A/N:
Sorry for the loooooong delay. Sometimes writer's block and life gets in the way. Marcher and Marxbros, I hope you 2 don't want to pull Evelyn's hair out by the end of this chapter. Please remember she's pregnant and those hormones are a little out of control. But know that she does love our hero and when it's all over, she'll make it all up to him and as she's making it up to him, he'll know that he'll go through hell itself to have her.
Hope you all enjoy...
When Evelyn woke the next morning, her pillow was a bit hard and her bottom felt a bit sore. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was sitting on the floor with her head leaning against the door. She had fallen asleep and never got up to go to bed. Her stomach began it usual routine of morning nausea and Evelyn moaned as she slowly made her way to her feet.
When she opened the bedroom door, she found her husband stretched out on the floor in front of the door. He was on his back with his arms spread wide. And he was snoring. Evelyn thought about emptying the contents of her stomach on his head but the mess she would have to clean up quickly changed her mind. So instead, she stepped over him and hurried to the bathroom.
When Evelyn was done with her new morning ritual and had walked back to the bedroom, Rick was still sprawled out in front of door, still snoring. He had not budged one inch. Evelyn wondered if, and actually hoped, Rick would suffer a hangover. It would serve him right, she thought as she stepped back over him and went inside the bedroom. After grabbing her bathrobe, Evelyn turned back and walked outside the bedroom, stepped over her still sleeping, still snoring husband and went to take a nice, long hot bath.
After preparing her bath, Evelyn stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the heated water with a sigh. After easing down into the steaming, jasmine scented water, Evelyn rested her head against the back of the tub and closed her eyes. The water felt good to her sore muscles and she reveled in the soothing it brought her. Then her mind settled on the reason for her sore muscles - Rick.
The dawning of day brought about a new attitude in Evelyn. Last night she had gone from being angry with Rick to crying her eyes out because he had sought out another woman. She had cried until there were no more tears to shed. And then she cried some more until she fell into a fitful sleep. But now, now she was back to being angry, being furious because that was the only way she would keep from crying. It was the only way she knew to protect her fragile, hurting heart. Rick would rue the day he decided to go running after some Jezebel.
Evelyn felt the tears well up and she squeezed her eyes tighter. She would not cry over that blasted man today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow she would cry but not today. So in order to escape being on the verge of tears, Evelyn settled her mind on other things and pushed Rick as far out of her mind as she could.
After thinking about her new job as head curator of the Cairo Museum and all the new and exciting responsibilities she now had, Evelyn's mind drifted to the baby she was carrying and a smile spread across her face. A baby. She was having a baby. It was still a bit hard for her to believe but the incessant morning nausea was a friendly reminder of the undeniable truth. She was going to have a baby. A baby. A teeny, tiny human being was growing inside of her. Evelyn wondered if it was a boy or girl.
If it were a boy, would he have brown hair touched with streaks of gold? Would he have a pair of blue eyes that would make the fairer sex swoon? Would he have a love for Egypt and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge or a love for guns and a sure-fire aim? Or would he inherit Jonathan's love for gold? He certainly would not inherit Jonathan's love for loose women and strong drink. She would make certain of that.
If it were a girl, would she have long black curly hair or would it be straight and golden brown like her father's? Would she inherit the eyes of her mother or the eyes of her father? Would she be a bookworm or would she be a little tomboy with Jonathan as her playmate? Would she love Egypt and all its rich history? Would she be as clumsy as her mother? Evelyn hoped not. Would she fall head over heals in love with a rogue of a man? Evelyn prayed not.
Thoughts of her baby were very soothing and before she knew it, Evelyn had fallen asleep. She woke an hour later and after quickly washing her hair and body in the now cold water, she got out of the tub, dried off, wrapped a towel around her head and put on her bathrobe. When she walked back to the bedroom, Rick was still sleeping. Evelyn stepped over him for the fourth time and slammed the door.
Rick jumped at the loud sound and slowly opened his eyes. The bright daylight that fluttered in the hallway was too strong for his sleepy, bloodshot eyes and he put his hand over them. As he lay there, the events of the last few days slowly filtered back into his memory.
Evelyn was expecting a kid.
He was not exactly thrilled about the news.
Evelyn got mad at him.
He got mad at her, downed a few drinks, remembered his father's abandonment and faced the fact that he was scared. Scared of having a kid.
Evelyn said she wanted a divorce and she hurt him bad.
He went looking for female company to pay Evelyn back for hurting him. But in the end, he could not do it. He walked up to the house drunk and determined not to let Evelyn go.
Evelyn got made at him because of the red lipstick.
He confessed to what he had done, which, in his opinion, was really nothing at all.
