When it was near time for Rick to pick her up, Evelyn decided that she would just trust him. She would not let a misunderstanding cause another rift between them. He was out when she rang for him and he was out when she stopped by the docks. End of story. If he needed to tell her about 'Adara 12:00', she trusted that he would. After all, he had never lied to her before.
"Ready Evy" Jonathan said as he walked up to Evelyn.
"Jonathan" Evelyn looked at him as she pushed the book back into its place on the shelf. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her disappointed at seeing him obvious in her tone. Rick was supposed to pick her up today.
"Now what kind of way is that to greet your loving brother?" Jonathan said, trying to sound hurt.
"Where is Rick?" Evelyn asked, her mind immediately recalling 'Adara 12:00'. Where was he?
"He asked me to pick you up" Jonathan said after a brief moment.
"Where is he?" Evelyn asked again.
"How would I know dear sister" Jonathan said as reached out and took her by the arm. "I am here to pick you up and take you home" he said as he started guiding her forward.
"Are you hiding something Jonathan?" Evelyn asked suspiciously.
"Hiding something?" Jonathan said. "Me? Hiding something? No. What would I be hiding?" he asked as they started walking out of the library.
"Where is Rick?" Evelyn asked again.
"Dear sister, I am not his personal secretary."
"You don't know where he is?" Evelyn asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
"No I don't" Jonathan answered.
Evelyn promised herself she would not worry. She promised herself she would not jump to conclusions. She promised herself she would not give in to the insecurities that were now plaguing her.
She promised herself she would trust him. She promised herself she would believe in him.
When Jonathan dropped Evelyn off at home, he told her that he had something to take care of but he would be back for supper. Evelyn walked into the house and headed straight for the kitchen. She needed to keep busy to keep her mind from conjuring up all sorts of imaginations. When she finished supper, Rick still was not home.
Where was he?
Evelyn then went into the sitting room and pulled a book off the shelf. Reading always took her mind off things. Evelyn stared at the same page, the same paragraph, the same sentence, the same word for ten minutes.
"Where is he?!" Evelyn said fretfully as she slammed the book shut and glanced down at her watch.
It was nearly 8:00 and he still was not home. Evelyn picked up the telephone and rang the warehouse. No answer. Evelyn replaced the receiver as a single tear slid down her cheek.
What if something happened to him? What if he was somewhere hurt? Or worse. What if he were somewhere... somewhere dead?
The thought shook Evelyn and in that moment, she would rather he were with another woman than dead. Then she hear a car...
Evelyn hurried over to the window and peeked out. It was him! He was home. He was safe. Evelyn let out a relieved sigh as she stepped from the window. He was safe but... where had he been?
She would not ask, she promised herself as she wrung her hands and paced back and forth. She would wait for him to tell her. And she knew he would tell her... tell her the truth. She would not ask, she would wait... She would not ask, she would wait... She would not ask, she would wait....
"Where have you been?" Evelyn asked in a cracked voice when Rick walked into the sitting room.
"Evy!" Rick rushed toward her when he saw tears streaming down her face. "What's wrong honey?" he asked in an urgent voice once he reached her.
"Where have you been?" Evelyn sobbed.
"Honey what's wrong?" Rick said as he took her into his arms. "I had to drive up to Alexandria. What's wrong honey?" Rick asked again as Evelyn continued to cry.
"Why..." Evelyn said as she pulled away from Rick's embrace and looked up into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to Alexandria?" she said in an accusatory voice. "What were you doing in Alexandria?"
Rick's hesitation gave Evelyn cause to jump to her conclusions.
"Who is Adara?" Evelyn said, her voice shaking with emotion. "Who is she Rick?!"
"Sweetheart..." Rick began.
"Who is she?!" Evelyn demanded, thinking Rick was trying to conjure up a lie to tell her.
"The jewelry's wife."
"The jewelry's wife?" Evelyn said, dumbstruck for a moment.
Rick was committing adultery with a married woman?
"I ah... got a gift for you" he said a little awkwardly.
"Surprise!" Jonathan interrupted them as he walked into the sitting room.
Evelyn wiped her tears as she looked from her husband to her brother. Jonathan was carrying a rocking chair.
