It didn’t matter; one might have heard a mouse walk in a room as silent as this one had become. He took a deep breath and lifted his chin, looking more like a little lost boy than Jessie knew he would have liked. “What think you of that, old man?”
Jessie’s heart swelled with pride for him, but she held her breath, waiting for Jean Paul’s reply.
Jean Paul turned to Jessie, seeming to understand that she was the one responsible for this long-awaited acknowledgment. His eyes glittered suspiciously. And then, in a sweeping moment that brought tears to her eyes, he turned to Christian and said, choking on his words, “You make me proud, son!” Further words failed him and he moved forward, daring to embrace Christian.
Tentatively at first, Christian returned the hug, unsure of what to do, what to say. His grimace held a wealth of emotions, Jessie knew. Even so, the arms embracing him were not so easy to refuse, and finally he was clasping his father with as much force as was offered. Jean Paul peeled himself away, patting Christian’s shoulder, seeming embarrassed now by his show of affection.
Unable to bear not being a part of the hug, Jessie laughed and hugged Ben beside her. Ben reacted rather startled at first, looking quickly to Christian, and then again to Jessie. After another instant, he returned her hug somewhat cautiously and bent to whisper in her ear. “Felicitations, sweet coz! I shall carry the news to Mother and Father. They shall be del?—”
Suddenly there was a hand wedged between them. Startled by the abruptness of it, both Ben and Jessie gazed upward to spy Christian’s scowling face.
“Good God, man,” Ben exclaimed, “but you are as jealous a husband as they come! She’s my cousin!” he protested lamely.
Jean Paul laughed, his eyes gleaming still.
“Aye,” Christian admitted without qualm. “That I am, and don’t you go forgetting it!”
“Does that mean I cannot congratulate my new daughter?” Jean Paul dared.
“If you mean to embrace her, it does,” Christian told him without hesitation. “Father or nay, you’re a man first, and I’ll not have her embraced by any but me. At least not tonight,” headded, and having declared it so, he swept Jessie up into his arms. She squealed, part in laughter, part in protest.
“If you’ll excuse us,” he said, winking at his wife. “There’s a matter of some compensation to be had for my troubles this eve.” His smile deepened when Jessie blushed, and he bore her quickly up the stairs, leaving two mouths agape behind them. He didn’t bother to offer Ben or his father so much as a by-your-leave.
“But we have guests!” Jessie protested.
“Aye, well, devil hang them both!” her husband proclaimed, and even as he ascended the stairwell, he managed to kiss her soundly, silencing any further protests.
The sight of them brought a hearty chuckle from the pair below.
“Have you ever seen the like!” Ben exclaimed, shaking his head in wonder as he watched the two disappear from the landing above.
“Mais oui,” Jean Paul said softly. “But of course.” And his look was wistful and distant as he stared up at the empty landing above. Voices could be heard faintly from the corridor, giggles, and then a door slammed shut in the distance, echoing throughout the grand house.
There was a deep hush and an air of profound contentment in its wake.
Tears filled Jean Paul’s eyes, but he seemed unaware of them until one slid conspicuously down his weathered old cheek. He swiped at it quickly and turned to see that Ben was staring. “Pardonnez-moi,” he said, his voice catching strangely, “but I am an old man, and sometimes I find myself weakened by paltry emotions.”
His dark eyes twinkling, Ben assured, “I saw nothing, my friend.”
Jean Paul nodded. “And so you’ve not,” he agreed. He placed a hand to Ben’s shoulder. “So you’ve not.”
