From Cornwall with Love

Chapter Fifty Two - Verity's Arrival

The children and I travelled to Truro to help with Verity. We left the previous evening and settled in before arriving at her house the next morning. Esther answered the door.

"Welcome, ma'am. my father is at sea so has asked me to be here in her stead." she greeted letting us in "We expect the confinement anyway. Jud carried Rebekah Grace while I held Henry's hand and entered

"Verity!" I chime seeing her, she raised to her feet with a little struggle. We embraced each other. "This is a turnabout." I comment nothing Esther was not as frost as had been reported

"Andrew insisted I was not to be left unattended, but that she should be the one to come." Verity beamed as she took ahold of Rebekah Grace.

"Auntie!" Henry cheered

"Oh dearest, Henry. you've grown so much and your sister. Where has the time gone, come let us have tea." Henry went to join his sister and Esther.

"She's grown used to me. Am I not the luckiest of women?" she beamed as we broke bread with one another

"The most deserving." I tried to remain and give my best smile but i think she could see through it.

"How's Ross?"

"At war with himself. And the idea of George at Trenwith." I answer

"I too struggle with the idea of my family home in the hands of a Warleggan. But Elizabeth has made her choice." Verity winces holding her stomach. I touch her shoulder in comfort "It's nothing. It's like cramp. It's been happening since last night."

"Last night? It may not be nothing." She caught on to what I was saying "Esther, it's time to prepare the bed, the baby is coming." Esther's head snapped up in surprise, then sent the children over to me and ran upstairs. I held onto Verity's hand but turned my attention to Henry and Rebekah Grace.

"Now you must listen very carefully. When Esther comes back she will send for Jud and he will take care of you until Aunt Verity's baby has arrived. You must be kind and good. okay." they nodded.

----

A boy. Verity had given birth to a healthy boy. I clean and wrapped him up before handing him to her. He was a precious little thing and Verity was smitten.

"What has he done?" she questioned "Are you most troubled by the thing itself or something more?" she cradled little Andrew who slept soundly through our conversation.

"It's the thing itself. In fact it's more, he's running away from it, making it out as if it was nothing and refusal to accept the consequences." I shake my head annoyed, fuming really.

"Is that what you're doing? Even now?" she wondered as I fix my coat on.

"What would you have me do?"

"Oh, Abigail. I cannot instruct you. I do not even know the deed. But reason cannot guide you. Only the heart and sometimes the heart dictates makes no sense at all. Yet it must be followed." she explained

"But my heart is broken. It is broken yet it still wants the craziest of things. Why...how could I even begin to risk it again?" was the unanswered question "I wish Francis was here." I choke out a laugh

"The year before he died he was the only one who ever truly understood and I would give anything for him to sit me down and give something like he did before." I wiped away a couple of tears

"Oh my dear. I miss him too, dearly"

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I needed to clear my head so I sent Jud and the children on ahead and went for a walk in the woods. There was a new fence there but I paid it no mind as I crossed it, in my own little world. When I came out of my dance I realised I was at Trenwith. I saw my sister come out and go for a walk. I followed  her to the ruins of the old  church. She stopped in her tracks seeing me.

"Does Ross know you're here?" she asked

"Ross is not my keeper." I answered unmoving as I look upon her figure.

"Why have you come?"

"I thought it was to rant and rave at you. You've tarnished my faith. You've broke my marriage. You made me question my reason for living. The passion which you ignite that Ross could not withstand. In all honesty I pity you. I pity you because you can never make up your mind. I pity you that you cannot function without a man, I pity you because you are the worst kind of woman society could ask for. But it makes me wonder, why any of it matters. What you did to your own sister, what Ross did to I, his wife it cannot be undone.

The two of you must live with that. George must live with the fact that he unkowingly lives with a traitor and a whore who is not even fit to clean my boots let alone be his wife. But me, I have no reason to live with it."  I explained as I could see my words cut her bit by bit.

"What will you do?" she inquired. I sighed

"I will take my son and daughter and I will go stay with Caroline till I can purchase a home for the three of us." I stated

"You would leave Ross?"

"I refuse to be ruled by what he did. I will grow, survive and thrive because I have that ability, it is what makes us different and for that I am thankful beyond words could express. But before I go I will say this father would be turning in his grave if he knew of your betrayal." I turn and walk away.