before their departure.
“Shall we walk a while, Aaron?”
He nodded and offered her his arm like a real little gentleman, but as they walked she could feel the tension in his young frame.
“I know that you don’t want to leave, Aaron, and I’m sorry but I promise that we’ll settle soon.”
He shrugged. “I know why we had to leave Mr Campbell’s house, Mama.”
Her heart beat quickened. “You do?”
“He wasn’t my real papa, was he?”
“Aaron…I…”
“It’s okay, Mama, I know why you married him. I understand that it was hard for you.”
She stopped walking and placed her hands on his shoulders.
“Oh, Aaron, how can you understand? You’re only ten.”
He looked back at her, his face still soft with youth but his eyes full of knowledge. She swallowed hard against the pain in her throat. Her son was growing up so quickly. Heading towards his eleventh birthday, he was almost the same height as her and he clearly knew more about their situation than she had realised. She’d been mistaken in her assumptions about his innocence.
“I went to see Mr Hamilton.”
“You did what?”
“I’m sorry, Mama, but last week you seemed so low and you wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. So I went to talk to him.”
Evelyn’s eyes roamed over his face. She had meant to protect him from her hurt but she’d been so lost in her own pain that she’d failed.
“And?”
The boy lifted his hat and pushed his damp hair back then chewed at his lip.
“He seemed to be in the same state as you.”
Evelyn squeezed his shoulders.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s my real daddy, ain’t he?”
Tears pricked the sides of her eyes as she nodded.
“How’d you know?”
“You said it in your sleep, Mama, and I asked Mr Hamilton if it was true.”
“In my sleep?”
“You always talk in your sleep. I’ve learnt a lot”—he grinned—“though I do try not to listen.”
Evelyn’s cheeks flushed.
“I’m so sorry you found out like this.” Evelyn took his face in her hands. “I love you so much and I just wanted to protect you.”
“It’s okay, Mama”—his cheeks coloured—“I’m kinda glad. He seems like a real good man.”
Evelyn rummaged in her reticule for a handkerchief, biting the inside of her cheeks. Not only had her son found out the truth but he actually liked Nate. And she’d blown it for them both, no, for all three of them. Again.
She had to try to make it right.
“Come on!”
She grabbed Aaron’s hand and hurried along the street, ignoring the calls from behind her that the coach would soon be leaving.
“Where are we going, Mama?”
She turned to her son but kept walking. “To see if I can’t put this right…”
As she turned back, she stopped in her tracks and looked up into eyes so dark they seemed to swallow her whole.
“Mrs Campbell.”
She inclined her head, her mouth suddenly dry and her mind blank.
“Were you coming to see me, Mrs Campbell?”
She let go of Aaron and held out her shaking hands, taking hold of both of Nate’s. “Yes, Mr Hamilton.”
He smiled but then his face grew serious. “I heard you were leaving.”
She nodded.
“Can I say anything to make you stay?”
“Ask me again.” Her eyes searched his face.
“To marry me?”
“Yes, but for the right reasons.”
“The right reasons?”
“Nate, you’re not making this any easier.”
“Evelyn…I’ve had time to think and although I know it wouldn’t be easy for us…after all that’s happened, I can’t imagine anything worse than being without you again. I don’t want to spend every day wondering where you are, what you’re doing and if you…and the boy…are safe and well. I want to wake up with you every day and hear my son waking up in the room next to us. I know why you didn’t wait before and I’m telling you now that you’ll never have to wait again. Your home is ready, your life is ready…your family is ready. Please stay.”
“You really love me?”
He
“Shall we walk a while, Aaron?”
He nodded and offered her his arm like a real little gentleman, but as they walked she could feel the tension in his young frame.
“I know that you don’t want to leave, Aaron, and I’m sorry but I promise that we’ll settle soon.”
He shrugged. “I know why we had to leave Mr Campbell’s house, Mama.”
Her heart beat quickened. “You do?”
“He wasn’t my real papa, was he?”
“Aaron…I…”
“It’s okay, Mama, I know why you married him. I understand that it was hard for you.”
She stopped walking and placed her hands on his shoulders.
“Oh, Aaron, how can you understand? You’re only ten.”
He looked back at her, his face still soft with youth but his eyes full of knowledge. She swallowed hard against the pain in her throat. Her son was growing up so quickly. Heading towards his eleventh birthday, he was almost the same height as her and he clearly knew more about their situation than she had realised. She’d been mistaken in her assumptions about his innocence.
“I went to see Mr Hamilton.”
“You did what?”
“I’m sorry, Mama, but last week you seemed so low and you wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. So I went to talk to him.”
Evelyn’s eyes roamed over his face. She had meant to protect him from her hurt but she’d been so lost in her own pain that she’d failed.
“And?”
The boy lifted his hat and pushed his damp hair back then chewed at his lip.
“He seemed to be in the same state as you.”
Evelyn squeezed his shoulders.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s my real daddy, ain’t he?”
Tears pricked the sides of her eyes as she nodded.
“How’d you know?”
“You said it in your sleep, Mama, and I asked Mr Hamilton if it was true.”
“In my sleep?”
“You always talk in your sleep. I’ve learnt a lot”—he grinned—“though I do try not to listen.”
Evelyn’s cheeks flushed.
“I’m so sorry you found out like this.” Evelyn took his face in her hands. “I love you so much and I just wanted to protect you.”
“It’s okay, Mama”—his cheeks coloured—“I’m kinda glad. He seems like a real good man.”
Evelyn rummaged in her reticule for a handkerchief, biting the inside of her cheeks. Not only had her son found out the truth but he actually liked Nate. And she’d blown it for them both, no, for all three of them. Again.
She had to try to make it right.
“Come on!”
She grabbed Aaron’s hand and hurried along the street, ignoring the calls from behind her that the coach would soon be leaving.
“Where are we going, Mama?”
She turned to her son but kept walking. “To see if I can’t put this right…”
As she turned back, she stopped in her tracks and looked up into eyes so dark they seemed to swallow her whole.
“Mrs Campbell.”
She inclined her head, her mouth suddenly dry and her mind blank.
“Were you coming to see me, Mrs Campbell?”
She let go of Aaron and held out her shaking hands, taking hold of both of Nate’s. “Yes, Mr Hamilton.”
He smiled but then his face grew serious. “I heard you were leaving.”
She nodded.
“Can I say anything to make you stay?”
“Ask me again.” Her eyes searched his face.
“To marry me?”
“Yes, but for the right reasons.”
“The right reasons?”
“Nate, you’re not making this any easier.”
“Evelyn…I’ve had time to think and although I know it wouldn’t be easy for us…after all that’s happened, I can’t imagine anything worse than being without you again. I don’t want to spend every day wondering where you are, what you’re doing and if you…and the boy…are safe and well. I want to wake up with you every day and hear my son waking up in the room next to us. I know why you didn’t wait before and I’m telling you now that you’ll never have to wait again. Your home is ready, your life is ready…your family is ready. Please stay.”
“You really love me?”
He
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