Whitefern (Audrina 2)

“No, thank you.”

As if he was at one of his business dinners, Arden began to talk about the economy and how he would like to adjust Mrs. Matthews’s portfolio.

I didn’t eat half as much as they did, and when I was content with what I had eaten, I thought that one of us should go check on Sylvia. “She might have woken up and would be frightened,” I suggested.

“I doubt it,” Mrs. Matthews said. “I gave her enough to sleep well for a few more hours at least. She needs to sleep now. If you’re restless, why don’t you clear the table?”

Arden nodded in agreement. So just like that, I was back to my household duties, I thought. She looked so confident, so pleased with her power over me.

I felt my spine harden and sat back. “Would a woman who had just given birth get right back to her household duties?” I asked.

She raised her eyebrows.

I looked at Arden. “I’m simply trying to behave like a woman who just had a baby. I should get to the point where I do so without thinking, don’t you agree?” I was so saccharine-sweet that I almost turned my own stomach.

“She has a point, Helen,” Arden said. “Perhaps you can see to some coffee for us, too, when you clear the table. I’d like to have some with brandy tonight.”

She didn’t flush red, exactly, but I could see the fury in her eyes. She rose and began to clear off the table. At that moment, I really appreciated Arden. He smiled at me, and I thought th

at maybe now that this was all coming to an end, we could return to being the husband and wife we had set out to be. We’d return to feeling the affection we’d had for each other when we first met, a time that felt so very long ago.

Adelle woke and began to cry. For a moment, I panicked, but then I lifted her carefully and rocked her.

“That’s not what she wants,” Mrs. Matthews said as she returned from the kitchen. “It’s time for another feeding. Get used to it. You won’t be sleeping too many hours in a row for quite a while.”

“Well, you can surely help for a few weeks, can’t you, Helen?” Arden asked. I listened carefully to his tone of voice. Whenever he asked her to do something now, there was an underlying threat.

“I can help a little, but if she becomes too dependent on me, it won’t do you any good when I leave.”

“When will you leave?” I asked, perhaps a bit too harshly.

“As soon as I can,” she said. “Don’t worry about that. Come with me to the kitchen. I’ll fix the baby’s bottle, and you can watch and know how to do it after this.” She looked at Arden. “Maybe you can pitch in, Mr. Lowe, and help clear the rest of the table. I will prepare some coffee, too, as you requested.”

He laughed. “Me? Clear off a table? I haven’t lifted a dish off a table since—”

“Since now,” she said.

I almost laughed out loud at the way the smile flew off his face. He looked at mine and then, not hiding his displeasure, began to pick up dishes and glasses.

Later, he drank too much brandy and nearly fell asleep on the settee. I reminded him of what we had to do to get Adelle and me upstairs this evening.

“Why don’t we wait?” he asked.

“You promised me, Arden. It hasn’t been pleasant sleeping in those rooms, either for me or for Sylvia.”

He groaned and got up.

While Adelle was sleeping, I brought up some of my clothing and then went to the first Audrina’s room to see the nursery he had created. I was impressed, but not seeing the familiar toys and furniture stunned me at first. Even after I had learned the truth and Papa had faced up to the deceptions he had created, he had not wanted to disturb the room. I think there was a point where he had convinced himself that there really was a first Audrina. He had wanted her so much, as he had enjoyed her. In a way, changing the sacred rocking-chair room was like burying another part of him.

Arden came up behind me. “Well?” he asked. “You’re not going to start complaining about not having those dusty things in here, are you?”

“No, Arden. You did a beautiful job. I am proud of you.”

“Good,” he said. “Let’s finish moving everything up. I have a big day tomorrow. I’ve decided that I’m not moving that rocking chair up tonight. It’s late, and it’s heavy.”

“Okay, Arden,” I said. I was too tired to argue about anything.

Shortly after, Mrs. Matthews decided we could help Sylvia back up to her room. She was groggy, but the pain seemed tolerable. The two of us practically carried her up the stairs and got her into her bed.