By the time they'd finished their dessert, Jonathon was anxious to spend time alone with Helen. This would be the first time he'd be able to have her all to himself, and he was looking forward to blissful hours, uninterrupted by anyone.
Annie stood and began gathering dishes, and Helen rose to help her. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable again by pointing out that was Annie's job, Jonathon said, "Why don't you come with me, Helen? You can write a note to your aunt and uncle."
"Oh, okay," she said, setting a stack of plates back on the table.
He didn't miss the longing look she gave Annie before turning to leave with him. It was understandable she'd wish she could remain with her best friend, he decided on the way to the library. Hopefully, it wouldn't be that long before she felt comfortable enough she'd want to be with him instead.
In the library, there was a small desk where his mother used to do her correspondence. "Do you know what you're going to say to them?" he asked while he went through the drawers.
"I think so. I've been thinking about what to tell them for a while."
She didn't offer anything more, and he decided not to ask. He didn't want to make it seem like he didn't trust her by pushing her to reveal what she was going to write. He located a sheet of stationary paper and an envelope, then pulled the chair out for her. "Here you go," he offered with a smile.
Once she was seated, he went to the opposite side of the room, wanting to give her privacy. The sound of pen scratching on paper was the only sound in the room, and while he pretended to be looking at books, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was leaning forward as she wrote, her blond hair partially covering her face, and he drank her in. It still seemed like a miracle she was there.
She straightened, reading over what she'd written, and he faced the bookshelves. "It's done," she said with a sigh, sliding the folded paper into the envelope. Standing, she held it out to him.
"You should come with me to give it to James. We can take a walk after."
Her expression instantly lightened. "That would be nice."
James was in the garage, and Jonathon gave him the note with instructions to deliver it right away. Then he led Helen around the back of the garage. Pulling aside the branches that covered entrance to the path, he stood by to allow Helen to walk through.
While they walked side by side, birds sang and fluttered above them, and he looked up. It was a warm day for April and a slight breeze made the new spring leaves on the trees rustle. He smiled, thinking about how he'd been too nervous and preoccupied to notice until that moment, but the weather couldn't have been more perfect for his and Helen's wedding day.
When they reached the clearing, Jonathon wondered if Helen would say anything about the cabin, but as they continued walking, she remained silent.
"You remember the cabin, don't you?" he said, hoping that would prompt her.
"I've never forgotten it," she said, gazing at it wistfully, and then looked at him with embarrassment. "You probably thought I was stupid for liking it so much. I remember you didn't think it was that special."
"I didn't think that at all! I would never think you were stupid."
They had nearly passed it by now, and Jonathon decided he'd better speak up.
"Would you like to go inside?"
"If that's okay," she said with a smile, letting him know she'd been hoping he'd offer.
"Of course it is."
He slowed his steps, allowing her to get to the door ahead of him. She put her hand on the handle and then dropped it, remembering her manners. He opened it for her. "Go ahead," he urged, trying not to smile too broadly.
She stepped inside, and he held his breath while he waited for her reaction. She was silent, walking to the center of the room, then she twirled around. "Oh, my goodness! It's so pretty!"
Grinning with delight, he admired the changes to the cabin. Annie had been busy over the last few days with all the things he'd bought. A brand new couch was placed on a braided rug in front of the stone fireplace, a cozy wool blanket hanging over its back. Crocheted doilies decorated the mantel, along with cut flowers in mason jars. Lace curtains hung in the windows, and in the kitchen, more flowers were on counter and in the center of little table.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"It wasn't like this before, was it?" she asked with a confused laugh.
"There are a few new things," he said mildly.
"This is new!" she said, falling into the pillows on the couch
"Is it comfortable?"
"Very!" she said, stroking the wool blanket with her hand.
Watching her, he couldn't hold back another second. "This is my wedding present for you!"
"You mean – the couch?" she asked more seriously as she straightened.
He laughed. "No! The cabin! There are new dishes in the cupboards, and pots and pans. I bought a new mattress for the bed, and the linens are all new too. You can stay here, if you like. I can have James bring your things here."
She stood and looked around again, but when she faced him, the light in her eyes had left and the sadness he'd seen most of that day had returned.
"Or not," he said quickly, desperate to make her happy again. "I have a bedroom set aside for you at the house. It's in the back, so it'll be quiet, and it has its own bathroom so you won't have to share with anyone. You can stay here or at the house, whichever you prefer."
She shook her head with confusion, tears appearing in her eyes. "But – what about..."
"What about what?" he asked, going to her with concern. She wouldn't look at him while she wiped her eyes, and he pulled out his handkerchief for her. "I thought you'd be more comfortable here, since it reminds you of your old home," he said gently. "But if you don't want to stay here, it's okay. I want you to be happy."
Instead of reassuring her, that seemed to make things worse. She covered her face with her hands and began sobbing.
"What's wrong?" he asked with alarm.
She was crying too hard to respond, and he couldn't bear to hear it. He put his arms around her and to his relief, she leaned against him. He rubbed her back, wanting to soothe her, but he noticed her body warmed his hand through her jacket, and he could smell her perfume.
