Will You Teach Me…?
Hi there! Once again, the Fanfiction-net Website has failed us! I know that you did not receive the previous chapter's email alert. If by some miracle the Website is working again today and you missed chapter 20 (updated on November 27th), don't forget to read it now and let me remind you that I always announce the date of the next update in my endnotes. And if you are as fed up with FFnet as I am, know that I also publish this story on AO3. At least, the email alerts work there…
Thank you Angelina Gaye, FanFiction015 and LykkeF for the reviews as well as 930lexi and frau mars for hitting the follow/fav button!
Angelina Gaye: thank you so much! Well you can now add January 8th to your calendar! Ahah I hope you'll enjoy this cute and funny little chapter!
FanFiction015: ummm no, in this story, Stephen will never know about the stones and Brianna's secret… As for the family reunion with the Frasers…. WELL, it might be happening…. Now. Hahahahah Enjoy this chapter!
LykkeF: well, I don't know what kind of event you expected, but Stephen will definitely not make any money out of it ahahah. But he's once again going the extra mile to be a good husband. * sigh * Poor baby. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
oOo
21. Birthday Boys
April 1774.
A month had passed since the battle that had claimed the lives of Murtagh Fitzgibbons and many of his followers, cutting the head off of the Regulators' vendetta against Governor Tryon. During that time, Brianna had spent days brooding over how she could have warned the Regulators earlier. Stephen, for one, had been nothing but gentle towards her – bringing her tea out of the blue, showering her with gifts, whispering sweet nothings in her ear on an hourly basis, or even taking her for walks around the estate or in Cross Creek with Jeremiah.
One day at a time, Bree had mourned and made peace with herself. She knew it: she and Stephen had done everything they could to prevent this tragedy and they had failed, just as her mother and Jamie had tried to prevent the Culloden massacre but to no avail. She was not responsible; it was meant to be, and blaming herself forever did not make any sense.
"Blue! Come here!", Jeremiah squealed, startling his mother. Blinking, Brianna snapped back to reality and saw the small shepherd trotting towards them, as the colony of pigeons he had just disturbed landed a little further on Cross Creek's main square. "Don't eat pigeons!", the child added, waving a threatening finger at the yapping dog.
"Are you all right?"
Stephen's soft, worried voice made her turn and she nodded, smiling reassuringly. He had gotten used to seeing her silently rehashing dark thoughts and even if these moments grew rare, he always asked her how she was doing.
"Let me get you somethin'... a piece of jewelry maybe?", he suggested, pointing at the jeweler's storefront a few yards away.
Brianna rolled her eyes. "Stephen, I have more jewelry than occasions to wear them…"
"Who said you needed occasions? Don't queens wear their jewels every blessed day?"
"God, I hope not...", she laughed before looking through the store windows. The jeweler sat on the other side, bending over his work and surrounded by a few other creations, and Brianna watched his careful gestures, his focused gaze and slender fingers shaping the stones with convoluted tools. Frowning, she noticed one of the finished objects on one side of the table. A pocket watch surely designed by a watchmaker but whose back had just been engraved with a deer's head and its majestic antlers. An ornament that immediately reminded her of the Fraser clan. And Jamie, whose fifty-third birthday was coming up and that she would miss, just as she had missed her mother's last fall. Or maybe I won't… She would never have asked in October, when she was still a prisoner and the toxicity of her relationship with Stephen was peaking, but things had changed now. Maybe enough to allow her to see her parents, or so she hoped.
"See somethin' you like?", Stephen asked.
"Yes… well, not for me…" She took a deep breath and started. "This watch… it reminds me of Clan Fraser... and it's my dad's birthday in a few weeks..."
"We can buy it and send it to him", Stephen offered with a broad smile.
"Actually… I was thinking…" She pursed her lips, using the same trick she had been using for the last few months: wish for something out loud, pretend he could not give it to her, and watch him do anything he could to satisfy her. "No, forget it, you'll never agree to it…"
"Brianna, darlin'…", the Irishman growled, rolling his eyes. "If I don't know what you want, it will indeed be difficult for me to get it..."
The young woman suppressed a smile. "I would like… my parents to visit us in River Run. For Jamie's birthday on May 1st and Jeremiah's on May 4th", she said in one go.