And now he was lying in front of his bedroom door with the worse hangover he had ever had, wondering if his wife would talk to him today. Wondering if she would ever forgive him.
Rick did not know how many minutes had passed when he heard the doorknob turn and bedroom door open. He lifted his hand from his eyes and turned his head toward the door.
"Evy?" he said in a groggy voice.
Evelyn did not even look down at him but again stepped over him without a word.
"Evy?" Rick called after her and grabbed the hem of her skirt.
Evelyn snatched her skirt from his grip and kept walking.
"Evy?" Rick moaned in a pitiful voice as he heard the angry clicks of her heels walk away from him.
Rick guessed that Evelyn had not yet forgiven him. But, damn it all, he could be stubborn too. She would talk him come hell or high water. And she would forgive him, even if it killed her.
"Evelyn!" he yelled, trying to use force to intimidate her.
The second he yelled he regretted it. First, he knew it was a waste of time because Evelyn was not easily intimidated. And that was one of the reasons he loved her so much. And second, the only thing he succeeded in doing was causing his already pounding head to pound even harder.
"Damn it!" he hissed through gritted teeth as he put his fingertips up to his temples and massaged his head.
Rick lay there until the pounding subsided a bit and then he tried to sit up. His head began to spin worse than it had last night and his stomach began to heave. Rick rolled over on his stomach and pushed himself up on his hands and knees. It seemed like forever before he was able to stand but when he did he began to stagger his way to the bathroom. He eventually made it and found the commode just before his stomach began emptying itself.
After Rick was sure there was nothing left for him to puke up, he pushed himself away from the toilet and sat as he caught his breath. A terrible hangover and testy helpmate. What a way to start the day.
When Rick was able, he stood up on shaky legs and bent over the sink. After washing his mouth out and splashing his face, he stood up straight and despite his pounding head and still queasy stomach, he turned and walked out of the bathroom and headed downstairs.
Rick found Evelyn in the kitchen making herself a cup of cocoa and a slice of toast. He stood in the doorway watching her move around the kitchen. She was dressed for the day and her hair was down. It was still wet from washing. Rick loved it when she wore her hair loose and he loved to see it wet. Something about her wet hair got his juices flowing.
Evelyn knew he was there watching her. She could feel his eyes on her and for a moment she wanted to run to him. But then she remembered the red lipstick. She remembered all the tears she cried. She remembered that he would rue the day he went traipsing after some trollop. So instead of running into his arms, she ignored him.
"Evelyn" he said in a soft voice, hoping to she would speak to him.
'Blast him and that voice of his' Evelyn thought. Hearing that voice saying her name so sweetly, so lovingly, tempted her to relent. But her resolve proved a bit stronger than the temptation and Evelyn went about her business as if she had not heard him.
Rick watched as she poured hot water into her mug and then watched as she retrieved her toast from the toaster oven. Then she went to the table, sat down, picked up the book that was sitting on the table and began to eat. Rick took that opportunity to sit himself because not only was his head still pounding but it was beginning to spin again.
After pulling out his chair and sitting down, Rick watched Evelyn as she read the book. He thought she was exceptionally adorable at that moment. Wet hair hanging down her shoulders and spectacles perched on the tip of her nose. Rick wanted to snatch the book out of her hands, lay her across the table, toss the spectacles aside and have her for lunch. But that fantasy would have to wait under later he thought with a grin. Right now, he had to get her to talk to him.
"Evelyn..." Rick said. "will you say something?"
In response, Evelyn picked up her toast and bit into it, not even looking up from her reading. Rick sighed and as the cinnamon flavor of Evelyn's toast
began to drift into his nostrils, he held his stomach, hoping he would not start heaving again.
"Look Evelyn..." Rick raised his voice slightly and immediately regretted it when his head rebelled against the loud noise. "I said..." he continued in an almost whisper. "I said I was sorry for what I did" he said and waited for a response from her.
This time Evelyn picked up her mug, took a sip of her cocoa, set the mug down and continued reading her book, continued ignoring her husband.
"Come on Evy" Rick pleaded. "Say something. Anything."
"Top of the morning all!" Jonathan said cheerfully as he entered the kitchen.
"Good morning Jonathan" Evelyn said as she looked up from her book at her brother.
"Could you keep it down Jonathan" Rick said in a curt voice as he winced at the loud greeting.
"Sorry old chap" Jonathan said as he looked at Rick and saw his bloodshot eyes, tousled hair and wrinkled clothes. "Didn't realize a hard-liner like you couldn't hold his liqueur. Suffering the dreaded hangover huh?" he asked as he walked to the icebox and took out 2 eggs. "Why not have Evy whip you up an old family remedy? She's done it for me a million times" he said as he stood at the counter next to the icebox and took out a bowl to crack his eggs into.
