Born Innocence

Angelica heard a young girl scream and came alive. She looked over to see her little sister, that's always been more like a daughter to her, scrambling toward her. Angelica knew these monsters would hurt Michelle worse than anything they've ever been able to do to her. She bucked and twisted until an arm broke free, she ripped out the gag. "Run Michelle! Get help! Run babygirl!" was all she was able to get out before she felt a singing blow to her mouth.Roderick had just left Whites when he saw a little girl barreling full tilt from an alley screaming for help at the top of her lungs. She had tears streaming down her pale face, Roderick picked up his pace heading toward the panic child. "What is it child?" Roderick asked. she could only point toward alley gasping for breath, she grabbed his hand and started pulling with an urgency Roderick hadn't expected from one so young. He rushed with the child, he stopped when she did, but she kept pointing down the alley."Angie help" Michelle

"What are you doing in Town? I thought you were at Carlisle Estate helping our mother take care of father." "She has Babs and Lily to help her. Little Michelle is in the nursery with Brianna and Bradley, you're Miss Angie is being cared for by Miss Marsh and Ann. She's being treated like a queen, is there anything else you'd like to know?""Don't give me cheek you young pup! I've been in town taking care of business on behalf of the McAllister sisters and they have now become my official wards by the war department." He roughly raped his hands through his dreadfully the shoveled black hair. "What am I to do? I don't need this right now." Came his desperate plea.Darren slapped Roderick on the back and sat in a chair across from his brother with his feet spread and his elbows on his knees mimicking Roderick's newest posture. With a cognac hanging from his hand between his knees Roderick took a long drink of his cognac and sighed at the welcoming burn. "You'll think of something, Mich

"Who's Roderick? Do I know him?" Angelica asked not sure to whom this Roderick person was."Oh, dear, of course you're not going to know to whom I speak of. Roderick is the man who brought you and your young sister here to me. He's the one that came to your assistance last eve. You'll be seeing him soon enough. He's a very good man with a very good heart. Ah, Ann, please take sweet Michelle down to the kitchen for one of Cook's apricot treats." Once Michelle was gone, Lady Arlene approached Angie's bed and sat on the edge facing Angie. "Now that we are alone and you are breaking your fast we can speak openly, for you see, we have a very serious matter that we must speak of." Lady Arlene took a deep bracing breath then continued in a steady reasonable voice. "Because of the incident from last Eve you must marry, dear." She paused to let this bit of news to sink into Angie's numb mind, she continued only after Angie's eyes widen and shock. "Yes, my dear, has the only way to save your re

Angie swallowed against the lump in her throat and gave him a misty smile, "Yes, I'll be your wife and we'll be a family together." She laid her free hand on her still flat stomach, she came very close to blurting out that she loved him, but she caught her wayward tongue just in time.He gave a gusty sigh of relief and sprained to his feet to tightly embrace her. "Thank you." He breathed into her ear. "You've made me very happy." He laid his hand over her so smiled a smile of sheer joy."How soon do you want to get married?""Tomorrow, I have a special license already." He said with a sheepish grin. "I must go tell my mother that she's going to gain a new daughter and that she may soon be a grandmother!" He laughed and rushed from the room like an excited little boy. She stood in stunned silence not believing she just agreed to marry a man she barely knew. All she knew about him spoke well of him, but she felt there was something he was holding back. Something she should know, but he

"Good, now here's Ann with your breakfast tray. Eat your meal and we'll start the day and I'll get a new daughter." Lady Arlene left as Angie was taking dainty bites of toast.************************************************************Roderick's breath caught in his throat when he saw Angie walking down the grand staircase on Mr. Simcoe's arm in a splendid white gown with pearls delicately stitched into the bodice. It showed her magnificent cleavage almost causing him to swallow his tongue.He barely registered his brother's in drawn breath or that the room was instantly quiet, he only had eyes for Angie and her beautiful smile. He took a step toward the stairs but stopped when he felt the pressure of his brother's hand on his shoulder and his whispered, "patience" . He stood fidgeting restlessly watching her slow progress to the makeshift altar in the formal parlor. When she finally stopped before him Roderick was a nervous wreck.They stood facing each other and Roderick took a fi