Will You Teach Me… ?
All right! Chapter 3, people! Let me be honest with you, this is going to be a complete shitshow. As a reminder: Brianna is on the verge of losing her mind (and her son), Roger is an absolute ass (like always) and the verdict is postponed until the following day… I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and I can't wait to read your reactions at the end!
Thanks weheartnoelle, Ashies, Rath101 and LykkeF for the review and NinaBinaBellerina for hitting the fav button!
Weheartnoelle: actually… even if the "women-can't-get-pregnant-from-rape"-theory comes from the Middle Ages and was the subject of a publication by physician Samuel Farr in 1785, it was brought back by a U.S Senator (Todd Akin) in 2012, who said (and I quote) that "legitimate rape rarely, if ever, results in pregnancy" for the very same reasons I stated in the previous chapter. Yes, you heard that right: 2012. And there are still a lot of men who share his beliefs today… So much for degrading times, right…? xD Great, now you're spooked as hell, you're in the right mood to read chapter 3 ! ahahah Thanks for the review, darling!
Ashies: Prepare to be mad again, Brianna's situation is not getting any better xD
Rath101: I don't think Bonnet will be "likeable" in this fiction (not in the same way as in The Clover and The Tartan). I mean, it's canon-Bonnet so he's still a rapist and you can't really change that. But he has his own psychopathic way of thinking that he just can't control. For him, everything is a means to an end… but he will try hard to become a better man and win Brianna's heart. Will he succeed? That's the whole point of this story haha Thanks for your comment !
LykkeF: Bonnet's got it all planned, don't worry! (or should I say: 'do worry', though). Until then, everything is a set up to make Brianna lose her shit, because he knows he will get everything he wants from her when she's broken. And it's all that matters to him…. Hehehe Thanks for the comment !
oOo
3. Got My Name Changed Back
Brianna stormed out of the courtroom, closely followed by her lawyer and family, trying to ignore the indignant stares of the audience as they left. Her brutal fit of anger had had its effect on the Court, but not in a good way. It would certainly cost her Jeremiah's custody, but she couldn't help it. Once in the street, she stopped and dug her fingernails into her scalp, ready to howl in rage.
"What in Heaven's name possessed you back there?", Bellingham stormed, stopping right next to her.
"Possessed me?" Brianna lowered her arms and stared at him angrily. "You were there, weren't you? You saw what happened!"
"It is quite common to bring in an expert and present scientific facts when the matter goes beyond the Judge's field of competence-"
"Telling a bunch of old men that I had an orgasm while getting raped, you call that science?", she barked, so loud that the lawyer looked around in embarrassment. Several people, including women, were staring at them in shock and he raised his hands in front of him in appeasement, but Brianna was still venting. "The trial records were never complete to begin with! Forbes played us. He knew that if I wasn't prepared, I would react violently and make a fool of myself." She rubbed her palms against her face and shook her head, moaning. Bonnet's laughing gaze as she insulted the doctor was haunting her. "He laughed… He dared to laugh at me…"
Claire transferred Jemmy to her husband's arms and rushed over to Bree to comfort her. "This trial was a complete farce; I've already told you about justice around here. Especially when a woman faces charges…", she whispered, stroking her daughter's red hair. She was of course referring to her own trial for witchcraft in Scotland. And to their friend Gavin Hayes, who had been hung here in Wilmington for killing the jealous husband of the woman he loved, in self-defense.
"The situation is not so bad, to be honest...", Bellingham went on, in a softer tone. "I've seen cases like this before and usually, within minutes, the child is given to the father and the mother is found guilty of unchastity. The mere fact that they did not deliver the verdict immediately proves that they still need to think about it... The detailed account of your rape disturbed them. It's not something they are used to hearing. Believe me, this is a good thing. What kept you from winning the trial tonight was the testimony of the prison guard. You told me you were certain to be alone with Bonnet that day..."
