Savannah gave a false smile that faded under Clarissa’s unimpressed stare. “Lucas and Genevieve are expecting their first child.” She took a deep breath. When Clarissa remained quiet, Savannah frowned. “I hate being jealous of my own brother.”
“I’m sorry it brings up old hurts, Sav.” Rissa patted Savannah’s hand. “But I’m delighted for Lucas and Genevieve. To finally have a baby on the way. I know she’s longed for a child.”
Savannah’s gaze sharpened. “Do you? How?”
“We’ve discussed it a few times when they’ve visited. I doubt it’s something she would have brought up with you.” Clarissa rolled her eyes as Savannah bristled. “If this is how you truly feel, she had every right to be wary about discussing it with you.”
“Do you believe I was upset when you had your children?”
“No, I never once suspected you were envious. And you never stayed away. If I could have made you godmother to them all, I would have.” Clarissa stilled as she studied Savannah in her misery. “There’s more to this. What is it, Sav?”
Savannah buried her face in her hands. “I’m losing Melly.”
Clarissa gasped and moved to sit next to her cousin, pulling her into her arms. Savannah cried on her shoulder. “You can’t be. You’re her mother.”
“She hates Jeremy and me. She thinks we took her out of pity and that we are pathetic because we can’t have our own child.” She stuttered out a sob. “Says she’s counting the days until she can leave us.”
“No!” Clarissa breathed. “That doesn’t sound like Melly. That sounds like …” Her eyes rounded. “Has she been spending time with Mrs. Smythe?”
Savannah rubbed a hand over her face. “I fear she has. She doesn’t come home directly after school, and, when she does, she’s filled with this defiant anger and half-baked truths.” She swallowed a sob, but a low keening sound still emerged. “I love her so much, and I don’t know how to reach her.”
Clarissa held Savannah as she cried, rubbing her back. “Perhaps you should grant her what she wants. She says she wants to leave you. Let her go.”
“I can’t!” Savannah wailed. “She’s not even seventeen yet.”
Clarissa gripped Savannah’s shoulder. “She won’t appreciate or understand what she has with you and Jeremy until she is away from it. Her mind’s been filled by that horrible woman, and somehow that spell must be broken.”
Savannah’s crying slowly abated as she thought through Clarissa’s plan. “It’s a terrible risk. She might decide never to return to us.” Another tear fell.
“I understand, but you’re all miserable now. You can’t continue like this, forcing her to remain here when she believes she’d rather be somewhere else.”
Savannah rose and wet a cloth, swiping at her face before pressing it to her eyes. She sighed with relief as it soothed her reddened, sore eyes. The front door slammed shut, and Melinda’s footsteps sounded as she walked toward the kitchen.
“Hello, Clarissa,” Melinda said, a challenging glint in her eyes.
“How is Mrs. Smythe, Melly?” Clarissa asked.
Melinda glared at her and then shrugged. “My mother is fine although always devastated when I must depart to return to this house. She eagerly awaits my arrival every day.”
“Hmm, I’m sure she’s most anxious to see you,” Clarissa murmured, her gaze sharpening as she noted the subtle changes in Melinda’s appearance, from the eye makeup to her new hairstyle, all fashioned after Mrs. Smythe. “She always did enjoy playing dress up.”
“I will not allow you to speak badly of my mother!” Melinda shrieked.
Savannah turned and faced her daughter. “And I won’t allow you to speak to your sister that way. I’ve always considered you my daughter, Melly. And I never would have consigned you to an orphanage.” Her severe look silenced any of Melinda’s protests. “Your father and I would never have left you there. Your brother and sister would never have abandoned you in such a place.”
“She had no other option.” Melinda tilted her chin in defiance.
Savannah snorted in disbelief, her gaze filled with disappointment. “You obviously don’t remember your early years with Mrs. Smythe. And, for that, I am grateful. However, I have no desire to cause you pain. Or to separate you from a woman you wish to know better.” She took a deep breath and swallowed. “If you would like to pack a bag and leave, I will not fight your decision.”
