My Beloved Uncle (Baskerville #1)

(S2): The bitter past

After finishing lunch Hans and Hannah went to the tomb of Zelda Carson, Hans' grandson. At the funeral, Hans placed a bouquet of Daisy flowers on Zelda's tombstone.

" Grandfather is coming again. How's it going? Grandpa misses you so much and wishes you were with grandpa now."

Hans wiped his tears with his shirt sleeves. He recalled the incident 35 years ago that killed almost his entire family.

At the time Hans, his son, son-in-law, and twin grandchildren, Zelda and Charlotte were on holiday at their family villa in Lancester, England. It was snow season. Hans loved his twin granddaughter. Charlotte, a cheerful woman, has vitality, and a high spirit. She can also transmit her zest energy to those around her, while Zelda, a quiet, unsociable, nerdy woman. He has always been the smartest student at his school and at his college.

One day while they were having a barbeque party, Charlotte brought a handsome man and introduced him as her lover. Of course, it makes everyone surprised, because Charlotte has never wanted to be in a relationship with any man even though she was 20 years old at that time.

" It's Joseph Coldwell, my lover and he's also a prince" Charlotte said.

" I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

" Joseph was my college friend. We both loved each other and we decided to get into a relationship."

Unbeknownst to anyone, Zelda also falls in love with Joseph when Charlotte introduces the man to her at the time. Zelda was envious, because Charlotte could get a man who was kind, caring, and handsome as Joseph. Holidays in family villas that last for a week are passed with joy and fun.

Before the tragedy finally happened. Zelda and Charlotte decide to stay at the villa on their last day of vacation before they go home the next day, because their grandfather and parents will go to one of his friends' homes that are not far from the villa.

That morning Zelda was reading a book by the window, enjoying the morning sunlight that came through the window, while Charlotte knelt in front of the fireplace, took charcoal from the fireplace and put it in a bucket of cans, then take the firewood next to the fireplace and put it in the fireplace. The fire started and immediately warmed the room.

Charlotte was sitting on the sofa by the window enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. He looked at his twin brother who was seriously reading a novel.

"Zelda,"call Charlotte.

"Hmm."

"Do you like Joseph?"

Zelda looked at her sister.

"Why do you ask that?"

"I just want to know. I know you like him. For 4 days Joseph was here, you always looked at him lovingly. I can see it."

" I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fallen in love with him. That's incorrect. I'm not gonna take Joseph away from you. She's yours."

" Thank you."

" Joseph's heart is only you. There's no me."

" We've both agreed to be married in five years."

" For so long why not get married after you both graduated from college?"

" For there was much work that Joseph had to do with regard to his country. You know he's a prince."

" I know. You're like Cinderella liked by a handsome prince. You're very lucky."

" I didn't know at first that he was a prince."

" Did Joseph finally tell you?"

"Yes when he declared his love for me."

Charlotte's face was red. " Nobody's been able to make me fall in love except Joseph."

" I know that. I hope you're happy. And do you believe that Joseph will keep his promise to marry you in five years?"

"I believe."

The sound of a loud knock on the door made them look at each other.

" Who do you think is coming? There's no way our grandparents and parents are back."

"We'd better see who's coming" Charlotte suggested.

Zelda walked towards the door first followed by Charlotte from behind. The two of them were shocked to get their distant niece at the door.

" Fabian" Zelda said.

"Hello Aunt Zelda and Aunt Charlotte.

Zelda who already looked anxious to see Fabian who was 8 years old at that time immediately pinched her plump cheeks.

" Why are you here?"ask Charlotte.

" I happen to be around. My father had business needs here, so Mom and I came with you here, and then I heard you were on vacation here, so I decided to visit you here."

" Who are you coming with?"ask Zelda.

" Together with the driver."

" Your parents?"

" They're meeting with a business client."

" Come on in!"said Zelda.

Charlotte immediately provides milk and various kinds of cakes. After they spoke at length, Fabian fell asleep on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Zelda and Charlotte went to their respective rooms and they also fell asleep.

