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“No! Of course, he doesn’t. And he’s not going to know.”
“Then you better start talking, girl. What’s going on?”
“You can’t tell him I’m here, Beau Noble!”
“Oh, yes I can.” He thought a moment about what all this meant. “He took Jolie to Springfield, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“And you left him then?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” His eyes flashed like her father’s had flashed when the man was angry. Beau was often mocking, sarcastic, even rude, but he was rarely angry and his fierce emotion rattled her resolve.
She sighed and said, “Sit down, Beau,” surprised that she managed to sound like the calm and reasoned woman he knew well. She sat on a chair across from him, resting her bottom on the velvet seat, looking prim and contained like a proper schoolteacher.
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Beau sat too, leaning forward in an anxious pose, a look of concern and fear on his face that was so terribly unlike him.
“I did something very wrong, Beau. I mean very wrong. I betrayed my husband with another man and, well, I couldn’t live with myself and stay with him. I’m sure this is not a permanent place for me, but it’s what I have now. Mamie’s been very kind.”
“You turning tricks?” he inquired, his voice a hoarse whisper.
“No!” She immediately shot back. Then she thought of Jarrett. “Well, not exactly. That’s not what I do for Mamie.”
“What do you mean, not exactly? You a whore or not?”
“I’m not a virtuous woman anymore, Beau. Life has taken a strange turn and things are not as I had planned. I love Daniel, but I’m not fit to be with him. I’m not fit to be a wife at all.”
“You don’t think he could decide that?”
“I’m sparing him the grief.”
“But running away like a coward…”
“You’re one to talk.”
“You’re better than me, Hannah. You always have been.”
“Well, no more.”
He shook his head. “This ain’t right, girl. It ain’t and you know it.”
“It is right. It’s the decision I’ve made and you will have to accept it.”
“Nope, I ain’t going to. I’m sorry, but I’m bringing Daniel here. Talking to him is the least you can do. He must be sick with worry.”
“He’ll get over it. I swear, Beau, if you don’t do anything else honorable in your life, please do this and drop the matter. Things happen. Bad things happen.”
“And people forgive each other. You’ve forgiven me, what? A hundred times. You think the man won’t forgive you? You haven’t even given him the chance.”
“This is different. I just can’t tell you my reasons, but trust me; it’s different, Beau. You have to let this go.”
He ran his hand through his tousled locks, exasperation filled his face and it appeared as though he was about to cry.
Hannah suddenly moved from the chair and fell at his feet. “Beau, please, don’t make this hurt worse. Please.” She looked up, despairing. Had she won him over?
