THE CROW & THE BUTTERFLY

6. Submit To Your Husband

The same night Mary wouldn't wait longer. She wouldn't give up on her freedom and faith. In her last attempts, she walked outside the house quietly as she could. She decided to walk. The road was long, but luckily she didn't meet anyone on her way there. It was a strange night, the foggy frost seemed like it was following her, until she finally got on the train station. Trying to find any solution of how she would travel there with no money, she looked around. A drunk merchant sitting on the bench across the train. A ticket for Victoria hanging from him in his numb hand. She never stole anything from anyone her whole life, but right now that ticket was her only hope. Suddenly the ticket fell from his hand as he fell asleep and Mary's eyes widened slightly. Slowly she approached the man and looked around for a moment. She let her small handkerchief slip from her hand, covering the ticket. Seemingly an accident and she bent down to reach it. When the time of the departure arrived, the merchant looked around for his ticket, while Mary showed her own on the officer and got on board. Once she took her seat a long sigh of relief came out and her eyes almost watered. She made it finally. The train started the journey to Victoria and by the evening of the next day she was finally on her hometown. Without staying another moment she started to run towards the road leading to her parents house. Once she arrived on the door, she couldn't hold it back. She supported herself from the iron of the gates and started to cry without an end. Sound of horse halting came from behind her and rider jumped down. A deep grunt echoed as he approached and stopped by her side.

"You can't stay without me a single day or what?" James observed her with narrowed eyes and when servant came to open the gate, he shrugged and entered O'Sullivan's property, leaving Mary behind him as he walked by the side of his horse.

Her eyes wide open in terror. How on earth, he does that, appearing like a ghost out of the blue. But she wasn't scared this time. Now she was in a safe place or at least that's what she thought it was. She walked to reach him fast. "Why are you here?" She asked him.

"I need to talk with your father. I would ask you the same, but I assume, this is another of your attempts to run away," he answered to himself. A servant took his horse and showed them in, while housekeeper came to inform master of the house about the unexpected visit.

"You're wrong," she said to him as they stood alone on the living room. "This time I'm not going back to Nootka." She looked at him and almost smiled.

Without a word, he took a deep breath, looking from a window, then a high pitched voice of Mary's mother made his hair stand and close his eyes. God damn, this woman, he thought. Was anything reall about her? "Mary!? Mary, child, what are you doing here?" She came, followed by Mary's father. He stopped in the doorway and glanced from James to Mary. James felt his piercing glare on his back and opened his eyes.

"Good morning," Thomas, Mary's father said and James turned.

"Good morning, ma'am, sir," he said shortly.

Mary stormed on their hands, crying. No matter what they were, they're still her parents. The only people she laid trust on yet. "I missed you so much. Father, please. I'm begging you. I don't want to stay another night on that house. Please, keep me here. I'll do anything you want, just please don't send me there again," she pleaded, shaking.

They both looked at James, but his face remained unchanged. "Mind if I sit?" He asked and Elizabeth, Mary's mother nodded, clearing her throat. So he took a seat and remained silence.

"Mary," Thomas said sternly. "What is this behaviour?" He asked her and took a step from her. "Look at yourself," he frowned briefly.

"I don't want to go back," she said desperate, looking at him inside the eyes. Trying to find something, love, sympathy towards his own child, but she saw nothing. "This man has no intention towards me, he wants to leave me in the house to get myself something to be occupied or a lover." She felt ashamed for talking like that, but that moment she had to say the truth. "Is that what you want from me? To live in shame?"