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" 'Well done Michelle!' Danny said, clapping his hands in a slow staccato. 'You'll be a true Santos yet.' "
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" 'I don't want to be a Santos!' I cried. 'I want to go home.' "
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" 'That is up to your father,' Danny said. 'He will be the one to set you free.' "
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" 'Is Daddy coming to get me?' I asked hopefully."
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" 'You really are a stupid girl,' He replied, with disgust."
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"He told me to stay and take care of Lewis; then he left. I did not relish spending time with my new husband, but with the guard posted outside the door, I had no choice. I stayed with Lewis, and watched the endless parade of doctors and nurses going in and out of the room. One would think Lewis would thrive on the attention lavished on him; however, he only seemed to grow weaker. One of his doctors pulled me aside, and told me that if they could not find a donor soon, Lewis would die."
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"Danny came to the hospital every morning. On each of these occasions, I begged him to let me go. He would always laugh, and tell me that Daddy would secure my release very soon. Just as he was leaving yesterday morning, he received a call on his cell phone. After he hung up, he told me to get my things, and come with him to the lighthouse. Then he let you out of the bedroom, and we went home."
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"I know now what he meant when he said Daddy would set me free. He was waiting for Daddy to die!"
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"Wait a minute Michelle!" I interrupted. "What were those papers he had you and Lewis sign?"
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"I'm not sure," Michelle replied. "I think one of them was a pre-nuptial agreement, and I saw the words 'Last Will and Testament' on top of the papers Lewis signed."
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I jumped out of my hospital bed, and ran to the closet, searching for my clothes. "Let's go Michelle!" I cried. "We have to see Ross Marler right now!"
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"Maria! You can't leave! Doctor Spaulding is still running tests to see why you fainted!" she said, and tried to coax me back into the bed.
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"I feel fine Michelle! Get your coat. We have more urgent things to do than hang around here waiting for some stupid test results."
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Michelle insisted on driving the car to Ross's office. When we arrived, his secretary was out to lunch. Ross greeted us in the waiting room, and ushered us into his inner office. I told him the situation, and he looked perplexed.
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"Michelle, you don't have any other idea what those documents were?" Ross asked.
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"No, I'm sorry. I was so scared and confused, that I just signed them, and didn't ask any questions," she replied, and buried her face in her hands.
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Ross sat silently for a moment, chewing on the end of his pen. Finally, he said, "Well, we have a few options here. We can call the police, and have Danny charged with kidnapping. However, his connections, coupled with the fact that you did not report the incident right away, makes that a long shot, at best. The other option would be to file for an annulment, and I could subpoena the documents in the ensuing civil trial. I think the latter is the more viable option. I can only assume that he had the documents notarized after the fact, which would render them invalid. With your consent, I would like to get started on this right away."
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We thanked Ross, and drove to the funeral home to arrange for Bill's memorial service. Michelle sat in silence while I talked with the funeral director. The loss of her father, and her forced marriage to Lewis was too much for her. On the way home, I patted her arm, and told her that I would always be in her life.
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Michelle turned to me, and said, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Maria." Her face looked so old and wise. Looking back, it is ironic how true her admonition was; circumstances would soon make me eat my words. I should have been stronger; I should have saved her.
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Everyone in Springfield came to mourn Bill's passing. The service was very moving, and many people stood to give a eulogy. After the burial, a wake was held at the house. Piles of casseroles and desserts covered the kitchen table. I was grateful for everyone's generosity, but I knew that they would go to waste. Michelle and I were too grieved to eat. I had loved Bill as much as she did; he was like a brother to me.
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I sat beside Michelle on the sofa, as she received condolences from the mourners. She sat with her head bowed down, crumpling her handkerchief, then smoothing out the wrinkles, and crumpling it again. She muttered half-hearted words of thanks, and bit her lip to stop the tears. Her face turned up in horror when she heard a familiar voice. Danny was standing in front of her, with a smug look on his face.
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"What are you doing here Danny?" I hissed.
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"I have come to pay my respects to my daughter-in-law," Danny chuckled maliciously, "She has many reasons to grieve. Not only is she an orphan, she is also a widow. Lewis died this morning."
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