Coulson's Wife (The Coulson Series) (8 page)

W
illiam went to his
office early on Saturday morning. He was there for about four hours when he
received a frantic phone call from Mrs. Parker.

“Mr. William, please
you need to come over!”

“Mrs. Parker, what’s
wrong?”

“It’s Mrs. Coulson!”

“Mary Ellen, what
happened?” He immediately thought of the baby.
Was she losing the baby?

“She’s in her room,
won’t come out, I’ve been trying to get ahold of Mr. Randall, but he’s not at
any of the numbers I have.”

“Have you called the
doctor?”

“Doctor? I don’t think
she needs a doctor, but if she keeps carrying on like this, she may. All this
crying can’t be good for the baby.”

William didn’t
understand what the problem was, and Mrs. Parker seemed too upset to
articulate.

“I’ll be right over,”
he told her. “But if you think she needs a doctor, don’t wait, call him.”

When William arrived at
the house twenty minutes later, he was greeted by a frantic Mrs. Parker, whose
hands nervously fidgeted with several sheets of tattered stationery.

“Where’s Mary Ellen?” William
asked as he entered the doorway and handed his coat and hat to the butler, who
silently accepted the items.

“She’s up in her room. Lily
checked on her. The poor dear is crying like her heart is broken.”

“What happened?” William
wanted to run to Mary Ellen, but first he needed to know what had occurred.

“Here,” Mrs. Parker
handed him the stationery she’d been holding. “She received this today in the
mail. After she read it, she rushed upstairs and locked herself in her room.
Been crying like her heart is broken ever since.”

Instead of asking what
was in the letter, he took it and began to read.

My dearest Mary Ellen,

It is with a heavy
heart I must inform you, your dear mother has left this world. You and I know
she has not been quite right since the tragic news of young Ed reached her
ears.

Last Sunday they found
her poor body floating the lake – she had drowned. One of your father’s
neighbors saw her walking down the road to the lake and he called out to her,
but she did not answer – just continued to walk. As we both know, your mother
was an excellent swimmer. I believe she simply could no longer handle the
burden of her grief.

Her funeral was
yesterday. I considered calling you earlier, but your father informs me you are
with child, and a trip down here under these conditions would not be good for
you or the baby.

Your father seems to
feel you are not strong enough at this time to hear this news, but I feel he
underestimates a woman’s strength, and I believe strongly you have the right to
know about your mother. I know how close you two were.

 I know this is an
awkward time to say congratulations, but a new baby – new life – often helps
ease our pain when we lose a loved one.

After you left, and
your parents and brothers moved into the new house, your father hired George
Peter’s widow, Helen, to help care for your mama and boys. They – Helen and your
father – have become very close and have decided to marry. He feels it is best
not to wait, since he has five young sons still at home who need a mother. They
will probably be married by the time you receive this letter.

I know now your father
was right in arranging this marriage for you. You are safe in your new home,
with a husband who can take care of you and a baby on the way. You have much to
be grateful for.

I am very sorry for
your dear mother, but I believe she is in a better place.

With love, Aunt Rachael

William folded the
letter and tucked it into his pocket. He was about to go upstairs when Mrs.
Parker stopped him.

“Mr. William, it’s Mr.
Randall, I have him on the phone. He wants to talk to you.”

William paused for a
moment, glanced up the stairs, and then turn and followed the housekeeper to
the telephone in the parlor.

“Hello?” William said
into the phone.

“William, Mrs. Parker
tells me things are quite upside down there.”

“Mary Ellen just
learned her mother died. She drowned.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Oh, Mrs. Parker told
you…”

“No. I knew right after
it happened. Her father called me on Monday.”

“What? You knew all
this time and you didn’t think to tell your wife?”

Mrs. Parker cringed at
the way William shrieked into the phone, but she didn’t leave the room.

“I didn’t want her to
make the trip for a funeral, not with the baby coming. I’d planned to tell her
later, just not now. Her father promised his sister wouldn’t write Mary Ellen
about her mother. Apparently his sister went behind his back. Had I known there
was a chance, I would have had Mrs. Parker intercept the letter.”

William almost asked
Randall why he hadn’t told him about Mary Ellen’s mother, so he would be
prepared if something like this were to happen. Yet, the truth was, he was
somewhat relieved that he hadn’t known, and hadn’t concealed the information
from her.

“I have a favor to ask
you,” Randall said.

“What?”

“I don’t want to leave
her alone, considering her emotional state and the baby. Can you please stay
overnight at the house, so you can periodically check in on her?”

“Don’t you think it
would be better if Mrs. Parker or Lily stay with her through the night?”

“Already Mary Ellen has
asked them to leave her room, so I doubt she’d welcome the intrusion. I know
you two have spent some time together, I imagine she has grown comfortable with
you. 

