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Mason’s eyes narrow. “What is that?”
“A letter from my dad,” I say. “I think he wrote it before he started having episodes… though I think you have a better idea when.”
“What do you mean?”
I hold the envelope behind me. “In his letter, he said he came to you. It sounds like he came to the Colosseum hoping to be treated.”
Mason’s expression turns serious.
“Is it true?” I ask him. “Did my dad really ask for your help?”
“Yes,” Mason confesses.
I nod. “So you knew about his sickness before I did?”
“Probably.”
Unbelievable. I thought I was the first to know since I was his daughter, but my father told Mason first.
“I tried to see what I could do for him,” Mason says. “But in the end, I couldn’t help him.”
“You didn’t think to call me and tell me about my father’s sickness?”
“We weren’t on speaking terms then, remember?” he reminds me.
“Even so, this was an important matter. It didn’t occur to you that I deserved to know about it?”
“That was your father’s decision,” Mason answers.
I nod. “Yeah. And that’s not the only decision he made, is it?”
Mason says nothing.
I glance at the envelope in my hand. “According to this letter, he asked you to marry me. Or should I say he paid you to marry me? He said he gave you some pictures.”
“He did,” Mason admits. “The best ones he ever took.”
“So he gave you pictures and asked you to marry me?” I shake my head. “Wow. No wonder he was so eager to give you his permission at church.”
Mason steps forward. “Aster…”
“Tell me. Do you think he only told me he wanted to see me in a wedding dress so that I would marry you?”
“I don’t know,” he answers. “But I do know that your father only wanted what was best for you.”
“And if I didn’t want to marry you, what would you have done? Would you have found a way to force me into marriage just so you could fulfill your end of the bargain?”
Mason shakes his head. “I would never force you.”
“But you did force me!” I raise my voice as I beat my hand against my chest. “You and my dad forced me into this marriage. You conspired against me.”
“That’s not true, Aster.”
“If you hadn’t asked me and made me believe it was for my dad, if he hadn’t given his permission, I wouldn’t have married you.” I touch my forehead as I shake my head. “Everything went according to your plan.”
“Hey.” Mason grabs my hand. “You already know I asked you to marry me because I love you.”
“Do I? Is it true? Or did you just say all that to cover this up?”
I’m so confused. The whole way here, I kept asking myself what was real and what was not because I don’t know anymore.
“You know it’s true,” Mason tells me.
But do I? Can I trust that Mason married me because he loves me and not because anyone told him to? Because my father told him to?
“I…”
I stop talking because my chest suddenly feels tight, because everything around me is spinning, because my body suddenly feels weak. The next thing I know my legs give way. I’m… falling?
“Aster!”
Mason’s voice is the last thing I hear before my mind goes blank.
Chapter Twenty-Four ~ Unexpected
Mason
“Is my wife alright?” I ask the doctor standing in front of me outside Aster’s room.
She regained consciousness as soon as we arrived at the hospital, but I demanded that the doctors look at her just the same. It may just be a fainting spell, but I want to know what caused it. This is Aster’s health we’re talking about. I’m not going to take risks.
Dr. Cartwright hugs her tablet to her chest. “She seems fine to me, Mr. Burke. Her blood pressure is normal. Her temperature is normal. Her lungs sound good. Her pupils are responsive. She’s in perfect health.”
“Yet she fainted,” I point out.
A person in perfect health wouldn’t just faint.
Dr. Cartwright draws a breath. “I know you’re worried about your wife, Mr. Burke. I take it this hasn’t happened before?”
“No.” Not as far as I know.
“Well, fainting isn’t always serious, especially not when the patient regains consciousness after just a few minutes. It could just be emotional stress, you know, shock or nerves..”
So Aster got so shocked from discovering her father’s letter that she passed out?
“Or it could be that she skipped a meal and her blood sugar went low. When was the last time she ate?”
“I don’t know,” I answer. “She came from Eastport.”
Dr. Cartwright nods. “Or maybe her blood pressure just dropped for a second. But like I said, it’s normal now. Most people who faint have no underlying heart or neurological problems.”
“Are you sure?” I ask her. “Because I need you to be sure. This is my wife we’re talking about.”
“We know, Mr. Burke,” she answers. “And I know who you are. I can assure you that your wife isn’t sick.”
