Family Reunion

~ Their Time Has Come ~
*** At Last ***

     "Excuse me, but could you tell me how I might find Mr. Webster's office? I have some very urgent business to discuss with him." Sandra asked the receptionist in the waterfront building.
     "He no longer has an office in this building; he's now located closer to the wharf. He's either there, or at the Princess. Second thought, his daughter may be at the new building-…"
     "His daughter?! His daughter?" Sandra asked twice confused, and wondered. 'Does he have another child? By his wife maybe? Lena said their daughter had been lost to her…could she be with him as she’d hoped?'
     "Yes, she works with her father and brother."
     "Her father and brother?" Sandra swallowed and crossed her fingers, while silently saying a quick prayer. "Can you please sir, tell me their names?"
     "Michael Webster and Golden Hope O'Brien."
     "Oh my God! Is she married? Of course, she must be! Oh I can't believe it! I can't believe it! Oh Lena!" After her moment of exultation, she asked the receptionist. "You mentioned something about the Princess, what's that?"
     "I really should not being providing this information... is this somehow family related business?"
     "YES…it is, very family related!!"
     "In that case all right, the last time I withheld this I was chewed out by him...how was I to know she really was his daughter?" He asked as if speaking to himself as he stood to give Sandra directions to the ship and his new building.
     "It's one of his ships, called the Princess Ceś alena, I believe he and his family reside there." He answered stepping through the door to point her in the right direction. Sandra thought she would burst with joy. They lived on a ship named after Lena. What man about to marry would live on a ship named after someone he once loved, if not for reasons of trying to hold onto that someone the only way that he could.
     Rushing toward the waterfront, she knew within her heart this man was still in love with Lena, he had to be. He had their children with him living on a vessel named for her. She knew she had to hurry and find someone to inform them that Princess Ceś alena was alive and living with her. She didn't have much time, Lena's fitting would be over soon, and she told her she'd be gone for only a moment. 'Oh Lena, if you only knew, if you only knew what awaits you!'

*   *   *

      Hope went from one ship to another searching for her father, husband and brother, the three were supposedly together. She listened for her father's booming voice which had a way of rising above all others but he was nowhere to be seen or heard.
       Making her way towards the Crest Horizon she saw her husband and brother working hard at loading. The pier was too crowded with crates and men to walk around in order to get to the boarding plank, so she went to the edge of the wharf and yelled up to them.
       "MIKE! MIKE!" She yelled over and over jumping a few times, waving her arms in the air to get his attention. At the time he was holding the crane lever, as another crewman worked to secure the net that was threatening to unload its burden prematurely. He looked up and around agitated that someone was calling him at a time like this. He emitted a gruff growl to see his little sister waving her arms for his attention. With his brows drawn in impatience he yelled crossly. "WHAT!" Hope put her hands on her hips and threw her head to the side as if to scold him for his tone. "WHERE'S DADDY, I NEED TO FIND HIM, IT'S IMPORTANT!!" Finally the man secured the net and Mike could help swing it over, doing so before answering his little sister who yelled up again.

" MIKE! I SAID WHERE'S DADDY!?!"
        "Goddammit!" He grumbled after someone came over to replace him, stalking to the rail of the ship to look down at Hope. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT!?!"
        "DADDY!!"
        "WELL I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS, HE WAS HERE ONLY A MOMENT AGO!" He turned and asked one of the men behind him. "Anyone see where my father went?" All those that heard shook their heads in the negative as Joe came up from the hold. "Have you seen dad? Your wife's looking for him." Mike grunted.
        "Where is she?" Joe asked looking over the rail of the ship, pulling the work gloves from his hands. "Right there, stomping her foot and glaring up at me." Joe looked to see her below, waiting impatiently.
        "WHY DO YOU WANT YOUR FATHER NOW? CAN'T IT WAIT UNTIL WE MEET AT CARMINE'S?"
        "I NEED TO TALK TO HIM, IT'S ABOUT RORY!"
        "What did she say?" Mike asked. "She said she needs to talk to him about Rory." The men had slowed down a bit as did the noise that kept them from hearing each other clearly, relieving them from further yelling. "What about Rory?" Mike asked her. "I met him today and he acted so strange when he saw me, I have a feeling about him-…"
        "Is that all you wanted?! That kid is always strange! Look, we'll be done pretty soon, go to Carmine's like you were told and quit interrupting our work over nonsense like Rory!" Hope felt her anger rise. "You're such an irritating person! Maria bless her, should divorce you!"
        "Oh bugger off!" Mike retaliated.
        "You bugger off… I wish to speak with my husband! So go away!"
        "Hope - just go to the restaurant! We will be along shortly. You can talk to your father then." Joe spoke up cutting Mike off, knowing they were gearing up for an argument. "Yes, scoot along lil'girl, do as your husband says, we have work to do."
        "Ooouuuu!!" They both heard as she turned and stomped off.