“I notice this incident
has rattled Mrs. Parker, and if my wife gets worse, she’ll just end up calling
you anyway. You can stay in my room.  I’ll have Mrs. Parker prepare it. Here,
let me talk to her.” William wanted to argue with Randall, but he didn’t want
to abandon Mary Ellen. Silently he motioned for the housekeeper to take the
phone.

When she finished
speaking to her employer, she let William take the phone back. He said his
goodbyes and hung up.

“Mr. William, if you
make a list of some things you need for the night, I’ll have Franklin run over to
your place and pick them up.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Parker.
Is Lily up with Mary Ellen?”

“Yes, she’s outside the
door. Mrs. Coulson said she wanted to be alone. Lily is just standing in the
hallway listening, in case Mrs. Coulson needs anything.”

“Good. I tell you what,
go have Franklin head over to my place, and I’ll call Henry and have him fix a
bag for me. After I call Henry, I’ll go upstairs and check on Mrs. Coulson.”

“Yes sir.”

“Thank you, Mrs.
Parker.”

William headed upstairs
after he called Henry. He reached the second floor landing, glanced left down
the hallway, and noticed Mrs. Parker entering Randall’s room with a stack of fresh
towels. She was obviously preparing the room for his stay.

Outside of Mary Ellen’s
room, Lily sat on the floor, her chin resting on her knees. Lost in thought, Lily
failed to notice William approach.

“Lily?”

Startled, she jumped to
her feet and faced William.

“Yes sir?” she asked
nervously.

“Have you checked on
Mrs. Coulson recently?”

“I peeked in about five
minutes ago. Poor dear is still sobbing. I wish I could help her, but she wants
to be alone.”

“I’m going in to speak
to her. I would like you to go downstairs and prepare a tray of food. Something
that can sit out for a while, because I don’t imagine she’ll eat anything right
away, but she’ll need something eventually, to keep up her strength.”

“Yes sir.” Lily turned,
heading downstairs.

“And Lily…” William
called out.

Lily stopped and turned
to face William.

“When you bring back
the tray, set it on the table outside her room. And then you can go back to
your normal chores.”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“Yes. We’ll be fine. If
I need anything, I’ll call you.”

“Yes sir.” Lily dashed
down the stairs and headed to the kitchen.

Alone in the hallway, William
took a deep breath and approached Mary Ellen’s bedroom. Standing before her
door he knocked on it, then called out
Mary Ellen
. There was no answer,
so he slowly opened the door and walked in.

He found her lying on
her bed, curled up in a fetal position, her back to him. There was no sound,
but by the way her body trembled, it was obvious that she was shedding silent
tears. Approaching the bed, he whispered her name.

“Mary Ellen, it’s William.”
When he got to the side of the bed, she rolled over onto her back, sat up and
looked up at him as she wiped the tears from her face. Awkwardly she tugged at
her skirt and repositioned herself to cover her bare ankles and feet.

“William…you know,” she
whispered.

“Yes, I read the
letter. I hope you don’t mind, but everyone was so worried about you. May I sit
down?”

She gave him a nod and
he sat on the edge of her bed. Not for a moment did he consider the impropriety
of the situation.

“I’m very sorry for
your mother.” He reached out and took her hand, giving it a slight squeeze,
continuing to hold it. Her tear filled eyes looked up into his face and once
again the silent tears slid down her cheeks.

It happened so quick.
One moment they were sitting at arm’s length, William holding her hand
—
and the next he was sitting on
her bed, holding Mary Ellen in his arms as she bitterly cried, her tears
dampening his shirt. Silently he stroked her hair and whispered words of
comfort.

Lily brought the tray
of food a few minutes later and sat it on the table outside Mary Ellen’s
bedroom. The door was ajar so she peeked in the room. When she saw William
holding Mrs. Coulson, she pulled the door completely closed, giving the pair
privacy.

“How is Mrs. Coulson,
is she eating anything?” Mrs. Parker asked when Lily entered the kitchen a few
minutes later.

“The poor thing is
still crying, but Mr. Hunter is watching over her. She’s in good hands. I think
it best if we give Mrs. Coulson some privacy now. I remember how I felt when I
lost George.”

T
he moon cast a golden glow
over the silent bedchamber. Restless in her sleep, Mary Ellen woke and slipped
from her bed to use the bathroom. Unable to clearly see the clock on her
dresser, she did not know the time. The house was still.

The previous afternoon William
held her in his arms for several hours as she sobbed, until finally, there were
no more tears to shed. He eventually convinced her to eat some of the food Lily
had brought, and then he sat with her until she fell asleep.

When evening arrived, Lily
came into her room with another tray of food, and helped prepare Mary Ellen a
bath. Under normal circumstances, Mary Ellen would have resisted the
assistance, yet she had little strength to resist or bathe herself.

