Blue Valley

Chapter One

The sun shone brightly as it peeked out from behind dark clouds. Belle Young sat by her window seat, watching the sky. It was a beautiful day, she had always loved rainy and cloudy days, somehow it made her feel safe and warm inside. She liked to think God made cloudy days just for her, she knew it might sound selfish, but that is why she kept it to herself. Belle opened her journal and started writing down her thoughts and prayers, like she did every day, or at least tried to.
"Belle!" Guess who's coming to visit today?" Her 15-year-old sister Dorothy Young asked with excitement, as she came dancing into the room. "Andres!" She answered her own question, before Belle could say anything.

Andres was their elder brother, he had married beautiful and sweet Jenny, in North Carolina, where they now lived with their baby, Jamie. A visit from Andres was always something to look forward to. Especially when he brought Jenny and Jamie.  Andres was Arthur and Melinda Young's firstborn, he was not only loved by all, he was also the most humorous of the Young family, he was generous and always gave a helping hand to anyone in need. A gentleman.
Then there was Arthur Jr, whom everyone called Aj, he was only a year younger than Andres, the two had been inseparable in their childhood years, but after surviving a boating accident, in which he lost one of his best friends, Aj had distanced himself from everyone, including Andres. Aj left home when he was 18, and they had received Christmas and birthday cards from him since then, but he never visited. And Belle missed him. He was the most compassionate person.
Rebecca was the Young's third child and their first daughter. She had all of Melinda's features, from the smooth blonde hair, the bluest eyes and a slender, petite figure, to their mother's responsible and strong traits. She was off in teachers college, studying to become a teacher. She wrote often and visited from time to time.
Between Rebecca and Belle had been a little girl, Diana, who was born stillborn. Mother had been heartbroken and cried for weeks. Then Belle came, on on of the coldest days in winter, with deep snow everywhere. Arthur Sr had gone for the midwife, only to discover later that Belle, hadn't waited, and had come out into the world with only the help of her mother and God. Now she was a grown lady at 19, looking for the purpose she was made for, wondering what it was.
Dorothy came next. Sweet Dorothy, with her energy and beauty and innocence. She always found something fun to do, sometimes it was out of their mother's comfort zone, but Melinda hadn't the heart to say no to her, unless it got too extreme.
And lastly but not least at all, was young Theo, the baby of the family. He had been a surprise baby, but totally loved. And as surprising as it was Theo didn't act at all spoiled, instead he was quiet, even slightly shy and so adorable with his blond curly head. Everyone adored him.

"Belle! Did you not hear me?"
Belle smiled, and put away her journal. "Yes, I heard you. Are they all coming?" She looked at Dorothy.
"I don't know, father didn't say. Dorothy said Do you think they might?" Despite her age Dorothy still acted like a child, but no one minded, though mother had been talking about  sending her to a young ladies finishing school. Father didn't want to hear a word of it though, he would always change the subject when mother talked about sending away his little bubbly one, as he called Dorothy.
"We'll see." Belle answered, standing.
She brushed a light brown wisp of hair behind  her ear and the two walked downstairs for breakfast, chatting along the way.
Mother and Father were already sitting at the table. Usually, Arthur and Melinda Young would have greeted their daughters with a cheery 'Good morning' , but on this morning, they both sat in solemn silence, and Belle felt her stomach turn, something was wrong. Belle looked at Dorothy, and she saw the fear in her blue eyes. With a sense of dread, Belle silently prayed, and asked.
"Mother, Father, whats happened?"
Her father a big man, tanned to a light brown color, from all those years of working to give his family a home like this, stood, and Belle could see his dark eyes filled with concern,
"Your mother and I have to send you away for awhile." Everything was quiet for what seemed like a long time, until Dorothy broke the silence;
"What, why?"
Mother stood and went around the table to stand beside her husband, and Belle could see she had cried.
"Your father and I will explain over breakfast and then I want you to go pack." Mother said, "Don't overpack. Bring only the most important things." As breakfast was served, father sent the servants out, cleared his throat in the way he did when he had something important to say, and told Belle, and her siblings what was happening. Then sent them packing. As she was packing Belle thought of everything her parents had just told her and her siblings. They had learned their parents had somehow been involved with some rough crowd in their younger years, and had done some pretty bad things, and someone was after them, and apparently had been for years, but now they were close, they wanted Arthur Young dead. Belle shuddered. It was frightening to think about it all. When she had finished packing, she helped Dorothy finish and then they headed downstairs where the carriage was waiting. Father told them arrangements had been made for Theo to go stay with Aunt Mary in New York , and Dorothy was going to be sent to a finishing school out in South Carolina, while Belle would go to stay with her Aunt Josephine somewhere in the western plains, and Andrew and his family had decided to stay where they were. Mother and father didn't say where they were going, so not knowing when they would see each other again, they hugged their parents and each other tightly. And before she knew it, Belle was watching her parents disappear through the small window of the carriage, heart breaking inside, and tears forming in her throat.