A New Beginning

Chapter 83: Circus of Surprises

Chapter 83: Circus of Surprises

Within several hours, Emma brings Sybil downstairs. She finds Holly making a special breakfast for the birthday girl, soft pancakes for the teething toddler. To everyone's surprise, Ruth De Witt Bukater is helping by squeezing oranges to make fresh juice, while Molly manages the coffee and tea.

"Where's Peter and Carl?" Emma asks.

"Peter's in the den talking to Mr. Jamieson and Carl went to get a newspaper."

Emma sits her sister in the high chair, takes a few slices of orange from Ruth, cuts them into small pieces and puts them on her sister's tray. She then goes to join Peter, knowing this will be all about Jack.

"Yes, he did," Peter says into the mouthpiece. "He took the car."

Emma sits at her father's desk, waiting patiently for the conversation to finish so she can talk to her fiancé.

"We don't doubt that the police will be here soon," he continues, brushing some blonde hair out of his face. "Yes, we know they're going to want to interview us... We'll do our best I assure you... We're not sure what he was thinking, just as the tables were turning in our favour. Yes...yes...yes...yes...yes... absolutely not... no. Thank you, sir, we'll tell her." He then puts the earpiece back on the hook and looks at Emma.

"The Jamieson family wish Sybil a happy birthday," he says, forcing a meek smile. Emma returns the gesture.

"What did he say?"

"It's already in the newspapers."

"Really?" she asks in disbelief. "I didn't think the news would travel this fast."

"Well it does, apparently it's on the front page and we should expect reporters at our doorstep and in our yard within a few more hours."

"As well as the police," she sighs sadly.

Peter merely nods.

"I guess... we'd better be as honest as we can," Emma mutters. She puts her head in her hands and lets the tears fall again. Everything about this was just awful. If anything, it was a total disaster. This is not how she wanted her sister's first birthday to go. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, filled with love and laughter; creating happy new memories and letting Sybil know that she was loved. Fulfilling that promise to herself that the toddler would have as normal of a childhood as she could. She would then go back to work and take the day off two weeks later to properly mourn her mother. Part of her wishes that they hadn't buried her parents overseas, instead of keeping them close, so she could visit them every so often. Of course, there were their grave markers in the New York Cemetery, but their ashes had been scattered in Ireland, to honour her father's wishes and the main reason behind their trip home on the infamous Titanic.

Peter wraps his arms around her and kisses the side of her head.

"It'll be okay," he whispers. "We can always celebrate it after everything is cleared up."

"What makes you think it will ever be cleared up?" she whispers.

The two of them embrace and remain in silence until the dreaded heavy knocking on the door. Summoning all their courage, they exit Andrew Carson's office and go to the door.

Several officers stand there as Holly talks to them, keeping herself slightly hidden behind the door. The chief locks eyes with the couple and smirks ever so slightly as if he's happy to finally be able to put the spunky Emma in her place.

"Everyone in this house must come with me to the station and this house is now a crime scene."

Emma rushes over and picks up her sister, who was nibbling on a fresh pancake. Sybil looks at her with wide blue eyes, there is much confusion and disdain of being taken from her meal on her face but her elder sister presses the tiny girl against her chest as if to protect her from what was to come.