Knowing William was
staying down the hallway in Randall’s room if she needed him, Mary Ellen
convinced Lily to go home that evening. She knew Lily had two young children at
home, and they needed their mother. She knew how precious mothers were.

 Convinced Mary Ellen
would sleep soundly throughout the night, considering the emotionally
exhausting day, Mrs. Parker stayed in her own room on the lower floor.

After using the
bathroom, Mary Ellen wandered over to her bedroom window and looked out on the
grounds. The full moon cast an eerie light on the surrounding landscape. Lace
curtains fluttered toward her, as the evening’s summer breeze made its way in
the open window. It almost felt chilly. Loneliness washed over her.

In actuality, she’d
lost her mother months earlier, along with her eldest brother. Yet her mother’s
death brought a finality that Mary Ellen was not prepared to face. She’d never
been close to her father, who had little use for a daughter, and her
relationship with the younger brothers was that of adult and child. Of all her
older brothers, it was Ed whom she was closest to. Since marrying Randall, she
hadn’t received a single letter from her brothers or father.

She supposed she was
close to Aunt Rachel, in a limited way. Yet she’d never feel comfortable
confiding in Rachael, not in the way she might have done with her mother at one
time. There had never been an opportunity to develop close relationships with
other girls or young women. She was far too busy helping take care of her
younger brothers. Instead of friends, she found solace in the books she read.

It was in that moment
she realized there was one person in the world she shared a special bond with, William.
With him, she felt safe, accepted and loved.
Loved
.  He never said he
loved her, but she felt his love. It wrapped around her like a comforting
blanket capable of keeping all sorts of evil at bay. When he held her and she
cried over the loss of her mother, he wasn’t able to take her pain away, but he
showed her she would get through the pain.

So weary of the
loneliness, and intuitively knowing whatever bond she shared with William would
vanish when Randall returned, Mary Ellen found herself walking toward her
bedroom door, into the hallway and toward her husband’s bedroom.

She didn’t knock when
she reached Randall’s bedroom door, but gently turned its doorknob and pushed
open the door. William wasn’t in the bed. He was standing at the bedroom
window, looking out over the grounds, as she had been doing moments earlier.
Hearing her enter the room, he silently turned and faced her.

William said nothing,
but watched as Mary Ellen moved silently toward him; her white cotton nightgown
outlined her feminine form, its floor length skirt fluttered slightly as she
moved in his direction.

 Instinctively William
opened his arms, welcoming Mary Ellen into his embrace. She went willingly, her
hands reaching for his face, which she held between her soft palms as she stood
on tiptoes. Not for a moment did William question the kiss; it was inevitable.
Nor did he realize it was Mary Ellen’s first kiss.

 Sliding his hands over
the base of her spine, he could feel her body beneath the thin fabric of the
nightgown. Frantic, unskilled kisses stoked the fire of their passion. Without
thought or consideration, William eased her toward the bed, never once breaking
from the kiss. Moments later, Mary Ellen found her body sprawled atop the
mattress as she looked up toward the ceiling. No longer were they kissing. Instead
William hastily unfastened the buttons along the front of the nightgown. Mary
Ellen attempted to steady her breathing and gave her body completely into William’s
care.

She felt his moist
mouth on her breast, gently sucking one nipple into his mouth as his hands
kneaded the soft, plump mounds. Randall had never touched her there and she
arched her back, wanting more.

Later she would wonder
why Aunt Rachel’s special cream wasn’t needed to ease William into her body.
His hard shaft found its way in with little effort and she wrapped her legs
around his waist, pulling him closer, welcoming each thrust.

There was no pain, no
discomfort, just an agonizingly exquisite, anxious sensation pushing her toward
some unknown conclusion, and when she reached it, it took her breath away for
she had no idea it could be like this.

Afterwards they lay in
each other’s arms for several hours, while William gently stroked Mary Ellen’s
bare shoulder and kissed the top of her head. Her nightgown had come off, as
had his pajamas, and both were totally nude under the cool silk sheets. Mary
Ellen snuggled into his warm embrace and fell asleep, feeling no guilt.

• • • •

William lay quietly in
the bed, holding his best friend’s wife in his arms. Had Randall been in love
with Mary Ellen, he might be feeling more guilt—or not. If Mary Ellen was not
carrying Randall’s child then perhaps he and Mary Ellen could have a future
together. It would be difficult, but not impossible. Unfortunately, a child
changed everything. There was no way Randall would willingly divorce his wife
and give up a child, especially if it was a son. William would never ask Mary
Ellen to give up a child.