Brianna took a deep breath and nodded. "I thought so. Maybe I was too busy watching his every move and yelling at him, though…" She heard a growl coming from Roger's throat a few feet away and she crossed her arms on her chest questioningly. "Do you have something to say?"
She didn't want to put up with Roger's moods right now. If he wanted to remain silent, fine; but the last thing she needed was him adding to the humiliation she had just experienced in the courtroom. However, Roger did not have time to express his thoughts: a cart had just stopped in front of the building and footmen in liveries got out, unloading a case of French wines, several platters of seafood and other delicacies.
"Ah! Here they are at last ! Over here, gentlemen!", said Forbes from the top of the stairs leading to the courthouse. The whole family turned to watch Bonnet and his lawyer motion for the footmen to follow them inside. Bellingham groaned in annoyance.
"What the hell are they doing now?", Brianna swore. She'd had it up to here with these two scoundrel's incessant shenanigans.
"It is customary – when a court or jury meets – to ban all fire, food and drink until a verdict is reached, in order to prevent the deliberations from dragging on... But it seems your Mr. Bonnet is making sure their stomachs are full..."
He's not my Mr. Bonnet, Brianna sighed inwardly, running a weary hand over her face. After falsifying records, telling lies, seducing the audience and presenting tall-tale experts, Stephen Bonnet had just added bribe to his long list of outrages.
"I think we all need to unwind a bit… let's have a nice hot meal and try to rest until tomorrow morning. There's not much to do at this point anyway…", the lawyer finished, patting Brianna on the shoulder.
"They could run away", Jamie growled, still holding Jeremiah in his arms. The last thing he wanted was to see his daughter leave this century forever, but it would always be better than losing his grandson to a murderer. "Roger, Brianna and Jeremiah. All three of them."
"I strongly advise against it", Bellingham replied before lowering his voice. "Do you see that man with a black tricorn around the corner? And the one pretending to have a look at this jeweler's shop a little further?" Jamie glanced briefly in the said directions and nodded. "I have seen these men every day since I took on your daughter's defense and something tells me that they are not the only ones watching us. Bonnet will undoubtedly be warned of any attempt to leave town and at that point, the case would be requalified as child abduction… And you wouldn't only lose custody, Mrs. MacKenzie: you would face prison for this."
"It is that bastarrd Bonnit who should be in prrison...", Jamie snarled, as anger made him roll his R's more than usual.
"Well, he would have stayed there if his cell door had nae been opened just before the Regulators attacked...", Roger retorted, shoving his hands into his pockets. Bad decision, for he couldn't avoid Brianna's slap on his left cheek. He had crossed the line. She had just been accused of staying in a tavern, of following a dishonest man, of being raped for a ring, of lying about the said rape, of playing with the feelings of a man sentenced to death... The last thing she needed was to be accused of being responsible of Bonnet's escape. Roger stared at her in amazement and he was about to protest, when he met Jamie's threatening gaze.
"Fuck you, Roger! FUCK YOU VERY MUCH!", she barked as she stormed away, unaware of Bonnet watching her from the courthouse entrance, a smirk floating on his lips.
Bellingham groaned and glanced one last time at Roger before rushing after his client. "Remember when I said she needed to unwind, Mr. MacKenzie…?"
~o~
The next morning they were back and the tension between Brianna and Roger had gone up another notch. The Scotsman stubbornly avoided his wife's gaze – something that did not bother her given the circumstances – but he also ignored Jeremiah and rejected any attempt of the child to get close to him. Brianna had gone mad and they had once again spent the evening yelling and blaming each other. And not a single word had been spoken since. As she paced up and down the courtroom corridor, Brianna felt more and more anxious. She had left Fraser's Ridge rather confident, but was now facing a harsh reality: that of a time when patriarchy reigned supreme, where women had no rights and where her son could be torn from her overnight by decision of an exclusively male court of justice. She almost wished she had left at the beginning of her pregnancy, far from this damned century she would never fully understand. And now she was about to lose the one thing she wanted to bring back home: her son. Whoever his real father was, she loved him more than life itself, and she could never consider returning to the twentieth century without him.
