A TWIST OF FATE
Chapter Fifty-Two
Rose sat up in bed. The doctor had forbidden
her to get up yet. This only helped to depress Rose more. The argument with
Cal, the loss of the baby, her Mother saying all those awful things about her
Father. She had not slept and eaten little, much to the chagrin of the Doctor;
Her eyes were heavily shadowed from the lack of sleep. To go downstairs again
and find Cal’s gun would have been her only course of action, but feeling how
sacred life was after her loss, she did not feel able to do it. She was sure
there must be a purpose to life, a reason to keep going on, but what it was she
had no idea. Church was just another social function to Rose. The turning up to
the ancient building on Sunday and singing a few hymns was just an excuse to
wear a new hat and for Cal to stuff money, obviously, in the church collection.
It meant nothing spiritually or mentally.
The doctor had been again that morning. He
had given her a thorough examination and told her off for not eating. Other
than that he had said little and avoided any questions she asked, in a most
patronizing way. She must have looked dreadful. When looking in a glass at
herself she had felt sick with shock. Her eyes were like hollows, shadowed and
dark. Her hair was limp and dull. The very essence of life, her fire, was gone.
Cal was in his study. His books and ledgers
of his business interests lay open, but unread before him. The last few days
had been a torment for him. Now, after the doctors visit. He could not bring
himself to look at them. He sat, trying to wrestle his thoughts together. This
was it, the end. After what the doctor had said, decisions had to be made.
He slammed the books shut and rang the bell.
Lovejoy appeared.
"Go and tell Trudy I will be visiting
her mistress in ten minutes. I want her presentable."
Lovejoy duly went to find Trudy who dashed
upstairs.
"Miss Rose, Mr. Caledon will be seeing
you in ten minutes. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"No Trudy, he will see me as I am."
Trudy looked at her almost in disbelief.
"Very well Miss Rose." Instead
Trudy straightened the bed covers and moved the flower vases around the
dressing table in a vain attempt to carry out Cal’s orders.
Rose was not sure why Cal wanted to see her
now, but she cared even less.
There soon came the sound outside the door of
Cal, almost hesitating before coming in.
"That will be all Trudy," he
dismissed the maid.
"Well Rose, what a fine mess this all
is."
"Only of your own doing Cal."
"The doctor came to see me this morning.
He had some bad news, which I have been thinking about all morning, trying to
find the best course of action for you as well as me."
Rose looked up at Cal. He looked agitated and
Rose was now concerned as to what the doctor had found and saw fit not to tell
her first.
"Well Cal?"
"It is in his opinion..." Cal
paused for breath, holding the foot of the bed as though finding it hard to
continue.
"It is in his opinion that you may not
be able to bear any more children."
Rose put a hand to her mouth in disbelief.
"This of course does pose a great
problem. As you know, it was part of the agreement that you give me a
heir."
Rose’s mind wheeled.
"What arrangement?"
Cal looked at her in surprise. Maybe even now
she still hadn’t realized the truth.
"You will need to go away for a while to
recuperate. My Mother will know of such an appropriate place for you to go.
Whilst you are away, my lawyer will be looking into arrangements for--" He
looked at Rose with such cold disdain that it took her breath.
"...our divorce."
"Cal I do not understand. Why are you
divorcing me? Why are you sending me away?" Rose cried out, not realizing
that this was in fact the very thing she wanted.
"You are of no use to me Rose. You can’t
behave, you do as you like. You are not a suitable wife and you can’t bear me
any children. That is why." He voice began to rise.
"There are places you can go for a few
months to get you out of the way whilst the arrangements are made. I want you
speaking to no one in our circle. Such rumors and gossip mongering start that
way and I want this kept out of the papers for as log as possible. Or until we
can get some plausible story straight."
"I won’t go away Cal, I won’t be sent
away!" Rose was sobbing now.
"Just look at the state of you. You look
demented! Yes maybe that is it Rose. Would you like me to tell everyone you
have had to go away to mental institute? Your behavior of late would warrant
such action."
"I don’t understand why you don’t want
me anymore," she sobbed louder still.
"Well, I thought you would be glad. I
thought you wanted to be off with your artist." Cal snarled. "Or sorry
I forgot. You can’t because he has left town."
Rose looked at him in confusion. She had only
seen Jack a few days previously and he said he was coming back. Cal hadn’t
realized this of course.
"And further more, the arrangement I
referred to earlier." He smiled now.
"It was the arrangement I made with your
Mother. One town house and a modest allowance in exchange for your hand in
marriage and a heir within 18 months. Did she not mention that?"
"Cal I don’t believe you!"
"It makes no difference to me what you
do and don’t believe. Now excuse me, I have some telephone calls to make."
Cal stormed out of the room and down to his
study.
"Is everything all right sir?"
Lovejoy inquired.
"No, I am afraid it isn’t." Cal’s
mouth twitched. He was thinking fast.
"The doctor informed me this morning
that Miss Rose is mentally unstable due to the loss of the baby. I will have to
have her sent away for care."
"I am so sorry Sir."
"Please leave me now, I have some
difficult telephone calls to make."
Lovejoy dutifully left the room and closed
the door. Cal rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A plan was forming in his mind. If
Rose was mentally ill and was sent away and an accident was to befall her
whilst she was distressed, he need never tarnish the Hockley name with divorce.