“Imogene,” he continued, “go with the servants and see that it’s properly done. After that, can I rely on you to keep watch here, inside this house, and receive her if she comes back before I do? Take your sister. Go.”
“But—”
“Go!” he shouted, and the servants jumped and hurried out the door. Imogene glared at him, her eyes burning, but followed after them.
Ian took a deep breath and turned to Timothea. “You must rise to the occasion, Timmie, and watch over the girls. Imogene will want to follow me, I see that look in her eye, but she cannot leave the house after dark in a storm.No one else may leave here.I forbid it.”
“Imogene is an accomplished rider,” his sister remarked, looking unconcerned. “The instructor Drewsmina hired confirmed this.”
“I don’t care if she’s next in line to command the royal calvary, she may not ride into a storm. Please, I beg of you, allow me to catch up to my runaway wife without having to worry about Imogene as well.”
“How odd that you speak of Drewsmina as if she’srun away. You always make matters worse than they are.”
“A keen observation,” he said, stalking out of the room, “considering things are very grave indeed.”
“I’m merely saying,” said Timothea, following him, “she’s gone out tolookfor you, notrunfrom you. The rain is a challenge, yes, but tamp down your hysteria about her fleeing into the night. She’ll be glad you’ve come for her.”
“I’m not hysterical,” he shouted, striding down the landing. Although hysteria was as good a name as any for what he now felt. Sheer terror also applied.
Let me find her, let me find her, let me find her.It was the simple little prayer he’d begun to chant in his head, his only ordered thought.
“But just look at the room she’s prepared for you,” enthused Timothea. “The excessive heat is hardly good for digestion, but the sentiment is sweet, really.”
“I don’t care about the room. I don’t want candles and wine and bathtubs. I want her toremain!Here.With us.”
“Yes, but have you considered whatshewants? She’s been perfectly lovely to all of us, especially the cat, butyou, brother, are her very strong preference.”
“She has me,” he countered. “I married her. I amin her possession.”
“Yes, you married her in the sparest of ceremonies, followed by a tasteless breakfast. And then what did you do? You set her right to work, training up your nieces.”
“Need I remind you that these areyourdaughters, Timothea,” he said. “And we’re all better for her efforts. She loves the girls and enjoys her work with them.”
“She enjoysyou. She lovesyou.”
He made a growling noise and began clipping down the stairs. “‘Love’ again. I need more time to reckon with... withthat. And why must it be meted outnow? Tonight? Doeslovecreate such an urgency, it warrants running into a storm?”
“Firstly—yes. Secondly, the love is perhaps not the urgency. It’s the waiting.”
Timothea began to descend the stairs, shaking her head. “Men have no imagination, I’m sorry to say. They look at a girl like Imogene and think immediately, ‘How pretty. She’ll do nicely.That’sthe girl for me—with the blonde hair and blue eyes and the high spirit.’ And good for Imogene—truly. When it comes to her, my only concern is for the sanity of her future husband, may God preserve him. But Drewsmina, in contrast, calls for more discernment, doesn’t she? She is more unique, less obvious. She’s been compelled to wait for someone to sort this out. She may have been waitingyears.”
“If you’re suggesting I haven’t noticed that my wife is beautiful, you’re wrong.”
“Oh I’ve no doubt you can identify her many fine qualities, but does she know that you cherish her?”
Ian missed a step.
“Do you know,” quizzed Timothea, “what Tribble said to me the night we met? He said, ‘Thereyou are. I’ve been searching for you my whole life, and now you’ve finally come.ThankGod.’ It was the most gratifying thing, to be seen and to be wanted. It calmed me in a hundred differentways. I felt calmness, in fact, for perhaps the very first time in my life.”
Ian turned back to her. His sister managed to be the most shocking in those rare moments when she also made the most sense.
“Women grow weary of waiting for men to take some notice, Ian,” she lectured, catching up to him. “Waiting for them to warm to the notion of love. It’s exhausting. I salute Drewsmina’s wild ride, honestly. Clearly the flowers and candles failed to capture your attention. If you’d prefer her safe inside, out of the rain, I suggest you demonstrate that she isseenand that you find herprecious.”
I do see her,Ian thought, making his way to the bottom step.
I saw her the very first day.
“I did see her,” he said out loud. “I was made a little breathless by the impression she made, if I’m being honest. But it took me by surprise, and I don’t like surprises.”
