Once Bound Always Bound

Chapter 8

A few days had passed since the passing of Alistair's father. He had been busy with juggling making funeral arrangements for his father to be buried alongside his mother in the family plot, as well as trying to help his new bride adjust to her new role as his wife and showing her what he expects of her. On top of all of that Alistair had taken the time to announce that he and Emmeline had been wed, before his father's sudden passing.

At the funeral many of Addison's friends and colleagues approached the young Crump, sharing stories of how his father was such a good man, and sharing their condolences with Alistair, saying how they are sorry that he and his new bride had to celebrate their union with such a tragic loss taking place.

The whole time that the guests were approaching them, Alistair kept a close eye on his young bride, noticing that she had a trouble look on her face.

"If you gentlemen would be so kind to excuse me. I would like to make sure that my lovely wife is handling this as well as she possibly could," Alistair said before walking over to where Emmeline stood. "What seems to be bothering you my sweet?"

Emmeline took a deep breath, releasing it before answering Alistair. "Do you feel bad about your father's passing?"

"What do you mean? My father's health began to decline the moment my mother passed away. But that stubborn ass didn't want anyone to know about that, because he feared that everyone around him would show him sympathy which he didn't want. Besides, my father was a stubborn man who wanted to keep everyone around him in the dark about his health failing. Though no doubt that if anyone found out about it, there is no doubt in my mind that my father would have found a way to twist the story around, just to make it look like that I was the one who was responsible for making him sick. Lord knows my father blames me for my mother's death. Though the doctor already made it clear to my father that I would never dream of doing anything to harm my mother," Alistair said.

"Do you regret getting married so quickly, knowing that your father was falling ill before we did so," Emmeline asked.

Alistair rolled his eyes at what Emmeline had said to him. "Emmeline, my dear wife. You worry too much about things that we simply have no control over. My father was a sick man, who chose to hide his illness from everyone else around him. Besides, I wasn't going to postpone my wedding, just to spare my father. He knew that he was at risk of his heart giving out if he was placed under a lot of stress. My father could have prevented his own death, had he not been so uptight. Had he calmed down, he would still be alive right now, we would be celebrating our wedding instead of mourning his loss. Don't worry my dear. We will make it past this together. We will always be there to lift each other up and be the strength that the other needs. Now my lovely wife, I ask that you calm down and leave the guests to me to take care of. You just stand there and look pretty."

"I'm sure you would love that wouldn't you," Emmeline said.

"Now is not the time for your attitude Emmeline. If you continue to act like this around all the other grieving guests, I will have to punish you in the privacy of our bedchambers. Is that what you want," Alistair asked.

"No. I'm sorry Alistair," Emmeline was quick to say.

"Then be a good wife and do as you are told," Alistair said before more guests approached him with sympathetic looks on their faces.

The rest of the time Emmeline stayed by her husband's side, allowing him to do all of the talking.

Emmeline grew bored listening to everyone talk to Alistair. If only they knew the truth about how both father and son were so hostile towards each other. Instead of giving him their condolences, they would be questioning whether or not he killed his father to gain control of the Crump mansion, Emmeline thought to herself.