At that moment, Evelyn stood up, took her mug, toast and book and walked out of the kitchen. Rick's pitiful eyes followed her as she disappeared out of his sight.
"I tell ya O'Connell" Jonathan said as he cracked one egg. "It's a nasty bugger of a drink but it'll do the trick and you'll feel like your old self in no time" he said as he turned to face Rick and Evelyn. "Where'd Evy go?" he asked as he followed Rick's gaze toward the kitchen door.
Rick wanted to go after her but he was feeling too sick to move. He laid his forehead on the table wondering in his pounding mind if Evelyn would ever forgive him for the minor infraction he committed.
"Where'd Evy go?" Jonathan asked again as he looked at the top of his brother-in-law's head.
"How the hell do I know?" Rick mumbled.
"Ah. I see" Jonathan laughed. "That O'Connell charm didn't work on old mum?"
"Shut up Jonathan" Rick said in a weary voice.
"Don't worry my good son" Jonathan said cheerfully. "I'm sure old mum will come around. She can't stay mad at you forever."
Rick was not so sure that she couldn't but he knew he was in no condition to do battle with her. He would have to recover from his hangover first. Then and only then would he have a chance of winning this fight.
"Jonathan" he mumbled. "Can you whip up that remedy?"
"You know, I'm not quite sure what Evy puts in that god awful drink. Let me go ask" he said.
After a few minutes, Rick heard Jonathan come back into the kitchen.
"What in bloody hell did you do to her? She won't tell me what she puts in the drink."
"You've had it a million times. Don't you know what she puts in it?!"
"Well... let me think" he said as he tried to recall the taste of the drink. "I know she uses raw egg. Yeah, she uses 2 raw eggs. And then there's tabasco sauce, I think."
"Damn it Jonathan don't you know?!" Rick said, his head still down on the table, still pounding, still spinning.
"Tabasco sauce, I'm sure. And there's one more thing" he paused. "Vinegar! That's it vinegar. Two eggs, raw, tabasco sauce and vinegar."
Rick's stomach churned and he gagged as he imagined the taste. But if it would cure him of his hangover, he would take his medicine like a man. Rick lifted his head and sat up to see Jonathan staring at him with a proud grin on his face.
"Do you mind getting the drink?"
"Oh yeah. Sure" Jonathan said as he quickly went to prepared the drink.
After the concoction was made, Jonathan handed Rick the drink and he turned the glass up until it was emptied. Rick's face contorted at the awful taste of the drink and he felt as if he was going to puke it back up.
"You may want to hurry up to the commode" Jonathan informed him. "It cleans you out pretty good."
Rick got up from the table holding his stomach. In a bent over posture, Rick rushed out of the kitchen and up to the bathroom. After he was done getting cleaned out, Rick stripped naked and wearily stepped into the tub and bathed. When he finished, he walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Once inside the bedroom, he dried off, put on a pair of boxers and fell across the bed. He was asleep almost immediately.
Two hours later, Rick woke and he did feel like his old self again. He would have to thank Jonathan for that old family remedy. After getting up from the bed and dressing, Rick went downstairs and found Jonathan waiting for him.
"Finally up old chap?" Jonathan looked up from the paper he was reading when Rick walked into the sitting room.
"Yeah" Rick said as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Ready to go into town?" Jonathan asked.
Rick has asked Jonathan to take him into town today because Rick's new car was being shipped in.
"Yeah" Rick said.
Jonathan noticed Rick's sullen mood and tried to cheer him up.
"Don't worry O'Connell" he said as he stood up. "Evy doesn't hold a grudge that long. Just promise her you'll never drink again and she'll forgive you just like that" he said and snapped his fingers.
"She's not mad because I was drunk" Rick informed him as they turned to walk out of the front door.
"You did explained to her about being scared..." he said and Rick looked at him with a frown. "Look O"Connell" he continued. "I don't blame ya. Good God, if I got that kind of news I'd be scared witless."
"I'm not scared" Rick emphasized. "Just unsure."
"OK" Jonathan said, knowing the truth. "Well you explained to her why you're 'unsure'?"
"Yeah, we talked about it."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Why's she still mad?"
Rick paused a moment and debated about telling Jonathan everything. Jonathan could be a buffoon most of the time. Jonathan was a buffoon most of the time. But... he had proven his love for and loyalty to his sister. And considering that, Rick could hardly hold his buffoonery against him. And besides that, Rick knew that the loyalty he had for his sister now extended to him and Jonathan was indeed his friend. His good friend. And most of all, they were family. And that was something Rick had not had since he was 4 years old.
"She found lipstick on me last night" Rick said when they were both in Jonathan's car.
"O'Connell..." Jonathan said in a warning voice.
"Let me explain" Rick interrupted.
