Chapter 7

EMILY'S POV 

"You look so much like her.”

"Her? Her who?" I asked like a dumbass. Because who was this man that was not my grandfather but looked like my mom, hugging me?

He pulled away from me, but didn't immediately let go of my shoulders, he chuckled awkwardly. "Forgive my manners." He introduced himself, "I'm Daniel Wesley. Your uncle."

He offered a handshake, "Nice to meet you." 

I took his hand in mine, even though it was a hug too late.

"Nice to meet you too."

He kept staring at me, "The resemblance is uncanny, indeed."

I smiled a bit under his piercing gaze.

Thomas returned and cleared his throat breaking the trance-like moment.

"We should get going."

 Daniel Wesley, the uncle let go of my hand finally and nodded at him.

Thomas took my suitcase from the car and when I tried to take it from him, he gave me an odd look that made me back away.

There was a troop of cars behind the one that Daniel Wesley had come in. Thomas went to one of the cars with my suitcase.

I joined Daniel Wesley in his car and Thomas joined as well in the passenger seat and we headed to the main estate to meet my grandfather.

I was a bundle of nerves.

What if he didn't like me? What if he had an issue with me being pregnant? I wouldn't care, I would leave as I did my child's father. 

I looked through the window, hoping that everything was true and I was not dreaming.

"Are you hungry?" Daniel Wesley asked me.

I turned my gaze at him, "No, thank you."

He raised an eyebrow.

Was he being doubtful? I couldn't tell.

He turned to the driver, "Stop at the eatery."

My mouth dropped open to protest but 

Thomas looked back and beat me to it.

"Mr Wesley, your father..."

"Oh please," Daniel Wesley cut him off, "He has been waiting twenty years, I'm sure he can wait a few more minutes."

It made me smile.

But this time I had to say something, "I ate on the way here. We don't need to visit an eatery or make the host wait."

Daniel Wesley, looked like he was considering it, then he stubbornly told the driver to keep going to the estate.

I was a simple girl.

Daniel Wesley had won me over by that single gesture of kindness.

I looked out the window.

Finally we arrived.

The house was... large.

I felt almost unworthy to step onto the premises. It almost seemed sacred for just a few people. I stared at the tall glass windows and the thought  of how many people it took to clean it crossed my mind 

"Is this...?" I started.

Daniel nodded and smiled, "You're home."

The nerves were back.

He must have noticed because he took my hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

There were many people standing outside, dressed in either serving clothes or suited up, both male and female. These had to be the staffs working in this mansion.

"Why are there so many people waiting outside?" I asked, hoping it wasn't for me.

Daniel the uncle didn't seem too pleased either, "Don't worry about them." 

He gave Thomas a look, and Thomas went out of the car and made the crowd disperse.

Oh shit!

I just got here, and I was already on a power trip.

I felt like my clothes seemed out of place here. I had been too sad that I had thrown on the first thing I saw while leaving.

My simple clothes against this luxury seemed like a crime.

My heart was pounding so loud, I could feel it in my throat.

"Ready?" Daniel asked.

No. I was nowhere near ready. But I nodded anyway.

I clutched onto my mother's necklace as a sort of comfort in this very bleak hour.

We stepped out of the car and headed inside.

An older woman in one of the serving outfits but a darker shade, rushed to the entrance to meet us and smiled at me as the sun shone from above.

"Mr Wesley, Miss Emily, welcome home!" She said in a motherly tone.

"Thank you," I replied.

She turned to the person behind her, whom I hadn't noticed before because of her overwhelming presence.

"Take Miss Emily's things to her room."

I wanted to protest for the upteenth time that day, but the suitcase was hastily dragged upstairs at the older woman's command.

Daniel had a grin on his face like he was enjoying a show.

"Madame Fe, you shouldn't overwhelm our guest. She just arrived." He said.

She looked back at him with a stern expression, like she didn't know what he meant, and then turned back to me all smiles again.

"This is Madame Felicity, we call her Madame Fe..." then he added, "the one who is in charge of this house and the people in it." Daniel Wesley introduced her.

She gave him a look and said, "I thought you'd finally grow up when you got married, but I guess not."

He chuckled and allowed Madame Fe to take me, while giving me a wink.

She pulled my arm, and started dragging me away, "Your grandfather is waiting for you."

My stomach tightened.

I suddenly didn't want to meet him.

Madame Fe led me through the house, and towards the living room. I was pretty sure I had passed the living room, but Madame Fe had assured me that that was just the waiting area for guests.

A door finally opened for us as we approached him and more than the opulence and extravagance of the rich and their obscene interest in tall vases and luxurious things I knew that for the life of me I could never understand why I should own them, I couldn't notice any of that, because in the middle of the room, sat him.

As soon as I saw him, I recognized him immediately... Or rather the smell of him.

He sat in a large chair, with an oxygen tube in his nose, connected to a machine standing beside him.

I knew he was old, but he looked really old.

Much thinner in person than in his photographs.

His eyes were still sharp, even though he had lost weight.

It was obviously a feature he had passed down to his children.

I stopped at the door.

Neither of us said anything.

His eyes moved over my face, like he was trying to commit me to memory.

I did the same to him too.

Then his eyes filled with tears.

I saw him trying to stand, I reached out my hand instinctively to stop him, but Daniel ran to his side, and stopped his father's progress at the task that seemed difficult for him.

"No," Daniel said.

Briefly taking his eyes off me, he said sharply, "Don't tell me what to do!"

Daniel sighed and moved away to stand behind his father.

"You're here.” He said in a calm tone, “Come..." William Wesley said to me.

"Um... okay," I moved to him and to get to his height, I squatted in front of this man whom I didn't know five hours ago.

His calloused, wrinkly slender hand rested on my face.

“You're really here,” he repeated like he couldn't believe it.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

He didn't wipe it away.