Firefly

37: Harlan Raine

Chapter 37: Harlan Raine.

Elena

"I'm sure you're aware of your mother's background. She was the only daughter of a single mother—Andrea Cohen. Andrea was a nurse at the local hospital. She was a driven woman. She did everything in her capabilities to secure Veronica a good education. And Veronica was a close-knit friend of my daughter, Heidi." When Harlan Raine mentioned the name, I frowned. 

I'd known Charlotte my whole life. I met Penelope in Cadford. Two days of grooming have me on good terms with Katie. But Heidi, the second of the Raine sisters still remained a mystery. 

"Heidi was an introvert. She kept to herself. She nearly had two friends her whole life. Your mother was one, and the other, she was destined to marry." The sudden flash of Justin mentioning betrothals to be a family tradition surfaced in my mind. "When my friend Michal Castor left me his two sons to raise, I gave him my word that I'd have them under my protection. Which meant--" 

"--You'd marry them to your daughters." I complete as Harlan smiles. I open my mouth to ask him what was he even thinking or why he made such a careless promise but I remembered the rules. 

No bloody questions to ask. 

"Yes. The question was, which two of the four of my daughters would that be? Katie was merely a child. And my industrialist friend who partnered a few estates with me wanted the eldest of my daughter for his four-degree qualified son. Charlotte was out of the question too. That left me--" Harlan waits. 

"Heidi and Penelope." I complete again, showing him he has my full attention. 

Harlan nods as he takes a sip. "They were only a year apart. My wife, Ruth, always treated them like twins. She never wanted a fourth child. I was in quest of a male heir so I might have imposed a demand and by trying to fulfill that, it harmed her body. She left me with another girl. I regret it sometimes. But every time Katie smiles, Eden smiles, I remember my wife." He looks up to the portrait. "My righteous, selfless, and beautiful wife." 

Harlan takes another sip of his whiskey as he looks away. This man has too much guilt buried deep inside him. No one taught him how to accept, forgive, and let go. 

"Betrothal might seem like a nuisance now, but back then, it promised surety. Love didn't matter when money became the concern. Ruth was betrothed to me. Charlotte was fated for Logan. Heidi with Joseph, and Penelope with Theodore. And this was before the lot of them surpassed the age of ten. It was just a matter of time." I flinch at the mention of ten. 

Who even prepares their kids for marriage before they turn ten years old? I thought rich families had the freedom and leisure to do whatever they wished to do. If this was the consequence of having too much money, I'd choose to be middle-class in a heartbeat. No one should be denied the chance to love. No one should be forced to love someone either. 

"Your mother became Heidi's friend throughout high school. She spent most of the days at my house. It was either a house full of friends or her home all alone. I spent very less time at home but by the brief meetings I had with her, I knew she was free-spirited, always exploring newness and fun. She lived in the present, made bold and risky decisions, she was confident. She loved challenges. Her motive every Sunday night was to beat me at Chess. The times that she won over me, I'd make her my special whiskey with a twist and have her take three sips." Harlan smiles as he watches my untouched glass. 

My lips curl in hesitation because my father never told me about this. This is the first time I'm hearing Harlan Raine was on cordial terms with my mother in her teenage years. Didn't my father know this or was he one of the few who were sworn to secrecy?