"Nae verdict has yit been reached, there is still hope…", Jamie mumbled. He wanted to sound reassuring but that only made his daughter even more nervous.
Leaning against the wall, looking glum, Claire crossed her arms over her chest. "If there's one thing I've learned from my years here, it's that a woman has little hope against a man, let alone a whole court..."
Bonnet's schemes had enraged her at first, and she had not imagined for a single minute that a criminal of his kind could obtain justice against her sweet and loving daughter. But this dirty cockroach was well prepared, supported by the right people and enjoying a whole new social status he had certainly bought with a lot of bribes and dirty money.
"I wulnae let him destroy our family, Sassenach…", Jamie scolded, sweeping his gaze down the hall to make sure no one could hear them. "Should I spend the rest of my life in jail fur murder."
"No one is murdering anyone...", Brianna retorted, stopping to glance at the Scotsman. "I'm about to lose custody of my son, the last thing I need is to lose my father as well."
"Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie?", a voice said a little higher in the hallway. Brianna whirled around and saw Bellingham trotting up.
"What are the news?"
"Before the verdict is delivered, Mr. Bonnet said he was ready to negotiate an amicable agreement, so as to spare you the humiliation of losing your parental rights in public at the final judgment. He's waiting for you in the judge's office."
Brianna frowned and turned to Roger. Knowing Bonnet, this was bound to be another trap, but her mind – clouded with fear and anguish – couldn't imagine what he was up to.
"Follow me, please…", the lawyer went on, but as Jamie and Claire also stepped forward he added: "Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie only."
Brianna turned to give both her parents a reassuring look and followed her lawyer with Roger by her side. He led them to a huge office, where the judge, Bonnet and Forbes were already comfortably seated. As Brianna walked in, she saw Bonnet jump to his feet, as if trying to make the judge believe that his upbringing forbade him to sit in the presence of a lady. The lovey-dovey look he gave her almost made her feel nauseous. What was he playing at?
"Please have a seat, Mrs. MacKenzie…", the judge said slowly, clearing his throat. Brianna obeyed, ignoring Bonnet, and Roger stood behind her chair, resting his hands on the back. "I will not hide the fact that the situation is not in your favor, ma'am. This is why the plaintiff is now offering you a less drastic solution, which will certainly seem less unfair to you than a complete and permanent loss of your parental rights over your son, Jeremiah Alexander Ian Fraser MacKenzie. Mr. Forbes, would you please tell Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie the terms of your client's agreement?"
"Certainly, your Honor." Forbes turned his weasel's face towards Brianna, and the young woman instantly knew that the lawyer was having the time of his life. "My client will not deprive you of your son, as long as you agree to live with them in River Run, the property of which Jeremiah is the sole rightful heir."
"I beg your pardon?", Brianna blurted out, as Roger made an outraged face that could have been comical under other circumstances. But Forbes kept talking, unruffled:
"If you agree, the judge will immediately annul your marriage to Mr. Roger Wakefield MacKenzie here and you will become my client's lawful wife, thereby retaining all of your rights over your son. However, the management of the property will lie in my client's responsibility until Jeremiah comes of age."
Brianna leaped out of her seat, cheeks flushed with anger. She was shaking. "That's it? You did all this out of revenge because my aunt changed her will and left you nothing for all those years of loyalty?", she spat sarcastically, shaking her head. "This must be a fucking joke...?"
"Please, Mrs. MacKenzie, mind your words…", Bellingham squeaked, wincing.
"Would you allow me… to say a few words, Your Honor?"
All heads turned to Bonnet, who had just interrupted Bellingham with the softest of voices. His attitude, his tone, his gestures... He was calm and composed, even going so far as to add a hint of... sadness? Was he even capable of experiencing such a feeling? Brianna strongly doubted it and she clenched her fists, bracing herself for the new lies and other manipulations that would surely come out of his mouth. The judge motioned for him to talk, and with all the elegance he was capable of despite his still somewhat rude manners, Bonnet rose from his chair and slowly approached Brianna. The young woman suddenly felt nauseous, like every time he stepped into her personal space, but she lifted her chin and held his gaze.
