Chapter 25
“Millie, sweetheart?”
“Father? What are you doing back?” The slightly ruffled yet pretty blonde haired girl questioned walking to the Young’s house, where her father stood in the doorway.
She had seen the outline of a couple of other men but they disappeared before she could see who they were. But the first thing that came to mind was Andrew Junior.
She couldn’t control a smile from grazing her face. Yes, to see her father, but more for her beau, the young man who would soon be her husband.
He said he wasn’t interested, but he spoke to no other women or interacted with them sexually if the rumors were true. She had a liking to believe they were.
“We returned early. But more about that later. Go home and tidy yourself. Do not tell anyone of our arrival. I want to surprise your mother,” He told her, but then quickly added.
“And do not worry about Eddie, he has gone to town with his brother.”
“Thank you, father.”
He gave her a hug and she tried to shrug him off. “People will see, father.”
He sighed and released her.
“I will do as you say,” She said and without another word walked to their house and disappeared inside.
“Sometimes I wish she was a bit more… Friendly,” He mumbled staring at his house.
“It’s not your fault,” Andrew said from behind him. “Ettie spoiled her. Made her think she was above everyone.”
He knew he should be angry that his friend was speaking about his family like that but he knew it was true.
“It is my fault. I saw what she was doing and didn’t stop her,” He admitted.
“Don’t worry, Derek. I know everything will work out.”
Derek smiled, “If anyone can, it’s you.”
Matthew and Ettie had always been close growing up and she had always adored her big brother.
“So how is this going to work?” Matthew asked his friends. “Where we going first?”
“I think it would be best to approach Ettie and Tilla first. That way we will have more people to help break it to your parents.”
“Should I tell them all the truth or the cover story?”
They had discussed and decide that if anyone outside the family asked where Matthew had been all these years, he would tell them he fell overboard, lost his memory and washed ashore somewhere.
Once there he met and fell in love with a woman. This is where part truths come in.
They got married, had children, but then a drunkard killed her with a carriage.
Her sister helped him raise the children and they had a fling.
Cookie was born, but her mother died.
It was better than telling them she was his bastard child and her mother abandoned her because she was a selfish cow.
Why does little Cookie have a slight American accent? Easy, they travelled a lot and being young she picked up an accent.
“The women, I think we should tell the truth,” Andrew suggested. “But your parents… I think we should play it by ear.” Derek nodded in agreement.
“Are you ready to see your sister and meet your niece?”
“Yes,” Matthew nodded. “I am looking forward to seeing them.”
And maybe slap Millie. He felt bad for thinking and feeling that. But Matthew was still furious about what he had discovered during his last visit to the future.
Only a minute later they were walking into Derek’s house.
The house wasn’t as large as Andrew Snr’s but it was just a nice.
“Hello…?” A woman’s voice called.
“Hello, Darling,” Said Derek as he entered the room his wife and Andrew’s was sat in.
“Derek!” She exclaimed rising from her chair just in time to see the two other men enter the room.
She froze staring at the third man.
“Oh my lord…” Said her best friend, Tilla – Andrew’s wife – stood up behind her.
“It cannot be…” She mumbled, walking closer.
“Mattie?” Tilla questioned with a shocked expression, her friend still stand frozen.
“Hello Tilla, Ettie,” He said with a small smile. His young niece was nowhere in sight, thankfully.
The word had barely left his mouth when first Tilla and then Ettie a second later threw their arms around him, crushing him in a hug.
He smiled but felt tears in his eyes. He had missed them a lot more than he ever admitted.
“I missed you both too,” He drew his arms around them both.
Both women had fared a lot better over the years than their spouses. Neither had a grey hair and both looks more in their thirties than their forty-three years.
Ettie pulled back and with tears in her eyes, slapping him across the face before kissing his cheek.
Tilla stepped back and Andrew hugged his wife from behind, kissing her head.
“Where have you been?!”
**
“Polly, you is so prettiful,” Cookie stood talking to her new doll.
She had the shop full of the best Porcelain dolls and toys but was drew to a rag doll with red wool hair.
She had the shop full of the best Porcelain dolls and toys but was drew to a rag doll with red wool hair
Junior had even insisted on buying her a dolls pram out of his own money.
She had instantly fallen in love and was now attached to the object.
Everyone seemed to stop and stare at the new people, the older generation especially taken by the tiny red hair girl and her baby.
Right now, they were stood in a local clothes shop choosing a couple of outfits for the young girl and buying her some underwear.
She had plenty of modern stuff, but she shouldn’t wear them if they wanted to fit in. It wasn’t worth the risk.
Junior wasn’t with them. He had left fifteen minutes before to call to a couple of other places in town to do business. He hadn’t told Joanne what and she hadn’t asked, trusting him.
