Heir To Terror (An arranged marriage) Book 1

Chapter 1

I looked at myself in the mirror and then scrunched up my face. Black shoulder length hair pulled up in a pony tail, lightly tanned brown heart shaped face with full lips and black eyes stared back at me with a troubled expression. I just couldn’t figure it out. I had known Joshua for years. My mother was his mother’s best friend from school days and we had been play buddies for a long time. The last time I saw him, I scrunched up my face again to try to remember, three years ago – we were both thirteen years old at the time. The visit had ended badly; we had both been way to competitive, it had only been a matter of time before we had ended up in a fist fight. I sighed, I hadn’t heard him after that, probably too embarrassed to have been beaten by a girl. I giggled, then stopped suddenly. This current situation was no laughing matter. Today, at breakfast, mother informed me that she had arranged with Joshua’s mother for us to be married next week.

Next week! I screamed at the girl in the mirror.

I allowed the water to run wastefully from the pipe, then I got a handful and splashed it on my face. I had not even so much as kissed a boy in my life, and mother wants me to marry a guy? I laughed, more like a mad hatter type of laugh.

Joshua isn’t too ugly, surely he could find someone who would want to marry him?I was talking to myself, and yes, I was fully aware that talking to oneself is the first sign of madness.

They can’t make me, this is 2010, not some prehistoric age. A tear trickled down my face, I splashed my face again with water. The knock on the door jumped me.

I kept still.

Are you okay, honey. It was mother, her voice sounded anxious.

She should be anxious, look what she was trying to force me into.

I didn’t answer; I hoped the anxiety would make her suffer.

Jess… Her voice raised slightly, Jess….Jesss! She was pounding on the door. Then I heard my dad’s voice.

I’ll break it down. He was saying; I heard the sound of his shoulder against the door.

Mom… I said.

He stopped.

Are you okay? Mom asked, she sounded worried.

No…No…I’m not. Why are you forcing me to marry, Joshie? I asked. That’s what I had always called him, he hated it.

Joshua is a very rich young man, he is the sole heir to Cartel Island, and his mother has been a friend of the family for years.

Those are not reasons for marrying someone. I screamed at her through the door.

She sighed.

You could do a lot worse. I could hear mom and dad muttering behind the door. The next voice I heard was dad’s.

Jessie, you know I would never let anything bad happen to you. He said gently. Dad had always been my favourite parent.

How could you let her do this to me?

Come out, honey, we can talk.

I splashed my face with water again; I had to face them sometime. It might as well be sooner rather than later. Maybe, just maybe I would be able to talk them out of the agreement.

Joshua’s point of view

No. I said simply, the very thought of marrying Jessica Harrison made me sick. She was bossy, overbearing and a tomboy. There was nothing in this world that could convince me to marry her. I hadn’t seen her for close to three years, and quite frankly, it wasn’t long enough. I fixed my eyes on my mother’s face firmly, she knew what that look meant, and she would know not to bother me with the matter anymore.

Under the laws of Cartel Island, you are still a minor, and minor’s can have marriages arranged by their parents.

I laughed in her face. She cringed. I snapped my fingers, my boy servant Kaleel appeared.

Have the car brought around, Kaleel, the house is beginning to feel stuffy, I think I need to take a drive. I instructed him, he hurried off.

I unfurled my length from the couch I had been sitting in and started to stroll past mother.

Joshua. Her voice sounded tense. I don’t think you understand. You have no choice.

I laughed and brushing her hand away strolled towards the door.

Men have nothing but choices in life mother, and I choose not to marry, and definitely not at sixteen years old. I could hear her gasp behind me, but I didn’t care. She might have messed up her life, running off with a teenage boy that her father had forbidden her to see and then returning home, abandoned with a bastard child – me, but I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. A black spot on the Cartel name, so dishonourable had her life been that grandfather had had to disinherit her and make me the sole heir to Cartel Island at my coming of age, and now she wanted to give me advice about who and when I should marry. I slammed the door behind me as I left the room, just barely catching her last words that she was expecting Jessica here to marry me on Saturday. I could definitely find somewhere else to be on Saturday.

*****

Chapter 2.

Mom and dad did not even travel with me to Cartel Island. They didn’t say anything, but I sensed that this marriage was not necessarily a source of joy to them either, and they didn’t want to witness it. Mom even said that as soon as I was married I could come right back home. I just didn’t understand it. Wasn’t marriage supposed to involve a honey moon? I blushed even at the thought of it. Mom had sent my older brother, Mario, with me. Even though he was only three years older, he treated me like a baby. He was supposed to be my protection, my chaperone, so that my honour would not be compromised. I folded my hand into a fist, just let that Joshie think he can compromise my honour, he would be eating food with a straw for months!

You okay, Sis. Mario asked me. I had hardly spoken on the plane ride to Cartel Island.

Now on the drive to Cartel Mansion he looked worried. Mario is the kind of brother every girl loves. He’s completely crazy about me, and even though he’s older, he still gets involved in my problems.

I’m so scared. I whispered, I had to force the words past my dry lips.

He stared out of the window, not looking at me. I knew he had been mad with Mom and Dad too.

