Disclaimer/Claimer: In this chapter, I own everything but Stirling itself. So enjoy!
John Cutler walked aboard The Star Watcher, the ship taking them back to Stirling, the two girls in tow. He was muttering about their punishments and about how it was improper for a girl to wander about the streets in nothing but her underdress.
Ana simply rolled her eyes and placed the tip of her tongue between her teeth as she always did when she was mad. Rachel stifled a laugh and fluttered her fingers in a revolving movement by her side to her sister. It was a symbol between them that meant 'everything's fine, don't fret.' They seemed to give it often.
However, matters turned worse when their mother came out of her cabin room. She seemed relieved to see her daughters back safely, until she saw Ana stripped of her dress. She immediately rushed to Ana and threw her shawl around her elder daughter.
"Ana, what happened?" their mother exclaimed, her old French accent appearing again.
Ana looked happily at her mother and showed her her sword. "The blacksmith owed me a sword," she stated proudly.
"And you managed to lose your clothes in the process?" her mother asked, her eyebrows slightly raised.
Ana pretended to think hard on it for a while. Then she nodded and replied "yeah."
Rachel, simultaneously with Ana's reply, shut her mouth to surpress her laughter. Their mother turned to her and slit her eyes. "And you, Rachel Mackenzie Cutler, what were you doing while this happened?"
Rachel rolled her eyes at her mother using her fiance's last name on her daughter. She hated that name. "I was trying to catch up to Ana, mother," she retorted, slight annoyance detectable.
Her mother crossed her arms. "And you couldn't manage to retrieve any clothes she took off?"
Rachel sighed loudly. "I'm sorry if I was a bit preoccupied with getting my sister back!"
"Well it's a good thing John collected her clothes. Do you have any idea how much money those garments cost?"
Rachel and Ana threw their hands up. Ana faced their mother while Rachel went to the ship's railing. "Ever since you've gotten engaged to him," she hastily pointed a finger at John and emphasized 'him,' "all you've ever cared about was money. You could've cared less if something possibly would've happened to me, as long as the person responsible PAID for any damages!" she shouted.
Their mother's face was red now. "That's not true and you know it! I've never held anything more dear to me than you and your sister!" she shouted back.
Ana rolled her eyes. "Then how come you never told us who our father was until we were twelve?"
Her face went even redder, but she didn't yell. "John is your father."
Rachel scoffed and Ana laughed bitterly. "Did he father us? No. Has he been there in our lives for all fourteen years? No."
"Neither has your real father! John gave us a home, fed us, bought us beautiful things. You're real father? Ha, he never did anything for us! And he never will. He could care less that he has two daughters!"
Ana stared at her mother. "You never told him about us, did you?"
Their mother stared back. "He could care less."
"But did you?"
Silence. "No."
Ana's eyes narrowed. "That's why he never did anything for us. He didn't know we existed! He still doesn't! If you would've told him, he probably be here now!"
"John's here."
" 'John's here.' Who cares? Come off it mother, you know he doesn't like me. He even doesn't like Rachel! How could that make you happy?"
"How dare you! All John's ever done is show you he cares!"
"Buying us nice things doesn't show you care!"
"It's better than doing nothing!"
"Our father would be if he knew about us!"
"There's no need for him to know! John's here."
"Then go start a family with him!" And with that, Ana left the deck and headed to the room she was sharing with Rachel, slamming the door.
Their mother sighed and put her hands to her temples. "Rachel, go to your room."
Rachel continued to look at the water. "No."
"Rachel Mackenzie Cutler I said go now."
Rachel turned around. "Stop calling me that! My last name isn't Cutler!"
"It will be soon enough."
"No, yours will be. I'll never take that name."
"You have no say in it."
"Yes, I do. It's my life, not yours. I agree with Ana. Our father would be here with us if you would've told him."
"Don't mention that man around John."
"I'll mention whoever the hell I want to around him."
"Watch the tongue Rachel," Mr. Cutler interjected.
Rachel turned and directed a glare his way. "Shut it! You're not my father, and you never will be. So stop trying to make us believe you are just because you tricked my mother."
"That's enough Rachel. Now, go to your room!"
