Sharing Corrie

Chapter Thirty

 Corrie spun around, startled to find a panting, red-faced Edwin standing before them. He sputtered for breath, leaning to rest his elbows against his knees.

"Edwin?" Corrie questioned, unsure if the color on his face was from rage or exertion.

"I...I knew it!" he declared, straightening and pointing an accusatory finger at the two of them. "I knew it. Cornelia, you have been cheating on me with this...this scoundrel! You betrayed me!"

Corrie balked for a moment, completely at a loss for words. Edwin appeared crazed as he still struggled to catch his breath.

"Edwin, what are you saying? We talked about this, and-"

"And yet," he raged, "here you are alone with him having an intimate conversation! Tell me what I am supposed to think?"

"Edwin, we're not alone!" Corrie defended herself. "Christina's right inside that door. How could you...how could you think this of me?"

Her voice faltered, and Corrie felt the blame she had placed on herself grow inside of her at his accusations.

"How can I blame you?" Edwin shouted, his voice wild. "You were here alone for months; why wouldn't you seek solace with the only man young enough to be my competition in this entire town? He took advantage of your grief to insert himself into your life!"

"That's not true!" Corrie cried, stepping closer to Edwin.

In his wild eyes darting to and fro, Corrie saw not only anger but raw pain. He felt betrayed by the fantasy he had decided to believe. Corrie felt a pang of sympathy for him, but he had deceived himself. She had not acted on her impulses; she had remained loyal at the cost of her own heart.

"And you!" Edwin said, brushing past Corrie to approach Dr. Benjamin who loomed inches above Edwin. "You knew she had a beau, yet you still have been by her side at every turn. You should have heard how she wrote about you in her letters. Dr. Benjamin this, Dr. Benjamin that. I would have thought you were a magician for the way she talked of your compassionate care and selfless service," Edwin's voice was mocking. "How dare you! She's not yours to have, she's mine!"

Dr. Benjamin pondered silently for a moment. "No, she's not mine, nor have I made any claims on her; she belongs entirely to herself. Miss Walker has remained steadfast and loyal to you despite your failure to visit her for months. She has never crossed the bounds of propriety. Any betrayal you may suspect certainly should not fall on her."

Edwin sneered. "So you're willing to take the fall for her, are you? Heroically accept the blame? I will not turn you into a martyr!"

Corrie approached Edwin and touched his arm softly. He seemed to wither under her touch into a mere shell of a man. "Edwin, your accusations are unfounded. Nothing has happened between Dr. Benjamin and me. You have to trust me."

He turned to look at her, and for a moment he looked like a child, not like the brash socialite she'd come to know. Edwin's round coffee eyes wanted to believe her, she could tell.

"Please, Edwin. Nothing happened," she murmured, expecting him to finally surrender to her insistence.

"I'm losing you to these...these people," Edwin spat vehemently, squaring his shoulders, and pushing past them both to force himself into Christina's room. "And you," Edwin cried at Christina who was staring at them all in shock. "You're the reason Cornelia left me behind and why she won't come back with me. You're the reason I'm losing her."

"Edwin, come on," Corrie said, this time grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the door.

"No!" he yelled. "I'm done here. You've obviously made your choice."