Chapter 12 Amelia Ridley
Amelia Ridley
Father insisted they do something before the rumors got out of hand, especially after news of Adesua’s run-in in Harlem had begun to get some traction.
Surprisingly, for once, Kavita had been left unscathed by the public.
Her poor bride-to-be engagement party ruined by a sudden death.
This was a turning point for her. Kavita was now the good egg.
Amelia was caught in the cross fire because of her pure disdain for Metropolitan Musings.
She wasn’t too fond of the narrative twist on Adesua.
This made the public look at them sideways even more.
Kavita, on the other hand, fed the press what they wanted.
Any of her faults, she owned, from dating a married politician to wearing outrageous outfits to making a scene at events.
She was the black sheep, and everyone loved that the odd one out was finally emerging from the ashes.
Father suggested they put the light back on Kavita since the public now had sympathy for her.
Amelia, for the first time, wasn’t the sister who had the spotlight for her quiet confidence.
If anything, now she felt like a nuisance to her father instead of the shining star of the Ridley Line.
Bitterness rose at seeing how Kavita had it so easy.
She was getting to marry an ole bloke from New York, whereas Amelia had strict guidelines as to whom she could be with.
Amelia didn’t have any other choice, as the annual World Alliance Shipping Convention was later that day and the last thing they needed was discussions of Dale’s death as a distraction.
“Our family has been distraught over the recent passing of Dale Caimen,” Amelia said, taking a brief pause before continuing.
“As some of you didn’t know, he was very close to our family at one point.
He even went to school with Wei and Omar.
He would come over with his journal in his hand, always writing.
That was the Dale we knew. So when he took over Metropolitan Musings, we were proud of him for always sharing the truth, even if we sometimes looked bad.
Because we have all made mistakes. This is why we formally invited him to publish Kavita’s good news of being engaged to someone who was never in our circle.
An honest man.” Amelia gestured toward Kavita and Franklin. They looked nervous but steadfast.
“Which is why, for the first time in the history of the Ridley gala, we are inviting everyone to another party after Kavita’s wedding reception. On New Year’s Eve, anyone and everyone is invited to the Ridley estate to ring in the new year right. This will be a time for fellowship and love.”
The crowd screamed with joy and anticipation for the barriers of high society to fall down right before them. Amelia had winged that last part and hadn’t thought through the logistics, but she thought, May the last be first.
Omar pulled Amelia to the side at the docks as everyone dispersed. “Mellie, what’s really going on? Wei may be too cocky to ask, but as your brother, I want to know: Why are you keeping us in the dark?”
Amelia was taken aback by Omar approaching her in this way.
She furrowed her eyebrows in disappointment.
She knew that Father had been planning for her to do this, so she didn’t feel the need to listen to Wei and Omar.
If she was going to be the one to take over the Ridley Line, she didn’t need their opinion anymore.
Father wouldn’t ask other people for advice on small decisions like this.
“It’s not my choice how Father wants to handle business. You all act like I asked for this. Father has his own motives, and what say do we have?”
She’d always thought they were on the same team.
Now Amelia felt like she was being ostracized for standing up for her siblings.
If it wasn’t for them and all these never-ending scandals, she wouldn’t have to do any of it.
As always, she was the one cleaning up their messes.
Amelia would rather Wei or Omar do it, but it wasn’t like anyone in this family believed or told the truth.
Why did they feel like she wasn’t worthy of becoming the owner or making wise decisions?
Mother got between them. “Enough. We just got out of hot water with the press, and now you want to dive back in!”
Amelia walked away, heading toward Father and Mr. Pierre.
They rushed Amelia into the car to head to the convention, much to Wei and Omar’s displeasure.
They were upset that she was invited to go instead of them.
However, Father had his ways of convincing them that she was the best choice, though Amelia would rather have stayed home, under her covers with a book.
When Mr. Pierre gracefully opened the door for them, Amelia stepped out onto West Forty-Fourth Street, taking in the entrance of the New York Yacht Club.
The doorman straightened as they approached.
Amelia hurried past her father before he could parade her in front of every eligible man’s face.
She knew this place too well by now, and headed straight into the banquet hall, pausing briefly to accept a schedule from a white-gloved attendant.
It listed nothing out of the ordinary—only talks about shipping innovations, White Star’s upcoming passenger lines, and expansions of Holland America.
She could already see her father’s mind reeling and churning with new ideas for the Ridley Line.
The convention brought in people from nearly every state and worldwide to bring the shipping industry to the next level.
Amelia stood out for two reasons: She was a Ridley, and she was one of the few women present who wasn’t a wife.
She oversaw the safety and well-being of the Ridley Line workers, a responsibility she took to heart.
She remembered her first day working alongside her father at the docks as he showed her the ropes.
This was when the men had scoffed at her with every step.
Then, over the years, the workers thought it was adorable that she was with Father.
But as a teen, when she would accompany her father more seriously, they noticed she would sometimes eavesdrop on the workers’ conversations.
Although Amelia truly did it in the hope of helping them.
She kept notes in a notepad, recording the complaints and occasional cries that brought her to tears.
“How am I supposed to be the man of the house,” she’d once heard an aggravated man say to another, “when I can’t even bring enough money home to support my family?”
At sixteen, Amelia had marched into her father’s office with precise calculations indicating where money could be redirected from showy donations to real-life worker support.
He was impressed. In that moment, he’d assured her that she would someday oversee the company.
Even then, Amelia hadn’t felt that was enough.
Wei and Omar had shown loyalty and consistent efforts working at the Ridley Line.
As she grew older, Amelia saw the clear differences in how Father treated her versus the rest of her siblings.
To the public eye, she knew the Ridleys looked like they were doing something innovative by adopting children from around the world.
