Ada was very apologetic and jumped up and organised the refreshments. The colonel smiled at Liza and nodded knowing that Ada needed to keep busy.
When they were comfortably settled, Liza said that she presumed that the colonel had told her the content of Henry’s letter.
“I know that Felicity will deserve everything that she gets,” said Ada, “but she is my daughter and I can’t control the way I feel about her. I brought her into the world and any mother will know that you will always feel love for your child no matter what. Is there really something that you can do to help, even though she has treated you the way she has?”
“Whatever I’m able to do will be for you and the colonel, no one else. She has hurt my friends and business partners in Belfast, she has tried to use me to lead a make believe life in New York. Both places I have always managed to achieve a great deal of respect, which is why her antics could have been much worse, but I am known and my reputation made people query what was happening as it was so out of character for me,” said Liza.
“We can only apologise for that,” said the colonel.
“I haven’t said that to elicit an apology from you, I said it to explain that it is the reason why I have some influence in both places,” said Liza and both Ada and the colonel were surprised at the business-like manner in which Liza was conducting their meeting.
“I’m going to tell you what I think should happen and hope that you will both agree with me. I believe that Henry should get somebody to retrieve what goods he can from Felicity and her gentleman friend, if indeed he is still with her, and where possible return them to the outlets concerned. My company does have a security division which is headed by a very persuasive young man who will handle the retrieval. I am also going to ask Henry to see what the outstanding balance to the various outlets will be and then I am going to ask Edward to settle some if not all of it. Edward would not wish to leave businesses financially at a loss and as I have said before, a wife’s debts are the responsibility of a husband, not a father and mother,” said Liza.
“The man who will be commissioned to retrieve the goods; is he violent?” asked the colonel.
“Only if someone is violent towards him; he will never instigate violence; that I can promise you,” said Liza.
“Why should Edward pay for Felicity’s misdeeds? No matter what you say about a husband being responsible for his wife, the way that Felicity has treated him he has every right to refuse,” said Ada.
“There are three reasons why he should do it. The first being that it would become known that she is Edward’s wife and therefore bears the Fuller name and none of the family will want their name dragged through the courts. Secondly, they won’t want anyone damaging my name, and I’m still known as Marchant, which is the other half of the company, and we also sponsor and promote a very large children’s charity and we would want no adverse publicity for that,” said Liza.
“And the third reason?” asked the colonel.
“The third reason is that I will tell him to do it,” smiled Liza. “Edward will do as I ask, especially if it means protecting the good name of the company as well as my good name. Everyone would agree that it would be better to keep family matters within the family as much as possible.”
Ada was beginning to look a little happier but the colonel was thoughtful but seemed to have decided not to say anything in front of his wife.
“I presume that you will want Felicity here with you as soon as it can be arranged. Would you like me to ask Henry to book her passage, although there’s no guarantee that she will want to come here, after all she’s old enough to make her own decision where she wants to live,” said Liza.
“No, I’ll write to her and send her the money for her journey. I’ll tell her what to do as it would be in her best interests to leave New York before she gets into any more trouble, and get here as soon as possible,” said the colonel.
Liza got up to leave saying that she was going home to write some letters which she would ask Patrick to bring in with him the next day and hoped that the colonel could arrange a speedy postal delivery.
The colonel insisted on showing Liza to her buggy and on the way he said, “When you have paid Felicity’s debts, Liza, will you let me know how much I owe you? You may have convinced Ada that it was Edward’s duty to pay Felicity’s debts but I can’t see that he has any reason to take responsibility for her. It would take weeks for a letter to reach him and she doesn’t have weeks before someone will take action against her.”
“That may be the case, colonel, but I will be telling Edward to take at least some responsibility and he will not want to see me out of pocket. If I have to take some of the debt then it will only be on a temporary basis and I promise you that if I can’t persuade Edward to repay the funds to me, then I will let you know what you owe me. At least you and I know that we have a temporary solution to the financial problem,” said Liza.
“You’re very special to me, Liza and I’ve already told you that I know it’s not going to be easy for you having Felicity back here and I will do my best to keep her under control. I must now write to her but as I don’t know exactly where she is, I must rely on Henry to get it delivered to her and I feel that it is such an imposition,” said the colonel.
“Don’t forget, colonel, she is still part of the Fuller family and as such is entitled to whatever assistance she needs or wants,” said Liza. “Peter is making plans to visit New York and he says that he wants to make the time to come and visit me; whether he will or not with Felicity being here I have no idea. Unfortunately, he has made it quite clear that he has no time for her and will have no desire to see her, so we will have to see what happens.”
He helped Liza into her buggy and she set off home. When she arrived, Patrick was already there, he had some free time which he wanted to spend with Liza.
“Have you managed to pretend to the colonel that Edward will take Felicity’s debts?” asked Patrick.
