Chapter 17
“He can’t be,” She mumbled, with her father close behind.
“What’s wrong, honey? I thought you’d be happy he was a success?”
“But… But…” She stuttered going into her bedroom. She grabbed a pile of books from her side table and pulled a book from the centre. Sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, he draws his arm around her shoulder.
“I.. I read this,” She opened the book at a marked page.
Matthew leaned closer and read the page she had open.
**
Junior walked to the living room where he expected to find everyone, only to find Adam sat alone.
He looked to Adam as though to ask where they are and Adam shrugged. He went to open his mouth but was interrupted.
“Adam, bring Junior up here,” Matthew called down in a strange tone.
Without having to ask Junior followed him up the stairs and to Joanne’s bedroom. Where they found a serious looking Matthew, with Joanne crying on his shoulder and an open book on his lap.
Yuki sat at her feet whimpering.
“What is wrong, princess?” Junior asked, walking over and stopping beside her.
“Andy,” She pulled him onto the bed beside her and held him so tightly that it hurt. But he just wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, as she cried into his sweater.
“What’s wrong with her?” Adam asked him sad concerned.
“You know Junior and his father are the founders of…”
“Young’s. Yes, you told me.”
“Well, Annie didn’t know.”
“But that isn’t nothing to cry about?” Adam said confused as Junior silently listened and soothed Joanne.
“She had read up on all the local fishing history, including Young’s and found this,” Matthew showed him the book but didn’t hand it to him.
“She didn’t put it together until now. In short it says, the oldest son of Andrew Young – Andrew Young Junior, was to be married to the love of life, Joanne. But the day before the wedding, his bride’s cousin Amelie – who had wanted to marry him herself – told the bride that she and Junior had had sex the night before. The bride believed this having found Junior asleep in bed with an awake Amelie laid beside him.”
“I would never…” Junior began to say.
“I know, let me finish.”
Junior nodded, “Sorry, sir.”
“Junior woke up just in time to hear this and began to deny it and asking why Amelie was in his bed. But it was too little, too late. Joanne ran from the room and from the house. With Junior following her and Amelie following him, they walked to the door.
Only seconds later they heard a ruckus further along where she ran too. Not caring about being seen in his nightwear he left the house to Joanne laid bloody on the ground with people around her and a coach nearby. It turned out Joanne wasn’t looking where she was running and got hit by a horse and coach. She died in his arms. Amelie later admitted nothing happened, she had climbed into his bed only minutes before Joanne arrived. But he knew nothing. Her lust for him made her do it, but never wished any harm to her cousin.”
“I won’t let her die!” Junior said finally. “Neither will I.” Adam agreed.
“But that isn’t why she’s so sad,” Matthew said, trying hard himself not to cry. “I couldn’t lose her either, if it weren’t for you kids, I think I would have killed myself when you mum died. But that’s why she’s crying, because a week after her death Junior was found hanging by his dad. He left a note saying he couldn’t live without her.”
“I’m not going to kill myself, princess, because we know about her lies now and we can stop it.”
“But Edward…” She chocked.
His face fell at the sound of his brother’s name.
“What happened to my brother?”
“He broke his leg, it was put in a splint and fixed. But he developed blood poisoning and died less than a day after you hanged,” Matthew said gravely, but then perked up. “We can fix it all don’t worry, Annie. Edward will still break his leg and get blood poisoning. But we have medicines what can fix that now.”
“You do?” Junior asked hopeful, still holding Joanne. She had now stopped crying but still had her cheek on his chest.
“Yes, I have a cupboard full of old medicines left over. We will take them all with us in-case, but I will go online and find what kind of antibiotics we need,” Matthew stood up to leave.
“Don’t worry, I will not let anyone die, especially not my daughter. We will fix this,” He reassured them, before leaving to do research.
“You really love her that much?” Adam sounded surprised.
“She is everything I ever wished for and more,” Junior said and leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Adam gave the pair a sad smile, “Do you want me to make you and Junior a hot chocolate, Annie pennie?” Her head perked up and she gave her brother a watery smile.
“Alright, I’ll just be a few minutes,” He said and left the couple alone.
There was a moment of silence before Joanne chocked out the words, “I don’t want you to die.”
“Me to die? What about you?” He stroked her cheek.
“I never will let you die, princess, and with you by my side I will never want to die myself.”
“And Edward?” She sniffled and he couldn’t help but smile.
“It makes me so happy that you care so much. As your dad said, it is treatable. He will be fine too and you and me…” He ran his thumb across her lips.
“We are going to get married despite what your stupid cousin tries and we are going to have our own little family. Maybe five or six children.”
“Five or six?” She asked surprised.
He grinned and nodded his head, “Or more,” His eyes twinkled with amusement. “We already have one,” He picked up Yuki and popped him on his lap.
“Though his father looked like it could have been a bear and his mum an otter, maybe?”
“An otter-bear, really?” She laughed at him and how Yuki now lay in his arms like an overgrown baby.
When Adam reentered the room a minute later, he almost dropped the cups he was holding when he saw Junior and the dog.
“Oh my God,” He laughed, “Is he dead?” He places the cups on the side table.
As though on cue the dog’s tail wagged.
