A/N: this chapter is dedicated to XxBlackChaosxX, who posted the 500th review :)
There's an illo for this chapter in my ffnet profile.
Review responses sent out as usual.
Also thanks to Musica Diabolos, annatari.the.writer, Queen Dragon, Aiko Moonchild, fikle friend, Fredryck, Phoenix, Rose Fae, Rekhyt, uptowngirl48, Hello, Mewhoelse, TheFasterYouUpdateTheBetter, ailiricxxz
I feel the need to answer to PINKADELIC, as she wasn't signed in and didn't give her email addy either. Please, dear PINKADELIC (and everyone else who might write me comments like she did), next time read the author's notes at the beginning of a fanfic. In the A/N of chapter 1, I stated very clearly that English wasn't my native language. I learned it at school and nowhere else. My British beta corrected my grammar, but he couldn't correct my style, obviously. So, it is quite natural that my writing style in English isn't perfect. Trust me, I could write stories in Hungarian much more eloquently, but I chose to write in English, as all the Hungarian fanfic sites are Harry Potter-oriented with no other section to post stories in.
Chapter 18
The Rich and Lonely
Nathaniel entered the house. "I've got to leave for London," he announced.
"What?" His mother frowned, gently rocking the baby. "Why?"
"No time to explain that now," he replied. "Look, I'm really sorry… What should I do with Kitty now?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm worried about her condition. Perhaps in London-"
"I don't think you should try to take her with you now. Her condition seems to have stabilised, but if she were moved now, she might start to bleed again." Esther shook her head. "Don't worry about her. She's doing well enough. If you really have to leave now, then I suggest you return for her within a week. If you have time to return at all," she added in a slightly sarcastic voice.
Nathaniel bit into his lower lip. "I don't know when I'll have time to come and fetch her. But I'll try to come as soon as possible… I don't think it's a good idea to leave her here long. I don't want her to develop too strong an attachment to the child."
Esther gave him a look of disbelief. "Too strong an attachment? What are you talking about, Son? She's Martha's mother! Every mother develops a strong attachment to her child even before it's born!"
"Still, I don't want it to be even stronger," he replied. "It might sound evil, but it's just rational thinking. Kitty would suffer more for five whole years if she spent weeks with Martha now. I'll come for her as soon as possible… in her own interest." With that he entered the bedroom to check on his wife once more before he left. She was sleeping peacefully; her long, black hair lay as a sweaty, tangled mass on the pillows.
Nathaniel sat down next to her and took her hand into his. "I don't know whether you can hear me or not… I have to leave, Kitty. Rest and heal quickly, and I'll come for you soon. I love you." He gently kissed her on the lips, then stood up. "Enid, take good care of her."
"I will, master." The female foliot curtsied.
Nathaniel left the room. In the hall he found his mother glaring at him. "I don't like this look."
"I don't like you leaving," she said sharply.
"It's important," he sighed.
"More important than your wife and daughter?"
He resisted an urge to roll his eyes. "I don't have time for discussions like that. Please, Mother, let me make my own choices and without stirring up pangs of guilt in me."
"So, you do have pangs of guilt."
"Would it help if I admitted I did?" He turned on his heels, heading for the door. He'd already put his hand on the handle when something made him double back. "I'd gladly stay if I could. But I can't. Please, take care of Kitty, Mother. Believe it or not, I love her."
He stepped out, the door closed behind him with a click, and Esther stood there, a whimpering baby in her arms. "Kitty you might love… but what about your daughter?" She glanced down at the little girl and her heart clenched. Nathaniel hadn't wanted to hold his daughter, he'd seemed relieved to be able to give her back to his mother, and now as he left, he hadn't even given the baby a second glance.
o o o O O O o o o
"Where… where's Nathaniel?" Kitty croaked. It was dawn and the birds were making a racket outside.
"Hush, child, don't tire yourself," Esther said gently.
"Where is he?" Kitty demanded, her voice a little stronger this time.
The older woman heaved a sigh. "He got an urgent call from London and had to leave."
"He left?" Kitty's voice wavered. "Why… why did he have to leave? Did he say?"
Esther shook her head. "He only said it was very important."
A sad smile appeared on Kitty's face. "Important. Of course. Why am I surprised at all? I… I've known it all along… that I would always came second after his career. I don't… don't even know why it's still hurting me…" She looked away, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I should have got used to it by now… I should have…"
"Don't cry, dear. He doesn't deserve your tears."
