CHAPTER 3   

In trying to correct one mistake, James made another, but recent events absolved him, he was an innocent culprit.    

William asked with a suspicious look if they were all right. Meg quickly hid her face, feeling embarrassed. She didn't want her visitor to notice her red cheeks, trembling hands, and guilty look.    

 "What are you doing here?" replied James, irritated.  

She pulled herself together quickly, noticing William approaching.  

He greeted them with a discreet nod. Then he explained, with an annoyed expression, that his father had forgotten his hat and had forced him to come and get it.   

"That, couldn't it wait until tomorrow?" James asked, drinking the rest of the whiskey in his glass.

"He's been pacing the room and cursing for over an hour," William turned to Meg."I thought that Miss Margaret might be able to help me look for him," the visitor argued. 

"Sure," she answered, trying to keep her voice steady. 

"In the garden?" questioned James, irritated. 

“Yes," William answered with a wry smile. 

"Meg was already retiring, but if you wanted me to help you look for it." 

Meg frantically wiped her sweaty hands along the side of her body, as if trying to rid herself of an unbearable weight. She didn't want to be a good hostess, she just wanted this day to be over. 

“I'm off to bed. Good evening, gentlemen," Meg said, looking furtively at James. 

“Good evening, Meg,” William kissed her hand. 

Meg felt James's eyes watching her discreetly as she walked up the stairs.

With each step she climbed, the next seemed even harder. Her brain gave the command to her body, but her legs refused to obey. She experienced such an intense pain in her chest that she could not enter her room. She remembered that when they were children, Meg and James had a habit of snooping on the adults in the living room, sitting together on the last step of the stairs. Restless, Meg decided to revive this practice to watch James for a longer time. She sat in the dark, letting out the breath she unconsciously held. From there, she could hear James offer a drink to his friend, who promptly accepted.  

"I'm not worried about my father's hat. I came here because I am worried about you, my friend. I thought you might have trouble sleeping. I came to keep you company," William confided.   

"I appreciate your concern. It's going to be a terribly long night."

"How are you, my friend?"    

"I haven't assimilated my mother's death. It was very sudden."   

She became a little sadder, for she knew that she shared the same pain as James. His pain was hers too, and this only made her feel even worse.

"A regrettable loss, for all of us. What are your plans with this property?" inquired William.  

"I don't know. I'll think about it tomorrow.   

The tightness in her chest intensified and she took a deep breath of air. She feared being thrown out of the house. She feared that she would have to marry. 

"My father is adamant.  He wants me to set a wedding date right away."  

"I thought you were here because you were worried about me," James sighed loudly.  "And, you have no affection for her."  

"Marriage and love are different things, my friend. Do you love your wife?"  

Meg never heard him talk openly about his feelings for Angelina. Not a single word. 

"My marriage is not up for discussion," he replied emphatically.    

"It will be good for Meg too."     

"William, it would not be good for any woman to marry you."   

"I think it will be good for both of us, I know you can't stand your adopted sister. You've been complaining about her for years." 

James didn't object; he remained silent for a long time. Those seconds were torturous for her listening to the conversation.

 A sharp sensation of pain pierced Meg's heart, shattering it into a thousand pieces. The pain was so unbearable that she could barely breathe, and she felt compelled to flee to avoid James' response. She quickly got up and locked herself in her room, longing for a safe and secluded place where she could process her thoughts and feelings, and cry in peace. 

When she awoke the next morning, Meg remained locked in her room. The servants of the house noticed her absence at the table, as she was always the first to arrive for breakfast, and were surprised at the silence that settled over her quarters. Suspicious, they told James, who immediately went to her room, but found the door closed. He tried to call for her insistently, but the silence persisted. With no alternative, he decided to open the door. 

James found Meg lying on the bed, covered in sweat, visibly downcast and with a pained expression on her face. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her skin was hot to the touch. He realized that she needed urgent medical attention. 

While waiting for the doctor to arrive, James sat down by Meg's bedside and held her hand, giving her all the love and support he could. She was delirious and didn't recognize him.

"You'll be fine. I promise." 

Carefully, James dried the sweat from Meg's forehead and Angelina watched the scene from outside the room. 

"James, my husband, let the maids take care of her. It might be something contagious," she said, annoyed.

"I'll have the driver take you to our house. You'll be safe there." 

"And you?" 

"I will be." 

"James! This is crazy." 

"I'll look after Meg until she recovers," he spoke emphatically.

Angelina felt jealous of Meg, of the way James was looking at her. She tried to ignore the feeling of insecurity that was growing in her chest, but it was difficult. Meg's presence now seemed like a threat, an intruder in her perfect world at her husband's side. 

"I'll stay too," she informed.