Cinderfella 2: A New Life - 28. Chapter 28

Going back to the winery, I was approached by several of the workers.

“Is Bent marrying Garth?” One woman asked excitedly.

“They are so precious!” Another held her hands heart the way women do when the say, isn’t that so sweet.

“I thought they were married.” A man griped. “They acted like they were.”

I pointed to the first woman. “Yes.” Then the second. “They are.” And to the man. “Tomorrow.”

The man chuckled shrugging. “Okay. Any reason for a party.”

I looked out the window and the vineyard beyond for Seth but didn’t see him when Jennifer came up.

“Erik, there was a strange man here earlier.”

I looked at her. “Strange man? Bald, wearing black?”

She nodded. “He sort of gave me the creeps. He always did.”

That alarmed me a little. “You’ve seen him before?”

She nodded. “He used to come to see Mr. Thorne. I never met him, though. So I don’t know his name.”

“Did he know Seth?” I asked.

She shrugged. “The old Seth, I think. He was asking about the house and who owned it now. I didn’t tell him except to say the new owner owned it and the winery and vineyard. But I had just started working here, so…”

The threat the Thornes left made me worry again. I needed to tell Keith and the others. I needed to find Seth. I headed back to the manor. Entering I saw Seth drinking some water as he munched on a snack. Relieved to see him, I smiled at him and walked over, taking what he was eating away from him and kissing him passionately. His response was instant as he returned the kiss. When I parted from him, he smiled at first. Then grew concerned.

“What?” Seth asked.

“Do you know a man, almost your size, about forty and bald?” I asked. “I was told by Jennifer he used to visit Arthur Thorne.”

Seth’s eyes darted as he thought. “He doesn’t ring a bell. Then again, back then I wasn’t one Arthur would introduce unless asked about. But Arthur told them about my curse. No one bothered me.”

I nodded. “It could be nothing, but a man was asking about the new house and who owned it.”

Seth frowned. “But you didn’t see him.”

“Actually I did,” I said. “Only he was in town when Bent agreed to marry Garth.”

Seth brightened a second. “He did!?” Then frowned again. “Why is that important about this man?”

I shrugged. “He just gave me the creeps. He reacted badly to seeing Bent and Garth were getting married.” I told him about telling Keith and that men were following him.

Seth listened and nodded as he heard. “Well, that was unsettling, but I’m glad about Bent and Garth.”

“Tomorrow at three o’clock at the Town Hall. We are to stand in for them. Me for Bent, you for Garth.” I smiled at Seth as he grinned bigger. “You should have seen the kiss Garth gave Bent, that would have melted anyone, except that man.” I shrugged. “Like I told Keith, just because he doesn’t like people like us is no crime. It could be nothing.”

Seth nodded. “But you don’t believe that.” He said knowingly. “Otherwise, you’d have shrugged him off.”

“He just…was unsettling.”

Seth pulled me up and walked me into the room we used as a family. “But I know you can see more about people that just what they look like.” Seth grinned as we sat on the sofa. His eyebrows wiggled when he said that.

“Seeing a diamond in the rough like you is one thing, seeing rough in a diamond is different.” I shook my head. “And he didn’t even look like a diamond at all.”

Seth shook his head. “I didn’t see him.” Then he shrugged. “But you’ve been right so often….”

I shook my head. “There is something, but…” I shrugged. “He just might have had a hard life. And this is guess work anyway.” Then I leaned against Seth, then moved to face him better. “Are you done in the vineyard?”

Seth grinned. “Why?” He smiled. “There is a few more hours of sunlight left. What did you have in mind?”

“I like spending time with you. We could do anything. Doris is leaving in an hour.” I smiled. “There’s time for a little one on one.”

Seth smiled wider. “One on one…is that what it is? I thought you meant sex.” Then he pushed me back on the sofa leaning in to cover me with his body. We were chest to chest and he began moving his pelvis against me.

My body responded quickly, as my manhood began to push against the fabric of my pants. My arms went around his neck as I pulled him even closer. “I can feel you know what I was talking about.” Feeling his manhood against me growing harder. “It would be a little easier if we went to our room.”

The kisses between us were always good. Many times they were very, very good. This was building to one of those very, very good times. Then he got up reaching down pulling me up. “Let’s go.”

He might have resented our children for the interruption of spontaneity in our sex life. But there was nothing wrong with a little planning. And I liked our sex times in the daylight! I could see! To me, Seth offered me a lot to see and I loved everything I saw about him physically. He seemed to enjoy what he saw, too. And we just got better and better at it.

