The World Was Hers For the Taking

Chapter Seventeen

William and I both decided that we wouldn't want to keep our engagement secret, so we wanted to make an announcement to everyone important in our lives by having them join us in the Great Hall that very night.

I walked into my mothers room to tell her the news. I saw the physician and my father next to her, they looked worried. I've never seen my father look at my mother in that way.

"Mother? Father? What's going on?" I walked towards them and my father put his hand out, indicating I should not come any closer.

The physicians shook his head as he moved his fingers from her neck. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"NO." I ran to my mother and try to shake her up. "Mother. Mother, wake up. It's going to be okay, wake up." I kept shaking her until my father pulled me back. "LET ME GO. I CANT LOSE HER, I CANT."

"She's dead, Adelaide. There is nothing we can do." I cried into my fathers arms, I couldn't deal with the loss of my dearest mother alone.

"I can't lose her. Please, she's all I have." I wept and screamed into my fathers shoulder as he held me. I thought he would push me away, but he didn't. We both sat on my mothers death bed in utter silence until I wiped my tears away and apologized. I left my mothers room, not looking at her cold body again.

Mary and John waited for me in the hallway, it would seem everyone knew the news. The held me in their arms as I cried again.

John whispered in my ear, "We are so sorry. She was a mother to us all." He wiped my tears away and smiled. "Be strong, Adelaide. She would want you to be strong."

I nodded. He was right. I sighed, "I was going to tell her I'm engaged." I gave a weak laugh. "I was so happy, so excited to tell her and now my mother is dead. She'll never get to see me get married or hold my child in her arms."

Mary and John hugged me, told me how happy they were for me and that my mother will always be watching me from above.

"My darling mother. How I wish I could tell you I loved you, just once more."