Stephen froze and his eyes darkened immediately, so much so that Bree thought the battle was already lost. However, she had a trump card that she had neglected until then and which manifested itself by howling happily.
"Grandma and Grandpa are coming?", Jeremiah exclaimed, his eyes widening.
"Ummm…", Stephen began, looking like he was about to refuse, but Jeremiah already thought his decision was made.
"Grandma and Grandpa! Grandma and Grandpa!", the child chanted under Brianna's sarcastic gaze.
"I'm sorry", she cringed even if she didn't mean it at all, "I think he got it wrong... I'll try to explain to him that they're not coming..."
Jeremiah's screams immediately stopped and he turned toward Stephen, with pleading eyes. Brianna could almost hear her husband swear internally and had to bite her cheeks not to giggle.
"No, no, it's fine, they can come", Stephen grumbled, as Jeremiah roared again, leading Blue into a grotesque boy-and-dog dance in the middle of the street. "Four days, not one more", he added to Brianna, who nodded and threw her arms around his neck as a thank you. Stephen's hands slid around her waist, and she knew from the pressure of his fingers that he did not regret giving his consent if only to enjoy her gratitude for a few seconds.
Brianna pulled away from him and looked at the watch again. "May I… ?", she smirked, and he handed her his purse, still grumbling. "Thank you!"
And with her heart filled with joy and excitement, Brianna pushed the door of the store open.
~o~
On the afternoon of May 1st – almost three weeks after buying the watch – a two-horse cart drove through the gates of the estate. Standing on the porch, with Jeremiah hopping up and down impatiently and Blue wiggling his tail at her feet, Brianna felt her heart explode in her chest as she saw the three figures of Ian, Claire and Jamie in the front of the carriage. Eight and a half months had passed since she had last seen her family and she barely realized that she would soon be able to hug them.
With a nervous hand, she smoothed the folds of her white summer dress, whose flowery patterns matched the fiery red of her hair. Added to this was a delicate set made of rubies, silver and diamonds that Stephen had specifically bought for the occasion. He wanted her to be perfect. Pampered and spoiled.
"You're happy, aren't you?", he whispered in her ear, as the carriage got closer. "You and Jeremiah… you do like it here, aye?"
Brianna gave him a questioning look. She globally understood where he was going with this and smiled encouragingly. "Yes, of course…"
"Make sure they know it, then."
It was an order. She stared at him for a moment; he seemed tense, anxious even, and she could not really blame him. This whole sham he had set up, the web he had woven around her, everything could be ruined in an instant if things got a little too stormy with the Frasers. But she had no intention to provoke him or to let her family ruin everything she had managed to get from Stephen so far. The only thing that mattered was giving Jamie the watch and somehow telling him to disassemble it. Earlier this week, she had opened the case to insert a message, a few words scribbled on a tiny piece of paper about the misappropriation of taxes. She, therefore, had no interest in screwing things up and had promised herself to get into her role and carry it out to perfection.
Ian was the first to jump out of the cart, giving a bemused look to all the people lined up on the porch. Stephen, Brianna and Jeremiah on one side, but also Hennessy and Phaedre, as well as two footmen, were there to welcome them. Brianna could not help but smile when Hennessy wrinkled his nose at the young boy, with his Mohawk hairstyle and facial paint. Then it was Jamie and Claire's turn to set foot on the land, and Jeremiah could not hold back any longer. With a delighted squeal, he ran to the cart and threw himself into Jamie's legs.
"Happy birthday, grandpa!", the boy exclaimed as Jamie picked him up from the ground and hugged him tightly.
"Oh, mo bheag, we missed ye sae much", the Scotsman growled as Claire took Jem in her arms to shower him with kisses.
"Hello, cousin…", Ian said with a huge smile, completely ignoring Stephen. "Ye didnae tell me tae put on my best bib and tucker, or I would have worn somethin' else..."
"Do you have something else?", she taunted as she walked down the steps to greet him.
Ian chuckled. "What d'ye think?" He hugged her tight and Brianna felt her eyes sting. It would be a miracle if she could hug everyone without bursting into tears. "Marsali and Fergus send their regards. They would have loved tae come but Marsali's already as roond as a barrel…"
Brianna laughed and walked over to her parents. Jamie's eyes immediately dived into hers, silently asking a thousand questions about her well-being, her safety, her health – mental and physical.
