Chapter 6: The Third Child
"Put the gun down, Victoria.""
Nathaniel's voice echoed through the underground room.
Victoria laughed.
"You always did sound like your father when you were angry.""
Marcus moved toward the stairs.
Thomas raised a second weapon.
"Don't.""
Marcus stopped.
Dr. Brooks stood behind Victoria, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.
She looked terrified.
I stared at her.
"You told us you wanted to help.""
"I do," she whispered.
Victoria pressed the pistol against the side of her own wedding dress.
"Dr. Brooks, tell them.""
The older physician swallowed.
"Richard Callaway had three children.""
Eleanor shook her head.
"No. There were two.""
"Three," Dr. Brooks repeated.
"One was born fourteen months before the twins.""
Nathaniel looked at Arthur.
"Why didn't you tell us?""
Arthur removed his glasses.
"Because your father paid everyone involved to keep the child's existence confidential.""
I stepped forward.
"Who was she?""
Dr. Brooks looked at me.
"Her name was Elizabeth.""
My heart hammered.
"Where is she?""
Victoria smiled.
"That's the interesting part.""
She walked down several steps, keeping the gun pointed toward us.
"Elizabeth was born to a woman named Caroline Reed. She was Richard's first child. He intended to raise her privately until Caroline threatened to expose the relationship.""
Eleanor covered her mouth.
"I remember Caroline.""
Dr. Brooks nodded.
"She was a nurse at the same hospital.""
"What happened to her?"" Nathaniel asked.
"She died shortly after the delivery.""
I felt sick.
"And the baby?""
Dr. Brooks hesitated.
"Richard arranged for Elizabeth to be placed with another family.""
Victoria tilted her head.
"Not quite.""
She looked at Margaret.
"Tell them.""
Margaret's face was drained of color.
I turned toward her.
"What?""
Margaret looked at the floor.
"Richard offered me money to take the baby.""
I couldn't speak.
"The baby Elizabeth?""
She nodded.
"After I lost my own daughter, he knew I was vulnerable. He told me he could arrange for me to raise a child privately.""
I stared at her.
"You told me you took me home from the hospital.""
"I did.""
"Then who was Elizabeth?""
Margaret's lips trembled.
"Elizabeth was the first baby I raised.""
Nathaniel looked confused.
"But you said you took Rose.""
Margaret nodded.
"Because I did. Years later.""
The pieces began falling into place.
Margaret had raised two children.
Elizabeth first.
Then me.
But why?
"Where is Elizabeth now?""
Margaret closed her eyes.
"I don't know.""
Victoria laughed.
"Yes, you do.""
Margaret looked at her.
"No.""
"You know exactly where she is.""
"She disappeared.""
"Because you helped her.""
Victoria raised the pistol.
"Tell them what happened when Elizabeth turned eighteen.""
Margaret's voice broke.
"She discovered the adoption papers.""
"And?""
"She went looking for Richard.""
Victoria stepped closer.
"What did he do?""
Margaret began crying.
"He refused to acknowledge her.""
Victoria's smile vanished.
"And then?""
"He threatened to have her arrested for blackmail.""
I looked at Victoria.
"Why do you care about Elizabeth?""
Victoria's eyes hardened.
"Because Elizabeth was my sister.""
Silence.
Nathaniel stared at her.
"What?""
"Same father. Different mothers.""
She looked at Eleanor.
"Richard promised my mother that I would inherit the company. Then he created a trust for the twins. And Elizabeth? He kept her hidden because he didn't want anyone knowing about Caroline.""
Nathaniel slowly lowered his hands.
"You're telling us this is about money?""
Victoria laughed bitterly.
"Everything has always been about money in this family.""
She turned toward me.
"Do you know what my mother did to secure my future? She worked herself to death trying to make Richard love her. She spent twenty years being humiliated by him, and when he died, she discovered that his fortune had been placed in a trust for children she had never even met.""
I stared at her.
"That's why you married Nathaniel?""
"Of course.""
Nathaniel looked devastated.
"Did you ever love me?""
Victoria's eyes softened for a moment.
"At first.""
He looked away.
Then she continued.
"But love doesn't pay for a lifetime of being treated like an inconvenience.""
I took a step toward her.
"And my mother?""
Victoria turned.
"Your mother was the biggest mistake.""
"Did you kill her?""
For the first time, Victoria said nothing.
Eleanor began trembling.
"Victoria, please.""
Victoria pointed the gun toward me.
"Your mother discovered the third child. She found Elizabeth's records and threatened to expose Richard's arrangements.""
I felt my throat close.
"What happened?""
"She was supposed to disappear.""
"Did you burn her house?""
Victoria's jaw tightened.
"She was given a choice. Leave New York and never contact the Callaways again, or lose everything.""
"My mother would never leave me.""
Victoria smiled.
"She didn't.""
I stepped forward.
"Then what did you do?""
Victoria looked at Thomas.
He lowered his eyes.
And I understood.
"You killed her.""
Thomas shook his head.
"Not me.""
Victoria turned toward Dr. Brooks.
"Tell them.""
The physician began crying.
"Richard arranged for Grace to be transferred to a private facility after the fire.""
I grabbed the edge of the desk.
"She survived?""
Dr. Brooks nodded.
"Yes.""
My chest tightened.
"Where is she?""
Dr. Brooks looked toward Victoria.
"She was moved under a different name.""
Victoria interrupted.
"She's dead.""
I turned toward her.
"You don't know that.""
