The Passing Bell Tolls for Thee

31 The Passing Bell

Anabel woke up in the morning to the shower pounding in the bathroom. Ben wasn't in bed. She sat up, rubbing her fuzzy head. Her mouth tasted sour. The time was 10:15. The shower stopped. Ben came in the room, a towel wrapped around his waist.

She looked him over objectively, denying the physical effect he had on her. He was handsome, tall, dark-haired, muscular. He had always been ambitious, with an extroverted personality, something that appealed to her quieter ways. He liked dating the baron's daughter, and he never tried to capitalize on her family. He'd seemed to genuinely like them, and care for her. She liked that about him. She'd thought they'd made a good pair. The difficulty was he had other women. No one serious, he'd tell her. Aren't I serious, she wanted to ask, but knew he'd laugh at her, and say, when he was ready to settle down, she was first in line.

Now, though, now he was obsessed with Oakton and his inheritance from Drew Ramsey. His other work took second place to the Ramsey estate, and he'd passed much of his legal work to a former partner.

Ben towel-dried his hair as she watched him. He looked good enough to model for a shampoo or bath soap commercial. Closing her eyes, she struggled with the urge to pull him into bed, something the old Ben refused at his whim to keep her hoping. She counted to 20 by twos, breathing slowly. It was a technique she used to calm her nerves. Ben knew she did this, and always waited for her finish. Calmer, opened her eye to find Ben watching her, puzzled.

"What are you doing?"

"Ben? Did you forget? I take slow breaths to calm down."

"Forget?" Ben looked away. "I, it's been a while. Are you ready for a shower?"

Now it was her turn to be puzzled. "Soon," she said.

"Happy New Year, darling," he said. "How'd you sleep?"

"Happy New Year," she said. "Slept like a log. I'm taking a shower. I'll be quick." She slipped out of bed and hurried into the bathroom with her clothes.

She returned, drying her hair with a towel. Ben had put on pants and was slipping into his shirt. The old, familiar sight twanged her nerves, but she realized she didn't know this new Ben, and maybe didn't much like him.

Drew buttoned his shirt. "I've got to go to Bath tomorrow. The Ramsey house there needs more repairs. Sir Drew didn't want work done while he was so ill."

Ramsey again. Ben was obsessed with the Ramsey estate.

Anabel hurried into her clothes. "I'm surprised you stay here, then."

"I love Oakton," he said. "Look out the window. The meadows, the woods in the distance. Much like it's been for hundreds of years."

This was new. Ben liked city life, and joked Oakton smelled of sheep and leaf mould.

"That's new. You told me Oakton was your idea of 'languishing in the pits.'"

Drew froze, realizing he'd given something away. Ben had always admired Oakton, and Drew realized now Ben had been diplomatic. He buttoned the last button on his shirt, and straightened the cuffs, giving him time to think of an answer.

He looked out the window again, and then at her. He cocked his head on one side. "I used to think so, but I've learned to like it, caring for the estate, living here." He smiled gently at her. "Wouldn't you learn to love it?"

She suddenly wanted to be home, away from him, from the old Ben and the new. It was over.

"I'll take a shower now." She threw the covers back and slid out of bed. She wished she hadn't drunk so much. "I'll be leaving soon, Ben, I want to get home and see how Papa is doing."