Melinda’s mouth dropped open, and she paled for a moment. She shot a look at Clarissa, and then met Savannah’s gaze again. “I’d like that, Mo … Savannah. I’d like to leave.”
Savannah nodded, her shoulders tense and hands gripping the washcloth to the point of rending it in two. “I understand. I trust you will discover the truth. But remember, this is your home, and I will always welcome you.” She took another deep breath. “It will be your decision if you want to return. I wish you well, my beloved daughter.”
Melinda stood there dumbfounded for a moment before she spun on her heel and raced up the stairs.
Clarissa leaped from her seat and enfolded Savannah in her arms. “That was very brave, Sav.”
“And very stupid. Jeremy will be irate with me.”
“Once he calms down, he’ll admire how brave you were,” Clarissa soothed. She helped Savannah to a chair and watched as she stared into space.
“She wouldn’t call me mother,” she whispered. “That’s the first time since we arrived in Montana fourteen years ago that she hasn’t called me mother.” She dropped her head in her arms and sobbed.
Jeremy paced their bedroom as Savannah lay on her side, watching him. Every few moments he mumbled something, ran his hands through his hair, kicked the wardrobe and then continued his frenetic movements. They had dressed for bed long ago, yet sleep would not come.
“How did this come about?”
She sighed. “I’ve explained this already.” Yet Jeremy’s earnest gaze in her direction had her repeating it all again. “Clarissa and I were talking in the kitchen. I told her of my suspicions about Melly and Mrs. Smythe, and she suggested that I—we—had to let her go.”
“Why wouldn’t you discuss such an action with me first?” He flopped to the foot of the bed, facing her direction but not touching her.
She curled around so that she could face him. “I’m sorry, Jeremy,” Savannah whispered. “It was impulsive, and I know I should have waited for you. But, when Melly entered the kitchen, all dolled up like a mini–Mrs. Smythe, I was past reason.”
Jeremy closed his eyes at the vision. “Oh, Sav,” he murmured, scooting up the bed to pull her in his arms. They lay crosswise on the bed, entangled in each other’s arms. “I don’t know what we could have done differently.”
“We gave her all our love. If she doesn’t want that, there’s nothing more we can do,” she stuttered out, burying her face in Jeremy’s shoulder. “I hate every bit of that despicable woman I see in her.”
“Melly is sensible. She’ll soon see there’s nothing but a thin varnish of charm over an ugly soul. She’ll come back to us.” Jeremy crooned to Savannah as she cried. When she calmed, he turned them so they stretched out properly in bed. “Come. Let’s try to sleep.” He coaxed her into his arms again and sang to her until she drifted to sleep.
The following morning he woke, stiff and heartsore. Easing from bed and leaving Savannah sleeping, he stretched and yawned. He donned an old pair of pants and a well-worn shirt before heading downstairs to read last evening’s paper and brew coffee. He moved around the kitchen, whistling softly until he heard a soft thud near the back door.
He wrenched open the back door and stared outside. He shook his head, moving to reenter the kitchen and to enjoy his coffee when his gaze focused on a heap by the stable wall, nearly hidden by a bush. He approached it, his pace quickening to a run.
“Melly,” he breathed, running his hands over her until he had her turned faceup. “Melly!” he shouted, shaking her.
“Father,” she whisp
ered.
“Tell me where you are injured.” He pulled her into his arms, groaning as she was no longer a little girl and rose, carrying her in his arms into the house. “You’ll be all right. I promise. We’ll take care of you.”
“Oh, Father,” she whispered, shaking before she started to sob.
“Shh, my darling girl. It will be all right. You’re home. You’re safe,” he soothed. He carried her through the kitchen and upstairs to her room. After kicking open her door, he settled her gently onto her bed, running a hand through her unkempt hair and then down her arms. He frowned at the sooty eye makeup that made her look like a raccoon, his gaze searching for any wounds.
Savannah appeared at the door. “Jeremy, what is going on?” She looked around his shoulder to a rumpled, disheveled Melinda and flew into the room. “Melinda!”
“Mother,” Melinda said as her tears poured out. “I … I …” She turned to her side, crying as she curled into herself as if to disappear.
