Tristan's Loins (21 page)

"Bah! She hates me! Why would she care if I’m
gone?" he said angrily.

"You must go back and find out and have faith
in whatever you’re dealt," Selene said softly. "I swear to you your
story ends happily."

"What of our story, Selene?" he asked in a
voice laced with sorrow. "How can you ask me to go back?"

"Because I love you, that is why," she said
fiercely. "I did not create you to keep you to myself, Tristan. I
made you so that every reader would love you as I do when they read
my book one day."

"I do not want them! I want you, Selene! Why
do you do this?" he asked in a tormented voice.

"Rhiannon waits for you at Raven's Keep,
Tristan. At summer's end you will seek her there."

Tristan did not answer her right away. He
looked at her with pain in his gaze finally. "How can you ask me to
do this, Selene, after all that we have shared?"

"Tristan, we had more than we were allowed,
don't you see that? The ring might have given you to me for now,
but it is not forever. We knew that."

"Let us not speak of it until summer's end. I
hope to change your mind, Selene."

"My mind will not change, Tristan. Your story
has yet to begin. Ours must end when we leave the cottage."

He laid back down and rolled to his side,
away from her. She stared at his broad back, his agitation
palpable. She knew she hurt him by making him go back, but after
her Mother's death, Selene realized she was right. Tristan did not
belong in her world, even if he tried like the very devil to get
by. Every step he made was painful and awkward. It told her how
much he loved her, but he belonged back in the tale he was born
into.

Selene woke the next morning and her and
Tristan had breakfast with her father. Bryce had already handled
everything with the funeral home. He picked his wife's ashes up the
following week and flew to China that weekend. He bristled with
excitement to be off. Selene could see her Father would not rest
until he fulfilled his wife's dying wish.

Leaving was hard for Selene, sensing she
might never see her Father again. Selene cried into his chest for a
long time before they got on the road to go to the cottage. Bryce
looked to Tristan for help and appeared relieved when Tristan
enfolded Selene in his arms as her Father went into the house to
pack for his trip. She looked up at him through a haze of
tears.

"I'm so glad you’re here, Tristan. I don't
think I could do this alone."

Tristan wiped away her tears with the back of
his hand and kissed her forehead. Silently he prayed she changed
her mind, vowing he would use the next few months to wear her down,
make her see their story was more important than the one he
left.

Selene was exhausted by the time they reached
the cottage. She opened the door of the house on the lake and saw
Tristan's delighted expression as he followed Daisy to the huge
glass windows that ran the length of the back of the house. The
view of the lake was breathtaking and the setting sun made it even
more so. He opened the sliding glass doors and they watched Daisy
run across the deck, and down to the beach. Tristan followed
her.

Selene watched him with an aching heart as he
tossed stones across the water and her dog bounded into the water,
frolicking and shaking off on him, sending him running for cover.
As long as she lived, she would never forget the peace of being
here with Tristan now.

She unpacked the car and set up the computer
in her father's office. She saw that Tristan's window was shut and
heard nothing coming from his room. She turned up the volume and
covered the screen with a dark towel.

They had stopped for a few groceries before
she could go into town the next day. She went to the kitchen to put
the bags away. She pulled out the papers she received from Maggie
out of her purse. Her hand shook as she looked at Tristan's birth
certificate. The name on the papers was Samuel Forest. Her heart
clenched to know how easy it would be to go ahead with her plan to
marry Tristan and apply for his Green Card. The temptation to keep
him was profound.

She wouldn't show him these or share with him
what her heart had pushed her to decide in a desperate bid to keep
him with her. It would only encourage him to stay. He refused to
discuss it and she left it alone.

She cooked a simple meal of pork chops and
fried potatoes. When he came inside with Daisy, she ran and
retrieved a towel to wipe down the dog. His eyes met hers. The blue
eyes were filled with wonder.

"It is as beautiful as you said, Selene." He
reached out to lift her chin, brushing a kiss across her lips.
"Thank you for bringing me here."