Rick left out no detail. He told Jonathan about going to the whorehouse, looking for a whore. He described the redhead in detail and explained that, before Evelyn, the redhead was perfectly suited to his taste. Rick admitted that he wanted to make the redhead earn every pound she would get from him. And then he told Jonathan how he walked away from the tempting minx.
"You left her standing there?" Jonathan asked in disbelief.
"Yeah."
Jonathan whistled and shook his head. He was glad O'Connell walked away. After all the man was married to his sister. But, good golly, Jonathan was a man. A man who thought himself to be a connoisseur of beautiful women. And the redhead sounded beautiful. He certainly would not have walked away. That was one reason he was still single. He loved women and if he married he would have to give them up.
Jonathan gained a new respect for Rick. Jonathan knew he was an oddity because most men, and even the ones he hell raised with, thought nothing of dilly dally around on wives with ladies of the night. But Jonathan, for reasons he did not know, found the idea of cheating on your wife very unappealing.
"Well, did she say she still wanted a divorce?" Jonathan asked, trying to think of a way to help his sister and O'Connell get back to their disgusting shows of affection.
"She hasn't said anything to me."
"Oh" Jonathan said.
"I'm gonna go by the museum after I pick up the car" Rick said.
"That might not be a good idea" Jonathan offered. "When Evy's mad she can be a hellcat, an absolute shrew. As I'm sure you're about to find out considering what you did."
"Thanks a lot Jonathan" Rick said sarcastically.
"Sorry old chap. But look on the bright side. She loves you and she can't stay mad forever."
"I hope you're right" Rick said.
"Of course I'm right!" Jonathan said. "I know my sister. Know her quite well. And you'd better stay away from her for a while. Give her some space and she'll come around. You'll see."
"For how long?" Rick asked.
"A day or two. After that, I'm sure that charm of yours will be able to wear her down."
After Jonathan dropped Rick off and he had his new car, he sat in front of the Cairo Museum. 'A day or two' Jonathan had said. Rick did not want to wait a day or two. He wanted his wife back. And he wanted her back now. Then he remembered what his wife said once. 'Patience is a virtue'. Right now, maybe it was. He finally relented, followed Jonathan's advice and pulled off in his brand new car.
*********************
A hellcat and absolute shrew did not begin to describe Evelyn. That evening Jonathan had gone to pick her up from the Museum. When she got home, Evelyn walked past a waiting, remorseful Rick as if he were not even there. He spoke to her and she ignored him. Instead she had asked Jonathan if he had eaten. 'Give her time old chap' Jonathan whispered to Rick before telling Evelyn that he would be picking up something in town. Evelyn went into the kitchen and prepared herself a light meal, ate and went upstairs.
When they had gotten married, Evelyn had purchased cookbooks and was determined to learn how to cook for her new husband. And when she was determined, Evelyn was a quick study and within no time, she was making meals that were not exactly gourmet but did satisfy the hunger without offending the taste buds or the stomach.
Even though he was still more soldier than civilian and could rustle up something edible, Rick enjoyed having those less than gourmet meals cooked by his wife. She made him feel loved when she did that. But this night, there was no love in sight and he was left to his own devices.
When Rick went up to bed that night, he found the bedroom door locked and he decided not to even try to get Evelyn to open it. Instead he went back downstairs and settled on the couch.
For the next week, Rick got the silence treatment from Evelyn. She did not look at him, talk to him or acknowledge him in any way even though he did everything he knew to do to tell her he loved her.
He would go to her when he heard her retching in the bathroom and rub her back until she finished. Afterward, he would try and help her wipe her face but she would grab another washcloth, wipe her own face and leave him standing there. He would go downstairs and boil water and put cinnamon bread in the toaster oven. By the time Evelyn got the kitchen, her breakfast would be waiting for her. Evelyn, however, would act as if it were not there and go about preparing her own cocoa and cinnamon toast and leave what Rick prepared on the table.
He would offer to drive her to the museum. She would ask Jonathan if he could do it and if he were still sleeping, she would call a taxi. He, instead of Jonathan, would come to pick her up from the museum. She would walk back inside and call Jonathan. If Jonathan refused to come and pick her up, she would call a taxi, wait for it and when it came, walk past Rick's brand new car to the taxi. He brought her flowers. She would throw them in the wastebasket.
He would tell her he was sorry and that he loved her. She would turn her back on him and walk out of the room.
"I did know she could hold a grudge this long" Jonathan commented when, at the end of the week, he witnessed Evelyn walking out on Rick's profession of love.
Both Rick and Evelyn were miserable. Rick was at his wits ends about what to do to get Evelyn to talk to him. Evelyn, though she put on a good front during the day, was going to bed each night with tears in her eyes.
