by Calia Read
Together, we rush toward the porch. The stairs that were broken and leading to nowhere are now smooth concrete and connected to the porch.
The massive front door opens before either one of us has a chance to lay our hand on the knob. Étienne pays no mind to Ben, so he doesn’t notice the way Ben’s eyes widen imperceptibly at Étienne’s clothing. I follow him closely, my hand curling around the banister. Nat and Asa are not far behind us.
When have I ever come to this era and truly basked in the moment? Never. There’s been no time to look around at the plantation that’s captured my heart.
“Étienne, he’s in the guest bedroom with the French toile theme,” Nat calls out.
The only indication Étienne heard her is by the quick jerk of his head. His long strides eat up the distance of the long hallway.
“Before you go in there, you should know he won’t know you!” Nat warns.
Étienne walks faster, and when he approaches the door, he doesn’t hesitate to burst inside. I’m a bit more reluctant to enter and stand at the threshold only to see Étienne in the middle of the room, his back facing the door. While Livingston sits in a chair beside an open window.
He lowers the book onto his lap and tilts his head to the side. “Hello,” Livingston greets him formally, in the kind of tone you’d use on a stranger.
Physically, you’d never know Livingston was attacked. He has color in his face and appears healthy. But when you look in his eyes, or you’ve seen him smile in the past, you know this isn’t the same Livingston.
I feel my heart shattering and falling into my gut, and I’m only a bystander. Quietly, I stand by Étienne and loop my arm through his.
“Hello,” Étienne greets back. His throat constricts. “I’m Ét—”
“Étienne,” Livingston supplies although the name pours from his tongue awkwardly. “Nathalie has shown me pictures and told me about you. We’re twins,” he states confidently although he sneaks a hesitant look at Nat to confirm his words.
She nods, and Livingston grins.
It’s a signature Livingston action.
Étienne nods and clears his throat. “I apologize for bein’ away for so long. I hope you’re doin’ better?”
Livingston looks away, shaking his head. “If the definition of better means frequent headaches and sleepin’, then yes, I am better.”
Like his charming smile, joking comes naturally to Livingston. But the laughter in the room is strained. Everyone is trying to ignore the heartbreaking fact that Livingston can’t remember his twin brother.
“Do you get adequate sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Then rest durin’ the day,” Étienne demands.
Livingston veers back by Étienne’s blunt tone. The real Livingston would laugh and tell him to calm down. The real Livingston knows his brother and would recognize that Étienne feels out of control of the situation and is scared. I tug on Étienne’s arm, trying to pull him back. He means well, but he’s being a bit too aggressive, and he’s going to scare Livingston more than anything. Yet Étienne just pulls out of my grasp and whirls around, staring at Nat. “Has a doctor seen him recently?”
“A doctor?” Nat ponders over his question and taps a finger against the corner of her mouth before her eyes light up. “That’s never occurred to me!”
Étienne crosses his arms. He’s far from amused.
“Of course, a doctor has examined him. A doctor visits multiple times a week, Étienne!”
Étienne steps toward her. “Natha–”
“Don’t,” Nat cuts in, her eyes narrowed. “I have been here the entire time, attemptin’ to keep everything together. I do not need your criticism. Direct it toward someone who deserves it.”
As her words settle across the five of us, Asa and I stare back and forth between Nat and Étienne as though we’re watching a tennis match. He doesn’t say a word, but I can tell he’s dying to. I think he realizes Nat needs this moment to get everything off her chest.
“For my entire life, you’ve controlled me, and I’ve let you. And the one time you’re gone, I try my hardest to do everythin’ the way you would. And instead of sayin’, ‘I’m proud of you, Nathalie!’ or, ‘You tried your best, Nathalie!’, you criticize me. Your immediate thought is I would never think of the best interest of our injured brother.” She takes a deep breath and shakes her head before she speaks in a calmer tone. Although she stills looks like she wants to rip Étienne apart. “I’m thrilled you’re back, and I hope you make yourself at home. But I need some fresh air and to be away from you.”
