Chapter 10 #2
“I know. Before your mother died, she told me everything. She told me about the dates that the two of you would have in the name of getting together. I have to admit I was angry with her at first, but then she told me about the things that you were doing. How you were seeing the world one place at a time. She also told me that if I couldn’t be nice to you after all this time, I was to forget I had a daughter and go on with my life.
” Hailey started to cry, and he held her tighter.
“I was a bastard to you when you were a child, and I so want to make it up to you now if you’ll let me.
” He looked at his mother. “It’s time you left.
I can see this was a mistake in inviting you over to see her now.
I should have known that you’d not have forgiven her for what you thought of as a slight against you.
She should never have been put in that position, and I have never hated you more than I do right now. ”
“So Mildred went behind my back and saw you, did she? Well, had I known, you can bet that it wouldn’t have happened again.
The bitch should have done what I told her, and things might have been easier on her.
” Hailey asked her grandmother what she’d done to her mother.
“Nothing that I wanted. She was far too clever, apparently for me to get the goods on her about you. I wish she were here right now, and I’d show her what it was to mess with me. ”
“Get out of my house.” She lifted her chin and told her son that she would not. “You will, or I’ll cause trouble for you by calling the police. I should have known that you had something up your sleeve about Hailey. She’s married and happy. You should be happy too.”
“Well, I’m not.” He left them to go to the hall and called for someone to call the police. “You will not raise that tone with me, young man. I’m still your mother.”
“And a sad excuse for that, too.” He went to the door then and opened it. “You have until the police show up to get out of here and show your face again. I have had enough of you and what you think about me and my wife, too. She was a good person and a better parent than I was.”
“Because she had a few dates with your daughter? That’s not right, and you know it.
She was sneaking behind your back, spending your money on god knows what with her.
You should have divorced her when I told you.
” He said that he was happy that he’d not followed her advice.
That he’d had some good years with her these last five.
“Then she got sick. I thought that she’d never die. ”
“Mother. I’m not going to say this again.
I want you out of my house right now and never return.
” She stood up but didn’t make her way to the door.
The butler was there with her things, a coat and purse, but she made no move toward them.
“Father, you may stay if you wish, but I’ll have no more talk about my daughter or wife.
They were good to me despite my being a cruel bastard that I was. ”
“I’ll go. I don’t want to, but I have to go.” Mr. Sheppard stood up and smiled at the two of them. “Hailey, you have a good life. Gleason, I know you, too. You did all right by selling off your family farm. I’m proud to call you grandson-in-law even if no one else is.”
“What are you going on about? They’re going to divorce, or I’m going to have to do something that will get them both into trouble.
” Mrs. Sheppard was still talking about divorces and taking care of things as her husband led her out the door.
“I have things to say, you know. I want things to be done the way that I want them to be.”
Marshall closed the door behind them and asked his butler if he’d made the call. When he said that he’d not, the man nodded. Going back into the living room, he sat in the chair again and looked like a man who had been defeated.
~*~
“I’m sorry. I had no idea that she’d be here.” Dad waved her off and told her not to worry about it. “But I do. She’ll make it difficult for you in the future, and then what will you do?”
“Nothing. As I have done before.” He looked at her, and she asked him what he meant.
“I’ve been going my own way since your mother talked to me.
I’m not going to say it was easy for her to convince me that I needed to be a better father to you, but when she showed me the pictures of the two of you together, it made me see the light, so to speak. ”
“The two of us would meet twice a month until the last few years. I guess I understand now why she didn’t want to be face-to-face. She was dying and didn’t tell me about it.” He nodded and blew his nose. “Don’t cry, Dad. I’m here now.”
“I never knew anything that your grandmother was doing. Dad would hint about things, and I’d be able to nip it in the bud before it got too far, but I had no idea that she was still planning for you to marry Colin.
I would have had to kill him had he touched you again.
” Gleason said that he’d have to wait in line.
“I can see that you love my daughter, young man. Can you tell me how long you’ve been together? ”
“Not long. It was love at first sight.” He nodded again, and she asked her dad what was wrong. “You look like you’ve lost something. Does my being here make you sad? I can leave now if you want. I wasn’t sure this was a good idea in the first place. And doubly so with grandmother here.”
“She’s the one who trained me on how to be a father.
Your mother, too. We were supposed to raise you to be seen but never heard from.
I guess we took it a bit far at times.” He looked up at her.
“Do you suppose that she really took a son from the hospital when I was born? That’s all I can think about is that she might well have left a little girl behind because she wanted a son. ”
“I’m sorry to say that I wouldn’t put anything past her.” Hailey asked if she’d told him to do that when she was born. “I mean, it would go a long way in seeing what sort of person she is.”
“She did tell me to make sure I brought home a son. But since you were already born, I didn’t think anything about it. She wouldn’t even see you when I first brought you home. Then she hired nannies to care for you, and I let her. Even then, your mother intervened with them.”
“Mom kept me safe.” He nodded, and she decided that was all he needed to know.
“Can we just go on like nothing happened? You want to get to know me, and I think that’s where we should head.
Gleason and I will come and visit you at times, especially after the children come, but I don’t want to be depressed every time I come here because grandmother is here. ”
“Visit me? I guess I thought that you’d come here to stay with me.
I guess that’s too much to ask. You have a life of your own now.
” She said that they had a beautiful house that was built for them, and they want to raise their children, and about Gleason’s brothers.
“Yes, I should have known that. My dad seemed to know.”
“I have five brothers, and two of them have wives. When the others are married, we’ll be all together still.” Gleason looked at her and smiled. “I couldn’t be more in love with Hailey if she were carrying my child.”
“You’ll have children? That would make me very happy.
Perhaps I can be a better granddad than I was a father.
If you’ll allow me the chance. I won’t be able to get back those years, but I’d still like to get to know you and your family.
” He blew his nose again. “I had no idea that my mother was up to whatever she was doing. I wouldn’t put it past her that she’s known where you are all this time.
She was right in saying she gets what she wants. ”
“She’ll have no more luck with me now than she did before.
I’m a lot stronger than I was as a child, and I won’t allow her to bully you either if you want me to stand up for you.
” He laughed. It sounded like he was surprised by it, and that made her laugh a little.
“I think I can take her on and come up on top. Mom sure did. She seemed surprised that we were meeting all those times.”
“Yes, Mildred said that the two of you would meet a couple of times a month. Then she stopped it when she found out that she had cancer. She didn’t want you to know so that you’d come home.
She didn’t want you here with your grandmother.
” She said that she saved her once again.
“There is a letter somewhere around here for you that your mother wrote. I’ll get it for you here in a bit.
But for now, let’s not talk about anything but what you’ve been up to.
Did you have a large wedding? Did you go on a nice honeymoon? ”
“We were married at the courthouse and haven’t had a chance to do much more than to come here after we did it.
” She told him some of the things that she’d been doing, leaving out the Sheep for now.
When dinner time rolled around, he invited them to stay, but they told him that they’d rather have dinner out.
He nearly leapt out of the chair to join them.
She wondered how often he left the house when he told her.
“I don’t get out much. I don’t even go to work anymore unless it’s just to hang around with the people there.” He said he’d have to change. “I’ll get that letter for you while I’m up there.”
When he was gone, she looked at Gleason. “I think that things are going to go well from now on. He stood up to his mother, and I think that was the first time he’s ever done that.”
“I agree.” She looked around the room. “It’s just the way that I remember it. Dark and stogey. There was never a part of me here either. I would either stay in my room or hide somewhere in the house. There are wonderful memories of me hiding from the nannies.”