Kitty looked at Esther. "How… how can you talk like that? He's… your son!"
"And a politician," the older woman sighed. "But let's not talk about him now, shall we? Don't you want to see your daughter?"
Kitty's face lit up. "Of course I do! Please, bring her here."
Esther helped her sit up a bit, propping some pillows behind her back, then hurried out and returned with the baby in a minute. Kitty seemed to melt as soon as the little one was placed into her arms. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"
"Very." The older woman nodded. "Looks just like Nathaniel did when he was born."
"What, was he this wrinkly too?" Kitty grinned.
"Even more so." Esther grinned back.
"Hello, sweetie…" Kitty pressed a kiss on the top of the baby's head. "You're so pretty, baby mine. But I can't keep calling you 'sweetie' and 'baby', huh? You need to have a name."
"Actually, she already has one," Esther said. "Nathaniel said you two hadn't talked about baby names but he liked the name Martha. Of course, if you don't like it, you can still talk it over with him when he returns for you."
"I do like it. Martha. Such a… dignified name, isn't it? Perhaps… a little too dignified for a newborn baby… I'll just call you Mar. Do you like it, sweetie?" The baby grabbed the hem of Kitty's nightshirt with a tiny hand. "Well, she doesn't seem to have any objections, does she?" For a while Kitty just stared at her daughter, marvelling at every little move she made. This was their miracle, hers and Nathaniel's – a miracle for sure, created despite the contraceptive shield. If only he were here, sharing her joy. But no, he had had to leave for London, presumably to round up more American spies and be even more popular than he already was.
Kitty shook her head. She wouldn't let sad thoughts ruin her happiness. For the time being she just wanted to be a happy, proud mother. And no power on earth could stop her, not even her egoistic husband.
o o o O O O o o o
"…in today's news: the British terrorist group known as the Resistance is eliminated, Minister of Internal Affairs John Mandrake is promoted to Deputy Prime Minister, and hurricane Juana levels houses in Florida…"
Esther froze. Wiping her hands on her apron, she hurried out of the kitchen, into the living room where the small television had just started showing the midday newscast.
"Prime Minister Rupert Deveraux today announced that the Department of Internal Affairs has successfully captured and imprisoned most members of the Resistance, the dangerous terrorist group that has been working against the magician leadership for years. It is believed that only a few, less than five Resistance members, those who were not at their headquarters last night, are still at large. The Department of Internal Affairs is set on rounding them up as soon as possible. For the time being they're satisfied with the results of last night's raid: they have managed to capture 47 terrorists, with only five casualties: one policeman and four Resistance members. Minister of Internal Affairs, John Mandrake was asked about the raid-"
Esther's heart clenched as her son's face appeared on the screen.
"The loss is most regrettable," the young man said impassively, "especially because two of the dead were children of fourteen years, but they have brought it upon themselves – they shouldn't have joined the Resistance in the first place."
Nathaniel's face got replaced by the news reader's. "As announced last night, Deputy Prime Minister Harold Weatherby died yesterday afternoon after a short illness, and following last night's brilliant raid, John Mandrake has been offered Weatherby's position, which he accepted at once."
Again Nathaniel's face filled the screen. "I feel most honoured by Mr Deveraux's gracious offer and I will do everything in my power to live up to his expectations. For the time being I shall stay in charge of the Department of Internal Affairs, but will naturally do my duties as Deputy PM as well. It will also be my task and pleasure to advise on my successor."
"Thank you, Depute Prime Minister. And now, about the hurricane in the Americas…"
Esther heaved a sigh. She didn't remember when she'd last felt so horrible. She knew she was supposed to be proud of her son, but couldn't help feeling disgusted by the whole thing.
"Esther?" Kitty's voice called from the bedroom.
The woman forced a smile on her face and entered. "Awake at last! How're you feeling, dear?"
"Much better," Kitty smiled, suppressing a yawn. "I'll be all right in few days, then…" Her smile vanished from her face. "When do you think Nathaniel will return to take me back to London… away from my baby?" She glanced at the little one sleeping next to her.
"I don't know." Esther shook her head. She didn't feel like telling Kitty that her son wanted to tear mother and child apart as soon as possible. Besides, now that he was Deputy Prime Minister, he'd surely have much more work to do and wouldn't have time to come back for Kitty any time soon…
"Are you all right? You look funny," Kitty observed.
