Rose of Sharon |Courting Trouble BK 2|

Chapter 26 (Part 1)

Which is loveliest in a rose? Its coy beauty when it's budding, or its splendor when it blows? - George Barlow

Ryan noticed the difference in his wife the moment she stepped out of her car, but for some reason, she refused to talk about it. She had a convincing reason though and as such, the matter was soon forgotten by reason of the long evening that was still ahead of them.

Of course, Ryan did not let it slide just like that. He did look to Arnold for help, but even as the man shrugged his shoulders, he knew that he could get nothing there. This driver cum bodyguard was too royal to his wife, therefore, if he truly needed to get to the bottom of things, he would have to take up the matter with Katrina herself.

It would have to wait though , he noted as he noticed the time by his watch. She was right, there was no time left. That is, if there really was an art show that they had to attend to. However, in this case there was none. All his paintings had sold out by the third day and unknown to Katrina, the previous day had been the last day for displaying.

Of course, he would have wanted Katrina to be present, but with the preparations for the baby shower that were still underway, that would have been an impossible feat to accomplish considering that they still keeping the whole thing a secret.

Had she been present, how could she have missed the deliveries that were always arriving or her magnified likeness that was meant to take centre piece and that had been stowed away up until the very last show? It was all for the sake of the surprise. However, he was still apprehensive and he could only hope that Katrina would not get mad at him when she realised that he had kept her from attending the last day of the art showing.

As he got off the phone with the gallery to check on some last minute arrangements, Katrina walked out of the mansion looking lovely in the white flowing evening dress that he himself had laid out for her.

She had put on some make up too, not too much though, and was carrying a beige coloured coat on one arm that matched quite nicely with her gold strappy low heeled wedges.

"Let me," he said as he approached her to help her with her coat.

She smiled sweetly and his heart almost melted at how adorable she was looking. He had know her for how long? How had he not noticed such a beauty? Maybe it was because she had been his friend and they had known each other through the awkward phases. Or maybe it was because he had been afraid...

"What's on your mind? " it was she who questioned him and he shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts.

"I can't begin to express how lovely you are looking."

"I look like a whale wearing a curtain. " she complained and he laughed out loudly.

"True..."

"You are supposed to reassure me." She cut in, pouting and complaining before he could say anything more after the first word.

"Let me finish." he laughed at her. "As I was saying, it's true that Dawn is getting bigger by the day, but I assure you, your soft figure is nowhere near that of a whale and that gown can never be mistaken for a curtain. "

"You are only saying that to assuage my feelings. "

"And what would I gain from that?" At that, she gave him a look and he threw up his hands in surrender. "Fine, I would gain alot. But I am telling you the truth as I see it. Mrs. Thorpe, you are positively glowing."

Arnold watched the exchange with a small smile tagging at his lips. His old mistress had been right. Nature should be allowed to take its course. Certain processes if interfered with would not manifest this beautifully and as he watched this girl that he had seen grow up get doled upon by her once estranged husband, he could only remark that miracles did exist.

He had seen how they had treated him. Any man would have probably reacted the same way. To be forced into such a situation, how could you manage to love the one that was responsible? Still, his little mistress had been innocent. She was unaware of the deals behind the scenes and had suffered greatly for father's mistakes. At least now she could smile, and to think that a former friend had even dropped by. There was hope that even happier days were still ahead of her. She had wept for too long and deserved the reprieve that life was now offering her.

"Shall we? " he nodded as he opened the door to her car and she and her husband got in. It did not take them long to arrive at the gallery and as he watched the couple walk out hand in hand and into the confines of the building, he could only smile at the picture and remark in his mind that it was a miracle indeed.

***

The first thing that Katrina noticed was own her eyes staring down at her. They were a magnified version of the real thing but there was no way that she could miss the set greens that always stared back at her everytime she looked at a mirror.

It was a painting though. One that she had note seen on the very first of viewing and it made her wonder if somethimg had changed in the art's arrangement.

"Did you..." She turned to question Ryan but the words died on her lips as she viewed something else that she had last seen all those six months ago.

"Hoe did you... " she turned back to her husband this time with fresh tears dripping down from her eyes.