The heat from the fire place did very little to keep the room warm.
Sitting with a cup of coffee in her hands, Gina watched from her position on the single settee in the room as her son packed his bag. Because they lived in a little cottage, there was no difference between the bedroom, the parlor and the kitchen. The two cots by the far corner of the room helped to distinguish that part as the bedroom. There was a big work table that occupied the bulk of the room; Gina made most of their meals on that table. And a single settee, the one now being occupied by Gina, stood very close to the fireplace.
Gina studied her son for a while as he packed. His olive skin and muscled body had only come as a result of so much hard work. Even with his back to her, she could tell just how handsome he had grown to become. With dark brown hair, gray eyes and the etiquettes of a gentle man, she knew her son would make the perfect husband to a lucky girl someday.
But Gina's mention of a possible affair with a girl had left her son in a depressed mood since the night before.
Gina couldn't say she misunderstood her son's depression for she did. While she was certain she raised a good man, she knew his charms and features wouldn't get him a woman's attention, money would. And her son might have everything, but he lacked the money.
She watched as he straightened and turned to her, his luggage in his hand. He made his way to where she sat and placed his bag on the floor.
"I need to leave if I must catch the train to London." He said. Even in the dimly lit room, Gina could tell his features were still clouded as it had been the night before.
Releasing a sigh, she rose to her feet and her night gown immediately fell to it's length at her feet.
She reached forward and touched his face. "I love you." She whispered.
"I know, Ma." He forced a smile.
"I hate that you have to work so hard, Bailey. I look forward to the day when you'll be happy, for real." She sighed. "Whoever she is," She began and she immediately heard Bailey heave a tired breath as he lowered his gaze. "You're good enough." She lifted his chin up and stared into his eyes. "You're good enough, Bailey. And, if you weren't already my son," She teased. "I'd snatch you right up and fall on my knees, begging you to marry me!" She clasped both her hands together.
Bailey's face broke into a broad smile, dimples appearing on his cheeks.
"I'm proud of you." She held his gaze and took captive of his hand. "I'm proud of you and I love you." She said, before pulling him into her embrace.
He tightened his hold around her and leaned down, placing his head on her shoulder. Gina could tell how troubled he was but she knew there was little she could do about it.
"Ellie," He whispered against her shoulder. "Her name's Ellie and she might never love me in return."
Gina ran her palm up and down Bailey's back in a bid to reassure him.
"Whoever Ellie is," She began. "She'll be such a fool not to love you in return."
~ ~
Gary Wellington Senior wasn't exactly certain of how to feel about his grandson's visit. And the second his grandson told him of his mission to his estate in London, Gary immediately felt anger build up on his inside.
Tightening his hold on his tea cup in an attempt to keep himself from hurling it at his irresponsible grandson, Gary sat with angry eyes aimed at Frederick.
Money.
Frederick had requested for money but for an entire hour, was unable to explain to his grandfather what he needed the money for. While Gary knew exactly what his grandson needed money for, he wanted Frederick to admit it himself. He wanted Frederick to admit to squandering a fortune that took Edward, Gary's son, an entire lifetime to amass! An entire lifetime! It took his incredibly irresponsible grandson one year to throw an entire lifetime's worth of wealth away.
Gary just sat on the settee in the parlor, listening to Frederick stutter and try to come up with an explanation of his need for money within such a short period of his father's death.
"I do not have the money to loan you, Frederick." Gary answered, tiring of Frederick's transparent lies.
"But grandfather..." Frederick protested and Gary just took another sip of his tea in an attempt to keep the obscenities that threatened to spew out of his mouth, in. "I can assure you that I'll pay back every penny. It is only because the factory is in dire need of new machines and with the state of the country's economy..."
"The last time I was in Birmingham for you father's burial, I took a trip to the factory and I'm certain your father had just installed new machines. That was a year ago, Frederick."
"Y-ye-yes but you see..."
Furious, Gary rose to his feet and made for the exit.
"Grandfather!"
"If you had the guts to throw an entire life's worth in the bin, Frederick, at least have the guts to admit to doing so!" Gary yelled, turning around to face his grandson whose gaze had now lowered to the marbled floor. "Your father's life was that factory!"
"I know."
"Do you?! Edward was such a fool to have entrusted you with so much! You and your snake of a mother!" Gary felt his heart thump loudly in his chest as he addressed his grandson and he immediately waited a few seconds to catch his breath. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe daily and while Gary knew he needed to see his physician, he always managed to put it off so often.
His eyes ran over Frederick and he couldn't help but feel disgusted. Standing before him was not only the heir to Edward's wealth, but the heir to Gary's as well. Oh, but what wrong had he done to be accursed with such a grandson?!
Gary couldn't help but feel bitter towards Edward. If Edward had listened to him and refrained from marrying Chloe! If Edward had simply given himself the time to mourn his dead wife and son before jumping into a marriage with the woman that was now turning out to be a thorn in the entire family's flesh.
Chloe had managed to guilt Edward into marrying her by convincing Edward that their marriage was his dead wife's last wish but Gary never bought Chloe's ridiculous lies. What woman, on her death bed, would wish her evil best friend on her husband?! Unless of course, Sophia had been ignorant of how evil Chloe was.
Other than the fact that Chloe was in herself a terrible human being, she had managed to birth a complete replica of herself.
Gary knew he was doomed. The more he stared at Frederick, the more convinced he was that he'd rather will his entire property to charity than will it to his grandson and daughter-in-law.
"I messed up!" Frederick said, falling to his knees. "Please, Grandfather, do not turn your back on me just yet, I beg of you!" He crawled forward and grabbed his Gary's legs, burying his face in his knees.
Gary heaved a breath. Frederick needed help, Gary couldn't ignore that fact. But he wasn't going to hand over the money to him just like that. For some reason, he couldn't imagine a cent of his hard earned money going into Frederick's raunchy living.
Perhaps if he got Frederick to marry into a good family...
Gary remembered speaking to Lord Ethan Williams about match making Elizabeth with Frederick. Perhaps the marriage between the two will help straighten his grandson. Besides, Chloe's influence on Edward had turned him into a completely different man and had strained the relationship that existed between Gary and his son. If Chloe had that much influence on Edward, perhaps Elizabeth could be of good influence on his grandson.
Gary desperately needed to salvage the situation with his grandson, the only heir to his estate! He couldn't die knowing the man who would carry on his name would eventually die a failure and a peasant. He couldn't imagine the great Wellington name dying or being tarnished and with the way his grandson was going, he knew it was only a matter of time before the name was dragged through the slum.
"I will set up a dinner with Lord Williams family, you will meet with his daughter and you will convince her to marry you."
"What?!" Frederick scrambled to his feet. "Grandfather," He laughed nervously. "I do not wish to be tied down to just one woman at the moment. Perhaps when I'm fifty or your age." He smiled.
"You will marry Lady Elizabeth Williams, Frederick! I do not care what you will have to do to convince her to be your wife, but you will do it! You will marry her or you will return to Birmingham or whatever hole you crawled out of, a peasant!"
Copyright © 2017 Lily Orevba All rights reserved.
Because you guys didn't really understand when I began the prologue, I wanted to know if the story is becoming clearer??
Also, thanks so much for reading😀😀. Please vote😘