Fabian woke up, smelling smoke. He was surprised the fire had burned the curtains.

" Aunty Charlotte, Aunt Zelda there's a fire .Help me!"scream Fabian.

The smoke grew thicker and the fire quickly crept throughout the entire first floor. Fabian started coughing violently. He intended to head upstairs to call his two aunts, but the fire was already blocking his way. Fabian came out screaming for help.

"PLEASE! HELP!"

A silver car stopped in front of the villa. Grandparents Zelda and Charlotte are wild from the car. They were surprised to see a thick puff of smoke from downstairs.

" Oh my God" cried Hans' grandfather.

" Where are Charlotte and Zelda?"ask Hugh, Zelda and Charlotte's father.

" They're still inside" Fabian said, sobbing.

Jesslyn fainted immediately hearing her two children still inside. Hans and Hugh immediately lifted her up and laid her on the bench, then her body was enveloped by her husband's suit.

" Fabian why are you still here?"ask Hans.

" I happen to be here with my parents."

Hugh decides to break in to help Charlotte and Zelda. Hans who knew it tried to ban it."

" Hugh, don't come in! That's too dangerous."

Hugh did not listen to his father's ban and kept barging into the villa. The fire has started to spread to the top floor. A few minutes later, someone came out of the villa coughing.

" Zelda and dad." said Charlotte in tears.

" What's wrong with them?"

" Zelda died, saving me from a falling log, and then dad came and tried to save me to get out, but he was surrounded by fire and burned his body while pushing me out. They died trying to save me."

Hans fell on the bench. Fabian was crying harder. Not long after the fire service arrived. Fabian's parents came.

" Are you okay?"ask Rosalie, Fabian's mother.

Fabian hugged his mother. " I'm fine."

" What's going on?"ask Andrew, Fabian's father.

Fabian then told me what happened the moment he woke up.

" Thank God you're okay" his mother said.

" Uncle Hans, is uncle okay?"ask Andrew.

"I'm fine, but Zelda and Hugh..."

Grandpa Hans could not continue his words anymore. After 2 hours, the fire was finally extinguished and they found two burned bodies. One was found in a second-floor hallway and the other was found near the stairs.

Charlotte faints when she sees the bodies of her father and twin brother burned. Andrew and Rosalie shed tears, while Hans' grandfather fell silent next to Jesslyn who was still unconscious. Empty look.

💔💔💔

Two weeks have passed, Jesslyn's condition is getting worse. Since learning that her husband and Zelda had died, Jesslyn had been drowning in grief and her health was declining. Jesslyn dies a week later, causing Charlotte and Hans to fall into grief.

After Jesslyn's funeral, Andrew offers Charlotte to stay with him so he can resume his studies. Hans agreed and Charlotte agreed.

During her stay in the Baskerville family, Charlotte was slowly able to smile back and Fabian was very fond of her who was already considered like her own brother. After 6 months of Charlotte living with the Fabian family, Hans' grandfather comes to see her.

" Grandfather Hans," exclaimed Charlotte with a joyful face and immediately hugged her grandfather.

" It looks like you're okay here."

" I'm fine. They were very nice to me. How's grandpa doing?"

" I miss grandpa."

" Grandpa misses you too."

" Thank you grandpa for coming to see me here."

" It's because grandfather misses you and besides that there's something important that grandfather wants to talk to you about."

" What's important?"

" What really happened in that villa at the time of the fire?"

" Why is Grandpa talking about that again? I don't want to remember it anymore."

Charlotte's turning moody.

" Sorry grandpa. I understand how you feel, but Grandpa wants to make sure of you one thing."

" Sure what?"

" If you're not Charlotte, but Zelda."

Charlotte's body stiffened instantly and her face became stiff.

" What you said is true, isn't it?"

" Why would Grandpa think that way if I wasn't Charlotte?"

" Grandfather has known you since childhood and grandfather knows where Charlotte is and where Zelda is. Grandfather can tell the two of you apart."

Charlotte breathed a long breath.

