Loyalty Divided

Chapter Forty Five

Evangeline stood in the grand hallway of her summer home, directing her servants with a practiced precision that belied the turmoil in her heart. The house was already immaculate, but she couldn't shake the need to keep everyone busy, to keep herself busy, as she anticipated Arthur's arrival.

"Mrs. Wright, shall we prepare the sitting room as well?" one of the maids asked, looking up at her expectantly.

"Yes, please. And make sure there's fresh flowers in there," Evangeline replied, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. "And the kitchen should be ready with refreshments. I don't want anything to be out of place."

As the servants scurried off to their tasks, Evangeline took a moment to catch her breath, her hand resting lightly on the polished banister. She thought of Charlotte, who was happily spending the day with her grandparents, blissfully unaware of the emotional upheaval her mother was experiencing. Evangeline had insisted on sending her daughter away for the evening, not wanting her to witness the complex and potentially painful reunion that was about to unfold.

She walked into the sitting room, her gaze immediately drawn to the painting above the fireplace. It was a portrait of her and Ben, captured in a moment of happiness that seemed both distant and recent. They were smiling, their faces lit with the uncomplicated joy of a simpler time. Evangeline approached the painting, her fingers lightly tracing the frame as if she could reach out and touch the memory.

With a sigh, she sank into the plush sofa beneath the painting, the room's warmth contrasting sharply with the chill in her heart. She looked up at Ben's kind eyes, feeling the familiar ache of loss that never quite went away.

"Oh, Ben," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what to do. Seeing Arthur again... it's brought everything back. The love, the pain, the confusion. I thought I'd buried those feelings long ago, that they'd fade with time. But they're still here, as raw as ever."

She paused, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I wish you were here to tell me what to do. You always knew how to calm my storm, how to make sense of the chaos. I miss you so much, Ben. Every single day."

Evangeline took a deep breath, trying to steady her trembling voice. "Part of me is angry at him, at Arthur, for coming back and disrupting the life I've built. But another part... another part of me is glad. Glad to see him, to know he's alive and well. And that makes me feel guilty, Ben. Guilty for feeling anything but sorrow since you've been gone."

She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall freely now. "You saved me, Ben. You gave me a life I never thought I could have. And now... now I don't know what to do. Arthur wants to see me again, and I don't know if I can handle it. I don't know if I can face him without feeling like I'm betraying you."

Evangeline wiped her tears with the back of her hand, taking another deep breath. "I just hope you understand, wherever you are. I hope you know that I loved you with all my heart, and that love will never fade. But I need to find a way to navigate this, to make peace with my past and find a path forward."

She stood up, straightening her dress and squaring her shoulders. "I'll figure it out, Ben. For Charlotte, for myself. And I'll try to honor your memory, no matter what happens." She twisted her wedding ring around her finger and gave it a quick kiss.

With one last look at the painting, Evangeline turned and left the sitting room, readying herself for the evening ahead. The storm inside her hadn't quieted, but she felt a little stronger.

Evangeline heard the door knocker echo through the hall, the sound jolting her from her thoughts. It was almost sunset, and the warm golden light filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor. Her heart raced as she quickly moved towards the front door, smoothing her dress with nervous hands. She reached the door just as one of the servants appeared from around the corner, but she gestured for him to step back, determined to face this moment herself.