*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
"What do you mean you can't find Rollins?" asked Amelia's father as they were sitting in their sitting room. "He didn't just disappear," he said.
"Lord, Rollins has not been seen since he told us where Lord Reigns and that Farmer's Daughter were. He ventured off to bring both to you. He should have returned by now," he said. "He is nowhere to be found," he said.
"This is just great," he snuffed. "He was the only one that could bring Lord Reigns back to me and that whore of a woman Della. I wanted her head, I still want her head. Does this mean we cannot find Reigns?"
"Well, a shop owner in town said they had seen Della's younger sister in his shop. He asked if her name was Adelle and she acted as if he spoke a foreign language, they are in Spain somewhere," he said.
"It doesn't mean Adelle is with Della and Reigns," he said. "It only means he saw her little sister. It doesn't mean she has ties to her sister. I need more information than that."
"The shop owner said she was buying medicine, buying certain herbs only herbs that can cure wounds. It is possible that they had a run in with Rollins and someone got hurt in the exchange why else would Adelle go into town, risk being caught if they weren't trying to save a life," explained Amelia's father's messenger and apprentice. "I know Adelle found her sister and Rollins found them. There was a cottage that burned down shortly after Seth would have arrived. Is it possible Seth died in that fire? Could it be possible that Lord Reigns murdered him?"
"Well, if Lord Reigns, Della or Ambrose are injured they aren't getting too far. When did the shop owner see Adelle in his shop?" he asked.
"Yesterday," he answered.
"Interesting, they couldn't have gotten too far in a day. How are they traveling and not being caught?" asked Amelia as she nurses her young daughter.
"Amelia, I don't know," said her father, "I would imagine that they are traveling in the darkness in the woods where they cannot be found. Lord Reigns knows his way around. They couldn't have gotten too far since yesterday morning. Is there any word on where they are heading?"
"We believe to America," said his messenger.
"America," he scoffed. "The land of the traitors," he spoke freely. "They didn't like the way England was being run, they wanted their freedom of religion," he said bitterly, "the land of the misfits they claim to go to America for a better life, freedom or more opportunity. They are going against their king and queen. I wouldn't expect much less from a man that left his wife after their wedding night, to bed a farmer's daughter. I want their heads!" he demanded.
"Father," said Amelia, "Let him be free, let him live his life with Della. He never truly loved me. He married me to make his mother and father happy. Please don't force me to live a life with a man that is unhappy to be wed to me. I knew he loved Della the day we got married. She owned his heart before he was mine. Let him be free, let them be free," she begged. "Alice and I will survive without her father," she said as she looked down at the child she created with Roman. Roman left before she had the chance to tell him that she was increasing or that she was with child. She found out after he left after their one night of passion. He left the day after they wed.
"Lord Reigns and Della will pay for their crimes," said her father. "He made a fool of my daughter and he made a fool of me. He is an adulterer and Della is an adulteress she will pay for her crimes and don't you think Reigns deserves to know that you have his child?"
"Alice and I have made it this far, father. I don't need Roman. I will marry again."
"You're a ruined woman Amelia, no respectable man will want to marry you after you share a child with another man and another man has taken you to his bed."
"And Roman is a respectable man? He left me in this marriage," she said. "He took another woman to his bed. And you find that to be a respectable man?" she asked. "That's a foolish statement father. Let him be free. I don't need and I don't want him in my life. Alice and I far better off without him. Let him live his life with Della. I'm aware they share a child too. He is worthless, not worthy of a marriage with me and not worthy of being a father. Let him go, Father," she begged. "He chose to be with the help allow him to be with the help. He was never truly mine."
"They will BOTH pay for their crimes," he said loud and clear. "I will have Della's head you believe they are going to America, we will stop them before they board their ship."
"And if you don't, Father?" challenged Amelia, "are you going to travel to America to bring them back to England to punish them for their crimes?"
"No," he said, "they will be safe in America," he said with defeat, "and that's why I want everyone at the dock before they are able to board their ship to America. They will not go across that sea if I can help it!"