"Da'…", she said, on the verge of tears.
"Mo leannan…", he whispered before hugging her tightly. The strength of his arms, his smell, and the feel of his hard jaw against her skull, all came back to her and she had to fight against the urge to cry. Which became even more difficult when Claire's arms joined Jamie's, sandwiching her between her parents. They had been standing like that for about ten seconds when Stephen's voice rose from the porch.
"Welcome to River Run, Mr. and Mrs. Fraser… and Mr. Murray", said Stephen, who had learned his lessons over the past few days. Ian did not answer and Brianna heard her father growl against her ear. She had to dot the i's and cross the t's without delay, and Brianna pulled away from her parents with a broad smile.
"Stephen and I are delighted to welcome you here. Two rooms have been prepared for you, as well as some nice hot baths so that you can clean up a bit before dinner… I know you came a long way!"
As in a bad comedy, Brianna saw her parents slowly turn their heads to exchange a puzzled look. Had they expected to find her chained up in a cage? Or emaciated, covered in bruises and bumps? Stephen had – alas? – never raised a hand on her, or did anything indicating they had not married for love. And even if he had been violent to her, it would not have helped much in this century when women had no rights over their husbands. Still, they seemed surprised to see her so radiant, perhaps even more radiant than when she lived with Roger in the mountains.
"Where is Rollo?", she asked to fill the awkward silence and Ian replied immediately, as if he had understood before everyone else what she was trying to do.
"I left him at home…", he said kneeling down near Jeremiah and his dog, "…and I'm glad I did! This ferocioos hoond of yers would have eaten him up alive! Look how scary he is!"
Realizing that he was the subject of the discussion, Blue barked happily and rubbed his nose against Ian's outstretched hand.
"It's not true!", Jeremiah laughed. "He's too small!"
Ian nodded. "Aye, ye're probably reit... But Rollo would still be terrified!"
Two meters away, Jamie was slowly climbing the front steps, towering over Bonnet while Claire stayed close to Brianna, refusing to let go of her hand. When her father was on the last step, Stephen realized the Scot was about four inches taller than him, but he did not move to try to look more impressive. His green eyes were as cold as ice, but his polite smile did not falter and he outstretched an insolent hand towards his guest – daring him to refuse it or to be rude under what was now his roof.
Jamie did not move for a long – very long – time, so much so that Hennessy wrinkled his nose again and Phaedre raised two worried eyebrows. Jamie took it as a plea, an injunction to comply and greet the pirate if he did not want things to get ugly. Clenching his jaw, he raised his hand in turn and shook Bonnet's. Memories of his sweet smile and voice as he begged them to help dig Hayes's grave, more than four years ago, came back to him, and for the millionth time Jamie regretted not handing this Irish scumbag over to the English when he had the chance. Many tragedies would have been avoided.
To lighten the mood, Brianna let go of her mother's hand and climbed back onto the porch to slip her arm around Stephen's. "Phaedre will take you to your rooms, I'm sure you'd like to clean up a bit…"
Phaedre bowed briefly and smiled, motioning for them to follow her. The small group entered the entrance hall and as soon as her parents and Ian were down the stairwell, Bree turned to Stephen – who was as tight as a drum. With utmost gentleness, she cupped his face in her hands and smiled.
"Everything will be fine…", she whispered before placing a kiss on his lips. Nothing was to prevent her from giving her father the watch. Nothing. And Stephen must not suspect anything either.
When she stepped back again, she saw that Claire had one foot on the first step of the stairs and was staring at her incredulously. Almost in horror. Yeah, I know… I'm pretty convincing, aren't I?, she thought before smiling at her and blushing like a young bride who just got caught in a tender moment with her husband. She will get it… She will understand that I am just pretending.
An hour and a half later, when the Frasers came downstairs for dinner, all clean and changed, the three Bonnets were already waiting for them in the dining room. On the sofa, Brianna was watching Stephen and Jeremiah play with his spinning top. Stephen was winding the string around the toy when the child saw his grandparents, and immediately got up to run toward them.
"Grandpa! Do you know how to play?", Jeremiah asked, raising his spinning top at arm's length to show it to him.
