SO WE COULD BE TOGETHER…
Chapter 11
"The lost summer love…"
Roxanne Bramwell was walking outside on the boat taking her back to America after a long stay in Africa. She had a nice tan she owed to the burning sun of Africa. She was going back home to America to show her family that she was still alive and in good health. Then she'll go maybe in Europe. With everything that was happening there, they never had enough nurses. But she wanted to see her grandmother. Her sister wrote her that she was in the hospital. She smiled thinking about her Grand-mother, how she was grouchy, in a hospital screaming at the staff. She wished she could've seen that. She was looking at the water moving. She's just had diner, the dining room was full of people. It seems like everybody wanted to go to America.
- Roxie?
It was the voice of a man. Roxanne asked herself who could used her diminutive.
- Roxie, it is you! Said the voice, Roxanne Bramwell…
She turned around an saw a man, blond, green eyes, freckles on his face, she couldn't believe her eyes!
- Nathan? She said surprised, Nathaniel Winstanley? Oh my God it's a small world!
Nathan approached her and hugged her. She laughed and did the same. They stopped hugging
- How long has it been? He asked
- Too long! She answered
- You're going back to America? Where are you coming from?
- From Africa and you?
- From Asia…
- It seems, you and I like to travel
- One thing we have in common
- You want to have a drink with me?
- I'm not sure… she said, maybe you're going to run out on me again and get married…go back to your wife…
- Come on Roxie; let me at least explain myself…
- What, almost 20 years later? Too little, too late…
- Roxanne, please…
- I'm not interested, go back to your wife!
She left him there and went back to her cabin, quickly. She closed the door and closed her eyes. Tears were coming down her cheeks. Seeing Nathan after all those years had opened old wounds. And they were painful, very painful.
Nathan was a little puzzled by Roxanne reaction. He went back to his cabin. He thought about the time he met her.
Roxanne in her cabin was thinking about the time she met Nathaniel Winstanley
They were thinking in unison…
It was the fifth Sunday, the Sunday when the students from local colleges went to meet their parents or family members. Roxanne Bramwell was working at Lord Brydon's as an assistant. She was lucky to have found that job. She came to England with a dance troupe, which went their own may after the contract was over. Since she'd left America against her parents' wishes, she didn't want to go back to America. She decided to stay in England and find a job. She found one as assistant. The fifth Sunday a lot of young men and woman came to meet their parents. A teen herself she felt closer to them since they had the same background, she liked talking to them, they had a lot in common. Lord Brydon always had barbecue for the fifth Sundays. He had all those families and their children over, his associates, friends; he had a lot a room in his mansion.
Roxanne went to the garden to serve herself at the table; there was only one piece of chicken left. She took a fork to take the last piece of chicken and she saw another fork aiming for the same piece.
- Excuse me said Roxanne, but I was here first
She looked up and saw a young man with blond hair, green eyes and freckles on his face. The young man look at the young girl with long blond and curly hair and green eyes.
- I saw it first he said smiling, I really love chicken
- Me too… we could share the piece…
- Ok
He took a knife and cut the piece of chicken in two and put a piece on Roxanne's plate.
- Thank you that's nice of you
They finished serving themselves. Roxanne went to sit not too far from the table under the shade of a tree. The young man followed her.
- Can I join you? He asked
- Please she said
He sat down next to her on the blanket.
- Nathaniel Winstanley he said introducing himself, you can call me Nathan
- Roxanne Bramwell, you can call me Roxie, pleased to meet you
- Pleased to meet you, Roxie
- Which school to you go to?
- St. Paul College, what about you?
- I don't go to school, I'm working for Lord Brydon as an assistant
- Oh, but you're American
- Yes, I came with a dance troupe
- And your parents didn't say anything?
- I'm a little rebel…
- But you're so young, to be so far from your family…
- I miss them. But I love travelling
- Fascinating. How many countries do intend to visit?