Sorry for the loooooong delay. Sometimes writer's block and life gets in the way. Marcher and Marxbros, I hope you 2 don't want to pull Evelyn's hair out by the end of this chapter. Please remember she's pregnant and those hormones are a little out of control. But know that she does love our hero and when it's all over, she'll make it all up to him and as she's making it up to him, he'll know that he'll go through hell itself to have her.
Hope you all enjoy...
When Evelyn woke the next morning, her pillow was a bit hard and her bottom felt a bit sore. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was sitting on the floor with her head leaning against the door. She had fallen asleep and never got up to go to bed. Her stomach began it usual routine of morning nausea and Evelyn moaned as she slowly made her way to her feet.
When she opened the bedroom door, she found her husband stretched out on the floor in front of the door. He was on his back with his arms spread wide. And he was snoring. Evelyn thought about emptying the contents of her stomach on his head but the mess she would have to clean up quickly changed her mind. So instead, she stepped over him and hurried to the bathroom.
When Evelyn was done with her new morning ritual and had walked back to the bedroom, Rick was still sprawled out in front of door, still snoring. He had not budged one inch. Evelyn wondered if, and actually hoped, Rick would suffer a hangover. It would serve him right, she thought as she stepped back over him and went inside the bedroom. After grabbing her bathrobe, Evelyn turned back and walked outside the bedroom, stepped over her still sleeping, still snoring husband and went to take a nice, long hot bath.
After preparing her bath, Evelyn stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the heated water with a sigh. After easing down into the steaming, jasmine scented water, Evelyn rested her head against the back of the tub and closed her eyes. The water felt good to her sore muscles and she reveled in the soothing it brought her. Then her mind settled on the reason for her sore muscles - Rick.
The dawning of day brought about a new attitude in Evelyn. Last night she had gone from being angry with Rick to crying her eyes out because he had sought out another woman. She had cried until there were no more tears to shed. And then she cried some more until she fell into a fitful sleep. But now, now she was back to being angry, being furious because that was the only way she would keep from crying. It was the only way she knew to protect her fragile, hurting heart. Rick would rue the day he decided to go running after some Jezebel.
Evelyn felt the tears well up and she squeezed her eyes tighter. She would not cry over that blasted man today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow she would cry but not today. So in order to escape being on the verge of tears, Evelyn settled her mind on other things and pushed Rick as far out of her mind as she could.
After thinking about her new job as head curator of the Cairo Museum and all the new and exciting responsibilities she now had, Evelyn's mind drifted to the baby she was carrying and a smile spread across her face. A baby. She was having a baby. It was still a bit hard for her to believe but the incessant morning nausea was a friendly reminder of the undeniable truth. She was going to have a baby. A baby. A teeny, tiny human being was growing inside of her. Evelyn wondered if it was a boy or girl.
If it were a boy, would he have brown hair touched with streaks of gold? Would he have a pair of blue eyes that would make the fairer sex swoon? Would he have a love for Egypt and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge or a love for guns and a sure-fire aim? Or would he inherit Jonathan's love for gold? He certainly would not inherit Jonathan's love for loose women and strong drink. She would make certain of that.
If it were a girl, would she have long black curly hair or would it be straight and golden brown like her father's? Would she inherit the eyes of her mother or the eyes of her father? Would she be a bookworm or would she be a little tomboy with Jonathan as her playmate? Would she love Egypt and all its rich history? Would she be as clumsy as her mother? Evelyn hoped not. Would she fall head over heals in love with a rogue of a man? Evelyn prayed not.
Thoughts of her baby were very soothing and before she knew it, Evelyn had fallen asleep. She woke an hour later and after quickly washing her hair and body in the now cold water, she got out of the tub, dried off, wrapped a towel around her head and put on her bathrobe. When she walked back to the bedroom, Rick was still sleeping. Evelyn stepped over him for the fourth time and slammed the door.
Rick jumped at the loud sound and slowly opened his eyes. The bright daylight that fluttered in the hallway was too strong for his sleepy, bloodshot eyes and he put his hand over them. As he lay there, the events of the last few days slowly filtered back into his memory.
Evelyn was expecting a kid.
He was not exactly thrilled about the news.
Evelyn got mad at him.
He got mad at her, downed a few drinks, remembered his father's abandonment and faced the fact that he was scared. Scared of having a kid.
Evelyn said she wanted a divorce and she hurt him bad.
He went looking for female company to pay Evelyn back for hurting him. But in the end, he could not do it. He walked up to the house drunk and determined not to let Evelyn go.
Evelyn got made at him because of the red lipstick.
He confessed to what he had done, which, in his opinion, was really nothing at all.
