The Debt (Now on Radish)

cнapтer 6

Since coming home, Derek has not paid attention to me.

The day we came home was the day we learned of his father's condition. He's dying. I myself do not know what from, but he is dying. He requested Derek and only Derek when he learned that we had returned home. They spent hours together in his bedchambers, doing god knows what. My father in law has been hanging on for the past several weeks now. It is December, the first snow falling as I speak. Derek has holed himself in his father's study, day and night for the past three weeks. He goes in there before I wake and does not return until I am deeply asleep.

I do try to coerce him out, or sit with him during the day, but he sends me away without looking up. He promised me that he would never ignore me in his vows, has he already forgotten? I am virtually alone in this house. I have his siblings, of course, and I enjoy getting to know them.

Annabeth is the second oldest, her twin brother being the eldest. She is vibrant, outgoing and headstrong. Although she will not admit it, she is madly in love with a mystery man. She has told no one who he is for she fears that it will end in a blood bath. Her words, not mine. Bambi, the third oldest is demure and shies away from people. It is no secret that she fancies my brother. She's so beautiful, but lacks the confidence her sister has. Barnabas is twelve years old. He looks up to his brother like he is a god. He is going to be a handsome man when he is older.

Caiden suffers from loneliness. His sisters have no time for him, and the only brother close enough in age to him doesn not play with him. He will be my closest friend from now on. Edgar and Edna are two peas in a pod. They are attached to the hip to each other. They will be a force to be reckoned with.

The Goddard family has many attractive features. My husband and his twin are blonde with pale eyes. They have angular features; square jaws, slender noses, full lips. Bambi, Barnabas and Caiden have dark hair like their father and dark eyes like their mother, rest her soul. Edna looks like her mother while Edgar looks like his father.

The Christmas season is upon the house hold, although I believe one member will be seeing his last. Derek allowed us to take the head butler, Mr. Williams, out to the woods to take down the perfect tree. I believe that it was a joyous occasion for the younger children, but I will admit, it was missing two important people; Derek and Aaron. There was no chance that Aaron was moving from his bed, but Derek could come out of his study at any time.

"Imogen," Annabeth called, linking my arm with hers. "What are you thinking about? You look perplexed."

"Derek. I'm worried 'bout him." I confided in my sister in law.

"Derek is not one for letting go. When our mother died, right before the war, Derek was beside himself. Mummy and Derek were inseparable. He and Father are not as close, but Derek is not ready to become the Duke. And he is worried over you, about something. I am not sure what, he has not told me." Annabeth said, leading me back to the house. Mr. Williams and Barnabas were in the rear with the tree as the rest of the children ran ahead to the house.

Dinner was monumentally empty. Mrs. Goddard was upstairs with her husband and Derek still confined himself in the study that is his new room. The Goddard children and I ate dinner together, making small talk between bites. I had made up my mind to pull him out of that study until his father reluctantly passes away. Aaron's death will be the second one I have endured since I was a child. My family seems to be followed by the Grim Reaper. I can only pray that this will be the last death for a long time.

After the children ate their suppers, I brought them two flights of stairs to their bedrooms to tuck them in. It had become a night time routine since becoming part of their family. Mrs. Goddard wants no part of her husband's children, which is interesting since she was their nanny. The children were very disconnected before I came along. I am sure that Derek, Annabeth and Bambi tried to be mother and father to them, but Derek had been out of the picture for so many of them when he left for the war.

"Imp." Edna whispered, her pet name for me catching my attention. "D'ya love Derry?" She stretched her tiny arms out for me and hugged my neck.

"My pet," I whispered, stroking her hair. "I suppose I do. I haven't known him long enough tae tell."

"Derry loves ya, Imp." The little girl whispered to me. "He told me so." She whispered, her eyes closing sleepily.

"Good night, my princess." I whispered, leaving her to the sand man. I walked down the hall to my room. I hopelessly wished that when I opened the wooden door, Derek would be lying on the bed with a book in his hands and his night shift on. I did not find that. My room was almost empty, with the exception of my lady's maid, Lillian. She helped me strip my day dress and corset so I could put on my night gown. She sat me down in front of my mirror and brushed my hair so she may braid it.

"I know that you're not used to this, Your Grace, but I promise that you and I will be great friends." Lillian promised me.

"I am not 'Your Grace', Lillian. You an' I were born from the same class. I'm no more above you than you are above me. Just Imogen, Lillian," I told her, watching Lillian's fingers work like magic. In no time she had my hair braided and Lillian excused herself. Derek still had not retired, and I became angry. I marched out of our room and down to the study that he had called home for the past three weeks. I knocked on the door twice before hearing his muffled answer.

"Enter, Mr. Williams." He called. I opened the door and made my way in front of his desk. Derek looked up after several quiet moments. "Imogen, go to bed. I will join you before midnight."

"No, Derek. I am tired of you retiring long after the rest of the house has fallen asleep. You did not come to bed last night. I waited for you and you never came."

"I fell asleep at the desk late last night, I am sorry, my love." Derek replied, rising to his feet. Derek came round his desk and wrapped my arms around him. "Please, go back to bed and I will join you in few moments, I swear."

"You have been avoiding me, Derek Goddard. I do not like it. I feel like I am not as important to you. You have been keeping things from me." I said. Derek opened his mouth to protest, but I silenced him. "Who is Jack Peddleton? I heard you and Johnny and Mum talking about him. I want to know why he is such a threat to us."

"Imogen, please, I want to keep you safe." Derek pleaded.

"Then tell me who he is or I will find out myself. And you will not like it." I rebutted.

To Be continued...

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Hello lovelies!

New update, more coming later, just wanted to get it out. I will update Meeting Ophelia soon, I swear to god. I've been super busy. I just got confirmed a week or so ago, I got inducted into NHS yesterday and I am just so tired.

Dedicated to Malkakateri4ka because she's a sweetie :)

Lots of Love,

DoctorWho