Chapter Thirty

As they walked back hand in hand to the crowd gathered by the partially built church, Arianna spotted Charlotte. She’d changed her gown, but glared at her and angrily turned away. Arianna kissed Darius before he joined the other men and she went to see to the meal.

The women with young children had gone home earlier. Anna Schmidt, Sarah and Arianna finished clearing the tables. Arianna had given Monique a remedy for her throbbing head and she’d retired. Some of the men were drinking ale. Others, exhausted from working long days, had also left. Patrick and Davey McKee were playing their fiddles.

Millicent, who’d helped before, was now well into the ale. Arianna was folding tablecloths when Millicent approached Darius; clearly asking him to dance. People had been dancing on the large platform that would be the church. Darius glanced at Arianna; she shrugged and simply nodded. Michael asked Sarah to dance. Arianna saw Ethan look at her. She quickly walked toward her cabin, but he followed.

“Dance with me, Arianna,” he said though they hadn’t spoken since he’d come to the cabin.

“I need to finish tidying up,” she said but he caught her arm. “Your husband’s dancing with a woman he’s likely shared more with. Do me the honor of dancing with me?”

“You speak of honor? I can’t believe you’d come near me.”

“Evidently you haven’t told Darius about that night.”

“If I had, you’d not be walking much less dancing. Now, let go of me.”

“Just a wee dance,” he said sounding Irish and very drunk, though he usually made a point to sound English.

Jean-Claude came to her. “Sullie doesn’t appear to want to dance.”

Arianna glanced at Darius and Millicent dancing a fast-paced jig.

“Or I could dance with you, Mr. Lachance, and she could dance with my husband,” Charlotte, who’d approached unnoticed, said.

“What are you doing here?” Ethan said. “Who’s minding Rachel?”

“She wanted to stay with her cousins; Kathleen agreed.”

“Kathleen has four bairns of her own and one’s a new babe. Clearly you don’t enjoy motherhood as much as what led to it.”

Charlotte glared at her husband with a look that would have soured milk.

“You’re here drinking with the men so you can ogle her,” Charlotte said as she disdainfully gestured to Arianna. “I can have my enjoyment, too.”

“Believe me, I don’t want to dance with your husband,” Arianna said.

“Apparently the two of you more than danced when your own husband was away.”

Arianna looked from Ethan to Charlotte. “Whatever he told you wasn’t true!”

Charlotte continued to look down her nose at her. “If it wasn’t, you would have told Darius.”

“Believe what you will; it matters not to me,” Arianna said.

“If I tell Darius, would it matter then?” Charlotte asked.

“You’ll not tell him,” Ethan said. “It was you who encouraged me to go to her that night.”

“What?” Arianna said, her temper flaring.

“Come dance with me, mon Sullie,” Jean-Claude said.

“I suppose she’s more than danced with you, too. Not that I blame her for that,” Charlotte said. “There’s something appealing about Frenchmen.”

Arianna saw Darius looking their way. Ethan had yet to let go of her. She tried to pull away, but whether drunk or simply foolish, he held tight.

“One dance and then you’ll stay clear of me!” Arianna said to Ethan.

“Arianna, if you don’t want to dance with him, you won’t!” Jean-Claude firmly said. She couldn’t remember him ever calling her by her actual name.

“You dance with me and I’ll keep my mouth shut and not cause trouble for her,” Charlotte said as she looked from Jean-Claude to Arianna.

“You think you’ll coerce me into dancing with you and blackmail Arianna?” Jean-Claude glared at Charlotte.

“I suppose you’re like most men who prefer women with the look of an engorged milk cow!” Charlotte said staring at Arianna’s breasts.

“I suppose some men prefer women with the look of a pre-pubescent girl!” Jean-Claude said. Ethan laughed at that and Charlotte sneered. Darius came toward them looking concerned.

“Is there trouble here?”

“No trouble, Darius. Your brother didn’t want me to dance with his wife,” Jean-Claude lied.

“Why do you have your hand on Arianna?” Darius asked Ethan. “My wife looks riled.”

“I was asking her to dance.”

“I have chores to do,” Arianna explained.

“You’re drunk, Ethan,” Darius said.

“And you’re not? You’re dancing with Millie Murphy when it’s rumored the two of you are accustomed to something more intimate. Maybe your wife’s riled at you blatantly flaunting your need to have many women.”

“I’ll not justify that with a reply, Ethan,” Darius said.

“At least Mrs. Murphy’s husband’s dead, but it isn’t as if she’s the only Mrs. you’ve been with. I think you owe me a dance with your wife at least.”

“Take your hands off Arianna now!” Darius said his voice becoming quieter, but more fearsome.

Arianna pulled away. “Let it go, Darius.”

“Maybe she likes his hands on her. It wouldn’t be the first time,” Charlotte said. “She only avoids him now so you won’t be suspicious.”

“You’re a damn troublemaker, Charlotte. Stay out of it,” Darius said.

“I’ll freely offer my opinion since she’s carrying on with my husband, this Frenchman and half the Murphy boys. Didn’t you wonder why she requested having them around?”

“That’s a vile accusation, Charlotte! You’re so bloody bitter you must drag everyone else into the mire with you,” Darius said.

“Ask her to deny she entertained both my husband and a stranger one night when you were in Wickshire.”

“That’s nonsense!” Darius said, even as he glanced at Arianna incredulously.