"Come, it's time to eat," she said and smiled
as he rushed past her into the kitchen. "Maybe we can take the
pontoon boat out later."

Tristan looked ecstatic at that. He ate
quickly and she went to unpack their bags. The largest bedroom was
on the ground floor of the five-bedroom beach house. There were
three bathrooms, a living room, a wreck room, and an office, as
well as the kitchen and laundry room. Her parents had updated the
cottage over the years. It was quite luxurious and modern now.
After she washed the dishes and wiped off her hands, she put on a
light jacket and went down to the boathouse where the pontoon was
stored. The keys hung in the kitchen on a ring. Her Dad said it was
gassed up and ready to go. She used the winch to lower the boat to
the water. When it was lowered to the water, she opened the doors
to the pool house and from the dock, pulled the boat out. She tied
it off to the dock and retreated back into the house to get a
jacket and some drinks for the boat. She was putting beer in a
cooler with ice when Tristan arrived, looking excited about going
out on the lake. Grabbing the keys to the boat, she went outside.
Tristan carried the cooler and Daisy followed them.

Selene drove out to the middle of the lake
and glanced over at Tristan who looked intoxicated by the
experience.

"Do you want to drive the boat?"

She did not have to ask him twice. Tristan
was quite determined to learn. Soon he was putting across the lake
at a reasonable speed, a smile of contentment on his face. Selene
stood at his back, the wind in her hair, enjoying the
afternoon.

When Tristan drove the boat back into the
launch, she cheered. Daisy barked excitedly.

"That was quite exhilarating, Selene."

"You did great! The first time I drove it, I
hit another boat. You should have heard my Dad yelling. You could
hear him on the other side of the lake," she said and chuckled at
the memory.

Tristan's eyes darkened at her words.
"Selene, he will be back. I know what he said, but he will come
home. You need not worry for him."

"My Dad is lost without her. I know he thinks
he can will himself to die too," she said in frustration. "It
doesn't work that way."

"Now you know how I feel to go back to your
book and live without you, Selene," he said and sorrow filled his
eyes. "It will be the hardest thing I do to step through that
portal alone."

"I thought we weren't going to talk about
this now."

"I’ll not give up trying to get you to change
your mind," he countered grimly. "Somehow we were able to be
together. How can in not be meant to be?"

"Tristan, I refuse to spoil out time together
by speaking of this now," Selene said quietly and bent to grab the
cooler. "Come on, let's go inside. I want to get showered and get
to bed early. I want to get started on your reading tomorrow and
maybe start another book."

"Why do I bother with this now if you will
not let me stay?" he snapped stubbornly.

"Lord de Montfort must know how to read,
Tristan. The work we do here will not go to waste."

Tristan glared at her and stomped off the
pontoon, leaving her by herself on the dock. She felt tears fill
her eyes at his attitude. He was not making it easy for her. She
saw him standing out on the beach alone and wanted to go to him.
Daisy stayed at his side. She refused to steal her happiness from
another; thinking of Rhiannon's fate should Tristan not return to
her.

She went into the house and went to the
master bedroom. After she showered, she called Darcy. Her friend
was saddened to hear of her Mother's passing and promised to let
the other teacher's know. Selene told her she wanted no collection
taken for flowers. Jessica Campbell had no fuss at her passing. She
asked her to donate the proceeds to cancer research.

"Axel has been asking me about you every day,
Selene," she told her. "He really cares about you."

"I can't think about Axel right now,
Darcy."

"I know, honey. I told him you were going
through a rough time. You know how guys are. They think they can
fix it."

"This I have to do on my own," Selene said
tightly.

"Who is the Englishman, Selene? Maggie said
you met someone."

Selene sighed and wondered what to tell her.
"I met someone, but he can't stay in this country. He has to go
back. He is staying at the cottage with me for the summer and then
he's going back to England."

"I'm so sorry, Selene. Do we get to meet him
when we come up for the Fourth?"

"Yeah, he'll be here," she said softly. "I
need you to do me a favor if you have time. I need a realtor to
start looking for a house for me. You know what I like, Darcy. Your
neighborhood is nice. I need to find a place. Maggie said I can
stay with her when I get back but I need my own place."