"We can tell them now, love. We don't need to hide anymo-"
The slap went off at lightning speed and sounded like a whiplash in the judge's office. With greatest pleasure, Brianna felt her own fingers tingle for a few seconds after impact, as Bonnet's left cheek reddened around his scar. Bellingham ran a weary hand over his face, aware that his client was not doing herself a favor, while Forbes bit his lip to hide a triumphant smile. Slowly, Bonnet brought a hand to his cheek and turned to the Judge, his lower lip quivering as if he was facing the most painful rebuttal of his life.
"Mr. Bonnet, you have just been physically assaulted in the presence of witnesses, do you wish to file a complaint?", the Judge stated laconically as Roger dug his fingernails into the back of his wife's chair. He was fighting hard against his desire to beat Bonnet to a pulp. Brianna had just made yet another mistake, but the pirate had taken her by surprise with his false declaration of love and she had reacted exactly as he had hoped.
As if to confirm Roger's suspicions, Bonnet turned his attention back to Bree and despite his fake painful expression, there was a sick sparkle in his eyes. As for Brianna, she had realized the trap she had just fallen into. Her eyes filled with tears and she felt ready to fall apart. The writ, the trial, this stupid agreement, everything was calculated to build up pressure, until she exploded or surrendered. A cruel, almost imperceptible smirk reached Bonnet's lips, but it was gone as quickly as it had come.
"No, your Honor. I think it is time for me to mourn the loss of… our relationship… As passionate as it was." He turned away, slowly approaching his chair. "My son is all that matters to me now."
"This is not happening…", Brianna moaned, placing both hands on her face. That sick bastard was doing everything he could to set her up as the World's Meanest Bitch. She felt her chest tighten in her uncomfortable corset as anxiety slowly made her lose control.
The judge sighed and closed the file on his desk. "Very well, then. You may go back to your seats in the courtroom and we will proceed with the verdict."
Bonnet took his jacket from the back of his chair and was about to leave the room when Brianna grabbed one of the pirate's sleeves between her thumb and forefinger, pulling slightly. Although she had taken care to only touch the fabric and to remain at a good distance from the skin below, she was not sure why she had chosen to make this move, rather than just calling his name. But the result was the same: he turned to her, plunging his cold, calculating gaze into her pleading eyes.
"Don't do this…", she whispered, hoping to melt even a tiny part of the dark and cruel creature staring at her. Bonnet took a step forward and Brianna immediately let go of his sleeve to avoid touching anything more than the fabric. He stopped a few inches away, towering over her, and leaned slightly to her ear.
"I am not doin' anythin', darlin'. As long as we are in this room, you are holdin' all the cards. This decision is only yours to make…" As he whispered, he caught MacKenzie's hateful gaze on him and brought his lips closer to Brianna's temple, making her twitch involuntarily.
Confused, she turned her head slightly to catch Bellingham's gaze. She hoped to read something in his eyes that would convince her there was still a chance to win, but the lawyer seemed resigned. "I… no…", she stammered, the sound struggling to make its way out of her throat. Bonnet's gaze immediately hardened and he shrugged.
"As you wish", he hissed before turning to Forbes: "Let's finish this."
Brianna closed her eyes and suppressed a whimper. The journey back to the dock was like a dream: she was floating above her body, watching her own descent into Hell. Her parents and Jeremiah were already seated and she took the child from Claire's arms like a robot, to hug him and sit with him at her table. Jeremiah was so warm, so soft under her fingers, his hair surrounded by the sweet smell of the honeysuckle Claire used in her home-made soap. The thought that she might be smelling it for the last time broke her heart and she tightened her arms around Jemmy, pressing her forehead against his, rocking back and forth slightly, as if in a trance. Bonnet had managed to break her just minutes before the final verdict. Why? Why is he doing this to me?
