CHAPTER 48
The journey to River Run took a week, but it felt excruciatingly long. No one spoke much. They all were weighed down by the severity of the situation and just wanted it over with before it had even really started.
Skylar was already missing Ian so much it was making her stomach hurt. The nausea also came from the concern that he was okay. Claire was right, she knew where he was and that he was safe. But she was so used to being worried about him when he was away that she couldn't help it. Plus with all the talk he and Jamie had said about how the "unknown dangers they would meet on this journey" made it too risky for her to go, it only gave her more of a reason to be anxious about him facing it.
When the wagon finally pulled up in front of the estate, she realized she had forgotten how big River Run was and was in awe of it all over again. But that awe diminished when she was saw the slaves working on the immediate land and she remembered the horrific end Rufus suffered that she was witness to.
When they walked inside, they were almost immediately met by Ulysses. Skylar smiled seeing a familiar face.
"Ulysses, it's so good to see you again," she greeted him.
He bowed to her. "Miss Kelley, this is a most pleasant surprise. Have Mister and Mistress Fraser accompanied you as well?" He gave a glance over the strangers that had come in with her.
"No, they're…away, right now."
"We are here te see Mistress Cameron," Murtagh stated.
Putting his attention on Murtagh now, Ulysses asked, "May I inquire as to who is asking for her?"
"He's Jamie Fraser's godfather," Skylar told him.
Murtagh handed him the letter from Jamie as proof, and seeing the Fraser seal on the back, Ulysses knew this was the truth.
"Will you follow me?" He beckoned for another in house slave to open the parlor doors and he led the group inside. Jocasta was sitting in a chair knitting. Ulysses cleared his throat to let her know he was there.
"What is it, Ulysses?" she said.
"A letter, Mistress, from your nephew, written in his own hand."
Her voice got excited as she instructed him, "Well, read it, please." She turned in the direction of him
He opened the letter to read it, but Murtagh cut him off before he could say a word.
"It says, 'This letter is carried te ye by me godfather, Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser.'"
A smile slowly spread across Jocasta's face. "Murtagh? Is it you?"
"Tis."
"Blessed bride, come closer." He crossed to kneel in front of her and she took his hands. "Oh, aye. I'd know these hands anywhere. They told ye, no doubt, that me eyes have long failed me?"
"Aye. Ye must've taken careful not of me hands te recall them after 30 years have passed."
Jocasta laughed. "How could I not? Ye could hardly keep them from my sister every day of her young life. Every time I looked at her, there ye were wi' a hand held out te help her, or wi' flowers in them fer her."
"Little good that did me in the end."
"Ye gained a godson, as I recall."
"That I did."
"I had no idea Murtagh was such a romantic when he was younger," Skylar whispered very quietly to Bree, and she giggled in response. Jocasta heard them both.
"Who else is here?" she asked.
The two young women looked at each other, and Skylar figured it was better for her to announce herself first and then end with the surprise of Brianna.
"It's me, Great-Aunt. It's Skylar."
"Oh, Skylar. Come here, my dear." She held out a hand to her, and Skylar closed the space between them and took it. "How nice it is te hear yer voice again. Ye are well, I trust?"
"Yes, Great-Auntie. I'm very well."
"Have Jamie, Claire nor Ian come wi' ye?"
"No. That's, um, that's why we're here." She looked back at Bree, trying to figure out how they should go about this.
"I thought I heard another young lady with ye. Would she be so kind as te introduce herself?"
Murtagh took it upon himself to do that. "This is Brianna, Jamie and Claire's daughter form Boston."
Jocasta was understandably caught off guard by that statement, repeating, "Daughter?" to try to wrap her mind around it.
"It's a long story," Brianna spoke up.
Jocasta turned towards Ulysses again, curious for more details. "And what else does this letter say, Ulysses?"
He went to start reading the letter again, but he was once more cut off, this time by Brianna. "It says that I am with child and unmarried. It asks that you look after me and Skylar, despite the mark it might bring to your good name, while my mother and Jamie search for the man to whom I have been handfast."
Skylar added on in her head, Along with the man to whom I am handfast.
She wondered if this was something that she should tell Jocasta or if it would be better to keep it to herself. But she chose to not think about this at the moment when everything was getting explained.
"That is about the extent of it, Mistress," Ulysses told her, signaling there was nothing else for her to know from Jamie.
Jocasta didn't say anything as she processed this huge news. She then stood up and said to Bree, "Oh, my sweet girl. Come here close te me." Skylar switched places with Bree as she went to Jocasta. The older woman touched her arms and face, giving her a very tender smile. "Of course ye may stay wi' us. My dear, sweet girl."
Even though she couldn't see her face, Skylar had a feeling she could feel Jamie's spirit and personality radiating off of her. Like her father, it was something very hard to miss when you were in the same room as him.
Jocasta let go of her new great-niece and said to the group, "Now, I'm sure ye are all tired after ye journey. Ulysses, will ye tell Phaedra and Mary te prepare their rooms?"
"Of course, Mistress." He walked out to follow his order.
Jocasta then said to Skylar, "Yer room is still as ye left it last summer. I hope that it'll still be t eyer likin'."
"I have no doubt at all that it will," Skylar assured her.
"If ye'll follow me te the dinin' room, we'll get ye somethin' te eat while we wait on yer rooms."
As they ate, Murtagh announced that he would be leaving the next morning and was headed for Wilmington for business that he gave no more details on. But Skylar knew it was to carry out the mission Jamie had given him; to find Stephen Bonnet. Skylar hoped and prayed that he would find Bonnet and Jamie would kill him seconds after having him. Or that Bonnet would already be dead by the time Murtagh found him. Either was fine with her, as long as it ended with the scum being dead.
When asked, Bree gave the same story Jamie and Claire had told Fergus and Marsali about how she came to be here, and Jocasta bought it completely. They explained the whole situation that led them here, and how Jamie, Claire and Ian were on their way to New York to find Roger.
Jocasta suddenly changed the subject and said to Skylar, "Thinkin' of Ian, Skylar, my dear, I havena yet received any news of an engagement or marriage between the two'a ye. This there anythin' of such on the horizon?"
Skylar bit her lip. She had to decide in this split second on whether to say that she and Ian were already married or to hold off on any of that until he was back. She ended up deciding to say, "I have some very good news, actually. Ian and I are engaged."
Brianna was just as surprised as Jocasta was at this. Jocasta clasped her hands together and exclaimed happily, "Oh, that's so wonderful. I'm so happy fer ye both. I told ye it would happen wi'in the year."
