by Emily Sharp
“You must face me, if your apology is real.”
Louise wiped at her eye, thinking about the words. If this is the payment she must make, to be mocked by her sister for her own sins, then so be it. The punishment would be a start to making amends, which Louise wanted to do.
Slowly she moved back from the window, turning and seeing her sister for the first time since the accident without a covering from her hair or a mask.
“Why don't you recoil?”
“Because you are my sister and I love you.”
Louise watched the tears roll down Sofia's cheeks. And they were not tears of pity, but of one who may eventually forgive her.
“How can you love me? You must be as mad as I am.”
Sofia shook her head. “No, my sister, I am not mad. I have always loved you, and the darkness of this castle has been replaced with light. Adara brought it in for both of us. I now see you for who you really are.”
Louise sobbed. “Sofia, I love you. I am so, so sorry,” she cried out and then hugged her sister, the woman she had tormented for so long.
Sofia's arms came around her and held her tight. “I know. And I love you,” she said, holding her, gently rocking her back and forth. And as Louise sobbed, Sofia whispered words of encouragement, and repeated how Louise was forgiven.
Some time went by, and breaking the embrace, Louise looked at her sister. The beautiful French woman with blond hair.
“When you told me to stop eating, I saw kindness in you, that was something you could not cover up. Though I still doubted it was genuine until listening to your cries tonight. For your cries tonight were much different,” Sofia said, standing up.
“I don't understand,” Louise said, standing as well, the effects of the wine causing her to sway a bit. Sofia's arm came around her back, holding her, supporting the heaviness.
“Because tonight you have cried for others, and not yourself. Come, my sister, let me help you to bed.”
Louise nodded, and they walked out of the room, Sofia's words ringing true in her heart. She wept for the sister that now guided her carefully up the stairs. And for the woman who had left hours ago, who would never return. But for herself there were no tears, only shame for all she had done.
***
Adara set her suitcase down in front of the cabin and wiped at her eyes. As soon as the truck left, which was only moments ago, she let out all the pain and hurt from the evening, though the anger was still there, and rightly so. Pulling the old key out, she put it in the door and opened it. Reaching in, her hand went to the wall, finding the switch and pushing it up. The lights came on, illuminating the living room, the empty fireplace. Grabbing her suitcase, she headed inside. The cabin looked the same as it always did, though it seemed eerily quiet. No laughs from her or her father, or the squabbling of her sisters, yelling at her to get them more food. Going to the kitchen, she opened a cabinet and a few minutes later had the coffee pot going.
While it brewed she went about setting the fireplace up to help get rid of the cold and the numbness she was feeling. A short time later, with a blanket wrapped around her, she sipped at her coffee and watched the flames dance in the fireplace, reminiscing over the events that had transpired this evening.
It had started out glorious, with a fairytale-themed dinner, ballroom dancing, and even a carriage ride. Then hearing those magic words of ‘I love you’ seemed to be the very thing to finish off the magical night. At the moment she heard them, Adara had believed they were true, for she had seen Louise change. But she could no longer believe those words after talking to Sofia and then seeing the evidence herself. Even Louise's own words confessed to it all, even if she tried to keep the lies going.
Wiping at her eye, she shook her head. The heartbreak of having to leave this cabin, over her dad wanting to give her a simple gift of a rose. The lies, manipulation, and Adara had fallen for it all. That is what made her angry, not just the acts themselves, but that Adara was naive enough to fall for them.
Louise had told her as much when she had first arrived, that Adara was a dreamer, that she saw things in hope and not reality. As much as she hated to admit it now, Louise had been right. Adara was a fool, and she had learned an important lesson-to not trust anyone and stop believing in fairy tales. Life was cruel, and it took the last nine months for her to realize it.
Glancing down, she saw the ring on her finger. It was a present of trust that Adara had accepted, but was in fact just another part of the web that Louise had weaved. And what a web it was.
Taking off the ring, she set it on the coffee table and then reached up to unclasp the necklace she still wore around her neck, the light of the fire glinting off the key as she set it next to the ring. Her mind went back to when she received both presents, the joy she felt and even arousal, and something else, something that she was prepared to tell Louise tonight, that she cared for her as well. Her feelings for her were not quite love—something was holding that back—but what she did feel was so strong that Adara wanted to start a relationship.
But tonight was over, the dreams, the feelings, gone. Heading back to the kitchen, she poured another cup and with the blanket wrapped around her went back outside.
How many nights like this one had she stood out here, dreaming of a better tomorrow? Hope for her father and herself. Dreaming.
Letting out a sigh, she took a sip of her coffee, wondering what to tell her father come tomorrow when she called him. Telling him the truth would only lead to more heartbreak and him leaving his job. As long as the beast remained in her cage, he would be fine. She would never leave it, Adara was certain.
“How many nights did I look at you wishing for something better?” Adara whispered into the darkness as she looked at the stars shining in the sky. And just hours earlier, she thought that the something better was Louise.
Letting out a few tears, she shook her head.
“Do not cry over that thing,” she whispered. Then pulling the blanket tight around her, she headed back inside.