"Everything's fine, dear." Esther smiled. "I'm just a bit tired." It was better for Kitty not to find out about Nathaniel's promotion just yet, and especially about the elimination of the Resistance. Esther knew well enough that Kitty had been one of its members once, she'd told her funny and exciting stories about her Resistance-years. No, she definitely wasn't ready yet to hear such shocking news. "Looks like the little princess is starting to awaken…"
Indeed, the baby began squirming next to Kitty, and in a few seconds, she was bawling at the top of her lungs. Kitty took her into her arms and smelled her. "She doesn't need a new nappy… at least I think she doesn't."
"She must be hungry," Esther said with a smile. "She's been nearly four hours without a feed."
"Oh. I still haven't got the knack of nursing a baby…" Kitty shook her head, laughing. "I'm sure I'm going to be a horrible mother."
"You're going to be a wonderful mother," the older woman said. If my son lets you, that is, she thought dejectedly.
o o o O O O o o o
"Me?" Ffoukes said with a surprised expression.
"Yes, you." Nathaniel nodded. "I can't think of anyone better for the position of Minister of Internal Affairs, my friend. I shall talk to Deveraux about your appointment as he has to give his consent, but don't worry – he'll accept you. I can be really persuasive if I want to."
"I don't know how to-"
Nathaniel waved. "Don't thank me. You deserve it. You've served the Empire excellently for years."
"As have you. I told you months and months ago that you'd get Weatherby's place." Ffoukes grinned at the younger man. "I'm proud of you, John. I'm sure your wife will be really proud too."
Nathaniel flinched. He doubted Kitty would be proud of him at all. She had once asked him to use his powers for good, but would she consider shutting the whole Resistance into the Tower a good thing? She surely wouldn't. She had also said she didn't like the idea of him getting even more powerful than he already was because power corrupted people. But I'm not corrupted… am I? He sighed. Who am I kidding? I'm just as corrupted as the rest. If not more.
"Are you all right, John?"
Nathaniel shuddered. "Yes. Just… Kitty. I don't think she'll be happy about this."
"What, your promotion?"
"No. The Resistance. Remember, she used to be one of them. I've sent her friends into the Tower." He looked away from Ffoukes. "But I had no other choice… did I?"
"No, you didn't." The older man put a hand on Nathaniel's shoulder. "You did the right thing. You did it for your homeland. For peace and safety. The fact that it earned you a promotion is just… Well, the point is that you shouldn't blame yourself."
Nathaniel nodded. "You're right, Ffoukes. I'm not blaming myself. But Kitty will blame me."
"She will understand. It might take her some time, but… she will. Sooner or later. How is she, by the way? I hope she's doing better."
"Yes, much better. In fact, I'm thinking of bringing her back to London within a few days. Deveraux is giving a party next week in my honour. Kitty has to be there."
o o o O O O o o o
"Nathaniel, what a nice surprise! I wasn't expecting you so soon!" Kitty flung herself into his arms. Just five days had passed since the birth, but she looked as strong as ever – her face was no longer pale but had a healthy rosy tinge. "Happy birthday, love!" She pressed her lips to his.
Nathaniel felt overwhelmed by her kisses. He hadn't been expecting a warm welcome like this – not after the raid. "You knew it was my birthday?"
"Of course I did, your mother told me," she said brightly. "Funny how close your birthday is to Martha, isn't it? Just five days. It will be easy to remember: we celebrate hers on 21st March, yours on 26th. We could even celebrate them together. Of course, only when she's living at our place already. Or is it forbidden to celebrate a magician apprentice's birthday?"
"Er… I don't know. The Underwoods never celebrated mine… I doubt if they even knew when I was born. I remembered it, though. It was one of the very few things I didn't forget from my childhood…"
A baby cry came from the bedroom. "Mar's awake! Come, have a look at her! She's getting prettier every day." She turned around and hurried for the bedroom.
Nathaniel didn't budge from the door. "Wait, Kitty."
She doubled back. "What?"
He heaved a sigh. "I'm here to take you back to London… and to take the child to the orphanage."
"So soon?" she breathed.
"You knew it was coming. We have talked about this several times."
She shook her head. "I know, but… couldn't it wait for a few more weeks?"
"No."