"Jonathan" Evelyn said in a surprised voice. She recognized the rocking chair.
"Thought you might like having mother's rocking chair" he smiled at his sister.
"Oh Jonathan!" Evelyn as she walked over to the chair. "I had forgotten all about it" she said as she looked loving at the chair. "I can't believe you did this" she said as she started crying again.
"Ah!" Jonathan said. "It didn't take THAT much effort" he laughed. "I have one more thing for you" he said, then rushed out of the sitting room.
"I can't believe Jonathan did this" Evelyn said as she stared at the chair remembering her mother.
Rick stood smiling and watching how happy Jonathan's surprise made Evelyn.
Moments later, Jonathan came back in with a crib in his arms.
"Jonathan! Is that our bassinet?"
"The one and the same" Jonathan smiled. "Couldn't let the rocking chair leave England without this" he said as he set the bassinet down.
Evelyn walked over to the bassinet and gazed at it's headboard. 'Jonathan' was carved in one corner. 'Evelyn' was carved in the other. Evelyn looked up at Jonathan with more tears in her eyes.
"Jonathan" she smiled as she went into his arms.
Rick felt a bit awkward watching the siblings and felt a bit jealousy of this special moment between them.
"Thank you" Evelyn whispered.
"It's the least I could do old mum" Jonathan returned with a bit of emotion of his own. "After all you've done for me" he said, his voice becoming shaky. "After all you do for me. It's the least I could do" he said and gave her a loving squeeze. "Alright now" Jonathan said, feeling himself getting even more emotional. "I'm ravenous" he said as he pulled away from Evelyn. "And I have a dinner date with a lovely young lady."
"I thought you said you were having supper here" Evelyn scolded.
"I lied" Jonathan smiled.
"You're hopeless" Evelyn laughed.
"Yes, yes" Jonathan agreed. "Have a good evening you two" he said as he walked out of the sitting room.
"I can't believe Jonathan thought to do this" Evelyn said as she looked from the bassinet to the rocking chair.
"Yeah, he thought of it all by himself" Rick commented. "I ah... I got something for you" Rick said before stepping out of the room.
He returned seconds later and walked over to Evelyn, who was still standing by the bassinet.
"I ah... I was gonna give this to you after the baby was born but..." he said sheepishly as he held out a wrapped box. "I can't be outdone by my nitwit brother-in-law" he said half jokingly, half seriously.
Evelyn looked up at Rick then down at the wrapped box. She reached out and took the box from his hand and opened it. The box held a gold cartouche bracelet and on the bracelet 'I love you' was written in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Evelyn started crying again and walked over to the couch and sat down.
"You don't like it?" Rick said in a worried voice as he followed her to the couch.
Evelyn shook her head and Rick's heart sank. She did not like it.
"It's beautiful" she cried as she looked at it through her tears. "It's beautiful" she said, crying more so now because she had thought him unfaithful.
"I picked it up today from the jewelry's. There's something inscribed on the back" Rick said.
Evelyn turned the bracelet over and read the inscription.
'You hold my heart prisoner. Now. And forever. Rick'
"I'm sorry Rick" Evelyn began to cry uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry."
Rick pulled her into his arms and stroke her hair.
"Honey, you didn't do anything" he said, confused about why she was apologizing.
"I'm horrible!" she bemoaned, feeling guilty.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong."
"I'm ashamed to tell you" she sobbingly admitted.
"Sweetheart, you can tell me anything" Rick coaxed her.
Evelyn cried for a few minutes before lifting her head from his shoulder. She wiped her eyes but the tears continued to come.
"Sweetheart" Rick said as he reached up and wiped a tear. "What has got up so upset?"
"I rang you today" Evelyn began. "But Mr. Burgess said you were out. Hamid and I went to the café for lunch and afterwards he drove me to the docks. You still weren't in" she looked up at him. "I saw your note" she continued after a moment. "And I... I thought... I thought you had gone to meet with this Adara woman. I told myself" she said quickly. "That I trusted you, that I believed in you. When you didn't come to pick me up from the museum I thought the worst. I thought you were with this Adara woman" she admitted then started crying again.
"god Evy! I'm sorry" Rick said, pulling Evelyn back into his arms.