As order by The Crown the soldiers and men were sent out to stop Roman, Della, Adelle and Dean from leaving Spain to travel to America. They set off to Spain as Roman, Della, Adelle and Dean neared the dock to flee to America where they could discover true freedom and live their lives the way they wished, where Della would be safe from her crimes against The Crown and so that Leah as well as Samuel could grow up without the pressures of society around them to follow the rules of their social standing. Of course Roman knew that social class was still important in America but it was nothing like the social standing in England. Leah was an heiress to his family's empire, to their estates and she was the daughter of a Lord. She was already more socially acceptable than her mother but in the eyes of The Crown she was his mistress' daughter and his bastard child The Crown would strip her social standings from her. He had seen it many times, she would be taunted, tortured and shunned because of her father's actions as well as her mother's. He had seen it with his own brother, the bastard he was labelled, he called his own brother a bastard. He would never allow or could never allow his sins or Della's sins to be taken out on their child and future children.
"How are you feeling, Baby Girl?" Roman asked Della as they traveled by carriage in the darkness to their destination they were so close but so was The Crown and they had no idea.
"I'm just ready to go to America, I've been ready," she said as she held a sleeping Leah in her arms. "Do you think it's going to be everything we dream of?"
"Everything and more," he said with a smile. "Leah is so beautiful. I wish my mother could see her or I wish that my mother could make it to America with us but I understand her place is in England."
"I wish the same," she said with a soft smile. "Leah looks like her father," she smiled. "And she's breathtakingly beautiful like you are."
"I think she gets some features from her beautiful mother," he smiled back.
"Why, Roman?" she asked.
"Why what?" he asked with confusion, "why are you beautiful?"
"No, why would you give up everything in England, why would you give up your status, your life for me? You had gold and coin. You had luxury. You had a wife why would you give it all up for the Farmer's Daughter, for the help?"
"Because I wasn't happy with the life they wanted me to live, Della. I will admit I was a savage of a man, prowling on girls, bedding women. The day I met you something was different. You weren't and aren't like other women I have met. You have a beauty unlike no other. NO one could be as beautiful as you are. You understand me better than most people and I understand you. Life isn't about having a crown or being a Lord. It's not fun to be forced into a marriage because of your social standing or because you want to bring two regions or countries together. I never loved Amelia, I never could love her, not the way I love you, Della. You were it for me and I wasn't going to let society tell me who I could make my wife and who I couldn't. Marrying Amelia was a mistake. I should have never done it but I did and it was the biggest mistake of my life. Amelia was not and is not the woman for me you are, Della. You're the woman for me. You always have been. I love you so much. I don't need a title, I don't need a crown. I don't need a country. I need you and your heart. I need my life with you, waking up to you every day. I love the life we have because for once in my life I am happy. I have never been this happy, Della. I love our daughter, I love holding her, when she wraps her hand around my finger. I love her cries, I love everything about her. She makes me happy. This life we are envisioning makes me happy. Happiness is with you and Leah, happiness is not being a Lord with money. I gave it up to be happy to be with you, to have this life with you to raise our daughter together. I have done a lot of things wrong in my life, Della but loving you and creating Leah was the best thing I could have done. I wish for more children with you. I wish to make you happy every day of your life. Are you not happy with me?"
"I am happy with you. I just never understood how you could give up luxury for someone like me. I mean I am a Farmer's Daughter. I have nothing to offer you."
"That's untrue," he said wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he kissed her temple. "You have everything to offer me," he smiled as she smiled. "You offered me your heart, your innocence, your love and your life. You offered me a beautiful daughter and a beautiful life together," he said, "you had more than materialism to offer me. You had everything that matters to me to offer me. I love you, Della and I will love you until the day I die."
"I love you too, Roman," she smiled. "I will love you for eternity. Where are we going in America?" she asked.
"Wherever the boat takes us, there is plenty of land to be free and enjoy life. We're going to have a beautiful farm with a lot of animals, we're going to sell milk, cotton whatever you wish and we're going to have a lot of children but above all we are going to be happy and in love. We're going to give Leah the best life she deserves in a place we can be free. We can worship how we wish and live how we wish without fear of punishment. I never want to go back to England."
"Neither do I," she said with a smile. "I wish my parents could go or that we could have saved them too. I can't believe they are gone."
"Seth is a ruthless bastard," he said.
