Chapter 77: Chapter 77

Chapter 75: The rendezvous

"I've made my decision."

Mrs. Cunningham remained quiet, turning to her side of the bed. It was in the early hours of the morning. She was bereaved off any happiness. Having not seen or heard from her son in three days and Merri being asked to leave the main house. There was absolutely nothing to be ecstatic about.

"Well ignore me all you want but all I wanted you to know was, I spoke to a friend in London." Pausing he continued. "There's a family happy to welcome the child there. Hopefully it is a girl so she can work in the house when fully nurtured and grown."

In dismay his wife replied harshly. "That is not your decision to make. It's not even your child Walter..!"

"Austin and that your Merrigold are incapable of raising a child especially that kind of a child. Do you realize what they have done? Do you know understand the severity of their actions...? That child will come out looking like... something we have never seen before. It will be hard to hide, everyone will know. The shame we will continue to face because of Austin. I'm not having it. I do not condone any killing of an innocent being but it is best, that it stays far from us. I doubt, it would want to know a father like Austin. We're saving the poor child from harebrained and immoral parents."

"...it remains their child, none of our business to mind." She replied bluntly hurt. She felt helpless, he was not listening to any of her pleading or all that she had to say.

"Why are you supporting such disgracefulness...? Rosie, you're not to be the devil's advocate."

"My agreeing to your diabolical agendas is what labels me the devil's advocate!"

"No wife of mine will insult me in my own home."

"What will you do? Take me back to Hannover..." The woman hissed, maddened by her husband's selfishness.

"Woman, do not put words in my mouth... perhaps yes, return to you country of birth if you can not obey my rules as the man of the house."

"You're not the man, I married. Walter why are you being so cruel? This is your—" She pleased.

"Do not say it, please Rosie. The thought of my having mixed relations with a nigger is enough shame. My forefathers graves must be tumultuous with rage."

"Austin is going to be a father. Our son is going to be a father. If that isn't a blessing, I do not know how else I could convince you."

Walter sighed, scratching his scruffy beard. "We will not be laughing stock like the Gallagher's. I refuse."

"Let them laugh then... our happiness does not lie within how people see us."

"It does, fair enough it does."

There was silence.

The wrinkled old man spoke once more. "I reckon you're very much close to the girl and she views you as somewhat a mother figure. Convince her that this is best... as for Austin, he has always been a headless chicken. We do not need his word."

"I will not..."

"Please Rosie, this is for us..."

She looked down. "I can not." Mrs Cunningham would not inform her husband that in fact Merrigold would be gladdened. Even she did not want her child... for now, she thought. Merrigold was going through trauma, she only dealt with it by rejecting her parturiency... her being a mother soon enough. Mrs Cunningham knew that, Merri was capable of making complulsive decisions and she could agree to the shipping off of her children. Regardless her consent did not matter. Mr Cunningham only thought it was only right that she be informed of where her child was going. Perhaps she would have inner peace knowing she would be taken care of until she was a useful assert in a household.

"This is what is best for the child—"

"You pray it is a girl, I pray it's a boy. You know very well what that so called kind family will do to my grandchild."

"Yes, they will care for her till she is—"

"No, Walter. They will rape her! She is to be used for pleasure and factotum live in servant. I refuse to believe that there is a kind family that is simply willing to take her in with no ill intentions."

Her husband remained quiet.

"This will be a cycle. She will probably get pregnant by another white man. Inevitable isn't it... your bloodline will continue, whether you like it or not."

The old man felt a shiver run down his spine.

"A family willing to take care of an infant? You do not suspect nothing at all. You're naive enough to assume they simply want to raise a mulatto with no selfish intentions hidden behind all that facade. Do not be surprised when you hear that she is pregnant as soon as she starts her menstruating. This is the most vile thing you could ever do. Austin... Austin will kill you. He will strangle you to your death. You know how he can be... this won't end well. He loves this child already as it is. If you take that away from him... he will go mental on everyone."

"That is why... I need you to convince that your psychotic unstable son that the child is deceased." he sighed. "As soon as the child is born."

"Walter, no!"