Jamie frowned and put his small round glasses on his nose. "I'm afraid I've never seen such an object before, mo bheag..."
"Well, you have to wind the string around like this…"
"Have you been able to get some rest before dinner, Mrs. Fraser?", Stephen asked politely, pulling out a chair for her. Claire sat down like a robot and answered as Stephen pulled out another chair for Brianna, planting a kiss on the top of the redhead's head as he did.
"Yes, this bath did us a lot of good… I guess we should thank you for this."
Brianna briefly glanced at her mother. This was her favorite way of telling someone that she could thank him… but just didn't want to. Stephen still seemed satisfied and sat down at the table, before turning to Jeremiah.
"Jemmy, a couple more spins, and then you come and sit down to eat", he said with a nervous smile. The child answered "yes, daddy" before returning to his toy. "I hope you're hungry", Stephen added to Claire, "I'm afraid our cook, Mr. Fitzpatrick, put down a great spread for us tonight."
Brianna took a deep but discreet breath and tried to calm herself down. While Stephen had made progress in socializing and small talk, she doubted Jamie's or Claire's ability to do the same. Especially with the man they considered a sworn enemy. But luckily, she seemed to be able to count on Ian's support; The young man was sitting right next to her, and his smile was almost as fake as the Irishman's.
"Guid! I'm sae hungry that I could eat a whole buffalo!", he said, winking at Brianna.
The young woman chuckled and unfolded her towel on her lap. "No buffalo here, this is a distinguished house…"
Lloyd appeared, holding a large tray that he handed to Hennessy. The butler immediately started to serve small slices of meat on Claire and Brianna's plates, before covering them with dark red sauce.
"Veal liver with apples and Port wine sauce", he announced before Claire could even ask. Brianna saw Stephen glance at his mother-in-law, searching her eyes for anything that would tell him this first course was not genteel enough for a birthday. But Claire did not express any disgust, and he suppressed a cocky smirk. As Hennessy coated Ian's plate with sauce, Jamie helped Jeremiah sit into his chair as Phaedre brought him a small plate containing a slice of apple and a tiny piece of liver without sauce. Jeremiah thanked her with a greedy smile; He loved to eat "like grown-ups" and even if he did not like some dishes, he always made a point of tasting and swallowing at least half of his serving.
"Well, Mr. Bonnit…", Jamie began stiffly, settling down in front of his plate. "I was told ye got rid of some of our lands tae local fairmers these lest few months… I hope that ye didnae sell them off cheaply?"
Oh shit, here we go…, Brianna thought as Hennessy served the wine. When he came up to her, she whispered in his ear: "Mr. Hennessy, would you make sure to refill my father's and Stephen's glasses as little as possible?"
Hennessy gave her a knowing glance. "Of course, Madam."
"I may be a man of the sea, Mr. Fraser, but I know the value of land, and this land is far too vast and rich to only produce cotton. Moreover… Unlike the previous owners, Brianna and I have decided to promote local farmers by consumin' their products. This way, everyone gets somethin' out of it…"
Jamie stuffed some liver and apple in his mouth without a word and Brianna decided to intervene and save the day. "And there is not a single slave left in River Run, since the local farmer cultivate the lands themselves", she said with a smile.
"Indeed." Stephen seemed pleased that she brought up the subject and reached out to his side to briefly caress his wife's hand. "Mr. Innes and Mrs. Cameron left with their slaves. And if they hadn't, I would have transported them to Nassau, where they would be free. The Republic of Pirates is now ancient history but their modern and fair ideas still live on."
Claire raised an eyebrow. She was certainly pleased to hear that there were no more slaves in River Run, but could not resist the urge to take swipes at her son-in-law. "I forgot that you pirates had a different opinion on slavery."
"An opinion we share, Mama", Brianna reminded her with a nervous smile.
"What about the Indian tribes, Mr. Bonnit? Are ye plannin' tae moove them tae Nassau as well?", Ian asked, wolfing down his food. There was no aggressiveness or sarcasm in his voice, but Brianna still gave him a warning look. Ian ignored it, though, as he was too busy analyzing his host's reaction.
Stephen chewed and swallowed slowly, and Bree knew he was using this time to think about an adequate answer. "I, unfortunately, met very few Indians durin' me years at sea, Mr. Murray. But I mean them no harm, as long as they return the favor…" Stephen then stared at the young man and grabbed his glass of wine. "Do you know them well?"
