He then became aware of a strong medicinal smell emanating from a room to his left. Melanie went to the door and opened it, then turned to Shane and nodded. "In here," she whispered. "Your father preferred to have his bed in his library, rather than upstairs away from the activity of the house."
Shane moved to Melanie's side and looked into a room dim with shadows; the draperies had not yet been opened for the day. A candle was flickering beside a bed that had rows and rows of books behind it in built-in bookshelves that lined the wall.
"I shall go in ahead of you," Melanie whispered, touching Shane gently on the cheek. "I shall try to prepare your father before he sees you. No matter how we handle it, though, it's going to be a shock."
Shane nodded, his heart thundering wildly in-
side him. He watched Melanie enter the room, then he looked at the bed. He could not make out the figure of a man. All that he saw was a layer of blankets stretched out over something that was not all that large. It surely wasn't his father. His father had been gigantic! He would have filled out the bed and more! But he was recalling Melanie's warnings. His father was now only the ghost of the man that Shane remembered.
His pulse racing, he watched Melanie lean over the bed. He could hardly make out what she was saying. It was the tone of her voice that made his love for her grow stronger. She was gentle. She was sweet.
Melanie leaned down over Jared. She placed a hand to his brow and smoothed a gray lock of hair back in place. "Jared?" she whispered, seeing how soundly he was sleeping. Though his breathing was shallow, wheezing sounds surfacing from deeply within his lungs, he seemed no weaker than the last time she had seen him. That was good. Perhaps he could withstand the shock that was only moments away.
Jared opened his eyes slowly, then smiled up at Melanie. "Well, hello there," he said, coughing slightly. "It's been some time since I've awakened in the morning to smiling, seductive eyes. What brings you here so early in the morning, Melanie? Don't tell me it's me you're interested in, not my son, Josh." He laughed throatily as Melanie slipped her hand into his.
"I believe you'll be much happier for the true reason I'm here," Melanie said, giggling. "Jared,
do you recall talking about surprises only last night?"
"Yes, seems that I do," Jared said, squinting his eyes up at her. "Now, Melanie, just what sort of surprise have you brought me this morning?"
Melanie swallowed back a lump that was fast growing in her throat. She glanced over her shoulder at Shane, who stood too much in the shadows for Jared to see.
Then she looked back down at Jared. "Jared, I've brought you the best of all surprises," she said, her voice breaking. "Oh, Jared, I've . . . I've brought you Shane."
Jared jerked his hand away. His eyes were wild as he looked past Melanie just as Shane stepped into full view. His head began to spin and his eyes became blinded with tears as he leaned shakily up on one elbow. "Shane?" he said in a low gasp. "Is . . . it . . . really you?"
Shane's knees grew weak as the candle cast its glow onto his Father's thin, drawn face. He had to stifle a wail, the sort that Indians cried when discovering something too hard to bear. This man who had spoken his namethis man who was looking at Shane with sunken eyes on a face with skin drawn tautly over bonebore no resemblance whatsoever to the man Shane remembered.
Though Melanie had tried to warn Shane, the shock was no less. This man, his father, had suffered a lifetime, it seemed. It showed in the haunted depths of his eyes, in the haunted features of his face. Had all this suffering been the result of that one tragic day so long ago? Had he relived it
over and over again in his mind's eye, as Shane had? Could they bear to live it over again with one another now?
Melanie went to Shane and locked an arm through his. She walked with him to Jared's bed. Tears streamed from her eyes as Jared stared openly up at Shane, his whole body trembling from the shock.
"Father, it is I," Shane finally said. He eased away from Melanie and leaned down over his father, enfolding him in a gentle hug. "Father," he cried, his voice quaking. "It is I, Shane. I have come home."
Jared flung his arms around Shane. Tears flooded from his eyes as he wept, clinging to Shane with all his might. "Shane," he cried. "I knew you were alive. Oh, Lord, I knew you were alive!"
Melanie turned her back to the emotional scene. She hung her head and wept into her hands, then lifted her eyes slowly when she felt another presence in the room. She looked across the room and saw Josh standing there, gaping openly at the reunion of father and son.
She could not help but see the hate in his eyes.
She pitied him for it.
Chapter Eight
Josh came on into the room and inched up next to Melanie. "Let's talk," he whispered. "Go with me to the parlor. We've got to talk this thing over about Shane."
Not liking his implication, as though Shane were something to be bartered over, Melanie glared at Josh. "There's nothing to talk over," she whispered harshly. "Shane has come home. He's going to stay." She shook her head. "Josh, he's your brother. Your twin. Can't you show some compassion for him?"
"It's true that Shane is my brother," Josh whispered, staring at Shane and then at his father. They were talking as though they had never been apart. "But only by blood. Nothing more. Shane's been gone too long for me to have any other sorts of feelings about him.''
Melanie looked at Shane and his father, seeing how happy they were to be with each other again. It touched her deeply, this warmth flooding from father to son. She glared at
Josh again. "The years of separation haven't lessened the love your father has for Shane, or the love Shane feels for your father," she said, her voice breaking. "Nor should it affect the way you feel about your brother. Josh, how can you be so cold? So heartless?"
A warning grabbed Josh at his gut as he realized just how he looked in Melanie's eyes. It could cause her to despise him more than she already did. The chances of ever marrying her were getting dimmer by the minute. "I don't mean to sound crass," he said, nervously raking his fingers through his golden hair. "It's just thatthat this is all so sudden."