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“Forgive me, Clementine, I didn’t mean to stress you,” I said. She gave a small smile, motioning toward the parlor.
“Why don’t you all go make yourselves at home, I’ll ring for tea,” Clementine suggested.
“That sounds absolutely divine. Gentlemen,” Horris directed us into the luxurious room.
Inside the parlor, Horris drew closed the creamy curtains, darkening the room slightly as the sun beamed in and bounced off the bright walls. The bookshelves and desk were the same rich cherrywood as the furniture upstairs, and the sofas were upholstered in deep blue velvet. The rug on the floor took up nearly the entire room, creating a cozier atmosphere despite all the fine details throughout. William beckoned for me to have a seat on the blue velvet sofa, and I obeyed indignantly, crossing my arms over my chest. It was a relief to be out of the sun, but all I’d come to learn was that my husband continued to keep things from me, more and more it seemed I was left out of the loop.
“You’re a tart one,” Filip joked, lounging on the sofa across from me. I scowled as he shed his jacket, his arms rested on either side of back, legs spread wide. “Glad you closed those bloody curtains, Horris, the sun is a real downer here. I’m not sure how you manage it.”
“Yes, I do try to stay fed more when I am home—” Horris replied before William cleared his throat loudly, almost in disappointment. He walked over to the bar, pouring a brandy for himself and the other two gentlemen.
“Would someone care to let me in on your little secret?” I asked impatiently. William handed Filip his brandy, sitting next to him and watching me with sorrowful eyes.
“I have been writing to Filip since you told me you were carrying my child. We have been searching for the possibility ofothers…” he swigged his drink.
“Others?”
“Yes… like what our child would be.” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs as he roamed my face.
“And? What of it?”
“Most leads turn cold,” Filip interjected. “I have been diligently inquiring with other v—”
“Filip,” William interrupted him, shaking his head. Filip raised his eyebrows in shock.
Clementine entered with a tray of tea and scones, setting it on the table in between the sofas. She handed me a cup with an empathetic smile, which I thanked her for. Clementine stood beside Horris, resting her head on his shoulder as Filip continued.
“There are no traces of anything like this. I suspect there are many, as William most certainly is not the first to mate with a human woman.” Human woman? I paled.
“I agree, it makes complete sense to hide; what the Council does not know won’t hurt them.” Horris added.
“Who is the Council?” I asked.
“Hide it to avoid panic or fear, any possible repercussions,” William said bleakly, appearing as though he never heard me.
“So as to avoid mass reproduction. Who knows what a hybrid is like?” Filip corrected.
“I’m sorry?” I could barely breathe, growing hotter by the minute. Hybrid? Hybrid of what? The room began to spin, and I felt as if I may be violently ill.
“She doesn’t know?” Clementine’s voice said from far off.
“Clementine makes a good point, William. If Rosemary knows not even what we are, how can you expect her to birth a creature we have no knowledge of?” Horris demanded. My face became tingly, not realizing I was on the verge of hyperventilating at the sheer madness of what I was witnessing.
“You must tell her, William, for her safety at the very least. Knowledge is power.” I heard Filip chime in as blackness crept into my vision. “It is not fair to her in any way if you continue to keep it from her.”
“I feel faint…” I tried to say.
“Rose!” a muffled cry came. It all faded away quickly. To emptiness. To empty bliss.
***
I was being cradled in a feather bed, rocking to and fro. The smell of fresh linens and wood swirled around me as I stretched, unhinging my stiff joints. I could smell tea brewing somewhere close by, light and fragrant. The bed was dark, shaded by a heavy canopy, not the same bed we’d slept in recently. The rocking had not stopped, and I knew from the soft chugging, we were on the train.
I should have known he would immediately leave Charleston, whether I was conscious or not. He’d rather whisk me away than let me know the truth.
I sat up in the bed, pulling the cover off of me, revealing my white nightgown. It was hot, too hot within the curtained space. My hair stuck to my face and neck, the sheen of sweat was suffocating, clammy. Climbing from the cradling bed, I found myself in a hotel car very similar to the one we had been in not long ago. I looked to my right, and just as before there was an adjoining dining car. I crept to the door, peering through the glass. William sat at a recliner in front of a table, a cup of tea steaming before him. His shoulders were slumped, his head in his hands. There was a somberness about the way he was situated, unmoving even as I knew he heard me wake.
Taking the dressing gown from the hook affixed to the wall, pulling it on and tying it tightly around my waist, I entered the dining car, walking the length of the soft carpeted flooring to sit at the table across from him. The world rushed by through the windows in evening light, blurring greens and pale gray blues. William did not look at me, instead his eyes studied the rippling of the wood table under its glossy finish.
