I had done nothing wrong, but the pictures said otherwise, andit wouldn’t pay to defend myself. Not now. Not with my parents just learning the truth about their children’s lives.
“Is Alice Pierce who I think she is?” Father asked, his back still toward me. “Andrew’s mistress?”
“Yes.”
“And did you know who she was when she entered this house?”
I didn’t want to answer, but I couldn’t lie or stay silent. “Yes. Ruth warned me about her.”
“Ruth knew?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Mother’s cries intensified, and Irene reached out and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
The telephone rang, but no one made a move to answer it.
“No doubt there will be many calls today,” Father said. “I don’t want anyone to answer a single one. I will make a statement at the meeting tonight.”
“You’re going through with it?” Mother asked as she finally lifted her face from her handkerchief.
“Of course.” Father turned to her. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because our lives have just been torn apart, Daniel. Everyone will know by tonight, and we’ll be the laughingstock of the country. All our enemies will gloat, and our friends will abandon us.”
Father walked to Mother and offered her his hand.
She took it and rose to face him.
With tenderness, he placed his hands on either side of her face. “If our friends abandon us, then they aren’t truly our friends. And if our enemies don’t gloat, then they aren’t truly our enemies. We will survive this crisis, like all the others, Marian. And we’ll do it with God’s help.”
“I don’t think I can muster the courage, Daniel.”
“You don’t need to. God will give you the strength.” He took her handkerchief and gently wiped at her tears. “And if you don’t think you have it in you today, then you can stay home, and I’ll face this for both of us.”
My parents were rarely affectionate in front of us, but Motherwent into Father’s arms and he hugged her, rubbing her back with a gentleness that spoke volumes about how much he loved her and cared about her. They were a team, both working toward their common goals, shouldering life’s difficulties, celebrating their wins, mourning their losses, and trying to ease each other’s burdens. When one was weak, the other was strong. It was a beautiful example of marriage—something I longed to have with Marcus. I felt stronger when I was with him, just as I could see my mother felt with my father’s strength.
Mother pulled back and took a deep breath. “God will give me strength to face everyone today. I won’t cower, even if my heart is breaking.”
Father nodded encouragement and gave her the briefest kiss.
“Now,” he said as he held out Mother’s chair and helped her to sit. “I want to hear everything, Caroline. Even if it’s difficult and painful and sordid. I don’t want you to spare a detail. I need to know what I’m dealing with if I’m to handle it well. No more surprises.”
“I think I’ll go upstairs,” Irene said as she rose from her spot at the table. “This sounds like a family issue.”
No one stopped her as she left the room.
Father took his seat at the head of the table, and both my parents looked at me intently.
I folded my hands and laid them on my lap, knowing this would not be an easy thing to do. “If I’m to explain it all, then there’s something you need to know about me.”
My mother briefly closed her eyes, as if she couldn’t handle one more shocking detail, but my father stared intently. And, just like everything else in his life, he would face it with steadfast courage and determination.
“I tried telling you when I was young, but neither of you would believe me,” I said as I watched them for their reaction. “But if you want to understand why I was singing at the Coliseum, or why I was standing with Annie Barker in the Castle Royal, then you’ll have to face the truth.” I paused just long enough totake a deep breath. “I live two lives. One here—and the other in 1727.”
I told them everything about my two lives and why I needed to find Annie. I explained that Lewis was helping me, and that my search had taken me places I would never have gone if I wasn’t desperate.
When I was done, my parents stared at me with confusion and disbelief.