"I do.""
"How?""
Victoria's smile returned.
"Because I was the one who signed the final transfer papers.""
Margaret suddenly rushed toward her.
"You monster!""
Thomas grabbed Margaret's arm.
She struggled.
"Let me go!""
Victoria stepped backward.
"Careful, Margaret. You have no idea what you're standing next to.""
Then she looked at me.
"Your mother didn't die in a fire, Rose. She was kept alive long enough to tell us where Elizabeth had gone.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"Where?""
Victoria leaned closer.
"She refused to tell us.""
Nathaniel lunged forward.
Marcus caught him.
"Sir!""
Victoria raised the gun.
"Stay where you are!""
Eleanor stepped between us.
"Take me instead.""
Victoria turned toward her.
"Excuse me?""
"You wanted to destroy the Callaways. You've already tried to kill me. Let Rose go.""
Victoria stared at the old woman.
Then she laughed.
"You're still protecting the wrong child.""
Eleanor's eyes filled.
"I've spent thirty years protecting all of them.""
Victoria's expression twisted.
"No. You protected Nathaniel. You let Elizabeth disappear. You let Rose grow up believing her mother was dead.""
Eleanor lowered her head.
"You're right.""
The admission silenced everyone.
She looked at me.
"I knew Richard had taken one child. I knew Margaret had been paid to raise her. I knew Grace was frightened.""
Her voice cracked.
"But I was afraid of losing Nathaniel. So I kept quiet.""
Nathaniel stared at his mother.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I was a coward.""
Eleanor reached for his hand.
"And because I believed that if I stayed silent, I could eventually make things right.""
Victoria shook her head.
"How noble.""
Eleanor looked directly at her.
"Your mother was not the only woman Richard destroyed. But unlike Vivian, I eventually understood that his children were innocent.""
She turned toward me.
"Rose, I am sorry.""
I couldn't answer.
I was beginning to understand that every adult in my life had made a decision about me.
My father had hidden me.
My mother had been forced to surrender me.
Margaret had raised me without telling me the truth.
Eleanor had remained silent.
And Victoria had apparently spent years trying to erase every trace of the past.
I looked at Nathaniel.
He was staring at the floor.
Then I noticed something.
The leather-bound book was still open on the desk.
A small envelope had been tucked into its back cover.
I slowly reached for it.
Victoria saw me.
"Don't.""
I froze.
"What's inside?""
"Put it down.""
Nathaniel looked up.
"Rose, don't.""
But I had already removed the envelope.
It contained a photograph.
A young woman stood outside a hospital, holding a newborn baby.
She had dark hair, pale skin, and a small scar above her left eyebrow.
I looked at Margaret.
"Who is this?""
Margaret began sobbing.
"Elizabeth.""
I turned the photograph over.
A date had been written on the back.
And beneath it, a name.
Elizabeth Hayes.
My hands started shaking.
"Why does she have your last name?""
Margaret looked at me.
"Because I raised her.""
I stared.
"You said she disappeared.""
"She did.""
"Where?""
Margaret wiped her tears.
"She went looking for Grace. She believed Grace knew the truth about her birth.""
Victoria suddenly pointed her gun at Margaret.
"Stop talking.""
But Margaret continued.
"Before Elizabeth disappeared, she told me something.""
"What?""
Margaret looked directly into my eyes.
"She said she had discovered that Richard hadn't hidden three children.""
Nathaniel frowned.
"What do you mean?""
Margaret took a shaky breath.
"He had hidden four.""
The underground room went silent.
I looked at the photograph again.
Four children.
Four lives.
Four secrets.
Victoria stepped backward.
"That's impossible.""
Margaret shook her head.
"Your father had another daughter. One he never intended anyone to find.""
Dr. Brooks covered her mouth.
Nathaniel turned toward her.
"Is that true?""
She nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
I looked at the physician.
"Who was she?""
Dr. Brooks lowered her eyes.
"She was born seven years after you and Nathaniel.""
My mind raced.
"Where is she?""
The physician looked at Victoria.
Victoria's face had gone completely white.
Then Dr. Brooks whispered:
"She's been standing in this room the entire time.""
Everyone turned.
At first, I didn't understand.
Then Margaret looked at me.
Her lips trembled.
"Rose, there's something I should have told you years ago.""
I stared at her.
She reached for my hand.
"You're not the child I took home from the hospital.""
My heart stopped.
Margaret continued.
"You're Elizabeth's daughter.""
I looked at the photograph.
The woman holding the baby.
The scar above her eyebrow.
The same scar I had seen in my childhood photographs.
I touched my own eyebrow.
Nathaniel slowly turned toward me.
Victoria lowered her gun.
And then Margaret said the words that changed everything.
"Grace Carter wasn't your biological mother, Rose.""
She took a shaky breath.
"She was your grandmother.""
I couldn't move.
All my memories of Grace came rushing back.
Her songs.
Her hands.
Her bedtime stories.
The way she kissed my forehead when I was sick.
She had raised me as her daughter.
But she had actually been my grandmother.
I felt tears sliding down my cheeks.
"Where is Elizabeth?""
Margaret looked at Victoria.
"That's what your father wanted to know.""
Victoria's hand began shaking.
For the first time, she looked more frightened than angry.
Then the gun slipped from her fingers and hit the stone floor.
A loud crack echoed through the room.
Victoria stared at me.
May you like
And whispered:
"Because Elizabeth is the only person who can prove I murdered Richard Callaway.""