" Grandfather was right. I'm not Charlotte, I'm Zelda."

" So the one who died was Charlotte?"

" Yes." Yeah."

" I'm guessing, because your nature is similar to Zelda's and Grandpa's guessing that you're Zelda."

" I'm sorry I lied to my grandfather and everyone else."

" Why do you have to pretend to be Charlotte?"

" I didn't want to, but Charlotte told me to."

" What do you mean?"

" I'll tell Grandpa."

6 Months ago

Zelda awoke from her sleep, hearing Fabian's scream from below. He realized that there was smoke coming into his room. Zelda jumped out of bed and went to Charlotte's canal next to her. By the time he opened the door of his room, the smoke was already very thick. She opens the door to Charlotte's room and her twin sister sleeps.

Zelda wakes Charlotte up.

" Zelda, what's wrong? Why so much smoke?"

" There's no time we have to get out of here. Looks like the villa is on fire."

" Whataa?"

Charlotte and Zelda left the room, but the smoke was too thick and they had trouble breathing. They walked down the aisle to the stairs, but on the way a fell. Charlotte pushes Zelda and a beam hits Charlotte's body.

" Charlotte, hang on!"

Charlotte screamed in pain from the burning beam. Zelda tried to put out the fire on the beam with her sleeping coat and the beam eventually went out.

Zelda tries to get rid of the beam, but her hand is held back by Charlotte.

" Go! You need to get out of here."

Zelda crying. " I'm not leaving here and leaving you here."

" Don't be stupid!"yells

" How can I leave you here."

" Hear me! If we both die who will marry Joseph."

" What do you mean?"zelda asked not to understand.

" I don't want to make Joseph sad, because I died. You have to be Charlotte to take my place."

" What are you talking about? I don't want to."

" I beg you. Promise me you'll be me and marry Joseph."

" I'm not you."

" They won't know, if we switch positions. I can help you again anyway."

" Don't talk like that! I'll get help."

Charlotte shook her head.

" I'm getting strong again. Please be me. This is my last request."

" all right. I promise."

" Thank you."

Charlotte breathed her last.

"CHARLOTT."

Zelda sobbed, and she heard her father's voice.

" Dad."

Hugh was stunned to see one of his daughters lifeless again.

" Zelda is dead."

Hugh approached Charlotte and cried beside her, then he pulled Zelda towards the exit. After they had gone down the stairs, the fire had surrounded them, Hugh looking for a gap to get through the fire. He pushes Zelda from the ring of fire that surrounds her and protects Zelda with her body, so that Hugh's body burns.

"DAD."

"Go!"

Hugh screamed in pain, as his body burned.

Zelda who was now Charlotte looked at her grandfather with regret.

" I'm sorry."

" You don't have to apologize. Grandpa didn't expect, Charlotte loved Joseph so much and didn't want to make him sad."

" Do I have to reveal my true identity?"

" It's not necessary. It's all over. Charlotte's identity is now yours and Zelda's dead. Think of it that way."

"All right."

"Does anyone suspect you're Zelda?"

" It doesn't seem to exist."

"good. You have to keep this a secret."

Zelda nodded.

" You'll be Charlotte forever."

The sound of lightning shocked Hans who was still looking at Zelda's grave. The tombstone should not be Zelda, but Charlotte.

" Grandfather Hans, let's go home!"Hannah said.

Hans nodded. Hannah led Hans to the car. He is lucky to have Hannah, his adopted granddaughter who would care for him in his old age. He misses Zelda, because he has not seen her for 35 years.

💔💔💔

Charlotte was sitting on the sofa in her room. He thinks about who he really is. Did he have to tell everyone that he was actually Zelda instead of Charlotte?

Charlotte's name has been stuck in her for 35 years. His family knew him as Charlotte instead of Zelda, if he told everyone there was a chance he would be accused of fraud and identity theft. But he didn't mean that. He simply complies with Charlotte's wishes and decides not to tell anyone.

Charlotte was reminded of Hans, her grandfather. He had not heard from her for a long time. He would visit her sometime. [ ]