Matthew listened carefully to the exchange. He had indulged in the very same discussion, too many times to count. His answer was to become angry and try to verbally beat some sense into his father. But that had never worked. Perhaps he was too frustrated to be effective any more.
But Alixandrea was new to all of this; she was of a new mind, new blood, something that Adam might respond to. Matthew had told her that he thought she was of good character. The next few moments might determine just how good of character she was.
Alixandrea could see Matthew from the corner of her eye, suspecting that she knew his thoughts. It wasn’t that she wanted to prove anything to him, for she did not; but she did want to help Adam. He seemed very much in need of it.
“May I ask you a question, my lord?” she asked.
Adam nodded, half-heartedly, apparently not too interested in any question she might have. But she delved on. “What was your wife like?”
“Can you not see that it pains me to speak of her?”
“Please. Tell me.”
Adam scratched at the sides of his chair; not having a cup in his hand gave him nothing to do, nothing to hold on to. “She was full of all of the goodness in Heaven,” he said, bordering on agitation. “She was sweet and kind.”
“Did she have spirit?”
“Of course.”
“Did she give you her opinion or tell you when you were wrong?”
“That she did.”
“Then she was a woman who knew her mind.”
“Aye, very much.”
Alixandrea leaned towards him. “Did you respect her for her thoughts?”
He looked at her, mildly outraged. “Of course I did. Audrey was a brilliant woman with a great mind. Her guidance was unparalleled.”
On his arm, Alixandrea’s hand tightened. “Then tell me this, and you must be completely honest. What would she say to you if she saw that you were grieving like this for her twelve years after her death? Would it please her? Would she wish it of you?”
He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. “What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. What do you think Lady Audrey would say if she knew you had made attempts on your own life out of grief?” When Adam refused to answer, she did it for him. “If she is the kind of woman you say she is, then she would be furious with you. Absolutely furious. Don’t you think?”
Still, Adam refused to answer. He was looking at his lap, the ground, anything but Alixandrea’s piercing bronze eyes. She shook him gently. “Look at the situation from another point of view. What if it had been you who had perished? Would you want Audrey to spend the next twelve years destroying her life because of her grief? Would you want her to commit suicide because of it? Of course you would not. Why would you think that she would be pleased by the inordinate grief you have shown over her passing? I have a feeling she would go to fisticuffs over it.”
Adam did not know what to say. He was speechless, confused. He stood up sharply, yanking his arm out from under her hand. He stood on the edge of the porch roof, watching the rain fall. Alixandrea stood up and went to him.
“Please do not think me harsh,” she said quietly. “’Tis only that I know that if I were to die, I should not want my husband to waste his life grieving. That would only hurt my memory, clouding it with agony and pushing aside all of the happiness we had together. I would want him to live and love again. To think that perhaps I could have taught him that during my life would have made it all worthwhile.”
Adam did look at her, then. “Taught him what?”
She smiled, a beautifully soft and knowing gesture. “That life is a gift to share with others, for too quickly it is gone.”
Adam continued to stare at her, his dark eyes glittering with unchecked emotion. After a moment, he turned and disappeared into the house. Alixandrea watched him go, her gaze falling on Matthew when Adam left her sight. Matthew was still holding her cloak; he held it out to her when their eyes met. She smiled weakly.
“I do not know if I did any good at all, but I tried,” she turned so that he could put her cloak around her shoulders. “Sometimes it takes a stranger to help where family cannot.”
He leaned down, putting his lips against her ear. “Youarefamily.”
His hot breath made chills race down her spine. “Only in the marital sense. He does not truly know me yet.”
“He will.”
His arms went around her, creating a safe, warm envelope against the rain and chill weather. So easily, they were coming to respond to one another, his arms around her and her contentment in his touch. They stood a moment, watching the water fall across the great green expanse of the garden. It lookedlike a sea of glittering emeralds. Alixandrea snuggled back against him, feeling his hard armor against her but comforted just the same.
