Chapter 14
They were not after Julia; they threatened her to hurt and demoralize Mason. They succeeded, so the second part of their plan went smoothly. They let him save Matt, and so Mason went away with his kidnappers without a slightest noise or protest. Julia knew it as well as if she had seen it with her own eyes. Of course CC was having a hard time now, with all those sues, without Mason''s inventive brain, silver tongue and (whatever CC would accuse his son of) undivided loyalty.
Days were passing, day by day lost in the velvety hot darkness of the night. Matt was growing, as well as Julia''s belly, and there was no Mason.
He phoned her, twice. A distant voice, strangely husky; many pauses. She could have thought he was drunk if she had not known better. He told her he was delayed.
''Julia...''
She jumped up. His voice again. She was hallucinating, she knew. She was just missing Mason so much; they had had so little time together.
His voice. Mason never called her by any tender nickname, never used any term of endearment; his voice made her name a caress. His eyes made her feel he was touching her, with love.
Julia sighed and sat up on her bed. She could not sleep. Still another sleepless night; not too good for a pregnant woman.
*
Whatever CC thought of Mason he could not let his first grandson stay away. So he took him from Cruz and Eden''s house and would not let Julia have him; Matt was taken to the Capwell mansion.
The first time Julia came there she had to fight to see him. She was not quite prepared for this.
CC opened the door himself. "Ms Wainwright?"
"Mr Capwell."
"How can I help you?" His voice was ice-cold.
"I want to see Matt."
"Why?"
Julia hesitated for a moment. "I promised Mason I would take care of his son."
"Are you going to check whether my grandson is getting enough food and sleep?" CC asked mockingly.
"No, Mr Capwell. I''m going to come and give him some l o v e," Julia snapped.
CC glared at her; she saw it had gotten home. The words might have seemed familiar; well she never concealed she was from Mason''s camp in this war.
"So Ms Wainwright," CC said haughtily, and from his tone Julia could tell he was about to say something extremely nasty and insulting. She interrupted, "If you please - I''d rather sit down."
Her pregnancy was evident already, and she counted on CC''s recalling he was the host here. He did. "Oh," he said. "Please--"
"And can I see Matt?" she smiled.
CC took her to the nursery. The little one smiled broadly when he saw Julia and heard her cooing. He reached out to her. CC was watching them gloomily.
Julia stepped aside and sat down into a comfortable armchair. Immediately, Matt started complaining. "I''m not allowed to lift any serious weight," Julia said apologetically. "If you''d be so kind - could you take Matt here, please?"
CC did that, and Matt got to playing happily in Julia''s lap.
"Afraid to loosen your grip, Ms Wainwright?" CC said with sarcasm.
"No," she argued. "I just - love Matt. And Mason. Does that seem so improbable to you?"
CC sat down and crossed his arms on his chest. "Ms Wainwright. There''s no use trying to convince me you love my son. He is a cold, manipulative, scheming liar. As to your motives--" he made a pause heavy with unvoiced accusations.
Julia felt she could explode. She did not get too insulted for herself; she just felt she could not betray Mason by not arguing with his father. But what was the use of arguing with him now, could she prove she knew Mason better than his own father (which she thought she did)?
"Mr Capwell," said she looking him in the face. "Mason is nothing like this. If you care to know, I dislike lies as much as you do. Can I be frank with you?"
CC nodded coldly.
"I--"
It was harder than she''d thought. She hugged little Matt to herself for support.
"I wanted a baby desperately. I went through lots of tortures for this, but without success. By the time we - got close with Mason I had given up the idea. I believed I was infertile. I don''t think you know how it feels. And when I got pregnant, I was as shocked as Mason."
Julia bit her lip. "I do not want you to think I trapped Mason with this baby. Now, by that time I had fallen in love with Mason. I love your son dearly, Mr Capwell, not because he''s given me the baby when I had given up hope; not because he has never reproached me for this. Just because--" she paused. "You do not know your son, Mr Capwell, if you''d forgive me. He''s not cold, he''s very loving and very sensitive. He can be manipulative and - cynical, but he would do anything, anything to help the ones he loves."
"He would do anything to ruin the ones he hates," CC grumbled. "And the only person Mason loves is himself. - Not that he does not hate himself, too."
