A Natural Mother [ON HOLD]

Chapter 3

This is a really short one. Sorry. This is the chapter where I am beginning to actually write again; all the notebook-written content is now up on Wattpad.

However, I have some bad news for you guys.

I am putting this story on HIATUS. Yes, I am putting it on hold. To be honest I have very little time to write, and now that school's starting I will have even less time. I'm going into eleventh grade, which is an extremely important year for me because I have to focus very hard on my grades to get into the college and programs I want to.

I'll try and write as often as possible, I just won't be posting chapters on Wattpad until I have less of a workload.

Sorry guys. :/

+ Cake

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Belle nearly fell out of her chair.

“Excuse me?” She whispered in disbelief. Was the woman mad?

Rose looked flustered, her cheeks stained a delicate pink. Her hands fluttered in front of her nervously.

“That sounded so much better in my mind,” She muttered. Belle gave her an incredulous look and moved to stand. Rose threw out a desperate staying hand. “Will you give me a moment to explain my reasoning?”

Belle stared, wide-eyed, at Lady Moore’s pleading expression. Her silver-gold hair had wisped out of its elegant bun and surrounded her face in delicate curls, making her features softer and more youthful. Unexpectedly, Rose reminded Belle of a desperate young woman, very similar to herself.

Oh, damn her empathy.

She blew out a breath and slowly settled back into her seat. She gave an infinitesimal nod.

Rose visibly relaxed.

“Gabriel needs a mother, to raise him properly and love him. A Governess would raise him and teach him the required things, but... living with Kieran, without a solid maternal figure in his life, I fear he will grow to become as serious and angry as his father. I do not want Gabriel to become that type of man. I already have one boy who has lost his joy; I don’t want my grandson turning out the same way,” Rose said. She winced, her expression one of tired sadness.

“I want Kieran to be happy again. He has grown into such a handsome man, but he is brooding and dark after his military service. Even if he freely chose to marry I doubt any woman could put up with his erratic moods and behaviour. All I am asking is that you marry my son so you may officially be Gabriel’s mother. If, in the course of your marriage, you manage to give Kieran happiness as well, I will be overjoyed.

“I know I may be coming across as unreasonable. I am asking you to love and raise a stranger’s child and marry a strange man. But you are perfect for this, and I am confident that you alone will actually be able to accomplish it.”

The entire thing was insane. Belle had no experience whatsoever with men – her parents had made sure she stayed in the house most of the time, and to be honest she’d met very few men of similar age in her life – and had not an inkling as to how she would cope with having a dark, brooding husband who quite obviously knew about women.

But Gabriel... Belle had no objections to raising the boy as her own. She had always wanted children. It could be nice to start young.

She contemplated the idea of moving to America. There was nothing left for her in London. No home, no family, no belongings. It would be like a huge adventure, the likes of which she had only read in books.