Rick was feeling guilty also. If he had not been so stupid all those months ago. If he had not gotten drunk. If he had not gone to that whorehouse.
"What are you sorry for?" she asked in a muffled voice.
"Damn it!" he cursed as he squeezed her tighter. "It's my fault Evy. If I hadn't acted like such a jackass..."
"I should have trusted you" Evelyn said as she lifted her head from his chest. "But... the first chance I get... I think the worst" she lamented. "Can you forgive me?"
"Evy, there's nothing to forgive" Rick said, his guilt mounting. "You had every right..."
"No I didn't" Evelyn cried. "I'm suppose to love you. I'm suppose to trust you..."
"Evy" Rick interrupted her and put his finger up to her lips. "It's OK if you don't trust me. Shush!" he said when she was about to say something. "It's OK. I realize I have to earn your trust again" he said. "And if it takes forever, I'm willing to spend the rest of my life proving to you that you can trust me. You mean everything to me Evy..." he said as he looked deep into her eyes.
"And you mean everything to me" Evelyn said after she moved his finger from her lips. "And you deserve my trust."
"I should have told you I was going to Alexandria" Rick said.
"I should have trusted you" Evelyn said.
The two sat looking at each other, both regretting their actions of the recent and not so recent past.
"I'm so sorry Rick" Evelyn broke the silence.
"Shush" Rick again put his finger to her lips. "You have NOTHING to be sorry for."
Rick looked at her. So grateful that she loved him. So grateful that she was his.
Rick dropped his finger from her lips and lowered his head. He gingerly touched her lips with his and engaged her in a soft, tender kiss. The kiss lasted moment after moment and was gentle and full of love. When the kiss finally ended, one forehead rested against the other and loving eyes looked into loving eyes.
"I can't ever thank you enough for loving me" Rick whispered, his voice flooded with emotion.
Another tear escaped down Evelyn's cheek.
This stubborn, bullheaded, highhanded American who, from the beginning, whisked her off her feet. Who was truly her Knight in Shinning Armor. Who she trusted, yes trusted with her very life and, she realized in that moment, with all her heart. How could she not love him?
"It's my pleasure" she whispered back with a smile.
They shared another kiss before Evelyn asked Rick to put the bracelet on her.
"I love you Evy" Rick said after he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
"I love you too."
"Ready Evy" Jonathan said as he walked up to Evelyn.
"Jonathan" Evelyn looked at him as she pushed the book back into its place on the shelf. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her disappointed at seeing him obvious in her tone. Rick was supposed to pick her up today.
"Now what kind of way is that to greet your loving brother?" Jonathan said, trying to sound hurt.
"Where is Rick?" Evelyn asked, her mind immediately recalling 'Adara 12:00'. Where was he?
"He asked me to pick you up" Jonathan said after a brief moment.
"Where is he?" Evelyn asked again.
"How would I know dear sister" Jonathan said as reached out and took her by the arm. "I am here to pick you up and take you home" he said as he started guiding her forward.
"Are you hiding something Jonathan?" Evelyn asked suspiciously.
"Hiding something?" Jonathan said. "Me? Hiding something? No. What would I be hiding?" he asked as they started walking out of the library.
"Where is Rick?" Evelyn asked again.
"Dear sister, I am not his personal secretary."
"You don't know where he is?" Evelyn asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
"No I don't" Jonathan answered.
Evelyn promised herself she would not worry. She promised herself she would not jump to conclusions. She promised herself she would not give in to the insecurities that were now plaguing her.
She promised herself she would trust him. She promised herself she would believe in him.
When Jonathan dropped Evelyn off at home, he told her that he had something to take care of but he would be back for supper. Evelyn walked into the house and headed straight for the kitchen. She needed to keep busy to keep her mind from conjuring up all sorts of imaginations. When she finished supper, Rick still was not home.
Where was he?
Evelyn then went into the sitting room and pulled a book off the shelf. Reading always took her mind off things. Evelyn stared at the same page, the same paragraph, the same sentence, the same word for ten minutes.
"Where is he?!" Evelyn said fretfully as she slammed the book shut and glanced down at her watch.
It was nearly 8:00 and he still was not home. Evelyn picked up the telephone and rang the warehouse. No answer. Evelyn replaced the receiver as a single tear slid down her cheek.