The Judge and the magistrates finally arrived, and with her eyes still closed, Brianna waited for them to speak. But the din of her heart and the excruciating buzzing sound in her ears only allowed her to understand a few words. Sole custody… usufruct of the River Run plantation… Her whole body had started to shake without her being able to stop it. In her arms, the emotional sponge that was wee Jeremiah had sensed that something very bad had happened and he fidgeted, moaning loudly. "Mama, I'm scared…"
She couldn't say how long she had been there, paralyzed and holding her son, but it was only when two strong and rough hands tried to tear the child from her arms that she suddenly came to her senses. Her first instinct was to hug Jeremiah even tighter and the boy let out a cry of terror. "Don't touch him!", she barked at the red coat who was trying to get Jemmy away from her. "Back off!"
Hearing his mother's shrill voice, the boy burst into tears, as the man's hands pressed ever harder around his small waist. Behind her, turmoil had broken out in the room and she heard Roger and Jamie's furious voices in the distance, as they were certainly overpowered by guards. But she didn't really care about Jamie or Roger right now; her whole being was focused on one and only thing: preventing those two callused hands from taking her son. Unfortunately, another guard appeared from behind, twisting her left arm painfully behind her back and before she even had time to scream, Jemmy had left her arms and was carried across the room. "No... No... No..." was all she managed to say as the guard in her back still immobilized her. She turned her head and briefly saw Claire with her arms raised, trying to separate Jamie and the soldiers. One of them had a bloody nose and she guessed he must have had a taste of the Scot's knuckles.
Seeing that her father had hit one of the soldiers and was still alive, she threw her elbow back into the stomach of her attacker who doubled over with a smothered "oof". Quickly, Brianna walked around the dock and rushed to the other side.
"I'm begging you, give me my son back!", she yelled at the soldier who still held Jemmy, screaming and crying, in his arms. "Have mercy, for Christ's sake!"
"Ma'am, please step back!", the soldier barked, handing the child to Bonnet, who took it with a smile he certainly meant to be soothing but which, in Brianna's eyes, might as well have been that of Lucifer himself. The pirate awkwardly wiped Jemmy's wet cheeks, muttering a few words Bree couldn't hear, and it was the last straw. The sight of her son in that monster's arms, comforting him, bringing his damn lips closer to his delicate little forehead… She couldn't stand it. That's when she decided to play her final card, or at least what she thought was her final card. She turned to Bonnet and began to beg.
"Please, don't do this to me… Give me my son… You can't take him away from me, I'll die…", she whined, but Bonnet's gaze was still focused on Jeremiah, as if he didn't hear a single word. "I'm begging you… Stephen!"
She had almost screamed his name and the green eyes immediately left Jemmy to settle down on her. She had called him Stephen for the first time in her life, hoping to reach the last drop of humanity that had to be somewhere inside him. She didn't know if she had succeeded, but he was now giving her his full attention. However, a spark of triumph was shining in his vicious gaze. What she had reached was not his compassion, but his enormous ego. They were staring at each other for a few seconds – her eyes widening in terror as his own were slowly becoming two thin horizontal slits – when Roger's exasperated voice rose behind her:
"Bree! Be reasonable, for God's sake!"
The sentence, and especially the anger in his tone, tore Brianna's eyes away from Bonnet and she turned to Roger in disbelief. "What do you mean, reasonable?"
Her husband pushed his way through the soldiers, raising his hands to show them that he was not going to attack anyone, and stopped two meters away from Forbes' table, who was calmly gathering his papers as if nothing that was going on around him mattered.
"Ye'll end up in jail, if ye cause a scene in front of the Judge… Forget it…", he hissed, glancing worriedly at the red coats around them.
Brianna couldn't believe her ears. "I am losing our son and you want me to forget it?"
"It's ye I do not want to lose... Brianna..."