***
The next morning, Adara found herself up early, right as the sun was rising. She had added to the fire throughout the night while she slept on the couch, her sleep plagued with nightmares. Her back was a bit stiff, having become accustomed to the fine mattress at the castle. Now it was just after noon and pushing the thought out of her head, she grabbed the cordless phone and called her father.
“Hey, guess where I am at,” he said, answering on the second ring.
“Um…New York?”
“No, silly. At the Shop ‘N Save in town getting us groceries. I’ll be home within an hour.”
Adara sat up almost dropping the mug in her hand. Setting it down on the coffee table, she spoke up, confused. “Why are you in Palomino?”
Her father laughed. “To celebrate your debt being canceled. Louise called me a few days ago and gave me the week off. She told me it was a surprise that you didn't know. She still didn't tell you about me coming?”
Adara shook her head, feeling beyond confused. “Wait. When did she exactly tell you this?”
“Let’s see, four days ago, I’d guess.”
“Look, Dad, I need to go. I’ll see you in an hour.”
“OK, love you.”
Telling him the same, she hung up the phone and then stood up. It didn't make any sense. If her father was told four days ago, then Louise was telling the truth. She really did feel bad for what she had done and had taken steps to make it right.
On the other hand, it could have been part of a scheme that she was working, when she realized that she was losing Adara, a last ditch effort.
“But she wasn't losing me, anyone could see that,” Adara said out loud, feeling more confused than ever. She needed to keep her mind busy and off of Louise. Looking down, she reached out and picked up the ring and necklace and, with the phone, put them in the suitcase she had put in her sisters’ room. Zipping it up, she felt a sense of relief, as though by doing so, she was sealing away
Louise. Now, it was time to clean the house and get ready to see her dad.
***
“There she is!” her dad said as he got out of the rental car, a smile on his face.
Seeing him, Adara began to cry as he hugged her. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said.
“I missed you too.” Her dad kissed the top of her head and then let her go, his hands resting on her shoulders. “Look at you, you look amazing.”
“So do you,” she said, wiping at her eye. He looked so happy, the worry around his eyes she was used to now gone.
“So, get this, not only is the debt gone, but I got another huge promotion. I will be running all of her freight ships around the world. The contract is more than generous. You know, that woman has changed,” her dad said, putting his arm around her as they headed into the cabin.
“Do you think so?” Adara asked, wanting to tell him what she really thought.
“Definitely. Her voice over the last few weeks was much happier. She didn't seem quite as, what’s the word? Angry?” They went to the couch and sat down, and then Adara turned to her father.
“I am so happy you are here.”
“Me too. I only have a few days, and you can come back to New York with me if you want. It’s up to you.”
Adara nodded. “I don't know yet. I have things I want to think about.”
“Of course, take your time. But I have to ask, is everything OK? You seem kind of down.”
“Yes, of course. I am just happy to see you, just overwhelmed,” Adara said, then smiled for him. But inside she was not OK, she was reeling in confusion.
“You know, my act of theft brought the world crashing down. But look, nine months later, we are together, I have a great job, and the world is yours to take. No more worrying about money ever again.”
Adara wiped at her eyes, shaking her head. “Dad, money is not everything, do you not see that?”
The pain on his face hurt her, stabbing deep.
“I do know that, but it also allows me to buy things.” Adara went to speak, but he raised his hand. “Let me finish. I’ve done a lot thinking over the last nine months, and yes, I do miss it here. But I miss you and your sisters most of all and the times we had. So, no more buying them things to make them happy, or trying to. But money is there to catch a plane, to pay bills, and help you pursue your dreams, because that is what it’s about, our dreams isn't it?”
Adara nodded. Perhaps her father was right. Maybe it was all about the dreams after all.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Louise walked through her gardens wearing only a sweater, the temperature hovering around the low-sixties. It had been two weeks since Adara left, and each day the pain in her heart grew heavier. Everywhere she looked she saw Adara, whether it be from the painting on the wall, the empty chair in the dining room, or the laughs that had once filled this glorious castle. And the walks they had shared too many times in the gardens, the support Adara gave her, daring her to go beyond the boundaries of what she felt was safe. Those precious brown eyes, the soft touch of her hand, gentle and never judging, her words encouraging. The woman who had lain with her at night, singing, taming the beast within.
Beauty had done more than tame the beast, she revealed it to Louise, letting her see how the anger and hurt over the years had transformed her into something so vile and retched, and just thinking about herself, made Louise want to vomit.
The revelation came through kindness, and love. Yes, it was love of friendship, but it had blossomed into something more precious than the gardens around her could ever grow.
With a sigh, she walked up to the gazebo, Thomas waiting, and for the first time since she could remember, wearing something besides his usual tuxedo. He wore a sports jacket with matching dark pants, his black shoes shined. The look on his face was not as stiff as it usually was, this time is looked sad.
“Thank you for coming out here.”
“Of course, Louise, I would not miss this chance to say goodbye.”
Louise smiled as she moved up the steps. Leaning against the post, she looked around for a moment.
