Samuel was annoyed with the fact that Calhoun had sent a letter to Lucy informing her about him returning back to Devon a week earlier before today. He could sense that his brother-in-law was up to something and he wanted to read the letter. So far it didn’t look like Lucy knew anything about what he was doing.
Lucy might have appeared to be naive, but it didn’t mean she was blind to not see the expression on her husband’s face, who looked stunned that her brother had sent her a letter. Did something happen between Samuel and Calhoun?
“Brother Calhoun doesn’t write a letter often to me, but he seemed to be in a mood to write one this time,” said Lucy as she pulled out the clothes from his trunk and started to place the clean clothes back in the cupboard so that she could spend with him. “He mentioned about taking care of the matter that was written in the newsletter and that I shouldn’t worry about it.”
Samuel frowned hearing this and asked, “What was it about?”
“The person who published the newsletter wrote something about me not attending the ball twice in the row and you not being here,” murmured Lucy softly as if it wasn’t a big deal.
She didn’t know how Calhoun had found out the news had bothered her a little, and he had taken his time to write a letter for her.
Samuel exhaled the air through his lips as if he was tired and he said, “I don’t know what’s the big deal about not attending the ball. It is just a silly gathering. And what do they expect? That I leave my job to come dance for something like a ball?” he laughed at the end.
Lucy gave him a small smile as she continued to fold and place his clothes inside. Maybe for Samuel, it wasn’t important, but she had grown up with attending the balls, soirees and other social gatherings to interact and was considered to be a normal thing to do.
“What did he do to the publisher who wrote the newsletter?” asked Samuel with a nonchalant tone as he started to unbutton his shirt.
“He was executed,” replied Lucy, and she saw her husband shake his head.
“Such violence and for something so small,” replied Samuel. “I know we are family, but I wish he would be less violent, Lucy. Did you tell him not to do something like that again?”
“I haven’t written him back,” said Lucy and Samuel hummed.
People viewed Calhoun differently, and the people who knew him closely knew how the King of Devon was. His ways were harsh, but he cared for the people who mattered to him.
“You can write him one then,” Samuel offered Lucy a smile before he came to stand in front of her.
“I just worry about you, Lucy. I know you don’t like the violence, especially after what happened to your parents. I care a lot about you and I don’t want you in a place where it might affect you,” he placed his hand on the side of her face before pecking her lips.
At times like these, Lucy didn’t know how to react because Samuel was her husband, and he cared for her well being, but on the other side, her brother Calhoun cared for her in his own typical way. But by actions like these, people knew not to speak ill about her because they knew what it would lead up to.
“How did your work go?” asked Lucy, changing the subject, and Samuel smiled.
“It was successful, but there has been one matter that still needs to be completed,” replied Samuel, pulling his shirt off his body. “Hopefully I will be able to get it done soon. I have been waiting for it and maybe then…we can take a vacation. Go somewhere quiet.”
“I hope so too,” responded Lucy. “I will go check if dinner is ready while you take your bath.”
Samuel nodded his head, giving a warm and gentle smile to Lucy. When she left the room, the smile dropped like a stone being thrown on the ground. He went to the door, locking it before he started to look for the letter that Calhoun had sent to his wife. Samuel made sure to monitor Lucy and the people with whom she interacted.
He looked for it all around the drawers and cupboards, but it was nowhere to be found. He wondered if she had thrown it away, but that would be unlike her. Where else did she keep it?
During the time of dinner, Lucy said, “Brother Calhoun wrote in the letter that he met a girl at the ball. He said he intends to marry her.”
Samuel, who was eating his food, looked up from his plate, “Marry?” his eyes slightly narrowed. Was it the same girl he had met today?
Lucy nodded her head, a smile spread on her lips, “Yes, isn’t that wonderful? I would have never thought a day would come where I would hear something like this from him,” she said, excitement in her eyes. “I cannot wait to meet her!”
Samuel nodded his head, playing the good husband. “That is wonderful news indeed.”
Lucy couldn’t agree more. Calhoun had been brief with his words, but she could tell whoever the girl was, she was a good person. She wondered if her aunt had heard about this. Her aunt Rosamund had been wanting to arrange her daughter Sophie’s marriage to Calhoun. But now that he had chosen the woman to be next to him, her aunt would finally give up on that idea.
When it was time to sleep came, Lucy and Samuel entered the bed, but they slept on two different corners. Even with Samuel not too far away from her now, she still felt the distance. Staring at the darkness while unable to think about her life.
Few years ago, when she married Samuel, she thought she would be able to forget a few things and it did fade. Samuel loved her, but for some reason she was unable to give him a child even after the number of times they had spent in the bed together with their bodies tangled in the past.
Unconsciously her hand moved up to place it on her flat stomach. Lucy wondered if she lacked the ability to have a baby…and if that was what was causing the distance between her and Samuel.
