Chapter 13

 

 

Only Warwick looked at Aphrodite. He glanced back and forth, from Aphrodite to his cousin, who stood with the overwrought Athena attached to him like a limpet.

But the emotional current racing between Aphrodite’s intended and her sister lasted for only a second. For such a short time she might have imagined it if it had not been so powerful, Aphrodite thought.

After he gained control of himself and recognized the situation, Frederick patted Athena on the back and said, “There, there, little sister. I am fine.” He handed the sobbing Athena to Warwick and searched for Aphrodite, who stood only a few feet away.

“I will not touch you, Aphrodite.” He shook his head and a leaf flew off along with a great shower of dirty water. “I would not like to ruin your gown, but I promise I am fine. Completely unhurt, just wet and filthy. I will go to the house to repair this damage.” He glanced over his shoulder at Athena, who sobbed into Warwick’s ruined neckcloth while Warwick held Athena gingerly, patting her shoulder occasionally.

Frederick sloshed toward the path to the house while Warwick looked beseechingly at Aphrodite and Athena hiccupped in his arms.

There was silence. Not one of those gathered around the lake uttered a word as they watched the astonishing scene unfolding before them. Then Aphrodite looked toward them, and everyone began chattering at the same time.

“Is Frederick all right?” Fothergill shouted.

“He says he’s fine,” Warwick answered.

“Aren’t we glad he’s all right?” Susannah said loudly.

“What a relief,” said Hugh Ridley on top of Susannah’s words.

“Oh, my, yes,” Terpsi agreed.

“What good luck,” the squire added.

The babble of voices continued while Aphrodite beckoned Aski to help her escort their limp and greatly distraught sister up the path. When Aski put his arm around Athena’s waist, she abandoned Warwick to collapse against her new support.

“I’m a friend of the family,” Aski explained, as if everyone at the house party still believed he was Luigi. “I’m happy to help the family in this emergency.”

“Athena has always been very fond of Frederick,” Aphrodite said to the crowd in what she knew was a vain effort to explain Athena’s astounding reaction to Frederick’s accident. Then she took her sister’s hand and led her to the path.

“Very fond,” the crowd echoed sympathetically from behind the departing group.

“He’ll soon be her brother,” Warwick stated.

“Oh, yes,” they all agreed.

“I’ll order a bath,” Terpsi told Aphrodite and dashed ahead of the three.

As they started up the path, Aphrodite studied her younger sister. The child’s face was streaked with mud from contact with Frederick. Dirty water dripped from her hair. Her sodden dress made walking difficult. Pieces of Athena’s shoes fell off, which caused her to use an odd shuffling gait.

Athena was the sister who screamed if a leaf fell on her dress, Aphrodite reflected. Yet, this fastidious young woman had thrown herself into the arms of a man covered with mud and filthy water. Aphrodite knew what this meant, but this was not the time to consider the reasons for her sister’s actions. Right now, they had to get her to the house, to warm and comfort her.

Athena sniffled and, once they were away from the other guests, snorted once, then broke out in loud sobs. “He almost died, Ditie. Frederick almost died.”

“But he didn’t, dear. He was very wet, and it was frightening, but if he had not appeared, James and Warwick would have pulled him out before he died.”

“Why do you care so much?” Aski demanded. “He ain’t your fiancé, he’s Ditie’s, and she’s not making such a cake of herself.”

“He’s . . .” Athena’s face showed her struggle to explain her despair.

“She has such a loving heart,” Aphrodite said. “You know Athena cannot bear to see anyone hurt.”

Aski snorted.

“Yes.” Athena took her hand from her sister’s and pushed a limp piece of sodden hair from her own face. “Loving heart.” Then she began to sob again.

With the sobbing and stumbling and dampness impeding their progress, the journey wandered slowly toward the house. By the time they had reached the top of the path and could see the house, Athena’s shoes had stopped making odd slushing sounds because they’d completely disintegrated. Now she limped barefoot on the uneven ground and small pebbles. The hem of her dress was black with dirt; much of that along with the lake water had transferred to Aski and Aphrodite, who held their sister up. Enormous tears spilled down Athena’s dirty cheeks, leaving paths of clean, pale skin.

“We’re almost there,” Aphrodite encouraged. “Terpsi will have a warm bath ready.”

“Oh, Ditie, I’m so miserable.”

“I know you are, darling. I’ll take care of you.”

“What I still don’t understand . . .” Aski began, but Aphrodite silenced him with her elbow.

Fifteen minutes later, Athena laid her head on the back of a hip bath and savored the warmth while Aphrodite gathered the ruined clothing together and handed the dripping mess to a maid. When Terpsi saw that Aphrodite had everything well in hand, she left her sisters together.

“Let me wash your beautiful hair,” Aphrodite said as she settled in a chair she’d pulled beside the bath.

“You’re so good to me, Ditie,” she sobbed.

Would she ever stop?

“Now, now, don’t cry. You’ll make yourself sick.” Aphrodite began to lather Athena’s curls. “Just let me get all this dirty water out, and then we’ll dry your hair and you’ll feel so much better.” She poured a pan of warm water over her sister’s head then wrapped it in a towel.

But tears still streamed down her face. Aphrodite took out her handkerchief and dabbed at Athena’s eyes. “Don’t worry, darling. You rest, then we’ll talk about this. You know we can always solve problems together.”

“Not this one, Ditie. Not this one.” The sobs shook Athena’s body.

