Bronte Nottingham - Romantica about Real Women and Real Life.

Here is your sneak peek of Whisper of Jasmine. I hope you enjoy it.

This sneak peek has not been edited or checked and is subject to change during the editorial process.

Epilogue

The small figure crept down the hall to where he could kneel down and peek through the space in the marble balustrade to watch the adults yelling below. He’d done this many times when he heard his parents arguing. His mother didn’t like his father staying out all night, and they frequently argued because he did that a lot. He rarely spent the night at home anymore. The yelling echoed through the grand foyer bouncing off the large family portraits and marble floor.

As he looked down, he saw his mother at the bottom of the stairs with her hand over her mouth and a look of dismay on her beautiful face as she looked at his father standing with one hand on the door holding it open to a pretty young woman in a wrinkled blue polka-dot dress with a large belly. Next to her, there was a small little girl with brunette ringlets peeking out from under the yellow bonnet on her head. Her dress was dark blue and her shoes were shiny black. He couldn’t see her face because it was buried in the young woman’s dress and her little hand was clenching the fabric in her fist as she hid from the sounds of the adults yelling around her.

His father looked at the young woman, “I’m not arguing with you, Shelly. You knew I was married. I never hid that fact from you.” The young boy could hear the annoyance in his father’s voice along with the disdain he frequently heard directed at him and his mother.

The young woman looked at him with a pleading look on her face, “You told me you love me. You told me we would get married. What am I supposed to do now?” Her voice was soft and worried. From his perch above her, the young boy heard his mother’s soft whimpering and watched as her shoulder shook as she stood at the bottom of the stairs crying at the scene in front of him. He wanted to go to her and comfort, but knew that he did not want his father to know he was listening.

His father gave the young woman an exasperated look before saying, “Do you think I care? I told you I’m not leaving my wife. She is the one with the money. If I leave her then I have nothing, and I doubt you can support me and those little urchins you create so easily as a waitress. You are worth about as much to me as my wife is, but at least she has money.”

“But I’m having your baby…again.” Her hand dropped to the head of the small girl huddled in her skirt in a warm, comforting gesture. Her voice held a plaintive tone with an edge of desperation to it as she said, “Please, you can’t leave us, William. What will I do with two children born out of wedlock? My family has already stopped speaking to me because of my relationship with you.”

The young boy watched as his father’s stance hardened and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the door tightly as if he was trying to keep from slamming it in the younger woman’s face. When he spoke his tone and his words were harsh, “You think I care what you do. I don’t care about you any more than I do her,” his thumb jerked back toward the woman at the bottom of the stairs sobbing quietly, “but at least this one has money. All I wanted from either of you is some pleasure and male children. Neither one of you could manage that and I thought it was pretty simple request on my part.” He turned slightly to look at his defeated wife as he snarled, “This one could only give me one and she couldn’t even do that right. Some problem with her little brat’s birth and now she can’t have any more.” The child watching from his perch had to stop himself from gasping out loud and being heard as his own father called him a brat with so much disgust. He watched as the man he called father turned back to face the poor young woman in the doorway and cringed as the next words came out louder and harsher with an undertone of revulsion as he ranted, “and all you can manage is girls. A little bastard bitch to go with her mother. She’ll probably turn out to be no less of a whore than her mother, and that thing in your belly, if it is mine, is probably another female spawn. I told you repeatedly, Shelly, I only want male children and you can’t even do that right, just like that barren nag I’m married to.”

The child watched as the young woman cringed at his harsh words before she pulled herself up straight and tall as she looked William in the eye and said, “If that’s the way you feel, William, then I’ll go and you’ll never see us again. I just ask that you spend one more evening with me and your daughter before we leave your life for good. You do that and I’ll go without a backward glance and be out of your life.”

William huffed out a long-suffering breath, “Fine. I’ll come to your rooms in a few hours and we can dispense with this and get it over with. I’m tired of all of this and I want you off my doorstep. Just go and I’ll see you later.”

Shelley’s head dropped slightly in deference as she said, “Thank you, William. You have no idea what that means to me.” She pulled her head up and looked directly at the other woman at the bottom of the stairs,

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I had no idea he was married or I never would….”

