Tender Betrayal by Rosanne Bittner

Author:Rosanne Bittner [Bittner, Rosanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781682303320
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2016-01-30T23:00:00+00:00

Joey approached Audra, who sat in the parlor of Brennan Manor embroidering. It seemed that was all she did anymore. She seldom sang, and he thought he understood why. Without Lee in her life, there was no song left in her. He glanced at the sea gulls that sat on the fireplace mantel. Richard had never touched the gift, nor forbade Audra to keep it. In fact, the man was seldom there. He spent a good deal of time at Cypress Hollow without his wife, and Joey realized Lee must have said or done something the night of the cotillion to set the man straight. He had not stayed around to listen to all of it. He had heard enough that night, enough to know that his sister was a very unhappy woman. The next day he had seen Richard’s face. The man had stayed in bed for days, allowing no visitors, ordering everyone who knew Lee had given him a beating never to tell anyone else about it.

Richard had been a changed man since then, quieter, more subdued. Joey was glad Lee had given the man what he had coming, and he loved him for it; but in the end poor Audra was still alone. She at least was no longer being abused by her husband, but the man she really loved was out of her life forever now, and her marriage was obviously not a marriage at all.

“Audra?”

She looked up and smiled. “Joey! I thought you were with Father in the fields.”

“I was, earlier, but it got too hot for b-both of us.”

“Yes, it is a miserable July, isn’t it?”

The boy came closer. “F-father is going into B-baton Rouge tomorrow to see if there is any news about what’s happening up in Virginia. I’m going with him.”

“When Richard was here two days ago, he said that General Lee is calling up men from all over the South. I’m sure they’ll end all of this quickly, Joey. Once Generals Beauregard and Johnston march on Washington like the newspapers say they will do, and show the Federals how strong and determined we are, the North will back away and leave us alone.”

“D-do you really think so?”

Audra stuck her needle into the stretched fabric and leaned back in her chair. “We have to believe it, Joey.”

The boy studied her a moment. She looked pretty today in a simple white linen dress, her hair drawn away from her face because of the heat. She had never really gotten back to her normal weight after that dreadful wedding night, and some of the sparkle was gone from her eyes. She was not the innocent, proud Audra who had spent the summer at Maple Shadows, but she was certainly still beautiful. It made him sick to think that he was part of the reason for her unhappiness. He had expected too much of her, had relied on her too heavily. He was man enough now to understand that, but it was too late. He ran a hand through his damp hair and walked over to take a chair beside her.

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