On the day Zoes funeral was held, Frederick did not shed a single tear.
See? I told you he never loved Zoe, whispered Tess to her neighbour, Lily, as if sharing a secret.
Shh, what does it matter now? The children are left orphaned with such a father.
Lily replied, Youll see, hell soon marry Katie.
Tied to Katie? What does she have to do with him? Gloria loves him, isnt she the one he ran through the hayfields with? Katie will never bother with him; she has a family and has already forgotten him.
Do you really know? Lily asked.
Of course. Katies husband is a war hero, why would she need Frederick and his brood? Shes practical. And Gloria? Shes still tangled with Mick.
Lily nodded, Thats where the love will spin again.
Zoe was laid to rest, the children clinging to each others hands. Milo and Polly had just turned eight. Zoe had married Frederick out of a grand romance, yet no one in the villagenor Zoe herselfknew whether Frederick ever loved her.
They said she became pregnant, and that forced Frederick into the marriage. Their first child, a tiny girl named Clara, was born seven months early and lived only a few weeks; after that, Zoe and Frederick had no children for a long time. Frederick was always gloomy and laconic; villagers called him Grim. He was stingy with words and even more with affectiona fact Zoe knew well.
Still, heaven took pity. How often she prayed, no one could say, but the sky gifted Zoe twin babies at once.
Polly and Milo were born together. Milo inherited his mothers gentle, tender nature; Polly took after her fathersilent, locked behind a hundred doors, her thoughts an unreadable script. Yet she was closer to Frederick, for their temperaments matched.
When Frederick tinkered in the barn, a swirl of tools and wood shavings, Polly would hover, listening to his halftold tales about life. Milo lingered by his mother, sweeping the floor, hauling water in a tiny bucketsmall deeds that meant the world. Zoe adored both children, though she never quite grasped Pollys quiet mystery, while Milo won her heart wholly.
On her deathbed, Zoe whispered to Milo,
Son, Ill be gone soon. Youll be the head now. Protect your sister, be her shield. Shes a girl, weaker, and shell need you.
Father? Milo asked.
What? Zoe, confused, replied.
Will Father protect us?
I dont know, boy. Life will tell.
Then dont die. How will we survive without you? Milo wept.
Ah, son, if it were up to me Zoe mused, and the dawn found her gone.
Frederick stood beside his wifes cold hand, neither a word nor a tear escaping him. He slumped, his shoulders hunched, his face darkened as if the very light refused him. And that was that.
Life trudged on its familiar path. Polly took on the role of mistress of the house, attempting to cook and tidy, though still a child herself. Aunt Natalie, Fredericks sister, came often, helping Polly learn the chores of a country home.
Aunt Natalie, Polly asked one afternoon, is Father going to marry again?
I have no idea whats turning in his mind. He wont tell me, Natalie replied, pausing to smooth a tablecloth.
Natalie had her own husband, Victor, and a happy brood of her own.
Will you take us in if anything happens? Polly pressed.
Dont imagine that, dear. Your father loves you and will never let anyone hurt you, Natalie said firmly.
Rumours swirled through the village like autumn leaves, suggesting that Frederick and Glorias old flame was rekindling.
Glorias gone mad, muttered Tess at the village shop, shes back with Frederick and has forgotten her own family.
Foolish woman, the other women laughed.
Enough gossip, barked Mr. Max Leonard, chairman of the parish council, stop digging up old bones. You know nothing of your neighbours.
Indeed, Frederick and Gloria had once been passionate, the sort of love that inspired ballads. Then Frederick was sent to a distant farming community in the north to help struggling cooperatives. He spent two months there, while Gloria tangled with Mick. Upon his return, Frederick learned of the affair, confronted Mick, and never spoke to Gloria again.
Gloria eventually married Mick, a roguish man who spent his days at the local tavern, leaving Gloria weeping over the man she could not hold. Frederick, a sober, hardworking man, kept his silence, speaking only when his heart forced him.
Village folk began to notice Fredericks lingering glances toward Zoe, and she seemed to blossom like a bluebell, admired by all.
Love does strange things to people, they murmured.
Zoe had loved Frederick for years, keeping silent, not daring to challenge Gloria. Life, however, had other plans. The two met, walked together, and eventually signed the marriage register at the parish council. Their wedding was modest. Fredericks only remaining family was Natalie; Zoes mother was an elderly widow who had given birth to her late. The villages chairman, Victor Prokhorov, oversaw the ceremony.
Zoes mother, a proud woman named Olivia, had never married. She flirted with many men, but Zoe never followed in her footstepsshe was not responsible for her mothers choices.
Villagers pitied Zoe, especially after she wed Frederick. What a tragedy, sighed Nina Perkins, he doesnt love her; shell suffer her whole life.
Yet, strangely, Frederick remained faithful. Could the quiet of a small village truly conceal everything?
They spent fifteen years together, never quarreling, while the villagers slowly settled down. Then, last winter, Zoe fell gravely ill with a disease that offered no cure.
One day, Frederick was returning from the fields.
Freddie, may I drop by for a spell? Ive baked scones for the children, called Grace, holding a tray of warm pastries.
No thanks, Grace. Nora already baked for us yesterday.
I mean it from the heart, Freddie.
Your sister feels the same.
Freddie, lets meet at the mill at dusk, Grace pressed.
What for? he asked.
Did you forget everything we shared? she implored.
What we had is long gone. My children are my life. I love Zoe.
You cant bring her back now, Grace said.
Love never dies, Frederick replied.
You never loved her. You married her out of spite.
Grace, go home, Frederick whispered, turning away. He hurried back to the house where his children waited. Grace stood alone in the lane, the wind carrying her sighs.
Years passed; the children grew. Aunt Natalie still visited, now fully aware that her brother was a onetrack mind.
Polly, I heard youre seeing Graham Vorn, Natalie said as she entered.
Yes. What of it? Polly replied, blushing.
Just be careful, Natalie warned. You know whats at stake.
I love him for life, Polly declared.
Do you really think that will last? Natalie asked.
Im sure.
And if Graham betrays you? Natalie pressed.
If he does, Ill never love again.
I believe you, Natalie smiled.
That evening, Milo and Polly waited for their father to finish work.
Dads late again, Milo muttered.
Its Friday, Polly replied.
He always visits Moms grave on Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends.
How do you know? Milo asked, eyebrows lifting.
Youre clueless, Milo, if you dont feel your fathers spirit.
They slipped quietly to the cemetery, Polly leading Milo along a hidden path through the garden hedges.
Look, she whispered, pointing at a hunched figure near the stone.
Milo listened and heard his father speaking softly:
Zoe, its as it is. Soon Polly will be married. Ive gathered her dowry, Nora helped. Life goes on slowly. Forgive me, my love, for the few words I gave you. My heart has said it all.
Fredericks voice crackled, I cannot speak much, but I speak with my heart. He shuffled toward the gate, his figure fading into the mist.
Polly watched Milo, tears glistening in his eyes, as the dreamlike night wrapped the village in its quiet, uncanny hush.