"When did he propose?" Brianna wanted to know.
"The night before he left with Dad and Claire. When we were taking a moment alone to say goodnight," she added quickly, glancing at Murtagh to make sure he wouldn't know that she had snuck out, even though he was fully aware she had and that's when it had happened. But he still wasn't aware of everything that had gone done when she was with Ian that night.
Brianna went on, "Well, congratulations! That's so great, I am thrilled for you two." She squeezed Skylar's hand.
"Thank you," she replied. "We're hoping to marry as soon as he's back."
Jocasta was positively giddy as she said, "I look forward te usin' this time te start plannin' everythin' so as te give ye a truly magnificent weddin'."
Skylar just smiled, knowing there was no wat she would be able to convince Jocasta that that wasn't necessary.
When the rooms were ready, the three retreated upstairs. When Skylar walked into her room, she looked around and remembered all that had happened in here just a year ago; her not being able to sleep because of her internal debate on whether to marry Ian, telling him she was from the future, hearing and watching the mob form outside her window, and much much more.
Hopefully nothing as exciting will happen while we're here this time. But somehow I highly doubt that could ever happen.
"Come in," she called when she heard a knock.
Bree walked in and said in amazement, "I'm pretty sure my room is bigger than the entire cabin back at the Ridge."
"I know. This place is massive. It takes a little while to learn your way around here, especially outside."
As she crossed to sit on the bed, Brianna brought the conversation to what she was really interested in. "So, can you please explain why the hell you didn't tell me you and Ian are engaged? That's so huge!"
"It was pretty sudden, and since we can't do anything about it until he gets back, we just thought we should wait to say anything until he is," she lied. Though it was really only a half-lie since their decision to handfast was very sudden and they couldn't do anything to make it legal until he was home.
"That's so exciting! I'm so beyond happy for the two of you."
"I have a question for you too. Why didn't you tell anyone it was Stephen Bonnet? Or me, at least? We spent so much time talking about your assault. I thought you were even more upset because you had no idea who he was or how to find him."
Brianna took a breath in and let it out. "I didn't know it was him until Ian told me about his attack on the riverboat. And after hearing how guilty Da felt over that, I knew it would make him feel worse. I wanted to tell you. I felt so bad hiding it from you. But I know how badly he hurt you and I didn't want to bring that all back up for you and potentially hurt you all over again."
"That's all understandable. But," she went to sit next to Bree, "please don't hide things on my account. If you're hurting, please share it with me. Don't worry about how it'll affect me. I am always here for you, no matter what. That's what sisters are for. Okay?"
Brianna went in to hug Skylar, but pulled back quickly and put a hand on her stomach. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly through her mouth.
"You okay?" Skylar asked, though she knew what it was.
When she opened her eyes again, Bree told her, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It's just the nausea. All the rumors I've heard about morning sickness have proven to be true so far."
"It's been awful watching you have to go through this. I can't imagine needing to puke all the time."
"And pee. I apologize, again, for the constant stops on our way here."
"It's not your fault. It's this little monster that's causing it." She put her hand gently on Brianna's bump that was just starting to appear.
"The next few months are going to be crazy, to say the least."
"But it'll all be worth it when you see your baby's squishy little face."
"I might have some trouble remembering how cute he is when I'm waking up every two hours to screaming."
"Is the screaming going to be from the baby or Roger?" Skylar chuckled.
Bree's face got much more serious at hearing Roger's name. She wrapped both arms around her stomach as if she was trying to hold her baby for comfort.
Skylar touched her shoulder. "He's going to be here before you know it, Bree. You're going to have him back."
"But what if he doesn't want to? What if when he hears that I'm pregnant and it might not be his, he decides I'm not worth it?"
"Then you're better off. If he loves you as much as you've been saying he does, the slight chance that this is not his baby will not keep him away. If it does, then he's trash and doesn't deserve you."
Bree gave a half smile and leaned her head on Skylar's shoulder. Skylar wrapped her arm around her sister.
"I'm so happy Mama and Da adopted you," Bree told her.
Skylar laughed softly. "Me too."
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The days seemed to drag during their time at River Run. The first couple weeks felt like they each lasted a year. Brianna was very solitary, only allowing Skylar has consistent company. But even when they were in the same room, if was often silent. Bree would draw most of the time, and the pictures she drew were dark. Skylar knew her art was a therapy for her, but she still hated to see her in so much pain. She tried to get her to talk about how she was feeling, but Bree shut her down every time, not wanting to say anything about it.
This left Skylar to her own thoughts and they were almost always of Ian. She wanted with her entire soul to see him and hear him call her his wife. She was desperate for him to touch her again. She would have dreams that would mimic, what she thought of as, their wedding night and she would wake up still feeling his hands and lips on her.
She would stare at her left ring finger and imagine actually wearing his wedding ring when they would become man and wife officially.
She hated every second they were apart and she prayed every day and night that he would be with her again soon. She would try to keep her mind busy with reading, stitching or knitting. It would work, but only for a few minutes at a time.
She was currently using stitching as her distraction as she sat in the dining room with Bree who was working on another piece. They were sitting in silence until Lizzie came in saying, "I dinna mean te disturb ye, Mistress, but I thought ye might like a morsel of somethin' while yer drawin'. I brought fer ye as well, Skylar."
"Thank you, Lizzie," Bree said. Lizzie came in and put the tray of food on the table. As she did, she saw what Brianna was drawing and gasped.
"Oh God in Heaven. What have I brought ye te? Monstrous darkness, yer possessed."
Any little thing that's off about someone and everyone thinks they're possessed, Skylar thought. How did people survive this century?
"Lizzie, I'm possessed," Bree told her. "I'm hurt and angry."
"It's all my fault," Lizzie repeated for the thousandth time since they'd been there.
You're not wrong, Skylar would always say back in her head, but she would never actually say it to Lizzie's face.
"No, you made an honest mistake. You thought you were protecting me."
"But I made such a mess of things. Will ye ever forgive me?"
"Of course." Bree took Lizzie's hand to show her forgiveness. "It's over. We don't need to talk about it again."
Lizzie gave a small smile in reply and turned to leave. But she stopped and turned back to say, "And what about yer father? Will ye forgive him as well? He wouldna have done what he did if I hadna been mistaken about Mr. Wakefield."
Skylar looked at Bree for her response, wanting to know what she would say. Jamie was also a topic that she had been heavily avoiding.