As the young woman spoke, his mother raised her head and wiped the tears from her face before speaking in the controlled and polite tone she rarely used in front of company, “It’s fine. I understand. I know how my husband works. You’re not the first and I’m sure you won’t be the last. Just go, now, please.”

The young woman turned to walk down the steps with the little girl’s hand in hers as his father swung the door shut with a bang before turning to look at his wife with venom in his eyes. “What exactly did that mean, Ruth?”

The child watched as she straightened up to face her husband, “It’s true. You have had countless affairs since I gave birth to Mark and you were told that I could have no more children.” Her voice got higher in pitch, “You don’t care about me, you don’t care about your son, you don’t care about that young woman and the children you have with her. You don’t even care about yourself. The only thing you care about is my father’s money and what it can get you. You’re hateful, evil, and disgusting. I can’t even stand to be here looking at you.”

She had barely finished the last word when his father’s hand smacked her across the face, backhanding her with a force you would use on a man of equal size. The power and strength behind the hit spinning her to floor where she landed in a heap with her head against the hard marble. The child stood and wanted to run to her and protect her, but he knew better. He watched as his father knelt next to his cowering and trembling mother as he snarled at her with venom and hatred in his voice, “Listen to me, bitch, and you listen good. You’re stuck with me for the rest of your miserable life. You are as much of a whore as she is. All women are. There’s no guarantee that bastard in her belly is any more mine than that other one. None of you are good for anything, except what you can provide for me. I deserve this house, that car in the driveway, the job for your father’s company, and everything else that goes with it. It’s the least you and your high and mighty family owe me for putting up with you and that little brat you gifted me with. You owe me for marrying you, and you will spend the rest of your life and your family’s money paying me back. You signed up for every second of what you’re getting the moment you said, ‘I do,’ sweetheart, and everything in this house is now mine, including you. You will look at me every single day, and you will act like the happy little housewife no matter where we are and who we’re with, and it’s your responsibility to take care of all of my wants and needs without complaint, and do what I say when I say with no questions about where I go and who else I decide to fuck around with. Do you get what I’m telling you, wifey-poo?”

He grabbed a large handful of her curly black hair and pulled her head up from the marble floor so her face was only inches from his as she was forced to look at him, “Do you understand me, Ruth?” He used the hand wound in her hair to force her to shake her head in a yes motion before he released his grip with a shove, which violently dropped her head back to the cold unforgiving marble. “I knew you were a smart woman. Don’t lay there for long, Darling, I’m expecting you to perform one of your wifely duties in about twenty minutes. I need to talk to that urchin you birthed first, but I’ll meet you in our room before I have to go take of this crap with Shelly so we can be done with the little slut and her bastard off-spring.” He turned and stalked out of the room leaving the sobbing woman in a heap on the floor at the bottom of the stairs in the middle of the huge empty foyer.

Mark sadly watched his mother crumpled on the floor for a few moments hearing her wracking sobs reverberating through the large room before he slowly stood and with his head down walked back to his room to think about everything he’d heard in the last few minutes as he waited for his visit from the man he called father.

**********

Mark was sitting on his bed thinking about everything he’d heard in the foyer when he heard his father come in his room. He straightened his posture and looked up at the tall, broad shouldered man with the piercing green eyes who commanded attention as soon as he entered every room. His brown hair was always perfectly styled and never allowed to get out of place. It was part of his image and image was everything to his father. He knew that above everything else.

“Hello, Father.”

“Hello, Son. I wanted to talk to you.” His father came into the room and took a seat in the chair at the desk next to his bed.

“Yes, sir.” He was wondering what his father wanted to say. He knew his father had no idea he’d seen and heard what had happened downstairs only minutes ago.

“Some things have happened recently and you may hear some gossip involving me and a woman in town, but no matter what you hear, they aren’t true. This woman is just some kind of low-class woman who is out to get my money. I would never do anything like that to jeopardize our place in society. Do you understand how some people are willing to do or say anything to get what we have, especially unscrupulous social-climbing women?” His father’s green eyes were looking at him with concern as if he was trying to give him some special information without actually having to speak it.

