Promises in Moonlight

Part 21

On Sunday Evie was surprised to see a car pull up in front of the house and was even more surprised to see Jane and her sister step out. Sam and Elsie had gone to mass in town, so was not expecting anyone at home.

"Hello." Jane smiled as she and her sister climbed out of the car.

"Hello." Evie said more cautiously as she got to her feet. Her work gloves on her hand, she dusted off the earth off her trouser legs. She watched as the sisters approached and for some reason, Evie was worried. Why are they here?

"We didn't know this was your place." Jane lied before explaining why they were here.

Evie shrugged. What was she meant to say to that statement? And her concerns escalated.

Jane's chuckle was fake. "I saw the ad, you have a bike for sale. Thought we'd come and have a look." Time for payback, she thought as she came toward Evangeline.

"Oh, right." Evie didn't believe it for one minute. She doubted very much whether Jane or Natasha would buy a second hand bike. Actually a third hand bike, given it was second hand when Evie got it some years ago!

"I had such a great time on that cycle trip, I've persuaded Tasha to take it up." Jane lied without any pang of conscience.

"Right." Evie shrugged, she didn't care who bought the bike, all income was much appreciated. She had things to get for her wedding, and little cash available. And she knew after that dress debacle for the social auction party that there was no point seeing if Seth would help her with her wedding purchases. So that night she had made a list of items she could do without and the day after she and Seth had had that conversation about the dress, she had put up notices in the local grocery store advertising the items for sale. She wasn't expecting to make much. But anything was better than nothing! She'd forgotten the ad. "It's this way." Evie lead the way to the back, where the bike was propped against the back wall. "There."

The two girls pretended to look at it. They had absolutely no intention of buying a bicycle. In any case, if they did, it certainly wouldn't be second hand or from the woman standing in front of them.

"Why don't you give it a go?" Evie prompted, the devil in her taking over. It was obvious that neither sister was here for the bike. Evie wondered what they were up to. Why come all the way out here first thing on a Sunday morning.

Natasha flashed her sister a look. Jane just nodded. "Good idea." As she walked over toward the bike she added, "I hear you are getting married next week." Seth had told her at the event on Friday night.

"Yes." Evie figured Seth had told Jane. For as yet Evie had yet to tell anyone. How did one explain that one was getting married and that love had nothing to do with it? She hadn't found the courage to tell her friends, Mallory, Ella and Amelia. Amelia was just back from a cycle trip, and was away at a work related conference. Mallory was out of town too. Only Ella was currently in town, and Evie did not know how she was going to tell Ella that she was getting married in a week's time.

"Jane told me, you are marrying Seth." Natasha looked over her shoulder, "You're not wearing a ring?"

"I don't wear it when I'm working on the farm. You know, working with soil, I wouldn't want to damage it. I leave it in doors."

"Oh. Well. We'll take the bike for a test and perhaps you can show us the ring on our return." Jane challenged. She was curious to see what Seth had bought for Evangeline. "I would love to see it."

"Perhaps." Mumbled Evie. They all heard the phone. "Excuse me." The two sisters wheeled the bike off and Evie headed indoors to answer the ringing phone.

Evie heard them as they wheeled the bike round the side of the house as they headed for the back door.

"Well he's not short of cash, given that he gave you that outrageous pearl and ruby bracelet at the auction on Friday night." Natasha's voiced carried clearly, "I'm surprised he asked you to go with him, given he's engaged to her." Natasha sounded bemused. "I can't believe he bid four hundred dollars for a bracelet. Do you think he's told her that he spent that amount on you?"

"I'm about to find out." Jane announced happily. This was her main reason for coming here. She wanted to dig, find out just how robust this relationship between Evangeline and Seth was. Why would he have asked her to accompany him if he was engaged to Evageline?

"I imagine he's probably given her a huge pink or yellow diamond for an engagement ring." Natasha carried on.

Jane smiled, "It just strikes me as worth seeing why an engaged man would take another woman to a party and buy her an expensive trinket. I mean doesn't that strike you as interesting?"

"You think they've had a row or something?" Natasha sounded happy about that. "or maybe this is just a paper exercise. They'll have an open marriage. He can clearly do what he wants. She doesn't seem to mind the fact that he's seeing other women when he's engaged to her!"

Evie went absolutely still as their words reverberated in her mind. He'd taken Jane to the auction. Jane. Of all people. Why her?

For several seconds Evie just stood and concentrated on her breathing, as she fought tears. This could not be happening. He'd spent a fortune on Jane. Four hundred dollars? She wouldn't have spent 400 dollars on a dress. Not even a fraction of that. Evie felt a sense of déjà vu. Just as her father had spent a fortune on his other family, but hadn't spent anything on her Seth hadn't been willing to buy her a dress to attend. But he had been willing to buy Jane some jewels. Four hundred dollars worth of jewels. She could have bought a simple black dress for under a quarter of that price. But he'd turned her down, and instead spent four hundred dollars on Jane. It was bad enough that he had taken another woman to the auction, so showing everyone that his engagement to Evie was nothing more than business. But to then lavish a gift on the woman when he couldn't be bothered to buy Evie a dress, that was just rubbing salt into the wound.

The knock on the back door brought Evie back to the present. Taking a deep breath she dashed the tears away with the heels of her hands and pulled herself together. When she thought she could feign calm, she turned and then headed for the door.

"So how did it go?" She asked with a fake smile on her lips.

"It's not quite what we are looking for." Jane replied.

"Ok." Evie shrugged took the bike from them and propped it against the wall.

"Thanks for letting us see it."

"No problem." Evie began to walk them toward their car. Thank goodness, she thought and hoped this was the end of this shambles.