"Even if I could forgive him for what he did to Roger, I can't forget the things he said to me."
Knowing the conversation was over, Lizzie said, "I'll leave ye t eyer drawin' then, Mistress," and then walked out.
It was silent again for a minute. But Skylar broke it this time.
"Lizzie's right, Bree. Dad and Ian made the same mistake she did. They thought they were protecting you."
"I'm not mad at Ian anymore, Skylar. You don't have to worry about that."
"And Dad? Are you going to be mad at him forever?"
"You didn't hear what he said he to me."
"No, but I was told about it. He didn't mean any of it. Not a single word, I promise you that. He was just confused. He speaks and does things without thinking. He's probably replaying everything he said and hating himself for it."
"Skylar, that's enough. I don't want to talk about it." She turned her focus back to her drawing, and neither said a word for the rest of the night.
Nothing changed much over the next two months, other than Brianna's stomach growing. The girls kept to themselves mainly, joining Jocasta for meals and when she would call for one of them.
Skylar would still try to pry anything out of Brianna so that she wasn't bottling everything inside and be at risk of exploding. She would be successful once in a while, and for now, that was good enough. She knew Bree would talk more when she was ready.
At this moment in time, they were both practicing knitting. Skylar had shown Bree what Ian taught her and she caught on pretty well.
They were each working on their separate pieces when Skylar asked suddenly, "Do you know if there are still apples in the kitchen?"
"Um, I don't know. Probably."
"I'm gonna go see." She stood up, ready to go to the kitchen. She groaned as she did and held onto her back.
"Are you okay?"
"My back has been so sore lately. I think something's up with my mattress. Or maybe my time has come and I'm falling apart."
"Could be all the apples," Bree joked.
Skylar laughed. "The apples are making me fall apart?"
"It seems like that's all you're eating. Any reason in particular?"
"I don't know. They just taste really good and eating them just makes me want them more."
Bree wasn't wrong about apples seeming to be Skylar's favorite food presently. She would have at least one with every meal and would think about them during the day, prompting her to have more. Luckily, Lizzie had gone to a nearby market and had been able to pick up another bundle so Skylar wouldn't have to go without.
"And now talking about it is just making the craving worse." She went for the door as she added, "While I'm down there, do you want me to bring you anything?"
"No, I'm good. Thanks."
"That was a rhetorical question. You've barely been eating. You don't have a choice."
"I don't think I can stomach anything right now. Between the constant nausea and the paralyzing worry, I can't even think about food."
Skylar saw that she was ready to talk a bit more, but needed a little push. So she took a breath then walked back to sit in her chair. "Bree, you have to believe me when I tell you I know exactly how feel right now."
"How? You have Ian with you every day. You've never had to worry about where he was or if he was alive or not."
"Have we never told you about what happened to him?"
Bree looked slightly nervous. "Um, no. What happened?"
"Well, way back in 1766, when he and I were still claiming we were nothing more than friends, he got kidnapped by pirates and forced onto a ship headed for Jamaica."
Brianna's mouth dropped. "What?"
"Yeah. I had finally accepted I loved him and he was taken from me before I could tell him. Dad, Claire and I chased him down and rescued him, which involved months of the most painful agony I have ever gone through. I had no way of knowing if he was hurt or alive. I didn't have one full meal or a regular night's sleep until we found him. Please don't make my mistakes. Making yourself sick isn't going to bring Roger back any quicker. After basically killing myself for an absurd amount of time, it took so long to reassimilate back into normal eating and sleeping habits. And you need to stay healthy, not just for you but for your baby. So, when I ask 'do you want anything,' what I actually mean is 'I'm bringing you food.' Understand?"
Bree gave a small smile at her sister's concern, and said, "Fine."
"Good. Okay, thinking about this apple is driving me crazy. I'll be right back." She squeezed Bree's hand and went for the door. But before she could open it, Phaedra came bursting into the room with bustling excitement, her arms full of different fabrics, and almost ran into her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss Kelley," she said.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Phaedra." Skylar gave her a kind smile and moved aside to let her pass. Phaedra gave her a quick curtsey and returned the smile, then kept going into the room.
"We dinna have much time te get ye ready, Mistress," she said to Brianna.
"Ready for what?" Brianna sat up more in chair. Skylar came back into the room and stood behind Bree, wanting to know what was happening as well.
As she spread out the different fabrics, Phaedra told them, "Mistress Cameron's holdin' a dinner next week, and I need te fit ye fer a new dress. Miss Kelley, all'a yer beautiful dresses from when ye were here last are still hangin' in yer wardrobe fer ye te pick from."
"Phaedra, could you please tell my aunt I don't need a new dress?" Bree pleaded, sounding exhausted at just the idea of this party.
"But ye do, Mistress. And a new dress will help hide yer…condition."
Skylar had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at that word. Everyone at River Run was referring to Brianna pregnancy as her "condition" since she was unwed. Skylar thought it was ridiculous and she knew Bree didn't like it either.
Especially from the annoyed twinge in her voice as she responded with, "Hide it from whom?"
"We've got us a lord comin' from Virginia, master of Mount Josiah."
"Sounds fancy," Skylar commented.
"Aye, that he is. Mistress Cameron wants te introduce ye te him and some of her other friends."
"I don't want to meet anyone," Bree fought.
"Ye dinna mean that. Ye'll soon learn that Mistress Cameron's dinners are the talk of the county. Ye remember, Miss Kelley, the party that was held here fer yer family?"
"Oh, I most certainly do." She remembered the group of women who warned her that Ian cheating was unavoidable and the rich white men who spoke of the Native Americans as if they were no better than the dirt under their shoes; including Lieutenant Wolff, with his eyes and hands that had a hard time staying to himself when Skylar was around. She held back a gag knowing that he was absolutely going to be a guest at this event as well.
Skylar held onto Bree's shoulder and leaned down to her ear to whisper, "If you make me go to this thing alone, I will never forgive you. Ever. Ever." She then left to finally satisfy her apple craving.
The next day, Bree was still dead set on not attending the dinner. But unfortunately, even if she did manage to find a way of escaping it, Skylar was still obligated to go. So when Bree went off to draw on her own for a while, Skylar decided it would be best to try on the dress she wanted to wear to the dinner to make sure it still fit. She opened her wardrobe and smiled at seeing the white dress with pink flowers. It was still the most beautiful dress she had ever seen and she was so excited to have a reason to wear it again.
But when she put it on, she found it was much more snug than it had been the previous summer. She managed to squeeze into it, but it was a slight struggle to breathe and she couldn't get it to rest over her breasts properly.
