AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER3
Selena had avoided Owen all day. Talking to him about the past last night had brought back a maelstrom of emotions. Then to see Owen the way he was now, kind and considerate, played with her nerves, so she went to the one place that would clear her mind: the garden.
In less than a day, Selena already felt a strange reaction when she was around her husband. She refused to feel anything close to tenderness for the man.It was probably because she had been starved of love and companionship for so long that she was willing to grasp at anything Owen gave her. Yes, that must be the reason. But she had to be on guard. What if Owen’s memories returned? Where would that leave her? Exactly where she had been for the last eight years—alone and unloved.
So, like a child, she hid away in her secret place. Selena felt like a heel, since she had promised to show Owen around the house, but she knew he had a meeting with Victor Steele that morning. Now they were together. Owen was merely a breath away from her. She would not deny that he was handsome. He no longer had the deep wrinkles of worry that had marred his face in the past. And when he had wiped the dirt off her face, Selena had inwardly shivered at the gentleness of his caress.
The glint in Owen’s eyes said he’d also felt something pass between them. No, remember the plan—self-preservation. Selena turned back to her work.
“Do you often come out here?” Owen took a few steps back, giving her space.
“Yes. Gardening is my passion.”
“Because—before—it kept you away from me?”
Selena glanced over her shoulder. There was nothing in Owen’s expression to give away what he meant by the remark.
“The flowers bloom with love, time, and attention—things I had lots of. Since my husband did not want them, I gave it to the plants.”
Owen winced. She had not meant for the words to sound harsh, but it was the truth.
“How long have you been doing this?” He motioned to the plants.
“Since our first year of marriage.” She turned to face Owen. “When I could not give you a child, you became upset and stormed off to London. It was the summer. One day, I was walking along the path when I spotted our gardener, Phelps. The way he talked about the plants and the earth, bringing new things to life, it sparked something inside of me. He taught me everything I know. We even redesigned the garden and expanded it. It took us two years, but we did it.” She smiled, remembering the day they had finished. It had felt like bringing a child into the world, giving life to flowers and bushes she had nurtured from a seed.
“I would like to meet this extraordinary man, Phelps.”
Selena’s stomach somersaulted “He is no longer here.”
“Where is he?”
She leaned against the bench, her arms crossed over her chest. “You sacked him.”
“Me?”
“Yes.” Her voice grew louder. “On one occasion, when you returned from carousing around London.” She would never forget that day. “I showed you the garden. After I explained how long it had taken and that Phelps had helped, you flew into a rage, accusing me of infidelity and anything else you could think of. Then you sacked him with no references. There was nothing I could do.” Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “You always took away anything that I cared about.”
“I’m sorry. Selena—that isn’t me anymore.”
Owen stepped closer, but Selena shied away. “But it is you. Somewhere, lurking in there, is the old Owen Fernsby. You may have lost your memories, but they are still there, locked inside your mind. All we have to do is wait until…” She sobbed.
He put his arms out to her, but she pushed him away. “Please, Selena.”
“No. Don’t you see? I can’t let myself hope. If I allow myself to feel something for you, and then you returned to your former self, you will use it all against me. That is the type of man you are—a cruel, manipulative, vindictive bastard who doesn’t have a decent bone in his body.” Her shoulders heaved from the force of her words.
Owen’s arms fell limp at his side. He turned as if to leave but paused. What was he thinking? Then he tilted his chin up and whipped around to face her. “Tell me, all of it. I want to know the truth about us.”
“What good will it do? It is done, in the past. We cannot change it.”
“I’m begging you, Selena. Please.”
The more she spoke about the past, the greater chance Owen might remember things. Her emotions pulled her in opposite directions. Should she tell the truth and be done or keep to the half-truths she’d been telling? Owen had already showed his determination. If she didn’t tell him now, he would hound her until he got what he wanted.
Selena glanced at Owen and saw the desperation etched on his face. Her resolve weakened. The man wanted to know about his past. Fine. If he wanted the truth, then she would tell him.
“After we met at the ball for the first time, it appeared you had investigated my family. The next time we met, you knew exactly how much my father owed in debt, who he did business with, which clubs he likes to frequent, everything. You used that information to manipulate my father into agreeing to our marriage. I didn’t know about this until after we wed. Before the marriage, when we were together, you acted the gentleman, albeit distant. I merely chalked it up to us not knowing each other for long.”
“If I didn’t care for you, why pick you over someone else? Why go to all that trouble to practically blackmail your family?”