“Even this. We can work this out together.”

“You’re so good, Ditie, and I’m so miserable.” Athena’s voice shook.

“Come, darling.” Aphrodite helped her sister from the tub and enfolded her in a heavy robe. “You sit here, and I’ll brush your hair while it dries. That always makes you feel better.” As she coddled Athena, she realized she had again fallen into her natural place, taking care of one of her madcap and heedless siblings. Well, she reasoned, this is an emergency.

Athena’s eyelids drooped as warmth and her sister’s soothing presence comforted her. When she had finished with Athena’s hair, Aphrodite helped her out of the robe and into a night rail, then placed her in bed and covered her with a quilt.

Three hours later, after she too had bathed, rested, and dressed for dinner, Aphrodite took Mignon to Athena’s room, where Terpsi waited outside the door and entered with them.

“Time to get up.” Aphrodite shook her sister. “Dinner will be announced shortly.”

“Oh, Ditie, I can’t go to dinner. I can never face any of these people again. I behaved so foolishly.” Athena’s face was still pale and tears threatened to overflow.

“Now, darling, the longer you stay away from the guests, the harder it will be.”

Terpsi took Athena’s hand. “You know how many embarrassing things I’ve done, Athena.”

“Oh, my, yes,” Athena agreed. “You’ve done hundreds.”

“Each time, I discovered that facing those who witnessed your mortification immediately was much easier than wondering how they would behave.”

“Don’t forget, you have your family here, and we all love you.” Aphrodite took Athena’s hand and pulled her from the bed.

“You’re too good to me,” Athena whispered.

Aphrodite couldn’t help but feel sorry for Athena. Throwing herself in the arms of a wet, dirty man took as much courage as it would for Aphrodite to place herself in front of a bullet meant for another person. It could only come from a depth of love Aphrodite hadn’t thought her little sister capable of.

At the same time, she worried at her sister’s choice. Marrying Frederick also meant marrying Mrs. Horne. Aphrodite did not feel that soft, gentle Athena could stand up to her belle-mère. What future was there in such an alliance?

By the time the three women had dressed and comforted and complimented Athena, she smiled at herself in the mirror.

“I am beautiful, am I not?”

“Yes, dear,” Terpsi and Aphrodite echoed.

“You are all very lovely,” Mignon said.

Aphrodite gazed at their reflections. Athena held the loveliness of youth, but Terpsi had a lush beauty set off by an emerald green silk dress that barely covered her breasts. Even she felt beautiful, although not in comparison to her sisters.

The lines between her eyes had almost disappeared. Much of that was due to Warwick’s considerate gesture and the realization that she would not marry Frederick. She refused to face a future with Matilda Horne and a man whom she respected but did not love.

She wanted what her parents had, she realized with a start and a smile that was reflected back at her in the mirror.

When the sisters entered the parlour, all eyes turned toward them, then away, just as quickly. Athena paused, but Terpsi and Aphrodite escorted her into the room, each holding one arm.

“Come here, gel.” Mrs. Horne pointed at Athena as she pounded her stick on the floor.

“Me?” Athena whispered.

“You. The yeller-headed one.”

“I’ll be here beside you,” Aphrodite said.

Athena moved hesitantly toward the behemoth ensconced in her enormous green chair. Mrs. Horne leaned forward to peer at Athena.

“What did I hear about you this afternoon, gel?” She turned to Frederick. “Didn’t I hear this chit went into the water when you fell in?”

When no one answered, Mrs. Horne asked her son, “Is she as stupid as she looks?”

“Mother.” Frederick’s voice was low and steady, his words carefully enunciated. “Miss Athena Herrington is a guest in this house. I expect you to treat her with courtesy and kindness.”

Mrs. Horne turned back to Athena. “Well, gel, what do you have to say . . . ?”

“Mother, have I not made myself clear?” Frederick asked firmly.

Mrs. Horne’s face froze. Her small eyes glittered as she ran her tongue over her lower lip. She glanced up at her son, then, with a sigh, she sat back in the chair. “Come here, child. It must have been a terrible experience. Sit here next to me and tell me about it.”

Cautiously, Athena joined Mrs. Horne for a comfortable coze before the roaring fire. When the older woman took her hand and patted it, the guests could barely take in the amazing change in the harridan.

Aphrodite watched to make sure the ogre treated her sensitive little sister in a civil manner, but the tête-à-tête progressed politely as Athena prattled away.

 

• • •

 

That evening, once the house was quiet, Aphrodite stepped into the dark hall and found her way to Athena’s room. She opened the door to discover the room dark, and her sister had fallen asleep.

With a sense of relief that, at least, that conversation could be put off, Aphrodite went back to her room, slipped out of her gown and into a robe, and attempted to calm her thoughts.

What was to become of her? she wondered as she tugged the brush through her hair. A selfish consideration, she knew. It was equally obvious Athena and Frederick cared deeply for each other, but neither wanted to hurt her. How foolish.

She’d work that out. After all, her younger sister might be rescued from her flirtatious tendencies and held safe in the love of a good man.

Although Athena’s problems seemed to be resolved, Aski still disguised himself as an Italian count and Terpsi still threw herself at one man to attract another and, of course, Aphrodite herself had lost her fiancé. She did not look forward to having society know what had happened at Windwillow. What would people say?

What more could go wrong? she asked herself again, and fell asleep with those unanswered questions whirling through her mind.