"I've spent too years with the Mohawks… And it was quite enlightenin'… especially when it comes tae what is happenin' in the Colonies, but also under Laird Tryon's orders."
A deathly silence fell in the room and Brianna took a long sip of wine. "Come on, enough about politics", she said lamely. "We haven't seen each other since last summer. How are you doing? Have you finished extending the house?"
Claire seemed delighted to move on to a lighter topic and jumped at the chance, knowing full well that the conversation would exclude Bonnet de facto since he knew neither the places they were talking about nor the inhabitants. The veal liver was followed by beef tenderloin and mixed vegetables, turbot with Hollandaise sauce, Italian cheeses, and two desserts: raspberry cream (Jeremiah's favorite) and lemon pudding.
The mood had substantially lightened and Jamie started to relax, as long as he did not look at the man who sat at the other end of the table and watched them interact as a family in complete silence. While they were having dessert and laughing about Germain's first mischiefs at the Ridge, Brianna turned to Jeremiah. "Would you please go get grandpa's gifts?", she asked, whispering loud enough for everyone to hear.
Jemmy jumped out of his chair and ran to a chest of drawers, opening one of the doors within his reach to pull out a box and a folded piece of paper. He then returned immediately to the table, giving everything to Jamie.
"Happy birthday, grandpa!", the child said with a beaming smile. "The box is from Mama and this is from me."
Jamie started by unfolding the paper and discovered a rough drawing of stick figures, a dog that looked like a spider and a rectangular house with a river next to it.
"It's us!", Jeremiah explained, putting his finger on the paper. "Daddy, Mommy, Blue, me, grandpa, grandma, Ian and Phaed'. And the house!"
"It is wonderful, mo bheag. Almost as wonderful as yer mother's drawings. We'll frame it on the wall at Fraser's Ridge. It'll look greit above the fireplace... What d'ye think, Sassenach?", Jamie said, handing her the drawing.
"Hey, the portrait I made of you two is above that fireplace!", Brianna protested with a chuckle.
"Well, I'm sorry, Bree. But this artwork is much better…", Claire joked, turning the drawing over to show it to her, while Jeremiah beamed with pride.
"I'm almost scared tae open yer present now, mo leannan. I'll inevitably be disappointed after such perfection…", Jamie added.
Bree squinted, curling her upper lip like a child. "Gn-gn-gn."
Now she was with them, she realized how much she had missed her parents and the silly family banter. Four days… She only had four days with them, and she did not intend to waste a single minute of it. Jamie opened the box and came face to face with the pocket watch, taking it in his hand.
"Turn it over", Bree said enthusiastically, and he complied, his expression immediately softening at the sight.
"A stag…", he whispered with a smile.
Brianna nodded. "Je suis prest."
"It's a bonnie gift, mo leannan, and I shall treasure it."
The young woman nodded, both moved and thinking intently to find a way to make him understand that he had to crack it open later, but a long yawn interrupted them. Jeremiah was rubbing his eyes with his tiny fists.
"I think it's time for the artist to go to bed…", Claire said, looking at him.
Brianna turned to her son. "Jeremiah, do you want grandma to tuck you up like she used to?"
The child had a sudden burst of energy and nodded briskly, running over to Claire to be carried upstairs. Jeremiah's room looked completely different from what it was when Brianna used to sleep there. Books and toys filled every trunk and shelf. The pedestal table where her daughter liked to draw had been replaced by a small child's desk covered with scribbled pages, on which Jeremiah had tried to write some capital letters as well as his own name. As she walked around the room, Jeremiah went to a porcelain basin to undress and clean up a bit with a soaked cloth and soap – oblivious to his grandmother's gaze, who scanned every inch of skin for a bruise, hematoma, or scar that would suggest any kind of abuse. But she couldn't find any.
Once in his nightgown, Jeremiah climbed into his bed and slipped under the covers with a smile on his face. It had been so long since he had been tucked up by anyone other than Mommy, Daddy or Phaedre... Claire sat down on the bed next to him and smoothed the covers around his small frame.
