A dull and distant pounding woke up Gabriella from a sound sleep.
She opened her eyes suddenly and realized that someone was knocking on the door. Gabriella then turned her head and came upon Blayne's eyes. She looked down and saw their interwoven limbs and the events of the night suddenly filled her mind.
"Gabriella?" The knocking persisted. "It's me, Diana."
Gabriella looked in horror at Blayne. Blayne put her finger on Gabriella's lips and whispered. "Tell her that you just got out of the shower and you are dressing and that you will meet her downstairs in a bit."
Gabriella nodded and did as Blayne suggested.
"Okay, I'll see you downstairs then," Diana said as her footsteps faded away.
Blayne then turned to look at Gabriella as she was still staring at the door.
"Good morning," Blayne said with smile as she tightened her hold around Gabriella's midriff.
Gabriella then turned towards Blayne and tried pulling away. "What's wrong?" Blayne suddenly sat up next to her.
Gabriella still did not look at her.
"Don't worry, darling. Diana will understand," Blayne said as she leaned down and tried to kiss her. Gabriella pushed her away and sat up as she slid her legs down over the bed.
"I don't intend to tell her," Gabriella said bluntly. Gabriella then turned towards Blayne after the silence was not broken.
Both sets of eyes met and Blayne realized that something was wrong. "Explain quickly before I get the wrong idea," Blayne said anxiously.
Gabriella got up, got a robe, and put it on. She then turned towards Blayne. She suddenly looked away unable to look at the woman in front of her who just a moment ago had been in her arms. Looking at Blayne lying naked in the bed that they had shared suddenly disturbed her.
"I don't know what you expect," Gabriella said looking away from Blayne's accusatory eyes.
"Don't do this, Gabriella," Blayne said softly.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you expected." Gabriella did not dare to look at Blayne.
Blayne got up and walked over to her.
"Get dressed." Gabriella turned away from her. Blayne froze at the coldness of the words in the rejection.
Blayne was unable to move for a moment; then with all the dignity she could muster she began to pick up her clothes and got dressed. Gabriella never looked in her direction.
"You are your father's daughter after all. Welcome to the family little sister," Blayne said as she closed the door behind her.
Gabriella shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around her body as she dropped to the ground and began to weep.
Blayne slammed the door to her bedroom, took a few steps, and started tearing off her clothes in a rage, then just as suddenly she began to sob holding herself tightly. Her whole body shook as the sobbing racked her body.
Part Two
An hour later Gabriella went downstairs looking for Diana.
"Hello."
Gabriella turned around and came face to face with Chaz
Blayne suddenly felt arms around her and tried pulling away only to give into the need to be held.
Diana held her tightly. Never in her life did she ever imagine finding Blayne so vulnerable and distraught. Her big sister was nothing if not strong and in control all the time. She had come upstairs looking for Gabriella only to find that she was not in her room and when she passed Blayne's door she stopped when she thought she had heard crying.
Diana walked into a scene she would never have imagined or ever forget. Blayne was crouched in a fetal position, half-naked on the floor.
"What happened?" Diana asked gently as she held her sister tightly. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."
Blayne only cried all the harder.
"Looking for me?" Asked Chaz with his best smile.
"Umm, no, but I'm glad to see you," Gabriella said amicably. "Have you seen Diana? She wanted to talk to me and I said I would meet her down here."
"She was here earlier. I think she went upstairs to talk to Blayne."
Chaz noticed that Gabriella seemed nervous for a moment then just smiled and walked towards the library. He followed her with his eyes as she entered it and the wheels in his head began to turn. Something is going on here and I am going to find out what it is. If she thinks she can come in here and take a piece of money that should go to us she has some surprises coming.
Chaz went looking for his mother. She would help him. Surely she didn't want to see Arthur's bastard take anything away from her children.
Arthur looked up as soon as Gabriella walked into the library.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just wanted to get a book."
"No, no my dear, come on in." He gestured for her to get whatever she wanted. "I'm glad you decided to stay. Please, talk to me a while."
Gabriella sat close by. "You said I could ask you questions."
"Yes, of course." He sat down and waited.
"Why now? I mean, I know that you are sick, but why?"
"When you are dying you can't lie to yourself anymore," Arthur said sadly.
"Lie to yourself? I don't understand."
"When there are no tomorrows your life has to be looked at….I guess I finally looked at myself. Of all of them, Blayne was the hardest on me." He smiled and looked away. "She doesn't let me get away with what I did, not even now. And she is right. That's the difference between her and I." Arthur remained silent for a moment before looking at Gabriella.
"And what is it that Blayne doesn't cut you any slack on?"
"Honor."
"Honor?"
"I have been very much aware of that lately. I was a cad where your mother was concerned," Arthur said frankly.
"A cad? Is that what you think you were?" Gabriella got up and turned her back to him. "You promised undying love and you got her pregnant then left her. You were a cad? That is the least of what you were." Gabriella turned around to face him as she finished her accusation.
He looked down in shame. "You sound like Blayne."
"What?" Gabriella was thrown for a moment.
"Nothing. You are quite right. I didn't think of her or you at all." Arthur looked at her without blinking for a moment.
"How could you hurt her? Even now….she wanted to know if…" Gabriella sat down visibly upset. "My mother is the kindest, most loving woman I know."
Arthur sat again. Elena still thought of him. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.
"Does she hate me?"
Gabriella looked up and stared at him.
He then looked up into his daughter's eyes. "Does she? Does she hate me?"
"My mother doesn't hate anyone." Gabriella saw the pain register in Arthur's eyes before he got up and walked towards the window with his back to her. "How could you hurt her?" She asked him softly.
"I did love her….I want you to know that. She was the loveliest thing I had ever seen. I ….wish things might have been different, Gabriella. I'm sorry," he finished with regret. "You will never know how sorry I am."
"Perhaps I'm not the only one you should apologize to."
Arthur turned around to face his daughter. "Would she see me?"
"Well, you do have a weapon don't you?" Gabriella said sarcastically.
Arthur waited perplexed.
"Send Blayne." She walked out of the library to let him think on what she had just said. Before she walked out she could tell that the last jab had hit home and hurt him.
She was angry. She told herself she had the right to be. All that he had given her up to now was heartache. And she was not about to cut him any slack because he was dying.