Turning on her heels, she hurries down the hall. I turn toward the guys and hold a hand out to prevent Asa from going after her. “I’ll talk to her. Stay here.”
“Nat,” I call out as I quicken my steps. “Please wait!”
She slows down but rounds the corner. By the time I reach her, her back is against the wall, and she’s sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. The material of her skirt billows around her. My shoulders sag as I take a deep breath and take a seat beside her. I extend my legs in front of me and cross one ankle over the other.
I go to cross my arms and bump into my stomach. Staring down at my belly, I slowly shake my head, unable to wrap my mind around what I’m seeing. Too many things are happening all at once. I opt for linking my fingers around the underside of my stomach and stare at the wall across from me. Nat lifts her head and stares at the wall too.
“I was unreasonable,” she states, her voice flat. “I owe Étienne an apology.”
I pat her knee. “No, you weren’t, and don’t apologize. He understands.”
Tilting her head back against the wall, she briefly squeezes her eyes shut.
“You’ve been through a lot, Nat. And I think you’ve handled everything incredibly well. You’re just bein’ hard on yourself.”
She doesn’t accept my words like I expect. Instead, she opens her eyes and looks my way, her expression bleak. “There’s more that’s happened since you and Étienne have been gone, Serene. And I took it out on Étienne.”
I nod my head, encouraging her to continue.
Nat looks blindly at the wall in front of her and shakes her head. “With Étienne away, everythin’… everythin’ began to crumble.”
Frowning, I lean in. I think I know, but I need her to confirm my suspicions. “Crumble how?”
“With Livingston not bein’… himself. Asa found Étienne’s will. It bequeathed Oliver Belgrave upon Étienne’s death, and the corporation and half of Étienne’s shares of the shippin’ company to Livingston.”
Dread trickles through me. “Étienne wasn’t dead, though.”
“Yes, but Oliver wasn’t willin’ to save the companies. I was at Étienne’s office today with Asa speakin’ to a lawyer to see if there are any clauses or a power of attorney that would revoke the will, but we couldn’t find anything.”
My heart beats faster the longer Nat speaks. This is how it began. This is how Étienne’s company, the family company, and Belgrave were sold off. All because of Oliver.
I can’t believe it.
Nat shifts and faces me. “I know I have a life in Savannah now, but this will always be my home, and Oliver doesn’t care.” Her voice breaks at the last of her words. “The second he arrived here to visit me, he looked into Étienne’s will. He believed somethin’ happened to Étienne, and he wasn’t comin’ back.” She leans in with wide eyes. “He said he didn’t want to bear the responsibility of a plantation that’s no longer in operation and my family’s companies.”
“Nat, I’m so sorry. We didn’t know. We had our suspicions, and we’re trying our hardest to figure out what was happening while we were in the present day, but—”
“Wait, Nathalie, what did you say?” a voice says behind her.
Déjà vu sweeps through me because I’ve heard that tone before, and fury laced within that voice the very first time I came to this era.
In unison, Nat and I tur
n and see Étienne standing where the hall connects, staring down at us with outrage. He heard everything.
“Oh, shit,” I mutter.
It was for the best that Étienne never knew about Livingston while he was in the present day.
He felt guilty for leaving behind Nat, but if he knew his twin was badly injured, I know he wouldn’t have been able to think clearly. It would’ve been all he could think about.
Even now, two days since our arrival, Étienne’s spent the majority of his time beside his brother. Wherever Livingston goes, Étienne is not far behind him. Livingston appears annoyed by his brother’s constant presence, and by the afternoon, he’s practically hiding out in the sitting room for some peace and quiet. This location has become a hot spot of activity. It’s here I’ve had my first conversation with Rainey—Livingston’s ex murderer. I’ve met her brother, Miles, and found him charming.
Asa also popped in here and there, something Nat conveniently left out. Judging from how she averts her gaze every time he steps into the room, I’m willing to guess they’ve had a conversation outside of the sitting room.