The next day, Seth and I walked to the Town Hall at two o’clock. There were found several people obviously for more than a chat with our wonderful mayor Keith Davidson. I saw a table set up in the great hall where most all of Royal Valley gathered for meetings, now had foods and sweets. There were some others arranging flowers and other things. Well, why shouldn’t it be looking nice? Garth and Bent were getting married.

Seth smiled at a few people gathered we knew. Hell, we knew just about everyone, but they were all friends of Garth or Bent. Both? One lady smiled at us as we came closer.

“I say it’s about time.” She said. “Garth is such a lovely man and has been all alone since Carrie passed. I’m glad he found someone as nice as Bent.”

I nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”

That was the consensus with everyone who knew them. I smiled when Bent and Garth came in, dressed up! Bent often dressed alright, but now he’d gotten dressed like he was going to church. So was Garth. Hair combed and washed. And both looking not comfortable at all.

I chuckled at Seth. “Looks like it’s the moment the best men are needed.”

Seth chuckled back. “Well, I’ve got Garth.”

“I’ll deal with Bent.” I gave Seth a quick kiss and walked over to Bent. “You look great!” I hugged Bent.

Bent looked down, then smiled. “I thought this was appropriate. Seeing how I’m getting married.” Then he looked at me. “Should I be scared like I am?”

I shrugged. “It is an important event in a man’s life. Some fear is sometimes a part of it.” Then I put my hand on his shoulder. “What are you feeling?”

Bent shook his head. “I don’t know.” Then he gave this head movement that showed he was really uncertain. “It doesn’t make sense. I love Garth, but…” he looked a little lost. “I don’t want to make a mistake.”

I frowned. “How can marrying the person you love to be a mistake?” I asked. “You just said you love Garth. Do you doubt he loves you?”

Bent shook his head. “No. I know he does. I want to be the person in his life. I want to make him happy. I hope I can.”

I nodded with a smile. “Marrying him will do that. Trust me. You’re the one person he wants. He’s yours. It’ll be fine.”

The ceremony was short, almost anticlimactic. But they exchanged vows, no rings and pronounced married by Keith and then we had our little celebration. Garth’s two daughters, the eldest was ten now and the youngest five. His only son was eight. But they were there to share the addition of a new father and it was clear that they loved Bent. Bent was moving to Garth’s home, he was moving his things from town to the farmhouse.

Seth grinned as Garth, Bent and Garth’s children rode out of town. “I wonder who cooks?”

Things were not always rosy. It was not but a few days later we had another visitor. A very deadly one.

“Measles!” A man cried in the town square. “We’ve got measles in Royal Valley!”

When Grace told me about it, I felt the pierce in my heart I often got when something dreadful like this happened. Not for me, but Toby and Dennis. I had had measles as a child of eight. But Dennis was under a year and Toby….well, he was a child only approaching three. I heard that children under five were hit the worst. It could be quite deadly. The problem was, no one seemed to understand how it spread, but I knew even those of us who had it, couldn’t get it again, but we could spread it. Seth had the disease before, too. We were both fine. But Doris and Hannah both had small children, were they carrying it? As much as I hated to, I separated both Dennis and Toby. The problem was, if Seth and I interacted, even in a conversation where we were breathing the same air, we could affect both our children. The two doctors in Royal Valley were very busy now. As if they weren’t already, but now they were extremely busy. They were spreading the nasty disease, too. Even they were subjected to superstition and ignorance of people. Old cures that never worked. Adults got it as easily as children. Then the deaths came. Then the horror I felt when Toby was dragging because he seemed to have no energy and he was coughing. It was just a day later, Dennis was doing the same thing. The measles was here!

I couldn’t ask Doris or Hannah to come in, they were dealing with their own sick children and one adult! Hannah’s husband had never had it, but now he did!

“Demetrius!!” I screamed as I put Toby to bed. Seth looked over from Dennis’ bed. There was no longer a need to separate the boys.

“You know we can’t undo injuries or illness,” Demetrius said in great sadness, then coming out of the wall.

I spun on him. “I understand that,” I said, but I was desperate. “There are things you know that we don’t. What can I do? And don’t give me God won’t let you shit!”

Demetrius sighed. “There are.” He nodded. Then cringed when Toby coughed. “He needs to drink a lot of water. Keeping him hydrated is important. Steam.”

I nodded. “Steam, we can do that.”

“And keep his fever down,” Demetrius said.

My eyes widened. “How do I do that? He acts like he’s cold!”

“Cold water of course. Ice is better.” Demetrius nodded. “As his fever rises, he is more prone to cold. I know, this area doesn’t have ice now. I can bring you some as I did with Seth.” Then he reached down, feeling Toby’s head. He nodded. “It’s started already. The blotches should show themselves soon.” Then he waved his hand and a bucket of ice materialized. “I’ll keep you supplied. Put these sacks of ice under your children’s arms and at their necks. The brain swells in some.”