“He’s like you, Patrick; he seems to know what I have in mind before I do. Ada believes it and that’s all that counts at the moment. I am going to ask Edward to take some responsibility and he will know that I have tried to save the Fuller’s good name as well as my own by paying the price. I have promised the colonel that I will let him know if I have been left to clear the debts. I believe that he is going to try to reimburse Edward or myself anyway, but I think we have managed to temporarily solve an awkward situation,” said Liza.
“Hopefully it’s another problem solved,” said Patrick. “What shall we do this afternoon?”
“It’s a bit cold for a picnic, but we could have an indoor one and pretend that it’s a lovely sunny day and sit on the floor in the sitting room and eat our lunch and forget about Felicity until I have to write some letters,” said Liza.
“Sounds like a good idea. For all your scheming and manipulating you’re still a child at heart,” said Patrick.
“Yes, I hope I never completely grow up. Shall we start thinking of names for our baby? We haven’t given it much thought yet,” said Liza and Patrick smiled and agreed.
They sat on the floor in front of the fire and ate bread, ham and cheese and indulged in a small glass of white wine and discussed various names for their baby and decided on Patrick’s parents’ names. His mother’s was Margaret and was always known as Meg and Patrick was pleased that his beloved mother would be remembered in such a way if they had a girl. His father was Paul and although Patrick found it difficult to remember him, he knew that he was unequalled in his mother’s affections and it seemed right that a boy should have his name.
“Don’t you want your parents remembered in this way, Liza?” asked Patrick.
“No, I have no desire to remember either of them but I wouldn’t mind my brother’s name somewhere. So, if we have a boy then Paul William would be nice,” said Liza. “What was your mother’s middle name?”
“Bernadette,” said Patrick.
“Then that’s what it could
be. Margaret Bernadette sounds nice,” said Liza.
They discussed the future a little more until Liza started getting uncomfortable on the floor and Patrick helped her up and they sat on the couch and finally, Liza put her feet up with her head on Patrick’s lap which he stroked gently. For the next hour or so they stayed like that as it was the first time in a long while that they had been totally alone. Eventually Patrick had to get ready to go back to the fort for an evening shift and Liza could hear Zelma working in the kitchen getting supper ready for the boys on their return from school, but it had been a beautifully calm, pleasant and happy afternoon for them.
As Patrick was leaving, the boys burst in from school all three telling about their day at the same time. Patrick smiled as the house was back to noisy normality and he beat a hasty retreat to the fort.
The afternoon and evening progressed normally with the three boys playing in the bedroom followed by Gabriel calling to collect Si and finally, the boys being read to in bed by Liza. When all was quiet again, Liza settled down to write her letters to Henry and Edward.
She asked Henry to retrieve whatever he could from Felicity and her friend and return whatever he could to the businesses concerned and pay whatever is still outstanding. She told him that the colonel was writing to Felicity and sending her the money to cover her passage to Benson, although she had no idea whether or not she would make the journey. She instructed him to pay no further bills once he received her letter, although she felt that New York businessmen are now aware of the situation. She also informed him that she was writing to Edward and asked him to organise it to be sent by the first available ship to Belfast.
To Edward she wrote:
’My darling Edward,
I really don’t want to write this letter to you as I don’t want to upset you more than you already are, but I have an awkward situation both here in Benson as well as in New York.
I’m afraid that Felicity has been in New York for a short while and in that time she has managed to run up considerable debts, unfortunately, using my name. I have organised with Henry that he retrieves what he can and returns such items to the businesses concerned. Whatever is outstanding I’m afraid I will have to cover that cost as I do not want the good name of the Fullers to be sullied, nor mine for that matter. Also some of the businesses must not be left with too much of a loss, as that would most likely affect our Marchant & Fuller business as well as the charity which we are promoting and would, therefore, hurt so many vulnerable children.
The colonel and Ada wish to pay back what Felicity owes in New York but I know that it would be well above their means and I have had to be diplomatic and have told them that a wife’s debts are the responsibility of her husband. Ada believes me but I do not think that I have convinced the colonel, who has hinted that I must tell him how much he will now owe if I have to settle Felicity’s debts.
I have had to ban her from my house as she was attempting to move into it with a companion and Henry has employed our security guards to remain there for the duration.
The colonel is writing to her and sending her money for her journey to Benson, which he hopes she will take advantage of. On a personal level, I can say to you that I would prefer that she did not come here but the colonel and Ada feel that they need her nearby to try to keep her under control.
My dear Edward, if you feel that you cannot bail Felicity out this one last time, I will, of course, understand as she has most possibly lost all right to any consideration or affection you may have had for her.
Apart from my very real concern for you, I am naturally very worried for Ada and of course, the colonel but I have for some time wondered whether Felicity is mentally stable as she does appear to act in so many outrageous ways.
I must leave a decision in your very capable hands and will follow whatever you think is best.
