: : Summary : : The O�Connell girls are older, and as beautiful as Evie. They are beginning to find interest in other guys, the innocent type of interest, and their looks, so read and find out what happens
Night arrived, and after everyone had gone to bed, Louisa did what she had been doing the past few nights, since Rick�s arrival. Quietly she slipped out of bed, and after getting Victoria, her baby doll, and a soft blanket she crept out of the room she shared with her sisters, and walked down the hall to her parents room. She found the door opened like it was every night, and quietly walked in. Very carefully she got in bed with them, climbin on the end of the bed, accidentally nudging against Rick�s foot, which woke him. Gently he eased Evie out of his arms and slipped out of his side of the bed going to the end where Louisa sat and knelt down.
�I thought that was you,� he said softly.
�I want to sleep with you and mother,� she replied. Rick picked her up, making sure she had her baby, and the blanket she had brought with her, then walked out of their room, to the girls room, and sat down in the rocking chair.
�You have a bed right over there,� Rick whispered.
�But I like your bed better.� After a few minutes of cuddling, Rick stood up and took her to her bed laying her down.
�Are you having bad dreams?� she shook her head, rolling away from him.
�I�m okay daddy go back to bed now,� she said fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. After giving her a kiss Rick did so, and once he was gone she cried softly into her pillow. His going away the last few times, and his not being there when she had needed him most had done its damage, and now she was terrified of even being a few rooms away. Louisa had kept a secret for over a year now, and no one, not even her sisters, or parents knew of what happened the night she had snuck to the beach alone to see if she could find the Lunar Eclipse. She shivered as she thought about that night, and held on tight to her baby. The boys who had hurt her, two of them, were seventeen, and had been drinking, and had told her if she ever told anyone she would be in big trouble. Being ten, Louisa didn�t know that she wouldn�t, and had kept that secret to herself. She still saw Adam and Buddy, but always with her mother or sisters, knowing with them she was safe.
~*~
It was just starting to get day light outside, when Megan and Alex arrived at the house. Quietly the snuck inside and after putting their bags in the front hallway, they went into the kitchen deciding to make breakfast for everyone. Alex was 19 and Megan 20, both ready for some family time with their parents and with the girls.
�Grab a few eggs would you?� Alex whispered as he got out the frying pan, a spatula and the butter. Megan got Eggs, Bacon, tomatoes, onions, and chives for one of his favorite meals, which was to scramble eggs with all of that mixed in. Once he got things going, the smell of the food wafted through the house, and Louisa was the first one to wake up. Knowing that her brother was due in, she guessed it was him and without hesitation, leaving Victoria behind, she ran out of her room, and down the steps.
�Alex,� she said. He put down his spatula, and knelt down, catching her in his arms.
�Look at you, I think you grew again,� he said picking her up.
�Dr. Fritz says I am. I think because I�m eating better,� she said giving him a kiss, then leaned over and let Megan hold her.
�Did you bring any presents?� she asked her sister-in-law
�As a matter of fact I think I did,� she said winking at Alex before she carried her off to the front of the house. Once there the two of them opened up the suitcases and Megan pulled out a box shaped package wrapped in pretty rainbow paper. Louisa opened it finding a wooden Jewelry box.
�Open it up,� Megan said. When she did, she found inside red earrings, and a beautiful necklace with an Angel on it also with a red stone inside it.
�I want to wear it now please,� she said. Megan helped get her diamond earrings that she had in her ears out, then put in the ruby ones, and put the necklace on her, then the two of them got the other presents and went in the kitchen finding Rick helping Alex with getting the rest of breakfast made.
�Daddy look what they got for me,� she said running to him. He knelt down and she let him see her necklace and her earrings.
�I like that,� Rick said as she hugged him tight. Once she let go he went back to helping with breakfast, and Louisa helped Megan set the table.
�Why don�t you two go up and rouse the rest of...� Before he could finish what he was saying, Rebecca and Elizabeth ran in, and Alex was tackled by them. They also got jewelry very much like what Louisa had gotten, but with different stones. Evie was the last to come down, and once everyone was gathered at the table, they settled down for breakfast, or started to when trouble began.
�I would like to sit by daddy,� Louisa said to Rebecca. Evelyn was on one side of Rick and Rebecca on the other, and for days Louisa had gotten to sit beside him.
�I want a turn now,� she replied.
�Hey Louisa come sit down beside me,� Alex said.
�But my seat is by daddy,� she replied.
�Angel you have to share daddy�s attention,� Evelyn said.
�Then I won�t eat with you at all,� she snapped, and ran out of the room. Evie excused herself, and went in search of her daughter, not having to go far, as she had gone up to her room, and was sitting on her bed facing the wall.
�Louisa, that was very unkind of you,� Evie admonished.