“I will miss you, I hope you know that.”
“Then why are you sending me away?”
Louise thought for a moment before answering, the truth needed to come out. “Because it is time for me to be alone, my old friend. You know this is not out of anger, don't you?” she said, looking at him.
“I do know that. But I also worry about you. I have known you from the day you were born, the happiness on both of your parents faces, I can still see it. The little baby soon becoming old enough to talk, filling me in with her stories of adventure. Then the teenage girl full of wonder.”
Louise nodded, wiping at her eyes. “And the horrible person she became. Why did you put up with me for so long? You could have left.”
Though his posture remained rigid, his voice was anything but. “Because I knew deep down, inside you were a good person, a girl who had been lost for so long who just needed to be found. A woman who I would consider as one of my own, for my love for her is that great.”
Louise walked over and hugged him, and soon she was crying into his chest.
“Sofia told me how you would comfort her at times, letting her know I would one day come out of all of this. Thank you, Thomas. I believe it was what prevented her from going mad as I did.”
“You are more than welcome, Louise. She loves you, you know, even after all of this.”
“I know. It is why she remains, but also why she needs to go.” Louise broke the hug and saw the mist in Thomas’s eyes.
The butler sighed, walking over to the far post and looking out. “I will miss this view, the mountains, the land. You must have me visit sometime, or I will be deeply hurt,” he said.
Louise walked up, going to the post opposite him, and gazed across all her land. It was empty now, the beauty that she had started to see now not as bright without Adara at her side.
“I will send for you, Thomas, once I get things in order,” she said, though she did not believe it. She wanted to remain here alone. She was grateful that both Thomas and Sofia had loved her through her faults, but Adara did not and for good reason. That is all she wanted really wanted now, her love, and now she had pushed that away.
“I must go, the limo awaits. Goodbye, Louise,” Thomas said, and she walked over. Giving him a hug, she wished him well, and watched as he hurried away.
Leaning against the post, she cried, her body weak from her lack of appetite over the last few weeks. Though her anger was now gone, sadness had replaced it, and it was cruel, weighing heavy on her, bearing down on her unlike anything she had ever gone through.
Even the fire. It was the fire she had blamed for what she had become, the fire that in fact, revealed who she had been. And it was the fire that burned bright with love that had killed the beast within.
With a sigh, she headed down the steps and back to her castle. Another long day awaited her, and deep inside, she wished her days would grow short and come to an end all together.
***
“Louise, you need to eat. You cannot continue on like this, I fear what is going to happen to you,” Sofia said, sitting next to Louise at the bay window as she looked out on the gardens. Thomas had left earlier that afternoon and now it was evening.
“I am not hungry,” Louise said, her mind thinking of Adara and no one else.
Her sister, came beside her, sat down, and took Louise's hands in hers. Looking at her, the kind blue eyes were there waiting. “I know you miss her and that it troubles you. You have cried out at night, you know,” Sofia said. She had moved to a room next to Louise's and had a few times come in during the night when Louise had woken up screaming from the nightmares that plagued her. In those dreams she was transforming back into the beast she had been. Adara was close by, but every time she reached for Louise, the dream would end, Adara's voice ringing that she did not love the beast.
Louise nodded, then reaching ov
er, grabbed the bowl of salad. She still was not hungry but did not like the worry on Sofia's face. To care for her, to worry over her sister, was such a sharp contrast to the times she tormented her. Taking a bite, the food tasted bland, but she faked a smile and took another bite.
“Very good,” Sofia said, rubbing her arm. “You know, I could go to her home. Let her know that you are a changed woman.”
The thought of her doing that gave Louise hope, but for just a brief moment, before it quickly faded away. The confusion, the memories of pain that Adara had gone through, would only resurface, and she would wonder if Louise was up to her old ways.
“Thank you, but no. I have caused enough pain for that woman and her father to last ten lifetimes,” Louise said, memories of what she had done rushing through her mind. “You know that saying, if you love someone, you must be willing to let them go?”
She watched as Sofia nodded. “Yes, I do.”
Louise sighed. “I had already told her father to prepare to surprise her at the cabin, her new contract already prepared so she could leave.”
“I know, because you loved her.”
Louise took another bite of her salad, then set the bowl back down on the tray. Grabbing the water, she took a drink. “I had hoped that night after I confessed my love for her that we had grown close enough for her to return the same. I could see it in her eyes. And the joy I felt wondering if she could look past this face and into my heart.
“It is a good heart now.”
“Maybe. But now it’s too late. Sofia, I need you to do something for me, please. It will make me very happy.”
“Whatever you ask.”
Louise felt a single tear roll down her cheek as she looked at the sister she loved. What she had to say killed her inside, but she knew it was what needed to be done.
“Go to your mother and leave this place. You have done far more for me than you should ever have. Go to your family and start again.”
“But I…”
She took Sofia's hand in her own. “I must let you go, Sofia, because I love you. You cannot save me anymore. Do this for me, please?” Seeing the tears in Sofia’s eyes, Louise was heartbroken.