* * *

       Rollo stood with his hands on his hips wondering if he should follow the boy or not. He'd just been picking up some things from the mercantile for Betsy while he was in town and was on his way to find Rory, when the boy almost knocked him over as he ran past. When he righted himself and realized who it was that had almost knocked him down, he yelled out, "RORY! RORY! Why the hell ain't you in school?! I was ‘bout t'come lookin' for you, ya' mama up all night waitin' for you!" Rory had turned back rushing over to Rollo again, "I'm on my way home now to talk to her, can I get a ride, it's important."
       "Yo' mama ain't there, she in town here with Sandra." He replied.
       "In town? Where?!"
       "Why ain't you in school…wha's so important?" Rollo demanded.
       "Rollo…I can't explain now, I need to find my mother, where is she?"
       "She gettin' fitted fo' gowns at Season's…Hey! Rory! Boy!" Rollo stood watching him race away towards ‘Season's in fashion’. With a sigh, he stood a moment more, then turned and waved him off. There was no sense in him going back there, his part was done. The boy was located, now he could get back to his in town duties while the women shopped.
       Rory was caught up in a whirlwind of disbelief. Everything had fallen into place, because he'd seen her with his own eyes and knew there was no mistaking it. Seeing Golden Hope had done more than shock him, it had jarred the memory of where it was he'd heard her mother's name before. Princess Ceś alena Huebana. The name had flashed over and over until pictures began to form, the picture of him lying in bed. He had been eight years old, maybe nine. Lena had just returned from that place where Sandra used to take him.
       He hated that place, it scared him going there. Yet every week for years she took him there, with no one ever telling him exactly what it was. It wasn't until years later that he'd learned his mother had been at Dustinhurst, a work house prison for bad women who had committed some kind of crime. Among them also, were women who'd been cast off and unwanted by society. After she had left him, things were different for him. All the love and attention he'd craved from her, Sandra had given him, hugging him, loving him, reading to him, playing with him, dressing him up, and passing him off, as her son. So often, after her return, he’d wished she'd never come back, because he had Sandra now, she was his mother, the mother he much preferred. It was during that time he had been able to forget who he really was. Things were perfect then, Mr. Sinclair had gone away too around the same time his mother had, and all was as it should be with him no longer there, but his mother had come back. He had no idea, at the time, why she'd gone to such a place, all he knew was the shame of it.
       Often he told Sandra he wished she was his mother instead of Lena and on one of his visits he even told Lena that. He just didn't care anymore, the hurt and pain of her rejection was buried and all she needed to do was stay away. Upon her return, he stayed away from her, watching her from afar as if she were an unwanted intruder of his life. Then one night after she'd been home a week, he had lain awake in the room next to hers listening as he heard her talking to herself. At first he chose to ignore it but with each word she spoke, he could hear the torture and pain in her voice, and it affected him in a way he thought nothing concerning her ever could.

       "Please God ... no more ... no more ... how long? How long will you force this life upon me? I told you, you could have it back. I - I don't want it – do you hear?! I don't want it." She cried .
       "If it is hell you wish for me to see… I see it…do you hear…I see it. No – more…I beg you… no more! Make it stop… ple-e-ease… make it stop. Princess, princess, princess." He heard her laughing. Rising from his bed, he crept closer putting his ear to the connecting door. "I DON'T WANT IT GOD! DO YOU HEAR!? I DON'T WANT IT! ...I don't want it.. You weakling…I cry, I cry, I cry and I CRY AND I CRY! GOD PLEEEASE! ...IF YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY LIFE, THEN AT LEAST GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO DO SO MYSELF...I TOLD YOU, I DON'T WANT IT!!! I DON 'I WANT IT...TAKE IT BACK!! I BEG YOU!! ... TAKE IT BACK!!!"