What if something happened to him? What if he was somewhere hurt? Or worse. What if he were somewhere... somewhere dead?
The thought shook Evelyn and in that moment, she would rather he were with another woman than dead. Then she hear a car...
Evelyn hurried over to the window and peeked out. It was him! He was home. He was safe. Evelyn let out a relieved sigh as she stepped from the window. He was safe but... where had he been?
She would not ask, she promised herself as she wrung her hands and paced back and forth. She would wait for him to tell her. And she knew he would tell her... tell her the truth. She would not ask, she would wait... She would not ask, she would wait... She would not ask, she would wait....
"Where have you been?" Evelyn asked in a cracked voice when Rick walked into the sitting room.
"Evy!" Rick rushed toward her when he saw tears streaming down her face. "What's wrong honey?" he asked in an urgent voice once he reached her.
"Where have you been?" Evelyn sobbed.
"Honey what's wrong?" Rick said as he took her into his arms. "I had to drive up to Alexandria. What's wrong honey?" Rick asked again as Evelyn continued to cry.
"Why..." Evelyn said as she pulled away from Rick's embrace and looked up into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to Alexandria?" she said in an accusatory voice. "What were you doing in Alexandria?"
Rick's hesitation gave Evelyn cause to jump to her conclusions.
"Who is Adara?" Evelyn said, her voice shaking with emotion. "Who is she Rick?!"
"Sweetheart..." Rick began.
"Who is she?!" Evelyn demanded, thinking Rick was trying to conjure up a lie to tell her.
"The jewelry's wife."
"The jewelry's wife?" Evelyn said, dumbstruck for a moment.
Rick was committing adultery with a married woman?
"I ah... got a gift for you" he said a little awkwardly.
"Surprise!" Jonathan interrupted them as he walked into the sitting room.
Evelyn wiped her tears as she looked from her husband to her brother. Jonathan was carrying a rocking chair.
"Jonathan" Evelyn said in a surprised voice. She recognized the rocking chair.
"Thought you might like having mother's rocking chair" he smiled at his sister.
"Oh Jonathan!" Evelyn as she walked over to the chair. "I had forgotten all about it" she said as she looked loving at the chair. "I can't believe you did this" she said as she started crying again.
"Ah!" Jonathan said. "It didn't take THAT much effort" he laughed. "I have one more thing for you" he said, then rushed out of the sitting room.
"I can't believe Jonathan did this" Evelyn said as she stared at the chair remembering her mother.
Rick stood smiling and watching how happy Jonathan's surprise made Evelyn.
Moments later, Jonathan came back in with a crib in his arms.
"Jonathan! Is that our bassinet?"
"The one and the same" Jonathan smiled. "Couldn't let the rocking chair leave England without this" he said as he set the bassinet down.
Evelyn walked over to the bassinet and gazed at it's headboard. 'Jonathan' was carved in one corner. 'Evelyn' was carved in the other. Evelyn looked up at Jonathan with more tears in her eyes.
"Jonathan" she smiled as she went into his arms.
Rick felt a bit awkward watching the siblings and felt a bit jealousy of this special moment between them.
"Thank you" Evelyn whispered.
"It's the least I could do old mum" Jonathan returned with a bit of emotion of his own. "After all you've done for me" he said, his voice becoming shaky. "After all you do for me. It's the least I could do" he said and gave her a loving squeeze. "Alright now" Jonathan said, feeling himself getting even more emotional. "I'm ravenous" he said as he pulled away from Evelyn. "And I have a dinner date with a lovely young lady."
"I thought you said you were having supper here" Evelyn scolded.
"I lied" Jonathan smiled.
"You're hopeless" Evelyn laughed.
"Yes, yes" Jonathan agreed. "Have a good evening you two" he said as he walked out of the sitting room.
"I can't believe Jonathan thought to do this" Evelyn said as she looked from the bassinet to the rocking chair.
"Yeah, he thought of it all by himself" Rick commented. "I ah... I got something for you" Rick said before stepping out of the room.
He returned seconds later and walked over to Evelyn, who was still standing by the bassinet.
"I ah... I was gonna give this to you after the baby was born but..." he said sheepishly as he held out a wrapped box. "I can't be outdone by my nitwit brother-in-law" he said half jokingly, half seriously.
