Hayley's heart was racing as she sat waiting for Austin's arrival. Knowing that Maddie was her mother was also revealing that her love for Austin should no longer be forbidden. She sat hoping that he had not forgotten his earlier feelings for her.
She heard Maddie open the front door and escort Austin into the room. She asked him to sit down next to Hayley.
Cedric stood beside Maddie and took her by the hand as they both sat down opposite the young couple.
"Hayley, I want you to listen to everything I have to say before you speak."
"I will listen, Father?"
His hand squeezed Maddie's while she stared at the floor. "I met a young lady and wanted to marry her, but my father would have not approved, because she was not born to a wealthy family. I decided that I didn't care if my father approved and felt that in time, he would grow to accept her.
We were married a week when I found out my father was dying. I went to him and told him about the marriage.
He insisted that I have the marriage annulled, or I would lose my inheritance. When I refused, he told me a story that I will share with you.
My father had asked a lady from a prominent Kingston family to marry him. He told her that he owned a large fleet of ships and a huge estate on Amherst Island, but it wasn't true. After she agreed to marry him, he frequented a drinking establishment, where he met a man named Uriah Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton agreed to loan my father a large sum of money to start a shipping business.
My father signed the agreement in a drunken state.
Years later after marrying, my mother found a copy of the contract, and noticed in fine print that Mr. Hamilton would receive every penny of my father's estate, upon his death. Angered that he had been duped, he confronted Mr. Hamilton and asked him to release him from the contract and write a new one.
When he refused, my father begged that his son would be allowed to marry one of Mr. Hamilton's daughters. Mr. Hamilton agreed but threatened to ruin him and our family, if he ever revealed the contract or agreement to anyone.
My father begged me to marry Mr. Hamilton's daughter Adelaide and fulfill the agreement between the families.
Instead I agreed to marry Mr. Hamilton's daughter, Caroline. A short time later, she gave birth to a baby."
Cedric cleared his throat. "After the baby died, I rushed to Kingston and found that my first wife had also given birth.