My love to you as always dear Edward,
God Bless you,
Liza xxx’
Liza read her letter through and could think of nothing to add to it, so she sealed it and placed it with Henry’s for the colonel to send by the army mail the next morning.
Patrick was home very late that night and he saw the letters on the hall stand and made a mental note to take them with him to the colonel the next day. Liza was asleep when he got to bed and just before he went to sleep he reflected on the day and thought about how he had enjoyed the short time he and Liza had spent alone that afternoon. It was so rare for them to be alone together, apart from when they were in bed, and they had also sorted out names for their child which would be born in less than three months. A sudden pang of fear assailed him; so many women lost their lives in childbirth, Gabriel’s wife being one in point, and Liza was not in the best of health no matter what she said. He moved close to her and held her tightly; she roused a little and he heard her give a sigh of contentment and he could imagine her smiling, but he wasn’t, instead he was frowning and trying to put out of his mind his thoughts on death and get back to remembering the innocent enjoyment of the afternoon.
Liza’s letters were sent off the next day and over the next few weeks Kathy and Liza spent time in the doctor’s house making it ready for the family. It looked quite cosy and friendly now. They had put curtains up and made all the beds up. When they had word that the wagons were a couple of days away, they would make sure that there was enough food for the family to survive for a day or two.
Mark and Sean became regular Sunday lunch guests and they seemed to enjoy their time playing with the boys, although they were quite capable of talking about more serious matters when the need arose.
A letter arrived from Henry saying that all Felicity’s debts had been paid from Liza’s account and that her gentleman friend had disappeared and as she was destitute, Henry had arranged for her to stay at a reputable boarding house, although she felt that it was beneath her dignity. Because she had no means of support, she had agreed that she would now make the journey back to her parents in Benson and Henry had booked her on the stage. She would be arriving in town in around a week’s time.
Chapter 8
Finally the word came through that the wagons were a couple of days out from Benson and people were showing excitement at the prospect of having the new doctor and his family and also what new stocks were going to be in the general store.
Then late one afternoon a buggy drove into town carrying Dr Tom, his wife and three children. Kathy and Liza had decided that they would just let Dr Tom have the keys to his home and leave them to explore it and enjoy it themselves. They had left a hotpot ticking over on the stove with fresh bread and one of Kathy’s famous apple pies. Coffee was also on the stove and milk and butter in the cold store. They had laid the table up for them and fires were alight in every room and all the beds were made up.
Dr Tom jumped down from his buggy and ran up to Liza’s door and she welcomed him and handed him the keys to his house. He asked her to come and see his wife and family which she did, telling them how pleased she was that they had arrived, and that she would catch up with them the next day, but felt that they must be tired and enough had been done so that they didn’t have to worry about anything that day. The next day was Saturday and she told them that the boys would be off school and they would be pleased to see everyone then. She wished them goodnight and said that she hoped that they would find their house warm and comfortable and that she really looked forward to seeing them the next day when they had rested.
Dr Tom knew her well enough to realise that the house would be in order for them to be able to not worry about how his family would be sleeping. They had some of their clothes with them, so they had everything that they needed before the wagons arrived the next morning. He noticed that there was even straw for his horses in the stable; Liza had thought about their every need.
A great many shrieks of pleasure could be heard from the doctor’s house, followed by much laughter and Kathy and Liza knew that all their arrangements had not gone unappreciated. L
iza felt that the doctor’s twins were going to have a very happy and carefree life in Benson and that their niece would also eventually be able to settle into a contented life.
Liza was looking forward to the next day when she would be able to find out how they had fared on their first night in Benson. The boys would be pleased to see Dr Tom and they were intrigued by the fact that there were two children born on the same day and couldn’t wait to see them.
When Patrick arrived home he could see that there was movement in the doctor’s house and he asked Liza if they had arrived, even though their wagons hadn’t. She nodded happily and he wondered whether he should call on them to welcome them.
“I thought that it might be a good idea to let them settle this evening. They have everything they may need until tomorrow and I remember when I moved here absolutely everybody called around that first evening and I didn’t get the chance to sit down and enjoy the first home I’d had in a long while. I did appreciate that everyone was kind but it would have been lovely to put my feet up and rest. I believe that tomorrow morning will be soon enough to visit them. I have seen them and welcomed them to Benson and they seemed very happy,” said Liza.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right, they must be very tired after their long journey. I suppose the boys wanted to rush round there and disturb them,” said Patrick.
“They wanted to go and ‘inspect’ the twins; they are fascinated by the fact that they were born at the same time and could possibly look alike, but I managed to dissuade them from going around there and peeping in the windows. I told them that we would go and visit them properly tomorrow,” said Liza. “They are going to take some of their sweets as a housewarming present.”
“I dread to think what condition they will be in; hopefully they haven’t already been sucked or covered in fluff from their pockets,” said Patrick.
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