The Vigil Read Online Free Page B

S
     
    I refolded the paper and slid it back into the lavender scented envelope. When I reached to return it to the stack of letters, he stretched his hand and touched my arm. I gazed into his glistening eyes.
    “Thank you,” he whispered.
    “Sure, Carlton. It’s my pleasure.” I swallowed back the lump lodged in my throat. Carlton had proposed to Lady S, but he’d never married. I knew that. What could have happened between them?
    I patted his hand. His skin held a coolness that sent a chill through me. “Would you like to talk about these?”
    He shook his head. “Read more.”
    “OK.” I lifted the next letter in the bundle and read.
     
    Dear Carlton,
    Hello! My sweet Carlton, I miss you so very much. I wake up each morning and think of all the fun times we shared. My tantie came in from Arkansas yesterday. She and Mama are making jams and preserves today. So Mama will be occupied until Auntie leaves next Sunday. I saw Mr. Rayburn at the post office yesterday. He said he would hold your job until you got back, but he gave me “the look” like everyone else in town. You know that questioning look we got when we first starting hanging out together. Guess family feuds involve more than just the family. Well, I like being the one who will finally bring our families together. Papa hasn’t been as grouchy lately. Guess he figures with you away, I’ll forget about you. That will never happen.
    I can’t wait for you to return. I hope you’re doing well and keeping warm and dry. Carlton, please keep dry if you can. I couldn’t bear for you to be ill and I wouldn’t be there to care for you like a proper wife should. You are always in my thoughts and I pray for your safety daily.
    Mr. and Mrs. Badeaux said to tell you hello. They sold the filly you helped deliver. I’m pretty sure they got a real good price. She was a beauty. Just think one day we’ll have our own farm and maybe a few horses. I hold on tightly to my dreams, Carlton, because they keep my aching heart warm while you’re gone. I can’t wait to see your smiling face again. Keep safe and know I am praying for your quick return to me.
    Love you always,
    Your Lady S
     
    Carlton’s lids closed and his steady, raspy breathing indicated he slept. The letter and Lady S consumed me. Who was she? As I returned the letter to the nightstand, Carlton awakened. “Hey,” he said.
    “Hey, back.” I smiled.
    He smiled, too. “That was my lady.”
    Should I dare ask who she was? “Carlton, is your lady still alive?”
    He nodded.
    “Does she still live in Bijou Bayou?” I sipped from my glass to not appear so eager for his answer.
    “Can’t say.” He closed his eyes again and turned away from me.
    I didn’t pry any further. Did his answer mean he didn’t know if Lady S lived in Bijou Bayou or he couldn’t tell me? I helped him return to bed and he slept. He rested easier. It could have been wishful thinking, but I believe his skin had a bit of a rosy glow. Just maybe.
     
     
     
     

Cinq
     
    “Cheryl, ma petite, would you like something to drink?” My Aunt Melanie’s strangely mixed accent of Cajun French and the French she’d picked up while living in France, floated from behind the stainless steel refrigerator door. She wasn’t the typical Bijou Bayou resident, but that was OK with her. She loved being different.
    “Yes, thanks. Diet is fine.” I sat on a barstool overlooking her sink filled with the bowls and spatulas she’d used to hand-mix the ingredients for her famous and blue-ribbon-winning red velvet cake. I inhaled the sweet aroma and vowed I’d be gone before she slid that deliciousness out of the oven. Just thinking about her slathering that amazing cream cheese frosting over her moist red cake weakened my knees.
    Her flowing chiffon blouse in red, brown, orange, and teal floated around her as she swayed around the kitchen. I’d bet, if she ever sat still long enough, she’d attract hummingbirds. Her bottle-bought auburn