Westminster 1822

One Army

Westminster felt abandoned like an old gold mine run cold. It stood as an echo of what it once held. They stood outside the kitchen entrance.

‘We’re all leaving Westminster. Everyone is afraid after what happened to Agrona.’ Furlong said.

Emily’s head snapped in her direction, ‘You’re all abandoning him?’

Furlong shook her head and took Emily’s hand. ‘This needs to happen…’ Furlong looked at the grass then back up to Emily’s face.

‘Your sister was strong enough to stand up to a man, but you Emily were strong enough to be quiet, to be loud when the time was right. Brave enough to shut the endless voices of society members. Brave enough to open your heart to love and the thing I believe is the hardest, to forgive. May you not be the last of your kind Emily.’

‘I’m not strong Furlong… I’m wild, reckless and foolish. I won’t last you said it yourself—’

‘Forgive me! I thought I was preparing you to leave the walls of this house and the clutches of your mother forever. It’s a cruel society child and only those with the principals only society approves are able to form a small portion of freedom. But you were born to be different, I didn’t see it. Forgive me.’

Tears swelled in the back of Emily’s head. Sobs clogged her throat. Emily nodded. Words escaped her never would she have dreamed the mighty Madam Furlong would be standing with her under a dark night asking for forgiveness and that she would have the strength to give it.

‘May I see Agrona before you leave?’

Furlong nodded and guided her to the stable.

***

Could night get any murkier than it already was? The sound of the owl in the tallest tree be more dire. It was morning by the time Emily left Agrona, but the sun refused to rise and the stars denied to fade.

Emily felt like deadweight on her walk to the castle. She couldn’t feel her limbs, her eyes felt like they were being dragged along the grass. In scenarios like her own tales of the past should remain dead in their graves, holding on to their secrets as babies to their mother’s breasts.

Instead, the truth she sought her entire life burst in the midnight sky. By the swollen teary eyed face of the only other to show her love the truth was told. Emily’s mother was never a woman with a title, but a person who swept the floors. Emily couldn’t keep in the hysterical laughs. She was the spawn of an affair, a love affair her father would have lost the world that sat peacefully in his palm for one woman.

The double doors to Oscar’s room were wide open. Emily stuck her head through the door. He was sound asleep. She went in to lift the covers to his neck. Could he really have been so cruel? Emily asked herself.

She slipped into Ella’s room next. A clear jar of water sat on her bedside table. Emily didn’t care to glance how serene her sister was while she slept. Emily emptied the water on Ella’s face.

Ella shot up, gasping for breath like a fish stolen from the sea.

‘What is the meaning of this?’ Ella shouted.

‘How could you do that to Agrona? You monster! You’ve lost your mind Ella.’

‘Oh… it’s only you.’ Ella grinned. ‘You will regret ever being conceived Emily. I warned you.’

‘I won’t ever regret anything Ella even if it only means I’ll be holding a bit of satisfaction from you.’

‘Elton is mine. Father agreed to annul your marriage. He’ll be my husband before the week ends.’

Heat rushed to Emily’s cheeks, fury consumed her soul and years of torment and lies cut through her like a blade. Her palm struck Ella across the face then again with her back hand.

Ella panted, cradling her cheeks. She tossed the covers aside and jumped out of bed. She raised her hand to hit Emily, but her attempt was caught in Emily’s hand.

‘He’ll never love you. I doubt anyone ever will.’

‘No, it’s you no one decent will ever love. You bastard! Do you know what you are?!’

‘I do Ella.’ Emily lifted her chin.

‘Elton can never marry a bastard. It would be such a tragedy.’ Ella laughed.

‘If he refuses to marry me for what I am then good riddance!’

‘But your foolishness stops here. The entire house knows you tried to kill Agrona and you murdered Harris. The law still exists and the marquess of Birmingham will want justice for his son.’

Ella launched her body at Emily. They stumbled out the bedroom and into the hall. Emily pushed Ella against the wall, knocking portraits to the ground.

‘You’re nothing!’

‘And you’re going to jail!’

‘Get out of my house! You have no right to be here anyway, you bastard!’

‘You won’t get rid of me.’

Emily swept Ella off her feet. She landed on her back. Emily skipped over and dashed into Oscar’s room, locking the door behind her.

***

Emily dozed off at the desk the sun shone through the curtains. When she woke, she thought she rose from a bad dream. A nightmare that was all too real. Oscar stirred in bed, she waited for him to fully awaken before she spoke. He kept her from her mother, he never said a thing. Yet, he always claimed to love her.

‘Emily?’ His frail voice startled her.

She couldn’t bring her eyes to focus on him.

‘I’m… I’m sorry… please forgive me.’

Emily allowed time to flow with the gentle breeze passing through the open window.

‘Where is she?’ Emily asked.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

‘Emma moved to a village not far from here. She died many years ago in an accident on the road. I lost her forever along with any chance of forgiveness.’

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She wiped them away. They couldn’t even talk now, never share an embrace.

‘She died thinking I was dead,’ Emily sighed.

She felt like a hollowed-out tree. Ella wouldn’t let her stay in the house, she couldn’t inherit and there was a glimmer of a chance she had no marriage too. Ella had won. Emily had nothing, not a mother to run to, not a place to hide.

‘What will happen to me now? Ella’s hellbent on destroying me. She told me you annulled my marriage arrangement. There’s nothing left for me at Westminster.’

‘Forgive me my love. I didn’t want you to find out what I had done. I only agreed to Ella’s demands so you wouldn’t leave me. I can’t lose you.’

Emily turned her head to his wrinkled face and said, ‘Why would you want me? I’m a bastard, a disgrace.’

‘NO! You are none of those things. You are my child! The result of a love I couldn’t keep. No, matter what Ella demands you will inherit the estate—’

‘Over my dead body,’ Ella growled. She stood between the gap in the door.

Oscar lifted himself to lean against the frame. ‘Ella, I am still your father and I own everything. I can disinherit you!’

‘Bastards can’t inherit anything! If I get nothing neither, can she.’

Ella spat. ‘Your hours in this house are numbered.’

She stormed out of the room. Emily rushed to close the door.