Redeemed From the Ashes—Chapter 28—My Constant Specter

Of all that is most beauteous—imaged there 

In happier beauty; more pellucid streams, 

An ampler ether, a diviner air,

And fields invested with puerperal gleams.

William Wordsworth

Lasodamia (1815), 1.103

Chapter 28

She awoke in the middle of the night to the piercing shouts of Gerald calling out to her. The toes of his shoes, scuffed as they scratched the wooden floors of his house, ripped up the floorboards leaving gaping holes over which Evelyn tried to pass but could not. Once they dragged him through the door, the door banged shut leaving her in the darkness alone. Or so she thought.

“Evelyn,” Carl was calling out to her softly and then more and more strongly. “Evelyn.”

She awoke from her nightmare. She turned over from her tummy to stare into her husband’s eyes. “Carl? What...How did you get here?”

He sat upon the edge of her bed and held her hand. “John brought me here to your apartment. I must say you have done a beautiful job of making it a home. It reminds me of our old house.”

She yawned and raised her arms above her head, her features crinkling into a cute pout. “Betsie was kind enough to give me full leash on how to decorate our apartment. She says she has no decorative sense in the least.”

“She was wise in letting you take charge. I was wondering how you would manage to have say over her if she did not agree with your ideas. She seems to be a very headstrong woman.”

“Yes, she is. How did you know?”

“Observation, my dear,” he tapped his finger upon his temple. The nerdy quirk made her chuckle. “I arrived and Betsie let me in. She was very happy to see me. She rushed me in and pointed to your bedroom door.”

“I’m so happy to see you.”

“You were tossing and turning as I entered your room. Are you all right? Are you ill?”

“Yes, I mean no. I mean, I am all right, and I’m not ill.”

He helped her up to a sitting position and fingered the neckline of her nightgown. “Would you like to see the house today?”

“Yes, I would like that very much.” 

***

They traveled down the country lane, glad the sun did not shine its full force upon them. The clouds had graciously protected them the whole journey to the country.

“What happened yesterday when you told Gerald about us?”

“He was...incredibly upset. He wanted to know if you had forced me to make the decision I had already made on my own. I insisted you had played the honourable part in giving me a choice. He tried fighting for me, pleaded with me to reconsider. I told him I would not, that I could not. The funny thing is is that when you asked me what I was going to do, you were giving me the freedom to make up my own mind. I must admit I was angry with you because I wanted you to fight for me; but when Gerald did what I had desired you to do, I was hurt. I realized that your love is irrefutable. Yes...”

“What? What is it?”

She wasn’t sure if she should tell her husband who Gerald really was. What would he think of her, of him? Although Gerald was a spy, he was a good man who practiced many good virtues. She did not want to give Carl information of him that would make Carl gloat in his victory even more. No, Carl was nothing like that. He would take the news like a gentleman. He would pay his rival respect. “The police came to take him away.”

“Why on earth did they take him away?”

“He was a German spy.”

“Good Lord, Evelyn, what did you get yourself mixed into?”

“He told me the night he asked to marry me. I begged him not to bring the last bit of information to his contact, but he said he must. You see, he was doing it for his family. He was trying to garner enough money for all of his siblings to be able to attain higher learning so that they would be able to rise from their poverty. They live in Scotland. Now, their brother...he cannot help them.”

“The things people will do for those they love. I do feel sorry for his family.” 

“They’ll probably remain in poverty unless some miracle happens.” 

“Yes, who was this...contact?”

“His contact was Casby.”

“Casby?”

“Yes, do you remember that time before the explosion when I ran into your office asking you to return to the house because I had seen a strange man enter the house late at night?”

“Yes?”

“That was Gerald who had come to the house to see Casby. Back then they were already in league with one another.”

“That explains everything.”

There was no need to tell him that Casby had followed her one night and scared her silly out of her wits. She did not want him to be concerned about the matter more than he already was. “I believe I shall never see him again.”