"Sure, I'll hook you up," she promised. "I
told the kids were coming up the week of the Fourth like last
summer and they are tickled. I can't believe it's already May.
School is out in a month and a half."

"Yeah, I know. Summer will be over before you
know it," Selene said and felt her heart clench.

"Selene enjoy your time with him," she said
and sighed. "I told Maggie this had to be love at first sight. It's
so unlike you. She thinks you’re crazy to run off with a virtual
stranger, but I understand."

"How are you and Sal?" Selene asked, wanting
to change the subject.

"He just met the kids," she said and giggled.
"I broke it off with Ted. He did not handle it well. I think he
went off his diet. He was not at the meeting this week."

"That's great, Darcy. I'm happy for you."

"Sal is a good guy, Selene. I know he looks
like Lynyrd Skynrd, but he cares about me and my kids. He wants to
be there for us."

"Then that's all that matters. I'm hardly one
to judge. I ran off with an Englishman!" she joked and her eyes
filled with tears despite her light words.

"We will see you on the Fourth. Keep in
touch," her friend said and they hung up.

Selene went to the windows overlooking the
beach and saw Tristan was still brooding outside. She refused to
give into him. He had to realize they had no future. What they had
was now, a moment in time, but it could not continue. She went into
the office and peeked under the towel. She saw the room was
occupied again. Rhiannon was alone, looking out the window
forlornly.

"Where are you, Tristan?" Rhiannon whispered
and her face looked stark with misery. "What have I done? You’re
gone and the fault is mine for treating you thusly."

Selene put the towel down and could not
resist. "You have to continue on to Raven's Keep, Rhiannon. Tristan
will be there soon."

The girl jumped at the voice and her violet
eyes looked fearful. "Who is that who speaks to me from the
sky?"

"It is your Fairy Godmother," Selene said
with a grimace. "He is away, but he will return. You must go to
Raven's Keep and wait. You must also quit being a twit and act like
you care for him. He thinks you hate him."

Rhiannon looked horrified and backed away
from the window, her pretty face paling. "Fairy Godmother? What
sorcery is this?"

Good grief, not again!
"You must
listen to me! In order for things to work, you have to quit
treating him like you hate him! He had no choice doing what he did.
Had he left you at Severn, your father would have given you to
Stephen de Montfort. Is that what you want?"

"No, the man makes my skin crawl," Rhiannon
replied and looked sick at the words she heard coming from the sky.
"Do not excuse him, Fairy Godmother! He has been mean and without
honor! "

"He is the most honorable man you will ever
know, Rhiannon! You have to give him a chance!" Selene said in
annoyance.

The girl appeared to think on her words.
"Lord de Vigny has locked me in here and I have no way out! He is
in league with Stephen. Our stay here was a trap! Tristan abandoned
me to my fate! How can you excuse his leaving me here?"

"I’ll help you escape," Selene replied and
saw the girl's interest perk up at her words. "You must do as I
say. Do you hear?"

"Yes, Fairy Godmother, I hear you!" Rhiannon
cried her pretty face flushed with excitement. "But how will I
escape? de Vigny has guards at the door and he has imprisoned
Tristan's men."

"Let me worry about that. You just be ready
to go," Selene said as she pulled up the Word program and opened
the file. "I’m giving you enough rope to get down from that window.
When you’re out of the castle, you must sneak to the dungeons and
get to Gideon. He will do the rest. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Fairy Godmother, I don't know how to
give my thanks to you," the girl gushed.

Selene rolled her eyes and typed in the items
Rhiannon would need to make good her escape. "Do everything as I
said. Are you ready?"

"Yes Fairy Godmother, I'm ready," she said
and then she paused. "How is Tristan? Where is he? We quarreled the
last time we spoke. I fear I was quite cruel to him."

"He had matters he needed to take care of
beyond this castle," Selene said and rolled her eyes. "I’m acting
on his will. It is he who sends me."