O’Connor says there is no cure, no treatment but patience.”
“Dr. O’Connor?”
Jane nodded. “He is a young doctor, new to the village. He has been caring for Mama and is very concerned by her rapid decline, yet he told both Papa and me there is no cure. She will only grow more distant and confused as time goes on.” Jane’s eyes shone with tears. “This is our life now. We have no choice but to give our mother our love and devotion. You must accept that.”
Monica glanced at her mother. “There must be something we can do.” This can’t be my life now. I can’t live here forever, caring for a woman who hated me in sanity as much as she does in illness. Guilt for such thoughts stole the breath from Monica’s lungs and she took a deep breath. “Fear not, the solution will soon become clear.” She cupped her hand to Jane’s cheek. “Have faith. I will find a way. You have to trust I will make the right decisions from now on.”
“Meaning we leave Biddestone and return to Bath where you will once again pick up your career, while I continue to nurse Mama in whatever establishment you choose to house us?”
Resentment dripped from Jane’s tone and ran into Monica’s blood, turning it to firewater. She slipped her hand from Jane’s face, hurt twisting her heart. “They’ve poisoned you against me. They’ve poisoned you and they’ve poisoned Thomas. You have no idea what happened to me after I decided to stay in Bath. You have no idea at all what I’ve endured to get to where I am.” She glared. “Until you do, you need to trust that I have always loved you, but I love my new life also. I will find a way to live free as I have been and offer the same opportunities to you too.”
“I don’t see how—”
“Trust me.” Monica turned her determined gaze on her mother. “You have no idea what I am capable of when someone means to close me in.” She brushed past Jane, anger and frustration making her tremble. She stood at her mother’s side and once again forced a smile. “Would you like tea, Mama?”
Slowly, her mother turned her gaze from the window to Monica. “You need to change your clothes.”
Monica stiffened at the returned iciness in her mother’s tone. “Sorry, Mama?”
“You have no respect. No decorum. Coming here dressed so fancy when your poor father has passed. We are in mourning. Mourning!”
Her screech filled the room and Monica stepped back, her heart pounding as her mother’s venom flowed over her and seeped deep into the hole in her heart Monica had tried so hard to fill.
Her mother continued to stare toward the window. Monica turned to Jane and raised her eyebrows in silent question. Jane patted their mother’s arm before crossing the space to stand in front of Monica.
“This is all she has to offer now,” she whispered, glancing at their mother. “She’s been getting steadily worse for the last year or so and now her moods are entirely unpredictable. You will grow accustomed to it as the rest of us have.”
“She has grown steadily worse for years, yet neither you nor Papa wrote a single letter telling me?” Anger mixed with Monica’s shock as she glared. “How could you do that? If I’d known—”
“If you would have known, what would you have done? There is nothing to be done. Papa adored her and could do nothing but endure her insults versus love, over and over again. This is my life and should now be yours also. I will not let you return to Bath and let me suffer alone.”
Heat pinched hot at Monica’s cheeks. “Do you really think so little of me that I would abandon you? I told you last night I will stay until I decide what is to be done.”
“And has a night’s rest brought forth any miraculous solution?” Jane’s eyes flashed with fury. “Do you not think that I and the staff have tried everything we thought possible? Dr. O’Connor says there is no cure, no treatment but patience.”
“Dr. O’Connor?”
Jane nodded. “He is a young doctor, new to the village. He has been caring for Mama and is very concerned by her rapid decline, yet he told both Papa and me there is no cure. She will only grow more distant and confused as time goes on.” Jane’s eyes shone with tears. “This is our life now. We have no choice but to give our mother our love and devotion. You must accept that.”
Monica glanced at her mother. “There must be something we can do.” This can’t be my life now. I can’t live here forever, caring for a woman who hated me in sanity as much as she does in illness. Guilt for such thoughts stole the breath from Monica’s lungs and she took a deep breath. “Fear not, the solution will soon become clear.” She cupped her hand to Jane’s cheek. “Have faith. I will find a way. You have to trust I will make the right decisions from now on.”
“Meaning we leave Biddestone and return to Bath where you will once again pick up your career, while I continue to nurse Mama in whatever establishment you choose to house us?”
Resentment dripped from Jane’s tone and ran into Monica’s blood, turning it to firewater. She slipped her hand from Jane’s face, hurt twisting her heart. “They’ve poisoned you against me. They’ve poisoned you and they’ve poisoned Thomas. You have no idea what happened to me after I decided to stay in Bath. You have no idea at all what I’ve endured to get to where I am.” She glared. “Until you do, you need to trust that I have always loved you, but I love my new life also. I will find a way to live free as I have been and offer the same opportunities to you too.”
“I don’t see how—”
“Trust me.” Monica turned her determined gaze on her mother. “You have no idea what I am capable of when someone means to close me in.” She brushed past Jane, anger and frustration making her tremble. She stood at her mother’s side and once again forced a smile. “Would you like tea, Mama?”
Slowly, her mother turned her gaze from the window to Monica. “You need to change your clothes.”
Monica stiffened at the returned iciness in her mother’s tone. “Sorry, Mama?”
“You have no respect. No decorum. Coming here dressed so fancy when your poor father has passed. We are in mourning. Mourning!”
Her screech filled the room and Monica stepped back, her heart pounding as her mother’s venom flowed over her and seeped deep into the hole in her heart Monica had tried so hard to fill.
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