“I think you would look pretty in this,” Edward suggested and Luke pulled out the dress. It was navy blue with lace cuffs and collar. The dress had a polonaise element, making it perfect for days out.
“Prettiful.”
“We’ll have this too,” Her brother passed the dress to the store keeper.
She had already suggested they buy the little girl some play clothes and for that reason they choose three simple dresses and pinafores to keep the dress clean. Apparently they were what little girls wore to play in.
A couple of bonnets, a cape and a fur muff and they were complete. They had already gotten shoes for both girls and their older brothers from another shop.
The men hadn’t needed much but bought a few pieces for themselves.
Lillian Jones, the dress shop keeper had been a Godsend helping not only choose Cookie’s clothes but also Joanne’s.
“Thank you, Lillian.” The women had become fast friends in the short time they knew each other.
Lillian had told her, she owned both this and the men’s wears shop next door with her husband. He ran the men’s shop while she ran the women’s.
Joanne told her their mother had died, which is why she wasn’t sure of what to wear as her mother previously laid out and bought clothing for the pair.
She hated lying, but knew she couldn’t tell the truth.
“It has been a pleasure,” The older woman said with a smile.
Joanne knew without-a-doubt she would see her again soon.
“Thank you for your help. We’ll see you again soon, I hope.”
The woman smiled brightly and nodded. “Yes, soon.”
“By Lian,” Cookie called making her laugh.
“Goodbye, little miss.”
Joanne walked beside Cookie and Edward as they left the shop.
Her brothers walking a little ahead and placing the boxes in the carriage Junior had hired for the day.
“Annie, am sleepy,” The little girl said rubbing her eyes.
“Okay, Cookie. We’ll just wait for Junior and then we will go home, okay?”
She nodded her head but kept pushing her pram towards the coach.
“I’ll take that, Miss,” The coach driver picked the small doll from the pram, passing it to Cookie, before placing the pram on the coach.
She thanked him and he smiled, letting her know it was no trouble.
The whole group had gained attention and admirers though none of them approached the group due to rules of etiquette. But it didn’t stop them from looking.
Junior had been sure to tell the owner in each shop they went in that the other men were Joanne’s brothers so they wouldn’t think she was unescorted and a loose woman.
Luke was just helping his baby sister into the carriage when someone knocked him and would have caused him to drop Cookie if it wasn’t for Mike who was stood inside.
“Oh, I am sorry, sir. I beg your pardon,” A young girl, no older than fifteen said politely.
But despite her frown, her eyes held a smirk.
“Watch where you’re going!” Luke snapped taking the girl by surprise.
Then turned back to his small sister, “Are you alright, Cookie?” He asked stepping into the coach.
“Yep,” She nodded, then yawned and laid her head on Mike’s shoulder. She was now sat on his lap.
“You nap,” He chuckled when she pursed her lips. It had become a ritual for her to kiss everyone before sleeping. It first happened the first night they met and she had asked for the same every day since.
After the three brothers had kissed her, Luke turned back to help Edward and Joanne in only to find the girl still stood there.
He ignored her as he climbed out of the coach and moved to help his sister and then Edward into the coach.
“You know Edward Young?” The girl asked.
He smiled watching Cookie insist on kissing the two that had just entered.
She seemed to have taken a shine to the young teenage boy and he seemed to find her quite amusing.
Especially when she kicked another little girl who tried to take her doll in the toy shop after it had already been paid for.
The girl’s mother had apologized but Cookie still wasn’t happy about it.
“Hello?”
Luke turned around with a glare just in time to see Junior and another man walk over.
“Oh good, you’re back,” He sighed.
“Cookie is falling asleep and everything. Are you finished?”
Junior was completely ignoring the girl too. But it was clear he knew her.
“Yes. I got it,” He exchanged a look with his soon-to-be brother-in-law.
“Hello Andrew,” The young girl greeted Junior with a smile.
“Goodbye, Jeanette,” He climbed into the coach but pause to say goodbye to the man who had walked with him before moving into the coach with Luke and telling the driver to take them home.
Cookie was already asleep, seeing her he couldn’t help but be excited for the days when he had a child of his own with Joanne.
“Hello Princess,” He sat beside and placed a kiss on his fiancée’s lips.
“I missed you.”
She chuckled, “You were only gone twenty minutes.”
“Yes, but that is twenty minutes of my life without you I am never going to get back,” He leaned in and took her mouth in a deep kiss.
But all too soon a throat was clearing, forcing him to draw back.
“You may be our friend, but that doesn’t mean your brother or we want to see that,” Adam said teasingly.
“I am still in shock my brother actually likes women.”
