The Hockley's- Hearts Betrayed

By HL Griffiths

The Hockley's - Hearts Betrayed

Prologue Two

"Crosswinds" - The Hockley Family Home, Philadelphia

In the Year 1882

The new born shrill baby's cries filled the air as the midwife wrapped him in a blanket and wiped his red yelling contorted face.

"This one is a lusty little boy Madam" the midwife addressed the woman lying in the bloodstained bed.

The woman lay back on the bed didn't hear, her pallor sickly, her hair lying in damp rattails round her thin face. She was slender and looked remarkably like a child herself.

The midwife threw looks of pity at the young girl who had just given birth to this squalling large baby boy who had taken so much out of her. The demanding husband pacing outside waiting for "his boy" not once asking how his fragile young wife was.

"Madam" she queried in a louder voice.

The girl opened great big sunken grey eyes. Lifeless eyes. No expression of joy at her new son. Eyes so old in her young pale face.

Demelza Hockley did not care whether she lived or died. Nathan only wanted to hear the great proclamation that the son and heir was here and alive and well.

What did he care for her? If she had a caring loving husband living in a great fancy house like "Crosswinds" would be a joy as would be her fine clothes and jewels. Love would have been wonderful. But the riches without love were unbearable. Living in this beautiful house with Nathan was a prison and Nathan her jailor.

The midwife brought the screaming baby to her. His cries deafening. How had she such a small girl given birth to this great big male child? It has been excruciating and agonising. It was only the experienced midwife that had saved her and the child!

The pregnancy alone demanding on her immature 17 year old body, her spirit and strength drained by the growing child.

How she missed her mother and sister, how she hoped that her little sister would never marry a man like Nathan Hockley. Dearest little Hope!

From that first terrible wedding night, he had claimed her as his. Mrs Hockley the chattel. He'd hurt her, terribly. Martha-Anne did not tell what horrors marriage brought, being married to Nathan alone was horror enough without the nights of cruelty and ravishment inflicted on her.

Demelza dragged her thoughts back to the baby in her arms. Well maybe Nathan would be pleased now, sweat and blood to produce the first Hockley heir!

She looked down on the baby now suckling like mad and gingerly placed her finger in his mouth and he suckled hard. She gasped.

Her eyes looked for some trace of herself in the baby's tiny features. He was darker skin toned like Nathan and his eyes showed promise of being brown and dark like Nathan and he had dark fuzz on his baby head. And he was sturdy!

Disappointment flooded her. This child was a Hockley through and through. She closed her eyes in sadness. But he was still a part of her; maybe she could make this little boy not an echo of Nathan. Not a Hockley clone, maybe he would like to draw!! Her heart quickened and fluttering of love for the tiny being in her arms stirred.

The door to her chamber opened and Nathan Hockley strode in, a smile on his normally dour face. Oh he was handsome, sleek dark hair, tall and proud, flashing dark eyes, a firm mouth. The personality was strong too to match his saturnine looks.

"A boy!!" he was yelling, way too loud for Demelzas ears. She felt like a battered punch bag.

The midwife took the baby off her and handed him to Nathan and Demelza slid back in the sheets in exhaustion.

"Well done Demelza" he barked "A boy, the heir, you did something right, he's a fine boy"

"Just need some more to join him in the nursery" he finished in a cutting tone insinuating that he was looking forward to making more children.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the girl-woman lying on the bed looking like a wringed out dishrag. Such a disappointment, shallow and lily-livered, not spirit there at all not like some of his women friends, he liked his certain woman to have fire and spunk. His wife had none.

Demelza eyes glazed over with unshed tears. Why was she living in a gilded prison? She longed to speak to Hope, now 14 and her mother but Nathan had forbidden it as he did not want her mixing with silly vapid women putting fanciful ideas in her head making her more woolly brained and arty-fied than she already was. He had forbid her to draw silly bits of nonsense on paper time wasting and to concentrate on being a decent society wife.

Nathan liked to make money and the steel mills were prospering under his iron grip.

Nathan gazed at his sleeping son. "Caledon" he announced to his prostrate wife

"His name will be Caledon after my Father. a good manly Hockley name"

Demelza nodded mutely. Nathan handed the baby back to the midwife who took the baby away to the nursery.

She did not even have a say in his name, her sweet baby.

Once the Midwife had left with baby Caledon, Nathan walked over to the bed and talked to his wife as if she was a child

"I have appointed a Nanny for Caledon" he said "A Mrs Frobisher, she has strict instructions on what can and can't be done with my son"

Demelza protested weakly "But Nathan I want to help look after him myself"

"NO" Nathan's voice was harsh and sharp. Demelza recoiled.

"I won't have you pampering my son and making him a namby pamby; he is a Hockley and will be brought up as such. I will draw up a visiting rota for you to see him... Mrs Frobisher is excellent and efficient"

Tears ran down Demelza cheeks she said nothing, no match for Nathan.

Excellent and efficient, this was a tiny helpless baby that needed love, his mothers love and here was Nathan denying her that.

At least her father had allowed their mother to bring her and Hope up.

She had nothing, nothing! she turned her head to the pillow and wept.

"You disgust me, so weak and spineless" Nathan spat at her and strode out the room.

The midwife came back and stared in horror as Demelza writhed with choking sobs.

"It's alright my dear" The midwife soothed "Baby is fine; we'll sort you out now"

Demelza was lost in her own sorrow and cried to hold her child in her empty arms but what Nathan wanted he got.

"My baby" the Midwife could hear Mrs Hockley sobbing over and over "What chance does he have; poor baby, I love him so. Mama! Hope!, I miss you"