What the hell, she though, feeling discouraged as she stared at herself in the mirror from every angle. Did I double the amount of food I've been eating or something?
"Do apples have enough sugar to make you gain weight?" she whispered to herself. Someone knocked on her door and she called, "Come in." She didn't turn around when the door opened because she was too focused on seeing if she was about to rip the seams of her dress since that's what it felt like.
Bree walked in and said, "Good news, you're not going to be at the dinner alone. I've decided to make an appearance after all." Skylar didn't answer. She kept turning from side to side, putting her hands on her hips stomach and waist. She kept trying to pull her dress up, but she groaned each time it fell back down. "Are you okay, Sky?"
Without turning from the mirror, she asked, "Have I gained a ton of weight recently?"
"I'm sorry, please repeat that."
"Just answer the question."
"No, of course not. Why would you ask that?"
"This dress fit perfect a year ago and now it's squeezing my ribs and I can't even get it up past my boobs, which also seem to have grown significantly as of late."
Bree crossed to sit as she said, "Are you due for your period soon? It could just be bloating, and breasts tend to swell around then too."
"I honestly have no idea. But you might be right. I didn't get it last month and I've been insanely irregular since my first one, so skipping a month, or two at this point, is completely the norm for me and it could finally be coming any day now."
Brianna's eyebrows shot up at her nonchalance over it. "You've missed two months?"
"Yeah, I thought I got it a few weeks ago but it only lasted like a day and was unusually light. So I have no idea what that was but I'm not gonna worry about that until there are more signs that it is something to worry about. But I would not be surprised at all if it was just my uterus deciding to do even more of its own thing and be like 'yeah, that was it. There you go.'"
"That sucks. I'm sorry you have to deal with that."
"It's whatever. But as much as I really hope it is my period just to get it over with, I really hope it's not. I've skipped two months before, and then when it does eventually come, it's a literal murder scene from hell."
"What an image," Brianna laughed.
"Truly. And if these are, in fact, my period boobs, and them being this big, I can tell it's gonna be real fun."
"I'm sure Ian will be disappointed having missed out on your period boobs."
"He has a lifetime to enjoy them. He just has to make it back alive first."
"Maybe we can have our weddings one right after the other, or maybe even a double wedding. Do you think we could convince Roger and Ian to go along with that?"
Skylar smiled and turned to face her sister. This had been the first time in two months that Brianna had said something positive and with real hope about Roger coming back.
She went to sit in the chair next to Bree. "I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard. If they want the honeymoon, they have to go through the ceremony first. So I can guarantee they'll agree to whatever we want to make it happen as quick as possible." They both laughed but it was difficult for Skylar to while sitting down. She stood right back up and put her hands on her hips. "Oh God, I need to find Phaedra and have her take this dress out. Mother Nature's gift is not going to come fast enough for me to breathe easily in this dress before the dinner."
All too quickly, a week had passed and it was the night of the dinner. Guests started to arrive early in the afternoon, and Skylar and Bree kept themselves locked in Brianna's room to avoid having to interact with any of them. But it got to be the time when they needed to make their entrance. Phaedra and Mary helped both women dress and fix their hair.
"Sky, please stop obsessing. You look gorgeous," Brianna told her as they were about to go down. Phaedra had let out Skylar's dress so that it fit again, but that just made her paranoid now that she looked heavy; which was, unfortunately, a big "societal no-no" for young ladies from respectable families in this time.
"The women that are downstairs, they will pick apart any flaw they can find. And I promise you, they will find one. It's like high school bullying all over again."
Bree smiled and went behind Skylar, holding onto her upper arms and looking at her through the window.
"And I promise you, if anyone has anything bad to say to my little sister, they'll be escorted out of here with a black eye."
Skylar laughed out loud. "Omigod, I would love nothing more than to see you go head to head with the upper crust of Cross Creek and win."
Bree joined in laughing. "Come on, we better get out there before Jocasta sends someone to find us."
Skylar groaned. "Ugh, fine. Let's get this night over with." Bree took her hand and led her out the door.
They stopped at the top of the stairs, waiting to be announced by their aunt.
Ulysses noticed them and whispered to Jocasta they were there.
"Ladies and gentleman," she spoke to the crowd, "may I present my nieces, Brianna Fraser and Skylar Kelley."
Brianna started down first with Skylar right behind her. She felt less nervous than she had when she first walked down these stairs with Jamie, Claire and Ian, but it still made her feel awkward to have everyone watching her, waiting to see if she would make a mistake.
When they made it to the ground floor, they were met with a man and woman waiting to be introduced.
"Brianna, Skylar, this is Gerald Forbes and his sister, Prudence Forbes." They bowed and curtsied respectively, and the two woman curtsied in response.
"I've been lookin' forward te this occasion," Mr. Forbes said, his eyes locked on Brianna.
The newest and prettiest in the room, Skylar remembered from the wives at the last party. Sorry, Bree, have fun.
He was waiting for Brianna to respond him, but she remained silent; and Skylar absolutely did not want to speak to anyone unless necessary. So, he continued with, "Have the two'a ye been enjoyin' yer time at River Run?" He slowly looked over Skylar as well from head to toe and kept his gaze on her when he met her eyes again.
Damn it, I thought I was safe.
"I was lucky enough to stay here for a period last summer, and I'm enjoying myself just as much now as I did then," she answered.
"I feel the same, though this is my first visit. Our aunt has been a most generous hostess," Brianna added.
"How do ye spend yer days here?" Prudence asked.
"Drawing, mostly."
"The lass is quite accomplished," Jocasta bragged.
"Splendid!" Mr. Forbes exclaimed, far too excited. "What sort of things do ye draw?"
"I recently finished a portrait of Phaedra."
Oh this won't go over well. Skylar glanced at the rest of the guests and they all had looks of differing variations of shock at Bree's statement.
Prudence tried to find a more "appropriate" explanation. "Oh, I presume ye mean the Phaedra of Greek mythology, wife of Theseus."
Before Bree could correct her, Jocasta said, "Yes. A good, strong Greek name."
"I believe Phaedra is one of the slaves here at River Run," another man spoke.
The woman next to him was outraged when Brianna confirmed this. "Ye mean te say ye draw negros?"
Skylar watched Bree's face drop and she gently touched the older girls' arm to keep her from speaking out. The two made very quick eye contact and Brianna's expression softened, allowing Skylar to drop her hand.