As much as it hurt him to see her in pain, he couldn't help how it made him feel to be able to hold her, and she was letting him. "There, there," he murmured while he continued to rub her back, soaking in the feeling of having her in his arms.
After a while, she pulled away, and he hid his disappointment that he had to let go of her. "I'm sorry about that, Johnny," she said with her head hanging. "This has been a hard day for me."
"You don't have to apologize. I understand."
"You shouldn't have married me," she said grimly, finally meeting his eyes. "You don't deserve this."
"Don't say that!"
"I don't want to hurt you, but I feel like I am!"
"You're not hurting me! Believe me, I feel much better knowing you're here and safe than if you'd left and I knew I'd never see you again."
"But you deserve a real wife, not – this," she said, spreading her hands out.
He studied her, wondering what she meant, and then it hit him hard. He knew why she'd been so quiet and sad that day, why she'd broken down in tears a few minutes ago, what she'd probably been thinking ever since she'd agreed to marry him, and he felt awful.
He took both her hands, and was grateful she didn't try to pull away. "I've only ever wanted you for my wife, and you've made me very happy today," he said, keeping his eyes on hers so she would know he was telling the truth. "I know one day you'll be ready to love again, but – your heart is broken. You have to heal first, and I'm willing to wait, no matter how long it takes. You don't have to worry I'll rush you or force you into anything before you're ready. Alright?"
She nodded, her body visibly relaxing.
"Good!" he said, able to smile again. "Would you like me to have James bring your things here, or would you prefer to stay at the house?"
She let go, and walked around the small room, ending up in front of the fireplace. "Here, if you don't mind," she said, facing him.
"Of course not. I forgot to mention, there's no electricity, I hope that's okay."
She laughed. "I told you, I'm used to not having much. My parent's home didn't have electricity either. It won't bother me."
He held his hand out to her. "Shall we continue to the pond? The water is too cold to get wet, but it'll be peaceful there."
"That sounds really nice," she said, and to his delight she didn't hesitate to take his hand.
~~
Entering the dining room the next morning, Jonathon half hoped Helen might be there, but Billy was the only one seated at the table.
"Morning," he said between spoonfuls of cereal.
"Good morning."
He put his napkin in his lap while Annie came in with their breakfast dishes. It was early for a Saturday morning, and Helen was probably still asleep. He hoped she'd found the cabin comfortable. It was important she get as much rest as possible. She'd probably had many sleepless nights since she'd learned of her condition.
He hated that he wouldn't be able to see her until that evening, but it couldn't be helped. With the war raging on, the business had to be carefully managed so they didn't fall behind in their shipments. At least Billy would graduate in a few months, and then Jonathon could rely on him to take some of the burden. That would free up time that he could spend with Helen.
He wouldn't bring any work home tonight, he decided while he cut into his fried eggs. He'd spend the whole evening with Helen. They could take a long walk, maybe go back to the pond. It had been wonderful to sit with her under the willow tree, talking or watching the water while the sun dipped low behind the trees. And he had a whole summer of evenings like that to look forward to. It was going to be wonderful, he thought, smiling with happiness.
When he and Billy walked into the office, Mrs. Gibson came from behind her desk. "Good morning, Mr. Blackwell, Billy."
"I'll have coffee," Jonathon said, handing her his fedora while Billy headed to the accounting department.
"Certainly, sir," Mrs. Gibson said, but she followed him into his office. "I just had to ask," she said quietly when they were inside. "Were you able to convince Miss Anderson to marry you?"
He'd had to share with Mrs. Gibson the reason why he'd taken the previous day off work, but he'd only told her the 'official' story, the one that Helen had been telling people. "I was," he said, and he couldn't help grinning.
"Congratulations!" she said, clapping her hands.
"Why don't you close the door," he said, not wanting others to overhear. "Because of the – unusual circumstances surrounding this, I don't want to make a big to-do about it. People may be surprised she'd made the decision so suddenly, and – well, we need to be careful not to come across as disrespectful."
"I understand," she said more seriously.
"I would like a small announcement placed in the paper, just the basics. Make sure you get it to them before today's deadline. The sooner the word gets out, the sooner it'll be old news and people will move on. If anyone asks about it, you can confirm, but I would appreciate your discretion. Don't share any details, and if you hear anything, I'd like to know what's being said."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll have that coffee now," he said, taking a seat behind his desk.
"I'll be right back."
She hurried out, and Jonathon turned his chair to face the window. He was confident no one would ever guess the true reason he and Helen married, but those who knew she and Walt had been in love would definitely be surprised when they found out. Hopefully the talk in town would die down quickly, but he was prepared to do what he had to do to make sure it never got back to Helen.
Through the rest of that day, Jonathon's thoughts were on Helen and on the way home with Billy, he could barely hide his excitement. When he walked through the front door behind his brother, his heart leapt in his chest.
"Helen!" he said with delight that she'd been waiting for him. "How are you? How was your day?" he asked over Billy who was greeting her at the same time.
"Hi, Billy," she said quietly, and then added to Jonathon, "Can I talk to you?"
