Half an hour, Dr Philips has been inside for half an hour leaving us on the edge. Edward spent it walking back and forth, Meg sat down praying and I stood by the wall waiting to know what happened to my sister.
Finally, he came out of the room.
"How is she, doctor?" Edward asked worryingly.
Dr Philips' face said everything as he said, "her condition is getting worse"
Edward frowned, "what condition?"
Dr Philips cleared his throat and kept opening and closing his mouth until he finally, found the words and said, "A year ago, Cecelia passed out at a ball and of course I was called. I examined her and discovered that she was terribly ill"
"Why has no one told me anything about that?" Edward shouted angrily.
"She asked me not to tell anyone and patients' secrecy is an impor..."
"I am her husband, doctor," Edward shouted from the top of his lungs, "What secrecy is there?"
"Being her husband changes nothing, my boy"
"How does...?"
"Would you two just end this?" I shouted and they fell silent.
Actually, we all fell silent waiting for the bomb to explode. We knew that it was coming.
"How is she, doctor?" I whispered.
"I am sorry," he said with tears in his eyes, "she will die in less than a week"
Meg fell to her chair, Edward kept saying oh my God and I was one second standing and in the other, I was on the floor.
"Amelia!" They cried and were going to approach me when I raised my hand to stop them from moving.
She is dying, my sister who ruined my life is dying and I could not be more miserable.
"Can we see her?" Edward asked.
"You can, but you will not find the same person"
Meg and Edward rushed to the door but Dr Philips stopped them, "one by one"
Meg backed away, "you first," she told Edward. He gave her a grateful smile then, went inside.
He came out with a very weird expression on his face. I did not recognize what was in his eyes. Was it misery? Or... Or was it anger? But why would he be angry? Maybe, he is angry at the world that is going to steal his wife away from him.
Meg told me to go first but I refused. Meg entered and came out crying.
I hesitated but Dr Philips patted my back, "she has been asking for you"
I frowned, "me?"
He gave me a sad smile, "She wants to see you, Amelia"
I took a few deep breaths then, went inside.
Once I went inside, my heart ached. That is not my sister, that cannot be my sister. That pale girl who can barely open her eyes cannot be my sister.
No matter how much I repeated that sentence, it did not change the truth... That girl is Cecelia.
I came closer to the bed, I can say that she noticed me because her eyes opened slightly and she whispered, "Sister"
"Ceci," I whispered and a tear fell from my eyes.
"Do not cry," she said with a tired voice.
"Why did not you tell us?" I asked in pain, "Why did you hide this, Cecelia?"
She smiled humourlessly, "What should I say? I am dying, pity me. I might be dying, sister but I will die with pride"
"What pride?" I slightly raised my voice while tears fell from my eyes.
She smirked, "you will not understand. You did not inherit The Abbot pride," her smirk widened, "I think that this is the only thing that I inherited from father"
"Do you still remember them?" She asked with tears in her eyes.
I nodded while removing my tears, "All the time," then, I slightly smiled, "Sometimes, I imagine that when I go downstairs for breakfast that I will find the three of you sitting there"
She smirked, "That never happens, does it?"
"Never," I bit my bottom lip suppressing my tears, "Why did you hate me?"
She was shocked by the question but smirked, "because you are better than me"
I frowned, "what?'
"You have one of the most strange personalities in the world, so strange that it attracts the people around you," she paused then, said, "And I hated that. I hate it when the attention is driven to someone else; I hate it when people think that there is someone who is better than me"
"What are you talking about, Cecelia?" I said with a slightly raised voice, "You are everyone's favourite, God! You married the man that I love because he loved you more"
"And once you came back to the picture, he could not care less about me," she replied bitterly.
"Because you drove him away," I shouted.
She smiled humourlessly, again, "Well, you were right when you said that when I near my end, I will find myself lonely but it will be too late to redeem myself"
I held her hand, "I am so sorry that I said that, I do not know what I was thinking, then"
She shifted in her bed to sit, "I did not call you here for all that... I called you because I need to tell you something before I... Well, you know"
"Do not say that," I said with a tearful voice, "you will be fine. I am sure that Dr Philips has done something wrong and you are perfectly fine"
"Are you lying to me or to yourself?" She said with a smile, "I have to say this. I have... I have to repent before my... Leave"
"Repent!" I said in a high tone, "Ceci, what are you talking about?"