�I don�t care mother, I want to stay with my daddy, and Rebecca was sitting by him just to make me upset,� she said in a hateful tone.
�Until you can come downstairs and behave you may stay in your room,� Evelyn said. When she left Louisa buried her face in her pillow and cried herself to sleep.
~*~
It was that afternoon, when all of them went to the beach that Louisa saw Buddy and Adam on down from where they sat, playing volleyball. Alex had decided to see what was bothering her, and now the two of them sat making a grand sand castle while Elizabeth Rebecca and Megan played in the surf.
�Are you glad daddy is home?� Alex asked as he shaped a tower for the other wall of the castle.
�Yes. He pinkie swore he would never ever leave us again,� she informed as she added sea shells around the outer part of the moat.
�It would take an act of god to take him away you know. He never wanted to fight in the first place, but the government put pressure on him,� Alex said, noticing that she kept looking over at the kids playing volleyball. Thinking she had a crush on one of them Alex grinned.
�So which one of those guys do you like?� he asked.
�None of them,� she said softly as she looked away and got back to the task of building her castle. Alex frowned. It had been a year and a half since they had seen the girls, and his baby-sitter had changed. Lousia had always been quiet, but not so much as what he had seen in the past half a day they had been home. When she went with her sisters, and father down the beach to the pavilion Alex approached his mum and Megan.
�Mum has anything happened with Issa?� he asked using the nickname they all called her from time to time. He sat down next to his wife.
�Nothing out of the usual,� Evie said having not noticed anything noticeable different about her baby.
�She seems quieter to me. I mean last time we were home, she was just as adventurous as Elizabeth and Rebecca,� he pointed out.
�I think a great deal of it has to do with your father coming home. She has been afraid he would leave us again,� Evelyn said. Alex nodded guessing that had to be it.
~*~
Her sisters whimpers woke her, and Elizabeth sat up looking over at Rebecca finding her safe, then at Louisa who was tossing and turning. Quietly she got out of bed and went to Rebecca�s bed.
�Wake up Issa�s having another bad dream,� she said. For months Louisa had been having them, and when she would wake up she would make her other sisters swear not to say a word to anyone which they had not. Both of them went over to her bed, and climbed in on either side of her, just as she woke up, all out of breath.
�Did the monsters come again?� Rebecca asked. Louisa nodded, holding tight to Elizabeth.
�Louisa what happened that night you came home all wet?� she asked. She had been asking that for a long time and always Louisa avoided telling her.
�Swear you won�t ever tell,� she said to both of them as they all sat up. They pinkie swore and she began.
�That night there was a Lunar Eclipse. Mum went to bed early because she was sick, and you two didn�t want to come with me to the beach, so I went alone like I said I would. There were a few people there having a bonfire, and I was sitting on our favorite rocks watching for the Eclipse when two boys came up to me. Swear you won�t tell,� she said. Again the swore and she told them what had been done to her. How both of them touched her in places she didn�t want to be touched, how they had made her touch them. How when she cried they gagged her, and when they had stopped they washed her off in the ocean and told her never to tell. Once she had finished both of her sisters hugged her close.
�Issa, you need to tell on them,� Rebecca said.
�But I can�t. I was the one who made it happen. They said I came out alone and that is why its my fault,� she said as tears streamed down her face.
�You girls need to be in...� Rick stopped when he saw how shaken Louisa was and went to her bed lifting her into his arms. She held on tight and started to really cry. Rebecca and Elizabeth ran out to get their mum, and when they returned Rick was laying in Louisa�s bed with her head against his chest, still upset.
�Issa tell them,� Rebecca prodded as Evie settled on the bed next to her husband and little girl. She simply shook her head holding tight to her father. Elizabeth whispered something in her ear and she nodded her head moving away from Rick. She got out of bed and went with Rebecca, neither parent understanding why she was leaving.
�She said I could tell you about this. Buddy and Adam found her one night during that Lunar Eclipse and they...� AS she told them a recount of what her sister told her, both parents were filled with rage that went far beyond anything they had ever felt before. Evelyn had gone through something similar after she and Rick were married, and she had been in her early twenties, able to work her way through it. Louisa was just a child, barely even a teenager, and Evie felt terrible guilt for not seeing the signs of what her daughter had gone through, though with Louisa quiet and keeping to herself to begin with it had not been anything Evie had seen. Quiet was her way.
�Are you mad at her?� Elizabeth asked as she finished.
�No sweetpea, we are not, and I�m glad you told us this,� Rick said. Elizabeth nodded and went out in the all where Louisa sat in Alex�s lap.
�They aren�t mad at you,� she said. Alex stood confused by what was going on and when he walked in to his sisters room the look of shock and hurt on his mothers face did not go unnoticed. Rick stood, and took his daughter into his arms holding her close.
