A SURPRISE FOR JONATHAN
Chapter 4: Victoria’s Loss
Not long after Victoria’s arrival at the O’Connell-Carnahan home, Evelyn realized that they most likely needed to get Victoria back to her schooling. Now on a quiet Saturday afternoon, while Alex and Victoria had gone with Rick to town, Evie and Jonathan were playing a game of Hearts.
“Jonathan, I’ve been meaning to ask you about Victoria’s schooling. I know she is still getting used to us, but it might be wise to get her started, or if she had a school she was attending, get her enrolled there,” Evie said as she drew a card. Being a parent was still something Jonathan was getting used to, and he was glad for any help he could get from his sister, and Rick.
“Her mother taught her from home, I guess to keep her from everyone’s eye,” Jonathan said as he laid down his hand. He had lost again, and sighed, and Evelyn noticed the weary look in his eyes.
“What is it Jonathan?” she asked.
“I feel like I’m smothering old mum. I love her with all my heart, but I miss my freedom,” he admitted.
“Perhaps school would be good for the both of you then. While she is there getting her education, and making new friends, you can have your time. Don’t forgot too, that Rick and I are here to help out,” she said as she stood giving him a kiss before she went off to help Marie with Lunch.
~*~*~*~*~
When Rick returned with Alex and Victoria, the first thing she did was to seek out her father. In her arms, she held the kitten she had wanted for weeks, and was anxious to show him.
“DADDY,” she yelled, as she approached the Parlor.
“Here I am my little Princess, and look what you have,” he said smiling at Rick who shrugged. Rick was usually the last to bend when she got winey, and Jonathan idly wondered how Victoria had talked him into the kitten he had been against a week ago.
“I’m going to name her Bonnie,” she informed then ran upstairs. Unable to resist giving Rick a hard time, Jonathan followed him to the kitchen.
“And here I thought you immune to her begging,” Jonathan said, as they
entered the kitchen. After giving Evie a kiss he plopped down at the kitchen table.
“I thought so to, but one look at those blue eyes, and her pouty lip, and her promise to always love me, I just had to get it for her,” Rick said lightly. Having heard his comment, Evelyn sighed.
“You two need to learn to say no to that child, or she is going to believe she can get anything with her pouty ways,” Evelyn said. Both of them laughed at her.
“Well I never,” she said starting to walk away from the table, then screamed when Rick pulled her onto his lap.
“I seem to remember when Alex was little, and when ever he pouted, how his mummy gave in,” Rick said as he nibbled her neck. He had her there, and Evelyn just shook her head.
“I do suppose they out grow that sort of thing,” she replied, then got up to sit in her own chair.
~*~*~*~*~
Not watching her kitten close enough, Victoria screamed when Bonnie ran out of her room, and when she got in the hall screamed louder when she saw Max approaching her.
“GET AWAY YOU BAD DOGGY,” she screamed. All that noise brought all three of the adults, and just as they arrived Max gave Bonnie a bath, not hurting her, but not making her happy.
“He’s eating her daddy,” she sobbed hugging his legs while Evie rescued the soaked kitten.
“No princess, do you remember the first tme Max met you?” Jonathan asked picking her up.
“Yes he licked me,” she said softly.
“Well that is just what Max did to Bonnie, see,” he said as Evelyn came with her wrapped in a soft blanket. Once she saw her kitten was unharmed, Victoria went back to playing in her room. She sat in the rocking chair with her kitten and sang to her.
“That naughty doggy got you all wet,” Victoria said as she kissed her kittens head. As she was rocking her kitten, and sang her song, she thought of her mum, and decided it was time to go see her. Daddy had said it was best that they not go, that mum was very sick, but Victoria being Jonathan’s daughter, and Evelyn’s niece was determined to do it, despite anything they told her. She got her little creme colored Satchel and packed in it the new doll her daddy had gotten her, and then put Bonnie in.
