~ Part XII ~

~ The Bitter Seed ~

1.

~ Blue Rivers was still.

Like Miss Havisham from "Great Expectations", Eames ordered all the clocks to be stopped and the shades drawn. The children were cared for in their rooms, but Eames wanted the rest of the house in darkness.

He wanted the world to grieve with him.

"I'll take care of Harold, darling. You can be sure of that." he said to Ariadne as she lay in her black pine box. Flowers perfuming the ladies parlor, and associating it with death.

The carriage would take her to the graveyard to be buried next to Arthur's marker. His name was on her lips as she lay dieing. It seemed only fair she should be next to him for all eternity. Even though his wretched body was never recovered from the sea.

Eames burned with jealousy over the idea she still loved Arthur. That she was only with him because he had died.

He would keep the funereal small. Ariadne's death was so sudden, not even Mr. Cobb could come in time. He was on a steamer to London right now; Eames telegraphed him as soon as Ariadne had passed.

"How could you leave me? Felicity needs you; Olivia and Harold... I need you!" Eames accused the body in her box.

Ariadne was dressed in a stiff black dress and wore no jewelery save for her wedding band and star pin Arthur had given her while they were in Paris on their trip to Blue Rivers.

It seemed a fitting combination to bury her in. She looked beautiful, even in death.

"I'm so sorry." Eames sighed at last. "If I had known we had such little time together..."

His hands twitched.

He wanted to drink. Wanted to get drunk and run away. He wanted to go to India or Japan and leave the memories of his life here behind. Leave them behind like they had been only a dream that had become a nightmare.

"Sir?" came Maura's voice. "The coach is ready to take her to the graveyard."

Eames held back tears. It was snowing outside. How could he expect to lower his beloved into the ground? She would be cold there. Felicity was already crying for her mother.

Those children needed Ariadne. They needed her!

Eames started to finally weep at the unfairness of it. To be left alone in this world with his children and no mother. Who would keep after him to write now? Who would raise the girls to be proper ladies? He couldn't do it alone. He was drowning in a sea of grief.

He scarcely remembered the service. Felicity and Olivia in tears. Harold trying to be brave, Phillipa, a lovely young woman of fifteen now, likewise upset.

It was all too much.

~ Days went by and the grief over the house didn't loosen like it should have.

For the first time ever, Eames was able to empathize with what Ariadne went through when Arthur died on the Empress. The feeling like she was just in the other room. How odd the house was now that she wasn't there. Every day, he thought of something new, something he must try and remember to tell her. It would take him several seconds to remember that his beloved Ariadne, was gone. There was no news he could tell her, no stories he could share with her. Their conservatory, newly restored, was meaningless without her in it.

"Mr. Eames?" Morris said. Interrupting his thoughts.

Eames looked up to see the young, spindly butler waiting by the conservatory doors. The stain glass painstakingly restored to match the ones ruined in the fire.

"Yes, Mr. Morris." Eames asked as he looked back to the blank page. He had not been able to write since Ariadne had fallen ill.

"A Mr. Dominic Cobb and Mr. Arthur Bradford from America are here to see you. I've set them up in the library." Morris said.

"Mr. Cobb and who?" Eames questioned.

~ It had been five years since Arthur had laid eyes on Blue Rivers. Despite a tragic fire and it's renovation, very little had changed. The only noticeable improvements was a large oil paining of Ariadne over the library mantle piece. She looked lovely in a stylish blue dress with diamond tiara. Her face elegantly captured by the artist. Arthur looked at the painting for a long time. Convinced his convenient wife would step out of it at any moment.

Still, she wasn't his wife anymore. She had married Eames just before her daughter was born. She had lived with him almost three years before her death. The painting reflected another woman than the one he had known and loved.

"So it's true. You are alive." came an angry voice.

Arthur turned to see his one time rival standing at the door of the library.

"It would seem so." Arthur said coolly as Cobb stood to shake Eames' hand.