- We'll see where life takes me
They had an immediate connection. They spent the rest of the day together. At the end, they exchange address, so they could write each other. They started writing almost immediately. They wrote each other almost every day, being in the same city, the royal mail was the fastest in the world. They saw each other at every fifth Sunday. At the end of the day before he left, the second time they saw each other, he was with her in the library.
- I have to go Roxie, I going to miss you…
- I'm going to miss you too, but we just met…
- We write each other almost every day, you know me and I know you, and I have all those feelings that started from the moment I saw you….
- Nathan…
- I love you Roxie…
- I love you too…
He leaned over and kissed her on the lips in a passionate kiss. Roxanne's world was spinning around her… She was in love for the first time of her life and he loved her back! She couldn't believe her luck.
They were very much in love she was sure of her feelings, so when the moment came she didn't hesitate to become intimate with him.
- I want to marry you, Roxie I want to wake up in your arms for the rest of my life
- Nathan, I will give up my travelling frenzy for you, to become your wife
- You won't have to, I love travelling too and we'll conquer the world together…and with children we'll have in the future
- How many children do you want?
- As many as we can…
- Ok, but I don't know if I'll have the strength… she joked
They were laughing, kissing, hugging and having a good time. But she still hadn't told him she came from a rich family too. He thought she was poor. He hadn't told her that his father had arranged a marriage for him with the daughter of one of his associates, that was going to the same school. On fifth Sundays she went to see her parents in a hotel, so Roxanne didn't know she existed.
The girl, who was named Louise Barclay, came on one of the fifth Sundays with her parents to the Brydon's manor for the day with her parents. She was slim with light brown hair. Nathan was very uncomfortable that day, barely talking answering with monosyllable words. Roxanne didn't understand what was happening. Why was Nathan behaving himself that way? He was avoiding her. Christopher the 8 years old son of Lord Brydon gave her the answer without knowing it.
- Hi Chris said Roxanne where are you going like that?
- I'm going outside, the grown-ups threw me out of the library. They talking marriage…
- Marriage? Who's getting married?
- Your friend Nathan and a certain Louise…
Roxanne saw her world coming crashing down around her. Nathan is marrying another girl? What about her? What was happening? There must have been a mistake. Chris was only 8 maybe he heard them wrong. She decided to go see what was going on. The library door was a little open and she heard voices.
- Every thing is settled for the wedding said a woman's voice, our two kids will be very happy together. Aren't you Louise?
- Yes, said Louise. I'm so happy. We've been engaged since our childhood…
- That's perfect. See you in one month in Chicago
Roxanne didn't want to hear more. She left and ran in her bedroom. Nathan had to marry someone else. He promise to marry her ! But he knew he was marrying someone else all the time. He was just having a good time with her! She was devastated.
Nathan was with his father alone in the library.
- Father he started, it's about the wedding…
- In a month you'll be a married man
- But father, I'm in love with another girl…
- Lord Brydon's secretary? You're kidding, right? Your marriage has been arranged since the crib. There should be a fusion with your union.
- But father, I don't love Louise…
- What's love got to do with it? It's a business transaction! You're going to fulfil your duty as the eldest son…
- But… I love another girl
- And you will love another one, your wife. I thought we were in agreement?
- That was before I fell in love with another girl…
- You made me a promise, you can't break it now. Everybody is counting on you, your grand father, your mother, Louise…
- All right father. I will fulfil my duty he said with a very sad tone
Nathan went looking for Roxanne; he couldn't find her anywhere. It was the last Sunday before he went back to America, he might never see her again. He was leaving in the morning. He was going to spend the night at Southampton to take the boat at dawn. He had to see Roxanne, but he couldn't find her. He left the Brydon's manor with his family and Louise's family without seeing Roxanne. He was heart broken.
Roxanne was crying all the tears of her body, in Matilda's arms, she was the cook.
- Come on Roxanne, it's not the end of the world. There will be other young men
- But it's Nathan I love! He's going to marry another girl! He was only playing with me. Now I'm going to be alone with… with
- With whom? With us ?
