บท 18: The sweetest ..
"Can we stop and get ice cream?" Asked Ella.
Xavier did not respond but changed directions driving towards her favourite ice cream parlour. "Wait here." Xavier instructed upon reaching the ice creamery and alighted from the car. Ella smirked and thought 'so he's not angry at me, what could it possibly be?'.
Xavier returned and gave her a tub of her favourite flavour, cookies and cream. Ella begun eating and Xavier continued driving. It was another 10 minutes before Ella would realise where they were going. She felt her chest tightened as she remembered how much the old madam, and Madam McCann begged her in her last life to reconsider marrying Xavier. Old madam even fell ill but Ella did not care because her sister had told her those people never loved her and that they just wanted her father's wealth. A small tear escaped Ella's eye.
Xavier did not notice as he was still wrecking his brain on how he can convince Ella to register their marriage the following day. Xavier felt the next 10 days were going to be the most stressful days of his life. he wasn't even this stressed when he sat for his surgeon final exam. Xavier slowly pulled into a heavily secured property. The gate automatically opened and 2 men in khaki greeted him with a bow, Xavier drove another 3 minutes before they arrived at the front door.
Ella sat there, she was no longer eating her ice cream and there was no smile on her face. Xavier assumed she did not want to be there. "I can take you home if you're not ready to see my family again." as he spoke sadly, he restarted the engine. Ella looked up with sadness "no, I am ready, it's just I haven't been to visit them in so long. Won't they be angry with me? I've been unfilial." Xavier felt his heart shake.
When he and Xander left the warehouse today Xander had gone home and told his father and elder brother what they had been up to and about Malik's gang. When old Master McCann overheard that someone tried kidnapping this future granddaughter in-law of his, he told his sons to ensure that permanent damage is done to everyone who was involved even if it was to pass along a message.
The boys always knew that old master cannot keep anything from his wife. This old man gossiped more than those ladies that spend their days getting pampered and drinking tea. There was nothing old Madam McCann did not know even about the high-ranking officers in their country's army, what of the small people in her household. When old Madam heard of the events that took place earlier, she immediately demanded that Xavier brings Ella home for her to see with her own eyes that she was safe. And so that is how Ella found herself at the McCann's for dinner.
As they sat in the car waiting for Ella to get herself together, the front door of the mansion opened. Ella looked to see a young woman walking towards the car with poise but urgency. She half walked and half ran, she approached the passenger side of the vehicle. Ella looked up and with a sad smile on her face then stepped out of the car, as soon as Ella opened the door she was enveloped in a tight bear hug and Ella started crying. "What did you do to her Xena?" Xavier gritted his teeth, 'how can she be so careless, she knows Ella is sensitive' he thought. Xena and Ella laughed at Xavier's response. "She didn't do anything hubby, I just missed elder sister that's all." replied Ella. Xena rolled her eyes at her little brother.
Before Xavier could get to Ella and pull her out of his sister's hug he was pushed out of the way from the back. Xavier looked up just to see his mother hugging his soon to be wife. "Child, I was beginning to think you did not know you're way home anymore." exclaimed Xavier's mother. Xavier grunted and furrowed his eyebrows. He stood there scowling at the women in his life, angry at his mother and sister for taking his wife away from him. 'Should've just kept her away at least until we're married. What if they scared her away? What if they hurt her.' Xavier was in his thoughts.
Unaware of Xavier's thoughts, Xavier's mother held Ella's hand walked towards the house. If she'd been aware of her son's thoughts, she would have beat him senseless there and then. Was it not his fault she almost didn't enter their family. When everyone walked in old madam and old master, we're bantering over tea and chess by the window and Xavier's father was reading a business journal while world news and finances reports played on TV in the background. Xavier greeted " hey pops, Pa and Ma." his grandmother threw her stress ball at him "You stinking child, all you know is to cause me problems. Did you bring my granddaughter in-law." She spoke sternly.
Old Madam lifted her eyes, and a big smile swept her frown. "Child you're here? It's really you?" Old Madam smiled from cheek to cheek. Ella hastened her steps and kneeled in front of these old people as she felt she had disappointed them. Old Madam smiled and said, "stand child, we are glad to see you." Ella smiled through her teary eyes. Mrs. McCann patted the space next to her and asked Ella to sit with her. Ella felt guilty as she'd ignored this family in her past life. They had tried to show their affections sending her gifts, sending invites for meals and activities and she never went. Maria would either hide the invites and show up to the events on her behalf, claiming Ella was throwing a tantrum or that she'd told her she did not want to go that house. Of course, Ella never knew this part.
The family gathered in the lounge. Xena walked over with a box, she'd always wanted a little sister and Ella has been that little sister for her since was 10 years old. She tried giving affection to Maria but found her calculative ways overbearing and unmanageable. Maria always spoke ill of her little sister Ella and Xena believed in always protecting her siblings, so she'd stopped trying with Maria because no matter what she did Maria wanted more and was never willing to share.
"Baby sister I have been back for so long, yet you are yet to come collect your gift. What do you take me for?" she asked as she handed Ella a hand crafted personalised wooden box with their anticipated wedding date carved along with Ella's and Xavier's initials. Xena had always prayed that her brothers marry kind women because then she'd get sisters too, she swore she'd make sure her brothers treat them well, and she too would treat them well so long as they were kind hearted and not trying to break her family up.
Ella looked at Xena's hands wide eyed. She hesitated and looked up at Xena, Ella could see the sincerity in Xena, but she felt guilty because the night she was kidnapped, Xena had tried calling her so many times and when she finally picked up, Xena begged to come back and talk to her, she promised whatever the problem was it can be resolved and that she didn't have to marry Xavier if he's not treating her well but for Ella to come back safely. Ella had been stubborn and refused telling Xena she knows they don't love her why would she bother going back to their house and she had disconnected the call and switched off her phone.
Xena smiled and pushed her present forward, "if you don't accept my gift, I'll think you don't like me anymore." she stated. "How could elder sister think like that, you're the sweetest." Ella took the present and opened it; inside she found an intricately designed 3 piece jewellery set consisting of a necklace, earrings and bracelets . She gasped in surprise and tears fell on her face. Xena is a jewellery designer and a world renowned one at that and had been since she was 13. She started off making bead necklaces, bracelets and anklets.
In fact, her first designed was inspired by Ella's sunny but stormy personality and Ella knew this because many times when Xena had been asked for her inspiration or mused, she'd answered her only little sister, they never wanted to bring Ella unwanted attention so she never used her name but among the upper class this was common knowledge. This was part of Xena's limited edition Jewellery Collection due to drop on her wedding day. Xena had named the collection "For the lovers" and had said it was inspired by her younger brother marrying his childhood sweetheart.
When Mrs. McCann saw this exchange, a tear dropped down her face. She looked at Xena, and said "My daughter, always so thoughtful." No one knew more than Jade McCann how happy she was to see this exchange and how proud she was of her daughter. Old Madam could see that there was heavy emotion in the air and so she clapped her hands and said, "look at you all, how can you be crying just before a happy occasion?" everyone giggled. Ella thanked Xena and asked Xavier to place the present in the car as she did not want to lose it.
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