"Nathaniel…"
"Don't. Kitty, I know I might sound cruel, but… I'm doing this for you. And for Martha. She'll be safe with Mother, and you will suffer less if you return to London with me now."
Tears welled up in her eyes. She had known it was coming, yes, but now that it was here, she couldn't believe it. "Can I visit her… once in a while?"
"I don't think it would be a good idea. Once I have taken you back to London and announced you had been cured of your illness, the ministers could get suspicious if my wife disappeared from time to time and I had to go to social gatherings alone."
"Why would they bother whether I was there for cocktail parties or not?" Kitty frowned. "I'm just a minister's wife, one of… how many? Around three hundred?"
"You're not just a minister's wife," he said seriously. "I'm not just a minister anymore."
She blinked. "What… what do you mean?"
"You don't know? Haven't you watched the news?"
"No." She shrugged. "I've been too busy recuperating and tending my daughter… why, what happened?"
"I've been promoted to Deveraux's deputy."
Kitty's eyes narrowed. "So, you've reached your goal. I hope you're happy now."
Nathaniel bit into his lower lip. "This isn't everything. I… I was hoping you'd know about it by the time we met… it would have been so much easier…"
"Easier?"
"Yes." He ran a hand nervously across his hair. "You could have welcomed me with a punch or something, but it still would have been better than…"
"A punch?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would I want to punch you? What did you do?"
He gulped and stared at the floor.
"Nathaniel… don't do this to me." She stepped closer. "What did you do?"
Slowly, he looked up to meet her eyes. She was appalled to see fright in his eyes. She had seen him happy, angry, over-confident, but never this frightened. Was he afraid of her?
"We've found the Resistance headquarters," he muttered. "The Resistance is no more, Kitty."
Suddenly she turned as pale as she had been after having given birth. "What happened to them?" she whispered.
"M… most of them are in the Tower now."
"Most?" she said sharply.
"Four are dead."
She let out a gasp. "Who? Who are those?"
"I don't know their names… but two of them were children." Nathaniel cast his eyes down, as though very interested in his shoes.
"Children?" She stepped away from him. "Is this why you got promoted?"
"Partly," he replied, still not meeting her eyes. "The raid took place a few hours after Weatherby's death."
"Well… congratulations, Deputy Prime Minister. You must be very proud of yourself."
"Kitty, I-"
She held up a hand. "Don't. Don't say anything. It was enough. And for your information… I don't want to punch you. I punch people who I think still have a chance to mend their ways. You have long lost yours… I've just been too blind to see it." She turned on her heels and headed for the bedroom's door. "I'm going to prepare my daughter and you can take her to the orphanage. Then you can take me back to London to show me off at parties. Whatever you want, Deputy Prime Minister. Whatever you want, except one thing: from this day on, my bedroom door will be closed to you. You can have as many whores as you want, but me, you won't get ever again." With that she entered the bedroom and shut the door behind her.
Nathaniel stared at the closed door, feeling paralysed. He had expected her to shout at him, to kick him or beat him in any way, but this calm coldness was worse than anything.
o o o O O O o o o
Esther opened the door of the orphanage to see her son holding the baby, looking pale and lost. He reminded her so much of the child she had had to give away – he wore the same scared, haunted expression he had worn when she and her husband had taken him to Whitehall and told him to stay there, be a good little boy and obey the magicians.
"Mother," he breathed, his voice barely a whisper.
"Come in, Son."
As soon as he entered, he pushed the baby into her arms. "Take care of her, Mother."
She gave him a sad smile. "Don't worry, I will."
He nodded, chewing his lower lip. "I… I'll send the orphanage monthly donations. Enough to pay the bills, renovate the house and buy the kids everything they need."
"That's really… generous of you, Deputy Prime Minister," she said, her voice sounding sarcastic.
He decided to pretend he hadn't noticed her sarcasm. "Listen, besides these monthly donations, I can't send you anything else. I can't keep it touch with you, and neither will Kitty. I don't want anyone to start suspecting things…"
"Understandable," she muttered. "You'd be risking your new position."
A lump rose in his throat, but swallowed to make it disappear. "I'm sorry I won't be seeing you for a long time, Mother. But it's the best for all of us. I'll come for her in exactly five years, on my birthday."
"I'll be waiting for you, Son." She nodded.
