“I don’t want your money, Ro. I want you,” he growled as his hold on her tightened.
She leaned back so he could see her smile. “I know. But now that Teddy is helping me, I have more money than I could spend in this lifetime. Why shouldn’t we have a nice home?”
He stiffened at Teddy’s name. “I don’t want people to believe I’m living off my wife.”
She smiled at him. “You’re not. You sing. You earn quite a bit from that. Anyone looking at the two of us will always wonder what a man like you is doing with me.”
“If they have any sense, they’ll know I’m smart as hell to be with a woman like you,” he said. “What is there between you and Goff?” He flinched as she stilled in his arms.
“You sound jealous, and there is no need for it. I was … infatuated with him.” She flushed. “For lack of a better word. He was a wallflower, like me, and I thought two wallflowers could bloom together.” She turned a brighter shade of red at her words. “But then he met Zee. And I realized I would forever be a friend.”
“Why would you pine for a man who wasn’t smart enough to see your charm and beauty?” he asked as he kissed her forehead.
“Perry, you’ve met my friends. They sparkle while I look like dulled copper next to them.” She bowed her head. “And I’m a writer. I found it easier to live in my head than in the real world sometimes.”
“Well, I’m glad you decided to venture into the world long enough so that we met. And I still think Teddy was a fool, but I’m thankful he was.” Perry smiled as she glowed upon seeing the truth in his expression. He bent his head and kissed her passionately. “God, I’ve missed you.”
“And I you,” she said as she stood on her toes to deepen their next kiss. “I’m afraid there’s no furniture in the house yet.” She gasped as his mouth dropped to kiss her clothed body.
“We don’t need furniture, love,” he murmured as he tugged her farther into the house, away from the windows and any potentially prying eyes.
She giggled. “Except for …” She grabbed his hand and tugged him up two flights of stairs to a back bedroom. Breathless from their quick walk upstairs, she spun to face him with a triumphant smile. Along one wall stood a large bed with a down comforter and pillows piled high. “Except for a bed,” she whispered.
“You’re brilliant,” he said as he picked her up and set her there, earning a delighted shriek. Diaphanous blinds covered the back windows, letting light in but affording privacy.
“I wanted something for us before we decorated the house together,” she whispered as she arched into his touch.
He stroked a hand over her hair, now loosened from its pins and cascading over her shoulders. “Together,” he whispered before lowering his mouth to kiss her more deeply.
* * *
She played with his long fingers as they lay in bed spooned together after their passionate lovemaking. She smiled as she heard him humming the song “K-K-K-Katy” in her ear. “I love your voice,” she whispered.
“You’ll always be my favorite audience,” he murmured.
“How long are you in town?”
“For as long as you would like me,” he whispered in her ear.
She rolled over and faced him with a frown. “I’m serious, Perry. How long are you here?”
He ran his fingertips over her chin. “I am serious too. I’ve postponed my tour. I have no desire to chase influenza around this country, and I’m certain that all public gatherings around the country will be canceled. It would be a needless expense to travel someplace and not perform.”
She hugged him to her. “I want you safe and healthy.”
“I think Boston may be the safest place right now, my darling. It was hard hit, but the illness seems to be waning here. For the rest of the country, it’s just starting.” He met her gaze and smiled. “Let’s decorate this home together. Build memories here. I can already see a large piano in the living room window.”
She smiled. “Wait until you see the whole house. There is a beautiful room on the second floor that would be perfect and, more private, for your music studio.” She frowned. “Although I’m uncertain how we’ll move a large piano up a flight of stairs.”
He laughed. “That’s for the piano company to worry about, darling.”
She swallowed and bit her lip. “I … I’m not sure I’m brave enough to live with my lover.”
He sobered and stared into her glowing amber-colored eyes. “Marry me. Marry me tomorrow.”
She giggled. “I’ll marry you any day, Perry. Yes!” She kissed him, tracing her fingers over his cheeks and then into his hair.
