Chapter 14
1761 Words
Chapter 14
Scarlet looked over to where Hope sat with Donny. She smiled at the sight. Hope would be a great mother one day. She wanted the best for Hope.
“Will you be coming to our New Years party, Hope?” Scarlet asked.
“Of course,” Hope said. She looked at Donny. “I'm sorry for what I almost did.”
Scarlet got up and went over to where Hope sat and sat next to her.
“I understand why you did what you tried,” Scarlet said. “I don't know what I would have done if Amerna had had the baby. I was so upset about the whole thing.”
“You were thinking that James was meant to be with you,” Hope said. “I can understand that.”
“Can you?” Scarlet asked. “Are you in love with someone?”
“I used to be,” Hope said. “We were going to be married. Everything was set . I had my dress and even Faith was going to be there. I looked forward to seeing her.” She sighed. “It was the day before the wedding. I had been sick all morning and thought I was just being nervous. Once I was feeling better, I left the house and went to pick up my veil. If I had gotten it the day before I would now be married and have no idea.”
“What happened?” Scarlet asked.
“I went to the woman’s' shop that had my veil,” Hope said. “I didn't see her and so I went looking for her. I found her.” She laughed softly. “I found them. They were going at it. I yelled at both of them. As soon as he saw me, he was horrified. He tried explaining it off as a last fling before he settled down. I told him that there would be no wedding. I turn and left the shop.” She looked at Scarlet. “I never saw him again. I would have been fine with that, expect, a month after what would have been our wedding, I found out I was going to have a baby.”
“I had no idea,” Scarlet said.
“I was both happy and afraid,” Hope said. “I had no husband and I was going to have a baby. I knew that I couldn’t hide it for long. I told my father. He was surprised. He then told me that everything was going to be fine. He also said that he wanted to tell me a secret that he had been keeping since I was born.”
“What was it?” Scarlet asked
“He told me that him and my mother had been married for two years when she found out she was pregnant. He told me that they had been away for four months. When he returned it was to discover that she was four months along. She told him that after he left, his brother had come to see her. He had r***d her and then left the house.” She looked at Donny. “My… father told me that his brother, Faiths father, is also my father. Faith is not my cousin. She is my sister.”
“What about your baby?” Scarlet asked.
“I lost it a few months later,” she said. “I couldn't face it in London after that.”
“And then you learned about Amerna and James,” Scarlet said.
“Yes,” Hope said. “I learned about them and knew that I could not let them have that baby.”
“I understand,” Scarlet said. “I’m sorry about what happened to you.”
“I try not to think about it,” Hope said. “I sometimes wish that I hadn’t lost the baby. I wish that I could have known if it was a boy or girl.”
“Everything happens for a reason,” Scarlet said. “I think your mother named you Hope so you would always have hope. She saw great things for you. She also must have had faith in your father to have told him the truth about you. She could have tried to keep it a secret from him. No one would have known the truth. Instead she told him the truth.”
“You’re right,” Hope said. “How could that man do such a terrible thing to my mother?”
“Why do thingd like that happen?” Scarlet stated. “Your mother probably wasn’t the first woman to be assaulted by someone she trusted.”
“Do you think that I will end up like her?” Hope asked.
“No,” Scarlet said. “I think that you’ll get married and have lots of kids with a man that you love and who loves you. I bet you’ll be together for the rest of your lives.”
“Do you really think so?” Hope asked.
“I do, Hope,” Scarlet said.
“I wish that Faith could hear the way you talk,” Hope said. “She would have more… faith in being reunited with Hunter again. I wish that she had run away with him and married him.”
Scarlet watched Donny for a moment as he tried to crawl to her. She then looked at Hope.
“Did Faith have twins?” sh asked.
“Yes, she did,” Hope answered. “I wanted to tell Hinter about both Charity and Charlie. I didn’t because Faith asked me not to.”
Scarlet stood and picked up Donny. Turning to Hope she said, “She still loves him, doesn’t she?”
“Yes,” Hope said. “She still loves him. She will probably love him always.”
“As you love the man that you were going to marry?” Scarlet asked.
Hope looked at her sharply as she said, “I thought I loved him. I thought that he loved me. I thought that if I went to his bed before we married that he wouldn't go to another woman. I thought wrong about him and the way he felt about me.”