“Now you must be quiet my children, or the mean ogres will come eat us up,” she said. Victoria snuck out of the house with great ease, and skipped merrily down the driveway to its end. The road leading into London was quiet, and Victoria walked on, not worried about a thing, other than going to see her mum. Not five minutes into her little trip, did she meet up with Alex who drove past her, in the car of one of his friends.
“Hey stop thats my cousin,” he said to Dan’s mum. Mrs. Corrington did so, and Alex got out.
“What are you doing?” he all but yelled.
“I’m paying a visit to my mum, so you can’t tell my daddy,” she said.
“Oh well guess what, I’m going to, now get in this car,” he said.
“I don’t gotta do what you tell me,” she yelled, then ran as fast as she could to the fence line, and before Alex could catch her she slipped into the woods.
“Come out here,” Alex yelled. Just a few feet away from him, Victoria slipped into some bushes hoping he would leave.
“If you don’t come out here the ogres will come eat you up,” Alex tried. That had scared her the first time he had told her that, when trying to get her out of his room one day, however her daddy had told her that Ogres were not real, so she wasn’t worried about it any longer. When she didn’t come out, Alex gave up and decided to go on home and let his Uncle take care of her. After the car pulled away, Victoria headed on her way singing and skipping, and not far along another car stopped with Mary and her mum.
“Victoria what are you doing out here all by yourself?” Rebecca Conner asked.
“Going to see my mum,” she said.
“Well get in this car, and we will take you,” she said, not happy that Anna’s child was out all by herself, and wondering what kind of parent would allow her to be out like that.
~*~*~*~*~
As soon as he got in the house, Alex started to yell for his uncle, and only found his parents.
“Where is Uncle John?” Alex asked.
“He is asleep,” Evelyn said putting down the paper she had been reading, noticing the worried look in her son’s eyes.
“Victoria is out again. When me and Dan were on our way back we saw her, and when I tried to get her back in the car, she took of in the woods,” Alex informed. Rick shook his head as he got up.
“Go wake Jonathan,” he said as he went to the front of the house putting on his leather coat and his boots. As he was about to go warm the car Jonathan came from his nap looking frustrated, a feeling Rick knew well from the times Alex would run off without telling anyone.
“Do you and Evie want another child?” Jonathan asked as they got in Rick’s Buford. He knew Jonathan was kidding, but he also knew that Jonathan was not having an easy time as a single father, and despite his help and Evie’s it was still not easy on him.
“Just try to have patience with her, Let me go see if Alex knew where she was headed,” Rick said as he got out of the car. While he was gone, Jonathan sat deep in thought. Right now he was angry, and he knew from watching both Rick and Evelyn that he needed to tone that down before he dealt with his daughter. The other feelings ranged from being tired and feeling trapped. All of his adult life he had lived a frivolous life, and it seemed now he was paying for his ways. He regretted feeling so weary of his own kid, but right now he just wanted to leave her.
“Alex says she was on her way to see Anna,” Rick informed as he got back into the car. Jonathan banged his head against the Window, and Rick frowned.
“Look why don’t you let me go find her. You look like you need time to cool off,” Rick said. Jonathan just nodded, and left the car, going into the house, looking as down as Rick had ever seen him. As he drove toward London Rick looked out the passenger Window but didn’t see her anywhere. He guessed his best coarse of action was to go to Anna’s first. Then if she wasn’t there drive the route back.
~*~*~*~*~
Rebecca had not known that Anna had passed away early that morning, and now she sat on the porch holding Victoria as she cried.
“I want my mummy,” she kept saying. Mary sat beside them hugging her friend.
“If you want I will share my mummy with you,” Mary offered, Then both of them saw a car approaching and a handsome man step out.
“Are you Jonathan?” Rebecca asked not about to let him take Victoria after finding her on the road to London. Rick could tell she was not happy, and guessed the reason.
“I’m his brother-in-law,” Rick said.
“Well maybe you should make sure he watches his daughter better,” Rebecca said coldly as Rick approached. He knelt down unsure of what was going on.
“Hey sweet pea,” Rick tried, though when he touched her she pulled away.
