The Daughter Who Blamed Eleanor
Chapter 13 - The Daughter Who Blamed Eleanor
Not everyone accepted the marriage.
Thomas's younger daughter from another branch of the family, Caroline, arrived from California.
She had missed the wedding.
She had missed the hearings.
She had not missed the gossip.
Caroline entered Thomas's room furious.
She looked at Eleanor.
“So you're the famous bride.”
Eleanor remained calm.
“I'm Eleanor.”
“I know.”
Caroline accused her of dividing the family.
Of encouraging Thomas to rewrite documents.
Of turning Diane against Richard.
Eleanor let her finish.
Then she said, “Would you like to see the records?”
Caroline hesitated.
“What?”
“The bank records.”
Richard looked uncomfortable.
Eleanor continued.
“Or your father's medical evaluations.”
Silence.
“Or Margaret's letter.”
Caroline froze.
“My mother's?”
Eleanor nodded.
Thomas had kept one letter written by Margaret before her death.
It was addressed to all three children.
Caroline read it.
Her expression changed.
Margaret wrote that Thomas had sacrificed much of his youth for family obligations.
She asked her children not to punish him if he found companionship after her death.
Most importantly, she wrote:
Please do not mistake loyalty to me for cruelty toward whoever comes after me.
Caroline began crying.
“I didn't know.”
Eleanor sat beside her.
“Neither did I.”
Caroline looked at Thomas.
Then at Richard.
Finally, she looked at Eleanor.
“I was angry before I understood.”
Eleanor smiled sadly.
“That seems to be happening a lot in this family.”
Caroline laughed through tears.
The room softened.
But outside, another problem was growing.
May you like
A reporter had discovered the hospital wedding.
And by the next morning, the story was everywhere.
