4.
~ He was remarkably calm when she came back to his room with a light meal of beef broth and toast.
"When did it happen?" he asked as soon as she sat the tray on his lap.
"I'm four months along now." she told him as she sat the tray on his lap.
"We... I mean..." Eames looked like he didn't know what to say.
"It's yours." she told him. "Eat something."
"Did you know you were pregnant when you left me?" he asked as he nibbled his toast.
"No." she whispered.
"Would you still have left me if you knew?" he asked.
"I can't answer that. I came back because you needed me." she told him.
"Not because you're carrying my child." he said gruffly. "Would you have even told me if I hadn't fallen ill?"
"I'm not sure." she admitted.
Eames nodded and ate. He wasn't sure why he was so accepting about this news. Perhaps his mind hadn't really absorbed it yet. A father, he was going to be a father. His beloved would bear his offspring in less than five months and he would be a father. He would have a son who he could pass down all his knowledge to. He would have his family at long last.
"I've been telling people it's Fredrick's baby." she said suddenly.
"The hell you are." he barked. His face clearly insulted that she would try to pass of his child as another mans. "We both know it's mine. Or did you forget how busy we were? How occupied we stayed in your rooms?"
He was happy to see her face grow pink.
"I didn't forget. But I am unmarried, Eames. I'm pregnant and unmarried. I have to save face." she said.
"We'll get married. I wanted to marry you right after the funereal, remember?" he said.
"Eames, we're not good together." she said as he was suddenly starving.
He ate his toast a d drank his beef broth.
"I think we're very good together." he told her.
"No, we act like a pair of stupid kids when we're together. It's not the right kind of relationship to have a child in." she reasoned painfully.
He sat down his bowl.
"I love you." he told her.
She looked at her hands.
"Do you love me?" he asked.
"I do." she whispered.
"Then that's all we need."
"Eames, Mr. Fischer, the man who runs the charity hospital thinks you need to go into treatment for your drinking." she told him as the toast he ate now sat like a rock in his stomach.
"Treatment?" Eames laughed.
"Yes, he thinks you're addicted to drinking." she explained.
"Nonsense."
"I think he's right. Eames, I would like you to go to treatment. I think it would be good for you." she told him.
"If you don't want me to drink, I won't." he huffed.
"It's more than that. I want you to be more stable. We're going to be a family, if you're going to be a father to my child, you have to be there for us. No more running off when things get difficult." she told him bravely.
"Ah, you want another Arthur." Eames sulked.
She glared at him but said nothing.
"Eames." she said at last with a weary sigh. "I left you because you're so unreliable, and you always have been. You drink a lot, do stupid things and, when you have to face the music, you leave. I can't let you into our lives again if you're just going to leave us. This is the last time I'm picking you up at the charity hospital. The last time I'm nursing you back to health. Do it again, you'll never see me or your child." she threatened.
"I won't drink anymore." he said at quickly. "I'll... I'll stay in one place. Whatever you need."
~ Ariadne,
I'm very pleased Eames' book is doing so well. We've yet to have his book come to America, but word has already gotten here and in the month it's been out, and had spread quickly.
I would be very pleased to handle Mr. Eames' accounts for his books as well as the accounts in the rebuilding of Blue Rivers. I look forward to when it can be made a home for the both of you.
Once "The Witching Hour" comes to America, you should have more than enough money to pay for the reconstruction of the estate.
Our mutual friend, A, is feeling your loss. He asks about you each time I see him and I think you should write to him. He worries about you and the children in Mr. Eames' care.
You would be proud of our mutual friend. He has reached an agreement with the unions about hourly wages and conditions. No more 24 hour shift, no more workers under the age of 15 years and the pay is much improved.
He has asked me to relay to you that you are free to come home to New York at any time you wish.
I hope you are happy.
