The Royal Secret

Prologue America 1816 Scarlet Freeman watched as her mother stepped into a low cut gown that only reached her knees, the dress hung off her shoulders and barley covered her n*****s. Her mother opened the powder box and took out the puff. She puffed her breasts with the powder, which made them whiter than they were. She put the puff back in the box and took out some rouge. She put it on her cheeks and lips. She put her hair up next. She took the hair at the sides of her head and tied that back with a ribbon. Scarlet, who was only ten, knew that this all meant her mother was expecting company, the male kind. She knew that she would have to stay in her room when her mother had company. It was an unspoken rule between them. When Scarlet had been five she had walked into her mother’s room. She had had a bad nightmare and wanted her mother. Only, her mother had been with a man. Her mother had stared at her in horror while the man had smiled sweetly at her. Scarlet, not understanding what was happening had stood staring at them. She’d run from the room when the man had told her to leave. Scarlet’s mother, Annie Freeman, had been eighteen when Scarlet had been born. Scarlet’s father had been Annie’s own uncle John Freeman. Annie had been fourteen the first time her uncle had r***d her and taken her virginity. Her father had known and let it happen. Her father had been the one to tell her uncle that he could have her. It had been to settle a gambling debt. The day before Annie's sixteenth birthday her father died. For the next year her uncle made her sleep in the same bed as him. Every chance to r**e her he took. When he found out she was pregnant he had beaten her and brutally used her. He had then kicked her out. Annie had been taken in by an old woman who lived in a cottage in the next town. The old woman had helped her give birth to Scarlet. The woman had died just a month before Scarlet’s first birthday. The woman had had a son. He said that they could stay. He would not ask for rent. He only asked that Annie have s*x with him once a week. That was who she was expecting tonight. “Mama?” Scarlet asked. Annie turned to her. She asked, “What, sweetie?” “Can I have a baby?” Scarlet asked. “What?” Annie asked. “Some of the girls at school are getting married,” Scarlet said. “They said that they were going to have babies.” “Those girls are older then you,” Annie said. “You are only ten. You can have a baby when you are older.” “Then you can have a baby!” Scarlet said. “Sweetie,” Annie said, “You know Mommy loves you. Why would she want another baby?” “So you can have more to love,” Scarlet said. “There would be two of us to love, instead of just me!” “I’ll think about it,” Annie said. Scarlet nodded just as a knock came on the door. “I get it!” Scarlet yelled as she headed for the door. “Wait for Mommy!” Annie said as she followed. Annie opened the door with Scarlet at her side. The man that stood in the doorway was not the old woman’s son, Jack Guy. This man was different. This man had brown hair and green eyes. “Who you?” Scarlet asked. “Shh, dear,” Annie said. “It’s all right,” the man said. “I’m James Royal. I’m Jacks nephew.” “Has something happened to Jack?” Annie asked. “He’s had an accident,” James said. “He’s not coming?” Scarlet asked. “No blueberries?” “Actually,” he said, bending down to pick up a basket by the door, “Jack had me bring these. He wanted you to make a pie.” He turned to look at Annie. “He wanted me to come here. He wants you to come to the house. He wants to see you there.” “I’ll go get my cloak,” Annie said. She hurried from the room. She returned a few minutes later. “Mommy?” Scarlet asked. “Oh, Scarlet!” Annie said. “I forgot about you, sweetie!” “I can stay with her,” James said. “I don’t know,” Annie said. “I don’t really know you.” “I promise nothing will happen,” James said. “We will eat blueberries and then I will put her to bed.” “Please, Mommy?” Scarlet said. “All right,” Annie said. “But if you harm her-” “I’ll be fine, Mommy,” Scarlet said. “All right,” Annie said. “Be good.” She kissed Scarlet on the forehead. “Bye, Mommy!” Scarlet said as Annie left. Annie turned to wave and then walked away. James closed the door when Annie was out of sight. He turned to Scarlet and asked, “What would you like to do?” “I don’t know,” Scarlet said. “Mommy was expecting Jack. Is he all right?” He smiled. “Better then all right,” he said. “He fell off his horse and broke his arm.” “That’s sad,” she said. “How old are you?” “Twenty,” he said. “And you?” “Ten,” she said. He looked at him for a moment. “Do you think that Jack can give Mommy a baby?” “I don’t know,” he said. He held out the blueberries. “Eat these.” “No,” she said. “Save them. Mommy can make a pie. Yeah?” “Okay,” he said. He set the basket on the table. “What do you want to do now?” “I don’t know,” she said. “It’s usually me and Mommy. Expect when Mr. Jack comes. Then I have to stay in my room. I walked into Mommies room once. A different man was here then.” She lowered her voice a little. “They weren’t wearing any clothes.” “Well, sometimes grownups do that,” he said. “Do you?” she asked. He blushed as he said, “Sometimes.” It was then that they heard yelling. James saw the light of torches. He grabbed Scarlet’s hand. He pulled her to his side. “What was that?” she asked. “I don’t know,” he said. “I have to get you away from here.” He opened the door. The grass in front of the house was on fire. She looked up at him. “Where is Mommy?” She asked. He saw what looked like a body burning in the grass. He closed the door. “I don’t know,” he told her. “She’s probably at Jacks already.” He looked at her. “Does this place have a cellar?” “Yes,” she said. “He picked her up, along with the basket of blueberries. He went into the kitchen and opened the back door. Scarlet pointed to the cellar door. “Go on down,” he told her as he sat her down. “But Mommy?” she asked. “She’s fine,” he said. “She is at Jacks. Hurry on down now. Be quick.” She went down into the cellar. James followed her in. He closed the door behind him.