Ruby's Passion by Brooke Stanton

Author:Brooke Stanton [Stanton, Brooke]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Coming 0f Age, Self-Discovery, Unexpected Love, Fragile Marriage, Christmas Time, Holiday Whimsy, Festive Season, Winter Weather, Rejection & Betrayal, Devastating Secret, Marriage Farce, Train Travel-Manhattan, Pretend Marital Bliss, Historical Romance, Women's Fiction, Romantic Schemes, Life-Changes, Action & Adventure, Second Chances, Beautiful & Feisty, Steamy Western Romance, 20th Century History
Publisher: Brooke Chirone
Published: 2018-12-02T05:00:00+00:00

10

JAMES

Worry filled every corner of James’s mind. He wasn’t sure what day it was. Some time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The doctor had Matthew on heavy medication, and he was barely aware of what was going on around him. But James didn’t want his father to see moping faces when he fluttered his eyes. So he continued to read him upbeat stories, and he’d bring Ruby in to sing carols or other classic songs his father loved.

But over the past few days, his false enthusiasm had waned. Matthew hadn’t woken in two days. He lay still, his breathing shallow. All that mattered to James was his father, and he’d barely been aware of Ruby or anything else around him besides his mother. He slept on the sofa in the sitting area of his parents’ room, worried his mother wouldn't hear Matthew if he woke up. They were all exhausted and near delirium.

Finally fatigue took over, and James fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning. The sun streaming in from the windows woke him. He stretched his long limbs, his joints cracking, and his mouth extended into a yawn, but it snapped shut when he saw the bed.

It was empty.

"Momma!" He raced down the stairs, slipping on the tread, and barely caught himself on the banister. "You!" he yelled at one of the maids who came out from the back of the house. "What's happened? Where's my father?"

His face grew hot and his hands strangled the railing as he anticipated the maid's answer.

"Mrs. Lucas—the senior Mrs. Lucas—has taken him outside." She pointed to the back of the house where there was a garden and a small stable house for the horses and carriage. James hurried out the back door off the kitchen.

Matthew was propped up in a large wingback chair, Sarah sitting next to him staring at the neighboring townhouses. One blanket was draped over both their legs.

"Father," he sputtered.

"My boy." Matthew smiled. He was pale, but his cheeks were rosy from the cool morning air.

"I thought—" James stopped, relief overtaking him. He walked to Matthew and did something he'd never done as a grown man—he hugged him.

"You all must have thought I was already dead if James has fallen into a whimpering pansy." But there was love and gratitude in his father's eyes.

James pulled a wooden chair up and sat on the other side of his father, a great joy circling him. He thought he’d never hear his father’s voice again.

"The doctor said not to get too excited," Mathew explained. "Sometimes patients in my condition make one last heroic recovery before . . . slipping away."

"Not you, Father. You've got color back in your cheeks. You'll overcome this."

Sarah smiled at her husband and son and then excused herself to check on matters inside. Mathew squeezed his son's hand.

"James, I'm all for looking upon the brighter side of things, but I won't give you false hope. I need you to be strong and know what's coming." He paused to punctuate his next statement.

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