“My friend Lucas is in town. I received a forwarded letter from him at the hotel. He thought I was still touring and doesn’t know I’m in Boston. I’ll look him up and see if he will be my best man. I was his at his wedding in Minneapolis.”
Rowena frowned and stared at Perry. “Why should Lucas Russell be here?” She shook her head. “I’ve neglected my friends with everything going on in Washington. And with you.” She relaxed as he stroked a hand over her arm.
“I’m sure everything is fine. We’ll pay a visit tomorrow to see how they fare. I believe he is staying at the McLeod mansion only a few blocks from here.”
She pushed away from him and sat up. “Will you go there with me now? I have a sense something is wrong.”
He kissed her hand and nodded. “Of course.”
After they rose and hastily dressed, he watched as she battled to pin up her hair in a respectable style. When they departed the house, he held his arm out for her, and they walked arm in arm down the cobbled sidewalks. The mid-October afternoon was warm but still had a bite to it that warned colder weather was coming.
“What should we do for servants?” Rowena asked.
He shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve never had any.” He met her amazed look and raised an eyebrow. “This is what comes from buying too big a home.”
“We would need a cook no matter where we lived!” she protested.
He chuckled. “We will figure it out, love. No need to fret. Ask your friends what they do.”
She chuckled. “If I ask Zee, she’ll advise me to speak with Delia, and we’ll have a houseful of former orphans working for us.” She looked at him and smiled. “I can think of worse things.” She squeezed his arm and then sobered as they approached the imposing McLeod mansion, twice the size of neighboring homes.
After they knocked on the door, they waited a few moments for the butler to answer. Before they could speak, he intoned, “I am sorry, but the family is not receiving guests at this time.”
Perry nodded and held out his card. “Could you do me the favor of delivering this to Mr. Lucas Russell? I will wait here for his response.”
The butler glared at him before snatching his card and slamming the door in his face. They shared a perplexed look and then turned to stare at the other homes on the street.
“I fear you are correct,” Perry murmured. “Something is wrong.”
The door wrenched open, and they turned to find Lucas, disheveled and with bloodshot eyes, swaying on the doorstep. “Perry!” he exclaimed as he pulled him into a fierce embrace. He slapped him on the back a few times. “I had no idea you were in Boston.” He ran a hand over his unkempt hair. “Forgive me. I had forgotten I was not dressed for guests.”
“You know I don’t give a damn about that,” Perry growled. “What is going on? Why won’t you invite me—us—in?”
“There’s illness in the house,” Lucas whispered. “I don’t want you to get sick.”
“Who?” Rowena asked as she grabbed his arm. “I beg your pardon. I’m one of Zylphia’s friends. Rowena Clement.”
Lucas nodded as though vaguely recalling her from the days when he had loved Parthena and then seemed to crumple in front of them. “My niece Melinda died over a week ago. And … now Savannah. My sister, Savannah, just died last night.” He stilled as he heard a yowl of pain and then the crash of something h
eavy upstairs. He shook his head and looked at Perry. “Her husband,” he whispered.
Perry gripped Lucas by the shoulders. “Your sister?”
“My only sister,” Lucas said dazedly.
Perry pushed Lucas backward, into the house and into the front sitting room. He ignored the rich furnishings around him and focused on his friend. “We’ll be fine here,” Perry said, ignoring Lucas’s protest. “How?”
“She had a baby. A short time after her daughter died.” He stared into space as tears slowly coursed down his cheeks. “Sav was happy and heartbroken at the same time. And then the fever struck. We thought it was from the childbirth.” He raised angry, defiant eyes to Perry. “The papers said the influenza epidemic was waning in Boston.”
Lucas let out a stuttering breath. “But her fever wasn’t from the birth. It was the influenza. At first it seemed a mild case, and she looked like she was improving. The doctors told us she was lucky and not to worry. She wrote letters, laughed, held her baby.” He shook his head. “And then she was as sick as Melly.”
“Lucas,” Rowena whispered, taking his hand.