“It seems so. This is quite a strange little creature,” Junior smiled stroking Yuki’s stomach.
“He is that,” Adam said sitting beside his sister.
“You alright now?” He whispered.
She smiled and nodded.
**
Adam was in the front room with Junior bonding over football and Joanne was laid with her head on his lap.
“This is boring. Don’t you think so, Yuki?” The dog barked from where it sat on the floor in front of them.
The twins were still out and their dad had gone out to meet a friend who told him he could get him the antibiotics he needed without a prescription.
“What do you want to do, princess?” Junior asked without a second thought.
“I don’t know. Play with my hair and I’ll think about it.” She pulled hair bobble out of her hair and laid back again.
Junior felt his breath speed up. Never had he seen someone so flawlessly beautiful.
“You are so beautiful,” He whispered to her, running his fingers through her hair.
“Then we make a perfect couple, because you are gorgeous,” She told him smiling.
“Oh my God, you two. I think I am going to pass out from so much sweetness,” Adam playfully exclaimed and poked his sister who sat beside him. “Let the poor guy watch the footie and you go to sleep or something.”
“Err, your just jealous. It’s alright, Adam,” She lifted her feet and placed them on his lap. “You can rub my feet.”
“Go take a bath and I will.”
“Alright. I’ll be right back,” She said getting up and disappeared from the room.
“Oh and Junior,” She reappeared in the doorway, “You can have a bath after me, then you’ll smell all pretty too,” She said and left giggling to herself.
“She is adorable,” Junior smiled to himself.
**
“That built in bath is great,” Junior said reentering the living room dressed in some clothing Adam let him borrow.
Joanne was sat back on the sofa with Adam after he dried her hair with a hairdryer.
“You look cute, princess,” Junior chuckled noticing her attire, a pink bunny onesie.
“Yes, I do. Now play with my hair,” She pulled him to sit back beside her.
“You best not get used to this because when we move you won’t be able to do this,” Adam said rubbing his sister’s feet. “Plus I am doing this because I missed you,” He added quickly.
“Aww, I missed you too. But I will just have to get Junior to rub them,” She turned her attention to her fiance who was playing with her hair as football highlights play in the background. “You don’t mind that do you?”
“No,” He answered sounding shy.
“Are you blushing, little Andy?” She teased noticing the slight reddening to his cheeks.
He pursed his lips and tried to act nonchalant, “No.” But both siblings shared a smirk knowing otherwise.
“Don’t worry. Andy. I think you are so damn handsome, blush or not.” She kissed his hand and let him got back to play with her hair.
“If I have to watch you two drool over every other, I’m turning on a movie,” Adam stood up and put on some random DVD.
Not that it mattered, because the three spent their time talking and joking.
“You put the ring on?” Junior asked happily.
She nodded. “Show me that,” Adam asked.
“Wow. That looks expensive.” He looked impressed.
“It’s beautiful, I love it,” She gave Junior a loving smile. “He bought me it in Poland, despite me telling him he didn’t have too. He also got me a fancy dress.” She tapped her chin, “I’ll have to go online and work out what I am meant to do with my hair,” She thought out loud.
But stopped when they heard the front door open.
“Twins?” Joanne looked at her older brother. “No. Dad, I think,” He replied.
“Err, I think I broke myself,” Joanne and Adam both groan as Sam entered the room and laid on the floor with his eyes closed.
“What you doing here, Sam?” Adam asked not even bothering to hide his annoyance.
“I spent too long at the gym,” He didn’t open his eyes.
“You were there this whole time?” Joanne looked at the time and noticed it had been almost four hours since they saw him.
“Yes,” He groaned not feeling Junior’s cold stare.
“I don’t think I want to go anymore,” He opened his eyes to see Yuki standing next to him.
“Arr, devil dog.” He shot up and Yuki started growling at him.
Both Adam and Junior sniggered and Joanne rolled her eyes.
“Yuki, come to mummy and leave the smelly man alone.” The dog turned around, ran over to her and jumped on her.
“I said leave him alone not sit on me!”
“I’m not smelly. I had a shower,” Sam smelled himself and looked at Joanne, noticing for the first time who she was sat with.
“I can do your hair if you need it doing?” He said noticing Junior playing with her hair.
“No. I like what Andy is doing.” She smiled up at her fiance.
“I can do that too,” Sam walked over.
“Why didn’t you go home?” Adam asked him.
“I came to see the twins and Jo,” He said reluctantly sitting in an armchair.
“Well, the twin’s are fucking your mum, so you should go home.”
Junior couldn’t help but laugh at how blunt Adam was.
“Yeah, right,” Sam brushed it off and turned his attention back to Joanne. “What you doing tonight?”
“Sorting my room out.”
“That sounds boring. Want to go out with me?” He asked not caring at her obvious relationship with Junior.
“No.” She said and Junior glared at him.
“Come on?”
“No, she is my wife! Now if you don’t want a broken jaw, you should either shut up or piss off,” Junior growled. Sam’s eyes widen and he looked to Joanne expecting her to say something, but nothing.
“You aren’t married,” He tried to say, but Adam cut in.
“But they will be soon.”
“But they aren’t yet so I still have a chance.”
