Romance Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Away ❯ Reunions ( Chapter 15 )

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Chapter 15
Reunions

 

 

Cokrain was in his study, where he usually found himself lately, when the Jess walked in with a woman trailing behind him. She had an undeniably triumphant look on her sharp features.

 

“Why are you not at your post?” Cokrain addressed him, keeping his eyes on his paperwork.

 

“According to this woman, Naomi is not there, sir,” he replied proudly, relieved to finally get a break.

 

At hearing this, Cokrain looked up to see Jess motioning to a woman in a gaudy dress to a seat. She ambled her short, lanky form into one of the chairs in front of Cokrain's desk and winked up at him.

Cokrain sneered at the repulsive woman, but he was determined to hear information on the whereabouts of his elusive Naomi, so he kept his insults to himself. For now.

 

He stood from his seat behind the desk and walked around to the front of it and sat on the edge of it, crossing his arms; clearly signaling for her to start her explanations.

 

“So…you are going to tell me that you know where Naomi is?” he said, not quite letting himself believe her; it would simply be too good to be true if she really did know where Naomi had been stashed.

 

“We need to tend to the business of compensation before I give you my information, sexy. I believe I deserve it,” she demanded, unaware of Cokrain's true colors, “You see, she has gotten in my way and is therefore costing me time and money. If you hadn't lost her in the first place, I wouldn't be suffering,” she sniffed.

 

“Sure, dear. After our meeting, we will take care of such matters. You will not receive compensation, however, until your information proves valid and Naomi is with me,” Cokrain prodded in a cold, velvety voice.

 

“Alright, fine,” she pouted, “Well, I went to go see Breagan at his house, but his servant woman told me he was on vacation. Luckily, I know where that is, so I went there to see him. You see, I'm very fond of him,” she elaborated. Cokrain had to refrain from rolling his eyes, “Everything was normal enough until I thought I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. I thought I saw something red. When I turned to look, it was gone. I figured I was only seeing things, but...” she shook her heavily adorned finger, “When I was leaving, I looked back and I saw her. She was wearing a dark red and white dress, and had long hair. I couldn't make out the color, but I could definitely tell that it was not black. She was not Margaret,” she added with a huff, sounding very much like the gossiper she probably was, “Breagan had his arms around her and he does not hug his sister…” she looked up briefly, stopped her prattling dead and gasped. She visibly recoiled in her seat; terrified of the cold fire burning in the handsome man's unusual eyes.

 

 

`That bastard!' He had the nerve to put his hands on his property. His prize. That could only mean that he wouldn't be the first to take Naomi. No matter though, he supposed, Breagan would just have to be taken care of. Slowly. As for Naomi, she was still the same Naomi he sought. She would simply have to be punished for her infidelity, but that could be fun as well.

Leaning forward and looking straight through Beatrice with the coldest evil he possessed, Cokrain reached behind him and palmed his sharp letter opener eagerly.

“And just where is this vacation house?”

Several hours later at the Hamdell Estate, Naomi was in search of some food. She had found her way down to the kitchens and was nosing around to find out what was on the menu for that night. She was famished, and nearly ready to eat her toes. None of the help here were as involved with the family as Minna was, so she hadn't really met any of them, and Naomi was missing Minna terribly.

 

Trying to discern what was being prepared just by watching, she couldn't help but wonder what her friend at the house in Washington was up to. Though she couldn't be carefree as of yet, she was better off now than she had been in a long, long while. She had people with whom she felt safe and cared for. Family, friends. The last friend she'd had died ten years ago. Naomi reflected on what she could remember of Jolie as she waited for the men to finish their daily meeting.

 

After long discussions, and a couple of heated arguments about their next course of action with Caldwell Cokrain, Breagan and Jake decided to break it up for the night to sleep on it some more in hopes of finding a suitable solution. While Jake headed to the library, Breagan went in search of Naomi, finally spotting her in the kitchen.

 

Pausing in the doorway, he leaned up against it with his thumbs propped in his waistline watching her eagerness at the meal's preparation. He still couldn't believe how important she had come to be in his life, and she was soon to be a part of his family. Only a month ago, he hadn't even known she existed, and now she was the most important person in his life with his family.

After all of his father's pestering about getting grandchildren, it would seem that he would get some with time. Breagan often caught himself imagining what their children would look like.

 

He pushed himself away from the doorway to go to her when he heard the front door slam open, followed my Margaret's frantic voice. Alarmed and confused, Breagan turned to run to her in the foyer. Naomi followed close behind, her heart racing in her throat at the sudden intrusion.

 

Jake appeared from out of the library on the first floor, and Lancey from the doorway of the library on the second floor walkway.