But was her father any different from the rest?
Amelia shook her head because she knew, deep down, that Father had always planned for her, his blood child, to be the owner.
Though Mother could not give him children of her own, he had found a way and would use religious texts to back his decision.
He was predictable, and that was one thing Amelia was glad she didn’t get from him.
Amelia brushed it off, thinking her wits and long-term strategy were best for the Ridley Line—but were they?
Now she sat beside her father in the banquet hall, missing Zelda’s book club but knowing this was important.
Her father was proud of the work she had done, and he relished showing her off.
At the podium, Commodore Harold S. Vanderbilt welcomed everyone seated at their tables for the banquet.
Vice Commodore Vincent Astor and Rear Commodore Winthrop W.
Aldrich took the podium, mentioning new transatlantic routes, acknowledging Edward Ridley and the Ridley Line, and praising his philanthropy and decades of holding the America’s Cup.
Sitting next to her father was Henry Ford, the two of them having their own conversation.
Two seats to Amelia’s right were Daniel Ludwig, who looked close to Amelia’s age, and Stanley Baldwin.
Amelia overheard the tail end of their conversation and wanted to offer her input, but she hesitated. She listened further.
“One thing troubling me is how we can prevent future labor strikes with our workers,” Daniel said. “As I build my company’s foundation, there must be warning signs before these things happen, right?”
Amelia could hold her tongue no longer. “There are plenty of warnings, but most of the time, those in charge choose to ignore them to focus on ‘greater’ problems. They assume, Who wouldn’t want to keep a job in times like these?”
The men, stunned to hear a woman speaking so clearly and confidently, all turned toward her, intrigued.
“Well, aren’t you a peach?” Stanley signaled for the others to listen. “Tell me what you and your father have done, ’cause I see it’s working in your favor.”
“I have been a part of the business since I was young, so I never really saw the workers as workers, but family members of this one big moving machine. I first had my father sponsor housing for workers who traveled from out of state for a chance to work here in the city. I sent five children of our employees to the top schools here, and some even chose boarding schools in my father’s home state of Pennsylvania.
We ensure proper safety protocols and give bonus incentives for maintaining an accident-free zone.
We give the workers something to look forward to. ”
The men sat, spellbound, seeing their workers as people for perhaps the first time.
But Amelia knew, deep within her, that if they didn’t have heart or genuinely want better for themselves, their company wouldn’t outlast the Ridley Line, no matter how much wealth they had gained.
She didn’t want the title of the Ridley Line, but no one else noticed the things that she saw them constantly overlook.
Maybe it was time she fully stepped into the role.
Daniel was elated at her answer. “Mr. Ridley, you got something grand on your hands, sir. Somethin’ grand.”
After the banquet ended, Father beamed with joy at Amelia. “Oh, my darling, you shone so brightly tonight!”
Amelia looked up at him. “Thanks, Father. I know I don’t have the same bluntness or forwardness as Wei or Omar, but I am happy to make you proud. Which makes me bring this up: Why must we keep who I really am a secret?”
Father sat on the bench before the grand hall, looking down at his hands. Amelia noticed his mood fall as she sat next to him.
“Father, what’s wrong? Did I say something?”
His eyes reddened as he looked away.
“I was ashamed of embarrassing your mother even further. Amelia, you are Haitian. People would have treated you differently. I made the decision to hide your Black side in fear of what would happen. Adesua has it easier than you.” His voice croaked as he struggled to get each word out.
Amelia’s chest felt heavy as if someone had squeezed her heart and wouldn’t let go.
First, she had forgotten what her birth mother looked like and that she was Black all along.
Second, Father thought Adesua had it easier.
What in the hell was that supposed to mean?
Her mind couldn’t keep up with what was going on around her.
She thought she had experienced heartache before, but this was a feeling like no other.
Amelia pressed a hand to her chest, gasping for air through her sobs.
“Sweetheart, please calm down. I worded that wrong. I meant Adesua doesn’t have to choose a side.
She is seen as a Black woman in her community.
With you being mixed race, you’re too damn bright for them, and they see you as a white woman.
You can be angry at me, but you’re my daughter and I am going to make sure you are taken care of,” he said, gripping her hands.
Taken care of? she scoffed in her mind. The only one who took care of her was Mrs. Darla.
She had been taking care of her siblings for as long as she could remember, while Father was building the company and Mother was going through her moments of insanity.
Which now made sense: It was her father who’d driven her mad.
“I want you to carry the mantle, Mellie. You were always destined to make history. Please take my position, sweetheart. I have been getting sick more so recently. I feel that I am confusing myself more and more lately. I don’t want to make any wrong decisions.
Wei and Omar have both agreed although they were reluctant, but you must make them feel like they have a little control—all right, dear? ” He chuckled at the thought.
Amelia’s vision blurred. She didn’t know exactly what or who she wanted to be, especially after the letter saying that one of them would be known as a murderer.
She looked at her father with concern as she scrunched her eyebrows together.
Did he know? Was this his way of doing damage control?
It would make perfect sense for Father to have done it.
He was always irritated to see a damning headline about their family tarnish their reputation.
Father seemingly kept calm in front of Mother, but what if it ate at him?
“Are you going to be okay? What’s wrong with your health, Father?”
Father looked down. “I don’t want you to worry about that. I have the best doctors in town aiding me. You just may not see me at home as much. I just want you to promise you will do anything to protect our family. If I come to a point where I can’t.”
“Father, certainly, I will do anything to protect our family,” she said while hugging him.
She stepped back into the yacht club’s coatroom to retrieve her coat. As she put her hand in the pocket, her finger was poked by a tiny red card.
We know who you Ridleys really are. The world will find out soon.