Your friend,
Mr. Dominic Cobb
~ Ariadne let out a long sigh as she folded Cobb's letter and tucked it into her dress pocket. She didn't want to think about Arthur just now. Didn't want to feel guilty for running away to be with her lover instead of her inconvenient husband.
She watched Eames as he tried to teach Olivia and Harold how to fly a kite in the warmth of the summer sun. They had taken a day trip to Blue Rivers to see the construction going on. The massive rebuilding after the disaster of the fire.
His book was selling extremely well and Eames decided, rather abruptly, that he wanted to move back into the family home once it was rebuilt.
The soon to be family of five spent the day looking over the new construction. The grand house smelling of new wood as a ladies parlor, new library and conservatory were in the works.
A large portion of the old house was still standing and the servants hall was untouched by the blaze. Blue Rivers had been spared the worst.
The faint construction noises were coming from the manor house as the builders worked and took advantage of the summer sun. Even a mile away, they could still hear the workmen hammering and sawing. Shouting and swearing.
The reclusive writer and his family had walked to the pond to enjoy a picnic and family time after they had inspected the house.
Eames taking to fatherhood, very well in preparations for his new edition.
His book, "The Witching Hour", was a huge success and the mystique of a fire at Blue Rivers, Mr. Eames with his roguish past only served to captivate his audience even more.
Ariadne kept after him. Instead of staying in bed all day making love, a thing he wanted to do, she made him get up and write for five hours a day as though it was a real job.
She made him keep story ideas in notebooks. Made him write and used words he liked. She looked over each page and seriously criticize it. In just a month, they had the bones for the second story put together.
His publisher even advanced him money for the second book which allowed them to rebuild the house. Ariadne and Eames were now flushed with cash.
She breathed in the summer air and tried not to wince at the baby kicking rather aggressively inside her.
'I just know you're a boy, you wicked thing.' she thought lovingly as she ran a hand over her large belly.
As if sensing her thoughts, Eames joined her on the picnic blanket as they watched Harold and Olivia play.
"Feeling alight?" he asked.
"Fine." she sighed and tried to put on a brave face.
"We can get a room at the inn. It was a lot to deal with today, the trip and being outdoors." he told her as he placed his hand over her swollen belly.
"I am tired." she admitted.
"You look worn out." he teased.
"I look adorable." she corrected him sternly.
"Yes, of course you do, dear." he laughed and kissed her.
"Olivia!" Ariadne called out to her daughter as she ran away from Harold and to her mother. A classic pout coming on her face because her older brother could fly the kite better than she could.
"Mamma!" Olivia shouted and tried to climb into her mother's lap.
"Olivia, you have to learn how to hold the baby." Ariadne told her daughter.
"NO!" Olivia shouted at the both of them.
"Come now, Livie. Must do what mummy says." Eames wheedled.
Ariadne pulled out a very life like china doll that looked like a sleeping baby from her bag.
"Look, Olivia. We have to be careful when we hold baby." she said and held the baby doll gently as though it were real. "You're going to be my helper with the new baby, and you have to hold him gently." she said and transferred the doll to Olivia.
The child stared at the doll and looked to her mother.
"You can rock him, like I showed you." Ariadne said.
Olivia looked doubtful, but carried the doll away.
"Think Olivia will accept the new baby?" Ariadne said worriedly as they watched the little girl hold the doll close and rock it back and fourth.
"She never did accept Harold. Still, she might like a baby more than a step brother who's older." Eames told her.
Ariadne gasped as they watched Olivia toss the doll into the lake and run away.
"That's not a good thing to see." Eames mused dryly as Harold bravely fished the baby doll out of the water and brought it back to Ariadne.
"She's going to hate the new baby." Ariadne worried.
"She's Arthur's daughter. She was always meant to hate my offspring. Anyhow, she knows that it's just a doll. She might be mad for the real thing." Eames offered as Harold brought back the baby doll. It's clothing soaking wet and Olivia laughing in the tall grass at what she had done.