 

“Margaret…slow down, we can't understand a word you are saying,” Breagan said to a tearful Margaret, knowing that her appearance here could only mean one thing: Cokrain had somehow found out Naomi's location.

 

“She's worried `erself ta death the entire wey up `ere,” piped up a voice from behind Margaret.

 

“Minna!” Naomi ran to the woman's warm arms and hugged her hard.

 

“We dinna have much time ta catch up with each other, dearie, we think he knows yer here, lass,” she looked at Breagan soberly, “We saw Beatrice walk up ta th' carriage watchin' our `ouse an' leave in it, too. If I know th' girl, we're gonna `ave ta hide ye again afore he gets `ere.”

 

“Beatrice? I didn't think that she's seen Naomi when she was here last week…she would have pitched a fit if she had,” Breagan said, disbelieving.

 

“She hid her discovery from us well. Though I wonder what took her so long to tell Cokrain what she'd seen,” Jake said to Breagan, unsure of what to do next. He couldn't believe Beatrice of all people had fooled them.

 

“Maybe it was only after she noticed the house was being watched that she was able to put two and two together,” he mused out loud, turning to Minna, “Even if he does know that she is here, we are not going to run again,” Breagan said, “We are going to end this if and when he gets here. There are enough of us here to assure Naomi's safety from him, and we'll be ready for him. I'm about ready to get my hands around his neck,” Breagan finished, his chocolate eyes flashing.

 

Margaret had long since calmed down from her terror by now, and only just noticed Lancey's presence when he was coming down the stairs. She immediately tensed and was about to find a way to deftly escape the room to avoid another scene with him when a maid came into the room to announce that dinner had been served. “Him and his stupid pranks…” Margaret grumbled silently as she stalked past him, shooting him a warning glare.

 

Lancey's face answered to her warning with a deceptively innocent look.

 

Naomi was the first to get into the dining room, her hunger gnawing at her insides. They all seated themselves around the table, pleased at the reunion of the entire family. Despite the happy reunions, everyone ate with a sense of urgency for the situation.

 

“Father and I are going to do a sweep of the estate for anything unusual,” Breagan said at the end of dinner, still munching on a roll, “It's probably a good idea for everyone to stay awake until we get back. We shouldn't be too long. Lancey will be staying here with you three, just to be on the safe side,” Breagan finished, looking at Lancey with a nod. Lancey returned the nod and Breagan stood up heading straight for Naomi's chair. He bent down to give her a tender kiss, then straightened and followed his father out the doorway. Minna and Margaret, not having been around for the past week, blinked several times at this before looking to each other smugly. They'd known this would happen.

 

“So when is the wedding going to be, Naomi?” Margaret asked her with a grin on her face, firmly planting her chin in her palm. She was pleased that Naomi would be a part of the family indefinitely, having found she was quite fond of the girl. Well, that and she'd won the bet with her brother. She grinned.

 

Minna felt the same, fighting to keep happy tears at bay. Minna loved Naomi for her genuine kindness. She'd carved a little Naomi-shaped cubbyhole in the family ever since that first night when she wrapped her in that dressing cloak, effectively pulling her out of Cokrain's grasp. She belonged here…what luck that Breagan had put her in charge of giving her a room instead of doing it himself! As precious as she was, she'd known it wouldn't be long before Breagan fell for her.

 

But then, Minna thought now, he probably already had. Now, if only they were to work on getting a wee one into the family, things would be moving along nicely!

“Yes an' when c'n we `spect a wee one?” Minna chimed in with that thought.

 

Naomi blushed lightly and looked into her lap. She had known that they would figure out that there was an engagement pretty quickly without needing to be told first. She had suspected Minna to be in on the whole thing with Jake since the beginning anyway.

I was quarry from the beginning, she thought with a smile, “We are only sure that the wedding will take place after this problem with Cokrain is resolved,” she tried to say his name without faltering, but she didn't succeed, “As for children, we aren't planning anything as yet,” Naomi answered to Minna's question, leaving out the fact that she expected one to let its presence be known very soon, if her newfound appetite and fatigue were any indication. Not to mention her recent dizzy spells. She'd learned of the symptoms of early pregnancy long ago, when Jolie had become pregnant from her lustful uncle. She'd suspected her own pregnancy shortly after the fight between Breagan and Lancey, when her flux had proven itself absent. Thankfully, Naomi wasn't experiencing any of the sickness that had plagued Jolie early on. That would have been a dead give-away. Of course, as clever as Minna and Margaret were, they would both notice Naomi's state sooner rather than later, even without the sickness. She didn't mind. They were family now, and they deserved to know. Breagan had to be the first to know, though, and that meant that she had to tell him soon. Naomi stole a look at Minna, who was studying her closely.