“She died, with Jeremy begging her to live. To live for them. For their baby. To not leave him alone.” Tears poured out. “I know she fought. She fought so hard. But there was nothing she could do.”
“There was nothing you, or anyone, could do,” Perry said. He pulled Lucas close, holding his friend as he sobbed.
After a moment, Lucas pushed away as though embarrassed. “I beg your pardon.”
Perry shook his head and sighed. He gripped his friend’s shoulder. “I’m so damn sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”
Lucas looked at him. “Will you sing? Sing at her funeral? I want there to be beauty because she deserves more than a somber group who can do little more than sob.”
Perry nodded. “Of course. Let me know what song and consider it done.” He squeezed Lucas’s shoulder one more time, and then he gripped Rowena’s hand, leading her from the house.
When they were a few blocks away, Rowena stumbled, and he looked down at her. “My love,” he whispered, finding her silently sobbing. He pulled her close, ignoring the stares of others walking past. “Shh, it’s all right.”
“Did you hear?” she whispered into his chest. “Did you hear that scream of agony?” She shuddered. “I hate to think about how Savannah’s husband suffers right now.”
Perry kissed her head, his hold on her tightening. “I know,” he rasped. “For it is what I would face were I to lose you.” He stood there, holding her for many minutes.
* * *
Zylphia sat in her studio, curled on her settee, her mother’s most recent missive on the table in front of her. She considered rising to find Teddy, but a listlessness pervaded her, and she pulled a blanket over her, curling into herself on the sofa. She ignored the maid who entered with her afternoon tea, shaking as she fought deep emotions.
“Are you ill?” Teddy’s terrified voice broke through her malaise. “Zee! Tell me at once, and I’ll ring for the doctor.”
“No,” she croaked. “I’m not ill. I’m fine.” She sobbed, curling further into herself. “Everyone else is dying.” Teddy pushed against her legs so that he could join her on the settee. Soon she found herself lying half on her husband’s chest, his calming touch soothing her.
“What more has happened?” he whispered. “I’ve been worried about those at your parents’ house since we were not invited back after we saw Savannah after the birth of the baby.”
“Savannah died. The baby’s ailing and will probably die.” She buried her face in his neck as she sobbed. “They’re all dead!”
“How can that be?” Teddy asked, hugging his wife closer as though to ensure she were still with him. “How can Jeremy have lost …”
“Everyone,” Zylphia breathed. She raised her gaze and met his. “What is he to do? How, how …” Her voice cracked as she was unable to finish her sentence.
“Shh, my darling, Zee. Let me hold you. Let me comfort you.” He sighed. “For I fear we are unable to venture there to comfort them. I refuse to risk your health entering the home of such illness.”
Although in Teddy’s arms, her shuddering intensified. “What if my parents become ill? What if I lose them too?” she whispered. “I can’t bear the thought of any more loss.”
“I know, love. I know.”
“Promise me that you’ll stop your meetings,” she said as she clung to him. “I don’t want some man to bring illness into this house. I can’t lose you, Teddy.”
“Darling, we will be fine,” he protested.
“Promise me.” She clasped his face between her hands. “No business dealings are worth what Jeremy is suffering.”
He met her panicked gaze and nodded. “I promise, Zee.”
She settled into his arms and fought another shudder. “I thought the worst was over,” she whispered.
“The worst might be over, but that doesn’t mean illness doesn’t continue or that people still won’t die.” He sighed, kissing her head.
After a moment, his gaze settled on the painting on the easel. His breath hitched as he saw the portrait of a quietly contented Savannah holding her baby. Jeremy sat beside her on the bed, his arms around his wife and son. The colors were gentle while the soft brushstrokes gave a dreamlike feel to the painting. “Zee,” he breathed as he stared at it. “That is a masterpiece.”
She rubbed her cheek against her husband’s chest. “Do you see how he holds them? They are cherished, and he is determined to protect them at the same time.” She swallowed a sob. “I don’t know what seeing this would do to him.”
He kissed her head. “Give him time. He will want this painting, Zee.”
