The Georgia Series Collection

Chapter 11

Early November - Georgia"s In-Laws Home, Vancouver

Early November - Georgia"s In-Laws Home, VancouverAlice snapped at her husband. “Oh for God"s sake, turn that thing off.”

Frank Charles glanced at his wife and picked up the remote and hit the mute button. “What are you so upset about?”

Alice gave her husband a condescending look. “Don"t be stupid. What do you think? Story after story. When are they going to let this thing die down? And, then there"s that Marion person, blabbing her mouth off all over the place.”

“How can you be so cold? Georgia was a member of our family for many years. I for one was very fond of her. It"s a tragedy what"s happened to her.”

“Well of course it is, dear. But there"s nothing any of us can do about it. The more they talk about it and that Marion woman tells all our family business to God knows who, it reflects back on us.”

Frank moved over to the wet bar and poured himself a scotch. “I see. So this isn"t about a beautiful young woman who meets a tragic end and the devastation it"s caused her family, but about you saving face with your friends.”

“Don"t be cruel.”

“That"s your job, not mine.”

Alice bristled. She sat rigid on the edge of the couch. “How can you not see my point here? Our son impregnated two women within weeks of each other. If the mistress disappeared no one would have cared. But no, the wife disappeared and everyone"s sympathy is with her. The wronged wife, the unborn child—a great travesty. And do you think any of those news people really care? To them it"s a great story.”

“You certainly have a perverse way of looking at things. Marion said nothing about our family in all of this. Besides, this is Colin"s mess and it reflects on him, not you.”

“Oh Frank … don"t be so naive. The sins of the son always reflect back on the parents, which affects the status of our name.”

At that precise moment, Colin Charles walked into the room. “Mother, whatever are you talking about?”

Alice was taken back. “Colin, dear … we didn"t hear you come in,” she drawled in a syrupy voice.

“No wonder, with the intense conversation I overheard. What do you mean by the sins of the son?”

“We were talking about all the news reports about Georgia. I was saying how they"ve made Georgia out to be a victim here …”

Colin cut his mother off. “Of course she"s a victim. She was abducted and murdered, for Christ" sake.”

Alice rolled her eyes. “You"re as naive as your father. I"m not talking about that. I"m talking about her being pregnant and separated from a cheating husband, and how it affects our family name.”

Colin seethed. “Sometimes I don"t believe what comes out of your mouth. You never accepted her in this family. Now the poor woman is dead and you still blame her for what you think are attacks against the family name. Can"t you even let her rest in peace?”

Alice stood up in a rage. “Don"t you talk to your mother in that tone. If she hadn"t run off to that ugly, uncivilized northern outpost, none of this would have happened to her.”

“Alice, I think you"ve said enough. Calm down,” Frank said.

She glared at her husband. “Don"t you tell me what I can and can"t say.”

It was Colin"s turn to rage: “And if I hadn"t left her for Julie, she wouldn"t have felt the need to go up to the Yukon. So why don"t you blame me instead of her?”

“Oh, don"t think I"ve let you off the hook in all of this. You should have been more responsible before you thought with the wrong head.”

“I"m out of here.” Colin turned and marched out of the room. A few seconds later, the slamming of the front door could be heard.

Frank took another sip of his scotch. “That went well.”

“Oh shut up.”

“You know what your problem is, Alice? You"re a snob. You think you"re above everyone else and you can"t stand it when they stand up to you.

“I am not a snob. And I accepted Georgia into this family as Colin"s wife.”

“But you always treated her like a servant who was invited to sit down for dinner with her owners.”

“Georgia was a nice enough girl, but I believe people should stay with their own kind. She wasn"t one of us.”

Frank downed the last of his drink. “Come on. Both of your grandparents were indentured servants from England. They spent their lives as struggling farmers once they paid off their debt.”

“And my father made a fortune. He gave us status and respectability, of which I am proud, and I"ll do what it takes to protect our name.”

Frank stared hard at his wife. She hadn"t taken his name when they married, a fact he supported. It was the thing to do these days. He never gave it a thought until now. The realization came to him that she hadn"t felt his name as worthy as her father"s. He rose from his chair and headed to the bedroom. “Be careful of what you sacrifice for the sake of your good name. Good night.”