He knelt to peer through the keyhole at her, and saw her in a rage. Snatching the sheets and spread from her bed, screaming for God to take her life, she knocked pictures from the wall and threw things across her room. Yelling for the faces in her head to leave her alone, whimpering, "I tried Michael…mama tried..." He stood and cracked the door open to look at her, to see her snatching and fighting, and wondered who Michael was. He grew scared as if she was insane and at any moment would attack him too. He watched horrified, as she swept the dresser clean, then her vanity, then stopped and stared at herself in the mirror, her hair in wild disarray, her eyes swollen from crying as tears wet her cheeks, she swiped the back of her hand across her face wiping her running red nose, and laughed at what she saw.
       "LOOK AT YOU! Look at you. You coward! You beg for God to take your life ... take it yourself, go ahead! You want the pain to end, end it yourself, right here! Right now! Your whole life has been nothing but a waste. What have you done but ruin lives wherever you go! You were given a chance to keep one of your children and what did you do! ... You pushed him away ... Oh God! I pushed him away...I pushed him away…and now he hates me! Oh God please ... please! I have no need for this life! I have already bled to death in my heart. All you need do is remove the very air that I breathe and it would be done." She stopped begging and stared at herself again, and began to laugh, and laugh, then screamed, "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM GOD?!! I AM - PRINCESS CES-ALENA HUEBANA!! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I AM PRINCESS CES-ALENA AND YOU CAN'T TREAT ME…THIS WAY! YOU CAN'T-…"

Then came a growling scream, the shattering of glass, and retching sobs. Someone began banging on the locked door. He ran back to his bed, shaking, wiping tears from his eyes, as several voices blended together in the room next to his.