“I was going to give them this at the christening.”
His arms tightened around her. “You must continue to hope and pray that the baby survives, Zee. And when Breandan does, I think this will be the perfect gift.”
He held his wife for long moments, as the shadows lengthened in the room while he studied the painting and the last glimpse of Jeremy’s happy family.
* * *
Jeremy stood at the cemetery, flanked by his brothers, his uncle, Delia, Zylphia and Teddy, and his wife’s family. He bit back an inappropriate huff of amusement. He had no wife. She lay in a box in front of him, waiting to be lowered into the earth. Next to his daughter. He shrugged off the hands his brothers placed on his shoulders, shaking his head at their show of solidarity. He was alone even though those around him refused to acknowledge it.
He gripped his hands and fought tears as Lucas’s friend, Perry Hawke, sang a haunting version of “Ave Maria.” When the last note faded over the cemetery, the priest resumed his intonations of prayers and platitudes in Latin. Jeremy closed his eyes as he wondered if the words would bring any solace if spoken in English. When the casket was lowered into the gaping hole in front of him, Jeremy opened his eyes and swayed.
Gabriel gripped his arm. “Don’t even think about it,” Gabe whispered in his ear.
Jeremy nodded, swaying forward once before regaining his stoic balance.
At the long silence after the casket was settled in the grave, Jeremy raised his dazed gaze to look at the other mourners. He flinched at the naked pity in the priest’s expression and then frowned as the priest made a shooing motion. Jeremy moved forward, filling his hand with dirt and clutched it in a clasped fist, holding it at the level of his heart for a moment. After closing his eyes and murmuring a prayer, he held his hand over Savannah’s casket, sprinkling her with dirt. “I will always love you,” he whispered as the last of the dirt left his hand.
He stood near the grave as each mourner murmured inconsequential blather about the loss of one so vibrant and young, never acknowledging their words. When they had finally dispersed, he took a deep breath and knelt in front of Savannah’s grave. He bowed his head, watching as the gravediggers filled in the yawning hole, knowing that nothing would ever fill the devasta
tion wrought by the loss of his Savannah.
* * *
Gabriel and Richard stood to the side of the cemetery as they watched their youngest brother mourn. “I can’t stand by much longer and do nothing,” Gabriel muttered.
“I’m afraid you have to. He needs time to say goodbye,” Richard said, kicking at a pebble and peering out from underneath his lashes as he watched a motionless Jeremy in front of the now packed-in grave. “I know I’d need to do something like this.”
Gabriel shuddered. “Don’t even think it.” They shared a look, the pain of each having lost a child in their expressions. “I pray, every day, that I never have to live without Rissa.”
Richard gave a humorless chuckle. “You’re as selfish as I am. I pray the same. Flo is …” He shook his head. “What can we do for him?”
Gabriel’s gaze filled with panic. “I don’t know. I can’t stay here forever. Although I will remain here until the christening.”
Richard nodded. “Florence will want to see you, as will the boys.” He let out a deep sigh. “We were fortunate we didn’t lose any of them to the influenza, but Ian and Thomas remain quite weak.”
Gabriel gripped Richard’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I’ve focused all my energies on Jeremy. I never considered what you were suffering, Rich.”
Richard shook his head. “I know you’ll always be there for me, Gabe. Thank God, baby Agnes remained healthy.”
They hugged Zylphia as she approached them. “Gabriel, this is Teddy,” she said. “I can’t believe you’re finally meeting at a funeral.”
Gabriel shook Teddy’s hand and shared a remorseful smile with him. “I wish it were any other occasion.” He looked into Teddy’s anguished silver-colored eyes. “I want you to know how happy I am at your safe return from the Front and your marriage to Zee. I’m a few years late saying this, but welcome to the family, Teddy.”
Teddy gave a faint smile. “Thank you.” Unable to hide his concern as he stared at Jeremy still kneeling by Savannah’s grave, he asked, “Will you remain in town for a while longer?”
Abiding Love: Banished Saga, Book Eight Page 36
