Bittersweet Endeavors (34 page)
Read Bittersweet Endeavors Online
Authors: Tamara Ternie
“Dash
it,
Myra
!”
“Hush!” she fiercely whispered.
Gads
, certainly Zachary heard him call out!
“What do you mean,
hush?
”
he overly exaggerated the sound
while
mimicking
her. “You kick me and then ask me to be quiet?”
“Please, S
eth, you must keep quiet. He shall
hear you.”
She rolled her eyes
heavenward
. “I’m sorr
y. I shouldn’t have kicked you. I
just need to get this said before he finds me
…
find
us
.”
“
Then c
ontinue, but do it posthaste.”
“How did you know about the
child I carry
?”
“What? You ask me to risk y
our husband’s wrath to speak about
that babe you carry?”
Even in the dark,
Myra
saw
his eyes widen, incredulous to what she
had
asked
.
She wondered why he appeared so surprise. Her angered stewed within her and she decided that she wasn’t
stand
ing
idle
as he showed his
distaste for a child
that
he created! She raised her leg to kick his other shin, but he
anticipated
her move. As she swung her leg toward him
, he
grabbed her ankl
e just
seconds
before it made
contact. She fell to the ground
with a thud. All the air escaped
her lungs in a loud whoosh.
“Are you all right?”
Seth dropped to his knees at her side
, deep
concern
laced his
tone
,
and the stream of li
ght that illuminated
his face displayed
his worry.
“
Myra
?” Zachary called out again.
He was
very close, and she
flinched with fear.
“I have to go,
Myra
. For your sake, he cannot find us together. Tell me true, are
you hurt?
Did I harm the child?
” He placed
his hand
on her stomach
with clear concern that
he
’d
hurt
them
by his thoughtless move
.
She reached up and gripped a h
andful of golden ribbons that flowed from his jacket’s shoulder
to prevent his departure. “
You must f
irst tell me how you knew I carried your child?”
Seth stood and
looked over the bush toward the sound of Zachary’s voic
e that called out to
Myra
again. He turned back to
Myra
and his voice flowed cautiously.
“
My child?
” he asked, confused. “
My father
assured me
that
the child
is
Zachary’s.”
Zachary’s voice grew stronger and she knew he
neared to only
a few
meters
away from them
.
Barely
an audible whisper
, she said, “The
child is yours, Seth.
By all that’s holy, I swear it. Zachary
isn’t aware
of it, and
you must swear to me that you
and your father shan’t
tell him.
I fear for what he’ll do if he learns the truth.
”
“
Myra
,” Zachary called again from the neighboring hedge to her right.
W
hisper
s
between her and Seth w
ould
now
be
easily ov
erheard
.
Instead
of taking a risk at
being caught, she
mouthed
, “The baby is yours.”
The moonlight glimmered
on Seth’s face as he hovered over her. At first he appeared to be confused
and then anger set his face hard.
With both of her hands, she gripped either side of his
waistcoat and
pulled him close
, h
is face only inches from her
s.
“Please,” she mouthed silently. “You must go.”
When Zachary turned the bend and began his walk down their aisle, he called her name out again. From where he stood,
Myra was certain he’d find them
, a
nd in
their
present
position,
it wasn’t
consider
ed
near
to being
appropriate.
“P
lease,”
she mouthed
again, but Seth interrupted her plea
and
brushed his lips against hers.
“I promise,” he quietly vowed into
her ear. “I’ll not tell him
, but you’ll explain this, and soon,” he added
. He
quickly and quietly rushed off toward the Frederickson home.
The little relief she found in Seth’s words was quickly eradicated
after
Zachary stood a scant foot away
from where she hid
. Just a slight movement of his head and she’
d
be caught. She rolled deeper beneath the brush,
and
her fear intensif
ied
with every single foul word that
was
muttered from Zachary’s lips. Robust aromas of damp grass and dirt whirled her senses, as if mocking her indignant position.
She closed her eyes and waited,
and
envision
ed
all the worst unimaginable things he'
d
do in form of punishment
if he found her
.
God help her now, she prayed.
“What’s the matter,
Myra
? Did something happen?” Lucia
helped
Myra
remove her gown
that had been
spoiled
by
dirt and debris
of
the gardens
.
“Oh, Lucia, he was
here! Seth was here!”
Myra
hugged herself
and
pulled away from Lucia
and
twirl
ed
around the room. Her arms flared out in whirling glee
,
and
she
fe
lt
so much excitement within her
.
“Did
Seth
change his mind about the child
?”
Myra
stopped and the smile left her face.
She wrapped her arms around the bedpost and leaned her head against the
column’s
hard wood.
“He didn’t know the child
is
his, Lucia.” A tear fell down her cheek. “His father told him it’s Zachary’s.”
“Oh,
Myra
, what
shal
l
you
two
do
now
?
”
“I do not know. Zachary interrupted us before we could further speak of it.”
A loud knock
re
sounded
against
her
door
and
Myra
jumped
. She was
further
startled
when
he didn’t wait for her reply
, and Zachary burst into the
room.
His vast, muscular body
left
no space within the door
’s
frame
.
“You were outside.”
It wasn’t a question and
Myra
debated about
how
she’d
respond.
L
ying
was h
er initial thought
—
say
she
had
retired early, but
she didn’t think it would help her cause
.
She wondered if he saw her under the
brush
.
Worse,
if he
saw her outside with Seth.
“
Aye
?” Something
noncommittal
seemed her best
re
course
.
“Seth.” A muscle twitched in his jaw and his fists clenched at his sides. “Were you with him,
Myra
?”
Lucia stepped
protectively in front of
her
, but
Myra
placed her hands on her shoulders and guided her gently away.
She
offered a
look of appreciation
but
warded her off
with
unspoken words.
“You can go now, Lucia,
”
Myra said.
“But
, milady
,” she returned,
in her subservient
voice she’d grown accustomed
while in Zachary’s presence.
“That’ll be all tonight. Thank
you
.
”
Lucia reluctantly left
but chose
not to close the door behind her.
Myra
knew
she
’
d stay only a few feet away
. She’d
remain
w
ithin
an
earshot range
lest
she need
ed
her assistance.
“I want you to tell me why you were outside with Seth Preston tonight.” His tone
was
hard and
forceful
. He’
d
not be unheeded and
demanded
her
reply.
“You are mistaken, Zachary. I went out for a breath of fresh air,
but only
stayed outside a
sparse few moments
.”
Myra
held her breath. “And, I was out there alone.”
She
didn’t have a chance to think
about
further excuses
. His
hand belted a slap across her face
and stung
all
the more
harshly
since h
is
str
ike
had
hit
her already bruised cheek.
“Don’t lie to me!” His voice rattled the glass
of the chandelier
and the candles
’ light flickered
chilling
ly
within her room.
Lucia barged into the room, and although
Myra
felt
threatened and
frightened, she motioned with her hand
toward Lucia, and she again, reluctantly left
.
“If I see you alone with him again,
Myra
, I’ll kill him. Do I make myself clear?”
“
Aye
, Zachary.” She stepped away and
reached for the coverlet on her bed
and concealed
herself, as she stood in only her
chemise
,
she feared her
protruding
belly may give her secret away
. “But
naught
happened between us. We only talked.”
He snorted his disbelief.
“There’s
naught between Seth and myself. And w
hat
, pray tell,
should it matter? This isn’t a marriage of love but one of convenience,” she added boldly. “We’re here to serve
each other’s
purpose,
tis all
. I don’t understand
—
”