Tentatively, he stepped closer and gathered her into his arms, careful not to crush the baby. "Good bye, Mother."
"Good bye, Son."
The door closed behind him, and a sob escaped her lips. The baby must have felt her grandmother's sadness, because she started crying too. "Shhh, it's okay, dear," Esther cooed, gently rocking her. "I'm here for you. I'll always be there for you, Martha. Always. And let's hope that your idiot of a father too will be there for you later. Hmm… I think the young lady needs a clean nappy…"
o o o O O O o o o
As she had promised, Kitty went with Nathaniel to parties, wore the diamond-ruby necklace to make the rest of the ladies turn green with envy, and gave forced smiles to everyone who congratulated her on having such a talented, successful husband. But inside, she was dying a bit every day. Anger such as she'd never known before kept churning in her soul, but she suppressed it, bottled it up, not giving it an outlet.
Month after month passed by, and she didn't talk more to her husband than absolutely necessary. She saw that he too was suffering, but she decided to pretend that she hadn't noticed.
He spent as much time away from home as possible, and after a while they barely met outside the parties they were invited to.
'Having problems with John, dear?' Jane Farrar had once asked her at a party held in Ffoukes's house to celebrate his appointment as Minister of Internal Affairs.
'No, why?' Kitty had asked.
'Don't try to fool me, dear,' Jane had said with a sweet smile. 'I have eyes to see. Every time you appear on John's arms, you seem so tense and you always grab the first opportunity to sidle away from him. Admit it, you two aren't getting along these days.'
Kitty had given the other woman a cold smile. 'If you're wondering whether he's free for you to seduce again, then yes, he is. You can shag him whenever you want, wherever you want. I expect he'd be grateful to you, because he's not getting any from me ever again.'
Jane had made a grimace. 'No thanks. I've given up on him a while ago. I don't need a man who loves another. And you too love him, admit it.'
'Would it help if I did?' Kitty had asked, casually sipping her rum punch.
'Yes. The mere knowledge that you two love each other and are still not happy together is somehow… uplifting.' Miss Farrar had given Kitty a nasty smile and left to get herself a drink.
o o o O O O o o o
After a year, Kitty's anger had somewhat subsided, but she held firmly onto her decision of not getting any closer to Nathaniel. She longed for his closeness, longed for his kisses, and suspected that he must have been feeling the same way, but every night she was on the verge of jumping out of her own bed and running into his, she forced herself to think of the two boys who had died aged only fourteen the night she had given birth, and that was enough for her to hold back.
She missed her daughter terribly too, but Nathaniel had forbidden her not only to visit the baby but to send Esther letters as well. 'My ill-wishers might catch the letters,' he had reasoned. 'We can't risk that.'
'I can somehow understand that you don't want me to exchange letters with Esther, but… aren't you interested in your own mother enough to know how she's doing?' Kitty had replied. Seeing his sour expression, she had added: 'Oh, I see. You are, but you don't want to risk your position. Why am I surprised at all? I shouldn't have been so naive to think you'd want to keep in contact with her and hear about her and our child. Minister Mandrake has no time for such petty things as family. He's thinking bigger than that.'
'Kitty, please…'
But she had turned on her heels and left him, and hadn't ever mentioned his mother or their child to him again.
o o o O O O o o o
Year after year went by, and John Mandrake was more and more praised by Deveraux and more and more envied by the rest of the ministers. He was richer than ever, and lonelier than ever. Soon several female magicians noticed that his relationship to his wife had changed for the worse, and quite a few of them tried to win his attention, but he politely declined every indecent proposal.
To take his mind off Kitty and their ruined marriage, he decided to try to seek satisfaction in his work. At the very beginning of their relationship, he had once tried to be a workaholic so as not to think of Kitty. Now he worked twice as much as he had then. He lost several kilos, his face became hollow and his eyes lost their youthful glint. His long hair hid most of his pale face, giving him a more haggard look than ever.
Kitty too seemed to have lost her spark. Besides going to parties with him, she stayed at home and spent her time reading everything in Nathaniel's personal library – everything that he hadn't shut away from her, that is.
One evening she was on her way back to her room from the library when she passed before Nathaniel's door. She heard a female voice coming from inside.
Her heart plummeted. So, he was cheating on her after all. Why, what were you expecting? That he'd remain faithful to you for the rest of his life?