“Come inside and I’ll explain, Darius.”

“I’d like you to explain here and now.”

“When you were in Wickshire, Ethan stopped by to make certain I was safe,” Arianna said, still giving Ethan a way out.

“She shared some cordial with me,” Ethan added.

“You drank with him?” Darius asked, clearly becoming increasingly displeased.

“One or two sips.”

“You told me to check on her,” Ethan said. “I thought you were giving me permission to have her.”

“You son of a bitch!” Darius said grabbing Ethan by his shirt.

“He’s drunk, Darius…as he was that night,” Arianna said.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Darius asked her.

“Nothing happened, but I knew you’d be angry and react this way.”

“Of course I’m angry; my brother had lewd intentions toward my wife. How else would I react?”

“Darius, I discouraged him; nothing happened,” Arianna reiterated.

“That’s true,” Ethan confirmed. “However, we don’t know what occurred between her and that odd-looking stranger with the short hair and peculiar manner of speaking.”

Darius looked to Arianna for clarification. “A stranger?”

“This isn’t the place to discuss it, Darius,” she said.

“You so much as look at my wife sideways, I’ll make certain you don’t see anything for a long while.”

Ethan nodded and when Darius let go of him, in his drunkenness, he stumbled. “You stay away from us, too!” Darius warned Charlotte.

Charlotte gazed at him with mingled smugness and seductiveness.

“I just need to clear my head lest I speak unfavorably!” Darius said and walked away.

Arianna fought furious tears as Charlotte stood with her arms crossed wearing a satisfied smile. “I told you I could make your life hell, wench.”

Arianna looked to the sky and dark clouds formed. “You should go home, Charlotte. You wouldn’t want your fine garments and perfect hair ruined twice in one day!”

Still, Charlotte stubbornly remained until the clouds opened up, peculiarly directly over the exasperating woman. Her clothes and hair were soon a bedraggled mess. She looked enraged enough to fly into a temper, but when the lightning and thunder started she lifted her dripping wet skirts and scurried off.

Arianna despairingly walked in the opposite direction of Darius.

“Should I accompany you, Sullie?” Jean-Claude asked.

She shook her head. “No, but thank you, my friend.”

“You surely know I’d still desire to be more than your friend.”

“Jean-Claude, I’m married and you have a fiancée!”

“Monique isn’t my fiancée,” he admitted. “I knew her in France. She wanted to come to the colonies, so we journeyed together.”

“You seem convincingly in love,” Arianna said.

“We care for one another, have shared a bed for some time, but she knows my heart is yours, mon Sullie. It has been so from the day I met you. When I heard you were married, I had Monique accompany me here. I thought your husband might not permit me to see you. Some men don’t allow their wives male friends. I needed to see you and know you were happy.”

“You mean very much to me, Jean-Claude, but I’m deeply in love with Darius,” she said looking into her friend’s serious dark brown eyes.

“I see that and it’s clear he returns the love. I’m happy for you, mon Sullie, but I had to tell you my heart. When the church is completed I’ll return to Boston, but if you ever need my help…you know I’ll always be willing.”

“Do you foresee me needing your help?”

“It’s you who has the magical abilities, mon Sullie.”

“We both know you have unusual abilities, too. You always knew when I was in trouble in England and you found me here.”

“I did instinctively sense where I’d find you. What of the English captain with the unnatural interest in you and the dislike for your husband?”

“I have a sense of foreboding about him.”

“Oui, I believe you may be in peril here, mon Sullie. I don’t say so simply because I’d wish for you to be with me. Maybe you and Darius could come stay with me in Boston.”

“Thank you, Jean-Claude.”

“Arianna,” Darius softly called. “We must talk. Let’s go inside.”

“Aye,” she said.

Jean-Claude kissed her hand before he left.

“I only kept it from you so there wouldn’t be discord between you and Ethan.”

He nodded but still seemed distressed.

“What of the strange man?”

“There were actually two strange men—Cythrawl and Tristan. And they both had powerful magic. Their only intent was to keep me safe.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Arianna?”

“Because Cythrawl nearly killed your brother trying to protect me. I used my own magic to save Ethan when I would have liked to see him harmed.”

“I’m regretful Ethan frightened you. He truly tried to force himself on you?”

Arianna nodded.

“Christ, those were the bruises you bore,” Darius said heading toward the door, once more in a temper.

“Darius, what purpose would harming Ethan serve now? Please attempt to forget this. Evidently it was Charlotte who suggested he come to me and he was drunk.”

“She’s a troublemaker, but that doesn’t excuse his rough treatment or that he might have raped you.”

“I’m not excusing it. I’d be pleased never to see him again, but you harming him would be senseless.”

“It might appease my temper.”

“He knows about you and Charlotte and suspects Rachel is your daughter,” Arianna whispered.

“Damn, I suppose that would cause his jealous fury. Our father insisted on his sons being considerate with women. Ethan’s brutish treatment of you was obviously fueled by his fury toward me.”

“In part, but he’s clearly unhappy with Charlotte.”

“I’m sorry you had to deal with them both. To know what Ethan attempted infuriates me, and that strange men were in our cabin worries me, but learning you hid it from me…that saddens me, Arianna. Secrets will come between us. You said that.”

“I apologize for keeping it from you. But now, we should sleep.”

“Aye, I must see the church and cabins soon completed so we can be alone again.”