The Hockley's- Hearts Betrayed

By HL Griffiths

The Hockley's - Hearts Betrayed

Chapter One

"Crosswinds" Hockley Hone, Philadelphia

In the year 1913 – August

It was a perfectly lovely summers evening in Philadelphia. The grand Hockley manor Crosswinds echoed to the sounds off the musicians playing in the grand ballroom. Happy people were waltzing and enjoying themselves. The Hockley's annual summer cotillion was always a good event. The food good and lots of drink. It was an elite guest list.

Nathan and Sylvie Hockley knew how to entertain and were very gracious. The couple themselves were waltzing gracefully with years of practice round the room attracting attention.

Sylvie striking with her sleek brown hair and well maintained trim figure in a stunning dress of azure blue. Her husband Nathan cut a dashing figure and had dark hair, specked with grey and was tall.

Their son Caledon was waltzing nearby, he was as tall as his father. and shared his resemblance; 31 years old, handsome and virile.

He looked smart in his tuxedo. His dance partner was a young black haired lady with eyes as dark as his own. They were laughing as he spun her round and moved together easily.

The only person not dancing was a fair haired young woman in a soft green dress with her hair up in a bun, tendrils escaping falling round a small heart shaped face. Her blue eyes sad, her posture stiff. Her name Emily Harrington-Smyth Hockley, 21 years old.

She stood watching the dancing and the energy of the excited couples. Society folk mixing and socialising. She watched in particular Caledon Hockley leading the dark haired girl round the floor. Amanda Dewinter was married but was a flirt. She could see Caledon lapping it all up and enjoying it.

He never laughed with her or flirted with her but why would he; he did not love her or ever would. It was a marriage of convenience for him.

Being married to Caledon Hockley was not exactly a picnic. Tears stung her eyes as she was whisked back seven months to the dreadful day when her Father had forced a meeting with the whole Hockley family. Father had discovered her dreadful secret.

She had been with child and he had naturally assumed it was Gerard Hockley's. She had been betrothed to Gerard and it was a love match. He was so fine, caring and gentle.

Even uttering Gerard's name was painful. No-one mentioned him now; it was if he had never been Caledon's brother or her first love, her Fiancé. Nathan Hockley had ordered him to live as a recluse in Virginia.

Father had shouted that Gerard had blackened the name of his daughter by taking advantage of her before the wedding. Gerard had protested his innoencence.

How that memory hurt. Pressed by the ruthless Nathan she had broken down and admitted that Gerard had not used her that way. The baby growing within her was someone elses.

She had tried so many times to write to Gerard to tell him the truth, to ask him to marry her any how and go away with her. She would have lived in mud hut as long as she could have been with him. But she was weak and hadn't.

The ugly truth came out. The man who had abused her in return for her being Gerard's girl was his own Brother. The night of her own Engagement Gala in October 1912 stuck in her head like a thorn.

Caledon using her like rag doll for his own pleasure. It had been over in moments leaving her crying and bleeding and in pain. He had laughed at her and told her she was nothing. How could she have fought him off a small girl like her?

Before Gerards eyes Cal had claimed her as his and told his own family that they had been in secret love and that her child was his. He could carry it off. If he married her he got the Hockley heir, Gerard's fiancée and the family fortune. Win all-round for him.

Not for her, the pawn. The little wife to grace Cals arm. The pain she had caused Gerard, she could till hear his cries of anguish, him screaming her name.

He thought she had played around with Cal, how she could tell him that if had been rape. No one would believe her, small and inconsequential as she was.

A tear slipped down her face. There she was the new Hockley bride. A rushed through Wedding in January, Her father could not believe her actions and was disgusted. Cal was grinning like Cheshire cat and Sylvie had been supportive but sad. She had wanted Gerard to marry her not Cal. Gerard being Sylvie's son.

Nathan had pranced about like a puffed up peacock and then afterwards she had come to live at Crosswinds. Her prison.

She swayed slightly and felt the unbearable apathy settled on her. She could end it so easily.

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Sylvie Hockley across the room watched as Emily stood like a stature, her face gloomy. This marriage with Cal was killing the girl as she sank deeper and deeper into depression. She was not the happy innocent that had frolicked with Gerard and laughed and flitted about like a butterfly.

It was only her; Sylvie Hockley that made it bearable for Emily. She could not understand why the girl Gerard loved was now with Cal. Deep down she suspected Cals motives and knew Cal maybe had acted immorally

Now Gerard had paid the price, living apart from his family, from her. She loved her only son. He was still raw and was becoming gruff and bitter.

She tried to be a friend to Emily but the girl spent long hours locked up in her room crying by all accounts.

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Caledon walked over to his wife, she was standing waif like on the edge of the room, he tutted, she was rapidly irritating him, moping round like a wet blanket.

You would think that the girl would be grateful, he had come forward and done the honourable thing and married her.

"Come on Emily" he said tightly "Smile and dance with me like a good girl"

He reached for her hand, took it firmly and pulled her onto the floor and they danced together stiffly, she followed him obediently.

Caledon felt on a high.

Things were going his way. Father was happy with him and had handed one of the most prestigious mills over to him; he was making lots of money now gracing his bank account,

Going down on Titanic well over a year ago he had through it had cost him everything. His then Fiancée Rose had run off with another man, a third class nobody and he had mourned Rose and his Father had been furious.

But when Emily fell into his lap the gods were smiling on him,

Caledon Hockley was a man who did have everything and knew it.

Even two children in the nursery to prove he was a fine specimen of Hockley manhood.