       Back then, the name she had called out meant nothing at the time. Princess Ceś alena meant nothing to him. Michael had meant nothing to him…but now it held all the meaning in the world. Back then he’d felt disgusted in himself that he should feel sympathy for her and had angrily wiped the tears from his eyes. Now, he ran. Princess Ceś alena. Ceś alena Huebana, the mother of ...Michael Ramsey Webster. He'd read it himself. Princess Ces- alena Huebana, mother of Golden Hope Webster, he'd read it and knew that it was true. His heart pumped as did his legs, so fast they practically lifted him from the ground. He ran non-stop around people in his flight, all were a blur as his rapid feet ate up block after block. Over and over again his mind re-read the ledger, re-read the page where entered as proof to see, that Maynard Ramsey Webster owned slaves, one of them, a female fancy, 'Princess Ces- alena Huebana' she had stood so above all others that her registry was entered on a page with only four others. Three sons and a daughter, with Manny's written claim at the bottom to say, "Our Children."
       His mind felt as if it were in a maelstrom attacked by powerful emotions crashing dangerously at the shore. With all senses heightened in crazy disorder he reached ‘Seasons In Fashion’ in no time, entering at top speed knocking over tables and dress stands.
       "HEY! YOUNG MAN! STOP! YOU CAN'T GO BACK THERE, COME BACK HERE!!" The young woman clerk shouted at him as she came from around the catalog counter. Lena had just stepped down off the stool and into her peach dress and Suzette stood behind her to close it when Rory came barging in through the privacy curtain.
       "RORY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Lena screeched in shock.
       "Young man you get out of here this very instant! You have no business back here. Oh Lena I'm so sorry ... Out young man, now!"
       "I gotta talk to you, NOW! Let's go." Rory blasted, ignoring Suzette as he stood over his mother, who stared up at him aghast, stunned as he grabbed her arm to pull her out.
       "What has gotten into you?! Don't you use that tone with me…let go of my arm!"
       "See here young man, you turn her loose! How dare you come in here handling my client in such a way, you get out of here now!" Suzette screeched grabbing his arm to pull him out. Rory snatched his arm away from her. "Lady - take your hands off me!" He snapped. "This happens to be my mother! Yeah that's right, so close your trap, mind your business, and we'll be out of here! Let's go dear - mother! Now!" And he dragged her from the room as Suzette stood, mouth agape.
       "Rory, you let go of me this minute! Do you understand me! Rory... Rory! I will-...will you slow down! Oh I can't believe this! You've done it this time!" Lena scolded as her son tugged her from the shop out on the street, ignoring her protest. Leading the way and taking long strides, he began snapping questions back at her.
       "Why!? Why didn't you tell me!?"
       "Tell you what?! Dag-blast you Rory, you stop this right now! Let - me - go!" She yelled, digging in her heels and snatching her arm away. He had no choice but to stop. Lena stood with her hands on her hips in high indignation. Rory turned to her. "Who are you? Hmm? I want to know now! Right now! Your name, your whole name, not just - Lena! But the whole - damn - thing!" He blurted down at her. Lena stared up at her son shocked. 'Why is he looking at me that way? Oh my God, he knows ... but how?'
       "Look Rory-…" Lena began calmly. "I don't know for sure what this is all about but here is not the place for it. Let's go home and talk, okay?"
       "Oh no no no no, not this time lady! Every time you say okay, minutes later you change and clam up on me! We're not going home, we're going someplace else, there's someone I need you to meet!" Lena was losing her patience. "You listen here young man, I am your mother! We're not going anywhere to meet anyone! We're going home and that's - that!"
       They were so involved in their argument; they paid no attention to the coach that pulled into the alley where Lena stood on the edge of the boardwalk of, facing her son. "Listen, mother or not, we're going where I say this time! If I have to pick you up, and I can …to throw you over my shoulder and carry you there, then so be it – I will!" He gritted down to her. Lena's eyes widened. "Oh you have really gone too far this time! How dare you order me about and threaten me!"
       "That was not a threat, now let's go!" He reached down, grabbed her hand and turned to pull her his way again. "Rory Everard Web-…" He heard her growl in anger before she cut off suddenly and snatched her wrist from him. No more games, he was now mad, 'All right, you asked for it… fine I'll carry you.' He spun with the intent of grabbing her to pick her up but she was gone.
       He stood there puzzled, wondering how she could have disappeared so fast, thinking, 'Now where'd she go that quick?' No sooner had the thought left his mind when he heard a piercing scream, startling him so the hair on his neck stood on end. He turned one way then the other in confusion. People stopped to look about, beside those who had already been looking at the two of them argue. The bystanders paled at the unfolding events. Rushing to the end of the alley off the boardwalk, he stopped and to his horror saw his mother being roughly handled as she was dragged down the alley. She was screaming, fighting and kicking with all she had. There waiting to receive her was a black coach and two men beside it, as two more held her and forced her towards it.
       Rory's heart felt as if it would burst. With white lights of fear flashing before him and his feet were suddenly moving at top speed toward his mother’s captors. One moment, Nate and Dwight were in the clear, all seemed to be going according to plan as they made their way toward the men who would force their captive into the coach, and the next moment he heard a tortured deep bellow.
       "HAAAY!! THAT'S MY MOTHER!! SONUVA'BITCH THAT'S MY MOTH-E-E-ER!! LET HER GOOO!" Nate turned and saw too late the knuckles of a fist, then felt it ram with a resounding smack into his nose. Overwhelming blinding pain exploded in his head upon impact.
       Rory didn't realize or care about the number of them; he was driven by fright and adrenaline. "He broke my nose! He broke my fuckin' nose! Kill the bastard!" Nate squealed in agony. Dave and Moosey stood stunned by the coach a moment as Rory turned on Dwight, who was still holding Lena. "LET GO OF MY MOTHER!!" He bellowed reaching over his mother's head, grabbing the mans hair, yanking him sideways as his fist struck him in the head and again in the mouth. "RORY NOOO – RUN RORY RUN!! DO-O-ON'T!!... RUN RORY PLEASE!!"
       "NOOO! YOU RUN, I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!!"
       Lena saw what he didn't, that Moosey and Dave were finally reacting. The men knew that she was the priority and charged forward to grab her, Lena was trying to help her son, screaming, "LET HIM GO RORY, COME ON SON RUUUN!" Before she could get him to move, she felt herself being lifted up off the ground from behind and carried away from her son by Moosey as Dave assisted Dwight with Rory.
       "NOOO, NOOO, DON'T HURT MY SON…NOOO!" Lena screamed in terror to see him trying to fight two men. Although he was giving them a good fight, it was too much for him. "LET HIM GOOO! I BEG YOU…I'LL GO WITH YOU! I'LL GO WITH YOU! JUST LEAVE MY SON ALONE!!" They ignored her and continued to beat on Rory who was losing strength fast. Lena then turned on Moosey and began fighting with all she had, scratching, clawing and biting she made him stagger as he tried to grasp her hands. Their instructions were not to harm a hair on her head. Nate who was leaning there holding his bloody nose didn't like the audience they'd attracted at the end of the alley. Neither did Patty who hadn't figured it would be this bad, he grew chicken, snapped the reins to the coach and took off. Wilkes who was with him up top yelled. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, THEY NEED HELP!" Patty shook his head. "You help'im then, I'm gettin' the hell out'a here!"
       "AAAH SHIT! PATTY... PATTY WHERE THE HELL YOU GOING!!" Nate cried through his bloody face. "MOOSEY GRAB THAT WOMAN AND COME ON!"
Moosey, whose name fit his shambolic nature, looked at him with a baffled expression during Lena's attack, wondering what he was to do with her going wild on him? He thought he'd only have to hold her, not fight her, pain finally registered in his brain making him drop her. Almost a block away Wilkes was finally able to jump off the coach since Patty was not going to stop to let him off. Last thing he wanted was to face Greyson and Winston's anger.
       Back on her feet, Lena found a sizable stone and swung it with all of her might into Moosey's head stunning him, dropping him to his knees, but not knocking him out.
       Nate turned holding his nose to see Moosey down and Lena rushing him, throwing his hand up to block her he yelled at Dwight and Dave, "KILL THE BASTARD ALREADY AND-…IIIIIIIIIIII." He howled in shattering pain as Lena kicked him in the nuts and delivered the very same rock she used on Moosey to his already broken nose. The pain knocked him cold. The two men turned Rory loose realizing they were wasting time. Lena launched the rock hitting Dwight and took off knowing herself to be the prey, she led the others from her son as she ran, and they followed.
       Moosey struggled up from the ground, shaking his head trying to clear it, trying to gather his senses he staggered off after them. "CATCH HER, CATCH HER, CATCH HE-E-ER!!" Dave yelled. The people at the end of the alley viewing the whole scene felt for her, but were frozen with fear, not wanting to get involved. There were too many men after her, and she was, after all just a Negro. They looked down at what had happened to the young man who tried to help her. Two men ran to him to help him up and give aid, Rory with their assistance struggled painfully to his feet, he could barely breathe for the pain in his rib cage. His mouth was swollen and bleeding, one of his eyes swollen shut. He staggered out of the alley with one thing on his mind, he had to get help.

