Slining Doors

Showdown

He was looking out the window, he felt like he was a molester, he'd been like this for three days, but he couldn't stop staring at the Featherington house, he couldn't stop thinking about what he had done to Penelope, to her family , to himself.  And he caught himself thinking that while he wasn't objectionable in the other life he had lived, he certainly wasn't a better person.  But he had Penelope and her children.  He didn't need to work.  He lived on the income and fees from Penelope's books.  He had no stimuli or dreams to realize.  Penelope was tired and nervous, always under pressure.  That's why they fought… he wasn't happy with him, she had a husband who had no ambitions.  Colin didn't walk beside Penelope, he was being dragged along.  Colin lived off the light reflected by Penelope and sooner or later one of them would get tired.  That's why Colin was living this life.  He had to become better, he had to be I'm not an established man but to be a man with ideals.  Shared with the woman he loved.
  Here Colin had thought to himself and left Penelope behind.
  In the other life it was he who was left behind.
  Colin and Penelope had to learn to walk together!!!!
  He had to start right away.
  He had found the third book, he had written only a few chapters.  He found the diaries that referred to the trip to Italy and began to study them.
  He spent all morning and almost half of the afternoon without leaving his room.
  At home they were very worried about him.  But everyone tiptoed around Colin as if they were afraid to bump into him and make him angry.  They knew Colin was hanging by a thread and that if he collapsed they wouldn't be able to put all the pieces back together.
  I am a person did not seem to be afraid of him.
  Little Edmund had again escaped the nanny and managed to sneak into Colin's room while he was out to go to the bathroom.
  The little boy sat on the footrest waiting for his uncle.
  When Colin entered he was shocked and then smiled seeing Edmund sitting not a biscuit in each hand.
  "And you devil, what are you doing here?"
  "Otto.. Me and Olin"
  Colin picked him up and sat him on his knees.
  "Thank you uncle's love, I was really starving" and he took the biscuit that his nephew handed him.  They kept silent.  Colin was reading the journals under his breath and nibbling at his biscuit and Edmund was looking adoringly at his uncle.
  "Mhh listen to this passage Eddy, the ship docked at the port of Genoa reclining like a feather... what do you think too poetic?"
  "There..." Edmund said
  "Perhaps it is better to say that the ship docked gently?"
  "There.."
  "Eddy… you have to be firm either, maybe if I eat your cookie you'll pay me more attention," he said pretending to grab Edmund's cookie.
  The baby squealed and Colin pretended to bite the baby's hand.
  "I love you, Eddy"
  Edmund crouched on Colin's chest, nibbling at the biscuit.
  "Do you think it's worth asking a 2-year-old for advice on your writing?"  said Anthony who was leaning against the door enjoying the scene.
  As soon as Edmund heard his father's voice she got off her knees and ran to him.
  Anthony grabbed it "Here you are, you little pest, Mommy and Aunt Eloise are going crazy looking for you," Anthony passed to the nanny who materialized at his side.
  “He knows more about it than most publishers I know,” Colin said, laughing.
  "How are you?"
  "Well, it's been 4 days since I drink and I don't use opium if you want to know this."
  "No, I wanted to know how my little brother is"
  "Tomorrow I'll be better than today, I know. I've made a decision. I'll go to the queen tomorrow, I no longer want Penelope to pay for my mistakes. Even if she doesn't want me, it's not fair that she pays for me, I'll take my responsibilities and try to shut out my family, I promise you that"
  "Your family has been and will always be by your side. Always. Remember that. How's the book going?"
  "You took away my proofreader I don't know if I'll be able to finish it today.."
  Anthony walked out of the room laughing like he hadn't in a long time.