Princess Ces'alena (45 page)

She didn’t like him, and suspected that he really didn’t like her either… but she didn’t care, because her main objective was to center all of her powers towards winning Manny back. Regardless of the reason he married her, she married him because she wanted him…even when she was feeling so much resentment towards him. It hadn’t stopped her from desiring him. Well she was back now, and she thanked the gods that her mother chose this moment to visit her. Otherwise, she hadn’t been sure as to how she would have returned to Webster Fields knowing she’d have to face Manny alone. Now that months had passed, she hoped enough time had gone by for him to calm down and come to his senses; hoping they could now possibly start over…and build a life she’d always dreamed of.

“Oh Aunt Helene, please realize that if I hold on a little longer, things will work out for Manny and I. I really believe that.” Katherine spoke her feelings for what she believed. Seeing Lena’s baby had given her new found hope. She knew that Manny would be furious for a while, but she also now knew that Lena had betrayed him. Loneliness and the need to be loved would win him over to her. His pride would not allow him to return to the arms of the woman who had hurt and betrayed him, especially at a time when he had needed her most. It felt good in the beginning to know he would finally experience the type of pain and betrayal he had put her through. To her, they were even…so they could move beyond their differences. She realized that while out searching, should he by some chance find his son, she would openly accept him. His mother was no longer a threat to her. Anything that might have been between Manny and Lena was thoroughly destroyed, and this gave her all the reassurance she needed. Lena was a proven whore, and as far as she was concerned, the wench would probably bed anyone who was available to her…she probably didn’t even know who the sire was to the child. Now that Manny knew this as well, given a little time, he would finally realize that -they- had been meant for each other all along. atherine smiled to herself,
‘Hmm - I should perhaps thank her, after all she did me a favor by breaking his heart, and now, I’ll be here to mend it…slowly and carefully.’

“Margaret! Look at your daughter! She isn’t listening to me. She’s sitting there daydreaming…of him no doubt. Would you please talk some sense into this girl! She’s
your
daughter. You heard her; she has this foolish notion that she can win Manny’s love. The whole idea is utterly absurd.”

“Why must you say that!?” Katherine countered.

“I say it my dear because it is true. You heard him, you were there…it was you he was after! He was crazy with fury; he wanted to strangle you! Being the lady that I am, I will not even dare to repeat the things he said! Shouting at the top of his voice - such obscenities!” She reflected, aghast at the memory.

“He was full of spirits and hurting!” Katherine defended.

Helene threw her hands up and called to the heavens. “Oh please Lord, open this child’s eyes!”

“Oh auntie, please…my eyes
are
open, and I see much more than you think.” Katherine started, aware that they were unaware of Lena’s indiscretion …and for some reason, she chose not to tell them of this.

Margaret sat quietly drinking her tea, observing her sister and daughter, as they argued over the issue; confident in the knowledge that Helene was wasting her time, breath and energy. Margaret was a lot calmer than Helene. She always weighed things up and collected all details before she gave her point of view. She pretty much understood people and the nature of them, and though she remained quiet about it… she pretty much agreed with her sister. Her daughter’s trip home bringing her husband, told her all she needed to know. She had seen even then, that Maynard was not in love with her daughter. But she hadn’t said anything to Katherine, because it wouldn’t have done a bit of good. Somehow she had snared him, and they were married, so she supposed that something might come of it…anything was possible. Her daughter was in love with him, proud of him. More than anything, Margaret felt it had a lot to do with Katherine’s height insecurity…he, Maynard, fit.

Margaret hadn’t been able to dispel her nagging concern for her daughter, so she up and announced to her husband, she was heading for the America’s. Sure enough upon her arrival to her sister’s place, she found her daughter living there temporarily, and soon - the whole sordid detail of what had taken place since their return, came to the fore.