You know Josh, you guys have been friends for years. There is nothing to be afraid of. His voice sounded false to me.

I don’t know anything about being married… I sobbed, wiping my tears in his shirt.

I can’t do…I won’t have... I couldn’t even call the word.

Mario hugged me close.

Don’t panic. Mom said that as soon as you were married, we can come straight home. You won’t even spend a night here. He assured me.

His words were like a lifeline.

You promise? I asked, my sobs subsiding.

He nodded.

The same innocent little girl I brought up here, will be the same innocent little girl I take home. He assured me.

I swallowed, with difficulty, I certainly hoped he was right.

As soon as we reached the house Aunty Helena came out, she wasn’t really family, but that’s what Mario and I had called her from childhood. The servants grabbed our luggage and we were ushered into the mansion.

Aunty Helena’s kind face stared down at me.

Don’t be afraid darling, Joshua is not a monster. She whispered, although her voice didn’t sound convinced.

I don’t want to get married. I sobbed.

She looked so pained.

Come on, there is much we must do before the wedding tomorrow.

I gripped Mario’s hand and followed her. I felt like a kid that had no say, where the outcome of my life was totally in someone else’s hands.

Cartel Mansion was as beautiful as I remembered it. Aunty Helena showed Mario to his room and then took me to my room and helped me to unpack. She was folding my clothes and putting them away in the drawers, there was an awkward silence between us.

Jessica… She began.

I had sensed that she had wanted to speak to me, but was feeling a little self conscious, perhaps she would explain why it was so important for me to marry her son.

You know you are to be married tomorrow. She said, she was looking at a line or something on the floor, I imagined that was because she didn’t want to look at me.

I nodded, then remembering she wasn’t looking in my direction I said.

My mother told me I had to. I hoped she would say that I didn’t have to, instead she looked over at me sadly and nodded.

Have…have you ever been…been am…well… I couldn’t figure out what she was saying, I screwed up my face and stared at her.

She turned around and blurted out.

Have you ever been with a boy?

I blushed.

I…I… I’d never even talked about stuff like that with Mom and Dad.

Aunty Helena was busying her hands with some insignificant activity.

I’m just checking to make sure you know…you know what you may be required to do. She explained. My eyes widened.

Mom…mom said I could go straight home after the wedding. I explained, my heart racing. Surely she wasn’t going to make me stay here?

The plans had to be changed a bit… She was saying. I just sat there on the bed, twisting my hands anxiously. Why were they doing this to me?

I bought a dress for you. She said, her voice suddenly cheerful. I didn’t answer.

I wanted you to look pretty for dinner tonight.

I stared at her, my eyelashes were spiky from tears, it seemed like I had spent the best part of the week crying since Mom had told me about the wedding.

I’ll have one of the servants come up and draw you a bath and help you dress. She pulled a smile, but I could see the bearest glimmer of a tear in her eye, and then she disappeared through the door.

The dinner dress was not my cup of tea, way too fancy and girly, so I pulled it off as soon as the maid left and slipped on my baggy jeans and a big sweater shirt. I slipped into my soft shoes, mentally telling myself that these kind of clothes would be good if I needed to run. The young girl who came to my door to call me down for dinner stared at me in surprise.

For the first time in nearly seven days I grinned, I always enjoyed alarming society with my antisocial mode of dress. I followed her, still smiling, Mario met me at the top of the stairs, he was dressed formally – I pointed at him and giggled and he made a funny face at me. Maybe somehow things would work out, I would certainly be praying about it tonight. The butler announced our presence in the dining room and we strode in, the room was filled with at least thirty strangers all formally dressed. I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole. I felt so out of place and foolish in my old baggy worn out jeans.

No… I muttered horrified.

But Aunty Helena was not deterred, she banged her glass with a fork and announced,

Everyone, please meet Jessica, the fiancée of my son Joshua Cartel V. They are to be married tomorrow. I know they would have wished to keep it a secret, you know how young lovers are, but I am far to excited to keep it to myself. Come my darling. She was beckoning me.

I was stunned to the spot, why would she do this? Suddenly, I realized that the announcement had not been for my sake, there was someone behind me. I turned around and found myself staring into the sparkling green hypnotic eyes of Joshua, a Joshua that seemed very little like the Joshua I remembered.

*****

Chapter 3

I stood there, staring awestruck at Joshua. He had really grown, I felt like a dwarf next to him, gosh, he was even towering over my brother! The tip of my pony tail barely reached the bottom of his chin. Wow! And that wasn’t all that had changed, his black curly hair that he used to wear so short and military was now nipping the nape of his neck and creating an all too sexy image. His face was gorgeous, he could have easily passed for some kind of a male model, and the silk blue shirt he was wearing was stretched across his chest, hinting at the bulge of muscle beneath, I found myself wondering if he would have six or eight pack abs. The dress pants he was wearing was classic, I wasn’t much for clothes, but I just knew it must have costs hundreds of dollars, and the way it gently writhed around his leg, also hinted at the muscles there as well. But the greatest change was strangely in his eyes. Even though they were still that bright sparkling green that had been etched in my memory from years ago, something inside of them had drastically changed. They weren’t filled with the humour and sense of playfulness that Joshie’s eyes had been filled with, these eyes were cold, and hard and scary!