And now he was lying in front of his bedroom door with the worse hangover he had ever had, wondering if his wife would talk to him today. Wondering if she would ever forgive him.
Rick did not know how many minutes had passed when he heard the doorknob turn and bedroom door open. He lifted his hand from his eyes and turned his head toward the door.
"Evy?" he said in a groggy voice.
Evelyn did not even look down at him but again stepped over him without a word.
"Evy?" Rick called after her and grabbed the hem of her skirt.
Evelyn snatched her skirt from his grip and kept walking.
"Evy?" Rick moaned in a pitiful voice as he heard the angry clicks of her heels walk away from him.
Rick guessed that Evelyn had not yet forgiven him. But, damn it all, he could be stubborn too. She would talk him come hell or high water. And she would forgive him, even if it killed her.
"Evelyn!" he yelled, trying to use force to intimidate her.
The second he yelled he regretted it. First, he knew it was a waste of time because Evelyn was not easily intimidated. And that was one of the reasons he loved her so much. And second, the only thing he succeeded in doing was causing his already pounding head to pound even harder.
"Damn it!" he hissed through gritted teeth as he put his fingertips up to his temples and massaged his head.
Rick lay there until the pounding subsided a bit and then he tried to sit up. His head began to spin worse than it had last night and his stomach began to heave. Rick rolled over on his stomach and pushed himself up on his hands and knees. It seemed like forever before he was able to stand but when he did he began to stagger his way to the bathroom. He eventually made it and found the commode just before his stomach began emptying itself.
After Rick was sure there was nothing left for him to puke up, he pushed himself away from the toilet and sat as he caught his breath. A terrible hangover and testy helpmate. What a way to start the day.
When Rick was able, he stood up on shaky legs and bent over the sink. After washing his mouth out and splashing his face, he stood up straight and despite his pounding head and still queasy stomach, he turned and walked out of the bathroom and headed downstairs.
Rick found Evelyn in the kitchen making herself a cup of cocoa and a slice of toast. He stood in the doorway watching her move around the kitchen. She was dressed for the day and her hair was down. It was still wet from washing. Rick loved it when she wore her hair loose and he loved to see it wet. Something about her wet hair got his juices flowing.
Evelyn knew he was there watching her. She could feel his eyes on her and for a moment she wanted to run to him. But then she remembered the red lipstick. She remembered all the tears she cried. She remembered that he would rue the day he went traipsing after some trollop. So instead of running into his arms, she ignored him.
"Evelyn" he said in a soft voice, hoping to she would speak to him.
'Blast him and that voice of his' Evelyn thought. Hearing that voice saying her name so sweetly, so lovingly, tempted her to relent. But her resolve proved a bit stronger than the temptation and Evelyn went about her business as if she had not heard him.
Rick watched as she poured hot water into her mug and then watched as she retrieved her toast from the toaster oven. Then she went to the table, sat down, picked up the book that was sitting on the table and began to eat. Rick took that opportunity to sit himself because not only was his head still pounding but it was beginning to spin again.
After pulling out his chair and sitting down, Rick watched Evelyn as she read the book. He thought she was exceptionally adorable at that moment. Wet hair hanging down her shoulders and spectacles perched on the tip of her nose. Rick wanted to snatch the book out of her hands, lay her across the table, toss the spectacles aside and have her for lunch. But that fantasy would have to wait under later he thought with a grin. Right now, he had to get her to talk to him.
"Evelyn..." Rick said. "will you say something?"
In response, Evelyn picked up her toast and bit into it, not even looking up from her reading. Rick sighed and as the cinnamon flavor of Evelyn's toast
began to drift into his nostrils, he held his stomach, hoping he would not start heaving again.
"Look Evelyn..." Rick raised his voice slightly and immediately regretted it when his head rebelled against the loud noise. "I said..." he continued in an almost whisper. "I said I was sorry for what I did" he said and waited for a response from her.
This time Evelyn picked up her mug, took a sip of her cocoa, set the mug down and continued reading her book, continued ignoring her husband.
"Come on Evy" Rick pleaded. "Say something. Anything."
"Top of the morning all!" Jonathan said cheerfully as he entered the kitchen.
"Good morning Jonathan" Evelyn said as she looked up from her book at her brother.
"Could you keep it down Jonathan" Rick said in a curt voice as he winced at the loud greeting.
"Sorry old chap" Jonathan said as he looked at Rick and saw his bloodshot eyes, tousled hair and wrinkled clothes. "Didn't realize a hard-liner like you couldn't hold his liqueur. Suffering the dreaded hangover huh?" he asked as he walked to the icebox and took out 2 eggs. "Why not have Evy whip you up an old family remedy? She's done it for me a million times" he said as he stood at the counter next to the icebox and took out a bowl to crack his eggs into.
