I want more evenings before the fire like that, with Sian, her family, and whatever children we might have.
A vivid image hovered tauntingly just out of reaching, haunting him with what could be, if he tried hard enough and won.
“Where is she?” he asked, looking around for Sian.
“Not here,” Martha glared.
“Yes, I can see that. Am I at liberty to know where she is?”
“We were meeting her at the town square at eleven,” Lucinda informed him.
“Lucinda,” Martha gasped. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Why shouldn’t he know? It is rude not to answer someone’s questions,” Lucinda argued.
“Quite,” Ryan agreed.
“She won’t want to talk to you,” Martha informed him.
“Well, that’s all right. She can just listen,” Ryan murmured. He looked at Mabel. “With your permission, of course.”
Mabel nodded briskly. When she looked at him, Ryan read something lost in her eyes, and suspected she was struggling to face the future without her husband far more than she was letting on.
“I won’t hurt her,” he whispered.
“She is hurt enough already,” Mabel replied.
“She told you.”
Mabel nodded.
“I can assure you that Norman didn’t have my permission to say anything, nor did I know he intended to. I can also assure you that he is quite wrong.” Ryan kept his voice low because he wanted Mabel to understand he meant every word.
This was a private family matter and, regardless of their current upset about what happened, he was still a part of their family.
Lucinda was the first to prove that she forgave easily when she slid an arm into the crook of his elbow and smiled at him. “Let’s go and find her, shall we?”
“I should be much obliged,” Ryan smiled with a courteous bow.
“Lucinda, you really are far too forward you know,” Mabel chided, but fell into step behind them with Martha, who happily linked arms with her.
Together, their small procession made their way down the main street to the town square. The time was five minutes to eleven.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Excuse me. Might I trouble you for the time?” Sian called to the shop keeper who ran the grocery store.
“It’s five minutes to eleven, miss,” the man replied.
“Thank you,” she replied before hurrying out of the shop.
As she turned out onto the street, she glanced up and immediately slammed to a halt. There, not but fifteen feet away, was Wilhelmina. Their eyes locked. There was something almost cruel in Wilhelmina’s glare that warned Sian there was something wrong with her presence in the street. This wasn’t an accident. Sian felt a presence behind her and whirled around. Her eyes widened when she saw Cedrick standing not but six feet away. Sian tried to ignore them both and stepped out onto the road to try to walk past Cedrick only for him to dart out before her, preventing her from going anywhere.
“Do you not intend to speak with your aunt? She would like a word with you,” he bit out.
“I am busy,” Sian informed him dismissively.
Cedrick grabbed her arm in a painful hold. “Well, you are coming with me.”