Past Loves

Part 20

Chapter 20

She dropped the page she had been holding up.  It fell, blocking her from the image Ramsey had painted.  The blue eyes had been evil, had made her feel as if they knew everything.  Who were they eyes?  What was it that haunted Ramsey?  What had her little brother become?

“You have seen his paintings,” a feminine voice said from behind her.  Without turning, Rose knew the voice was Cassie’s.

“You should have told me.”

She heard her cousin’s footsteps become closer.  “You could not understand his pain.  You were not manipulated by the same people as Ramsey and I were.”

Turning towards Cassie, Rose took a step towards her in anger.  “It was not your decision to make.  He is my brother!  I have a right to know what is happening to him!”

“You do,” Cassie said, unaffected by Rose’s shouts, “but he is a grown man.  If he wished you to know what was happening in his mind, he would tell you.”

“And he told you?” Rose asked with a snort.

Cassie shrugged, before sitting down in a nearby chair.  “We have many things in common, your brother and I.  Not only that, but we have always been close, Rose.  I have always viewed Ramsey as a brother, not a cousin.”

“I envy you for that,” Rose admitted.

“What would you have to envy more for?” Cassie asked with a laugh.  “Your life has been an easy one, one filled with love and happiness.  There has never been a dark moment in your life.”

Rose opened her mouth to protest, but she knew Cassie was right. There were not many difficulties that Rose had to face, and if there were, they did not harm her, neither emotionally or physically.  “Your life is easier than you think, Cassie.  Everyone loves you.  One look at that smile of yours, and people forget what they were meant to be doing and follow your every lead.”

Cassie shook her head at Rose.  “I have not claimed that my life is hard.  I am the luckiest woman I know, married to a man who loves me more than anything, surrounded by people who will move an entire village if it was what I wished.  I know that I am blessed, but that does not make your anger just.  You are angry with me for that fact that Ramsey relates better to me.  Pray, tell me, where is the logic?”

“There is none,” Rose admitted, turning back to the page.  She pulled up the sheet once more, baring the painting.  Looking towards Cassie, she saw the woman’s eyes cloud as she gazed into the water.  She seemed to recognize the eyes, but they were unfamiliar to Rose.  “Will you tell me who they belong too?”

Cassie shook her head slightly.  “It is not my mind to delve into.  If you wish to learn what haunts your brother, you must speak to him.”

Rose stared at her cousin, but Cassie did not relent.  Realizing Cassie would not say another word on the matter, she sighed.  “I will be taking my leave on the morrow.”

“I am relieved that he decided to take you along,” Cassie said with a smile.  “I dreaded the complaining I would have heard otherwise.”

Letting out a chuckle, Rose shrugged.  “It would have been hard to be apart from him, especially since we are so early in our feelings for one another.”  She tucked her hair behind her ear, wondering whether she should tell Cassie who their chaperone would be.

Cassie’s eyes narrowed.  “What are you keeping from me?”

Rose’s hand dropped, remembering that her cousin read each movement, could tell what a person was thinking because of those movements.  “Ramsey will be coming along with us.”

“Good,” Cassie mumbled, shocking Rose.  “The man needs some time away from this place.  It is hard to remove yourself from ones darkness when you cannot escape it in either reality or in one’s mind.”

“I will not being to guess what that means.”

Cassie chuckled before glancing towards the doorway.  “Do not worry yourself overly.  Ramsey will be fine.  He is a little lost at the moment, but he will soon find who he is.”

“There you are,” Colin said, walking into the sunroom with Cooper in tow.  “We have searched the manor, almost began knocking down walls, did we not?”  he asked Cooper.

The little boy nodded with a large smile before running towards Cassie.  Right before he got to her, he slowed and held his hands out.  Cassie helped him onto her lap before burrowing her face into his neck.  He let out little bits of laughter as she tickled him with kisses.  “Tell me,” she said as she pulled back, “why are you not in your bed?”

Cooper smiled at her, revealing his teeth to them all.  “Needed you,” he mumbled before baring his face into her chest as if he were tired from uttering the small words.

Cassie glanced at Colin from over Cooper’s head.  Rose watched as Cassie flickered her eyes down to Cooper, and Colin nodded.  The silent communication was amazing to her.  It was something that Rose did not, and would most likely never understand.  Colin crossed the room before bending and taking Cooper into his arms.  Rising to his full height, Colin shifted Cooper to one side before holding a hand out to Cassie.

She took it with a smile as Colin helped her to her feet.  As soon as she was settled, Colin placed a quick kiss to Cassie’s mouth, which made the woman’s smile widen.  “Let us retire,” Cassie mumbled.

Colin nodded before glancing down at Cooper.  “The lad wishes to sleep with us.”

Cassie let out a laugh, while tickling Cooper’s side.  “Since when does the boy wish for something other than to sleep in our bed?”

“Do not pretend as if you do not miss him while he is gone.  ‘Colin, do you think he will be fine sleeping on his own?  Mayhap, for the night, he should sleep with us.’  How many times have you uttered those exact words before bed?”

“Plenty,” Cassie said while standing on her toes to give her husband a kiss, “and you love me for it.”

Rose cleared her throat, making them both start as if they had forgotten she was in the room.  “I shall be retiring myself,” Rose said in amusement.

Cassie shook her head with a smile.  “Sorry, Rose.  There are times we let our surroundings disappear.  Goodnight, dear cousin, I wish you good dreams.”

“Have a good night,” Rose mumbled as they left the room hand in hand and Cooper in Colin’s arms. 

When they were out of sight, she let out a sigh. She would miss them, that was a given, but she looked forwards to starting her own life.  She just hoped that it would be smooth journey, but deep down, Rose knew it would be one of the hardest voyages of her life.