Jocasta, feeling the tension start to rise, went on with, "Brianna, Skylar, I don't believe ye've had the pleasure. This is Mistress Alderdyce and her son, the Honorable Judge Alderdyce." The man and woman who had previously spoke came a couple steps closer and the two pairs greeted each other the same way as they had with the Forbes.
"I draw whatever inspires me," Bree couldn't stop herself from saying.
The man smiled and said, "Very courageous. I'd love te see it."
"I could have Ulysses fetch it for you if you'd like."
"Oh, heavens no!" Mrs. Alderdyce cried, as if Brianna had suggested she sleep outside in the garden. "What is the world comin' te? Te think ye'd choose that as yer subject in a beautiful place such as this. Why not a landscape?"
Skylar grit her teeth and squeezed her hands hard together to keep herself from strangling this woman. She could feel the same anger coming from Brianna next to her without looking at her.
Jocasta tried to move on by saying, "Oh, young folk teday, my goodness. Whatever shall we do wi' them? I'm sure Lieutenant Wolff will have some thoughts te share."
Oh, Christ, here we go, Skylar thought. She had felt his stare burning into her from the moment she started down the stairs.
Hearing his name, Lieutenant Wolff made a beeline to the girls and stopped in front of Skylar first.
He bowed deeply to her. "Miss Kelley," he picked up her hand and held it, "what a pleasure it is to gaze upon you yet again. I dare say you are twice as beautiful as you were when I saw you last." He kissed her hand for an uncomfortable amount of time and she fought hard to not throw up and yank her hand away.
"Lieutenant Wolff, how wonderful it is to see you again," she said to him when he at last released her.
"Now, will you please ease my mind and tell me you are no longer attached to that gangly pale boy that accompanied you last summer."
Don't slap him, he's high society.
"Quite the opposite actually. I'm very happy to say that Ian has asked for my hand and I accepted. I will be Mistress Murray before too long."
"What an absolute pity it is for someone of your exquisite beauty to settle for one so beneath you."
She gave him a tight thin smile. "I thank you for you kind words of congratulations, Lieutenant. Now, may I formally introduce to my sister, Brianna."
"Your sister?" He looked back and forth between them. Skylar gave a single nod. He then put his attention to the second girl and said to her, "I have newfound empathy for your great-aunt's lack of sight." He kissed her hand as well and Skylar was overwhelmingly jealous that he didn't linger on her hand. But Brianna was still just as unsettled by his forwardness.
"You're too kind," she forced out.
"With your aunt's permission, I would like to take the both of you lovely young ladies on an excursion to New Bern, to show you some the magnificent sights." He ended looking directly at Skylar again. "Perhaps your fiancée would be generous enough to allow me the gift of your company for just a weekend, or so."
Over his and my dead bodies.
"Unfortunately, Ian is away for the time being so I am unable to ask him," she answered.
"Then his absence will be his consent."
PLEASE GET ME THE FUCK AWAY FROM THIS MAN! I THOUGHT THIS NIGHT WAS ALL ABOUT BRIANNA! she screamed in her head with her clearly fake and pained smile painted on her face.
Mr. Forbes saved the day when he came in front of Wolff to say to Brianna, "Miss Fraser, there is something I wish te show ye. Perhaps ye would be so kind as te accompany me?" he held out his arm and she just stared at him.
"Brianna," Jocasta urged her. She gave a weak smile and took his arm.
But before they walked, she turned to Skylar. "Sky?" and she held out her hand, begging her to take it and follow them. Skylar eagerly took it and held it tight as she went along with her and Forbes, relieved to get just a small distance between her and Wolff; though he trailed in close pursuit along with the rest of the crowd.
Forbes led them into the parlor to one of the small tables. Skylar went on past them to stand closer to the fireplace and watch whatever was about to happen unfold.
Forbes opened the box, revealing four gemstones.
He said to Bree, "I'm thinkin' of havin' one of these stones fashioned inte a piece of jewelry, a gift. Tell me, me dear, which one pleases you most? The sapphire, the emerald, the topaz, or the diamond? With yer instinct fer loveliness, ye would have a most valuable opinion, should ye be willin' te oblige me with it."
Bree looked at Skylar, her face asking for help.
"This one is all you," Skylar's face replied.
Bree turned back to Forbes and said, "I, um…I shouldn't like to venture my own opinion without first hearing Mistress Alderdyce's choice." Skylar bit back a laugh at her sister's very smart move.
The rude older woman took a step in, about to share her thoughts, when she was interrupted by Ulysses.
"May I present Lord John Grey."
Skylar's face lit up when she heard the name and saw him walk in. A flood of happiness came over her as she know thought the night saved for horrendous boredom.
Everyone either bowed or curtsied to him when he entered and he responded with a bow as well. "Greetings, one and all. Mistress Cameron, very glad to be here. I'm sure a splendid evening awaits us." When he looked back out, he saw Skylar and smiled. "Miss Kelley, how wonderful it is to make your acquaintance yet again."
Skylar came forward to him and curtsied once more. "I'm very happy to see you here. I didn't piece together that you were the lord from Virginia everyone was talking about. I should also tell you, I won't be Miss Kelley for much longer. I'll be Mistress Murray in only a matter of months."
His smile grew wider at her news. "My most warm and heartfelt congratulations to both you and Ian. I hope that I will finally be able to meet this man at your wedding, should I be sent an invitation."
"I'm sure we'll be able to find space for you and William somewhere."
"William will be heartbroken to hear of your engagement.
Skylar laughed. "Please send him my deepest apologies."
"I most certainly will."
"May I please introduce you to my sister, Brianna." She held her hand out to Bree who was standing behind her, and she came to join them.
"Miss Fraser, undoubtedly," he greeted her. "I'm an acquaintance of your parents."
"I suppose that's how you two know each other?" she questioned, looking between him and Skylar.
"Yes, yes it is. I had the privilege of visiting Fraser's Ridge a number of months ago. Though we did have a brief meeting in Jamaica. Though I do understand, Miss Kelley, that you do not prefer to speak of that time."
Skylar gave him a humorous smile. "For the sake of the entertainment I'm sure your stories of your time in Jamaica would bring to all of us, I will allow it just this once."
Lord John let out a low laugh and Jocasta spoke, "I'm sure we would all enjoy hearin' these stories at the table. I'm told dinner is ready te be served."
They all transitioned into the dining room, and as they did, Skylar took Brianna's arm and whispered, "Stick close to him. He's a good one."