- No, with my… baby she said crying louder
- Oh Roxanne! My poor darling
- I can't stay here. I have to go…
- No. Where will you go?
- I don't know, but I'll have to manage
She quit her job the next day and the Brydon manor. She did small jobs, had an apartment with one room. Life was difficult. Lord Brydon had gave her more money then he should. It helped her a lot in the beginning. She gave birth to twin girls. She left one of the babies at the orphanage crying all the tears of her body. She couldn't take care of two babies. She hoped her baby would be adopted by a good family. She left one of the 3 identical gold bracelets she was wearing that her mother had given to her. She took the boat to America with the other baby. But once in Chicago she didn't dare confront her family with an illegitimate baby. Nathan was married to Louise Barclay who was in the family way. Her heart broke into a million pieces. She took another bracelet and put it inside the mattress of the baby basket, with the doll she'd bought for her baby. She went and let the basket in front of the Pony house. There was another baby in front of the door. She left there crying. She went back to her parents, went to nursing school, became a nurse and took every job abroad available, so she could travel to keep her mind of her babies and Nathan. She threw herself at work. She'd spent a lot of year in Africa working with children. She'll come back to America from time to time to see her family but not for long. She was going back this time to see her grand mother. She never thought she'll see Nathan again. She change and went to bed, but cried herself to sleep.
Nathan left England the next day without seeing Roxanne to explain to her the situation. He wrote her a letter when he go to America, but didn't get any answer. He was heart broken. He had a duty to fulfil but he was ready not to do it, only if he could find Roxanne. But he couldn't find her, it seemed she disappeared from the face of the earth. So he married Louise Barclay and had 2 kids with her; Cassandra who was 15 and Steven who was 10. He was going back to America with them, after spending a lot of years in Asia. He was divorced and Louise was back in England. To see Roxanne again, made his heart beat again. All those feelings he thought were extinguished, came back rushing as soon as he saw her. The universe was giving them another chance… maybe? Roxanne Bramwell…
Roxanne woke up, got ready and went to have breakfast. Since there were lot of people, they put her on a table with a young girls and her brother.
- Hello, said Roxanne
- Hello said the kids.
They started eating when the young girl said:
- I'm Cassandra et this is my brother, Steven
- Pleased to meet you, my name is Roxanne
- I would like you to meet my father…
- Why?
- To go on a date with him…
- Cassie, stop said Steven, you can't say that to every single woman you meet…
- Who told you I'm not married or engaged…? Said Roxanne
- I don't see any ring on your finger. Do you have a boyfriend? Asked Cassandra
- That's kind of personal…
- Sorry, I have to know. Do you…?
- No… but…
- That's perfect!
Roxanne was looking at the children. She was blonde and he had light brown hair. They both had green eyes. She had freckles and he didn't. She looked to see if she had a gold bracelet on, she didn't. She thought about her daughters, how were they? Did they look like her? She started talking with the children telling them about her adventures in Africa.
- Hey, there's dad said Steven
- Roxie?
- Nathan?
- You know each other? Asked Cassandra with a smile
- I know her since the time I was going to school in England …I see you've met my kids
- Yes. There very beautiful
- She's at our table because of the crowd said Steven
- Oh, that's great! At least we have someone I know…
Roxanne smiled. In front of the children, she couldn't say much. The breakfast continued in the calm. After that, the children went for a walk. Roxanne wanted to leave too.
- Roxanne, wait said Nathan
- You want something?
- Yes. To talk to you. Please, listen to me and then you can do whatever you want…
Roxanne thought about for a minute. After all, what did she have to loose? And the old wounds were already opened… and she was still in love with him.
- Al right, I'll listen to you
- Thank you. Let's go somewhere and live the place for other passengers, you want to come with me in my cabin? I have a suite with the children, we'll be more comfortable.
- Can I trust you? She joked
- Always he said smiling