At that moment, Evelyn stood up, took her mug, toast and book and walked out of the kitchen. Rick's pitiful eyes followed her as she disappeared out of his sight.
"I tell ya O'Connell" Jonathan said as he cracked one egg. "It's a nasty bugger of a drink but it'll do the trick and you'll feel like your old self in no time" he said as he turned to face Rick and Evelyn. "Where'd Evy go?" he asked as he followed Rick's gaze toward the kitchen door.
Rick wanted to go after her but he was feeling too sick to move. He laid his forehead on the table wondering in his pounding mind if Evelyn would ever forgive him for the minor infraction he committed.
"Where'd Evy go?" Jonathan asked again as he looked at the top of his brother-in-law's head.
"How the hell do I know?" Rick mumbled.
"Ah. I see" Jonathan laughed. "That O'Connell charm didn't work on old mum?"
"Shut up Jonathan" Rick said in a weary voice.
"Don't worry my good son" Jonathan said cheerfully. "I'm sure old mum will come around. She can't stay mad at you forever."
Rick was not so sure that she couldn't but he knew he was in no condition to do battle with her. He would have to recover from his hangover first. Then and only then would he have a chance of winning this fight.
"Jonathan" he mumbled. "Can you whip up that remedy?"
"You know, I'm not quite sure what Evy puts in that god awful drink. Let me go ask" he said.
After a few minutes, Rick heard Jonathan come back into the kitchen.
"What in bloody hell did you do to her? She won't tell me what she puts in the drink."
"You've had it a million times. Don't you know what she puts in it?!"
"Well... let me think" he said as he tried to recall the taste of the drink. "I know she uses raw egg. Yeah, she uses 2 raw eggs. And then there's tabasco sauce, I think."
"Damn it Jonathan don't you know?!" Rick said, his head still down on the table, still pounding, still spinning.
"Tabasco sauce, I'm sure. And there's one more thing" he paused. "Vinegar! That's it vinegar. Two eggs, raw, tabasco sauce and vinegar."
Rick's stomach churned and he gagged as he imagined the taste. But if it would cure him of his hangover, he would take his medicine like a man. Rick lifted his head and sat up to see Jonathan staring at him with a proud grin on his face.
"Do you mind getting the drink?"
"Oh yeah. Sure" Jonathan said as he quickly went to prepared the drink.
After the concoction was made, Jonathan handed Rick the drink and he turned the glass up until it was emptied. Rick's face contorted at the awful taste of the drink and he felt as if he was going to puke it back up.
"You may want to hurry up to the commode" Jonathan informed him. "It cleans you out pretty good."
Rick got up from the table holding his stomach. In a bent over posture, Rick rushed out of the kitchen and up to the bathroom. After he was done getting cleaned out, Rick stripped naked and wearily stepped into the tub and bathed. When he finished, he walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Once inside the bedroom, he dried off, put on a pair of boxers and fell across the bed. He was asleep almost immediately.
Two hours later, Rick woke and he did feel like his old self again. He would have to thank Jonathan for that old family remedy. After getting up from the bed and dressing, Rick went downstairs and found Jonathan waiting for him.
"Finally up old chap?" Jonathan looked up from the paper he was reading when Rick walked into the sitting room.
"Yeah" Rick said as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Ready to go into town?" Jonathan asked.
Rick has asked Jonathan to take him into town today because Rick's new car was being shipped in.
"Yeah" Rick said.
Jonathan noticed Rick's sullen mood and tried to cheer him up.
"Don't worry O'Connell" he said as he stood up. "Evy doesn't hold a grudge that long. Just promise her you'll never drink again and she'll forgive you just like that" he said and snapped his fingers.
"She's not mad because I was drunk" Rick informed him as they turned to walk out of the front door.
"You did explained to her about being scared..." he said and Rick looked at him with a frown. "Look O"Connell" he continued. "I don't blame ya. Good God, if I got that kind of news I'd be scared witless."
"I'm not scared" Rick emphasized. "Just unsure."
"OK" Jonathan said, knowing the truth. "Well you explained to her why you're 'unsure'?"
"Yeah, we talked about it."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Why's she still mad?"
Rick paused a moment and debated about telling Jonathan everything. Jonathan could be a buffoon most of the time. Jonathan was a buffoon most of the time. But... he had proven his love for and loyalty to his sister. And considering that, Rick could hardly hold his buffoonery against him. And besides that, Rick knew that the loyalty he had for his sister now extended to him and Jonathan was indeed his friend. His good friend. And most of all, they were family. And that was something Rick had not had since he was 4 years old.
"She found lipstick on me last night" Rick said when they were both in Jonathan's car.
"O'Connell..." Jonathan said in a warning voice.
"Let me explain" Rick interrupted.
