Disquieting: Day 9

Word Count: 54,049

Summary of Events:

Following the pastor having suffered a series of severe coughing fits during the Sunday sermon, Vera's father had him come for an examination, whose concerning results he shared with Vera and her mother, believing the pastor to have a lung ailment that the pastor wasn't interested in having treated. Matthew was invited to supper on the coming Thursday by Mr. Millard, who was oddly evasive when it came to supplying his address so Matthew would know where he was to go come Thursday. During the week, Carlisle came over to visit Vera for the first time since the evening after the Forsyths had arrived…

Excerpt of the Day:

“Vera, my love,” Carlisle said.

Vera did her best to muster a smile despite her mind suddenly raising doubts as to the veracity of his statement.

“I have concerns, very serious concerns, about your wellbeing,” Carlisle said.

“My wellbeing?” Vera asked, perplexed.

“Yes,” Carlisle replied. “You seem very fretful of late, and I don’t believe it is good for our relationship for you to be in such a state.”

“What do you mean?” Vera asked.

“You’re very jealous, Vera,” Carlisle replied. “You seem to be completely incapable of trusting me to not look at another woman with a desire for her over you.”

“You are my fiancé,” Vera said. “Do I not have some measure of right to covet those affections which such a title demands of you toward me? Do I not have justifiable reason to want you to protect me from those who would hurt me — irrespective of whether they hurt you in so doing — now in order to have assurance that it will occur in the future when I no longer have my father to also come to my defence?”

“Of course,” Carlisle replied. “And I will do exactly such things when the need arises, but lately you have been taking things to the extreme, and I am concerned that you are becoming paranoid.”

“I don’t think I am,” Vera replied.

“What about your father?” Carlisle asked. “He’s a doctor.”

“He’s not concerned about my sanity either,” Vera replied. “He, and I, are concerned about your conduct.”

“Vera, I promise you that I will rise to your defence if ever I should perceive that you have been hurt,” Carlisle said.

“Then why haven’t you?” Vera demanded.

“Well, when have you been hurt?” Carlisle asked.

“I told you a week ago,” Vera replied. “Immediately upon it happening.”

“When?” Carlisle asked.

“When Miss Forsyth insulted me,” Vera replied. “I told you that I didn’t appreciate, and was even hurt, by what she said, nor did I disguise my feelings, but you completely ignored me.”

“Vera, that is where you’re being irrational and paranoid,” Carlisle said. “I can assure you that Sybilla did not say what you think she said, and that you are simply overreacting to what she actually did say.”

“Mr. Pickford,” Papa said, looking up from a book on lung diseases he’d been reading through in order to help him puzzle through what was going on with Rev. Britton. “That is the same argument you used with me when I came to you about Vera’s upset after that incident. And I can assure you that my daughter is not paranoid. I have never had reason to believe she is in any way delusional, both from a genetic standpoint, and the standpoint of medical observation. She is of completely sound mind and utterly justified in desiring the fullest of your affections, since you have made it clear to all that you intend to be her husband, and thus to have eyes only for her, no matter whether a fairer maiden might come along.”

“And I have been,” Carlisle protested. “Never once have I given her anything less than my full attention and love.”