Bombshells Away! Chapter 46

Francine upon seeing Miriam in the corner with a strange boy she had brought 'home', smirked to herself as if she won.

"Look father, she went straight to see that boy upon returning to our company. So rude and improper. Yet we let her into our family with open arms the moment she finds some savage from the plains, and she abandons her devoted and loving family!"

As Francine said these things to Miriam, the boy next to her could obviously feel the hostility coming off from the shrew of a young woman speaking in their direction.

This little girly Francine really didn't know her place! Miriam really didnt want to drag people down based upon their births circumstances, something which one had no control over. But... since this elder 'sister' of hers was hellbent on making statuses clear in this household, Miriam didnt mind putting her in her 'rightful' place.

Before she could act though a surprising thing happened. The boy whom Miriam thought was a little ingrat after getting no thanks for saving his tiny life, acted at that moment.

Holding out one of his arms as if to shield Miriam, before he stepped forward and pointed his little finger at the virago of a woman who was running her mouth in a much unneeded and rude manner.

Totally affronted by this action, Francine turned to her older brother Nathanial and said, "Take that savage away from our sister. She needs to be disciplined too!"

Scrunching up her little dainty brows, Miriam took the little boys outstretched arm and held his hand for a brief moment, giving it a quick reassuring squeeze before letting go of it.

Turning her head straight towards Francine, she spoke loudly and sternly, and perhaps somewhat hypocritically if she might admit to herself later.

"You say all these things and order others around, while the man you think your father stands right before you. Would he not order such things already if he had agreed with what you are saying now? Upon entering the room, I saw the tense atmosphere of my elders inside, and decided to refrain from interrupting unless called upon. Is that not the wisest choice for one of my age to do? However now I can see my fathers great distress upon your unsightly clamoring and refusal to read between the lines of this preposterous situation at hand."

Miriam saying all these words in a clear and triumphant voice, undoubtedly added fuel to the fire of frustration that was burning inside Francines heart.

"You little bastard! How dare you talk back to me! I'll make sure you marry a man who beats you if you continue this farce of having power in this family! I am the eldest! You must listen to what I say!" Francine said followed by a flat-out and rather synical sounding laugh of hers.

"Instead of saying reviling lies, why don't you open your eyes to the truth! My father didn't marry your mother, and your mother did not marry my father. My own MOTHER married my father, and had 7 babies born to him. Some of those babies were also boys! I just happened to be blessed by our great lord to be her third child to him. My mother died giving him more legitimate heirs. She had four babies at once. You talk as if you are the queen of everything he owns, when he isn't even your father! Being the responsible man my father is, after your mother got pregnant with his son, and gave birth, naturally he took care of her and his child. You were just an adage to the package. Don't speak like you are entitled to anything fanciful. Other than basic food, water, and shelter it is obvious you have been spoiled along with your littlest brother.

Nathanial you need to keep your siblings in line! One of these days they could offend someone not as kind and forgiving as the Stuarts!"

By the end of this rant a elder would likely give to one of the younger generation, the whole room was looking at her as if she had just announced unicorns were in fact real.

The peoples eyes were widened in awe of her articulated and well thought out roast like preaching speech.

Snapping out of his befuddlement first, Mr.Stuart cleared his throat and promptly said.

"What Miriam said may sound harsh, but I am indeed not you father. Your father was an Englishmen who I was acquainted with in my youth. You should really ask your mother about these things for 100% clarification.I never outright said I was your father Francine... I hear your marriage has been in talks. We should probably hasten it in order for familial harmony. Your mother is getting worse, I fear she may not make it for many more months. Being the gentleman I am, I agreed to put money down for your dowry at the great number of 200 dollars. Please be grateful. Your elder brother will be in charge of picking the most suitable man. Your mother wishes to see your marriage with her own two eyes, and I plan to make her dream come true."

Francine who was smirking earlier suddenly went pale in the face.

What did her father say? Did he say he wasn't her father?

This was impossible! How would this effect her social standing? She was the daughter kept by a fallen woman! No! That wasn't so...

It must have been that little girl. She is too peculiar. Most definitely a witch! What if.... that little girl had seduced her father?

What a little slut! Surely her cute and obedient oldest brother would come to her defense

Francine turned her eyes to gaze at Nathanials.

What the teen girl saw in his eyes made her throat go dry.

He was slightly shaking his head at her! Looking as if he was the one at a loss for words....

"Surely you jest father, I am your oldest child, Francine! Your eldest daughter?! How come once you bring a little witch into the household, you forget your loving children? Brother, have you forgotten who helped to raise you?! Have you taken one look at that little trollop and condemned your eldest sister too the after life of hell for being born out of wedlock? Personally I think all babies born out od wedlock should be thrown into the gutter where they belong! She's quite the looker, I'm sure we could sell her for a large sum to oversees men...."

Francine seemed to be getting worked up into a hysterical fit of rage, and becoming increasingly dillusional.

It was at this moment she heard a loud cough come from the top of the stairs near the entrance to the drawing room everyone was gathered around and stuffed into.

"Miss, be careful of the stairs..." Miriam heard the voice of the ambitious maid who was in her early stages of pregnancy say from located atop the stairs.

Hearing the noise of steps slowly creaking under the weight of two people on the same step at once time, slow footsteps slowly made there way to stop at the spacious high ceiling entrance to the drawing room.

Miriam for the very first time, saw the lady of the house.

Merely two words entered her mind when she saw the underweight and deathly pale, weak woman who had stopped at the entrance to the drawing room for a break to gasp for some much needed breaths of air.

'Walking Corpse...'

Truely this woman was certianly not slated for much longer on this earth.

Her face had the same pallor of a dead corpse like those used in medical school...