M. Donice Byrd - The Warner Saga (18 page)

Donna watched Blake’s reaction intently as Meredith rejoined them. She did not miss the smile that graced his handsome countenance or the way his smile slowly faded upon seeing Meredith’s shyly downcast face.

“You look a little pale, treasure. Do you feel all right?”

Her eyes briefly met his before dropping again. In that short look, Donna saw something akin to admiration in her eyes.

“I’m just tired, I suppose.”

Donna smiled kindly at her. She had seen many women look at Blake with similar expressions. Each was doomed to heartache. But when he reached for her hand, for the first time, Donna suspected the solicitousness Blake displayed was more than mere politeness. He had a pet name for her. Had he ever called a woman anything but her given name before? A secret smile graced Donna’s lips.
Finally
, she thought.

“Let me show you to your room.” Donna took her elbow and started for the door. Casually, she threw a look over her shoulder. “Blake, bring her things in before you go find a hotel for yourself, will you?” At Blake surprised expression she added, “No judge will divorce a couple who still live together.”

“Perhaps,” Meredith suggested, “we should both stay at the hotel. I mean, I wouldn’t want to put you to any trouble, Mrs. Daily. You don’t even know me yet. You may feel uncomfortable with a stranger in the house.”

“Nonsense.”
Donna gave Blake a hard stare. “You’re family, at least for the time being.”

“Family?”
Meredith asked, confused.

“Donna is my sister – half-sister really. It’s not commonly known. I would’ve told you beforehand but I wasn’t sure how Donna would feel about telling you. She and her sister are the legitimate ones. It’s not my standing in the community that would suffer if the truth were known. Well, my standing would suffer but I wouldn’t care.”

Meredith wondered if this Rebecca woman knew of their relationship. Of course the woman did. She was in love with Blake and she knew to come to Donna’s door looking for him. Would Blake go looking for her as soon as he left for the night?

Donna showed Meredith to the first door off the
upstairs landing. She struck a Lucifer and put it to the wick of an ornate lamp. As the light began illuminating the room, Meredith could see the massive bed with its white lacy canopy and bed curtains. She sighed quietly imagining what it would be like to sleep in such a bed under the billowy white counterpane with its pale violet flowers and eyelet lace trim. She longed to see if it had a soft feather mattress but stood reservedly in the doorframe. Even without throwing herself onto the bed, she somehow knew it would. Donna opened the window to let the night air cool the room. Delicate glass figurines had been carefully placed on the windowsill and on the dresser. A china doll with pouty lips sat in a rocking chair in the corner. It was the most elegant room she had ever seen.

“Would you like a bath before bed?” Donna asked as she turned the bed down and fluffed the pillows.

“That would be wonderful,” Meredith replied. “But it’s so much trouble.”

“Oh, posh,” Donna said, dismissively. “I’m sure Cassie and
Fulton started heating the water as soon as you got here.”

Within a few minutes, Meredith had eaten her sandwich and was ushered into a bathroom where a hammered brass tub sat filled with lilac scented water. She disrobed and slipped into the warm liquid. Her travel-worn muscles gradually eased and began to relax and within a few minutes, she had fallen asleep.

Downstairs Donna stared at her brother with a hard expression as he finished his sandwich. 

“How can you do that to her?”

Blake grimaced.  “She was the one who suggested the divorce.”

“I don’t think she understands the ramifications.  And don’t tell me you’re not sleeping with her, Blake.”

Blake shook his head and sighed. “This is for the best.  I can’t give her what she wants.”

“Are you mad? What man is going to want another man’s cast off? You are dooming her to a life alone.”

He stopped chewing as an expression of annoyance crossed his face. He loved Donna but he didn’t want to hear a lecture. She would not make any points he had not thought of himself but she didn’t understand his deep-seated need to keep his distance from her. “I’m allowing her to find a man who will love her the way she deserves.” Blake shuffled restlessly in his seat at the thought of another man loving Meredith.

Donna moved to sit next to him on the sofa.  She placed her manicured hands on his wrist. Her eyes met his. “Why can’t you be that man?” she asked quietly.

Blake’s expression became guarded.  He had never told anyone about his mother. No one could understand what he’d been through and how it affected his life. They could never fathom what that did to him. No, he could never love her.
“Because I can’t.”

“Meredith… Meredith…” Blake crooned.

She opened her eyes to find the water cool and Blake standing over the tub lightly stroking her breast with one finger.

“I guess I fell asleep,” she said sinking into the water up to her chin. Finding the melted cake of soap, she began to wash her arm. “Did you want something or did you just come to ogle me while I bathed?”

“What do you think I’ve been doing for the last five minutes,” he teased reaching for a towel. “Actually, I
just wanted to say good night before you went to bed. I asked Donna to move you into my room. I hope you don’t mind. I think you’ll be just as comfortable there and since it’s in the corner you can get a cross breeze if you open both windows. Cassie put your clean clothes in the wardrobe and will wash the rest in the morning.”

He would not tell her the real reason was because he wanted to know she was sleeping in his bed. He felt a tightening in his stomach at the thought. “Stand up and I’ll rinse you,” he said throwing the towel over his shoulder and reaching for a pail of clean water.

Meredith soaped her hair before she complied. The water cascaded over her breasts then between them, down her flat stomach to the juncture of her legs.

“All right, turnaround,” he said gruffly.

The suds work themselves through her hair leaving it smooth and flat against her back and exiting the reddish tresses darkened by water where it came to it natural point at the small of her back.

Blake’s eyes followed the natural progress of the water as it went further. By the time Blake drizzled the entire bucket over her, he was close to losing control. Had it not been for his respect for his sister’s wishes, he would have taken Meredith then and there standing up with her back pressed against the wall and her legs wrapped around his hips.