“I understand, Father.”

“There are some women in this world that you marry, and some that are only good for spending one night with. Most women are the one night kind and those are the women that you never want to get their claws in you. All they want is your money, prestige, and anything else they can get their hands on.” His father leaned over slightly, placing his hands on his knees, and rubbing them back and forth.

“That’s not what mother wants, father.” Mark was slightly confused and was trying to understand where his father was going with this “little talk.”

“Definitely not. Your mother is the other type of woman. The kind who knows and understands her role and place in society and is there to help us work toward maintaining that status.” His father sat back up straight looking at him with an assessing stare and Mark felt like he was under scrutiny.

“Father, do you love mother?” Mark’s voice was timid as he asked the question. He feared he already knew the answer.

“That’s a silly question, Mark. Your mother knows how I feel about her and the way she does her job of taking care of us. You just need to know if you’re looking for a woman to marry then you find that woman who wants to take care of you and help you, just find a woman who can provide you with the children you want and need to take care of you the way you deserve. Don’t settle for any woman who is not willing to work for your comfort. You will find a lot of these low-class women will want to try to rope you into marriage to make sure that you have to take care of them. Don’t fall into that trap. Those are the kind of women who are only good for one-night and you don’t trust them at all. You make sure that you protect yourself from them, because if they get their clutches in you, you will never be free again.”

Mark looked at his father with a puzzled look, “Yes, sir.”

His father looked at him with a sly grin, “I know you don’t really understand any of this right now, but you will one day. Just remember that you don’t trust any women. They are all expendable, especially the ones who are lazy, fat, stupid, ugly, and poor. Most women fit into one of those categories, and those who don’t are only after wealth, power, and a name. Don’t fall into a trap you can’t get out of. Find a woman who will work for you, so you never have to work to care for her. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Kinda, sir.”

“Don’t worry about it. We will talk more about this as you get older. I need to go discuss something with your mother right now. Why don’t you head out to the patio to play with some of your trucks and stuff and make sure you stop in the kitchen to get a sweet from cook on your way outside. I will see you tomorrow. I have a meeting in town later and it may be after your bedtime when I get home.”

“Yes, father. I will.”

“Good boy.” His father stood and patted his head rather awkwardly like he usually did and then walked out the door. Mark knew where he was going and he’d heard those “discussions” before between his mother and father so he grabbed a truck and headed for the door and the back stairs to the kitchen.

**********

Mark was startled awake hours later by a loud scream. He sat upright in his bed and he heard it again. It was a loud wail that sounded like his mother’s voice.

“No! No! He can’t be dead. Nooooo!”

The sound was scared him and he hopped out of his bed before heading for the door opening it slightly as he heard the other voices. He knew they were coming from the foyer due to the echo so he crept as quietly as he could to the top of the stairs to see what was happening.

When he got to his favorite perch by the wall at the top of the stairs, he could see his grandfather, Cole, holding his mother in her arms as his grandmother, Estelle, and aunt, Dorothy, rubbed his mother’s back in an attempt to console her. The family priest, Father Courtney, was standing by the door with two policemen Mark had seen before in town. One of the men had come to his class at school and told them he was the police chief. The men were all looking anxiously at Ruth sobbing and whimpering in her father’s arms.

The police chief looked at her with concern, “I’m so sorry, ma’am. We were called by the owner and another patron at the motel who heard the shots. William was already dead when we got there. The shot killed him instantly. The young woman who shot him had also shot herself. She died shortly after we arrived. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but she was pregnant. She left a note claiming the child she carried was his. She gave reasons for why she did it. It was a murder suicide.”

Ruth’s head looked up from her father’s shoulder at the grouping of men by the door as she said quietly, “I’m aware. It’s not a surprise.” She pulled back from her father and used her hands to wipe the tears from her eyes as she said, “Where’s the little girl?”

The men looked at each other confused before the police chief said, “Ruth, the child she was carrying died, as well.”