He had said the words gently, as if it was the most romantic thing he had ever said to her, but he knew immediately that his choice of words wasn't right when the young woman's mouth opened wide and she looked at him with disgust. She had always felt deep inside her, and especially since she had been sued, that Roger was uncomfortable with Jemmy and that despite the lullabies he sang to him in the evening or the few toys he had carved for him, he avoided almost all physical contact with the child. But she had always hoped that this would pass over the years, that he would manage to put his pride aside and consider Jemmy as his son, even if they couldn't prove it scientifically.
"You're ready to abandon our son to him so you can have me?", the young woman scolded, pointing her index finger to her own chest. Roger rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Be honest, Bree. He has never really been my son... But at least now it's official."
The words came as a blow to Brianna and she wondered for a moment who this venomous man was. Certainly not her husband, not the man she had fallen in love with more than four years ago. You got a short memory, girl. Remember his first marriage proposal, at the festival… Do you remember it? That romantic moment when he called you a slut just because you refused to marry him on your first bloody date… Bree hated that little voice in her head, the one that reminded her every now and then how Roger had been far from Prince Charming, before growing a conscience and accepting her even if she might be pregnant by another man. "Accept" was indeed the right word. As if he was doing her a favor by marrying her and saving her honor. And now literally throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
"You're an incredible bastard…", Bree hissed, realizing it as she said it out loud. Roger straightened up slightly, surprised by her harsh words. Brianna glanced quickly at Jemmy, who had calmed down a bit in Bonnet's arms but was still crying, and saw the Irishman enjoying the show. She wouldn't even be surprised to see him suddenly pull a bag of popcorn out of nowhere and eat it while admiring the chaos he had created. I'm surrounded by absolute assholes…, she added inwardly, as her breathing quickened. Nothing made sense anymore and she didn't know what to do. Let Jemmy go was out of the question, but so was living with a man who was ready to abandon him that easily. She was still motionless, panting heavily, when Roger's arm tried to pull her towards him. Towards the exit.
"No!", she yelled, as her husband ignored her and kept dragging her away. Desperate, she pushed him away with all her might, before running to the judge who was rising from his chair, ready to leave the room. "I take the deal!"
The judge immediately froze, as did everyone else in the room, and looked at her almost tiredly.
"I'm afraid it is too late, Mrs. MacKenzie. The offer is off the table once the verdict is delivered..."
Brianna trotted over to him and clasped her hands in front of her. "Please, there must be a way-"
"One moment, your Honor…"
Bonnet was getting close, still holding Jemmy in his muscular arms. Those same arms that had overpowered her so easily in the tavern. The mere sight of his biceps surrounding her tiny, fragile son made her shiver with horror. He stopped next to her, way too close to her liking, and she had to fight the urge to take three steps back.
"If I still want this offer to be valid... It should not be a problem, aye?"
"Indeed, but with all due respect Mr. Bonnet, you shall both be held responsible for wasting the Court's precious time...", the man sighed, giving them a stern look.
"And time is money...", Bonnet smirked. Wiggling his right arm, he repositioned Jemmy who had slipped to the side of his chest. "I am obviously willing to compensate the Court for any inconvenience caused."
Brianna couldn't believe what she was hearing: were they actually talking about taking bribes, even though the trial – or rather mock trial – had just ended? The Judge sighed again and held out a hand towards the exit.
"Alright, then please follow me to my office… again."
A few meters away, Roger had managed to free himself from the guards who had kept him away since Bree's shocking announcement and he barely had time to yell "Don't be stupid!" before the exasperated Judge grabbed his wooden gavel and banged it hard against his desk.
"Clear the Courtroom!", he barked at the guard.
Oh, now I'm being stupid…?, Brianna spat internally, not giving Roger the slightest glance, before she turned to Bonnet. "You have what you wanted, give him back to me now!", she hissed. The pirate stared at her for a moment, and seemed to realize that he had played enough with her and it was time to rub her up the right way. Win her trust. Let her hug the son she had almost lost, so that he could control her better later. Rolling his eyes, he transferred Jemmy into her outstretched hands and Brianna instantly slid her fingers through the boy's blonde hair, bringing his forehead to her lips to kiss him passionately. "Mama's here... Mama's here, love...", she whispered, tears welling up to her eyes. Bonnet had left some of his scent on Jemmy's clothes and she tried to ignore it, focusing on Claire's honeysuckle.