"I lied to you, Amelia. I have been lying for more than three years, now. I never had anything on Edward's father. I only said that because I know that you care for him and will stay away if you knew that I could ruin him. I used you, both of you and I am sorry. I am truly sorry"
Tears started falling from her eyes and I just stared at her with disbelief. I felt nothing else, not anger, not disgust, just disbelief.
I stood up and was about to leave.
"Amy, Amy, please do not leave, now," she said crying, "Scream at me or hit me but please do not leave things like this"
"You should have some rest," I said and rushed out of the room while she was still calling me.
They were still outside, all staring at me with curious eyes.
"I... I will go get some fresh air," I said running outside.
Edward started calling me but I could not face him at all, now.
But as always, he never gives up.
"Amelia," he called holding my elbow when he reached me outside the house.
I moved away, "I am not ready to talk to anyone right now, Edward"
"Has she told you?" He asked with seriousness.
I stared at him, Could he be talking about the trick?
I frowned, "About what, exactly?"
"My father's reputation is as clear as a summer sky, Amelia," he said holding my arms, "she does not have anything on him"
"Y... Yes, she told me," I said moving away, "if you leave me alone, now, I will be so much in debt to you"
He stared at me for a while then, nodded, "of course but where are you going?"
I shrugged, "I have no idea but anywhere would be better than here"
"Let me come with you," he said as he took a step forward.
"That is not a good idea, Edward," I said taking a step backwards, "I really need to be alone and even if I wanted company, it would not be you, not now"
Then, I ran away before he could see my tears. For the second time in my life, I cry without knowing for which reason.
For my dying sister or for a trick that has ruined my life. I do not know what I should feel, sympathy for a girl who will not survive a week or hatred of a girl who caused me more pain than I could imagine. I just cannot help but think that she meant it. She meant to tell me before her death to force me to forgive her.
I fell on a bench in the park. I have no idea how I reached it. I just know that I need a place to cry.
And I did. I cried my heart out without knowing why. For the second time in my life, I let myself go. I forgot myself, where I was and what was happening. I just cried like no one was watching although I could feel eyes watching me.
I looked around me and found a brother playing with his sister.
Oh no! Bernard! He does not know. I have not told him, yet.
Suddenly, I stood up and ran home. Janette opened the door, "I want you to call everyone in the house to the study, now"
She curtsied and left after a minute or two, everyone was in the room except for Bernard.
"Just tell us already," Daphne said with impatience.
"Wh... Where is Bernard?" I asked playing with my hands anxiously.
"Here I am, sister," he said with a smile as he entered the room, "so what is that important thing that we had to leave everything to come to?"
Then he looked at me and froze, "Amelia, have you been crying?"
Tears started falling from my eyes again. He ran to me and held my arms, "Amy, what is the matter? Why are you crying? What has happened?"
"Cecelia..." A cry came from my mouth then, I said while crying, "Our sister is dying, Bernard"
Gasping and crying dominated the situation. Bernard was on a chair with Daphne by his side. I was curled up in Aunt's arms with Granny next to us.
"I have to see her," Granny said.
"I do not think that is a good idea," I said.
"I have to see her," she insisted and I could see the pain and persistence in her eyes.
"Fine, but do not expect to see the same person"
We all stayed at Meg's the days before her death. The house that was once filled with joy and dancing is now filled with sorrow and crying. She always asked for me and Jane. She always wanted us to be with her. I spent most of the time with her in the room but not once have we opened that conversation again. In those days, I felt closer to her than I have ever felt in my life.
With all of us around her and baby Jane in her arms, she closed her eyes and went to an immortal sleep.
Author's Note: Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the end of the youngest Abbot. From now on, there will be no Cecelia. But I have to ask, is anyone feeling sorry for her? Don't forget to vote, comment and tell me what you think.