I’m dying to know what they’ve said, but everyone’s focus is on Livingston. He came and went wherever he pleased, but he always drifted back to his room. I think everything was overwhelming to him. It broke my heart to see him like this. I wanted to shake him, tell him to stop this ridiculous charade so everything could go back to normal, but I know that’s just my fear taking hold of me. So I give him space. I’ll speak to him here and there. In the grand scheme of things, I’m the last person he needs to worry about remembering.
Nat has updated us on everything that happened with Livingston as best as possible. She said it’s been like this nearly the entire time we’ve been gone.
“When you shot Livingston with a bow and arrow, were you really aiming for his leg?” I ask Rainey.
Nat rubs his temples. “Oh, Serene.”
“What? I think that’s the question everyone has been dying to ask.”
“I believe it’s safe to say it honestly isn’t.”
Leaning in, I perch my chin onto my palms and smile. “Answer the question.”
Rainey grins and sneaks a look in Livingston’s direction. He’s playing a game of chess with Miles. “My intention was to strike his thigh to stop him from runnin’. But hittin’ his calf did the trick too.”
“I knew it,” I say triumphantly. “I knew I was going to like you the minute Livingston told me about you, and your answer confirms it!”
The woman standing across from me, who appears so regal but is actually so fierce and headstrong, sits a bit taller. She sets her shoulders back and looks at me with her light brown eyes. “Are you skilled with usin’ a bow and arrow?”
Nat clucks her tongue. “Why do I feel as though I’m gonna regret introducin’ the two of you?” she asks rhetorically as she continues reading her Perry, Dame & Co. catalog.
“No,” I reply without missing a beat, “but I’m skilled at putting men in their place.”
Rainey grins.
In the midst of the talking, I hear the front door open and the deep timbre laced with a Southern drawl. My eyes drift toward the open doorway in time to see Étienne standing in front of his closed office door, looking directly at me.
My heartbeat quickens with excitement and relief. Every time he leaves Belgrave, I hold my breath, bracing myself for the worst. Old Serene hasn’t been spotted by anyone else, but there’s still a chance she’s around. Étienne hasn’t spoken to Oliver, but I know he intends to. When Étienne does return, I breathe a sigh of relief. With the exception of finding out about Livingston’s attack, our return to this era has been relatively anti-climactic. Nothing for Étienne and me has been this easy.
Something is going to happen. I can feel the momentum slowly building, so time can give us the final piece of our story.
Étienne gives me a pointed look and glances at his office door.
I look at Rainey and smile. “Excuse me for a moment.”
Pushing back my chair, I stand. Rainey averts her gaze. With the exception of Nat, no one has broached the subject of my pregnancy although it’s obvious I’m “with child.”
The white tea dress with low empire waist Nat loaned me doesn’t help matters. The blue sash tied around my waist causes my stomach to be on full display. But the lace embroidery material is light and airy, which is perfect for the sweltering heat.
By the time I make it to Étienne’s office, he has the door open and gestures for me to walk in before him. Softly, he closes the door behind me. I turn around with a smile as Étienne curls a hand around the back of my neck and kisses the crown of my head.
“How are you?”
I draw my thumb and forefinger together until there’s barely a few inches. “This close to having a heat stroke.”
Étienne shakes his head and smiles, but there’s a strain around his eyes. He walks toward his desk and takes off his jacket, revealing his leather suspenders. White dress shirt tucked into brown tweed pants with a perfect crease down the middle. A striped blue tie hung to his belt.
Étienne wore present-day clothes well, but damn, did I miss those suspenders.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, watching him carefully.
With his hands curled around the top of his chair, his powerful shoulders hunch as he sighs. Briefly, he lifts his head to meet my searching gaze. “I sent a telegram to my private detective Russell Duncan. I’m hopeful he’ll get back to me immediately.”
My eyes widen, and I take a tentative step toward him. “Seriously?”