“I’m not going back,” she said lifting her face from Rebecca’s shoulder. She was all out of breath, and it suddenly dawned on Rick why she was so upset. Now he wished he would have brought Jonathan.
“Where do you want to be?” he asked.
“Wi with my mummy,” she said then started crying all over. It took some coaxing but Rick finally had her in his own arms, and he thanked Rebecca for looking after her, despite his aggravation at her earlier words. Now in his car he drove while Victoria lay with her head against his lap.
“I I wan want my mummy,” she said again.
“I know you do,” he said rubbing her back. The drive was forty minutes, and Rick was thankful that someone she knew had gotten her, and not someone she didn’t know. One thing he was going to suggest to both Jonathan and Evie at least for a while was that they put locks on all the doors going out, so that she wouldn’t be able to get out on her own. Eventually Victoria fell asleep, her kitten resting beside her.
~*~*~*~
Just as she had been about to start work on her latest book, Evelyn looked up when she saw Jonathan enter the room. Thinking he had left something, and was still going out with Rick she resumed what she was doing. It was when she realized he was not going, when he had not come back from his part of the house, that she put away her work, and went to talk to him. Now she listened as he told her his feelings.
“I just can’t do this Evelyn. I know I should have watched myself, I know I shouldn’t have thought I wouldn’t have to pay for my actions, but I wasn’t meant to be a father,” he said throwing his hands up in the air. All of what he was saying was normal. When Alex had been born there had been several times when she wanted to run away, but eventually both she and Rick learned how to be parents to him, and now she loved that job, more than any other.
“Jonathan I know how frustrating it is. I’ve been there, and it’s not easy, but the fact is you are her father, and the only person she has left. Sure she has all of us, Rick Alex and myself, but you are the one who needs to show her the way,” Evelyn said. Feeling defeated, despite her words Jonathan sat down beside her, and for the first time in a long time he cried.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After putting the car in park, Rick carefully lifted Victoria out. She let out a shuttering sigh, but remained asleep, and after getting her satchel with Bonnie, and her baby, he made his way inside. It was quiet, and when he walked in the Parlor, he didn’t find Jonathan or Evelyn there. Knowing that she needed her father, Rick made the treck to the other part of the house, and just as he was about to open the door, it came open, and he met Evelyn’s worried gaze.
“He’s resting,” she said. As much as Rick wanted to give him time, right at the moment there was none.
“Anna is gone,” Rick whispered. Evelyn closed her eyes and leaned against them, then together they went in to Jonathan’s room. While Evelyn went to his bed, Rick set the satchel down swaying with his niece who had begun to stir.
“Jonathan, Anna is gone, and Victoria needs you,” Evie whispered. Her words woke him instantly, and when he saw Rick he got out of bed and went over to them.
“No,” Victoria said as Rick started to give her to Jonathan.
“Hey princess,” Jonathan said rubbing her back.
“I want to go away,” she said then started to cry again, holding tight to Rick. She was terrified, and unsure of things, and her rejection of him, didn’t’ make it any easier for Jonathan.
“Hey baby, why don’t you and I take a rest, with Bonnie,” Jonathan tried. She nodded her head, and let her Uncle lay her in bed, then Jonathan climbed in next to her. When her tears subsided she lifted her head from her chest.
“I want to go live with Mary and Rebecca,” she said.
“Will you give me more of a chance?” Jonathan asked realizing that right now he needed to give all of his time to his little girl.
“I guess so,” she said then rolled away from him. When she went to sleep, Jonathan made a decision to sell his Casino, and also decided to try and get a job at the museum, and go after his first love which had always been archeology.
Epilogue
Time healed the pain for Victoria, and time also taught Jonathan that the only thing that mattered was his little girl. Three months after her arrival in his life, the Museum in Egypt asked if he would return and be the assistant curator, and without hesitation he took the job. Not wanting to be away from her brother, and realizing their life was made for Egypt, Evelyn Rick and Alex followed them there. They lived in separate houses, but not far from one another, and life as it always was, was one great adventure.
THE END