She was stunned by her daughter’s desperate act…Margaret, for her own personal reasons…had never believed in slavery. She could not, for the life of her, understand how an entire race of people could be subjected to such degradation. Even in her home of England, where this took place, she did not agree…yet, it was not on as great a scale as in the Americas. England had the added problem of divisions between the aristocracy and peasant classes, the last thing they needed was slavery issues and the problems it was sure to bring about. Margaret believed…somewhere down the road, at some point, all would suffer the consequences for this great injustice…and one could only wonder at how many different ways it would manifest itself. But to hear that her own daughter had actually sold a child…shook her to no end. Then to hear as well, Maynard’s reaction… she sat listening, knowing, sure that no man who loved his son…would forgive such a transgression as that.

Katherine was in an uphill battle in the rain. Margaret had been the same way herself once, with Katherine’s father.
‘God - he had been such a perfect specimen of what is in the eyes of all romantics, the perfectly created male.’

Gerard Sanders had swept her off her feet; she had been madly in love with him. Unfortunately, he had not been madly in love with her. Therefore, this road her daughter was traveling, she’d already trod, and reached the destination her daughter would with Maynard. The battle of winning a man’s heart from another woman…was a hell of an undertaking.

She remembered trying everything to make Gerard love her, and when she’d become pregnant with his child, she was certain it would be a son for him, and
that
would tie them with an unbreakable bond. She’d delivered him a daughter. He loved his daughter yes, but when she was born, he seemed to pull completely away from Margaret, as if he’d given her something to play with, someone to now occupy her time where he no longer had to fill it. Two years later into their marriage, Gerard had been killed in a duel by his lover’s husband.

Her humiliation was overwhelming. Later that next year, she remarried - this man had promised her the world, and she took the offer. Nicholas LéClare raised her daughter as his own, and had shown to love her deeply, cherishing her. Margaret wasn’t in love with him, but she respected him. He was faithful and true to her, doing all in his power to make her happy; in return, she’d given him two sons. After Gerard Sanders, she knew she was no longer capable of romantic love, that was something she could well do without.

“Margaret!!” Helene called impatiently. “How can you sit there so calmly, while your daughter, for the second time, sets herself in place for this – humiliation!”

“Auntie, I’m not setting myself up, things aren’t the same as they were before, a lot has changed.” Katherine pleaded for understanding.

“Oh don’t I know it, things are worse now!” Helene snapped. “I told you before not to marry him, that he could only bring you misery. Katherine, a man is capable of deeply, truly and faithfully loving someone once in his life. When he does love whoever that someone is, no other woman in the world can just up and challenge that love, even if something were to happen between him and that true love, he may be hurt…but as long as that woman lives, he will battle with those feelings and fight with himself over her. With a fight so powerful within him, it leaves no room for another, until he’s conquered them in the battle. Until the battle is done, they let no one else in…the hurt alone, sets up such pain…they fear to ever try again.”

That hit too close to home in Katherine.

“Aunt Helene…I don’t care to hear anymore about it! The other woman is a slave for goodness sake! A Negro! That alone eliminates her!”

Helene was exhausted; she was literally on her way to being blue in the face.

But just one more try, “Katherine please, for the love of God, let it go. Let him go and return to Europe with your mother. Yes…I said it before, and I say it again, divorce him…set him free, and free yourself before it is too later-…”

“No! How can you one moment seek my better welfare, while asking me to do something as scandalous as getting a divorce!?” All patience gone, she stood from the sofa, an indication that she was ready for her aunt to leave. This talk is now over. And before you
go
,
know this…Maynard Webster, my husband… will come to love me. When he does, you’ll see just how wrong you were! Have a safe journey home.”

Sighing softly…Helene realized she’d said all she could say. Had done all she could do. She stood facing her niece. “Well, you know where we are. You’ll need me again before it’s all said and done. Because I now realize this, that man - is going to have to seriously hurt you…before you’ll come to your senses. Sometimes you can want something ever so badly…but that doesn’t mean it’s yours to have. I hope you come to realize that…before it is too late.”