My concentration was interrupted by the loud applause of the crowd gathered there. People started pushing forward, clearly to get to Joshua to congratulate him. I stood routed to the spot, his face said clearly that he was not happy with the situation.

I guess congratulations are in order then. A young woman, perhaps nineteen or twenty said, her face looked disappointed.

Joshua only grunted without answering.

Fantastic my boy, keeping something like this from us. An old stately looking man exclaimed, gripping Joshua’s reluctant hand and pumping it up and down.

You know me Sir Richards. Joshua responded flatly.

Congratulations. A tall, goodlooking mature man with a scar across his right cheek offered, his face was filled with malice and distaste.

Uncle Glen. Joshua acknowledged.

The man bowed and strode purposefully towards the exit of the room.

No one seems to be interested in the bride. Mario said, bending down so he could whisper it in my ear.

I didn’t mind, the last thing I needed was to be the centre of attention. The thought had just passed my mind when Aunty Helena came up beside me.

I hope you don’t feel too left out. Joshua is the heir to Cartel Island; it is natural that the attention will be on him. She was smiling, as if a well laid plan was falling into place.

You’ll have your day in the limelight tomorrow.

I cringed. She didn’t appear to notice.

I noticed she was waving to some people over in the corner.

They were the press! Could this day get any worst?

Come on, we should have some pictures of the young couple for the papers. She explained, pulling me towards Joshua. It was just a brief look, but I was sure I saw him glare angrily at her.

Perhaps we can have a photo of you kissing your bride to be sir! One camera man shouted.

My heart rocketed to my mouth.

Let’s save that one for the wedding. Joshua drawled.

Perhaps a hug then? Another press representative, jostling for position behind his comrades suggested.

She is your fiancée? The girl with the sad face asked, her voice slightly discouraged.

Of course she is! Aunty Helena responded firmly, the girl slithered off into the crowd in embarrassment.

Are you ready sir? The camera man asked.

I wasn’t sure why they were asking, because flashes were going off non-stop of Joshua just standing there with me and his mother beside him.

Fine. Joshua said, his tone barely veiling his annoyance.

He gripped me firmly by the hand and dragged me closer; his fingers were hard and painful. I glared up at him, but he ignored me. With a show of loverlike affection he drew me close to his side, his hand now encircling my waist. I tried briefly to pull away, but he was way too strong.

Smile. He ordered into my ear, I glared up at him and a huge flash went off in my face.

The rest of the night went by in a haze. People came over to shake Joshua’s hand, some bowed, I even saw an old lady curtsey. Joshua’s arm around my waist forced me to remain by his side the entire night. One young woman commented on how very in love we appeared, I could have puked.

When the last honoured guess exited Joshua glared down at me, but the really scary look he saved for his mother.

What the hell do you think you’re doing? He demanded angrily.

Introducing Jessica… She began quietly.

I told you I was not marrying anyone! He cut in sharply. I gasped at how rough he spoke to his mother.

You have to. She replied.

Perhaps I haven’t made myself clear – butt the hell out of my life! He hadn’t even raised his voice, but the tone made me tremble.

The announcement will be in all the papers tomorrow, if you don’t go through with it, it will bring disgrace to your family name. She explained, the look on her face suggested that she believed she had him between a rock and a hard place.

Clearly a name you never cared about. He said cuttingly.

I could see Aunty Helena swallow with some difficulty.

I made some mistakes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love…

Spare me the theatrics. He said rudely, You’re trying to blackmail me, and it won’t work!

You have no choice…

I want you out of my house by tomorrow. He was looking straight at me when he said it. I don’t know which was more embarrassing, to be forced to marry someone you aren’t in love with, or to have that person reject you outright.

That…that suits me fine! I said, and turning on my heel I headed towards the exit.

Stop, Jessica. Aunty Helena shouted.

I stopped, Mario, who was following close behind me bounced into my back.

Mario, please, give us a moment of privacy. Aunty Helena advised. Mario looked at me, I nodded and he strolled through the large double door and pushed them in behind him.

More theatrics, Mother? Joshua drawled.

What the heck was happening with my life? One week ago I was an ordinary teenager, going to school, hanging out with my friends, giggling at boys – and now suddenly, I’m engaged to be married to one of the most obnoxious guys in the world and smack bang in the centre of a family feud. This night just keeps getting better, I thought sarcastically.

Please have a seat. Aunty Helena was saying, I noticed her hands were shaking, although she tried to walk casually over to the couch and sit elegant down.

I’ll stand. Joshua responded.

She motioned for me to sit beside her, I was glad to put some distance between Joshua and me, so I rushed over to the couch and sat down.

I was twisting my hands nervously; I stopped when Joshua looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.

Speak your mind, Mother. You’ve already wasted enough of my time.

I have to tell you something, He looked bored at her words, And its bad news.

I looked anxiously up at her, bad news? The news so far hadn’t exactly been of the ‘Jesus Christ come to save the world type’ – so exactly how much worst