Chapter 6
The car was stationary. Richard and the kids were waiting. Isobel came and
got in. "Well?" Richard asked. Isobel opened the Valmont news to reveal the
front page and read it "Headline!...'THE DASTARDLY DUO'!!!...Sub
heading...'Two selfish lovelorn lovers snatch children away from their
frantic parents'....and that's just our newspaper!...The New York post said
'Valmert vs Valmert...the media war!'...''. David commented "I thought
rival papers would be on our side! Damn!...it doesn't matter, we'll get to
the airport soon!". Richard started driving again. You could feel the
tension and nerves. Isobel gave a sob which cut through the icy silence
like a razor. Soon she was in floods of tears. "I can't do this
Richard!!!...I'm breaking David's heart!" sobbed Isobel. Richard spoke
comfortingly "Please Isobel stay strong!...we can do this!...just a little
bit further". Isobel nodded. The quietness and tensions swamped the car
again. Only Isobel's sobs could be heard. Richard felt a pinch of humanity
be fall him. "It'll be o.k!" he said. He put his hand on hers. Isobel
turned and smiled. "All right...If you say so!" she replied confidently.
She stopped her crying and just smiled. Richard and Isobel held each other
by the hand as their cruised down the road. It was now a calmer, more
tranquil silence than before. They were at peace. Everything looked like it
could still work out. The happy lovebirds could be together forever living
abroad. Isobel gave a small laugh "I'm all blurry eyed and red now!...Can I
borrow a tissue?". Richard smiled reassuringly and blissfully replied
"Sure...there's some in that bag there". He nodded in the direction. She
smiled and let go of his hand reaching down to the bag. He had been so
blissful that he had forgotten. Forgotten what was in that bag. Forgotten
what was going on. Suddenly, a look of horror crossed Richard's face. "No
wait!!!! Isobel stop!!!!!!". But it was too late she had found it. Isobel
reached in, spotted and pulled out a pregnancy test kit. Richard continued
driving but gave quick glances to see how Isobel would react. He could get
away with it - couldn't he?.
Isobel just stared, at it, at first. Then she asked "Who's pregnant?". Richard said nothing for a while and then replied "Leonie". "You left your pregnant wife to bring your child up by herself!" replied Isobel. "Uh huh...that's how much you mean to me!" replied a scared and shaking Richard. "You didn't seem to care whether or not I came on the phone...all you cared about was whether you had your daughter or not". Isobel paused and felt a shiver down her spine. She began to quietly sob as just stared at him. Eventually she said "Admit the truth Richard!...because I can't bare to say those words!". "It's Leonie!!!!" he insisted. "Leonie told me she can't have any more children since her miscarriage!...try again!". "You don't know her!" he replied. "Eloise?" she asked. "No...You've never met this one...you don't know her" he replied trying to keep his eyes on the road, but still being shifty and shaking inside. She knew and he knew Isobel would tell everyone. Isobel begun crying more heavily fear evaded her as he confirmed it by the second "No Richard!...I think your the one I don't know!!!!!...ever since I came on this trip with you, I've discovered more and more about you, and I think I'm now coming close to finding out who you really are!!!!!!!!" she cried. She paused waiting for him to say something but he didn't reply. "I loved you!...but I was in love with an illusion!!!!" she whined. She paused, still no reply. "You let me be deluded about what you really are just like you let Leonie!...that's why she married someone like you!...You sat there telling me how you were the victim!...how much Leonie verbally abused you!!...and how she hit out at you for no apparent reason!!!...well, I'd like to speculate on that apparent reason later!!...but now I feel with have more pressing matters like who the mother of that child is!...Who is it, Richard?!!!". Finally Richard denied it "What are you talking about?". "Don't pretend you don't know!...why else would it matter if I found out you got someone pregnant?...I know your adulterous, so it's not like I'd be surprised if you were unfaithful!...unless the affair was so serious that you couldn't admit it!".
Isobel paused really wishing she didn't have to say it, but he said nothing. Isobel started crying floods of tears. She was reluctantly forced to tearfully begin "You see I have this theory, Richard!!!...would you like to hear it?" she asked. "No" he replied expectedly. She continued "If you cared enough to buy this woman a pregnancy kit AND if you had it on you personally...then I'm thinking you wouldn't just abandon her!...she'd be the lover your running away with not me!...I'm thinking!!!...I'm thinking that the mother is in this very car!!!!...Is it me, Richard???...Is there something you'd like to tell me?...Because as far as I know I've had my periods ship shape for the last couple of months....but hey!...luckily Kathryn has started her periods so there's another possibility...shall we try her????". Isobel turned round in her seat, facing Kathryn, and asked her the question. "Kathryn, is it or is it not true that Daddy didn't get angry because you've started your periods!!!!...he got angry because!". Isobel stopped. She couldn't continue for shaking. But she eventually did "Because...because they've stopped!!!". "Don't answer that, Kathryn!...she's just a mad mad woman!" David said didactically. Isobel grabbed Kathryn's hand saying "I want to help you sweetie!...Trust me, not him!...He's been hurting you, I know!...But I'm here to stop that!...All that pain! It will all be over!...just say yes".