Julia was angry; but she had had experience dealing with Mason''s similar reactions, and she could see the pain behind the harsh words.
"You are wrong," she said earnestly. "Mason''s got a loving heart, only he''s trying to conceal it, in order not to get hurt. He''s really vulnerable. He loves his family, his mother," (CC winced), "and his son, he loves his siblings, and he loves you."
"Oh, and this is why he did what he did?"
"He did nothing to harm you. Didn''t Cruz tell you I was kept hostage in my own house?"
CC nodded reluctantly. "He did."
"It was a part of the great scheme against you - AND Mason. And whereas you stay here to fight in court, Mason is out there in great danger."
"I don''t believe it. I don''t believe a word you''re saying. You yourself wanted frank, Ms Wainwright; I don''t trust you."
"Ok," said Julia. She did not care too much. "Back to Mason. Do you believe Mason loved Mary?"
CC stirred. "Mary... yes, he did. But Mary, Ms Wainwright, she was - there''s no one like her. And when he lost Mary--"
"...he did not lose a heart full of love," Julia completed.
"Ah, Ms Wainwright," CC snapped. "Do you hope to take Mary''s place?"
"No. It''d be impossible. But I''ve got my own place in Mason''s heart, whether you like it or not."
CC eyed her. "Ms Wainwright, you''re - different from what I thought you to be," he acknowledged. "IF - If you''re sincere now, take care, you''ll be hurt. Mason''s not like what you''re painting him, and you''ll be hurt when he walks out on you."
Julia shook her head. "These arguments are fruitless," she pointed out gently. "Anything can happen between a man and a woman, and I won''t say we''ll live happily ever after. All I know is that Mason is really determined to give it a try. He did not have a good role model - I am sorry, Mr Capwell; neither did I. But we shall do our best."
She''d said it all, so she concentrated on Matt. Much to her surprise, CC was keeping silent.
"Good luck, Julia," he said after a long, long pause. "My son is not a godsend."
"What makes you think I am?" said Julia quickly.
CC laughed, and Julia laughed with him. She felt it was a unique achievement.
Chapter 15
[I decided not to describe the tortures and the Indian and all in detail; it''s the same as in SB]
Julia knew Mason was in danger, but she just could not make CC believe it. The great CC Capwell thought Mason had run away from the mess he had started. He would not even listen to Julia. It was hopeless.
Mason''s mother would only roll her eyes and repeat, "oh no." It seemed her limit.
Matt was sad. No one would believe such a small baby could feel the absence of an adult, but Julia would not let him forget Mason.
In the end, after talking it all over with Matt, Julia made up her mind to go seeking Mason. Fortunately, Kelly and Jeffrey, knowing the story of a villain threatening her with a knife, agreed to help her. Actually they were sure they could find Mason on their own and were not too thrilled with the idea of a pregnant woman getting into such a risky enterprise. Julia was adamant that she would go.
Of course Kelly and Jeffrey were Mason''s siblings, but they did not hear his voice calling them, almost every night.
*
He did not hear how Julia was crying, struggling to get to him; he was too far away. But he must have felt something, for he opened his eyes.
The two dark stars shining in front of him looked painfully familiar.
''Julia,'' he thought.
She''d been coming to him in his delirium, calling him home, pleading with him. He knew that was because of their unique spiritual bond, and because he had promised he would come back. He rather doubted the latter, now.
But, well, he really wished he could be there with her, at least when she was giving birth to their baby. He did not want to take any chances.
I could be there as a guardian angel, after my death; it seems the most probable variant, at the moment, Mason thought to himself, and his lips moved.
Julia spoke rapidly. It was something different from his usual delirium. Mason got concerned.
"Are you all right?" he said, with an effort.
She stopped short. "Mason!"
He tried to concentrate, and the mist was gone. He saw Julia standing there, very pregnant, and Kelly and Jeffrey. That was the most unreal thing, and so Mason was convinced it was real.
He smiled. Maybe it was too early for him to become a guardian angel, after all. He rather doubted he could become one, anyway. Has anyone ever heard of a f a l l e n guardian angel?
[I know the chapter is very short; but what remains is the epilogue and it must be separated from the chapter.]
tbc
Olga Lisenkova