Rick left out no detail. He told Jonathan about going to the whorehouse, looking for a whore. He described the redhead in detail and explained that, before Evelyn, the redhead was perfectly suited to his taste. Rick admitted that he wanted to make the redhead earn every pound she would get from him. And then he told Jonathan how he walked away from the tempting minx.
"You left her standing there?" Jonathan asked in disbelief.
"Yeah."
Jonathan whistled and shook his head. He was glad O'Connell walked away. After all the man was married to his sister. But, good golly, Jonathan was a man. A man who thought himself to be a connoisseur of beautiful women. And the redhead sounded beautiful. He certainly would not have walked away. That was one reason he was still single. He loved women and if he married he would have to give them up.
Jonathan gained a new respect for Rick. Jonathan knew he was an oddity because most men, and even the ones he hell raised with, thought nothing of dilly dally around on wives with ladies of the night. But Jonathan, for reasons he did not know, found the idea of cheating on your wife very unappealing.
"Well, did she say she still wanted a divorce?" Jonathan asked, trying to think of a way to help his sister and O'Connell get back to their disgusting shows of affection.
"She hasn't said anything to me."
"Oh" Jonathan said.
"I'm gonna go by the museum after I pick up the car" Rick said.
"That might not be a good idea" Jonathan offered. "When Evy's mad she can be a hellcat, an absolute shrew. As I'm sure you're about to find out considering what you did."
"Thanks a lot Jonathan" Rick said sarcastically.
"Sorry old chap. But look on the bright side. She loves you and she can't stay mad forever."
"I hope you're right" Rick said.
"Of course I'm right!" Jonathan said. "I know my sister. Know her quite well. And you'd better stay away from her for a while. Give her some space and she'll come around. You'll see."
"For how long?" Rick asked.
"A day or two. After that, I'm sure that charm of yours will be able to wear her down."
After Jonathan dropped Rick off and he had his new car, he sat in front of the Cairo Museum. 'A day or two' Jonathan had said. Rick did not want to wait a day or two. He wanted his wife back. And he wanted her back now. Then he remembered what his wife said once. 'Patience is a virtue'. Right now, maybe it was. He finally relented, followed Jonathan's advice and pulled off in his brand new car.
*********************
A hellcat and absolute shrew did not begin to describe Evelyn. That evening Jonathan had gone to pick her up from the Museum. When she got home, Evelyn walked past a waiting, remorseful Rick as if he were not even there. He spoke to her and she ignored him. Instead she had asked Jonathan if he had eaten. 'Give her time old chap' Jonathan whispered to Rick before telling Evelyn that he would be picking up something in town. Evelyn went into the kitchen and prepared herself a light meal, ate and went upstairs.
When they had gotten married, Evelyn had purchased cookbooks and was determined to learn how to cook for her new husband. And when she was determined, Evelyn was a quick study and within no time, she was making meals that were not exactly gourmet but did satisfy the hunger without offending the taste buds or the stomach.
Even though he was still more soldier than civilian and could rustle up something edible, Rick enjoyed having those less than gourmet meals cooked by his wife. She made him feel loved when she did that. But this night, there was no love in sight and he was left to his own devices.
When Rick went up to bed that night, he found the bedroom door locked and he decided not to even try to get Evelyn to open it. Instead he went back downstairs and settled on the couch.
For the next week, Rick got the silence treatment from Evelyn. She did not look at him, talk to him or acknowledge him in any way even though he did everything he knew to do to tell her he loved her.
He would go to her when he heard her retching in the bathroom and rub her back until she finished. Afterward, he would try and help her wipe her face but she would grab another washcloth, wipe her own face and leave him standing there. He would go downstairs and boil water and put cinnamon bread in the toaster oven. By the time Evelyn got the kitchen, her breakfast would be waiting for her. Evelyn, however, would act as if it were not there and go about preparing her own cocoa and cinnamon toast and leave what Rick prepared on the table.
He would offer to drive her to the museum. She would ask Jonathan if he could do it and if he were still sleeping, she would call a taxi. He, instead of Jonathan, would come to pick her up from the museum. She would walk back inside and call Jonathan. If Jonathan refused to come and pick her up, she would call a taxi, wait for it and when it came, walk past Rick's brand new car to the taxi. He brought her flowers. She would throw them in the wastebasket.
He would tell her he was sorry and that he loved her. She would turn her back on him and walk out of the room.
"I did know she could hold a grudge this long" Jonathan commented when, at the end of the week, he witnessed Evelyn walking out on Rick's profession of love.
Both Rick and Evelyn were miserable. Rick was at his wits ends about what to do to get Evelyn to talk to him. Evelyn, though she put on a good front during the day, was going to bed each night with tears in her eyes.