Chapter 10:

"How did you enjoy your sleep son?"

Alice Smith asked John as the whole family gathered for lunch in the tiny sitting room;

"It was fine," John replied, "however my wife had a little trouble falling asleep."

Alice gave a sympathetic smile to Pocahontas, "I know how you feel my dear, first pregnancies are the hardest. However, you can rest assured that you will have the same midwife that helped me have John."

Alice stopped a distant far off look in her eyes as she gazed fondly at her eldest child, "to think I was only twelve and barely a woman when I delivered him."

"Twelve?"

Pocahontas inquired of Alice as she raised her eyebrows in surprise, "forgive me, but that seems very young to have a child."

The native woman folded her hands on the table, her back straight in the chair. Although it was rare, some young girls gave birth around that age, but the minimal age for a marriage in her tribe was fourteen. Although it was only two years off from when Alice had bore John, two years was a big difference in Pocahontas's mind.

"How old are you Pocahontas?"

The native princess snapped her head up, as George's eyes stared into her own dark ones, "I am eighteen."

"A proper age, who would have guessed that my son would marry a proper woman?"

George sneered at his only son, as John placed food in his mouth in order to keep himself from replying.

"Thank you sir," Pocahontas said, and then kicked herself for such a stupid comment.

"Well then," Alice began standing from the table and picking up her plate, "would anyone care for some tea?"

The woman smiled, but Pocahontas could see the uneasiness that flashed in her blue eyes, "Let me help you," Pocahontas answered as she stood and walked around the table. She followed the older woman into the kitchen with her own plate, and then leaned against the wash basin as George called his wife back.

"I left my husband's dish," she answered Pocahontas's questioning look, "I'm careless like that sometimes."

The native woman nodded as she helped Alice fill the teapot with fresh water in the other basin and set it over a small fire that was over to the side of the room.

For a moment, the two women stood in the small kitchen, not knowing what to say until John's mother broke the silence with a question that startled the native woman.

"Has John struck you yet?"

Pocahontas covered her mouth in shock before replying; "only once, it was because I had compared him to his father, with out knowing of his past relationship with…"

"Only once?"

"Yes mam, why do you ask?"

"I have no reason," she said quietly, "I was very young when I became with child, George was sixteen, I was in love with him and he was smitten by me as well. When our parents found out about my pregnancy they forced us to get married. I gave birth to your husband, and I was ill with fever for weeks afterwards. We couldn't afford a wet-nurse, so my sister fed him."

"Your sister?"

"Emma," Alice replied, "she's dead now."

Pocahontas sighed and lowered her eyes; despite her father's ways and all that she had gone through growing up, she thanked her gods that they had not let her walk that same path.

"Why do you speak of it now?"

Pocahontas inquired, stepping towards the woman, "do you love him now?"

"I will always love my son," Alice answered.

"I mean, do you love George?"

"I do not need to answer that question," Alice stated as she turned from the native princess, "the water is nearly hot enough for the tea."

Pocahontas opened her mouth, and then closed it as Alice showed her how to make the tea;

The two women went back to the sitting room, as the last lines of a story Jane had been telling fell upon there ears. Pocahontas sat next to her husband, placing his cup of cooling tea next to him, "I brought you some," she whispered.

"I don't want it," John replied, his voice weary.

"You do not like tea?"

"I'm just not in the mood for it," John stated as he patted her affectionately on the arm.

"You should have inquired of your husband if he wanted tea or not," George scolded Pocahontas as if she were a small child.

"Honestly John," George scoffed, "teach your wife some respect."

"That's enough," John said, his voice harsh as he stood up from his chair and gently pulled on his wife's arm in order to follow his example, "We are going out."

John placed a protective arm around his beloved wife as he guided her upstairs, neither of them saying anything until the heavy door was shut.

"Grab your cloak, London is a bit chilly even in the day time," John told her as he changed shirts with the sunlight coming through the half parted curtains of the window.

"Where are we going?"

"Anywhere that is not here," John replied with a harsh edge to his voice, "we won't have to listen to his damn words."

Pocahontas sighed as she secured her cloak, and John took her hand into his own and they walked down the stairs. Because Pocahontas wasn't used to them just yet, John helped her with her shoes then he put on his boots. Walking outside, he readied the carriage, and then helped his wife inside. Sighing, John climbed into the front of it so he could control the horses as they jolted forward down the drive.

0-0-0-0-0End Of Chapter 10

A/N: For those of you that celebrate Easter, Happy Easter to you! I hope you have a very nice one! If you do not celebrate Easter, have a great day nonetheless!

I hope you all enjoyed chapter 10, if you have thoughts, ideas, or suggestions feel free to email me or leave them in a review!

Thank you all so much that you reviewed, they mean a lot to me!

Please RR and I'll be back ASAP!