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A knot of emotion coiled in Trenton’s chest. He opened his mouth to reply but never got the chance.
“Trenton, listen!” Ariana pressed her finger to her lips, cocking her head intently to one side.
“To what? All I hear is a—”
“It’s a cuckoo! Come!” She seized his arm, urging him to follow her. “Quickly!” Raising her skirts, she sprinted up the beach, away from the bird’s noisy call, until she finally collapsed onto the sand about a quarter of a mile farther north.
“What was all that about?” Trenton easily reached his wife’s side and dropped down beside her.
“Didn’t you hear the cuckoo?”
“Of course I did. How could anyone miss that persistent screech?”
“He was repeating himself for a reason: That’s his way of offering us good fortune.”
“Now I am truly at sea.” Trenton absently smoothed the layers of wet sand from Ariana’s gown.
“Has no one ever told you that legend?” She sounded amazed, her tone sympathetic, as if Trenton had been denied something incredibly significant. “Whenever you hear the cuckoo’s call, you begin to run, counting each call that follows, until you can no longer hear him. Whatever number you’ve reached will be the number of years added to your life.” Ariana stared up the sky. “The summer is nearly gone. … I very seldom see a cuckoo about. This one obviously visited for t
he sole purpose of bringing us additional time to enjoy all this splendor!”
Trenton stretched his legs in front of him. “A true miracle,” he commented dryly. “So tell me, misty angel, how many total years have been added to your life, given that this is probably the fiftieth cuckoo you’ve discovered?”
“You don’t believe me.”
He turned, caught by the disappointment in her voice. “It isn’t you, Ariana. I believe in very little.”
“I know,” she said sadly. “What I don’t understand is why your cynicism is so ingrained. Your life is rich with blessings. Surely you haven’t always been consumed with anger?”
“No … not always.” Shadows cloaked his face, resounded in his voice.
“Dustin is a wonderful brother,” Ariana persisted, ignoring the warning tremor that shivered up her spine. “Surely he must bring you some measure of joy?”
“Dustin has been my lifeline these past years. He’s not only the finest of brothers, but the very best of friends.”
“You’re fortunate. Most people would give anything for such a loving relationship.”
The wistfulness in her tone obliterated Trenton’s customary reticence, replacing it with the unexpected need to comfort. “Theresa seems as devoted to you as if she were your mother.”
A fond smile touched Ariana’s lips at the mention of Theresa’s name. “She is. I’m terribly grateful for her. … She gives me not only love, but a sense of balance.” Ariana tossed Trenton an impish look. “You probably haven’t noticed, but I have a tendency to lose touch with reality.”
“Really? How surprising,” Trenton returned her teasing. “And when is that? When you are pursuing birds?”
“Or pursuing whatever fantasy calls out to me.” She wrapped her arms about her knees. “Sometimes dreams are infinitely preferable to reality.”
Instantly, he sobered. “Has your life been so very difficult?”
“Oh, no. Never difficult. I was permitted to live as I pleased, with little or no demands placed on me.” Ariana scooped up a handful of sand, sifting it slowly as she spoke, remembering a childhood as fleeting as the grains that passed between her fingers. “I suppose I always wanted something that was distinctly mine, something that gave me a sense of identity. Once Mama and Papa died, it was as if I were floating. Baxter and Vanessa were already grown, their paths in life clear. Baxter was the brilliant businessman, destined to manage the Caldwell assets. Vanessa was an unequivocal beauty, the epitome of social grace and charm. And I? I was neither, not brilliant nor beautiful. Even as a child I possessed no outstanding quality to set me above or apart. In short, I was average. It was up to me to find my own niche. So when I got older, I did. I discovered nature. I’ve never been sorry.”
Shrugging philosophically, she turned to Trenton and was stunned to see the restrained fury on his face. With a sudden jolt of comprehension, she realized what she’d just said.
“I’m sorry, Trenton. I didn’t mean to bring up Vanessa.”
“How could you think that?” Trenton interrupted angrily.
“Think what?”
“That you are average, that your brother and sister were superior, enviable. Good Lord, Ariana, don’t you know the truth?” Trenton pushed on before he could reconsider. “Your brilliant brother has done nothing but squander away your family’s money.”