 

`Make that very soon.'

 

“Are you okay, hon? You look a little faint,” Margaret commented when she saw Naomi's color slowly fading from worry at her last thought.

 

“Yes, I'm okay,” she lied, “Well, I am a little worried about the prospect of having to face Cokrain again. His eyes scare me, I never wanted to see them again,” she then answered, partly honest. She was worrying herself that Breagan wouldn't be happy about the pregnancy, since they were not yet married, or that he even wanted children. Jake will be thrilled, I bet…she thought, trying to cheer herself up.

“Don't blame ye, dearie, but ye need not worry. The louse willna get pas' th' lot of us,” Minna assured her with a bit of arrogance, puffing out her chest.

 

“That's right. I'm here to tear up anyone who's stupid enough to make a try for you. Right, Margaret?” Lancey fired the question with a wink and waited for Margaret's reaction, knowing that it would get under her skin just the way he liked. He loved tormenting the woman whom he had known as a girl that could hold her own with himself and her brother, and still remain quite feminine. He had, over time, begun to crave her company differently than he had when they were children. He recalled possessively taking on fights with Margaret's courtiers when they got too friendly. She never liked it when he did that, believing herself perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Even when that kind of behavior from a girl, or woman, was always frowned upon, Lancey had always loved it.

 

Margaret glared back at Lancey, entirely aware that he was just trying to bait her. He always was. Well…two could play at that game, couldn't they?

 

“Absolutely, Naomi! Lancey would do a very thorough job of chasing any man stupid enough to snoop around here by starting a cat fight with him,” she championed immediately in a sugar-sweet voice. Naomi grinned, entertained by the battle raging between the two of them. It was incredibly entertaining.

 

After Breagan and his father returned with no trouble, Naomi felt both relieved and worried. Breagan came back safely, but Cokrain was still out there…possibly on his way here. Naomi fruitlessly hoped that he had simply given up and would never show his face again. Unfortunately, she knew that if that were the case, she would always be left to looking over her shoulder without closure.

 

The group of the Tyler family retired to their respective rooms after talking amongst themselves for a long time, everyone enjoying the entertainment that Lancey and Margaret were unwittingly putting on with their little battle.

 

Nobody openly laughed, of course. Margaret and Lancey were trying, and failing, to make unnoticeable verbal jabs at one another the entire night. Naomi decided that Lancey seemed to have had more practice somehow, and ended up winning the unspoken battle.

 

 

In her room, Naomi had finished readying herself for bed and was wearing the nightgown Minna had given her on her first night in Breagan's care. She exited the washroom to find Breagan right outside the door. He reached out and snatched her up, pulling her against himself and proceeded to kiss the daylights out of her. He broke the kiss and held her in front of him, studying the breathtaking picture she made with her smooth skin and unbound hair. He hurt with the need to protect her from the worry and stress Cokrain had been causing her for nearly two months. He would give her peace no matter what.

 

Naomi looked up at him as he held her and smiled. The kiss Naomi had just survived very nearly made her forget what she had planned to tell him before they went to sleep that night.

Shifting lightly, Naomi braved forward, “Breagan, I...uh…need to say something,” she paused, worried her lip a little, “I need to tell you something, and I h-hope you will not be…uh…upset,” she started cautiously, wringing her fingers through her hair.

 

Breagan tensed, unable to predict what she was so stressed to tell him about. Was she remembering something else?

 

“I believe…” she hesitated, squirming in his grasp and clearing her throat. She took a breath, “Uh…that is…I think that your father has finally gotten his wish…that you have fathered him a grandchild,” she babbled out, watching his features change from worried to elated shock. Elated!

 

He simply stood there, hardly able to believe her, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted. He remembered imagining any children they would have together just that morning, “Are you sure…positive that you're sure?” he continued on without waiting for an answer, “That's why you've been eating out the entire kitchen!” he grinned brilliantly and Naomi nearly fainted, “How are you feeling, are you hungry now? How long?”

 

Naomi heaved a sigh and relaxed, able to see that he was not upset by the new at all, and in fact seemed happy about it. She then started trying to catch up with his questions, “I'm fine, and I don't know how long. A couple of weeks, maybe?” She shrugged her shoulder. She guessed that she wasn't that far along, since it was only a week or so ago that she'd missed her flux. She'd only been with him in that way for two weeks anyway…three at the most.

“Two weeks, huh? I guess that means we succeeded pretty early on, huh?” he said, looking very proud of himself.

 

“That we did, Breagan,” she replied through a smile before she buried her face into his chest.