While he and Randall
had always been close, William did not for a moment imagine this breach would
not destroy that friendship if Randall found out. William knew if given the
choice, a life with Mary Ellen at his side or his friendship with Randall, he
would choose Mary Ellen. Unfortunately, he did not have that choice. There were
too many complications. The baby changed everything.

Mary Ellen slept
soundly, and it took a little maneuvering for William to slip the nightgown
back onto her nude body.
She is lovely
, he thought. Before re-buttoning
the front of the garment, he ran his hand over her belly, thinking briefly of
the child growing in her womb. His hand moved lower touching the silky down
between the juncture of her thighs. He couldn’t resist the temptation to press
his fingers into the moist opening.

Like a flower opening
to the sun, Mary Ellen, still half asleep, spread her thighs wider apart,
giving William a silent invitation, which he accepted. When she awoke fully, he
was deep inside her. Again her legs wrapped around his body, pulling him
deeper, wanting more.

After they made love
the second time, William suggested Mary Ellen go back to her own room. He
didn’t want to risk Mrs. Parker finding her gone should they fall asleep in
Randall’s bed.

William didn’t send her
back to the room alone, but accompanied her. Not prepared to leave each other,
they both climbed into her bed and made love two more times. When the sun rose that
morning, he slipped out of the room, just minutes before Mrs. Parker started
her way up the stairs to check on her mistress.

Mrs. Parker gently
opened the door to Mary Ellen’s room. The young woman appeared to be sleeping
soundly on her bed, under the quilt. The housekeeper shut the door, and headed
back downstairs.

A distinct, musty odor
permeated the air in Randall’s bedchamber—
sex
. William threw open the
windows to let in the fresh morning air. The sweet scent of feminine colognes
and toiletries masked whatever carnal scents lingered in Mary Ellen’s room.

Throwing back the
quilt, he didn’t see any signs of bodily fluids on the bed sheets, and
suspected that was because he’d deposited them all in Mary Ellen’s body. The
thought made him hard again, and he wasn’t sure how he could possibly be around
Mary Ellen and not touch her again. His life had gotten far too complicated.

William straightened
the bed, not wanting the housekeeping staff to speculate as to why he was such
a rough sleeper. He quickly dressed in the fresh clothes Henry had sent over, and
then walked down the hallway to check on Mary Ellen.

Looking into her room,
he watched her for a moment. By her steady and rhythmic breathing, he could
tell she was in a deep slumber. Gently, he closed the door and let her sleep.
She needed it; he’d kept her up all night making love. William couldn’t help
but smile. He couldn’t remember ever having such stamina.

Downstairs he found Mrs.
Parker with the cook in the kitchen. She poured him a cup of coffee and
suggested he go into the parlor and she’d bring him some breakfast.  He took
his mug of coffee with him and when he entered the cozy room, he sat down at
the small table where he and Mary Ellen had shared their dinners. Looking out
the opened window, he surmised it would be another warm day.

“I’m sure Lily and I
can handle Mrs. Coulson,” Mrs. Parker told him when she brought his breakfast.
“I imagine you have things you need to do. Please don’t feel you must stay
here.” Mrs. Parker set the tray of food on the table then took a moment to remove
the dishes from the tray and arrange them on the table for William.

“I promised Randall I’d
stay around. I wasn’t planning to go into the office today, anyway. It being
Sunday and all.”

“Whatever you decide,
Mr. William. I just wanted you to know that if you need to go, I’m sure Lily
and I can handle things.”

“Thank you, Mrs.
Parker. I appreciate that. And breakfast looks very good, by the way. Thank
you.”

“Can I get you anything
else?”

“No, this looks
wonderful. Thank you.” William sat down at the place the housekeeper had just
set for him. She smiled at William, took the empty tray and left the room.

Lily entered the room a
few minutes after William finished breakfast, and started to clear the dirty
dishes.

“Lily, do you always
work on Sundays?” he asked.

“Not every Sunday. But
Mrs. Parker thought it would be a good idea if I came in today, in case Mrs.
Coulson needs me.”

“I see. By any chance have
you checked on her?”

“A few minutes ago,
sir. She’s still sleeping soundly. Poor thing, she must have had a rough night.
Did she keep you up much, sir?”

Yes, she kept me
blissfully up all night.

 “A little. In fact, I
think I’ll grab a nap, I’m a little sleepy.”

“Mrs. Parker just
stripped the sheets off the bed you slept in. If you’ll wait a minute, I’ll
take some clean sheets up and get the bed made.”

“No, that’s okay. I
think I’ll try out that hammock Mrs. Coulson told me about, the one in the
garden. Will you get me when she wakes up?”

“Certainly, Mr.
Hunter.”

William gave Lily a
nod, then made his way to the back door off the kitchen. From there he walked
down to the garden area. He wondered if a nap might help clear his mind and
help him sort out the complications of his current situation.