A MISUNDERSTANDING
Chapter Five
Country Life
Cal drove them in a carriage up
the wooded hill and to his summer house. "Don’t you just love the country?
Quiet and peaceful. Of course, I’d hate to live her all the time. But my family
came here every year in the summertime, so it carries a lot of good memories.
Yup, there’s even a lake in the back..." For the love of God, shut up!
he commanded himself. But he couldn’t. The words came out and rambled on like
the road they were bumping up and down on. He would talk forever if it meant
they wouldn’t have to talk about what they had come to talk about.
Rose, on the other hand, had said
nothing since seeing him except for a brief hello.
They finally came to the big,
white, wooden house. The year-round residing butler, cook, and gardener helped
Rose out of the carriage. "Dinner is set out in the side yard. I’ll be
with you right after the horses are back in the stables."
*****
Rose, usually a cinch at
conversations, had never been so uncomfortable in her life. The filleted fish
and potatoes were eaten in silence. After the rice pudding and pastries were
set out on the pleasant porch, conveniently placed at the side of the house so
that you could overlook both the blooming front yard and shimmering lake in
back, Rose took a deep breath and began. "On the train, I thought things
over, and--" She fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth. "--and I
just can’t do it. I don’t want to tear up your family. Isabella and your own
children deserve better than that. Besides, if you look, you’ll see that you
love them all much more than you do me..." A sob escaped, and she stopped
talking, trying to stifle it.
"Oh, Rose." Cal wanted
to protest, but how could he? He didn’t know if what she was saying was true or
not. He no longer knew anything.
"Yes, well, the next train
out of here doesn’t leave until morning. I’d like to leave on good terms, but
it would hurt me too badly to see you again. I’ll be in my room. Please don’t
get up early to see me off." With that, Rose walked back into the house,
tears streaming down her face.