After toweling dry, Meredith reached for her nightgown but found it was gone. “I gave it to Cassie to wash. I thought you might like something clean,” he said handing her a man’s shirt. “I know how you have a fondness for my shirts.”

“I do not. I thought that shirt was my dress,” she said repeating her lie as she pulled on his shirt and buttoned it.

His grin told her he didn’t believe her. It hung down to her knees and he rolled up the sleeves to make it fit her better. Blake wrapped her in a thick robe that bore his initials and hung to the ground and led her into his room. It was in the back of the house, over the study. A sleigh style bed as large as the one she’d given up dominated the room.  By the dark fireplace sat a leather wing chair that matched the ones in the study and she could imagine him sitting there in the winter staring into the fire or reading into the late night by its light. Leather bound books and a ship in a bottle adorned the mantle. On the dresser sat an array of personal items, a shaving kit, hair brush and comb. Three framed photographs adorned one end of the dresser. Two were taken at Donna’s wedding; one a picture of the newlywed couple and the other, a large group picture taken of about a hundred guests seated on the wide church steps with Donna and her groom in the middle.

Meredith searched the rows of happy faces for Blake and frowned when she found he was not among them. “You didn’t go to her wedding?” Meredith asked setting the picture in its place.

“Look in the doorway,” he said bringing one of the lanterns closer.

There he stood in the shadows of the church’s open doorway, leaning against the jamb with his arms crossed and a crooked grin on his face. He looked like a mischievous rogue sneaking into the picture.

In the third picture, a man shook hands with President Lincoln. It was a warm greeting if the men’s body language meant anything. Lincoln’s left hand was on the man’s shoulder as his right was clasped in both the other man’s.

Meredith wondered who the second man was but didn’t ask. It was daunting to realize Blake knew people
who knew the president.

“Bedtime, my treasure,” Blake murmured as he unbelted the sash of her robe. “You’ll have all day tomorrow to examine my things.”

Meredith would have protested that she was no snoop but Blake kissed her soundly when she opened her mouth.

“Lord, it’s hot in here,” he said setting her away from him. A fine film of perspiration appeared on his forehead. He knew the temperature had little to do with it. “Get into bed before I make us unwelcome in Donna’s home.”

She stretched toward him to kiss him again. “I don’t mind getting kicked out if I get to spend the night with you.”

“Minx,” he said giving her a peck before putting the robe on a hook inside the wardrobe. He opened the
windows as she climbed into bed. After extinguishing the lanterns, Blake leaned over her and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Good night, Meredith.”

“Good night, Blake.”

16

Meredith awoke slowly as a languid laziness compelled her to shut her eyes and try to go back to sleep. The sounds of birds singing outside her window drifted into the room pulling her further into awareness. Like a fat feline, Meredith stretched and took in her surroundings. The curtains moved gently in the soft breeze letting in extra light. It was well past midmorning if the rays on the floor were any indication.

Blake.

He was her first thought as her mind clear of its sleep cobwebs. Picking up the collar of the shirt he had given her to sleep in, Meredith held the material to her nose and inhaled the spicy scent of his soap that clung to the fabric.

Meredith pushed aside the covers and climbed out of bed. Anticipating seeing Blake, she dressed quickly in a brown homespun skirt and white blouse. It was plain but it was clean and it fit her well. She brushed her long strawberry blond hair then expertly braided it, tying it off with a simple white ribbon. After brushing her teeth,
Meredith left the room hoping to find Blake downstairs waiting on her.

Resisting the urge to gallop down the stairs, she descended in a manner that befitted the stately home. She couldn’t wait to see him. But he wasn’t there yet.

She quickly found Donna who showed her into the dining room where breakfast awaited her in chafing dishes on the sideboard. Donna sat with Meredith as she ate her breakfast and chatted amiably. Meredith heard Donna’s voice waver when she spoke of her husband, Hamilton, who was the manager of the Western Bank but who was, at the moment, living the life of a soldier. She heard his unit had been in the battle at Lone Jack recently and was desperate to hear from him.

As Meredith pushed her meal around her plate,
Fulton stepped into the room. “Mrs. Daily, Miss Grant is in the parlor.”

“Oh my, I didn’t even hear the door.”

Donna looked ill at ease. “I-I….Meredith, feel free to finish your meal. I’ll just go see what she wants.”

“Good morning, Donna.”

“Rebecca! I’m surprised to see you this morning. Have you seen Blake? I told him you were here.”

“I just came from his room. He asked me to bring a message to his wife.” Rebecca looked towards the stairs and down the hall.

“Perhaps I should relay the message. I’m sure this is an uncomfortable situation for you.”

Rebecca lowered her voice. “Actually, I want to meet her, though I can’t say why. Is she hideous? I couldn’t get one word out of Blake what she’s like, you know how he is.”

“Actually, she’s quite lovely. What did Blake say to make you think otherwise?”

“You’ve always been generous to a fault, Donna. But if she’s as lovely as you say, why is he already divorcing her?”

Donna pursed her lips. “I had hoped to stop this talk of divorce or at least convince them to give it more thought before rushing into anything. If you must know, I suspect the reason behind having the marriage dissolved is the same reason he never married you.”

Rebecca looked at Donna quirking her eyebrow.  “Donna, why won’t you accept that I don’t want to marry Blake? I’m content with the way things are between us. The only reason I’m at all upset about this marriage – as selfish as it may be – is that I know nothing between Blake and I will change and I don’t particularly like the idea of being linked with married or divorced man.”