"You made Ariadne believe you were dead." Eames accused.

"Ariadne knew I was alive just after she came to New York." Arthur said. "What? She didn't tell you?"

"You faked your death? Do you know how much she grieved for you?" Eames asked as Cobb tried to say something to cool the tension.

"I think you helped her to get over me." Arthur said slyly.

"Gentlemen, let's not do this now. Ariadne has recently passed and talking over these things won't help... with things that have to be done now." Cobb said.

"What things?" Eames snarled. "Unless you want to drop dead, I'll be happy to bury you next to your wife. We'll have to change the marker, but it won't be a bother."

"I'm here to take my daughter back to America." Arthur said. His voice calm and in control.

Eames didn't bother to hide the outrage in his voice.

"The hell you will." he hissed. "You abandoned your wife and child. You left them penniless and alone. You have no rights to that child now. Ariadne wanted me to adopt her, the paper work was delayed that is all."

"The paper work?" Arthur scoffed. "There never was any paper work because I refused to release my paternal rights. I wanted Ariadne and Olivia home. Harold as well. I always knew this would happen if she ran off to be with you. I warned her she would have more heart ache with you than she could bare and now look!" Arthur pointed at the oil painting of the woman they both loved. "She's dead. You didn't take care of her and she's dead. I won't allow my daughter to be raised by a drunk. I want her things packed this moment and she's coming back to America with me."

"I loved Ariadne. I took care of Olivia as if she were my own. She calls me papa, not you. Ariadne clearly left you to be with me. Never forget that Arthur. Olivia may be yours on paper, but paper is all you have. She will never be your blood. Ariadne gave birth to my child. We have a child who is our blood, and you will never have that." Eames said back. His voice low and bitter.

"The only reason Ariadne was ever with you is because I failed to come back home to her. We both know she felt obligated to take care you of you. She wasted her life tending to you and your selfish needs, Eames. Flattering your ego as a writer. You were just lucky to be successful at it, otherwise, you would have been forced to live in real poverty." Arthur told him.

"You won't have Olivia. Ariadne wouldn't have wanted it. She left you for a reason." Eames said.

"Shall we get the constable involved?" Arthur threatened.

"Eames, we have a court order to take Olivia." Cobb said softly.

~ "Sir?" came a small voice in the library as Eames left in a rage.

"Maura." Arthur said as he tried to calm himself down. "It's good to see you, I have to ask you something."

"Yes, sir." Maura said and gave a curtsey.

"I have been made to understand that you were with Ariadne when she died. I'm grateful she had someone who was able to care for her and not that brute." Arthur said.

"Oh Mr. Eames is a good husband to her. Was a good husband, sir." Maura told them.

"Maura, I want you to come back to America with me. You've been there for Olivia since before she was born, and I'd like you to be there for her as long as you are able." Arthur offered.

"Very kind of you, sir." Maura said. "But Olivia is a child of six now and she's always been independent. Felicity, she's just a young thing and needs more attention."

"Felicity. Eames' daughter." Arthur grumbled. "Felicity is staying here with her father."

"Sir, no disrespect, but it's not right to separate sisters like you're doing. The missus wouldn't like it, none." Maura told him.

Arthur sat back a little.

"Sir, Olivia only knows this house, and Mr. Eames. He's a good man and father to the children." Maura proclaimed.

"Maura, I'm sure he was a very good father, when Ariadne was alive to keep him in line. But she's not here and he will start drinking again. What he does to his own child is his concern, but Olivia is mine. I've attempted to gain custody of Harold as well, but the adoption was final. I don't believe any child should be subjected to Mr. Eames now that he has no one to keep him in order." Arthur told her.

"Which is why I should stay and help him with Felicity. She's only two and missing her mother. She needs me more than Olivia, but they are sisters, sir. It's a crime to separate sisters." the maid cried.

"Maura, I'm sorry you feel that way." Arthur sighed. "But Olivia is mine. She is my child and she is coming home with me."