Whispers of Goodbye by Karen White

Author:Karen White
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-02-10T11:51:38+00:00

* * *

Ours was an idyllic honeymoon. We ate in wonderful restaurants, strolled along the river, and spent hours in the shops, purchasing things for the house and gifts for Rebecca. I still had the suspicion that there were things John preferred to keep hidden from me, but in our time together, I learned that he was capable of great thought and feeling. He made me laugh again, a sound that had become foreign to my ears. For that, I was grateful.

He expressed concern over my thinness and questioned me closely over the condition of my home in Saint Simons. He seemed to be storing away the information for future use, but when questioned about it, he only smiled and diverted my attention to a street vendor selling pralines.

I no longer feared the night, but instead looked forward to the sunset with breathless anticipation. John had awakened a passion in me I had not known existed but which he insisted he had known had always dwelled within. We would make love through the long hours of the night, then sleep in each other’s arms until late morning. The hotel maids instinctively knew not to disturb us and let us sleep. It was terribly decadent, but John’s touch consumed me, erasing all other concerns.

Throughout my days and nights with John on our honeymoon, I would think back to that girl I had once been: Robert’s wife and Jamie’s mother. When I looked at myself in the mirror, it seemed she was no longer there. I still bore my grief for my son, but I could now regard Robert’s absence in my life as a gift of freedom, and felt very little remorse at the thought.

On our last night in New Orleans we dined at the St. Charles, and we were both surprised when we looked up during the main course and saw Philip Herndon approaching.

John did not stand to greet his neighbor, but placed his fork deliberately on the white tablecloth with a snap.

Philip bowed to me, then turned to John. “Allow me to congratulate you both on your recent nuptials. I have been in town for a while and I missed the big celebration.”

I thanked him, while John merely stared at him with barely concealed dislike.

Philip continued. “I can only hope that this marriage has a much happier ending. I have a great fondness for Cat, and I would hate to have her dead, too.”

John stood suddenly, his chair wobbling but, blessedly, not falling over. Heads had already begun to turn. “I demand an apology for that remark, Herndon.”

Philip stared at him insolently. “So you can call me out and kill me, too? Everyone knows you are a crack shot, John. But what is one more murder on your hands?”

I knew I had to intervene before matters disintegrated further. Standing, I put myself between them. “Please,” I whispered urgently to both men. “Do not cause a scene. Surely this matter can be settled when you have both had a chance to cool off, and in a more appropriate place.

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