“Do you still love him, Hope?” Scarlet asked.
“I don’t know anymore, Scarlet,” Hope said. “For the longest time I thought I did. Now I am not so sure how I feel about him.”
“Do you hate him?” Scarlet asked.
“I should, but I don’t,” Hope said.
“Where is he now?” Scarlet asked.
“Back home in London,” Hope said. “A few days before I left I found out that he married the woman from the shop. I also found out that she is pregnant.”
“Sometimes things don’t work out as we want,” Scarlet said. “Take James and myself. He went to London to check up on Hunter and to buy an engagement ring. Instead of keeping himself from other women, he turned to Amrena.”
“But look at all that you have now Scarlet,” Hope said. “You have James and Donny and another baby on the way.”
“But what is the price that both James and I had to pay?” Scarlet asked.
“Price?” Hope asked.
“Yes, Hope.” Scarlet said. “Think abut it for a moment. What did James and I both lose before we were able to be together?”
“James lost Amerna,” Hope said.
“He also lost the child that she carried,” Scarlet said.
“What did you lose?” Hope asked.
“I lost a sweet little girl that I was supposed to protect from Amerna,” Scarlet said.
“Why were you supposed to protect a child from her?” Hope asked.
“Katie was Bellies daughter,” Scarlet said. “Amerna knew how much James loved Katie. With Katie gone, she figured James would love only her.”
“What about you?” Hope asked. “He still had you.”
“She figured I was already out of his heart,” Scarlet said.
“But you weren’t,” Hope said.
“No, I wasn’t,’ Scarlet agreed. “James and I belong together. We were destined to be together from the moment we were born.”
“That sounds so romantic,” Hope said. “Do you think it is that way for everyone?”
“I do,” Scarlet said. “You must have been meant for someone else.”
“Who do you think he is?” Hope asked.
“I think he must look something like James does,” Scarlet answered.
“What?” Hope exclaimed.
“Well,” Scarlet said, “Faith, who is your sister, is meant for Hunter. Hunter is James’ brother. I am meant for James. That means you are meant for a man that looks like James and Hunter.”
“Oh, I hope you are right, Scarlet,” Hope said. “I would love to get married and start a family.”
Don’t get to excited about having children,” Scarlet said. “Donny takes a lot out of me everyday.”
“But you love him,” Hope said.
“I do,” Scarlet said.
“I’m glad,” James said from the doorway.
Both women jumped.
“James!” Scarlet said. “You scared us!”
“Sorry about that,” James said. “I came up here to tell you that my parents are here. They want to talk to you. Alone.”
“All right,” Scarlet said. She turned to Hope. “Would you mind watching Donny for me?”
“No, not at all,” Hope said.
Scarlet left Donny with Hope as her and James went downstairs to his parents. She wondered what they wanted to talk to her about. Had James told his parents that they were going to have a baby?
“Don’t be scared,” James said. “They probably want to talk about a new years party.”
“Did you tell them about the baby?” Scarlet asked.
“No, I want you to tell them,” James said. “They said they have something that they wanted you to know.”
“I wonder what it could be,” Scarlet said.
“I don’t know,” James said. “It could be anything.”
“Do you think Hunter wrote to them?” Scarlet asked.
“That could be it,” James said as they neared the bottom stair. “They are waiting for you in the study. I have to go out to the shipping yard. I’ll be home late.”
“All right,” Scarlet said. “I’ll see you later.”
He gave her a quick kiss before he headed to the front door. She watched him go. She then turned and went into the study.
Beth was seated near the desk while Smith stood by the window. Scarlet knew that something was wrong right away.
“What is going on?” Scarlet asked.
Beth turned to look at her. Then she stood up as Smith moved to stand next to her.
“Sit down, Scarlet,” Beth said. “I’m not sure how you’ll react to the news we need to tell you.”
“What is it?” Scarlet asked as she sat down.
Beth turned to look at Smith who nodded. He stepped away from his wife.
“It has to do with James and his brother Sammy,” Smith said. “It is all my fault.”
“What is?”Scarlet asked.
“I… cheated on Beth before she found out she was pregnant,” Smith said. “Sammy was born the same day as James.”
“Who is Sammys’ mother?” Scarlet asked.
Beth looked at her. “I am,” Beth said. “I am Sammys mother.”
- Writer