"You believe it was Seth?"
"I believe Seth was working for The Crown and I believe he took revenge on your family because he couldn't get to you but we never have to worry about Seth again. We're free from him. I'm sorry about your family though, Della."
"Me too," she said with tears burning her eyes. "My Papa and Mama they were great people. They worked for a lot of people and they were the best parents ever. Other than them allowing Seth to take Adelle for his wife and sending me off with him, they couldn't help that though," She said. "They didn't have a choice I was payment for them. Seth saved my mama's life. It was all my parents could pay him with. If I hadn't left my parents would be alive."
"But you may not have been, Della. I'm sorry about what happened to your parents and your family. Seth is vindictive, The Crown is evil," he explained, "You could have been dead if you stayed with Rollins longer he would have killed you like he killed his first wife. He was sick and twisted. Look at everything he put you through, would you want to go through that the rest of your life?"
"No," she said, "but if it meant my brothers, sisters and my parents could live than yes. I would give my life for them."
"Della," he said comforting her. "If you gave up your life I would be lost without you. I would have no purpose in life, no reason to live. You give me a purpose you give my life reason. Before you nothing ever made sense but after I met you and fell in love with you EVERYTHING made sense. I can't live without you."
"Roman and what happens if I get caught you're going to need to live without me. If something happens to me, Roman you're going to need to keep Leah safe, raise her and be happy. Move on with your life, find a woman that can love you both," she said, "give her the best life she deserves but don't let her forget me."
"Della, stop talking like that," he said. "You're not going to get caught. You're going to be okay," he said as their carriage came to a stop. "You're going to be all right, we're going to be all right," he smiled. "I promise."
Della could hear the sound of the water at the dock and smiled as she and Roman stepped out of their carriage. Roman helped Della and Leah onto the ship before he helped Adelle onto the ship followed by Dean. He was doing better than when they left their cottage. Roman had hopes that Dean would make it to America and make a full recovery. He needed to so that he could be in Samuel's life, be in Adelle's life and Roman couldn't lose his best friend. "We're almost there," said Roman with a smile as he made sure Della was comfortable. "As soon as I load the ship we will be on our way."
"I am feeling some relief," she said with a smile as Leah woke up in her cradle. She smiled at Della and she smiled back. "I'm sure it will be hard to get used to staying awake in the sunlight and not sleeping during the sunlight. Leah is confused."
"We have a while before we reach America to make that happen," he said with a smile. "I'm going to load the ship and we will be on our way."
"Okay," she smiled before she stopped him. "I love you."
"I love you too," he said before they shared a soft passionate kiss with one another. "We're almost free," he promised her. "We need to hurry," he said.
"Okay," she said with a smile as she let him go to load the ship.
Roman loaded the ship as quickly as he could. They couldn't take much with them so when they would arrive in America they would need to purchase new things. They had only brought the essentials such as food, blankets, Leah's cradle, clothing but everything else was left behind in their cottage. Roman managed to get everything on the ship and told the Captain he was ready to go. Leah had fallen back asleep. Della overlooked the ocean that separated them from America. Roman came up behind her as they were untying the ship to begin the voyage. "It's beautiful isn't it?" he asked wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Very beautiful," she smiled. "So this is it? We're free?"
"We're free," he said as he kissed her lips softly as the ship took off in the night as the moon lit up the ocean. "To America!"
"To America," she repeated before they shared another kiss just as The Crown arrived at the dock. They were too late. Roman, Adelle, Della and Dean were too far from the dock and on their way to America.
"Damn it!" shouted Amelia's father. "We lost them!" He kicked the dirt at his feet in anger. "Damn it!" he shouted again. "His mother will pay for this!" he shouted. "To the residence of Leah Reigns," he shouted. "Someone will pay for these crimes," he commanded. "Let's go!" and they took off in the night to find Roman's mother.
*A/N: What did you think of Amelia's father? Why do you think Amelia is so willing to let Roman go? Were you surprised to find out Roman has a daughter with Amelia? What did you think of Roman's reason for giving up everything to be with Della? Do you think they can go on to be happy? What do you think of Amelia's father choosing to go after Roman's mother? What did you think of this chapter? Please review and thank-you for reading.