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Chapter 114 — We are one family
Mary was awakened by the bright sun beaming in through the window curtains. Surprised she sat up in bed and looked at the clock. 9 am! How she managed to sleep for so long!
She's out of the bed, coming in the room of her youngest son who was quietly sleeping, then freshen up herself, again peek into Mickey's room and went downstairs.
To her amazement, there had their breakfast not only the older children, but Mason too. Her younger sister was missing somehow.
As Chip and Sami caught the sight of Mary as they crying out "Mommy" and rushed to her. She squatting and caught both in her arms. Kisses and giggles... Mary looked up and saw that Mason stares at them. Catching her eye he smiled.
"Mother Goose," he ironical cited. "Mary had a little lamb--"
"Oh, we already have the big progress. Earlier you persistently cited "Mary, Mary, quite contrary--"
"When you wake up with your Irish ancestors only."
"Daddy, read "Mother Goose!" the children caught the subject.
Mason dramatically shuddered.
"Yours are not finish the breakfast yet. And if later you'll ask daddy some little stronger, I sure that he would not refuse to honor his loving babies," Mary said.
Mason's face flashed with horror. Mary just smiled.
Putting the children at the table again, she began to prepare the coffee for herself. Mason got up and grabbed her arm.
"I'll make it."
She looked up him, then shrugged her shoulders and returned at the table.
"I think that today you have the morning session in court."
"I called them and asked to substitute me. And said Christie that today's her day off."
"Why?" Marie looked at Mason, who was making a toast for her.
"Just I want to be with my family alone. Is it too strange?"
"In fact, yes. For you."
Mason did not answer, but put down the coffee cup before Mary.
Mary delight swallowed and opened the newspaper to quickly overlook what are happening in the world. She was not too interesting, but somehow she loved the fact that she's doing it. However, today there was the article on the fourth page that caught her eye.
Meet Colin Stewart.
The famous writer of documentaries gives the interview and talks about her personal life for the first time.
Mary's eyes sliding down the lines--
M: How you managed to avoid the press for so long time? For 10 years you did not give any interviews.
C: As far you have money as you have many ways. And I have money.
W: We thank you for that honor. If your decision to be interviewed was connected with the award which you recently received?
C: Yes and no.
W: You are very mysterious. Can we hope that you are even slightly open the veil of secrecy that surround you?
C: Oh, you're exaggerating. My life is a routine. My only secret connected with the accident because I'm in the wheelchair now. But I'm not going to reveal it right now.
M: May be later?
C: I guess that you want to make a series of interviews?
M: Oh yes, I see.
The rest of the article was about Stewart's new book. Mary get through it skipping, then looked up at Mason: "Do you saw this?" She showed him the page with the interview and took her toast.
Mason took the newspaper and frowned.
"Is it what I think?" Mary asked after just waiting. Mason nodded, deeply in reading.
Chip finally become too bored in throwing toasts at her sister, he got down from his place and began to pull Mason's trouser leg.
"Dad, play--"
Mason put the son on his lap without turning away from the article. Mary caught Samantha who wanted to do the same thing and took her to the nursery. After cleaning mashes of breakfast from the little girl's face Mary gave bricks to Sami and picks up hungered Mickey.
After fifteen minutes Mason comes in here, he had on his hands Chip, who pulled Mason's hair.
"Mason, his cheek stained with chocolate," Mary looked up from feeding.
Mason tried to cleaning it, but Chip immediately slid down to the floor.
"Chippy, baby, take the napkin and wipe it," Mary pointed to pack of baby wipes.
Chip shook his head.
"Come on, you're a good boy. When he was in your ages Daddy already had no chocolate cheeks."
Chip pouted and looked up Mason, then grabbed the napkin and began to wipe his face so hardly that his hairs stood on end.
"All?" asked the boy, taking the napkin away his face.
"Yes, it's all. Good boy," Mary barely restrained to laugh. He cleaned most of choco spots but become much disheveled.
Chip threw away the napkin and went to Sammy to play with bricks. Mary finished to fed Mickey and put him in the crib. She and Mason took the older kids and went downstairs.
"Let's sit in the garden," Mary suggested. "We even can talk."
Mason shrugged and nodded. The packing and dragging out things and children took about twenty minutes. Chip and Samantha finally ran away to play hide and seek in the overgrown garden, and Mason and Mary with Mickey are located on the sunny lawn.
Mason sitting and leaning against the tree bent his legs. Mary sitting sideways and leaning her back against his knees, rocking sleeping Mickey. They were silent for a long time.
"Did you aware that your Colin became the writer?" Mary finally asked.
"No. I told you I was not even sure that he did survival."
"And do you never wanted to find this out?"
"It was not the best time in my life, Mary. I wanted to forget all of it."
There was silence.
"How you feel if it's just a coincidence?"
"No," Mason shook his head and then held out his hand: "Give me Mike."
Mary sighed and gave him the baby. Mike did not even wake up, just sleepy smacked.
"So it's--"
"The start of the attack to us," Mason finished her sentence. "I wonder if yesterday's appearance McLean was also part of the show or his initiative."
"I do not think that he acted by any plan," Mary said. "I'm no expert, but I think he spoke quite frankly. Although I think he was holding a stone in his bosom."
"Yes, of course, he knew that the story will pull out. Perhaps he just decided to hasten the event."
From somewhere aside Chip ran in and flopped onto the grass next to Mary. Then he crawled up to her and pressed his dirty face to her dress. Mary pulled him up to her and held close, trying to clean the blackest spots on his little face. A minute later, Samantha came running in too, but she decide against throwing on the grass and run and embraced Mason's neck so hardly that he staggered. Mickey made a face in sleeping, going to cry out. Mason put him more comfortable and sat his daughter on his lap by his free hand. Sammi began to unbutton his collar intently.
"What you going to do?" Mary asked. She raised her head up and looked into Mason's eyes.
He did not answer.
"How you feel what Stewart want to get is? He can not think that you are--"
"I have to talk to him," Mason finally said, absently buttoning up his sleeve.
"No!" protested Samantha and brushed his hand, was again nudged the cuff.
Mary stroked Chip's blond curls and found that he unleashed the belt of her dress.
"Don't!" She said sternly, and turned the boy's nose upward. He looked askance at her with quite Mason's twinkle in his eye. Then he crawled on all fours for a few feet aside and began to collect pebbles. Mary looked at Sammy who's enjoying by sitting on Mason's lap; she's rising and took Mickey back. She put the youngest son to the carriage and went back. Chip was deeply in collecting pebbles. Samantha looked at him from afar and appreciating if it's enough interesting for leaving her father's lap.
"Do you think that it may be dangerous?" Mary asked never taking his eyes from the oldest son.
"To visit Colin? I don't so. He's not your uncle and not going to kill anyone."
Mary winced.
"Sorry, I should not to say like that... I just see that Colin is acting very delicate. Although I am afraid that his goal is the same that Larry's."
"Do you think he wants to ruin you?"
"Yes, I do. And I think that for whatever reason he thinks I am guilty of his fall and disability."
Samantha could not stand it; she got off and ran to her brother.
"You think... that Sophia lied you then?"
"I do not know. At that time I believed her. I would not want to know that she just wanted to save me from the feeling of guilty."
"Want me to talk to her?"
"No, I don't."
"Mason, don't dare think to go though this alone!" Mary suddenly said firmly and turned to face him. "We are one family. And we will stand together against those who would threaten us."
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