The door to his bedroom opened and he frowned at her. "I heard a thump. What happened?"
"I just… dropped my books." She quickly bent down to retrieve them. "Who were you talking to?"
Nathaniel leaned against the doorframe. "Just my succubus."
"Your… what?"
"Well, you know… succubi are-"
"I know what succubi are!" she snapped. "I hope you were having fun with her."
He made a grimace. "I haven't been shagging her, if that's what you're wondering."
She wrinkled her nose. "I don't even want to know what you made her do, then."
"Why, what were you expecting?" He asked, his voice rising in pitch. "You've denied it to me for almost five years now! I'm a man with certain… needs!"
"Oh, and you think I don't have needs?" she retorted.
His features softened and he made a step towards her. "Come back to me, Kitty."
"If you let them out of the Tower. Or at least the children," she replied darkly.
"You know I can't."
"You could with Jeremy."
"That was different. Everything had been different then. I wasn't Deputy Prime Minister. But now, I'd be risking my position and honour if I let only one of them out."
She gave him a withering look. "So, when the Empire was still in great shit, you were willing to play the good boy. Now that the Empire's again ruling the world and everyone's afraid of it, you no longer need to make concessions." Her eyes were blazing with fury and she held onto her books so tight she was almost crushing them. "America is again yours, the Resistance no longer exists, so you don't need any more PR, eh? Now you can show your true colours! I'm disgusted by you, John. I'll never go back to you. You hear me? Never! The only reason I'm still here is Martha. I've lost you to politics… I don't intend to lose her to anyone or anything."
Nathaniel stared at her for a few seconds, looking guilty. "But you love me. You still love me."
Kitty shook her head. "I loved Nathaniel. You are John Mandrake."
o o o O O O o o o
On the 26th March, Nathaniel was driving towards Fenny Bridges, his heart full of excitement, doubt and hope. He was excited at the prospect of seeing his mother after all these years, he was doubtful about bringing a child into his home (he didn't have the slightest idea how to treat children) and he was hopeful that as soon as he gave Martha back to her mother, Kitty would forgive him. Perhaps not for everything, but for many things. Today could be a new beginning for the two of them; they could start a new life as a family (as an almost-family, that is – the child wasn't supposed to find out they were her parents, after all).
The closer he got to the village, the quicker his heart was beating. What could his daughter look like? – he wondered. Did she look like Kitty, or did she take after him? Was she snappish like her mother or aloof like him? Was she so… childish like the average five-year-old?
Nathaniel shuddered at the thought of a 'childish child'. He didn't think he'd ever been childish. He hadn't been given a chance to be. Surely, in his first five years he must have been behaving like a normal child, but as soon as he got into Arthur Underwood's house, he lost his childhood. His time was taken up with lessons and even in the very little free time he had, he read books to satisfy his thirst for knowledge. But did he have a right to make his daughter's life be like this? Did he have a right to take her childhood from her just as his had been taken from him? What if she didn't want to be a magician at all? What if she loathed him as much as he'd loathed Underwood?
The Ford Fiesta stopped before the orphanage, and Nathaniel hesitated for a few minutes to get out of the car. Kitty wants it, he reminded himself. She will look at me differently if I deliver her the child.
Screwing up his courage, he got out of the car and walked to the door. He saw that the knocker had been replaced by a decent bell, and even the walls seemed to have been repainted. Nathaniel allowed himself a small smile as he rang the bell. His donations had been used well.
"Nathaniel?" His mother opened the door and her eyes widened at his sight. "What… what are you doing here?"
"I've come for Martha," he said. "Did you forget it was my 25th birthday?"
The woman frowned. "Of course not, but…"
"But what?" He knitted his eyebrows. He didn't like the look on her face.
Esther gulped. "The child is no longer here."
"What?"
"I thought you had sent that man for her…"
Nathaniel shook his head. "What man?"
"The man who came for her on the 21st. He said he was taking her to be a magician's apprentice. I thought he was referring to you, so I sent Martha with him."
Nathaniel felt as dizzy all of a sudden as though he'd been slapped hard in the face. "No. I didn't send anyone for her. I couldn't have claimed her on the 21st, as I've only just turned 25."
Esther grabbed the doorframe. She looked as though she was ready to collapse. "Holy heavens… who took my little Martha then?"
o o o O O O o o o
A/N: well, guess who? ;)
Feedback is most welcome :)