Kathryn was shaking. Isobel looked so serious, like it mattered!. Kathryn didn't understand but she could sense that her father had done wrong. She had always been told not to lie and so she only wanted to give the truth, but her mouth just couldn't form the word. It was then he struck her. Isobel. He whacked the woman round the face and she was back to the front. Just like all the times he'd hit her mother. Her mother didn't think she knew but she did. Her mother gave her sleeping pills but her and Eloise faked her taking them. Instead of being asleep Kathryn sat on the stairs hearing the screams, shouts and thuds. Her mother was a strong woman. She'd get up and just keep shouting at him. It didn't matter how much he hit her he couldn't keep her down. Until that was!...he knocked her unconscious. Isobel reminded Kathryn of her own mother. She watched as her father kept hitting Isobel and she just kept shouting. She even started hitting him, just like her mother. You rarely find women like Kathryn's mum and Isobel. People who will just keep fighting on no matter what!. And yet Kathryn had met them both!. Both rare talents!. Kathryn observed Isobel's son now getting involved. He started hitting Richard trying to stop him hurting his mother. But, her father just kept pushing them off and whacking them back into their places. Kathryn snapped out her dazed as Isobel asked her one more time "Yes or no, Kathryn????". And that was when she said it. For her mother, for Isobel and for herself. For once in her life she told the truth, when her father told her not to. "Yes!" she replied. Of course, to her it was that quick!. It seemed like her lips were forming in slow motion - everything seemed to go in slow motion. She just couldn't cope with all this information. Hurt!...Pain!...Her dad's fault!...Someone was finally agreeing with Kathryn's suspicions...this wasn't right!. The thought shuddered her mind. Her father had lied to her!. Kathryn focused in on the conversation just enough to hear Isobel's tearful words "You see Richard!...I propose to you that I am NOT the lover you are running away with...I am just an excuse!...because in TRUTH!...the lover you are running away with...to have a baby with!!...is your 10 year old daughter!!!!!!!!"
Isobel paused. She turned to Kathryn and asked her "Kathryn...I know this is a hard question to answer darling...but, I need to know!...it's serious!...did your father ever have...have!...I can't say it!...have sex with you!!!!". Isobel burst into tears. Richard just sat there smugly smirking because he knew what Kathryn would say. Kathryn gulped and replied unexpectedly "How do you have sex?". Sebastian let out a great laugh. Soon he was in hysterics. "Shut up Sebastian! This is serious!". Sebastian finally calmed down and said "You don't know what sex is!!!!". Isobel turned to Richard "Congratulations!...stop bloody smirking!...it's obvious!...it's written all over your face!!...You raped her!". Richard replied coldly and smirking "You don't have single piece of evidence unless she admits it...and for that you'll have to get graphic with her!....Go ahead it will be hilarious to see when she comes out with a...No!". As Richard said the final word he turned to Kathryn. He spelt it out to her didactically. Isobel knew it was true but couldn't bare to be graphic. Then it hit her!. "Kathryn" she asked. Isobel took a deep breath scared of the answer!. "Did Daddy ask you to wee on this thing I have here?". Isobel showed Kathryn the stick. Richard's smirk sunk to pure fear. He knew it was over.