*   *   *

       "11:45, I sure hope the hell he's there." Manny spoke out loud after putting his pocket watch away as he entered Carmine's restaurant. He looked up to see Mike, Joe, and Hope gathered at a table in the corner of the dining room waiting for him.
       "I've had a piss of a morning, dammit I was hoping Leon would be here by now." Manny started off as he reached the table.
       "And I've been looking for you as well… I met Rory today and he-…"
       "AH HELL!! I forgot to meet him! He came looking for me! I left to meet him and was intercepted by Captain Dempsey, he was in need of my assistance on the Sea Wolf…bloody hell…there are days when it's one thing after another." Hope chewed her lip wondering if she was jumping to conclusions after her meeting earlier with Rory. "So you say you met him? Where'd he go?" Manny asked. Hope shrugged, "He saw me…and just took off?"
       "Just like that?" Manny asked. Hope nodded deciding she would keep her theory to herself until Leon came and reported what he'd found at Dustinhurst.
       "As soon as we meet with Leon, I'm going to have to find him." Manny spoke agitated and anxious. Mike was the same, as he stood asking, "How much longer do you think he'll be?"
       "Dustinhurst is quite a distance out of town, maybe something went wrong and he couldn't talk to her right away, and so had to wait for some reason." Joseph commented.
       "He'll be here soon daddy, you'll see, we just have to wait. Why don't we all go ahead and eat." Hope suggested.
       "No, I can't." Manny shook his head. "I can't stand this waiting, I hate to wait. It gets on my nerves to wait and I hate for things to get on my nerves." His stomach was so shaky and nervous it triggered an anger in him mixed with extreme impatience. He turned from them unable to sit down and walked to the door of the restaurant, feeling the same, Mike joined him there. To keep from blocking the restaurant door, the two of them walked out on the boardwalk to look down the block in the direction he would be coming from.
       "Where is he?" Manny asked again, checking his watch. He couldn't explain it, but he was extra jumpy. Earlier he had been cool and calm but now there seemed to be an urgency wringing his nerves. In his stress, he looked down the opposite side of the block, where his son was also peering attentively with Joe who had walked out as well. About three blocks down and across the street, there was a large crowd of people gathering together staring at something going on.
      Carmine's was nearer to the wharf where as on the same street, further up the block and across the street was ‘Season's In Fashion’. "Now what the hell is going on down there?" Mike asked as if speaking to himself aloud. Manny shook his head. "Don't know, all I want is Leon to get here."
      "Someone is screaming! Did you hear that?" Mike asked looking back at his father. Without a word Joe started moving in the direction of the commotion. Mike turned, saw him, and followed. "Wait! Where are you two going, what about Leon?!" Hope called out to them. She looked back at her father, he was looking their way and he too moved toward the crowd. "Daddy! What about Leon?!"
       "He'll wait… I'm going to investigate." Hope sighed, looked toward the direction Leon would be coming from and then back to see her father, husband and brother running. "Ooou, wait for me!"

