Page 14 of The Moonstone Hero
“Did the father catch up to them before the border?”
Ella perused the rest of the story. “No. The couple are now wed.” She paused to stare at him. “Are you going to give me your thoughts on the matter? I know you have opinions about everything.”
“Actually, I have no opinion on this. They’ve made their choice and are now stuck with it. I expect their happiness will depend on how willing her father is to now accept him. They will have a very hard life if he chooses to cut them off. It may also be that the bridegroom is a hard worker and can make something of himself even if the father does not help them out. The marriage might succeed. But if I were a betting man, I would bet against them. The stardust in a bride’s eyes will quickly fade when the realities of a hard life are upon her.”
Ella then read two more stories about a wife abandoning a husband for his horse trainer, and a husband bringing a mistress to live under the same roof as him and his wife. “Oh, Caden. That is awful. How cruel of the man to show such little respect for his wife.”
He nodded. “It is an exceedingly low thing to do.”
“Would you ever do such a thing?”
He appeared surprised by the question. “Me? How can you even ask? No, I would not. Nor would Harvey or Eckleston. They are decent men.”
She set the gossip rag aside. “I often enjoy reading these juicy tidbits, but they strike me as terribly sad today. Wives and husbands trapped in unhappy marriages with no way out unless they do something scandalous and foolish.”
“That’s what happens when one marries for alliance reasons. Some endure quite nicely. Some even grow to care for each other. Some find a discreet compromise. And some simply explode in a public and often humiliating fashion.”
“I suppose.” She set aside the gossip sheet and picked up one of the newspapers, but then immediately set it aside. The leading story was about battles in Africa’s Gold Coast region between the British and the Ashanti tribesmen. She knew this was where Caden had served this past year, and so she quickly tucked the paper back in her basket, concerned he might know some of the soldiers listed as deceased.
Their hour had passed quite nicely, and she found his opinions surprisingly thoughtful and interesting. He was a practical man and looked at everything with reason and logic, even matters of the heart. But she sensed these stories about the Ashanti wars would set him off. This was something more suitable for her Uncle Cormac to discuss with him.
Caden was now yawning. He was tiring.
He had eaten four slices of lemon cake and imbibed three glasses of cider, all the while talking to her. She had not checked on the time, but it was well past their hour. This was a good moment to take her leave. “I shall see you tomorrow, Caden. I’ll leave these books for you, should you feel the urge to read. One is a mystery story, another is a book of poems by Shelley, and the last is an account by the renowned explorer, Lord Roger Hillingsworth, on his travels around the world.”
“Thank you, Ella. But I doubt I will be able to read these yet. I’ll only get through a page or two before my eyes strain.”
“Oh, yes. You’ve mentioned. I’ll leave them here for you anyway. Choose one you might like, and I’ll start reading it to you tomorrow.” She rose and placed the books on the small table beside the jug of cider. However, she left the newspapers tucked in the basket and meant to take them away.
“What are you hiding from me, Ella?”
She blushed. “Nothing. It is just more news about disasters and other sad events.”
“Leave the papers. I am not a child who needs to be sheltered. What did you see in them that makes you determined to keep them from me?”
“More sad things.” She clasped her hands together and began to wring them. “Please, Caden. Let me take the newspapers home.”
“They contain accounts of the Ashanti battles, don’t they? That war has been going on for years. We kill their soldiers. They kill ours. And what is it for? So some rich merchants and their investors can get even richer on the gold and cocoa to be found in the region? We wouldn’t be there if there was nothing of interest to be grabbed. Leave the papers here. I could do with a good laugh.”
“No, I am going to take them back with me. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
He attempted to reach for her, but fell back against his pillows in pain. “Don’t treat me like a child, Ella.”
“I assure you, I am not. But you almost died over there, or may have lost good friends. I don’t want you reading about others who—”
“Others? There are no others. All my friends are dead,” he said with unrestrained bitterness. “There’s no one left in my regiment but me. The idiot governor appointed by the Crown came into the region knowing nothing about the local customs and traditions. He insulted everyone, including the British troops assigned to the area. After riling the tribesmen, he…” Caden turned toward the wall and groaned with such a raw ache, it made her shiver. “Go away, Ella. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She took several deep breaths, struggling to remain calm when she had obviously brought up the worst possible topic for him. “I’m so sorry, Caden. Truly, I am.”
“I know you are. It’s all right. I’ll see you tomorrow, my innocent dove.”
Dove?
Well, her heart was quite fragile at the moment, as easily torn apart as the wings of a gentle dove. She wanted to bend over and kiss his forehead, but dared not. She would melt and do something improper if he closed his arms around her. “Yes, until tomorrow.”
Her eyes began to fill with tears, for the thought of his losing every friend assigned with him simply tore her to pieces. She did not even know them, but he had served with them and gone into battle with them. No wonder his soul was in anguish.
She sniffled as she picked up her basket.