Kathryn saw this fear. She could see the admittance of wrong in his face. She could tell her answer made a difference. Kathryn could tell Isobel would blame Daddy if she said yes. But that would confirm that her father wasn't normal. That he had ultimately lied to her. Kathryn didn't know what else to do, but tell the truth. So, Kathryn replied a plain and simple..."Yes". The matter of seconds that seemed to accompany that went faster than any other. No slow motion. This time it was lightening speed!. Before she could blink, her father was plunging towards her coming to whack her. This was accompanied by the words "You Bitch!!!!!!". Just as any other time she try to dodge it...but she couldn't. Thud!. Just like her mother. Thud!. Just like Isobel. Thud!. Just like herself every time he whacked her. Eloise would always gasp. That was the first sign it was wrong. Daddy didn't want anyone else to know. That was the second sign it was wrong. But when Isobel gasped!. Kathryn knew he was definitely wrong. Kathryn burst into tears for the surprisingly first time since this revelation had begun. Richard went silent and Isobel just looked at him. "How could you?!!!!!!...YOUR TEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!...A CHILD!!!...SHE'S ONLY A CHILD HERSELF!!!" Isobel screamed. He replied equally hysterical "You don't understand!!!...I LOVE HER!!!". "NOT AS MUCH AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF!!!" Isobel hysterically commented. "A child!!!...I can't have a child!!!...I can't be a mummy!...I'm too young!!!" Kathryn begins crying hysterically. "Shut up Kathryn!...and stop blubbering!!!" replied Richard. Richard concentrated on his driving again. But Isobel suddenly decided and screamed "STOP THE CAR!!!!!!!". Richard surpassingly did!. There was a unison pause as everyone took a breath. The car, the children and the couple!. "Get out the car, kids!" Isobel demanded tearfully. "Your not going anywhere!...and especially not with her!" Richard shouted. But, it was too late they were out, even Kathryn. Kathryn had a good guess what Isobel was talking about. And from now on, Kathryn was on Isobel's side not her father's!
Isobel just stared, at it, at first. Then she asked "Who's pregnant?". Richard said nothing for a while and then replied "Leonie". "You left your pregnant wife to bring your child up by herself!" replied Isobel. "Uh huh...that's how much you mean to me!" replied a scared and shaking Richard. "You didn't seem to care whether or not I came on the phone...all you cared about was whether you had your daughter or not". Isobel paused and felt a shiver down her spine. She began to quietly sob as just stared at him. Eventually she said "Admit the truth Richard!...because I can't bare to say those words!". "It's Leonie!!!!" he insisted. "Leonie told me she can't have any more children since her miscarriage!...try again!". "You don't know her!" he replied. "Eloise?" she asked. "No...You've never met this one...you don't know her" he replied trying to keep his eyes on the road, but still being shifty and shaking inside. She knew and he knew Isobel would tell everyone. Isobel begun crying more heavily fear evaded her as he confirmed it by the second "No Richard!...I think your the one I don't know!!!!!...ever since I came on this trip with you, I've discovered more and more about you, and I think I'm now coming close to finding out who you really are!!!!!!!!" she cried. She paused waiting for him to say something but he didn't reply. "I loved you!...but I was in love with an illusion!!!!" she whined. She paused, still no reply. "You let me be deluded about what you really are just like you let Leonie!...that's why she married someone like you!...You sat there telling me how you were the victim!...how much Leonie verbally abused you!!...and how she hit out at you for no apparent reason!!!...well, I'd like to speculate on that apparent reason later!!...but now I feel with have more pressing matters like who the mother of that child is!...Who is it, Richard?!!!". Finally Richard denied it "What are you talking about?". "Don't pretend you don't know!...why else would it matter if I found out you got someone pregnant?...I know your adulterous, so it's not like I'd be surprised if you were unfaithful!...unless the affair was so serious that you couldn't admit it!".
Isobel paused really wishing she didn't have to say it, but he said nothing. Isobel started crying floods of tears. She was reluctantly forced to tearfully begin "You see I have this theory, Richard!!!...would you like to hear it?" she asked. "No" he replied expectedly. She continued "If you cared enough to buy this woman a pregnancy kit AND if you had it on you personally...then I'm thinking you wouldn't just abandon her!...she'd be the lover your running away with not me!...I'm thinking!!!...I'm thinking that the mother is in this very car!!!!...Is it me, Richard???...Is there something you'd like to tell me?...Because as far as I know I've had my periods ship shape for the last couple of months....but hey!...luckily Kathryn has started her periods so there's another possibility...shall we try her????". Isobel turned round in her seat, facing Kathryn, and asked her the question. "Kathryn, is it or is it not true that Daddy didn't get angry because you've started your periods!!!!...he got angry because!". Isobel stopped. She couldn't continue for shaking. But she eventually did "Because...because they've stopped!!!". "Don't answer that, Kathryn!...she's just a mad mad woman!" David said didactically. Isobel grabbed Kathryn's hand saying "I want to help you sweetie!...Trust me, not him!...He's been hurting you, I know!...But I'm here to stop that!...All that pain! It will all be over!...just say yes".
