Henrietta

~Epilogue~

~Epilogue~

Country Lands of Theodosia

Calvin attuned his black vest, and made certain that the bow was well adjusted. The nerves quaking in his gut could not be contained and neither could the smile. He ran a comb through his hair to slick it back, bringing the green from his eyes an intense bright color. He let out a heavy exhalation and made certain to add a bit of Harland cypress to his skin. The smell was masculine and spicy; a minty fresh scent that he hoped enchanted Ettie. His wedding was to take place a little to an hour and he still could not stop thinking about how nervous he was.

So many questions flooded his mind as he began to pace his chamber bed. What if he failed to be a great husband? Would Ettie leave him? The thought of her no longer feeling anything for him made Calvin a bit edgy.

There was no one there to say any encouraging words to him, not his brother Nathaniel, nor his mother. His family was a bit too uptight but Calvin could understand why. After his father had been buried, they had held a grudge against him for not showing his face. However, none of them knew what Calvin had gone through nor would he try to explain. What mattered now was that he was about to start his life over, and he hoped that it consisted of a good future.

The grand clock in his room ticked, and each clicking of the hand made him want to run in the direction of the church. What followed after was a knock putting Calvin in the brink of sweating his nerves out. When a maid entered to say that his chariot awaited he simply nodded and pulled on his white gloves, ready to exit. He waited to hear her fading footsteps and then opened the door to exit. His eyes grew wide to see Ettie standing there, her body wrapped in a robe. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, her face a mess of tears.

"Henrietta...what is the meaning of this?" he asked a bit dumbfounded.

She turned to look over her shoulder, pushed him inside, her face flushing a bright pink as she locked the door, and stood there unable to look at him.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"I must confess something...I feel the need to tell you this." she muttered.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Calvin...that day...at the barn. I felt my life slipping from me, I felt the wave of darkness overcome me, enveloping me in a cloud of daze." She whispered.

Calvin marched up to Ettie and turned her to face him, his eyes searching her own.

"I don't understand." He replied.

"In the pit of all the darkness a light shone brightly, and that's when I saw her. Lydia appeared to be lost, weeping in deep sorrow as she ventured past me as if I was not there. I understood, for some reason I understood what was happening without explanations. I allowed her to take my place. My first thought was of you, I thought this would please you if I had died and she returned."

"You switched placed with Lydia?" he whispered.

"Yes, I came to find later when she slept that I could hear your voice, I was still trapped in my own body, but unable to take command of it. It was then when I heard you say such beautiful words and utter my name what a fool I had been." She confessed.

"Oh Henrietta your heart is bigger than I imagined, but I care little if you think you made a fool of yourself. What matters is that you are here, and soon you will become my wife. I fell in love with you the moment I took notice. For all that is worth forgive me, for having you a mere foot from me and never realizing that the love of my life was you. You managed to kill all the bitter and sour loneliness inside my heart."