He nods and stands straight. “Yes, and it’s been some time since we’ve spoken, so I’m unsure how long it will take to hear from him, but I’m hopin’ not long.”
“So you think Old Serene is still in Charleston?”
“I’m uncertain whether she’s in Charleston, but I’m positive she’s still alive.”
Deep down, I know Old Serene is still out there somewhere. A part of me was simply hoping Étienne would tell me he thought differently.
Before we can talk more in depth about the situation, there’s a knock on the door. “It’s Asa,” says a muffled voice. “May I come in?” Étienne’s and my eyes briefly meet. I know we’re both remembering the time when Livingston walked in on us after we had sex on his desk. Étienne was grateful he didn’t walk in during the act, and I just wanted to avoid the entire situation altogether.
“Yes,” Étienne says.
The door opens, and Asa steps into the office with Nat behind him. “I hope I wasn’t interruptin’ anythin’,” Asa says.
“No, we were discussin’ Old Serene. I contacted the private detective to see if we can trace her location,” Étienne replies as he sits in his chair.
“There’s no need for that. I saw Old Serene in Charleston with my own eyes,” Asa says with conviction.
Étienne briefly closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “How recently?”
Asa and Nat glance at one another. “I saw her nearly two weeks ago.”
“What you’re tellin’ me is she could still be here?”
“Absolutely.”
Étienne’s gaze flicks to me before they settle on my stomach. Instinctively, my hands settle on my bump protectively.
There cannot be two of you. One of you has to go, my mind whispers.
It will not be me. I’ve fought too hard for this love and era to be ripped away now.
“Should we start searchin’ for Old Serene?” Asa asks.
Étienne pulls his gaze from my stomach and stares at his close friend before he nods. “Yes.”
Asa makes himself comfortable in one of the chairs beside Étienne’s desk. While Nat stands beside me. Every few seconds, her gaze flicking toward Asa. She still loves him.
“There’s still the matter of Oliver,” Asa says.
Étienne leans back in his chair, his eyes turning cold. “I know.”
“He should be arrivin’ soon,”
Nat interjects.
“I know. His driver is preparin’ to stop in front of Belgrave just … about …” Étienne points a finger at directly toward the window. “Now.”
Nat gives me a worried look, muttering, “Oh dear,” under her breath before she hurries toward the window and peers outside. The second she sees Oliver, she abandons her spot and rushes over to Étienne. “I understand Oliver was grossly inaccurate with his decisions, but at the end of this week, I must leave with him, and—”
“Must you?” Asa cuts in.
Nat’s eyes widen. Her lips clamp shut as she turns toward Asa. There’s no need for me to worry about never watching another soap opera or reality show again. I have all the drama in the palm of my hand at Belgrave. These people have more issues than Vogue.
My eyes veer back and forth between Asa and Nat as they silently stare at one another. I’m close to getting up and leaving. I’m all for the drama, but these two need a moment alone to sort their shit out. But Étienne loudly clears his throat, breaking their staring contest.
“Nathalie believes she must because she is Oliver’s wife,” Étienne says, staring directly at Asa. “And at the end of the day, no matter what we believe, it’s her decision.”
There’s a heavy silence in the room that only Asa and Nat can break. As the seconds tick by, I become convinced neither one will relent, but Asa finally clears his throat and dips his head. “Very well. Do what you feel is right.”
Nathalie shakes her head and takes a step forward. Not even the knock on the door can make her look away from Asa. I give Étienne a worried glance. She loves Asa. Of course, she does. If I didn’t know it before, I’d realize it now by the way she’s staring at him with devastation.
Another knock. Only this time, the person on the opposite side of the door walks on in. Oliver appears momentarily surprised by the number of people in the room. As he should be. It takes him a second to realize his wife is one of the people, and the guy sitting in the chair by her is Asa. For a millisecond, his eyes narrow. And the kind, patient Oliver I met at Nathalie’s engagement party is nowhere to be found. Maybe he didn’t know the feelings Nat and Asa had for each other before, but he’s beginning to catch on.