Her eyelids snapped open and she jumped violently as Bonnet's hand slipped down her lower back and he leaned toward her right ear. "This is not over yet, darlin', we still have to sign some papers… And then you, Jeremiah and River Run shall legally become my property."
Darlin'… That nickname… That damn nickname he had whispered so many times while he was assaulting her; she couldn't stand it anymore. So much so that she had almost ran away the first time Roger had accidentally called her that, a few weeks after his return. You mean after he abandoned you because he couldn't stand the thought of you being defiled by someone else…, quipped the scathing little voice in the corner of her brain. A tear rolled down her cheek as that one simple word stirred up terrible memories, but she hugged Jemmy a little tighter and managed to control herself enough to follow the Judge into his den. They had just entered the office when their respective lawyers appeared in the doorway: Forbes, as cool as an ugly cucumber and Bellingham who was literally boiling with anger.
"Good, now that everyone is here, let's get this over with… We have already wasted enough time with this case…", the Judge grumbled, sitting down behind his desk. "Mr. Forbes, I suppose all the papers are ready?"
"Absolutely, Your Honor…", Forbes smirked, handing him a wad of documents. In other circumstances, Brianna would have loved to spit in his weasel face, but her whole being was focused on one thing: not letting anyone else take Jemmy away from her arms. "First, Mrs. MacKenzie will have to sign an affidavit stating she accepts my client's offer and the terms thereof. Then we can proceed with Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie's marriage annulment, and join her and my client in matrimony."
Brianna suddenly felt the urge to retch and shifted Jemmy's weight onto her left arm to bend over and read Forbes' affidavit. But the words on the paper didn't make any sense to her anymore, as if she was trying to read something in Cyrillic. Exhaustion, fear and anger monopolized all of her brain functions and she started to shake again, unable to read a single word.
"Do you want me to read it for you?", Bellingham offered, noticing her distress. Brianna nodded silently, more tears wetting her cheeks. With the softest of voices, the lawyer read the entire document under the patient gazes of the three other men in the room. Even though her mind kept imagining the worst scenarios, Brianna managed to get the gist of what was being read to her. By signing this paper, she would become Stephen Bonnet's rightful wife, make him Jeremiah's legal guardian and therefore grant him management of River Run until the boy came of age. Any act of rebelliousness, any new attempt to abduct the child from his father, any refusal to comply with her wifely duties would invalidate the agreement and Bonnet would be able to repudiate her, keep her son and the estate. A disgusting sparkle had lit the Irishman's eyes, and she saw him nod slowly at the mention of this paragraph.
When Bellingham finished reading, he looked up at Brianna and asked her if she still agreed to the terms. Her eyes went quickly from the Judge, who seemed quite eager to close the case, to Forbes still staring and smirking at her, and finally Bonnet. His hungry eyes betrayed his desire to see her sign those damn papers, and thereby consent to become his wife. The second he had seen her in the tavern, all he had wanted was to subdue her, possess her, make her his own, untouchable by anyone else. But he had let her go, thinking his desire would die down now he had had his way with her. And it had died down… until that day in the jail.
Brianna closed her eyes again, pressing her nose against Jemmy's hair to inhale his scent and remember why she was doing all this. "Mrs. MacKenzie?" The Judge was getting impatient and she forced herself to open her eyelids. With her trembling right hand, she gestured towards the quill resting on the inkwell, and wedging Jemmy against her chest with her other arm, she wrote Brianna Ellen Fraser MacKenzie, trying not to think about the fact that maybe this was the last time she signed under that name. A long breath of air escaped Bonnet's nostrils – a sigh of relief? – but Brianna didn't look at him to find out. The Judge took the document, added it to his file, and then proceeded to annul her marriage to Roger. Once again, her mind drifted and she signed the second document in a daze, thinking about the third one with a heavy heart. But the third didn't come right away, and it took her a while to realize that all the men around her had stood up and were staring at her expectantly.
