"Q.E.D." Part 22
Lila smiled. She could see him at the end of the hall, waving hisarms about, sputtering, fuming, puffing himself up like some exoticbird. Ah Edward, she thought, even after all these years, you stillare a magnificent sight to behold.
She decided that the poor soul on the receiving end of her husband'shistrionics required a rescue, so she moved her wheelchair close tothem and gently tugged at her husband's arm.
"Edward!" she said. "What is all this fuss about?"
Edward turned his attention to his wife. He pointed at Mary, one ofthe servants, in an accusatory manner. "Mary tells me that there's nomore freshly squeezed orange juice! Those... Spencers drank it allthis morning!"
"Oh honestly, Edward!" Lila chided, and turned to face Mary. "HaveCook pick up extra juice oranges for tomorrow. And for now..." Shetightened her grip on Edward's arm. "... make us some lemonade."
Mary smiled at Lila and made a hasty exit.
"You know I'm not that fond of lemonade!" griped Edward.
Lila sighed. "You're not that fond of orange juice, either. What'sreally bothering you?"
"I don't know why you insisted that they stay here!"
"We've already been over this, Edward. I thought you were fond ofLaura..."
"Oh, of course I am! I just don't understand why we have to play hostto them when they have other friends and relatives in town."
"Is it really all that inconvenient for you? They're in a separatewing of the house, one we don't ordinarily use. Reginald's relativesare seeing to their care..."
"And a motley looking bunch they are!" Edward interjected. "Who knewthe world had so many ugly pairs of suspenders!"
Lila continued as if she hadn't heard him. "Emily loves having Luckyaround..."
"With Lucky Spencer around," grumbled Edward, "I feel like I have tocount the silverware every day!"
"Edward..." she said, taking his hand. "This isn't about the Spencersat all, is it?"
"Well... no." he said. "It seems like there's more here than meetsthe eye. And I don't like being left out of it."
"I know," Lila looked down at her lap, unable to meet her husband'sgaze. "There... are certain things about my life that I haven'tshared with you. They concern events that happened long before I metyou. Before we were born..." Unshed tears stung her eyes, and shelooked back at Edward, soothing his look of concern with her smile."Please believe me, Edward. I would tell you if I could..."
Edward knelt down and caressed Lila's face with the back of his hand."Well I, of all people, understand the power of secrets," he said. Heraised an eyebrow at her. "Laura's not some long lost grandchild ofyours, is she?"
Lila laughed. "Oh heavens, no! I'd say we have quite enough ofthose!"
"Yes," Edward agreed. "I'd say that we do!" He leaned in for a kiss."I love you, Lila. And I trust you to do the right thing."
"Thank you, Edward," she replied, "and I love you, too."
And the cover closed on the familiar script that neither one of themever tired of reading.
--------------------
Lesley Webber watched her daughter stare at the envelope in her hand.My daughter is beautiful, she thought, and she knew that he hadthought so, too.
"She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starryskies..."
Laura looked up and smiled at the sound of her mother's voice.
"... And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect andher eyes."
It was from the Hebrew Melodies. One of Stefan's favorites.
"That's lovely, mother," Laura said. She was so pleased with hermother's progress. Lesley seemed to come alive in the Quartermainehome.
Lesley laughed. "They are not my words," she said. "He told them tome." She adopted a look of concentration. "They were not his words,either... some poet..."
"Lord Byron," suggested Laura.
"Yes!" Lesley said, smiling. "You are such a bright girl, Laura."
Laura leaned over and kissed her mother's cheek. "And I have you tothank for that."
Lesley looked at the envelope in Laura's hand. "That is his writing,"she said.
"Yes, it is," Laura replied, and she removed Stefan's letter from theenvelope, smoothing the folds of the parchment on her lap. She hadonly read the first paragraph at the hospital, and had it not beenfor Reginald retrieving the letter, she would never have had thischance to finish it.
She took a deep breath, not wanting to read those first few linesagain.
Lesley reached over and took Laura's hand. "Sometimes," she said, "Isee things... I see you... through his words. And I can still hearhim speaking to me as he did for years." She clenched her fist andshook it in mock anger. "Sometimes, I tell him to go away!" sheyelled, "And so he does." She sighed, and her mouth curved in acontrite smile , "But then, of course, I start to miss him." Sheshook her head wistfully. "He had such pretty words."
She pointed at Stefan's note. "If he bothers you, you can tell him togo away too." Then, she stood up and walked toward the door. "It'sreally up to you, Laura," she said.
"Yes it is," said Laura to the closed door. "And therein lies theproblem..."
She looked at the letter and smiled. Even though it had been writtenin haste, the writing was neat, and the paragraphs were wellorganized. Nothing he ever did was untidy.
My Dear Lasha-
There are three parts to this letter, the first of which is awarning: Recent events have led me to believe that my mother'sillness was transitory, and it bodes ill for us all. Guard yourchildren well.
That being said, the second part of this letter is an explanation,and the third, a confession..