His mother looked panicky and confused for a second before shaking her head in a “no” gesture with her voice questioning as she said, “No, she had another child. She came here this afternoon to talk to William. She had another child with her who was about two. Did you also find the little girl?”

The police chief looked back at her with a startled look, “There was another child? No, Ruth, I wasn’t aware of that. None of my men mentioned finding a child in the room. Don’t worry we will find her and see if she’s alright.” He turned to the man standing next to him and barked, “Get on the radio. Tell the men at the motel that there was a small child. We need to find the child. ASAP. I want to know as soon as she is found. Let me know as soon as we have anything else and I’ll be there in ten minutes to assist.” He looked back at Ruth, “We will find her, I promise.”

Ruth’s voice was unsteady as she said, “I just hope she was spared. Please, let me know as soon as you know.”

The older man’s eyes softened as he said, “I will. I know this is a shock. I will let you know as soon as I can. Will you be alright here?”

Her father looked at the other man before handing Ruth off to her mother, and walking over to him as he said, “She will be. We’ll be here with her.” He shook the police chief’s hand, “Thank you for letting us know, so we could be here when she was told.”

“Not a problem. I knew she would need her family with her at a time like this. Can I talk to you outside for a moment?”

“Certainly.” He turned back to look at the women, “I’ll be back in just a moment.” Then he and the police chief walked out the door talking quietly before they softly shut the door behind them.

Ruth looked at her mother with fresh tears in her eyes, “I had no idea she would do this. I hope the child is alright. Why would she do this?”

Dorothy rubbed her shoulder, “She must have felt pretty desperate. Did she tell you her name?”

Ruth’s head dropped and fresh tears began to fall from her eyes, “Yes. Her name was Shelly. Her family disowned her because of her involvement with William. She had no idea he was married.”

Estelle wrapped her arm around Ruth’s shoulders as she spoke to her softly, “Come along, dear. Let’s go sit in here by the fireplace while we talk some more. There are some things we need to discuss.” She directed Ruth into the large living room off the foyer as Dorothy trailed behind them with her head down.

Mark stood up quietly and crept to the edge of the stairs and padded softly down the steps to sit at the bottom where he knew he would be able to hear more and not be seen. He was stunned by the realization of hearing that his father was dead. He was never coming home. He knew what his father was. He knew he was a very bad man who was frequently gone and made their lives miserable when he was home, but to know that he was never going to see him again was just so strange to Mark.

He listened quietly as the women began to talk starting with his grandmother, “Ruth, we need to talk about the arrangements we are going to have to make for William’s funeral.”

“I know, Mother, but I also want to pay for Shelly’s funeral, as well.”

Dorothy sounded incredulous as she said, “You want to pay for the funeral for your dead husband’s mistress? Have you lost your mind?”

Ruth’s voice was strong as she said, “No. I know exactly what I’m doing. That woman was as much a victim of William and his hatred and manipulation as I was. I know very well what William was like and I know that she had no idea he was married. This was not the first time this happened, but I know for sure that it was the last.” Her voice held a calm strength as she said, “It’s the least I can do for her.”

Mark’s head came up as the front door opened and his grandfather entered with his head down, he looked up after he closed the door and saw Mark sitting on the bottom step. He smiled softly as he walked over to him and said, “How’s my little man doing?”

“I’m fine, Poppa.”

“I take it you heard about your father?”

“Yes, sir. I did.”

“Your mother’s cries woke you, I assume?”

“Yes, sir. I was scared and I wanted to make sure she was ok.”

“I’m sure you did. She was pretty upset, but she’ll be ok. You both will. Your grandmother and I will see to that.” He patted the Mark on the shoulder and smiled at him.

Mark looked at his grandfather with steady eyes as he said, “So Momma won’t have to be sad and cry anymore?”

“No, little man.”

“Father hit Momma….a lot.”

“You know, I thought as much. Did he hit you, too?” The older man looked at Mark with those sharp green eyes that knew so much. Mark had those same green eyes. He’d gotten them from his mother. His father had blue eyes – ice blue. Mark could always tell when he was angry because his eyes turned so glacial that it was almost as if they were ice chips. He hated it when they looked like that, but he realized almost instantly that he would never have to see that look again. The thought almost made him smile, but he didn’t think it would be appropriate.

