Page 53 of Destiny Reclaimed
Arthur.Jack shook his head. Some guys have all the luck.
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Gwendoline envied thetranquil fish. Tropical or gold, it didn’t matter. Not a care in the world. She sighed. She wasn’t so lucky, having recently made the biggest mistake of her life by marrying Arthur.
Tears swelled in her eyes. The man had wooed her in just a few weeks—said and did all the right things to make her fall under his spell so quickly her head spun. Like nearly everyone in town, she’d gotten caught up in the hoopla of him returning from war a hero. It helped his family was one of the town’s most affluent. Women clamored for his attention, but he’d chosen her.
His silver tongue wove that spell and talked her into giving up her maidenhood using a marriage proposal. With that, she hadn’t worried about using protection as she always wanted a family. Then, a week or so before the wedding, when she thought she might be pregnant, she couldn’t have been more excited and was on the verge of telling him when it turned out not to be true. Looking back now, she wished she had told him right away so she could have gaged his reaction before she said, “I do.” That way she would have known how he truly felt about her, marriage, and family, and she could have stopped the wedding.
She swiped a tear from her cheek. But she hadn’t told him then, and now, here she stood, pregnant, reeling from her husband’s reaction.
His awful words replayed in her head. “Honestly, I’d wanted more time before this happened. You know, perhaps a couple of years of fun before you’d have to spend all your time tending to crying babies and changing diapers. This really wasn’t how I envisioned this—our marriage...”
Those words sliced through her heart like a knife. Still, she gave him the benefit of the doubt, hoping he’d come around once he had time to process the news. Wishing he’d be excited he’d planted his seed, that they’d conceived a child, that he’d have offspring bearing his name. But, after this morning’s blowout with him, she was disheartened, no amount of time would help.
She brushed another tear from her cheek as she remembered how he’d pushed through the doorway of their bedroom and caught her eyeing herself in the full-length mirror, a hand splayed over the slight swell to her tummy. It wasn’t much of a bump, but it was there. She could feel it, inside and out. At that moment she had held hope he’d find happiness in this.
Arthur had raked his gaze over her from her tummy to her eyes, then back down and up again. His dark eyes showed no excitement.
Thinking she could sway him with a touch, she’d stepped toward him, took his large hand, and placed it to her stomach. Though he let her do it, his enthusiasm lacked. When he cleared his throat to speak, she prayed his words would be encouraging...but instead, they were the most hurtful she’d ever heard as he dropped his hand and shook his head. “A little bump there already. Seems kind of early. I hope this isn’t an indication of what we have to look forward to. We have upcoming social events I need you looking good for.”
She’d burst into tears.
“Great, already emotional, too,”he’d muttered as if that would help the situation.
She’d spun away, threw on a shirt and pants, and practically ran out the door. He never even tried to console her. He was only worried about himself and his social standing.
She’d left the house in such a huff she wasn’t even sure where she planned to go, then found herself driving downtown and parking on Main Street in front of the dime store. After entering, she immediately headed to the back where the fish and parakeets were. Ever since she was a kid, she enjoyed watching the fish. The flow of their movements and shimmer of colors relaxed her.
How did she end up here—pregnant and married to a man who clearly did not want to have a family with her?
A sob escaped her throat, and she buried her face in the palms of her hands. Her head spun. Sweat pooled in her armpits and on her temples. Her knees went weak. She felt herself falling. She flung out her hands, hoping to find a means to brace herself, but everything blurred beyond recognition.
Warmth cloaked her, and her feet lifted from the floor. She floated contentedly as if she was as light as air. Then she lowered until her butt and back were supported by a hard surface.
Cool skin pressed to her forehead. “Are you okay?”
“Huh,” was all she could muster.
“Gwendoline, it’s Jack. Can you hear me?”
Her eyes fluttered open.
Jack, her brother Marvin’s friend. Yes, she’d waved at him when she’d come into the store.
She closed her eyelids and reopened them. Dark eyes, almost black, were fixed on her. His gaze couldn’t have emitted more concern.
Gwen breathed out a long breath. “I’ll be fine. Just a bit light-headed.”
“I’ll get you some water,” her brother’s friend said as he spun away and walked across the small room to a sink.
He filled a paper cup from the tap and brought it back to her. Gentle hands brushed hers when he handed her the cup, and when her fingers shook so violently the water nearly splashed over the rim, he wrapped his around hers to steady them and helped lift the cup to her mouth.
The cool liquid not only refreshed her throat but aided to steady her rolling stomach.
Jack smiled softly. “Your color’s already coming back. Are you feeling any better?”
She straightened herself on the wooden chair. “Yes, much better. Thank you.”