Kathryn was shaking. Isobel looked so serious, like it mattered!. Kathryn didn't understand but she could sense that her father had done wrong. She had always been told not to lie and so she only wanted to give the truth, but her mouth just couldn't form the word. It was then he struck her. Isobel. He whacked the woman round the face and she was back to the front. Just like all the times he'd hit her mother. Her mother didn't think she knew but she did. Her mother gave her sleeping pills but her and Eloise faked her taking them. Instead of being asleep Kathryn sat on the stairs hearing the screams, shouts and thuds. Her mother was a strong woman. She'd get up and just keep shouting at him. It didn't matter how much he hit her he couldn't keep her down. Until that was!...he knocked her unconscious. Isobel reminded Kathryn of her own mother. She watched as her father kept hitting Isobel and she just kept shouting. She even started hitting him, just like her mother. You rarely find women like Kathryn's mum and Isobel. People who will just keep fighting on no matter what!. And yet Kathryn had met them both!. Both rare talents!. Kathryn observed Isobel's son now getting involved. He started hitting Richard trying to stop him hurting his mother. But, her father just kept pushing them off and whacking them back into their places. Kathryn snapped out her dazed as Isobel asked her one more time "Yes or no, Kathryn????". And that was when she said it. For her mother, for Isobel and for herself. For once in her life she told the truth, when her father told her not to. "Yes!" she replied. Of course, to her it was that quick!. It seemed like her lips were forming in slow motion - everything seemed to go in slow motion. She just couldn't cope with all this information. Hurt!...Pain!...Her dad's fault!...Someone was finally agreeing with Kathryn's suspicions...this wasn't right!. The thought shuddered her mind. Her father had lied to her!. Kathryn focused in on the conversation just enough to hear Isobel's tearful words "You see Richard!...I propose to you that I am NOT the lover you are running away with...I am just an excuse!...because in TRUTH!...the lover you are running away with...to have a baby with!!...is your 10 year old daughter!!!!!!!!"
Isobel paused. She turned to Kathryn and asked her "Kathryn...I know this is a hard question to answer darling...but, I need to know!...it's serious!...did your father ever have...have!...I can't say it!...have sex with you!!!!". Isobel burst into tears. Richard just sat there smugly smirking because he knew what Kathryn would say. Kathryn gulped and replied unexpectedly "How do you have sex?". Sebastian let out a great laugh. Soon he was in hysterics. "Shut up Sebastian! This is serious!". Sebastian finally calmed down and said "You don't know what sex is!!!!". Isobel turned to Richard "Congratulations!...stop bloody smirking!...it's obvious!...it's written all over your face!!...You raped her!". Richard replied coldly and smirking "You don't have single piece of evidence unless she admits it...and for that you'll have to get graphic with her!....Go ahead it will be hilarious to see when she comes out with a...No!". As Richard said the final word he turned to Kathryn. He spelt it out to her didactically. Isobel knew it was true but couldn't bare to be graphic. Then it hit her!. "Kathryn" she asked. Isobel took a deep breath scared of the answer!. "Did Daddy ask you to wee on this thing I have here?". Isobel showed Kathryn the stick. Richard's smirk sunk to pure fear. He knew it was over.
Kathryn saw this fear. She could see the admittance of wrong in his face. She could tell her answer made a difference. Kathryn could tell Isobel would blame Daddy if she said yes. But that would confirm that her father wasn't normal. That he had ultimately lied to her. Kathryn didn't know what else to do, but tell the truth. So, Kathryn replied a plain and simple..."Yes". The matter of seconds that seemed to accompany that went faster than any other. No slow motion. This time it was lightening speed!. Before she could blink, her father was plunging towards her coming to whack her. This was accompanied by the words "You Bitch!!!!!!". Just as any other time she try to dodge it...but she couldn't. Thud!. Just like her mother. Thud!. Just like Isobel. Thud!. Just like herself every time he whacked her. Eloise would always gasp. That was the first sign it was wrong. Daddy didn't want anyone else to know. That was the second sign it was wrong. But when Isobel gasped!. Kathryn knew he was definitely wrong. Kathryn burst into tears for the surprisingly first time since this revelation had begun. Richard went silent and Isobel just looked at him. "How could you?!!!!!!...YOUR TEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!...A CHILD!!!...SHE'S ONLY A CHILD HERSELF!!!" Isobel screamed. He replied equally hysterical "You don't understand!!!...I LOVE HER!!!". "NOT AS MUCH AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF!!!" Isobel hysterically commented. "A child!!!...I can't have a child!!!...I can't be a mummy!...I'm too young!!!" Kathryn begins crying hysterically. "Shut up Kathryn!...and stop blubbering!!!" replied Richard. Richard concentrated on his driving again. But Isobel suddenly decided and screamed "STOP THE CAR!!!!!!!". Richard surpassingly did!. There was a unison pause as everyone took a breath. The car, the children and the couple!. "Get out the car, kids!" Isobel demanded tearfully. "Your not going anywhere!...and especially not with her!" Richard shouted. But, it was too late they were out, even Kathryn. Kathryn had a good guess what Isobel was talking about. And from now on, Kathryn was on Isobel's side not her father's!
