Page 49 of Spilling the Tea

“And if she does, Milton will protect me, Pa.”

Felicia’s words, the first she’d spoken since he’d begun talking, filled his heart with even more love for her.

“Well,” Reverend Lee said, breaking into the quiet stillness of the room. “The final decision will be left up to Fee. I am sure the two of you know all the embarrassment postponing the wedding will cause. Tongues will wag and lies will be told. Some will get the news all the way from Texas. I agree with your father that you and Felicia should not communicate for the next seven months. That might seem like a lot to ask, but something that, under the circumstances, is fair.”

The minister then turned his attention to his daughter. “Felicia, your mother and I will abide by your decision.”

He stood and extended his hand out to Milton. “If Fee believes you will protect her from that evil woman, I will, too.”

After Felicia’s father released his hand, Felicia’s mom hugged him. They then left the room, giving him and Fee privacy. When the sound of the door clicked behind them, he turned to his beloved. “Like your father said, the decision is yours. So that you know, if you agree to wait, things might get ugly. I have no doubt Mrs. Satterfield will spin her tale, far and wide, to protect her daughter’s reputation since I’ve refused to marry her.”

Felicia nodded as she crossed the room to him. “Then let her because I will know the truth, and that’s all that matters.” She then asked, “What about Waylon? Does he believe you didn’t take advantage of his sister?”

Milton rubbed a frustrating hand down his face. “Although he couldn’t admit to such, Waylon knows I would never do such a thing. I guess he told his parents as much, and they thought he was being disloyal to his family. That’s probably why Mr. Kurt reneged on his blessing for Way to marry Victoria.”

“Victoria has to be devastated.”

“She and Waylon both are, and it’s not fair. He loves Victoria and will allow himself to be disowned by his family before giving her up.”

Felicia nodded. “I hope he won’t have to do that. I know how much Victoria loves him as well.” She paused a moment and then said, “As for us, there will be a Madaris-Lee wedding. I am willing to wait because, in my heart, I know that you, Milton Jantzen Madaris, are a man worth waiting for. Not communicating with you for seven months will be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But I will do it because I love you and believe in you. I believe in us and the family we will have one day.”

With love flowing through to his heart, even more than before, Milton reached out and gently caressed the side of her face. “And I love you, Fee.” Drawing her in his arms, he lowered his mouth to hers.

Chapter Fifteen

Seven months later

“Push, child. It won’t be much longer now.”

Charlotte pushed and released a scream. Then another one. She’d been screaming at the top of her lungs since the first labor pain ripped into her more than five hours ago. Was Hattie Duncan, the area’s midwife, standing over her and hollering orders as crazy as she looked? She was tired of pushing and was in too much pain to do anything but scream.

“For God’s sake, stop howling like a banshee and push. This baby won’t be coming out until you do your part.” Just the thought of that made Charlotte push while screaming again.

The moment she’d gone into labor, her father had sent for the midwife, Milton, and his parents. He’d also sent for Reverend Potts, certain there would be a wedding once her baby was born and it was proven to be a Madaris. What if Jantzen Madaris had told the truth, and there was a birthmark on every Madaris baby born? It would be something her child wouldnot have. She was counting on her father to force Milton to marry her regardless.

The last seven months hadn’t gone at all like she’d hoped. Definitely not like she’d planned. She figured with the threat of a scandal, the Madarises would back down, and Milton would marry her. That hadn’t happened. Nor had he taken pity on her when people began shaming her by calling her loose, wanton, and a tramp. Milton’s attitude made her parents even more determined to prove to everyone how the Madaris family had deliberately embarrassed the Satterfields. Thanks to those who had believed her story, the Madaris name had gotten drug through the mud. They accepted as true that she’d been a virgin before Milton had seduced her, and he was refusing to marry her because he wanted to marry someone else.

Tonight, it all ended. She would claim it was Milton’s baby regardless of what Milton’s father said. She refused to believe Jantzen Madaris could prove otherwise. But what if he could? Those thoughts were interrupted by another sharp pain, this one sharper than before, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Push, gal. This wouldn’t be so hard on you if you hadn’t gone and messed yourself up down there,” Ms. Hattie said sharply. “Now push.”

What on earth was the old woman talking about? Saying this wouldn’t have been so hard on her if she hadn’t gone and messed herself up down there? She heard Ms. Hattie would not allow anyone else in the room to get in her way. Charlotte wished her mother had been allowed to stay with her, but once the labor pains became more frequent, she’d been asked to leave.

Mrs. Hattie was rambling even more now. Not loud enough to be heard and too fast to be understood. Before she could fully comprehend the older woman’s words, another pain ripped through her.

“Push!”

She pushed while screaming so loud her throat felt raw. Suddenly,she heard a baby crying and Mrs. Hattie saying, “It’s a boy, missy.”

The last thing she remembered before exhaustion knocked her into much-needed sleep was the sound of Hattie Duncan saying in a surprised tone. “Well, I’ll be.”

***

Milton sat on the steps of the Satterfields’ porch. He didn’t want to be here, but his parents had insisted he come when they’d gotten the call from Ms. Penny that Charlotte was in labor.

They were sitting on the porch since the Satterfields hadn’t the decency to invite them inside their home. Not that he or his parents would have entered anyway. Over the past seven months, Mr. Kurt and Ms. Penny let it be known how much they despised the Madarises for the shame Milton had caused their daughter. Milton wasn’t concerned for himself since he refused to claim Charlotte’s baby. However, the intense animosity between the two families didn’t help the situation between Waylon and Victoria.

The last seven months had been hard on him and his family. What had kept Milton going was Felicia. Although the two of them hadn’t communicated, they had stayed connected through Victoria, who’d been going through her own hurt and pain with her broken engagement. Way and Victoria hoped that once Charlotte’s baby was born and Mr. Kurt saw it wasn’t Milton’s baby, he would take back what he’d said about not wanting a union between the Satterfields and Madarises. However, Milton felt that even if the Satterfields made such a move, his pa would not accept it. The Madaris name had been unfairly damaged, and its honor and integrity questioned. He honestly couldn’t see the friendship between the families ever being repaired.

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