"Whatever happens to the child later on is not our problem. It is not in our hands..."

"...no..."

"Rosie!"

"I refuse to be apart of any of this malice. Do you really care for the Bible and being Ernest or only what people will say about us?"

The man grumpily sighed. "I will never be Joshua Gallagher, he was wrong for leaving his family's estate in the hands of a mulatto. I blame William for our son's choice to impregnate a negro. I told you time and again that you should have never allowed our boy to spend so much time near those Neanderthals of a family. Look how he turned out. Exactly the same way."

Mrs Cunningham let our a sardonic laugh. "This...this is why Joshua Gallagher was always hostile with you. I see it now..." she paused. "You can never ever take responsibility, you always need someone, something, anything to blame for what you render shameful. You hide behind a Bible for your many prejudice judgments against innocent people."

Walter scoffed. "I wouldn't be surprised if you have been supporting and pushing our son into breeding with that girl. You have been narrowly desperate for Austin to settle. I hope you're happy."

"I'm happy indeed."

"I see..."

"Very happy."

"Disappointing."

"You're treacherous."

Walter decided he had, enough of their conversation and decided to leave the room. Mrs. Cunningham watched her husband pridefully walk out. Thankful he did because she was losing her mind. It was as if she had only realized he was narrow-minded on that faithful day. As if it was hidden all these years.

—

"Mr Cunningham...!"

"Mr Cunningham...sir?"

"Excuse me, sir!!"

"A word will you?"

"Austin, he calling you..." Merrigold pulled at his hand pulling him back.

"Yes?" Austin flashed a smile at the receptionist of the lodge he had been residing in for the past three days. It had three compartments, not anything prodigious. Having only seven employees. It was very private and extravagantly costly. It mainly catered for visitors from the west, willing to spend their dollars on accommodation in a foreign land. Luckily there was never a shortage of Americans and wealthy Europeans passing by the small town of Malborough as it was near the ports of Liverpool.

Coming to a halt, the man smiled. Laughing nervously... "Uh, you see sir...uhm...I'm not quite...uhm certain if you r-read our...uhm social code of eh code of conduct...basically we do not allow niggers."

Austin smiled. "Is that so? I will be sure to inform Harold that he needs to add a few changes to his establishment. I reckon as his lawyer, I should be the one filing such adjustments."

"...oh...uhm...my apologies..."

Austin faked a smile. "Not a problem...uh...what is your name? I will be sure to put in a good word for your idiocy—"

"I'm dearly sorry, sir. I was not aware that you're Sir Harold Kitchener's lawyer. I was only adhering to the rules. I will leave you both."

"Good. Bring the housekeeper up to my room."

"Of course, Mr. Cunningham."

Scurrying away. Merri muttered "You're very manipulative."

Austin turned to Merri and whispered. "I learnt that in law school. If I'm being completely honestly, I'm not even acquainted to Kitchener. He is a mutual friend of the Gallagher's. Met him once nearly four years back."

"You lied?" Merrigold giggled.

"Shut your mouth you beautiful woman, otherwise we will be destitute."

Merrigold only laughed at his sarcasm.

—

Time seemed to have passed by so fast. Merri ate a lot. Austin watched her growing appetite as they called for more food. They did not talk about their problems or any of the concerning matters at hand. Austin sat at a small desk in the corner filing and seemingly concentrated. He informed Merri that he was doing his job as his father's hate for him did not look promising. He needed the money that way they could be stable. Especially if Austin became disowned. It saddened Merri, she felt as if she was breaking a family. She did not want to tell him that 'it was only right they give the child away as it was causing more harm than good'. Merrigold did not want to think about it. Austin did not want to put her in a horrid mood or upset her. They laughed a lot. Merrigold told Austin that what he called a massage had to be the worst form she had ever had. Merrigold dreaded going back to her reality, as she saw the sun slowly fading into sunset. Sleeping on Austin's chest, they did not speak. They let it fade into darkness without a word. As if they had both agreed that she would not be returning that evening.

"Tomorrow we will visit William that way he checks on your healthy and our—"

It was then he realized she was asleep.