Family Reunion (28 page)

At the bottom of the staircase, Sandra’s expression of surprised eyes, cast Winston’s way, showed he was not someone she was familiar with. Her eyes, quite confused then went to Lena, whom she immediately noticed was disturbed by his presence. Taking a deep breath she approached him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Clarence Winston, I don't believe I've ever made your acquaintance, and yet Sheldon says you've come concerning an urgent matter, what may I ask, is this all about?"

Winston nodded with a slight bow asking, "Is it possible for us to talk...-(His eyes cut to Lena, then back to Sandra)-...privately?"

Sandra hesitated a moment then turned to lead the way to the living room. "If you will follow me this way Mr. Winston."

Lena had already
turned before them and was heading for the living room when they came up behind her.

"Won't you have a seat Mr. Winston, would you like a drink before you begin?" Sandra offered as she took a seat across from him.

"No, I'm fine; however I was hoping we could talk alone." He requested once more referring to Lena's presence. Sandra’s eyes went to Lena who had taken a seat by the archway that led from the living room to the closed in sun porch.

"You need not worry over Lena, I hide nothing from her. In fact the more important it is, the more I insist upon her presence."

This threw Clarence, he had hoped to speak to her mistress alone, before informing her that Lena’s father was searching for her and it was he who would be escorting her home to Makia Island. Now he had no choice but to state the reason for his visit before them both.

"I see - if you say so Mrs. Sinclair. The fact of the matter is that I'm an investigator. I am usually hired to find missing persons, which is why I'm here at your home today."

With a thudding heart, Lena sank back in her chair. Her insides trembled as she took deep drags of air to steady the effects of hearing his reason for the visit. Her mind raced with expectation.
'Who is he searching for?'
Deep in her heart, she already knew.

"Missing person? There's no one here who would be mis – sing?" Sandra returned. Then as it dawned on her, the last word slowly flowed from her lips as she turned to Lena.

"I take it by the look on your face and hers, you both already know. Yet, for the sake of clarity, it is you I am searching for…Princess Ceś alena." He announced, angling himself towards Lena. "Are you not, Princess Ceś alena, daughter of King LuMaden, taken from your home of Makia island over twenty some odd years ago?"

Lena gulped and felt a shiver race up her spine. Sandra let out a sharp. "Wh-what!?" that was followed by a stunned, "Pr-Princess?! Ceś alena?! K-King LuMaden?!?"

"Yes, you see, she was taken from her father's Island when she was a young girl of fourteen or fifteen, back in 1798. Ever since that time,-(He turned back to Sandra who was staring at Lena with shocked new eyes of amazement and wonder)- people have been searching for her."

"Since 1798?! Since fifteen!? But that would make her?-…" Sandra looked at her again stunned. She didn't look a day over thirty-four or five, which was her own age.

Lena said nothing
, remaining still. "But…how were you able to track her here Mr. Winston, and how can you be sure this is the woman you seek?"

"I assure you there has been no mistake; her father gave a detailed description of her. Even you must admit she is definitely one who stands out from the crowd, with such a face, eyes, coloring and carriage. Also, many men have seen her, spoken of her, confirming what I see before me now. King LuMaden is paying a handsome price for her return. I have come to alert her of her father's wishes to see her again and have made arrangements to see her safely home." He turned then to Lena and asked.

"Wouldn't you like to return to your home Princess? Your father is an old man now and he has a strong need to be reunited with his daughter. Surely you would not deny him this wish. As I said, I have already made arrangements for your travel. We will sail Wednesday morning. You need not worry over anything Princess I have handled everything for you."

Lena could only stare, unable to speak a word.
'He was sent by dauda, my father.'
She thought, stunned, feeling ashamed of herself as tears stung her eyes because for a moment, she thought he might have come on behalf of Manny. The feeling of disappointment snatched her breath away, her chest burned to the core of her heart, because it was not as she so desired. She felt foolish for even considering it might have been Manny. She focused her moist gaze on Clarence Winston, fighting back her pain as she struggled to ignore her rushing adrenaline that was slowly settling back into place. She gazed at Clarence Winston through burning eyes, regardless of who sent him, father or not, that was of little consequence. She didn't like the way he made her feel, there was no way she felt she could trust him.

Observing the look on Lena's face, made Sandra collect herself and turn back to their guest. "Well it is apparently clear that what you say is true Mr. Winston. What I find strange and would like you to explain, is how were you able to track her here? No one and I mean no one knows the identity of Lena, even I, up to this point did not know of the things you speak." Sandra asked him with a strong sense that he was not to be trusted, just the look in Lena's eyes was enough to convince her to be on her guard.

"I'm afraid that I cannot divulge that information. Professional confidentiality, you understand. All that really matters is that I have found her as requested by her father. My wish is to complete my job by returning her to him. That is what I am being paid to do."

"Mr. Winston, I hope you'll excuse me if I am wrong, you are beginning to sound insistent if not demanding.”

“
It is my hope that is not the case. You see, as far as I'm concerned, whether she returns home at the behest of her father or not is up to her. Should you not first see if her wishes coincide with your own? After all, she is no longer the young girl that she was when this all began." Sandra questioned. Winston controlled himself, deciding patience would be in his best interest while dealing with the two women and so he did not immediately respond. He realized should have listened to Greyson, who had just that morning returned from abroad. Right away Clarence had broken the news to him.