"Miss Fraser, would you please stand up and give your son to your lawyer for a moment…", said Forbes' annoying voice, emphasizing her maiden name now that she was – again and for a very short time – officially single. Brianna got out of her chair and whispered against Jemmy's forehead:
"I'll leave you to Mr. Bellingham for a while, all right? Just a little while…"
Jemmy nodded limply; the poor child was exhausted by the events of the last hour, incomprehensible to a boy his age, and he let himself be transferred into the lawyer's arms. Bonnet had already turned to her and she immediately wanted to run like a bat out of hell. She had often read, in period books, about forced or arranged marriages – some ending well and others not so much – and although she had once been aware that this kind of practice was terrible, she had never really captured the full extent of its violence. Or maybe she only found it violent because she had been raised in modern society? Any other woman here would have simply surrendered and prayed that her husband wouldn't treat her like garbage. They probably had lower expectations than in the twentieth century... But as far as she was concerned, here and now, the atrocity of this marriage was matched only by the detachment and casualness of the three men forcing her into it. To them, it was a mere formality. Just like selling a house or a horse. This is a nightmare... Only a nightmare, I just have to wake up...
She flinched as Bonnet made a move towards his waistcoat, almost expecting him to draw a gun and threaten her – which wouldn't have made this marriage less ignominious to be honest – but instead of a pistol, he took out a small box and opened it with a satisfied smile. The box contained a ring, a plain gold ring with a deep green emerald. Where does that come fr-?, Brianna thought before looking up. That was when she understood something. Something she should have seen coming from the start. Something she hated herself for missing, even if it would not have made any difference. He had it all planned. Somehow, he knew he would win and that she would take the deal. In the morning, when he had put his waistcoat on and slipped the wedding ring inside, he knew he would come out of court married to Brianna Fraser. Never had she felt so humiliated, betrayed and manipulated in her whole life. Her eyes widened in anger and she stared at him in disbelief, contempt, disgust and every other emotion she could concentrate in one single look.
Bonnet's face looked just like a gentleman's: patiently waiting for the judge to say the words that would unite them and allow him to slip the emerald on her finger. But his eyes, his two green eyes reeked of guile and victory. Brianna was about to explode and Bonnet must have sensed it because he did the only thing that could defuse the ticking bomb he had in front of him: he gave a quick look at Jemmy, then stared back at her. The message was clear: think about your son.
"Mr. Bonnet, do you take Miss Brianna Ellen Fraser to be your wedded wife?", the Judge asked, obviously bored by the situation and only thinking about one thing: treat himself to a good slice of apple pie.
"I do." Without further delay, he pulled the ring out of its box and reached for Brianna's hand, which she held out with as much enthusiasm as a prisoner approaching the scaffold. One look, one quick glance toward Jemmy's had been enough to deprive her of any will to fight. At least to fight the legal system. Another fight would take place later, between the walls of River Run. With slow movements, Bonnet removed the ring Roger had slipped on her finger two years earlier and replaced it with his own.
"Miss Brianna Ellen Fraser, do you take Mr. Stephen Bonnet to be your wedded husband?"
Anger clouded Brianna's blue eyes and even a human being without empathy, such as the psychopath she had in front of her, could sense it. Despite the tremors agitating her whole body and the hatred she felt towards each of the men responsible of her misfortune, she managed to open her mouth.
"I do."
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It's ok, you can scream hahahah. What did you think of this chapter? I don't think anyone would like to be in Brianna's shoes right now. Bonnet is so obsessed with the idea of owning her, and being Jemmy's father, that he will to any lengths to get what he wants… Anyway, he is now the rightful owner of River Run. And that's when you ask... What is he going to do about Aunt Jocasta ? You'll get the answer in the next chapter… :p
See you in 3 weeks for chapter 4! I will be moving house in the next 15 days but I will try to update anyway! Have a lovely week!
Xérès