Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 348: Was Ralph Her Uncle?

Chapter 348: Was Ralph Her Uncle?

Talia smiled at the boy running in front of her with no worries, chasing Bear. He was crying for a while, but seeing her perfectly fine, his mood greatly improved. Yet he insisted to stay with her a while longer. More than getting scared that she died, she felt like he just used her to escape his studies and run around freely.

Well, he’s just five. He can take a day off from his studies. The world won’t end.

Talia didn’t want to out the little boy to his worried parents. And seeing that boy who was proud that he had successfully cheated his aunt, she wanted to protect him.

Ah... I’ve pulled these exact tantrums with my grandpa when I was little. He always knew, didn’t he?

Talia chuckled to herself. She saw her grandpa and great grandmother sitting by the pond, drinking tea. She learnt from her staff that both of them are spending time together a lot these days.

She felt it is good they are enjoying each other’s company. Both of them are too respected by others they don’t have peers of same standing who would chat casually with them.

Becoming a legend has its own cons. Everyone respect you too much, you end up alone at the top.

"Grandpa..." She hugged her grandpa and she could feel her grandpa’s hold tighter than usual. She understood he must have worried a lot about her

"Your Highness," Talia was about to do a curtsy but was pulled to a hug by her great grandmother.

"My child... You worried us all." Her usual crispy voice broke as she spoke.

"I am fine, you see!" she twirled in front of them with a smile and she watched the smile returning to both of their faces.

Little Henry gave a polite bow and greetings to the elders and sat in the chair like a well-behaved, adorable little munchkin. He even answered politely to the Dowager as she questioned about his health and studies.

The future King does know how to act at such a young age. Little Henry, I’m proud to be your aunt.

"You want the juice?" Talia asked the little boy as his eyes involuntarily ending up at the cranberry juice on the table.

"Why that juice? Get the child some orange or apple juice. Even plain milk tastes better," her grandpa didn’t want to put the little baby in such tribulation. It’s not juice; it’s poison.

Talia rolled her eyes and poured Henry some juice. Henry’s leg automatically started to flail as he enjoyed the glass of juice. He even asked for seconds and Talia chuckled seeing the stunned expression of her grandfather.

"Grandpa you’re worse than a five year old," she laughed and she felt delighted seeing her grandpa’s face go red. He is getting better. He used to be so pale and now he even blushes.

"This baby... I think his taste buds aren’t developed fully." Her grandpa found a reason making even the Dowager chuckle.

"Go play for a while," Talia sent Henry to play and a couple of security officers followed him.

"Grandpa, who is Ralph J. Runtley?" Talia was blunt.

Her grandpa’s smile reduced and Talia saw the cheeriness in his eyes getting dissipated as some complex emotions got out.

"He’s dead and-"

"I know he is dead grandpa. But I want to know about him nonetheless. He’s tried to kill me more than once and I had met eyes with him once. There was pure, unadulterated hate he had towards me. I don’t ever remember meeting him and that’s why I inferred that you might have come across him. I know it could be my parents, but I wish it was you so that I can have some closure. Arthur found out he was associated with Raymond Sinclair and I know with the hate Ralph had towards me, I cannot help but wonder if everything Raymond tried to do to me might have been his idea. Grandpa..." she held his hand. She knew she cannot beg him anymore than this and wished this plea from her heart would move his heart.

"You’ve met him?" Jerome raised his eyebrows. "What did he say?"

Is that what he is worried about? What could he have told me? What is grandpa trying to hide?

"I didn’t meet him. I saw him from a distance and then he disappeared." Talia answered. Seeing the frown between her grandpa’s eyes disappear, Talia knew her grandpa won’t tell her anything or lie to her. She just had that feeling.

"He is dead. It won’t be good for the living to bring up the dead. Let him rest in peace."

Talia bowed and her lips curled to a smirk hearing her grandpa’s answer. She expected this but it hurt her nonetheless. She believed for Ralph to have such vengeance against her, it must be something personal.

Could it be business rivalry? Did grandpa acquire his family’s company pushing his family to bankruptcy? Or could he have accidentally hurt someone from his family? Or... could he be an illegal heir to the Brunton family?

Talia tried to get the background of Ralph and his parents, but nothing came up. And that made her lean toward the third point. She knew her grandpa is very adamant in upholding traditional values and he could have sent off his illegal child with enough compensation so not to disturb his legal heir who was her mother. But did Ralph return to get his right as a Brunton?

The thought that her grandpa might have had a child from another woman made Talia’s skin crawl as she knew how much he loves her grandmother. But still he is a red blooded man and he was not even thirty when her grandmother passed away. He might have felt comfort in the embrace of a woman afterwards and she cannot blame him for that.

After all, wedding vows are valid only until one partner dies.

Or he could have been tricked by a woman and she might have gotten pregnant by deviant means. In that case, her grandfather might try to hide the fact out of shame. And out of anger, he might have banished that woman and the child away from him making the child grow up in resentment towards his absent father. And seeing that same father pouring all his love at his granddaughter, he might have hated that granddaughter. That explains why he wanted to see her to get ruined.

Could Ralph be my uncle?

"Grandpa, you know I love and respect you a lot. No matter what happened in the past, I can understand the truth now that I’m an adult. My love towards you will not change even if-"

"MaryAnn, what do you want to say?" her grandfather’s voice had a chillness making Talia scared.

"Is Ralph your blood?" she asked nonetheless.

"MARYANN!!!" Jerome shouted banging the table and Talia gasped. She saw her grandpa’s twitching eyebrows and she got reminded of that day of her mother’s wake. He was this angry that day too.

Did I go too far?

"How could you even suggest I cheated on Annabelle?" his voice was shaking out of anger and Talia bowed her head.

But grandpa, it is not cheating if you slept with another woman after grandma died.

She wanted to speak, but she held herself back. Her grandpa is sick and she didn’t want to anger him more by arguing with him.

"I’m sorry, grandpa. I was curious about the guy who tried to murder me time and time again and overstepped my boundaries with you." She looked at him with her eyes misted.

She was a little sad that her grandpa is not being honest with her and is angry at her, but she was not heart-broken or anything. But she still decided to act pitiful to get information from him.

"My sweet child," her grandpa got up from his chair and hugged her. Seeing her eyes, he reminded of the six year old child who wept in Cyrus’ arms because of the word he said. He didn’t want to say hurtful words once more and make her distance herself from him. He just got his granddaughter back after a long time.

"Ralph is not a Brunton, I can assure you. If anything, his grandmother was someone who did an unspeakable horror to our family. When Ralph came to me, I was willing to not punish him for what his grandmother did, but he wasn’t accepting my offer. I still helped with his studies indirectly. He was evil to have thought to hurt you. That’s all I can say."

"I understand, grandpa. I won’t talk about that evil person anymore."

Talia couldn’t see her grandpa’s face, but she believed he was telling the truth. There are a lot of evil people out there and it seemed like Ralph was one. His hatred could have stemmed from a misunderstanding, but he was evil to want to kill her for that. Also he is dead and she didn’t want to give him the time of her day and possibly ruin her grandpa’s health and her good relationship with him.

Jerome’s face relaxed only after seeing his granddaughter’s genuine smile at him.

"And Gigi ma, regarding Arnold Belfauger..." she looked at her great grandmother.

That guy killed four of her family members and she kept it in her heart for years. Talia couldn’t understand how she could carry that weight alone all these years.

"Do Louis and Lambert know?"