Jeremy sat in front of her, holding her hand and rubbing her arm and shoulder. Savannah climbed onto the bed behind her, wrapping her arms around her.
“How can you welcome me home? After how horrible I was?” she stuttered out.
“We love you,” Jeremy whispered. “You are our daughter, and we love you.” Her incredulous gaze met his. “We always will.”
“But I’ve been so mean,” she wailed. “And I hurt you.”
“We sometimes hurt those we love.” Jeremy ran a hand over her soaked cheek. “It doesn’t mean it hasn’t been tremendously painful for your mother and me, but it hasn’t stopped us from loving you.”
“I couldn’t understand why you’d love me and the woman who had me didn’t.” Melly closed her eyes. “Doesn’t.”
“Oh, Melly,” Savannah murmured. “I’m so sorry.”
“Why?” she asked. “I thought you hated her.”
Jeremy and Savannah exchanged a look before Savannah spoke. “Melly, although it is true we will never like Mrs. Smythe and will feel negatively toward her, you must know that, if we thought you’d be happiest with her, we would never stop you from being with her.”
Melinda pushed away from her parents and sat up, her eyes blazing. “You knew how horrible she is! How could you have sent me to her?”
Savannah sighed. “I didn’t send you to her. And you wouldn’t have made a fully informed decision for yourself where you wanted to be unless you spent more time with her. Time that she hadn’t carefully coordinated to highlight herself at her best.”
Jeremy watched as Melinda quivered on her bed. “What happened, Melly?”
She shook her head as though refusing to talk of the past afternoon and evening. After a few moments of silence, however, she spoke in a low voice. “I packed my bag and thought of myself as wonderfully grown-up as I came downstairs. I heard you sobbing in the kitchen, Mother, and snuck out the front door.”
She plucked at a loose thread on her dirty skirt. “When I arrived at Mrs. Smythe’s, she was irate I’d returned. Said I was interfering with her plans. When I informed her that I’d decided to live with her, she screeched that I was nothing but an imposition and a leech. How was she to make her way in the world with an adult daughter?” Melinda mimicked Mrs. Smythe’s mannerisms and diction. “How was she to get a man when he’d want her daughter instead?”
“Oh, Melly,” Savannah whispered.
Melinda continued as though in a trance, not registering her mother’s words. “She finally said I could spend the night but that I had to return home tomorrow—today—as she had no desire to care for me.” Melly bit her trembling lip. “She prepared for an evening out and then left without acknowledging me. There was no food, and I finally fell asleep on the settee.”
Jeremy watched Melinda as her story petered out. “What caused you to flee and sleep in the stables last night?”
Melinda covered her face and shook her head.
Savannah gripped her daughter’s hand and lowered it. “There is no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed with us. We will always love you and do everything we can to protect you.”
“You sent me to that woman!” Melinda screamed.
Savannah clenched her jaw shut, refusing to be goaded into an angry response. “I didn’t send you anywhere. You chose to go to that woman, Melly. Now tell us what happened.”
“She came home. But she wasn’t alone.” Melly trembled. “I woke to their laughter. She was with two men.” She shook her head with confusion. “Why were there two men?”
Jeremy growled out, “What happened next? What did they do to you?”
She shook her head as a few tears leaked out. “She knew I was awake. She saw them glance at me and must have seen they were interested in me.” Her jaw trembled as she fought tears. “She offered me to them for money.”
“What did the men do, Melly?” Savannah whispered, one of her hands gripping Jeremy.
“I … I think they were half drunk or more. One seemed keen on the idea. The other worried, and I bolted at their moment of indecision. Ran out the door with her screeching behind me that I’d cost her good money.” Tears coursed down her cheeks. “I ran and ran through the streets. I never realized how scary it could be in the middle of the night, alone.” She swallowed back another sob. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
“Why didn’t you knock on the door when you arrived home?” Savannah whispered, running a hand over her daughter’s head and cheek.
Melinda looked down at her clenched hands. “I didn’t know if I’d be welcomed.”