"Gladly," she shouted, and left to join her sister.
John Cutler walked aboard The Star Watcher, the ship taking them back to Stirling, the two girls in tow. He was muttering about their punishments and about how it was improper for a girl to wander about the streets in nothing but her underdress.
Ana simply rolled her eyes and placed the tip of her tongue between her teeth as she always did when she was mad. Rachel stifled a laugh and fluttered her fingers in a revolving movement by her side to her sister. It was a symbol between them that meant 'everything's fine, don't fret.' They seemed to give it often.
However, matters turned worse when their mother came out of her cabin room. She seemed relieved to see her daughters back safely, until she saw Ana stripped of her dress. She immediately rushed to Ana and threw her shawl around her elder daughter.
"Ana, what happened?" their mother exclaimed, her old French accent appearing again.
Ana looked happily at her mother and showed her her sword. "The blacksmith owed me a sword," she stated proudly.
"And you managed to lose your clothes in the process?" her mother asked, her eyebrows slightly raised.
Ana pretended to think hard on it for a while. Then she nodded and replied "yeah."
Rachel, simultaneously with Ana's reply, shut her mouth to surpress her laughter. Their mother turned to her and slit her eyes. "And you, Rachel Mackenzie Cutler, what were you doing while this happened?"
Rachel rolled her eyes at her mother using her fiance's last name on her daughter. She hated that name. "I was trying to catch up to Ana, mother," she retorted, slight annoyance detectable.
Her mother crossed her arms. "And you couldn't manage to retrieve any clothes she took off?"
Rachel sighed loudly. "I'm sorry if I was a bit preoccupied with getting my sister back!"
"Well it's a good thing John collected her clothes. Do you have any idea how much money those garments cost?"
Rachel and Ana threw their hands up. Ana faced their mother while Rachel went to the ship's railing. "Ever since you've gotten engaged to him," she hastily pointed a finger at John and emphasized 'him,' "all you've ever cared about was money. You could've cared less if something possibly would've happened to me, as long as the person responsible PAID for any damages!" she shouted.
Their mother's face was red now. "That's not true and you know it! I've never held anything more dear to me than you and your sister!" she shouted back.
Ana rolled her eyes. "Then how come you never told us who our father was until we were twelve?"
Her face went even redder, but she didn't yell. "John is your father."
Rachel scoffed and Ana laughed bitterly. "Did he father us? No. Has he been there in our lives for all fourteen years? No."
"Neither has your real father! John gave us a home, fed us, bought us beautiful things. You're real father? Ha, he never did anything for us! And he never will. He could care less that he has two daughters!"
Ana stared at her mother. "You never told him about us, did you?"
Their mother stared back. "He could care less."
"But did you?"
Silence. "No."
Ana's eyes narrowed. "That's why he never did anything for us. He didn't know we existed! He still doesn't! If you would've told him, he probably be here now!"
"John's here."
" 'John's here.' Who cares? Come off it mother, you know he doesn't like me. He even doesn't like Rachel! How could that make you happy?"
"How dare you! All John's ever done is show you he cares!"
"Buying us nice things doesn't show you care!"
"It's better than doing nothing!"
"Our father would be if he knew about us!"
"There's no need for him to know! John's here."
"Then go start a family with him!" And with that, Ana left the deck and headed to the room she was sharing with Rachel, slamming the door.
Their mother sighed and put her hands to her temples. "Rachel, go to your room."
Rachel continued to look at the water. "No."
"Rachel Mackenzie Cutler I said go now."
Rachel turned around. "Stop calling me that! My last name isn't Cutler!"
"It will be soon enough."
"No, yours will be. I'll never take that name."
"You have no say in it."
"Yes, I do. It's my life, not yours. I agree with Ana. Our father would be here with us if you would've told him."
"Don't mention that man around John."
"I'll mention whoever the hell I want to around him."
"Watch the tongue Rachel," Mr. Cutler interjected.
Rachel turned and directed a glare his way. "Shut it! You're not my father, and you never will be. So stop trying to make us believe you are just because you tricked my mother."
"That's enough Rachel. Now, go to your room!"
"Gladly," she shouted, and left to join her sister.