"Are you happy here, Jeremiah…?", she asked in a reassuring voice. If Brianna was old enough to put on a perfect act, a four-year-old would be easy to figure out. But unexpectedly, Jeremiah nodded. "I can see you have a nice room and lots of toys…"
"Daddy brings me surprises. He got me Blue too", he said, pointing at the dog sleeping peacefully on his mat near the bed. "We do lot of things together. We walk with Blue, we play... Sometimes, we go to Wimigton or New Be'n, but it's boring..."
"And do you think Mama is happy too?"
This time, Jeremiah paused to think. "Yes… Except when she was sick…"
"Sick?", Claire repeated, tilting her head to the side.
Jeremiah nodded. "She said sick but I know something sad happened. She cried a lot."
"When was that?"
"Before and after Christmas. But Daddy cuddled her a lot and she got better…", he whispered, as if sharing an official secret. Claire smiled – vowing to find out what had happened before Christmas – then stroked Jemmy's head.
"Your grandpa and I are very happy to see you…", she said to change the subject. "Germain, Uncle Fergus, and Aunt Marsali also miss you very much… and Roger too."
"Who?", Jeremiah frowned.
"Your daddy from Fraser's Ridge?"
Jeremiah yawned before answering without much enthusiasm. "He was not my daddy…"
"Still, do you miss him?", Claire insisted with a raised eyebrow, but Jeremiah just shrugged. "All right… Enough with the questions. Have a good night's rest… We'll still be here tomorrow", she finished, stroking his blond hair one last time.
"Good night, Grandma…"
Claire tiptoed out of the room and closed the door behind her before walking back to the first floor, more confused than she had imagined. Nothing in the child's words suggested that he or Brianna were being held against their will. Worse: Jeremiah had mentioned trips to Wilmington or New Bern and recurring strolls in the surroundings. Was Bonnet's hold so strong that Brianna did not even try to escape when they were off the property? She wanted to believe it, because the other solution—that she stayed here of her own free will—was unthinkable. And she had to investigate these two 'sicknesses'. Brianna had always had an iron constitution, except for one flu that had laid her low for a week in high school. Therefore, being sick twice in such a short period of time was exceptional.
"Ah Sassenach, I was jist tellin' Brianna that we were exhausted by our trip and that we shood go tae bed...", Jamie said, leaving the dining room with a knowing look. He did not doubt for a second that his wife had interrogated their grandson and was probably impatient to hear the answers. Behind them near the table, Bonnet was watching them from afar. His polite gentleman's facade was gradually giving way to something darker, probably because he was tired of pretending to be perfect for a whole evening.
"Of course. We'll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow", Brianna said with a smile. "I'm so glad to have you here, all three of you."
Both Frasers and Ian smiled back and took their leave, heading back upstairs to their respective rooms. But as Brianna was not following them, Claire slowed down halfway up the stairs. She saw the butler cross the hall with empty plates – followed by the young footman who had helped serve dinner – and went back downstairs, taking care not to make a sound. Quiet as a mouse, she headed back to the dining room, peered inside… and cringed. Brianna and Bonnet were huddling together face to face. Bree had slipped her arms around his neck, with a smitten look all over her face, as he hugged her thin waist in his huge sailor hands.
"See? That wasn't so bad?", the young woman asked, stroking the pirate's neck with her right hand.
Bonnet rolled his eyes. "How could it go wrong? They wouldn't even talk to me..."
"Give them time…", Brianna said, standing on tiptoes under Claire's astonished gaze. "… Just like you gave me time…", she finished before kissing her husband tenderly. Bonnet did not need to be asked twice and hugged Brianna a little tighter against him, deepening the kiss in such a voluptuous way that Claire suddenly felt… embarrassed. But she could not watch them any longer: A noise coming from the kitchen startled her and she hurried to join Jamie in their room.
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Poor Stephen, his discomfort is palpable! But he loves to spoil his little wife so much that he's ready to do anything to please her, hahaha. As for the Frasers, the situation must seem very confusing to them. Do you think Brianna's attitude could make them doubt? Cuz Claire is already troubled by her behavior with Bonnet.
I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of the family reunion! The second one will be there on January 8th, 2023 and until then, I look forward to reading your comments. But especially, I wish you a merry Christmas, a happy New Year and a wonderful holiday! Take care.
Xérès