Page 24 of Nineteen Eighty

“Why what?”

“Why are you doing this?”

Colleen set Lisette back against the pillow and turned to her brother. “Because I love you, Charles. You’re my big brother, and you’re hurting right now, and I’m going to do everything I can do to make that better.” Colleen wiped at her tears and pulled him to her chest. “I’ll protect you now, the way you always protected us.”

Charles curled into Colleen and sobbed.

An hour later, Colleen emerged from the third floor suite, Charles hunched over and leaning into her for support. When they reached the second floor, Augustus popped out of the nursery, but she shook her head at him. He and Maureen had their parts to play, but this next one belonged to Cordelia.

As soon as the house was empty, Colleen would make the arrangements for Lisette.

Colleen passed Charles to his wife at the bottom of the steps. He didn’t argue as he folded against Cordelia like a lost child.

“If you need anything, Cordelia, call.”

“I will. You’ll come by the hotel? Later?”

“I’ll call ahead first. If he’s sleeping, it will be better to let him do that.”

Cordelia nodded. “Thanks for coming.”

Colleen smiled tightly, thinking of all that lay ahead. All that was changed, with a death of a young woman. “We’re family.”

Charles didn’t remember anything following the moment Colleen guided him down the stairs at Ophélie. He had no recollection of the drive into New Orleans, or following their bags to the two-story suite, which wasn’t his standing room, but Cordelia had apparently decided they needed more than that and went for a suite that was bigger than his flat only a mile or so away.

He didn’t remember falling asleep, either, so when he woke, a wash of dusk spreading over his white comforter, for a moment he didn’t know where he was.

Cordelia stepped out of the bathroom, toweling off her hair. “You’re awake.”

“What are we doing here?”

“You don’t remember?” A look of panic flashed across her face, as if afraid she’d have to break the bad news to him all over again.

But he remembered. The last few hours were a blur, but the important details would demand space in his mind and heart for the rest of his days.

“Where’s Adrienne?”

“With Colleen. She took all four girls. Nicolas is with Augustus and Ana, at Touro. For now.”

“I see.”

“That okay?”

“A bit late to be asking,” Charles gruffed. But, for once, it wasn’t Cordelia at the root of his suffering. To the contrary, here she was, though he couldn’t guess why. He had a whole family who could’ve been talked into babysitting him. “It’s fine. That’s where they should be.”

“She’s beautiful,” Cordelia offered. “Adrienne.”

“Yeah? I wouldn’t know.” Charles ran his hands over his scruffy face.

“Red hair. Like Ana.”

“Yeah?”

Cordelia’s mouth pulled into a tight line. A smile, maybe. “Yeah.”

Charles reached forward and tugged at the corner seam of her towel. She gave him a curious look, but nothing in it suggested it was unwelcome, so he pulled harder. The terry cloth slipped away from her and fell to the floor.

Cordelia was completely nude, standing before him. His wife. This should’ve been a sight he was all too familiar with, but, in all their marriage, he had never taken her complete measure. Her body was lean and lithe, with curves he hadn’t detected through her modest clothing. Her cheeks flushed at the examination, but she made no move to reach for the towel.

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