Lord John was sat at the head of the table with Brianna on his left and Skylar on his right. The other guests were placed more or less randomly with Jocasta at the other end. As they ate, John told a couple stories, as promised, of Jamaica, ending with the one at the ball thrown in his honor and his encounter with a fortune teller there.
"It was all a ridiculous show, really. The woman claimed to tell fortunes by holding a personal item. Though it was rather amusing, I must admit. Miss Kelley, ye were a witness to this as well, I presume. What did you make of the display?"
"Oh, I was, um…otherwise occupied during that, I'm afraid." She took a sip of her wine and inwardly cringed as she remembered the drunk mess she had become that night and having Fergus rescue her from a stranger's advances in the garden.
"However, this was not the strangest thing that happened during my time in Jamaica," John continued. "A very strange place indeed. But that is a story for another glass." He looked at Bree. "Your turn. I've embarrassed myself enough for one evening, surely."
"I, uh, I don't have any anecdotes half as entertaining as yours, and I'm certainly no fortune teller," she said. "But I do have something for occasions such as these that I learned a long time ago, on the subject of psychology. The science of the soul if you will." Everyone seemed fascinated at the idea, including Skylar.
"Well, it sounds intriguing," Jocasta stated.
"And it only works with strangers."
"Might we all partake?" Forbes asked, who somehow managed to seat himself next to Brianna.
"Of course. I'll ask you a few questions and I want you to picture whatever comes to mind first. And you might want to close your eyes."
"Must I close my eyes when ye are before me?" Forbes said to her, leaning in close.
"Yes," she answered bluntly.
Skylar coughed to cover her laugh, then cleared her throat and closed her eyes.
Bree then began. "I want you to imagine that you're in a forest with someone. Can you picture the person?"
Everyone answered with some form of 'yes.' Skylar smiled at the image in her head of her and Ian holding hands and walking through the forest around Fraser's Ridge.
"You encounter an animal."
"Should we tell you what it is?" Wolff asked.
"Not yet. I want you to imagine that you reach a clearing. You may open your eyes."
"Is that it?" Prudence questioned after everyone could see again.
"Now, one at a time, you'll tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what each answer represents, symbolically speaking." Bree turned to her sister and said, "Sky, would you do us the honor of going first?"
"Are you sure it'll work since I'm not a stranger?"
Bree chuckled. "You can be our example. Besides, I'm sure there's still plenty to you I've yet to uncover."
"Very well, go ahead."
"Who were you walking in the woods with?"
Skylar gave her a joking "are you serious right now" face. "Must you even ask?"
The older girl smiled. "And what animal did you and Ian see?"
"A blue jay, two actually. We saw a pair soon before he left that had made a nest in, um, a special tree." She smiled to herself at the memory of them together during a rare minute alone. They had gone to see the tree Skylar had put their initials into and were pleasantly surprised to see the birds that had made a home there.
"Well, that's very appropriate for you two, considering blue jays mate for life."
"I will take that as a very good sign then."
"From what you told me, I can very safely assume that Ian is one of, if not the, most important person in your life. You love him madly and are only wanting a long and happy future with him."
"Right on all counts. But of course, you already knew all that."
"I suppose it is a bit more fun to read a stranger than your sister. But that's the basic idea of the game. Judge Alderdyce, would you go next?"
"I'm at yer service," he answered.
"Who was with you in the forest?"
"I was walkin' with Christ."
"And the animal you saw?"
"A squirrel. One verra particular fellow, in fact. Frequents me mother's garden each mornin'."
Bree thought about his responses before she gave her depiction. "You see, when a person is walking with Christ, it can mean that they're seeking forgiveness or reassurance for something."
"Given my occupation, it's no surprise that the notion of forgiveness is often on me mind."
"yes, but when walking with Christ yourself, coupled with the squirrel you saw in your mother's garden…you see, the animal you encounter represents life's problems, and given that squirrels tend to hoard things away, it would seem that your problems are secrets."
Skylar's eyes were locked on the Judge. He and John Grey had been giving each other quick nervous glances all during Bree's explanation and Skylar was holding her breath.
Omigod, they're together! That's the secret he's hoarding away! Holy shit!
She could see his anxiety rising as people continued to talk about Bree's meaning.
"Somethin' Mrs. Alderdyce doesna know about then, since the squirrel was in her garden," Prudence deduced.
Mrs. Alderdyce didn't believe it. "I assure ye, I know everythin' there is te know about my son."
"If ye'll excuse me fer a moment, I must take some air." Judge Alderdyce stood up from the table and promptly went outside. Skylar took another sip of her drink to keep her face straight.
"Well, well," Forbes spoke, "there may be somethin' in this after all."
"My niece is a clever lass indeed," Jocasta followed.
The remaining guests at table then went into their own separate conversations, and Bree turned to John. "So, Lord John, dare I ask who was with you in the forest?"
"I'm also very interested to hear," Skylar agreed.
He turned slightly red and started stuttering.
Brianna pressed him. "You don't have to think too hard about it. Who came to mind first?"
"Your father," he finally answered. "I thought of your father."
The plot thickens.
Bree was a little confused by his answer. "Oh. Why would you think of him?"
"Well, his daughters are sitting right here in front of me. And…" he looked between the two, "he did ask me to look in on the both of you."
"He did?" Skylar questioned.
"Why would you need to do that?" Bree added.
"He merely wrote to ask that I visit to ensure all is well. He mentioned he was about to embark on a long journey."
"And he gave no reason at all as to why all might not be well?"
"No. But from your response, I'm beginning to suspect it might not be. Your father would never divulge anything to me that you yourself, either of you, would not wish to tell me. He's an honorable man."
"Don't talk to me about my father's honor," she said coldly.
"Bree," Skylar said, wanting to calm her down as she saw she was starting to get riled up from this information.
"If you'll excuse me," Brianna announced to the table, putting her napkin down and standing up.
"Brianna, let me come with you." Skylar stood as well, with Lord John following the action.
"Is it my turn?" Forbes called out before they could take a step, being the fourth now to stand. "I'm eager te tell ye who my forest companion was. Perhaps we could take a walk in the grounds and discuss in more detail."
Bree suddenly grabbed her head, saying, "Oh, I'm…I'm feeling quite unwell."
"Brianna!" Skylar exclaimed as she went down. Luckily, Lord John had been right there to catch her. Skylar ran to her side and helped her to stand straight. "Are you alright? Do you feel sick?" Her immediate thought was her baby but she knew not to say a word about that.
