He is back

*Calliope*
"I am the true mother of his son!"

The rebuttal lodges in my throat, going unspoken.

I walk briskly through the garden, searching for answers. It’s a gray day, which mirrors my mood. The dark clouds block out the sun, and it somehow seems significant, as though the light will no longer shine in my life.

What the devil am I to do? Four thousand a year. I am given fifteen pounds each week for my own pleasures and enjoyments. I could ask for twenty. I doubt Zac would deny me. But I would still be far short of what Fancy demands. Where am I to get it?

I suppose I could find bits of silver here and there in rooms seldom used. Knickknacks that wouldn’t be missed. I feel as though I am betraying Zac, who has admitted that he loves me.

I never expected to truly own his heart, to hear those sweet words pass through his lips. His words, so earnestly spoken, push away the last cobwebs of my nightmare. In it, I crawl over a battlefield littered with dismembered limbs. Zane is on the other side. I need to get to him, to save him. Then Zac sweeps him up and begins to carry him away. I call after them, but they ignore me. Both of them. And I know once they disappear into the blackness that hovers at the edge of the field, I will never see them again.

Now I fear if I confess the hell I’ve plummeted into, Zac will leave me in truth. And it will be far more painful than in a dream world. And he will take Zane with him. His son.

“Ah, there you are.”

I spin around to marvel at my husband striding toward me. The bleakness of the day cannot dim my joy at seeing him. The wind tousles his hair. He must have left his hat inside. He looks young and carefree. Happy—

“How was your business in London?” I ask.

“Incredibly boring. Ainsley wanted to go over some accounts.” He snakes an arm around me and draws me up against him. “And all I wanted was to be in bed with my wife."

He kisses me soundly. Passion immediately sparks. I love the feel of my body pressed against his. I do not want to lose this. I do not want to lose him.

When he draws back, his blue eyes sparkle brighter than any jewel. “And as I was in Town . . .” Reaching into his pocket, he withdraws a small black box and holds it toward me.

I hesitate.

“Come along. Open it. I certainly have no use for it."

Taking it carefully, as though it’s as delicate as an eggshell, I hesitate again. Slowly, I open it to reveal a locket in the shape of a heart. On the back is inscribed, With love, Zac and Zane.

Tears well and a sob breaks free.

“I had hoped it would please you,” he says, his voice laced with amusement, and I know he takes satisfaction in my reaction. That he meant to touch me deeply, knows he has accomplished his goal.

“I am pleased. So pleased.” I wind my arms around his neck, holding him close. “Nothing could have been more perfect.”

I would do anything to retain this perfection, this idyllic life that I’ve sacrificed so much to obtain. This residence contains so many small things. Surely, surely, no one would miss a few tiny, insignificant items.