Family Reunion (18 page)

He cared not that she was mulatto, who would know? She should have attended all and any balls of the high society.

He wanted the chance
to show her off as his precious prize worth her weight in gold. Dangling her before many who would have desired her, yet daring any to look too long that they might threaten to take her from him. Damn that Indian, he had spoiled it all! No man was worthy of his daughter!

"Will you let me explain?"

"There is no need."

"I still want to."

"Go ahead."

She did so, telling all she knew of how she came to be with the gypsies, the truth of how she was taken from them; her time with Mike; her return to Webster Fields and her need to fight beside her brother when she grew fearful of losing him again, which led to her being a prisoner among the other women and then in the midst of the attack by the Indians, she met Red Crow again, after so long. She was honest about the bargain they had made, which was the reason she married him.

She admitted also, that she loved him, though she left out the turbulence they had suffered, the loss of their baby and also the war he had fought in, which she had helped to save him from. Finishing, she explained that because of the trouble with the Indians in the South, they thought it best to come to New York, chosen as their destination for the main purpose of finding her father.

Manny gave no immediate response to her tale, instinctively feeling that there were holes in her story. He knew that in time the holes would be filled and instead of digging then for the rest, he asked.

"Why'd you cut your hair, it was longer as a baby of three?"

Hope reached up and touched her hair, which had grown a lot since her nightmare; it was just now getting ready to touch her shoulders again.

"I don't know." She answered. "At the time I felt it the thing to do, it'll grow back."

Manny felt like complaining. "Some husband you have, he let you cut your hair? I would also think as Jordan O'Brien's grandson, he could better afford to dress you. Yet here you are, alone - scrubbing floors and working like a scullery maid?"

Hope's eyes widened, at the beginning of her tale, she had taken a seat before his desk, at his question she sat a little straighter. It was as if he had heard nothing she had said, the tone of his voice and the look on his face said loud and clear that fault was found in her husband as far as he was concerned.

"Remember daddy? I told you, I took this job for the sole reason of
meeting at last with you."

"If that is the case, couldn't you have come to the office every day or so, to check on my return? I fear he has you working to help him and just used your need to find me as an excuse to get you to work. Has his grandfather denied him finance for some reason? What sort of man allows his wife, my daughter in particular, to work as you are, and unprotected?"

Hope felt a surge of fear grip her. He wasn't being very reasonable, surely he wasn't serious?

"Daddy wait - this – all of it was my idea, Jose-…"

She stopped just as she
heard the strong distinct whistle of the whippoorwill. It sounded twice and her eyes widened, she stood and looked at the clock on her father's desk. It was twenty minutes to one and the whistle sounded again, this time closer to the entrance and much louder, it was unmistakable. Swallowing nervously, she looked up at her father, this was it. Her husband gave the signaling four knocks, stop - then two, stop - then four again. It was after that, that she was to show herself and only then was she to go down and open the door for him. Looking up at her father, she couldn't move, she was horribly unsure of this sudden premature meeting.
'Maybe it's too soon, maybe I should give him time to get more adjusted to the idea of Joseph being my husband?'

"I believe someone is at the door." Manny informed her stiffly.

"Um...yes, someone's...at the door." Hope bit into her lip. The knocking signal came again, a little firmer. "There it is again, your husband perhaps?"

"Um ... yeah, my husband ...hmm...you do understand don't you daddy? About us? About why I took ...I mean-…" The whistle, sounding more sharp and urgent, cut her off.

"Well…let him in. No reason to keep him waiting."

Then the door was banged on four times, stop - banged twice, stop – and banged again four times.

"I suggest you go down and open that door for him before he opens it himself."

Hope made an unsure face, looking towards the door, and then ran to it; she stopped briefly looking back at her father. "You okay daddy? I mean ... I love him and he's never hurt me, really."

"Ho-o-ope!! Ho-o-ope!!"

"Will you please let him in before he wakes the dead with that racket!"

Hope turned from the door running down the hall with her
stomach churning. The banging grew forceful. Saying a silent prayer, Hope flew down the stairs into the lobby and to the door where she saw her husband looking at her angrily from the other side with his arms wide, fists on the glass pane ready to bang once more, his foot impatiently tapping. As soon as she reached the door and opened it his fear and impatience burst with shouts of, "What the hell took you so long – I was about to force my way-…”

"Shhh - Shush!"

"Shush hell, I’ll not be shushed, you scared the hell out of me! I thought something had happened to you!” He scolded gruffly as she let him in locking the door behind him, trying to silence him as she did so, spinning she put a finger to her lips. "Shhh, Joseph, be quiet or he'll hear you!"

"Who’ll…” She waved her hands frantically to make him lower his voice. “…who'll hear me!?" He corrected his volume.

"My father! He'll hear you!"

"He's - here?"

"Yes! Right upstairs!" She whispered.

"Oh…I see, when? When did he get here?"

"He came here to his office to get some work done and well ... anyway, he's here." She told him quietly, slowly leading the way to the stairs. "Have you had time to talk to him, to tell him about us?"

"Yes, I told him."

"And?"

"Well I told him."

"How did he take it?"

"He's taking it pretty well. I've told him how much I love you, how much we love each other. He's the one that pushed me to open the door for you ... so that's a good sign."
'I think.'
She added with an unsure nibble to her lip. Joseph saw the gesture which rattled his nerves as he stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up towards the hallway as if he could already see him. His stomach was in knots, shame again came down on him as he remembered the lie to Manny about his daughter. Now he must face him.