Having been told what happened, Jocasta said, "Lord John, please escort me niece inte the parlor. Ulysses, more wine fer everyone."
John and Skylar assisted Brianna with walking into the other room and sat her on the couch. Phaedra had been called in and she wet a cloth to put on her head as Skylar sat next to her and rubbed her arm soothingly.
"I'm more than willing to ride out and summon a physician," John offered.
"Oh no, that won't be necessary."
"Bree, I think it would be a good idea to get checked out. Just to make sure everything is okay," Skylar pushed, making it clear she was hinting at the wellbeing of her child as well as herself.
"Really, I'm fine. There's no need to-"
She was cut off by Lizzie running in, pale with worry. "Oh, Mistress. I was so worried when I heard that ye'd fainted, and in yer condition."
Skylar sighed. "Oh, Jesus Christ," she mumbled inaudibly under her breath.
Brianna looked between Lizzie and John Grey, who Lizzie had just noticed in that moment and realized what she had done.
"Lizzie, I'm fine," she assured her. "Really, I'm feeling much better."
"Would ye like me te go and prepare yer bedchamber?"
"I'd appreciate that."
She gave Bree an apologetic look, then quickly left. There was an awkward silence before John spoke.
"Miss Fraser, you are not ill as such? Am I to understand you are going to be a mother?"
"One of the entertaining anecdotes I decided not to share at the dinner table."
"Your father didn't tell me about this, you know."
Skylar looked back and forth between them and she knew they needed to speak alone.
"This night has been exhausting, so I think I'm going to go to bed." She looked at Bree. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Sky."
"You know where to find me if you need me."
"Thank you. Goodnight."
"Night, Bree." She kissed her cheek then stood up, groaning again as her lower back acted up. "My God, when did I become an old lady?" She chuckled and curtsied to John. "Lord John." He bowed back as usual.
"I look forward to seeing you in the morning." She gave a small smile then left the room and went upstairs.
When she closed her door, she let the nausea she had been pushing away all night come forward and vomited into her chamber pot. She had been getting sick often recently, but hid it from Brianna so she wouldn't be worried about her.
She changed into her shift and made her own cool compress to put on her head as she laid in bed.
I thought knowing he was with Dad and Claire would stop me from the anxiety puking, she thought. But I guess I'm always going to be paranoid about him, especially now that he's my husband.
How terribly she missed him only added to her nausea, as well as the headache that came and went over the last two months.
She touched the spot on her neck where her necklace usually sat, thinking about it now hanging around Ian's neck.
"Come home soon, Youngin'," she whispered quietly. "Mistress Murray is waiting for you."
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The next morning, Skylar was woken up by a knocking at her door.
"Miss Kelley?" she heard Phaedra call.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She let a tired breath and called back, "Uh, yeah, you can-you can come in."
Phaerda opened the door and came next to her bed. "I'm verra sorry te wake ye, Miss Kelley. But yer sister sent me te find ye. She's askin' fer ye te join her in her room as quick as ye can."
Skylar was suddenly wide awake. "Is she okay?" She jumped out of bed and grabbed her bathrobe.
"Aye, she's healthy. She's wantin' te speak wi' ye." Skylar sprinted out of her room and into Bree's. Lizzie was int here as well.
"What's going on?" Skylar asked. "Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" Brianna looked frantic.
"I'll explain in a second. Lizzie, find Lord John and ask him to meet me in the grounds by the large oak." Lizzie nodded and turned on her heel to leave. "And Lizzie," Bree stopped her, "Be discreet." She nodded again, more enthusiastically then left.
When Lizzie was gone, Skylar turned back to the red head rushing to get dressed. "Bree, what is going on?"
As she slipped her dress on, she said, "Gerald Forbes is downstairs and he's about to propose."
Skylar's mouth dropped. "Omigod. First of all, gross. Second, how can I help you get out of this?"
Brianna was tying her hair into a side ponytail as she answered, "I have a plan that I'm kinda making up as I go. It's a little crazy."
"Okay, and…"
She checked herself over in the mirror and then turned to face the younger girl. She took a breath, then told her, "I'm going to ask John Grey to marry me."
Skylar blinked, not believing she actually heard what just came out of her sister's mouth. "I'm sorry, what? You're going to what?! This is far past a "little" bit crazy! Do you think he's actually going to say yes?"
"This can work. I can get him to go along with this."
"How?"
Bree hesitated. "I can't explain right now, but I know it'll work. Skylar, I don't have any other choice right now. It's this or marry Forbes, and I would rather be forced into a convent than be that man's wife."
"What about Roger? What are you and he going to do when he comes back and you're married to someone else?"
"I'm not actually going to marry John. This is just to get Jocasta off my back about being an unwed mother and it'll buy Mama, Da and Ian more time to get here with Roger."
Skylar saw how desperate she was and knew there was no way to talk her out of this. "Okay, um…what can I do?"
"I need you to create a distraction so Jocasta and Forbes don't see me leave."
"What kind of distraction?"
"I don't know, Sky. You said you've done theatre. Just be an actress."
"Jesus Christ, okay. Um…" she mumbled under her breath as she tried to think. She then came up with an idea. "Alright, this will keep tier attention on me for a while. Just give me five-ish minutes and then leave."
"Okay." Bree grabbed her cloak and threw it on as Skylar went to walk out.
"Break a leg," she said to Bree, then closed the door behind her.
Making as little noise as she could manage, Skylar crept down the hallway to the stairs. She looked down over them and could hear Jocasta and Forbes talking.
Time to refresh what I learned in those improv classes.
She slowly went down the stairs and stopped at the last three. She paused for a second, then stomped on the stair and slid her foot over it. She quickly sat down on the second to last step and hit it hard with her hand, all the while yelling, "Woah! Ow!"
"What was that? Is someone hurt?" she heard Jocasta say.
She stretched out her right leg and held onto her ankle. She twisted her face to look like she was in pain as Forbes and Jocasta, led by Ulysses, came out.
Forbes rushed to her and knelt beside her. "Miss Kelley! Are ye alright?"
"Is that Skylar? Are ye hurt, dear?" Jocasta asked her.
Throwing her voice to make it sound like she was holding back tears, she said, "I slipped and fell. I think I hurt my ankle."
She heard fast footsteps coming down the stairs behind her and suddenly, John Grey was next to her. "Oh Lord. Are you alright, Skylar? I was just leaving my room and I heard an awful crash."
"Mr. Forbes, Lord John, please help me niece inte the parlor and onte the couch."
Before Forbes could touch her, Lord John picked her up and carried her into the parlor. He laid her down on the couch.