Tight lipped, Katherine looked through her, blocking out words that penetrated anyway…despite her efforts not to hear them. Helene gathered her things about her and headed for the door. Margaret stood as well escorting her, holding one of her arms, while stroking it lovingly. Helene shook her head, “Help your daughter Margaret…help your daughter.”

“My sister, I love you…and I thank you. But there are some things, people just refuse to hear…or see for that matter. I know you love her, and I appreciate all you’ve done. It is late…please, travel safely home.” They embraced at the door as Helene’s footman came up the steps to escort her down and into her carriage. Margaret softly closed the door and returned to where her daughter was standing in the window looking out at Helene’s departure.

“Come dear…sit that we may talk.”

Margaret invited gently.

Hesitant, Katherine came over and sat opposite of her mother and started right off, “Mother she just doesn’t understand. I love him, and I’m not about to give him up so easily. I married him for better, or for worse.”

Margaret smiled fondly thinking of her sister.

“Helene has always been like that. She can’t help wanting to protect those in her family that she loves. She doesn’t want to see you get hurt.”

“And you mother? What do you think?”

Not willing to beat around the bush, or flower her words, nor plead in a useless argument, she tried to keep it as simple as possible.

“My child, I will tell you this. I believe that Maynard Ramsey Webster will teach you a very important lesson in love, one that you will never forget. No matter what your aunt says, or I say, you will stay and learn your lesson well. When it is all over and done with…and you will
know
- there will be no doubt of that. The hurt will come, hurt from which you’ll not soon recover, other than to give into it…that is when you will realize all that she, and I say now… is true.” She patted her daughter’s hand. “When all those things have taken place, you come home. I’ll be waiting for you. And the next time that you marry…remember this; marry a man who loves
you
, not the man you love…because chances are…the latter, will only break your heart.”

Katherine’s head lowered, eyes gazing into her lap unable to speak in her defense. The discussion seemed so final; Margaret hadn’t asked, or told, or demanded, or pleaded, she simply stated what she felt was fact. That was that.

The front door opened then closed, both women looked at each other with eyebrows drawn, a moment later, they could hear Ferrus speaking, coming down the hall. Hearing the voice that responded, made Katherine’s heart jump with a start.

“Oh my god... he’s back.” She announced worriedly. Margaret drew in a very deep breath nodding in agreement. The next moment he walked into the room looking for Katherine, after hearing from Ferrus that she’d returned.

“Manny!” Katherine blurted still unprepared for his sudden arrival, having no prior warning.

“Maynard.” Margaret nodded calmly to greet him.

Manny stood staring at them; he looked very long and hard at Katherine…battling with a variety of emotions. Ferrus stood not far behind him, afraid to leave him alone with her. Ferrus wasn’t sure what Manny would do, seeing that she was back. He still remembered vividly the day Manny returned after finding she’d sold his son. The agony and pain he displayed, made the hair on his arms stand on end still. The contempt and barely held control was obvious as he looked from Katherine to her mother. He wasn’t ready for this…he didn’t want her back in his home; discarding the fact that they were married; that she was his wife. She must have known that to be so, because she’d had sense enough to bring her mother. Which was effective enough to keep him from making a scene; he had nothing against her mother but he thought Katherine had a lot of nerve returning after what she’d done.

Swallowing deeply and taking a slow breath, Manny broke the tense silence; walking up to her mother, he took her hand raising it to touch her knuckles to his lips. “Mrs. LéClare, I must say - it’s a surprise seeing you here. Should your visit have come at a better time, it would be a pleasant surprise.” He spoke honestly.

Katherine released the air she’d sucked in from her shock of having him appear, then held it…when he stared at her so heatedly. Never had she been so afraid as at that moment upon his entrance. She didn’t know what to expect from him…but at least because of her mother, he tolerated her presence. She had the common sense to remain quiet as they spoke.

“If I may ask, how long have you been here?” He enquired, seating himself in a chair across from Margaret.

“Since November, when my daughter was visiting her aunt.” She returned. Katherine sucked in wishing her mother would not bring her into the conversation just yet. “I see.” He said without expression.