“Steam and ice?” Seth questioned. “That’s two different things and impossible to keep at the same time.”

“Difficult, but not impossible.” Demetrius corrected. “The steam is for what’s going on in their lungs. You don’t want them to get pneumonia, that will kill them. The ice is to keep their body temperatures down.” Then he frowned at both of us. “This is going to be hard on both of you. I don’t envy your week to come.”

Seth looked out the window at the town below. “We’ve already lost four children since we heard about it. Is there nothing we can do for them?”

Demetrius shook his head. “I could see that there’s ice available, but they’d want to know where it came from. And they need to know how to use it.”

I waved his concern off. “Get it,” I asked him. “Let them think it was from God, I don’t care. Just be that mysterious source of a possible treatment. Seth and I will tell them how to use it and about the steam.”

Demetrius nodded. “I can do that. If you put a few of those big wooden things you use to put grapes in to squeeze the juice out, I’ll make sure they’re full of ice every day. In the town square?”

I nodded. “I’ll get it done.” But I didn’t want to spend a lot of time doing it. Both Seth and I were needed with our own children.

Zek and Gabe were helping with that. They’d both gotten measles and couldn’t get it again so I got them to head up getting the big vats to the square. Then I sent a notice, saying it was a treatment from A’Dore. But a lot of people were just beginning to be able to read so I had Zek and Gabe along with some others go door to door. Those in the farther parts of town would have to walk to get the ice. I couldn’t help that.

Demetrius was right. Seth and I had a very rough week. Toby couldn’t wake up much to see what I would tell him, Dennis wouldn’t either. Seeing those two precious faces with the red blotches and hair matted on their sweaty foreheads…I felt a pain in my heart. I would have done anything to keep them from suffering, but I couldn’t do much. Seth and I took turns with our supply of ice and boiling water for the boys to breath. But we had to do it. These two were our children. We alternated rocking them and applying the ice. Getting them to breathe the steam. Getting the boys to drink water or juice was a major job. Sleep was the last thing Seth or I could get much of, but we worked well together. Seth was suffering as I was, you could see it in his face.

Then came the knock on our door. Thinking it could be Gabe or Zek I nodded at Seth as he went to answer the door. Both of us had not really bathed much or shaved, but our appearance was not a concern. I listened as Seth answered the door.

“This isn’t a good time,” Seth said just as he opened the door.

“Are you the owner of this…” the other voice asked. I remembered the man who spoke to me a few weeks past.

“I am,” Seth said back. “In case you don’t know. We have measles in Royal Valley and in this house. I don’t have time to deal with whatever you want.”

I came down a little. There was the bald man at the door.

The man nodded. “I wondered where everyone was. The whole town looks almost deserted.” Then he smiled. Again, it wasn’t a happy smile. “What happened to Arthur Thorne’s place? I heard he died.”

Seth sighed. “I don’t want to be rude, but I have two sick children right now. What part of me saying I don’t have time didn’t you understand?” Seth growled and was about to shut the door, but the man put his hand out and stopped the door.

“My name is Candor.” He said. “I was….an associate of Arthur’s. He owes me money.”

Seth stepped closer to the man. “Remove your hand, or I break the arm.” He growled. “Arthur is dead. His debts are his. I don’t owe you anything.”

Hearing this, I went to Seth’s and my room and quickly dug out my sword. Then came down the stairs.

“I’m owed money.” Candor said not backing down. “The man that owned this winery and vineyard owes me, I intend to collect.”

I came up behind Seth, raising my sword. “My husband and I want you to leave. Seth told you Arthur’s dead.”

Candor looked at me, his eyes widened briefly. Then he looked at Seth. “This is the guy you’re married to?” He asked me. “And you’re Seth?” He stepped back a little looking at Seth’s face. “What happened? The curse is gone. No scars.”

I walked closer, the sword going past Seth’s shoulder, pointed directly at Candor’s throat. “I’m pretty good with this. Want to find out?”

“Children?” Candor laughed almost as if he hadn’t heard me. “You have children? How? Which one of you had them?”

Seth pushed the man back so hard Candor almost hit the ground. “Leave!! Don’t come back here again! Erik’s deadly with a sword, but I can deal with you, too.”

I put my sword against the man’s throat. “In fact, I suggest…no, I demand you leave Royal Valley.” I pulled Seth back. “Let’s go back upstairs.”

Seth nodded and walked with me, slamming the door and locking it behind.

“I intend to collect, Seth Thorne.” The man said loudly from the yard. “You’ll see me again! I’LL BE BACK!!”