"You nervous?" Hope asked as she waited for her husband to follow her up the stairs.

"A little, he is no doubt angry at my dishonesty but it is only right that he be."

"Oh no, he's not angry, a little stunned maybe, but not angry, believe me, everything is just fine!"

"D
addy please!! Oh my God! Don’t!! Stop it!! Please don’t hit him again!!" Hope screamed as she tried to force herself between her father and husband. She could still hear the sound of her father's two well placed punches, one to her husband's jaw, and the other to his gut. Joseph sat on the floor in the corner holding his stomach as Manny backed away to let him up.

"Come on! Get up!" Manny bit out.

"No! Don’t get up! He’s my
husband
– please don’t!!”

"Get out of the way Hope! This is between us! Now get up!" Manny commanded. Hope turned to her husband who was struggling up the wall. "No…stay down! Please stay down!" She turned back to her father trying to keep herself between them. "I can't believe you're doing this to him!"

"Oh, I’ve just begun, I assure you, I'm far from finished! That was for lying to me about my daughter! I still have the unnecessary anguish of my wait and worry and the fact that you took her without coming to me first.”

"If I had found you ... brought her to you ... would you ... would you have given me ... your daughter!?" Joseph asked in painful gasps as he held a hand to his stomach.

"By God…no…I would not have - you - you lying little shit!"

"Daddy please stop this!"

"That ... that is what I figured ... so I took her ... and that is why now ...I am willing to take .... whatever you do to me ... that is your right … as her father. Move away Hope!"

"Nooo!"

"Do as he says…move away!"

"Damn it - I said no!" She stomped showing herself to be every bit her mother’s daughter, as well as her father’s.

Manny's eyes bucked at his daughter's choice of words. "What did you say young lady!?" Hope clamped her hands firmly on her hips and repeated. "No! I said No!"

"Before you said that!" Manny demanded.

"Well ... that was just to get your attention ... and now that I have it-..." She speeded up as he was about to say something else. "-...how could you daddy? You said you understood!"

"I said no such thing!"

"Well you acted as if you did!"

"This is between your father and I, leave it be!"

"I will not and you can't make me, Joseph Avery O'Brien!" She argued.

Joseph sighed and Manny felt a twitch of mirth at her obvious
nerve and brass as the thought crossed his mind,
'She hasn't changed a bit, still the little spitfire she was of three.'

"Now the two of you listen and hear me loud and clear! I will not have this! Do you understand?!" She addressed her father who gaped at her.

"If the two of you think I mean to stand idly by while this continues, then neither of you know me well enough! Daddy I love you and God knows I've dreamed of nothing else but to find you. However, as much as I love you and need you… I absolutely refuse to stand here and let you beat my husband to a pulp! I love him…like it or not… I do. All the beatings you can dish out will not change a thing! I am his wife, he is
my husband
!, You're still my father, that hasn't changed at all." She said softly. "Please, don't spoil this for us, please."

"You little hellion, by God you're your mother all over again. She was the same you know?" Manny said to Joseph over Hope's head. "Yes, she was. Argued with me all the time! I admit, it was my own doing letting her, now look at this one… her daughter – same thing, I can see it already."

Joseph let out a sigh of relief; he had little desire for another beating and was glad to see that it was over. Hope smiled up at her father. "Thank you for understanding. I know you wish only the best for me and Joseph Avery is that the best, I swear there is no better man alive to be my husband. As time passes, you will see that it is true. Last, daddy whether you know it or not, you should be showing him gratitude, had I fallen into the hands of anyone else, who is to say that I would be here before you now or even alive for that matter."

Manny looked down at his daughter a minute knowing she spoke the truth, and then up at his son-in-law. "So you go by your mother's given name."

Joseph stood from the wall now that his breath was returning to normal; and the pain to his stomach lessening but his jaw was throbbing like hell. "Yes sir, I use my mother's given name and with pride I gave it to your daughter. If it is any consolation to you, I did not touch her before it was my right to as her husband. I love and respect her. Never would I do anything to harm her, on that I give you my word." He promised.

"And I intend to hold you to it till the day that I die."

"I would expect no less."

"Very well, as long as we understand each other." Manny held his hand out to him. "I suppose a welcome to the family is in order then."

Joseph took his hand and shook it. "Thank you sir…I must admit, I was worried."

Manny smiled,
'It's not over yet.'
, "How about we close this office and head for the Princess?"

Hope looked up smiling. "The Princess?"

"The Princess is where the rest of the family is ... and your brother." Manny informed her with a smile. Hope felt a start to her heart again. "Umm...daddy, about Michael, maybe we should let you talk to him first." Hope suggested. Joseph groaned knowing what to expect, but he'd be damned if he was going to let him have the free advantage he’d given her father. Hope knew it as well, which was why she dreaded that confrontation.

Her dread had been correct, because back at the ship, once more she found herself in the middle, "Mike if you do I’ll never speak to you again!! Daddy help!! Maria!! Get your husband!!" Hope cried pleading, she struggled to keep them apart, her arms stretched out, a hand to each of their chests.

Manny stood back feeling it only right that his son get his anguish out as well, after all, he tried in all of his own mess of a life to take care of her. He loved her as a big brother should. Of course Manny knew as he stood watching, he would not let it get too violent but he did have a small right to rage a bit, since Mike’s worry for her was as deeply embedded as his own.

"You red skin sonofabitch!! I knew it almost immediately you were lying!!"