From the expression on her face, Jonathon immediately knew she was upset about something. "Sure," he said.
"I'll go see when Annie will be ready to serve dinner," Billy said, giving Jonathon a worried look. He hadn't missed that something was amiss either.
"What's wrong?" Jonathon asked as soon as Billy was gone.
"Let's go in the library," she said, and he followed her down the hall. When they were inside, she closed the door behind them.
"Do you want to sit?" he asked, indicating one of the chairs in front of the fireplace.
"No," she said sharply, crossing her arms over her chest. "I went for a walk today, or I should say, I tried to go for a walk, but I couldn't because the gate was locked."
Is that all, he thought with relief. "There's plenty of room inside the fence if you want to go for a walk, Helen."
Helen's face fell as she dropped her arms. "So you admit you're keeping me locked up?"
"That's not true!"
"The gate is locked!" she said, pointing in the direction of the drive. "Do you think I'm going to run away? Is that why you did it?"
"No!" he said with horror, going to her, but she backed away from him.
"You said I should trust you, but how can I when you've made sure I can't leave?"
"Helen, please listen to me," he pleaded. "Of course you can leave. The gate is kept locked for your protection – it's to protect all of us."
"From what?" she demanded.
"Criminals. You have to remember, you're a very wealthy woman now."
"You mean because I'm married to you, I have to be locked up for the rest of my life?" she asked with her voice rising.
"You know that's not what I'm saying. This is to protect the baby too. My parents had the fence built after the Lindbergh kidnapping."
"That happened in New York – when we were kids!"
"People have been kidnapped here too! Not that long ago."
"Like who?"
"Edward Bremmer."
"I don't even know who that is!" she shouted, throwing her arms out.
"Helen," he said with exasperation. "I thought you agreed you would be careful. You have to stay out of sight so no one guesses the truth."
"It would be hard for anyone to guess something right now!" she said sarcastically, pointing to flat stomach. "Is that why you locked the gate? Because you don't trust me to stay hidden?"
"You know I'm not saying that either!"
She shook her head while she studied him, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't think this is about kidnappers, but that doesn't matter. If this is what it's going to be like being married to you, being locked up like a prisoner, then I don't want any part of it."
He sighed deeply, knowing he'd lost the battle. Whatever trust she might have had in him was gone, and there was no hope of gaining it back as long as the gate was kept locked.
"Alright. I'll tell James to leave it unlocked, but only during the day," he said, raising his hand for emphasis. "I insist on keeping it locked at night. I don't want to take any chances on something happening while you're sleeping in the cabin. It's too far away from the house to hear anything."
"I guess that's fair," she said, and then slumped while she wiped her eyes.
He went to her and was relieved she didn't move away from him. "I'm sorry you've been upset by this," he said taking her hand. "I don't want you to be worried about my intentions. I want you to be happy here."
She nodded, and gave him a sad smile.
"If you have any questions, or concerns, if you're wondering about something, please promise you'll call me at the office. I don't want you to ever think you can't trust me."
"I will."
"Good," he said, finally able to relax. "Let's go eat. I'm sure Billy's waiting for us."
"There's one other thing, Johnny," Helen said, stopping him. "My Aunt Irene called."
"How did that go?" he asked, suddenly worried again.
"Fine, she didn't ask any questions, but she said she wanted us to come over for a celebration. She was talking about inviting a lot of people."
"Absolutely not!"
"I know! But what do I tell her? I'm afraid it'll seem odd if we refuse."
She was right, he decided grimly. It might cause more gossip if they didn't agree. But the thought of spending hours at their house being interrogated by people all asking the same questions made his stomach churn. There were too many opportunities something could go wrong.
"Tell them we'll have dinner with them here," he said finally. "It'll be more convenient for me since I'm busy at the mine. And we'll make sure Billy is there too. That might help take some of the pressure off us. Will you be able to handle a dinner with them?" he asked, realizing he might be overstepping by not asking her opinion.
"I think so," she said with a nod.
"After we have dinner with them, we'll have fulfilled our obligation, and you won't have to see them again. Unless you want to," he added quickly.
"I know that's what you meant," she said, finally giving him a real smile.
She took his hand, and while they walked to the dining room, his heart swelled in his chest.
****
Jonathon did some things right, and had some missteps with Helen, but he's doing his best with her. And I hope you were excited to learn how the cabin played a part in the beginning of their relationship! It's another detail that has been in my head for a very long time. How do you feel the dinner with Helen's aunt and uncle will go? And how soon will Helen's feelings for Jonathon change? I can't wait to hear what you think!
As ever, I'm trying to get these chapters done more quickly so hopefully the next one won't be long in coming. On February 2nd, be on the lookout for the new Marty and Jess chapter that will be posted in the Wattpad Block Party - Winter Edition. I will be sending the link out when it's posted, but you can add the story to your reading list now.
Right now there is a Biggest Fan contest going on, with a huge series of prizes being offered to the winner. Are you *my* biggest fan? I'd love to see an entry from you! You can find the link in the external link thingy on this chapter.
Cheers!
Katherine