Evelyn looked up at Rick then down at the wrapped box. She reached out and took the box from his hand and opened it. The box held a gold cartouche bracelet and on the bracelet 'I love you' was written in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Evelyn started crying again and walked over to the couch and sat down.
"You don't like it?" Rick said in a worried voice as he followed her to the couch.
Evelyn shook her head and Rick's heart sank. She did not like it.
"It's beautiful" she cried as she looked at it through her tears. "It's beautiful" she said, crying more so now because she had thought him unfaithful.
"I picked it up today from the jewelry's. There's something inscribed on the back" Rick said.
Evelyn turned the bracelet over and read the inscription.
'You hold my heart prisoner. Now. And forever. Rick'
"I'm sorry Rick" Evelyn began to cry uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry."
Rick pulled her into his arms and stroke her hair.
"Honey, you didn't do anything" he said, confused about why she was apologizing.
"I'm horrible!" she bemoaned, feeling guilty.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong."
"I'm ashamed to tell you" she sobbingly admitted.
"Sweetheart, you can tell me anything" Rick coaxed her.
Evelyn cried for a few minutes before lifting her head from his shoulder. She wiped her eyes but the tears continued to come.
"Sweetheart" Rick said as he reached up and wiped a tear. "What has got up so upset?"
"I rang you today" Evelyn began. "But Mr. Burgess said you were out. Hamid and I went to the café for lunch and afterwards he drove me to the docks. You still weren't in" she looked up at him. "I saw your note" she continued after a moment. "And I... I thought... I thought you had gone to meet with this Adara woman. I told myself" she said quickly. "That I trusted you, that I believed in you. When you didn't come to pick me up from the museum I thought the worst. I thought you were with this Adara woman" she admitted then started crying again.
"god Evy! I'm sorry" Rick said, pulling Evelyn back into his arms.
Rick was feeling guilty also. If he had not been so stupid all those months ago. If he had not gotten drunk. If he had not gone to that whorehouse.
"What are you sorry for?" she asked in a muffled voice.
"Damn it!" he cursed as he squeezed her tighter. "It's my fault Evy. If I hadn't acted like such a jackass..."
"I should have trusted you" Evelyn said as she lifted her head from his chest. "But... the first chance I get... I think the worst" she lamented. "Can you forgive me?"
"Evy, there's nothing to forgive" Rick said, his guilt mounting. "You had every right..."
"No I didn't" Evelyn cried. "I'm suppose to love you. I'm suppose to trust you..."
"Evy" Rick interrupted her and put his finger up to her lips. "It's OK if you don't trust me. Shush!" he said when she was about to say something. "It's OK. I realize I have to earn your trust again" he said. "And if it takes forever, I'm willing to spend the rest of my life proving to you that you can trust me. You mean everything to me Evy..." he said as he looked deep into her eyes.
"And you mean everything to me" Evelyn said after she moved his finger from her lips. "And you deserve my trust."
"I should have told you I was going to Alexandria" Rick said.
"I should have trusted you" Evelyn said.
The two sat looking at each other, both regretting their actions of the recent and not so recent past.
"I'm so sorry Rick" Evelyn broke the silence.
"Shush" Rick again put his finger to her lips. "You have NOTHING to be sorry for."
Rick looked at her. So grateful that she loved him. So grateful that she was his.
Rick dropped his finger from her lips and lowered his head. He gingerly touched her lips with his and engaged her in a soft, tender kiss. The kiss lasted moment after moment and was gentle and full of love. When the kiss finally ended, one forehead rested against the other and loving eyes looked into loving eyes.
"I can't ever thank you enough for loving me" Rick whispered, his voice flooded with emotion.
Another tear escaped down Evelyn's cheek.
This stubborn, bullheaded, highhanded American who, from the beginning, whisked her off her feet. Who was truly her Knight in Shinning Armor. Who she trusted, yes trusted with her very life and, she realized in that moment, with all her heart. How could she not love him?
"It's my pleasure" she whispered back with a smile.
They shared another kiss before Evelyn asked Rick to put the bracelet on her.
"I love you Evy" Rick said after he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
"I love you too."