"I think it might be sprained, or-or broken, even," Skylar lied while keeping up the act.
"I've seen my fair share of injuries serving in His Majesty's army and I know how to recognize several different types of injuries, including sprains and breaks. May I?" Lord John asked. Skylar nodded. She raised the hem of her shift just enough to show her ankle and closed her robe tighter around her. She "hissed in pain" when John touched her ankle to exam it.
"I don't see any discoloration or swelling," he observed. "It could just have been a shock to your system and the pain will go away momentarily."
Skylar looked behind John and saw Brianna slowly and silently moving past the parlor door to go outside. Bree glanced in to make sure no one was seeing her, but not looking where she was going, she walked into a small table in the foyer, making it scrap the floor.
The noise made the others in the room start to turn to it, but Skylar cried, "Ow! Ow! Ow!" and the attention went back to her.
"Is it sensitive here?" John questioned, putting his hand back to the spot it had just been in.
"Yes. Yes, it's tender there." She subtly looked back to Bree and saw her go outside and close the door. "Could I maybe have a cold cloth to put on it?"
"I'll fetch one from the kitchen," Forbes offered, then went to do that.
"It doesn't seem like it's sprained or broken. But you could develop a nasty bruise. You should stay off it the rest of the day."
"I will. Thank you, John."
"Of course. Now, I wish I could be of more service but I've been called to a meeting. I shall check on you later." Skylar gave a small smile and nodded. John bowed to her and left to go outside as well.
Skylar gave a silent breath of relief that that had actually worked.
Jocasta then said, "Ulysses, will ye bring over a pillow to raise Skylar's ankle, and then another for her back te lean against?"
"Certainly, Mistress." Ulysses did as Jocasta requested, and then Forbes came back out with the dripping wet piece of cloth.
Skylar gasped when he placed it on her, not expecting it to have been that cold.
"Is that any better, me dear?" Jocasta asked her.
"Yes, thank you. All of you. I'm so sorry to have interrupted your conversation."
"Dinna apologize, lass. Ye didna interrupt anythin'. Mr. Forbes was showin' me the ring he intends te use te propose te Brianna."
Skylar continued to act as she had to pretend to be surprised by this news. She looked to Forbes who wore a very boyish smile. "You're going to propose? My congratulations to you, Mr. Forbes."
"I thank ye, Miss Kelley," he replied. "I do believe she will make a lovely bride fer me."
"Oh, I'm certain."
Why are practically all men so creepy in this time? They're almost worse than the men in the 21st Century, and I thought that could never be possible.
Forbes showed her the ring and she did have to admit it was beautiful. The stone had been one of the ones he had shown to Brianna the night before. But as she sat there, quietly listening to Forbes and Jocasta talk about how this was a "perfect match" and "Brianna should be so lucky," she was panicking in her head over what seemed to be her sister's doomed fate being locked in as each minute went by with no sign of Brianna returning.
At last, Brianna walked into the room. Skylar's heart sunk when she saw the look of masked dread on her face.
Oh no, he said no.
Ulysses cleared his throat to let Jocasta know Brianna was there.
"Niece," she greeted her.
"Good morning, Aunt." She saw Skylar on the couch with her ankle elevated and pretended to be concerned, like she had no idea what had happened. "Omigod, Skylar. Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. I just slipped."
Bringing her attention back, Jocasta said to her, "Mr. Forbes has a matter to put before you."
Skylar's heart broke as she watched Bree face Forbes, accepting that she was about to go through with this.
Forbes approached her and smiled. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lord John suddenly came into the room before he could.
"Thank you for waiting for me, my dear," he said to Bree. "Have you told them our good news?"
It took Skylar a moment, but she figured it out and covered her mouth.
No way!
Brianna was still confused. "No, I haven't."
Skylar felt like she was watching a major plot twist in a movie play out.
I can't believe she actually managed this!
"I've asked for Miss Fraser's hand in marriage, and she has accepted."
Skylar couldn't keep her mouth closed, in disbelief that Bree's plan had worked. She looked from Jocasta to Forbes, and they were in shock as well.
After a moment of stunned silence, Jocasta said, "A joyous occasion."
"Indeed," Forbes spat.
Brianna faced Jocasta and told her, "Had you not encouraged me to find a husband, I would never have opened my heart to Lord John. Thank you, Aunt Jocasta."
"That's incredible! I'm so happy for you both," Skylar commented. The couple looked at her, and Bree smiled wide. Skylar raised her eyebrows, signaling that she would need all the details later. Bree nodded, understanding.
Humiliated, Forbes muttered a quick, "Good day to you all," and nearly ran out the door.
After a personal congratulations from Jocasta, it was suggested that Brianna and John spend some time on the porch together. Brianna agreed to it, but said that she wanted to freshen up a little upstairs.
"I'll come with you. I'd like to dress as well," Skylar said.
"Are ye able te walk, dear?" Jocasta questioned.
"My ankle is feeling much better, yes. I think trying to move around on it would help."
Going up the stairs, Bree promised that once she was done meeting with Lord John, she would give Skylar the whole story.
"I cannot wait. Please hurry." As they got to the sop of the stairs, Skylar was starting to pant. "These stairs are getting harder and harder to climb the longer we're here. Shouldn't it be the opposite?"
Bree chuckled. "I lose my breath just getting out of bed. But that's because I'm pregnant. What's your excuse? Are you pregnant, Skylar?" She took in a fake dramatic gasp at the "scandal" and they both laughed.
They parted and Skylar continued into her room. She laid on her bed and closed her eyes.
Omigod, pregnant. Can you imagine if I actually ended up being- Her eyes shot open and she began to think some things over. Wait…omigod…oh fuck.
HALLE-FREAKIN-LUJAH! WHEN I SAY I HAVE BEEN HIGHKEY PANICKING THE LAST THREE DAYS! My computer finally decided to cooperate and it should be (KNOCK ON WOOD) all good now. This is a big sign for me to back up my computer in case this happens again…
Once again, I am so beyond sorry for that delay! Technology is awesome but can also really really suck.
But with all that said, y'all, we are in home stretch of YotAS! As of right now, there are just 5 chapters left! I can't believe it. For the last 5, There are definitely going to be some Wednesday updates along with the regular Saturdays. I can almost guarantee it will not be every Wednesday, but there will be a couple.
I hope you are looking forward to see what happens and please please please follow, favorite, review if you like what you've read so far!
I love ye all verra much and I will see you in 49!
