Chapter 13 #2
He found her turned on her side facing the door, her hands folded under her cheek and looking decidedly miserable.
For the entire evening, he had held his peace and tried to garner his anger.
He had to remind himself several times while she was being insulted by her own mother, that he had no right to interfere.
But that was BS. No one hurts her, not even the woman who had birthed her.
Stepping into the room, he undressed and put on a robe over his nakedness. Crossing to the bed, he lifted the covers and slid in next to her.
"Say it."
"Say what?" Shifting her, he settled her head on his shoulder.
"You told me."
"Hmm." He set about rubbing the small of her back.
"You warned me that it would not work, and I did not listen." Her fingers curled into his chest. "I had this brilliant idea that I could bring the family together. What the hell was I thinking. My mother hates me." The tears came then and flooded his skin. "I never understood why she did."
He allowed her the moment, his expression grim as he listened to her heartrending sobs. He wanted to lash out at the source of her misery. And found himself wondering not for the first time, why a parent could do that to her own flesh and blood. The woman had been hateful without a cause.
"Better?" he asked gently.
"I got your chest wet." She whispered.
"That you did." Tucking his fingers under her chin, he kissed her cheeks absorbing the moisture.
He didn't mind, not one bit. If anything, it made him fiercely protective all over again.
"I'd rather you cry on me than keep it to yourself," he murmured, brushing tangled strands of hair away from her face.
The silence that settled between them was heavy, but not uncomfortable, just a shared ache, lingering in the dim glow of the bedside lamp.
"Want to talk?"
"I heard what you said to her."
"When?"
"When she was leaving." She smiled through her tears. "You told her in no uncertain terms that she was not allowed to hurt me."
"No one is, including me."
She blinked at him and shook her head. "Aside from dad and Matthew, I had no one defending me before."
He used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Well, you have me now and I will always defend you."
She let out a shaky breath, the tension slowly leaving her body as his words settled over her.
For the first time in a long while, she felt what it was like to be truly seen, to know she was not alone in the fight.
The comfort of his presence offered a fragile hope, a promise that, just maybe, the past didn't have to define her future.
"I never told you what it was like growing up with them, especially with her."
"And you don't have to."
She shook her head. "I want to. Can we sit up?"
"Of course." He drew her up with him, pushing the pillows behind his back and wrapping his arms around her. She felt comforted and loved and so secure that it was like having her favorite blanket wrapped around her.
It made her settle.
"I always knew there was something off between us.
She never had time for me." The recollection had her tensing up, but he rubbed it away with his clever fingers.
"She had a lot of perfumes and creams on her vanity and when I was old enough, six or seven, I used to go in and watch her.
She would always shoo me out. She caught me one day, spritzing on her scent and was so mad, she slapped me.
It was the first time I had ever been hit and it stunned me.
Dad came in just then and they started a big nasty argument where she accused him of playing favorites.
" She shook her head. "I was too young to understand any of it and ended up going to my room to cry.
He came in a few minutes later to try and comfort me.
I never understood and for years, I tried to get her to love me.
" She paused as memories flooded. "Anyway, it never happened and I stopped trying.
Dad was always there for me, and I convinced myself it was enough.
But there was this hole inside me that could not be filled. "
"She's your mother and you wanted her love as well."
He spoke softly, "You deserved so much more than what she gave you.
" His arms tightened around her, grounding her in the here and now.
"It's not your fault she couldn't show you love the way you needed.
" The words were gentle, meant to soothe the ache that years of rejection had carved deep within her.
"But I see you, every part of you, and I love you for all of it, especially for how strong you are. "
She sniffed and wondered how he always knew the right words to say.
"Were you always like this?" She mused.
"Like what?"
"Supportive, compassionate, protective."
He considered that for a second and shook his head.
"No." His smile was rueful. "I was selfish and self-absorbed.
This is a first for me." He stared at her in wonder.
"For the first time in my life, I have this burning desire to shield someone.
" His expression softened considerably. "You bring that out in me.
When I heard her saying those things to you, I wanted to do her harm, bodily harm.
Christ Jesus," he lowered his forehead on hers.