“That makes you sad, I see. You still love him.”

“Carl, I...it is in different ways that I love him. He has given so much to me. When I thought you were gone, he gave me hope for a still bright future. He was a friend to me who even encouraged me to find you. I am the one who gave up. I am the one who did you wrong.”

“I understand.”

“You don’t hate me?”

“Evelyn, I could never hate you. Yes, you have hurt me through your actions, but your renewed love for me covers the wounds and heals them.” He closed the gap between their lips. The softness of his lips wiped away all her tears. His hunger for her lips was more than she could take. She had expected him to be repulsed by her, but, no, he wanted her for himself.

They rounded a bend in the road to view a quaint cottage. It had a sturdy dark blue roof. The house’s white paint needed retouching. The gardens had been abandoned for quite some time, but there was promise for a new life in this house. One of the neighbours came by and opened the door with a rusty key. The door swung open and closed sleekly. Although the house was covered in dust, Evelyn could visualize the cleanliness that could brighten this home a hundred times more. 

At the entrance of the home, there was a staircase in front of them to the left. It was embellished by a beautiful barricade which had been hand-carved. The room to the left was the living room, a smallish space, although there would be enough room for a sofa, a love seat, and a small coffee table. There was a large window overlooking the meadow in the yard. Adjoining the living room were the facilities, a tub to bathe in. They crossed back into the entrance and into the other side of the house. There was a good size dining room, big enough to have a dinner table that would seat eight people. Separating the dining area from the kitchen was one small step. The kitchen sported one large window. The cabinets were a rustic pine. They looked at all the other rooms, three bedrooms, a pantry, and a sitting room. The whole house oozed charm and simplicity.

“What do you think?” Carl asked.

“I adore it.”

“You haven’t said much the whole time.”

“That is because I’ve been picturing in my mind what I would like to do with this place.There is so much potential here. Now it is time to think of the price.” 

“Let us go to the management office in town and ask how much they want for it.”

They strolled into the village and asked a few people where the office was located. Once they entered the office, they approached the front desk.

“Excuse me, we would like to buy a house located on the outskirts of this village.”

The clerk, a young man with a stubby nose upholding his drooping glasses quite adequately, reached underneath his desk to bring out a map. “Which house are you interested in?”

Carl studied the map for a moment. His finger hovered over the map until he found the exact spot. “Here it is!”

“Ah, yes, let me just take a look at the records.” He found the sheet and then rambled off the history of the house and anything of significance. He finally announced the price.

“I believe I have enough money saved up to put a down payment upon the house. I will have to recheck my funds, but I think it is possible,” said Evelyn in earnest.

“Wonderful.” Carl squeezed her hand.

After they had left the office, Evelyn commenced to tell Carl about Clyde whom she regretted forgetting for the past two days. For the past two days, Gerald was gone. How was Clyde faring? Where was he?

“Carl, throughout the time we were separated I met a boy who had been orphaned because of the explosion.” She continued to tell him of all of Clyde’s excellent qualities and how much she loved him. “I was planning to adopt him when...Gerald and I were to be married.”

“Go on.”

“Now I have you. I believe you would love him just as much as I do. Would you like to meet him?”

“Yes, I would.”

***

They made their way to the hospital. She thought the hospital would be the most likely place to find him since Gerald had been taken away. Everyone greeted her when she arrived. She introduced Carl to several people. They all nodded their understanding of the situation. They were glad she had found him again. Many people knew of her loss, and now many would know of her gain. No one had known of her secret courtship with Gerald. Her reputation had remained intact.

She pointed to the popularly overlooked door. “He resides in there.” She opened the door and entered the room. “Clyde.”

“Evelyn!” He jumped up from his seat and hugged Evelyn fiercely. “It is so good to see you again.” He then looked behind her to Carl. “Hello.” He stood in front of Carl.

Carl bent down at Clyde’s eye level. “Hello. I am Carl, Evelyn’s husband. You must be Clyde. I have heard so much about you.”