In an instant, she was sandwiched in a hug from her parents. “When I think of what could have happened …” Jeremy shook as he held her tight.
When they had calmed from their fright, Jeremy eased away from Melinda while Savannah held her daughter in her arms.
“Melinda,” Jeremy began, “we need to know what you want. Do you wish to remain here, as our daughter, a cherished member of our family? Or do you prefer to leave us?” He watched as Melinda battled deep emotions. “We can’t continue on as we have these past weeks, going on months. We love you and want you. But your mother was correct yesterday in giving you a choice. You must decide what it is you want.”
Melinda looked with wonder from Savannah to Jeremy. “You’d still want me, after everything I’ve done? All the horrible things I’ve said to you and to those you care about?”
Savannah kissed her daughter on her temple. “We understand you’ve been confused since Mrs. Smythe arrived, and it only worsened after your discussion with Patrick. It never changed our love for you.”
A sob burst forth, and Melinda turned to burrow into her mother’s shoulder. “I want to be here with you and Father. You want me. You chose me. You love me. This is where I want to be. This is who I am.”
Jeremy marched into the workshop he shared with Gabriel and slammed shut the heavy wooden door. Gabriel looked up from his work and frowned.
“Generally we encourage business, Jer,” Gabriel teased. He sobered when he saw Jeremy was ready for battle. He shared a look with Ronan, and they moved to the area near Ronan’s workbench. “What happened?”
“Melinda is home,” Jeremy said, his tone still tortured.
Gabriel nodded. “Good.” When Jeremy remained quiet, Gabe asked, “Is she accepting of you and Sav as her parents?”
Jeremy gave a curt nod and yet paced like a caged tiger.
“Who do I have to prevent from getting killed?” Gabriel asked with an intentional inflection of humor.
“This isn’t humorous, Gabe.” Jeremy spun and took a deep breath to prevent himself from launching at his brother, prepared for a fight.
“I know it isn’t, Jer, but I won’t sit by and allow you to end up in jail.” He met his brother’s stormy gaze. “Not now. Not ever.”
Jeremy growled. “She deserves to suffer. After all she’s done to the members of our family.”
Gabriel nodded and sat with quiet patience as his brother worked through his
rage.
“Melly ran to her yesterday. Had some nonsensical romantic belief that she’d be welcomed with opened arms by that harpy of a woman who gave birth to her and promptly gave her away. Instead, Melly was advised that she was an unwanted burden.” Jeremy spun and kicked a small table Gabriel had just finished constructing, shattering one of its legs. Gabriel sighed at the destruction but didn’t protest his brother’s actions.
“Do you know what that woman did then?” Jeremy demanded after a few moments. When Gabriel and Ronan remained quiet, Jeremy stopped, and his breaths came out in stuttering gasps. “She came home with two men and offered to sell Melly, my daughter, to them.”
Gabriel swore, and Ronan hit his table with a hammer. “That bitch,” Gabriel snapped. “What happened to Melly?”
“She was smart enough to use the men’s momentary surprise to race out of there, her so-called mother screaming at her that she’d cost her money.” Jeremy rubbed at his face in weary anguish. He finally collapsed onto a bench near Gabe. “When I think about what could have …” He shook his head and lowered it into his hands.
“But nothing happened?” Gabriel whispered.
Jeremy shook his head. “No. Melly got away.” He shared a wry smile with Gabriel. “She was confused why Mrs. Smythe would come home with two men.”
Ronan chuckled. “She won’t always be your innocent little girl, but I’m glad no harm came to her.” He tapped his tabletop with his small hammer. “However, something must be done to that horrible woman. She can’t frighten Melly as she did and suffer no consequences.”
Melinda entered the front sitting room and came to an abrupt halt. “What are you doing here?” She glared as Mrs. Smythe settled onto the comfortable settee. “I never heard the knock, and I know no one would have allowed you entrance into this house.”
Mrs. Smythe smiled at Melinda and patted the seat next to her. She stiffened when Melinda remained standing away from her. “I did knock, but there was no answer. I let myself in to wait.”
Resilient Love: Banished Saga, Book 7 Page 17