�Do you know how much we love you?� he asked as Alex left. Once out in the hall Elizabeth told him what had happened and Alex had to restrain himself from getting a gun and going after the boys for his own private justice. He led the girls into his and Megan�s room and let them sleep with him to allow his parents time to be with Louisa.
~*~
At almost one in the morning, Louisa finally fell asleep safe between her parents. Rick and Evelyn had snuggled around her, and reassured her that she had done nothing wrong, and that if anything like that were to ever happen again then she should tell them.
�I�m not sure I can forgive myself for this,� Evie whispered as she stroked her hand over her daughters soft curls.
�Just as it wasn�t her fault, neither is this yours. Those two boys won�t see the light of day for a long time. In the Morning I�m calling Edward and we are going to find us the best attorney money can buy,� Rick said a little too loud. Louisa whimpered and he sighed.
�Shhh.� After a moment she relaxed again.
�How do we teach her to trust? I was grown and it still terrified me for months after that happened. She has kept this secret so long I�m just afraid for her Rick,� Evie said.
�Do you think we need to take her to someone?� he asked. Evelyn shook her head, knowing as well as he did, that Louisa would never open up to a stranger.
�I want to start the ball rolling on us moving back to England. I think that needs to happen before we go to Egypt,� he said. Evelyn agreed on that and a few hours later they slept with their daughter.
~*~
By morning, Louisa was feeling ashamed for telling, and for allowing that to happen, and when her parents awoke they found her gone. Evelyn started to panic but Rick reassured her that she was likely downstairs watching TV, and once both of them were dressed, they went downstairs finding everything quiet. Both of them checked the girls room not finding anything amiss, and also not finding their daughter. Alex Megan and their other two daughters were asleep still, and once they checked inside the house they both went outside to the pond where they found her still in her night gown. Together they approached her not getting any response.
�Do you mind if we sit here?� Rick asked. She shook her head, so they sat on either side of her.
�Louisa can you tell mother what your feeling right now?� Evelyn tried.
�Don�t want to talk about it,� she said keeping focus on her hands.
�You know it wasn�t your fault,� Rick said gently placing his arm around her. She leaned against him letting out a shuttering sigh, but did nothing more than that.
�Your daddy and I were talking last night about all of us moving home, back to England,� Evie said.
�Are there bad people in England?� she asked looking at her mother. Evie reached out and wiped the single tear trailing down her face.
�No more than where we are now, but our home there is pretty far from other homes, and the people who live around us are people I have known for a long time,� Evelyn reasured.
�Daddy will you promise not to leave me for a while because it�s scary when you do, and when I have to go stay with Aunt Genevieve,� she said. Rick settled her on his lap.
�I won�t go anywhere that takes me away from you,� he said. She nodded her head watching as a Goose landed in the water not far from where they sat.
~*~
Rick knew to file a report, as well as to see the attorney Edward had gotten them, that he would have to leave his little girl. Since telling them of what had happend that night, Louisa was weary of either of them going places, that meant leaving her behind, though she wasn�t willing to go with them either. Today was their meeting day with the Attorney and Rick was now sitting with her about to break a promise he had made to her.
�Louisa I am going to see someone today who is going to help us punish the two boys who hurt you,� Rick said, wishing he were in Egypt so he could do with them what he pleased.
�Your not going to leave me are you?� she asked.
�Just for a few hours..� That was all he got out as she grasped ahold around his neck.
�You promised me daddy you promised,� she said starting to cry. As much as he tried to explain to her why he had to go, it wasn�t something she understood, and it was Evie who decided they should just bring the attorney to their house, which eased Louisa�s fears somewhat.
~*~
What the Attorney told them was not encouraging. He was appalled just as they were that they two boys had harmed Louisa, but as much as he hated it there wasn�t much to be done in the way of punishing them.
�It�s her word against theirs and I know both of their parents. They are as prominent as your family is, and It could get quite unpleasant for all of you,� he said. Evelyn ran out angry, unable to take anymore of the American system of doing things.
�Thank you for talking with us,� Rick said as he led the man to the door. Once he was gone, Rick sought out his wife and found her in their room.
�I want to move us out of here by next week,� Evelyn said standing from the bed and getting out all the suitcases they had. She began to pack frantically, and Rick stepped in taking her in his arms. Evelyn cried for her baby and for herself at all the memories that had flooded back with her own attack. She was glad that Alex and Megan had taken the girls to the Pavilion not wanting them to see her in such a state.
�We will get Edward to sell the house for us,� Rick said after she started to calm down. Evelyn nodded and Rick made a few calls to the English Luxury shipping lines and booked passage for all of the family for the following Friday, and then made an overseas call to Sam in England, and had him make arrangements for people to go to the Manor and get things ready. Sam had kept watch over the house since their move, and had maintained it for them, and was happy to help out with what he could. Once that had been settled both parents decided to walk down the beach and find their family.