"Even remembering what she said, how she tried to belittle you in front of everyone makes me so angry, I cannot catch my breath. "
Her arms came around him and suddenly, her unhappiness dissipated like a puff of smoke caught in the wind.
"My hero." She whispered. "I love you like crazy."
"The feeling is mutual."
"Make love to me."
"Want to use me to forget?" He asked shakily.
"Oh, absolutely."
"I live to serve."
*****
They had promised themselves that the eve of Christmas and the day would be dedicated to family. The days after, would be theirs and they planned on traveling. The manor was not as brightly lit or as decorated as their place, but someone had attempted to inject some Christmas cheer.
Lights intertwined in the bushes leading from the long circular driveway to the house. The willow trees bending in the stiff breeze had red and white pepper lights twined through the branches.
"Your sister?"
"It might be."
She had worn green, a deep forest green that looked wonderful with her skin tone.
And he had gifted her with emeralds to go with it.
The man was determined to drape her in stones.
Not that she was complaining. The dress was snug and long, with a split going up her left thigh.
The fleece lined jacket kept the cold at bay.
"Have you spoken to her?"
"I tried to reach out, but she is not amenable." He glanced at her as they made their way up the steps of the front porch. "And don't even think about interfering."
"Who me?" She stared straight ahead.
"I've learned my lesson."
He gave her a hard stare. "I mean it Ingrid."
"It's your sister."
"Yes, please bear that in mind." He said firmly. She was saved from responding when the stick of a housekeeper stepped forward to take their coats. The woman still looked like a drill sergeant and just as pleasant.
"Where did your grandfather find her?"
Kyle grinned as they entered the lofty high-ceilinged foyer. "They served together in the army. She was a nurse."
"Oh. No wonder she looks so grim. I suppose it depends on what she saw then."
"She lost two sons in Japan."
"Oh." Sympathy flooded her. "That's awful." Her hand tightened on his arm as they made their way to the Great room. "I don't know if I can face my mother so soon after what happened."
"Then it's a good thing she'll not be here."
Her eyes flew to his face. "Really?"
He nodded. "I made it my point of duty to ask my dad. I was going to suggest they leave her out of the dinner party."
"And Matthew?"
He cast her a sympathetic look. "He cried off as well. You have to give it time."
"I suppose." She shrugged and planted a genial smile before they stepped into the room.
William Ryder with a drink in his hand, stood by the mantle, looking a little thin, but dapper in his black pants and ruby red lounge jacket.
Jack McCreary stood at the counter, mixing drinks while Jason sat sprawled in a comfortable chair, nursing his drink of choice.
Jessica sans husband had a glass of wine in her hand and was sitting across from her dad. For once, her hair was down, giving her a softened look. Ingrid noticed that her father was also absent and wondered why.
"Welcome, welcome." Jack abandoning his drink duty, came forward to greet them with open arms. "My, don't you two look great together." Tugging Ingrid over, he kissed her on both cheeks. "William and I have been congratulating ourselves on a job well done."
"You should be relieved that we ended up loving each other." She wanted to sound stern but could not carry it off.
"What're you drinking my beauty?"
Rolling her eyes at him, she allowed herself to be carried off. And settled on sparkling water.
Jack flashed a playful grin. "Sparkling water it is, then.
You keep us all on our toes." Ingrid accepted the glass, feeling the warmth of the room and the familiar faces ease her nerves a little.
The buzz of conversation floated around her, mingling with the clink of glasses and the subtle strains of music from a corner speaker.
For a fleeting moment, she let herself relax, grateful for the small reprieve from the tension that had followed her all week.
In spite of her apprehension, the dinner went off smoothly, a far cry from the disastrous one she had planned.
She tried several times to engage her sister-in-law in conversation without success.
The woman was determined to wallow in her misery.
Especially after it was announced during dessert that 'her worthless good for nothing husband' was gone for good, according to Jack.
Ingrid felt a flash of anger at the callous way it was handled when she saw the flash of pain on Jessica's face and resolved then and there to double her effort to try and reach out.
Her husband did not have to know about it.