Last Chance

I- Painful Obligation (Part 1)

                                                                1

England, 1864

''Doubt the light of the stars,

That the sun is hot,

Doubt even the truth,

But trust in my love.''

His eyes could get to the point of bleeding, by wandering nights and nights reading Shakespeare's stories. His favorite book has always been Romeo and Juliet, despite the difficulties and challenges, love had always spoken louder.

Women were allowed to educate their children at home, but madam Campbell never allowed them to read books at hand, only being dictated loudly and clearly. The girl then managed to find old books, even stained and with a few torn pages, in the back of the closet. She took one every night without suspicion and entered a world full of fantasies, savoring every word.

— Rebekah! — she jumps out of bed immediately when she hears her mother calling, and go to meet her. 

— Yes ma'am. — she looks at the floor, while his mother stares at her with a look whose age was indescribable. Everything about her was indescribable, sometimes sweet or severe, and Rebekah did not know how to handle it other than lowering his head and hearing the smallest details. But at this very moment his gaze was one of sadness, but above he kept a layer of hard stare, leaving every second in a tense silence.

— Elena goes up.  —  she said in a harsh tone, still looking at Rebekah, Isobel was addressing Elena, the younger sister, who was sitting in the chair pretending to play with her rag dolls.

— But mother... — she whined.

— One ... — looking over her shoulder, Rebekah saw her sister pouting and her eyes cloudy, being excluded from a subject that would surely be devastating. — Two... — without giving her mother a chance to follow the count, the child runs up the wooden staircase, making a noise between the loose boards.

Elena was the younger sister of Rebekah, practically a twin sister years apart, his hair was curly in a tone of gray laurel, his blue eyes crystal clear, his skin so white that by a triskle it would reach the tone of an albino, and lips and rosy cheeks without making a minimum effort. But in the matter of personality Elena emotions were always exaggerated, or she was too happy, or too sad. Rebekah always saw her as a small hope in the midst of such conflict, for she was just an innocent child.

— You have to get married, Rebekah, as soon as possible. — she said, his voice hard and cold.

— Yes, I understand. But why so fast? — she asked, confused.

The mother snorted as if she did not want to give explanations and completed:

— When Mr. Campbell... — she gasped as he spoke of his name, as if he were wounding his unshakable heart. — ...gone. — she paused, recovering himself, and Rebekah shuddered. Madam Campbell had never mentioned her name after that, it was as if it were unbearable to know that he had once existed and gone. — We have mortgaged our house, we have too much debt...

— But what good would I marry? A lord would never look at me.

— You do not need a lord. — she mother looked at her, irritated with such ingenuity.

— Then what would change? — she merely asked, with so many thoughts shouting to be verbalized.

— It will be easier just to take care of Elena. — the icy wind penetrated the hut intensely. 

— So this is about money? Are you selling me to reduce your debts? Are you wanting to get rid of a weight? — she asked with her eyesclouded, her lips trembling. The feeling of anger flooded his body, as the sky was flooded by vast, uncontrollable darkness.

— Do not be dramatic. — madame Campbell spat and walked away without looking back.

How could both contain the same blood? While Rebekah was a glass castle, Isobel was a black castle that could see no feeling through the wall.

Her knees fell to the floor, along with the tears she asked to be discharged.

At that moment the young woman longed to see him, the one whose heart went out of her mouth every time she saw him, his great love; Damon Benevides. He longed to feel her soft. Soft lips kissing every finger of his hand. She stood up mentally deciding that if she had to stay away from him, she wanted to at least see him for the last time.

He brushed his long blond curls that went up to his waist, and descended the staircase with steps as light as a feather, for no one could suspect.

— Miss Rebekah. — there is a warning voice and she turns slowly. — Where are you going? — his arms were crossed and one of his brows arched; Madam Abigail. She was not exactly a maid but Rebekah's caretaker, she was the second closest person Rebekah could call friend.

— I need to see Dulce. — lied head down, with shame of its tears shed.

— Listen to Rebekah. Life can go far beyond your imagination. — she just left her words cautiously in the air and left.

Notice:

Dear Reader,

I'm sorry for the horrible translation, I hope it's at least readable. I'm going to have to cut chapters apart or it's very difficult for me to translate.

Please, do not give up on me.