       "RORY! My God!" Mike exclaimed, putting all differences aside, he grabbed him from those that were trying to help him. "My Mother ... please ... help my mother ... they got my mother ... down the alley... quick! ... please!!!" Rory forced out with labored breathing. Mike and Joe sprinted for the alley before the last plea.
       "OH MY GOD!! WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HIM?!" Hope screamed on arrival.
       "GET HIM TO CARMINE'S HOPE!" Manny yelled over his shoulder as he headed off behind his sons. Rory felt tears stinging his scars as he tried to inhale deeply, which only hurt more. "Rory...Oh Rory." Hope began softly. "Come on, let me help you." Rory shook his head with tears in his eyes. "No ...I have to ... to help - my mother ... if anything ... if anything happens to her ... I've got to ... to help." He tried to pull from the wall to go back but his face screwed up into a deep grimace of pain. "Oh no you don't ...trust me, if anyone can help your mother ... they can." Rory stood looking down the street and shook his head as tears fell from his eyes. "You don't understand-..."
       "I do understand this; you can hardly stand on your own feet for the pain you're in. You've done all you can for her, let my father, husband, and brother help your mother. Please Rory, come on." He looked down at her, deep into her eyes, and knew, beyond all doubt, this was his sister. He shook all over, his legs felt like jelly as he let her support him. He thought he might throw up.
       "Here, I'll help you madam." A man offered who had been there to pick him up. Another one joined him as Hope thanked them, leading the way back to the restaurant. Leon rode up just as they were in the center of the street. Immediately upon seeing them, he dismounted and ran to give aid. "What happened?!" He asked urgently. "Rory was beat up trying to help his ... his mother." It was only then when she said that, as they were entering the restaurant that Rory heard the fear in her voice. He looked back at her as she stopped to tell Leon what was going on. The men carried him into the back of the restaurant. The kitchen door opened as Carmine was about to enter with food.
       "Rory! My goodness, look at you boy! Now what have you gotten yourself into?!" He asked with subtle scolding, the only one of Sandra and Lena's business associates that knew Rory to be Lena's son, a son that was in trouble often of late. Immediately he put down the food and called to one of his six daughters. "Louisa, take this order to table eight, I must see to Miss Lena's Rory." Hearing this restaurant owner talk familiarly about Lena and Rory made Hope and Leon glance at each other as they came into the center of the kitchen.
       "You know him, his mother?" Hope asked.
       "Here, seat him here ...ey mamah come see, hurry! Rory has been fighting with a bull I think." He called, pulling out a chair at the small table in the kitchen. "Aye, of course I do." Carmine answered Hope's question. "Some men ... some men Mr. Bager...they got my mother." Rory panted.
       Leon looked down at him and asked quickly. "Where Rory?!"
       "Oh -my God, Miss Lena! Why for heavens sake?" Carmine's wife asked after hearing Rory's panicked claim.
       "The alley – she ran behind the millinery... or … towards David's Fabric - warehouse." He gasped. Leon took off out of the restaurant. Hope sat before Rory with her pulse pounding in her ears and stared at him as Chelsea tended his cuts and bruises, all the while clucking her tongue in worried dismay over Lena.
       "Oh what is thisa world comina' to. Why the gentle Missa Lena, she harma no one, why these bada men go after your mamah?" It was then that Rory opened his one eye after having it closed against the pain to see Hope staring at him. The two remained that way, staring at each other, both knowing the other to be a sibling, both knowing this stranger before them, was actually their blood. Suddenly Hope swallowed deeply the lump in her throat and said. "Your mother ... is ... my mother, that's why you acted as you did when you saw me ...I look just like her, don't I?" Chelsea suddenly stopped her administering to him and turned slowly to look at Hope, who was still staring at Rory, who nodded yes.

"Oh my…what is this you're saying?" Chelsea asked, and then as her words penetrated, she gasped surprised. "Yes…it is true…you are very much like Miss Lena. What is going on?"
        Hope's eyes closed as she covered her mouth, tears gathered and fell. "Oh Daddy! We've found her ... we’ve finally found her."

========
Book Three
~ Family Reunion ~

Available now in
Paperback & E-book