CEO Of My Heart 259 259

Like the miracles she had been given, Henry alqays felt that his wife gave off a bit of a heavenly glow.  She was sitting in a pool of light case from the ceiling, still in her white lace dress with the mesh crinoline removed.  Like an overturned spider the mesh was upside down and crinkled into an odd shape that was very arachnid in design. It was matted with sweat and dirt, Henry realized as it would have been very hot in all the amus.e.m.e.nt rides outside. Most of that probably wasn't even Ellie's. As he looked closer he realized there was similar stains on her dress that she seemed delightfully unaware of. Or moreover she was too tired to care anymore. Her hair was undone from its earlier flowered netting. The pearl pins were all scattered on the table in front of her as she stared into the crackling fire. There was a burgundy gla.s.s of wine that sat untouched next to the pins.

Her eyes were staring off into s.p.a.ce as if she was deep in thought. But as she turned to see whom the shadow was, she briefly held a moment of fear before it dissolved into relief when she saw that it was he who was approaching her. Henry was happy that his appearance was pleasing to her, he didn't know why but he did like it. She removed her legs from the chair and put them off the floor. She rubbed her bare feet against each other as she acknowledged him. "Henry, thank goodness. Your shadow is quite tall and lean like some ghost out of a horror house. I'm happy to see you here in the dead of night and not someone nefarious. But shouldn't you be asleep?  Is there something concerning that you need some help with? I can go wake Michael."

He nodded slowly as she spoke before vigorously shaking his head. He felt strange that Ellie thought he was dependent on his servants. "Of course not. I would have called Michael or other staffers if I needed some service. It's nothing to do with that. I kept waking up after fits of sleep. It was an unconscious reaction to me reminding myself that I forgot to do my personal present to you. It's a shame that I couldn't give it to you in front of everyone else. It's something that Rightley kept safe for you all these years in that shed he owns outside the front gates. I didn't ever think to even ask what it was for as I thought it was just gardening tools. But I suppose Stanford Hall is exactly like that. There are always strange things hidden away in what we a.s.sume is boring."

"You've given me more than I deserve Henry. You don't have to feel bad that you didn't do more. This is the best day I've ever had in my life. But I'm curious all the same." Her eyes were kind as she rose and put her hand in his. Henry felt the soft pressure in his hand and sighed before leading her to the display sitting area. 

Henry could softly smell the lavender shampoo in her hair as her head was right below his. It was a calming breath to take to settle his tangle of knotted nerves. As Henry reached for the drawer in the coffee table he was happy to see that Rightley had kept his word, the drawer was unlocked. He opened it deftly and spilled its contents onto the table. He found the first letter and quietly handed it to Ellie. 

Ellie gasped, her mouth opening in a perfect O. Her eyes moved quickly back and forth as she read the letter. The soft flame from the electric fireplace making tawny highlights in her artificial ringlets. She spoke with emotion. "I can't believe that someone kept these after all these years. My mother showed me these when I was a child a couple times, but I was never allowed to read them. Even after we were thrown out, I remember mother did try to come back herself for these once but was angry that Priscilla had no idea what she was talking about. Rightley that sly fox. Goodness me. I can finally read these. I thought they were ripped to shreds or burned and thrown into the river. How fitting that as an adult I can read of my parents love. 

"I'm sure that both of your sisters have read all these letters. There are a couple where it's obvious someone did burn the corner. I do think it was wise of Rightley to put them away until it was a better time." Henry stacked the letters back into the flimsy taped cardboard box that they had been kept in. "These are some very true letters. The emotion that your father felt for your mother is palpable even now. It's something I often wished my parents would have at least tried to pretend. I wish they weren't so bitter after time pa.s.sed. Up until his death, did your father care for your mother?"

"I mean it was embarra.s.sing that we would catch them making out as they were waiting for us to be picked up from primary school. I hated how active they were as a kid, but I'm glad now as I know his first marriage was not as kind. We had the most fun when my step sisters were in boarding school. I think my father really followed his heart with my mom because he really  couldn't get enough of her. She was his other half. Truly, I think that's why my sisters hated me so much was because they realized our dad never really even liked their mom. That's probably why they were acting out." Ellie shrugged as she hugged the letter to her chest as she wiped away some moisture at the corner of her eyes. "No one never really knew what to do with them as everyone felt bad for them. The duo always took advantage of that pity and sometimes pushed it quite far. I never felt anything or understood why they were treated nicer. Mom was always kind to them so we tried to follow her example."