My Emerald

Father's Downfall

After numerous hello’s and introductions, he finally spots Daphne and the middle-aged man that must be her fiance heading towards them. Will leaned over and whispered “I thought you said he was younger Dad, he looks like he has 10 years on me.” Before turning to meet an eager Gerald, shoving his hand out.

“Mr. Hartford I am so pleased to meet you I’m Gerald Cross, Daphne’s fiance.”

Will tentatively took his hand before firmly shaking it. His father taught him you could tell a lot about a man from his handshake and he took that lesson to heart. Gerals had sweaty palms indicating he was nervous, but an overly firm grip, meaning he was trying to assert dominance. He also continued the handshake for an overtly unnecessary time, indicating to Will he was cocky.

“I’ve heard a lot about your Gerald.” Will managed to state evenly everything about this man screaming snake and he understood why his Uncle had sought him out, he was just like him.

“Oh Willey play nice,” Daphne whined out in an obnoxiously nosey voice, “I’ll always be your little sister, he’s worried about losing me to you Gerald, I’m kind of the princess around here.” She was bouncing with enthusiasm at this point.

Daphne loved being the center of attention and felt all eyes should be on her as she was the most desirable woman ever. A low chuckle sounded from behind me and Daphne’s eyes shot over to where it had come from.

She gasped and nudged Gerald, “Get her away from my mother now!” She seethed.

I turned to see who had her in such a frenzy and saw my mother walking up with another girl. Mesmerized by her beautiful body, my eyes traced up her tone legs and petite frame, to her perfect round bouncing breast and arm interlinked with my mother, who was, smiling? It had been years since she smiled, finally the girl turned to face the entrance and moved her long chestnut hair. My voice was caught in my throat. What was she doing here? My emerald and much less with my mother, I looked over to see my father also looking at this woman with admiration. What had I missed?

“Charlotte Cross” a stern voice came from behind me, I turned back to see Gerald with his face flat as stone, only then noticing my Uncle eyeing Charlotte as well, lust written all over his face. Death before one hand lay on her porcelain skin, I thought to myself as I watched his reaction. “What is Gerald's relation to Charlotte,” I asked myself as I turned back around to see her white as a sheet. She had dropped my mother's arm, much to her displeasure, and was walking straight towards us. Our eyes met briefly and a look of shock registered before going back to her indifferent compuser. At least she remembered me I thought to myself,

“Yes Dad?” Came her meek response, Dad? This snaky man was Charlotte's father. I could read all the hate Daphne held for her on her face and the whole party had ceised for this interaction. “Please continue I will just be a moment I need to speak with Charlotte.” I watched as Daphne had a smug look of satisfaction as she strolled over to my mother. Rose's eyes didn’t leave Charlotte once as she was led out of the dining room before landing on my father, a silent plea that only he would understand. Harry nodded his head towards his wife who was being ushered away by Daphne to a seat right next to her.

Harry turned to Will, “do not make a scene or interrupt. But go and make sure no harm comes to her, I don’t know what his intentions are, but I can assure you he is not a loving father he tries to portray.” Will nodded and walked toward the hall where Gerald had taken Charlotte.

“Please excuse that, ladies and gentlemen, thank you all so much for coming to celebrate the engagement of our dear Daphne to Mr. Cross, please take your seats as dinner will be served.” All normal chatter resumed in the room as Daphne was basking in the congratulations and attention she was receiving.

Will had done as his father asked and stopped short of Gerald and Charlotte only to intervene if needed. He could hear Gerald whisper yelling at his daughter, “I don’t know who you think you are or what you are doing, but that is Daphne’s aunt, no even more her mother. You are just like your mother, a gold-digging w***e. If you do not fall into line you can forget about the tuition money and your rude entrance interrupted my meeting with Mr. Hartford about an internship for you. You better hope he still agrees after he saw you disgrace his favorite cousin.” I couldn’t understand how a father could speak to his child in that way, he called her and her mother a w***e. I made a note to ask Charlotte about this later. While my previous interaction with Charlotte was brief, she did not seem the type to take this reprimand, but looking on now, she kept her eyes cast down not saying anything.

Once he had finished, all she said was, “The internship is with Will?”

Will smirked, she had called him Will on her own accord.

“How dare you address him like that, what are you planning to bed him as well, I cannot believe Daphne was right about you. How I never saw it was beyond me, I raised you better than this.” While he had not directly harmed her. He had enough of hearing her degraded like this. He went around the corner,

“Gerald, dinner is being served, Daphne is asking for you.” He said as flatly as he could, all he wanted to do in that moment was pummel this man. “Oh, right of course”, he plastered a smile on his face, “Will I’d like to introduce you to Charlotte my daughter, after dinner I was hoping to discuss an internship for her at your publishing company.”

“It’s done”, Will cut him off.

“What is done?” Gerald asked, confused about his response.

Wills' eyes were trained on Charlotte's defeated face, “The internship with Hartford publishing, I’ll have my assistant contact Charlotte next week.” He noticed Charlotte perk up at the mention of Hartford Publishing. He guessed she hadn’t put the names together yet, but at least she knew who he was.

“Oh thank you so much, Mr. Hartford, she can be trouble, so if she gets out of line let me know and I will handle it. She’s been around her mother too long.” Gerald rambled, and Charlotte looked at him disgusted by his blatant disrespect for her mother.

“I can handle an intern, Gerald, now your fiance is still waiting,” Will replied coldly.

“Come Charlotte,” he motioned for her to follow.

Charlotte fell into step and I turned walking beside her. Gerald didn’t take long to stride away, leaving them alone. Will leaned down to Charlotte's ear to whisper, “The way he spoke to you is not okay, you deserve more. I am serious about the internship. If my assistant doesn’t hear from you next week, I will come find you.” Again Will noticed the familiar heat creeping up her chest and neck, the pink tinge in her cheeks becoming more prominent. The corner of his mouth picked up as he tried to restrain the smile. What this woman did to him was nothing like he had experienced before and she didn’t even know she was doing it.

“William, I appreciate the offer, but you haven’t even seen my resume. Right now I have an assignment I need to finish. Could you please just say I went to use the restroom if they question where I am?” She asked in the kindest voice she could muster at the moment before turning and walking back towards the house. She had never been spoken to like that by her father and was even more confident in her decision to cut him from her life after university. Either way, she still needed to finish her assignment. Now was not the time to sulk in her feelings. Will walked back out to join the party, catching his mother’s eye and questioning the smile plastered on her own face, like she had a secret he would never know.