Have Faith

Chapter 26

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father." Lydia Maria Francis Child

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Chapter Twenty – Six

"I cannot go to London just yet," replied Cassian.

"What? What do you mean?" Faith looked incredibly puzzled.

Cassian appreciated her urgency, and Lord knows Cassian felt it too, but the third of March was a very important date on Faith's calendar, and if Cassian left now, it would go past unnoticed, and Faith would be alone, and once again unable to visit her son.

"Finn, can you ensure that the purchase agreement is amended and correct?" Cassian asked Finn. "I want to take it with me to London."

Finn nodded, albeit looking just as confused as Faith. "Certainly. I will see to it immediately." Finn left the library and headed in the direction of the foyer.

"Hattie, will you please take Lucy downstairs?" Cassian then turned to his housemaid. "I am sure everyone will want to see her."

Hattie obeyed and held her hand out to Lucy, coaxing her to come along. Lucy skipped over to Hattie and placed her small hand into Hattie's waiting one. They, too, left the library.

"What is going on?" asked Faith firmly. "You heard what Hattie said. You need to go to London."

Cassian had only brought the one overcoat with him to Leicestershire, and so he was still wearing the same clothing that he was when he had first happened upon Faith in and amongst the wildflowers visiting with her son. When Faith had been pulled away by her husband, and the duel had been set, Cassian knew that it was highly likely that Faith would never have the opportunity to sit with her son again.

So Cassian had overturned the soil with his hands, selecting an area a few feet from where Faith had been sitting, so as not to disturb the grave, and had collected half a dozen daffodil bulbs. They were still in his pocket. He was no gardener, and it was highly likely his actions had killed the poor flowers, but he hoped the gesture would be enough to make Faith feel like she could remember her son anywhere.

Cassian fished the bulbs out of his pocket and held them in the palm of his hand. "I know it will be the third in two days. I know this year will be another you feel you are not with your son. But I have brought these bulbs for us to make a new place for him here. These are the same flowers you buried him amongst. We will be creating our own family here, but I want you to feel as though you still have a piece of your son with you."

Faith brought her gaze from the bulbs in Cassian's hand up to his eyes. Her eyes were glassy and filled with tears and her bottom lip was trembling. Faith stood up on her toes and pressed her lips against his softly. She then wound her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Cassian closed his hand around the bulbs so he would not drop them and returned Faith's embrace.

She said nothing, but he knew his gesture meant the world to Faith.

It was almost frightening the lengths that he would go to in order to make Faith happy. Her happiness was everything to him. Cassian could not fathom the love he had for the woman, and how she had consumed every inch of his world in so many months.

Faith's pain was his pain, and he would do anything to ease it.

Faith pulled back, and placed her hand on his cheek. "You go to London," she whispered, "and you bring home our son."

***

Cassian had lost a colossal amount of blood only a mere three weeks ago, and a week long trek to London had not done him any favours. He felt weak and tired, and the site where Faith had burned him still bloody hurt.