Derek's idea was to steal her away as was done almost sixteen years before. Winston thought it an unnecessary move on his part. He figured it would be easy enough to just inform the woman of her father's request to have her home, sure that she would be agreeable to go. The most he figured would come of it was that he might have to pay to take her, which he was willing to do. Considering the setup and the relationship between the two women, he doubted that would work. He realized it was not a normal situation. She was obviously treated as an equal by Sandra Sinclair, not as a Negro of lower status. Princess or no, father, King or no, aside from her beauty – she was a lowly Negro – he could careless what she wanted, and for that matter, this silly little chit sitting before him, who obviously did not know her place either. He had planned to offer Sandra Sinclair, her employer, a large sum of money in compensation for her loss of a servant. Then, he would have taken control of her as he would any Negro that was of use to him, and she was of plenty use to him, many thousands of dollars worth. Unlike Greyson, he had no intention of letting such a treasure slip through his hands, using subdued tones he finally spoke, "I can understand your reluctance to turn over your servant, seeing that you may have-…"

"Lena is not a servant in my home!" Sandra corrected him firmly.

He stopped and stared. Unsure of what to reply, possible solutions went through his mind, he turned to Lena. "Surely you will want to return home to see your father? As I have said, he is quite up in age. Who knows how much time is left to him, you wouldn't want him to pass away without seeing him one last time, would you Princess?"

To Lena, he looked like a wolf barely able to conceal his dripping fangs, resisting the urge to lick his chops in anticipation of the meal. She looked away from him.
'What am I going to do? My father, my dauda. After so long, I want to see you again father, I do but... my Rory. I can't leave him, I can't leave without my son. Would he be willing to go if I sprang this on him so suddenly? No, I know he wouldn't want to go just like that, but dauda will be seventy soon.'
Regardless of his age she knew her father had never been a weak or sickly man.

King Daimenvatamil LuMaden was a proud and powerful man on
the Island of Makia. He set high moral standards for his children and especially his little Princess Ceś alena -(Esa as he called her)- whom he had always treasured as his most precious gift.

Being that she was the only child surviving a twin birth from his first wife Aurelia, who also died giving birth to them, he had spoiled her and doted on her. Ceś alena had been small and weak at birth but he had refused to give up hope for her survival. He had pampered and watched over her, as if he himself had given birth to her. With the assistance of his second wife, Austeao, who had given him two sons, his Esa survived.

Lena knew they both waited for her to comment but she was afraid to say anything in front of this man. While she most certainly wanted to see her father again, she did not wish for Winston to take her.
'Oh God! What am I going to do?'
Dreading it, she finally knew what she would have to do. She would have to sit down and confess all to Rory. She would have to make him see why she had been as she had. She would have to make him understand that she really did love him but fear of so many things forced her to remain quiet and hide for so long. Then she would pray that he would return with her to her Island home. There was another fear as well, once she told him of his real father, would he choose to leave her in order to search for him? She knew her son; there was no love or loyalty in him for her. She was almost sure of it; he would seek his father out. If that was the choice he made, she wasn't sure what she was going to do. What she prayed for was a miracle that he would agree to go, if he did so, she would then have to face her people and her father with him.

‘
Will you view my son in shame father?'
She knew that it was a legitimate fear. Had she not disobeyed him and gone to the beach without her guards and servants she would not have been taken, and so would not be returning as the mother of a bastard child. Even more so, the bastard child of a white man.

Lena sighed, shook off all that was to come, and would only worry over her current situation. She turned to Sandra ignoring Winston altogether.

"Sandra, I need to talk to you alone, in the other room please."

Sandra nodded and Lena rose to exit the room, Winston stood, a little edgy with letting her out of his sight. Sandra gazed at him expectantly; he cleared his throat and said, "Um, I'll be here waiting."

With a nod, Sandra followed Lena from the room.

In the study, Lena took deep breaths, standing with her back to Sandra, leaning, palms flat, on the desk.

Sandra leaned against the
closed door staring at Lena, still grappling with the new discovery of who she was. Finally, quite astounded, she spoke.

"My God Lena, you're a, a Princess - from an Island - but how? Why have you kept it such a secret?" Sandra asked gently.

"Sandra that part of my life has been over for many years now. In the face of all I know and have lived through, I can hardly reclaim such a title."

"But a Princess, Lena, a real Princess!"

"The life of one is hardly what the title deceives people into believing. Oh what I would give to be, simply, Lena."
'Manny's Lena.'
She thought sadly. "What am I going to do? I would like to go home, but not with that man. He frightens me; I don't like the way he looks at me. Yet…it's time…it's right. I do need my father." She said as she turned from the desk to Sandra, who was walking towards her, her eyes studying Lena as if she were seeing her for the first time.

"It fits. You fit!
Everything
about you."

"Sandra don't be ridiculous, I haven't considered myself that since the day I-...since I was fifteen years old, and came to live at Webster Fields." She finished softly, her head down, not wanting to show disappointment that it was not Manny who searched for her. Sandra took a deep breath approaching her friend. "Webster Fields? What is Webster Fields?" She asked hesitantly.

"It was ... once my home – my
real
home." Lena answered dreamily.

"With Manny?" Sandra asked gently.

Lena nodded.

Both stood silent a moment, Sandra closed her eyes to clear her head. She had to stop acting silly even though it wasn't everyday that one learned they'd been living with a princess for almost sixteen years. Right then what Lena needed was her help and she would do anything for Lena…anything at all.

"Tell me what to do Lena and I'll do it."

"I just…I just want to go home now, my father’s home. Knowing that my father still aches to see me again, I must return. Not with him, not with Clarence Winston."

"Nothing more need be said. First thing, let's get rid of Clarence Winston. Afterwards, we can discuss a means for you to seek passage to Makia Island. Don't worry; I'll take care of everything!"