Mark looked down at his hands, “Yes, Poppa. He got mad a lot. I don’t think he liked me…or momma.” He felt the tears hit his hands and he swiped at them angrily. His father always told him that tears were weak, but then he felt his grandfather’s large warm hands wrap around his shoulder as he pulled him close.

“Well, little man, I’m sorry about that. Your father loved you the only way he knew how. It wasn’t right, but it was all he knew. I wish you’d told me before, but I understand why you didn’t. Your father was not a nice man, but you are safe now. Both you and your mother are safe.” His grandfather held him tight in a big bear hug Mark always liked. “Come on. Let’s go check on your mother. I have some news for her.” He picked Mark up off the step and stood with him in his arms as he walked into the living room. “Look who I found outside the door. He wanted to check on his momma.”

The women all turned to look at them as they entered and his grandmother held out her hands to him, “Come here, sweetie. How are you doing?” His grandfather placed him on his grandmother’s lap and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his forehead.

“I’m fine, Gramma. I heard Momma crying.”

“I know. She’s very upset, but don’t you worry, my dear. Everything will be fine, now.”

Ruth looked up at her father with eager eyes, “Do you have any news?”

He looked at her and his eyes were smiling and warm, “I definitely do. Come over here and talk to me for a minute. There are a few things we need to talk about.”

Ruth stood, “Ok, Dad.” Her father took her hand and they walked over to the far corner of the room by the big windows. His poppa said something to his mother and she grabbed him in a huge hug. They moved to sit in the big plush wingback chairs where Mark liked to curl up and read. They were also a good place to hide so his father couldn’t see him due to the angle the chairs were placed in. He tried to hear as his mother and grandfather spoke in hushed tones, but his gramma and auntie were talking about what was going to happen next and how they felt sorry for the poor young woman he had seen earlier in the day.

Several minutes later, his mother and grandfather got up and walked back over to where everyone else sat. The older man’s big arm was draped over his daughter’s shoulder and he was rubbing her arm. “Well, we all have some arrangements to make. Ruth and Mark will be coming home with us until after the funeral. The house staff here will be given a vacation until Ruth feels ready to come back. Ruth’s cook, Mrs. Daley, can stay here and look after the house. We will go tomorrow and get all the arrangements settled. After the funeral, we will all be heading up to the lake cabin for an extended stay. Estelle, you and I need to talk about something that Ruth wants us to do for her.” He looked at Ruth with a small smile on his face, “She is a far better person under the circumstances than I could hope to be, but after hearing her reasons I completely understand why she wants to do it. She can give you some of the details while you and Dorothy pack help her pack her things.” He smiled at Mark and held out his hand, “Come on, little man. We don’t need any girls helping us pack your stuff. We need to make sure you get everything you will need for an extended stay with Gramma and Poppa.”

Mark slid off his Gramma’s lap and took his poppa’s hand and they left the room with his mother, Gramma, and aunt following them. As they headed up the stairs, it occurred to Mark that he should be more upset that his father was gone, but he just wasn’t. He did think it was odd that his mother wasn’t more upset. His father made her cry a lot, but she wasn’t crying now when her husband was killed. Maybe his father had been wrong and his mother was one of those women he had mentioned earlier, the kind that only wanted a man for his money, prestige, and other stuff. He hadn’t thought she was like that, but now everything was off-kilter and nothing seemed the same. His mother wasn’t acting like she should, at least the way he thought someone should when they lost a loved one. Did his mother not love his father? Mark didn’t know what exactly was going on, what was going to happen now, and why everything seemed a little off, but he was positive that nothing would ever be the same again.

Pages

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Update on Whisper of Jasmine

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Sneak Peek of Whisper of Jasmine!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Cover Reveal for Whisper of Jasmine

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Chick Obsess with Fiction Review for Scent of Lavender - Part Two

Friday, February 28, 2014

Where to find Scent of Lavender with Links

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Thursday, February 27, 2014

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