Over the next few days he learned to be Mike Decker and all the tricks that a wagon driver would need to know. From Liza’s letter, this was not the career that she had planned for him, but it was going to give him credibility on the next leg of his journey. He was grateful to both Cole and Jack and when he tried to thank them, they pushed his thanks to one side saying that wagon drivers are hard men and never needed to thank those who were just doing their job.
He wasn’t looking forward to the change and meeting new people and of course he hoped that there would be nobody there who knew him. It was unlikely as they were coming from an area that he had never visited. The scout visited regularly but was clear about the fact that they would not see him when ‘Mike’ transferred to the other wagon train, but he would know if he was in difficulty and would immediately act on it and get him out of the way.
There were six wagons on the next train and they were pleased to learn that they now would have an extra driver as he could relieve any one of them at a moment’s notice. Cole’s two wagons joined the others for the first evening; ‘Mike’ had already destroyed Liza’s letter. He wanted to thank her but knew that it was impossible for her sake.
He thought about Liza a great deal and wished that he had found somebody like her rather than falling for Felicity. He deeply regretted his actions and his penance was to deal with his conscience for the rest of his life and he knew that it was going to blight everything that he did and felt in the future. However, as the choice was between his conscience and the firing squad, he was pleased to be where he was, even though nothing was going to be as he would have liked.
It was a little daunting when he had to say goodbye to Cole and Jack but they had schooled him well in the few days that they were together and he blended in with the other drivers; however he was pleased when they reached the end of the journey and he was free to make his own way to the train station. He was not given the opportunity by the scout to convey his thanks but he felt that it was known.
He bought his ticket to New York and spent the next couple of days on the train, which was a new experience for him. He finally managed to find his way to the docks and as instructed went to the Marchant & Fuller offices there and asked for Walter Anderson. He was pointed towards a large building and someone shouted for Walter.
A relatively young man looked up from seeing goods into a warehouse and came forward. “Who wants me?” he asked eyeing ‘Mike’.
‘Mike’ introduced himself; he had got used to using that name now. “Ah yes, I’ve been expecting you,” said Walter and he ushered him into a small office off the warehouse.
“Right Mike, I don’t know why you are here and I don’t want to. Whatever has happened is in the past and as far as I am concerned you are someone who has been recommended to me by one of our drivers. I need to set up a security system for Marchant & Fuller in Liverpool and you have been recommended as someone who may be capable of helping with that. I am going to train you here for a few weeks, and when the weather is right after Christmas, we will both travel to Liverpool. I hope you are going to at least appear to take seriously the training that I am going to give you, but my instructions are that if once you are in Liverpool and you wish to go your own way, then that will be your choice. Also, if I find that you are suitable for the position over there then my information is that our ‘friend’ would be more than pleased for you to stay in Marchant & Fuller’s employment,” said Walter.
“I understand everything that you are saying. It has all been made clear to me in a letter which I have now destroyed,” said ‘Mike’.
“Well, we won’t mention that again. I have documentation here for you which will give you credibility for anything that you may wish to do in the future. So keep it safely; it’s your identity. It looks very new so I would keep it in one of your pockets to make it look worn. I suppose you haven’t yet managed to get somewhere to stay so you will come home with me tonight and tomorrow we’ll find you some permanent digs. I have somewhere in mind and they will not be dark and depressing. There is nothing worse than going home to a damp and dismal place, you have to lift yourself out of whatever it is that has caused the reason why you are here. I presume that Mrs Marchant has made sure that you are financially sound so there will be no need to fund you initially. You will receive wages for the job that you do, so you have no need to wonder where the next meal is coming from. I want you to look like a trainee manager, so tomorrow after I have settled you into your rooms, I will introduce you to an inexpensive tailor who knows how I like my managers to look,” said Walter.
‘Mike’ was looking puzzled and Walter asked him if there was anything he wanted to know. “Mrs Marchant? I didn’t realise that Liza was actually owner of the company. I was told that she was only an acquaintance of the Fullers. I know her by a different name,” said ‘Mike’
“Well, you were misinformed, she is an owner of the company and Mrs Marchant is what she’s known as around here but you are never to use her first name again in anyone’s hearing. She is sometimes referred to by her current married name. You are a lowly employee at the moment, if she turns up here or in Liverpool in the future, you will shake her hand and introduce yourself as if you had never seen her before. What you do behind closed doors and out of hearing of others will be up to you,” said Walter and then he smiled and said, “Welcome, Michael Decker, I can see that we are going to get along very nicely. I’ll take you to my home now and introduce you to my wife and family; they have been expecting you for a while and your bed is ready. The way you look, I’m sure you’d enjoy a good wash and a long rest before we settle down to our evening meal. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day for you so make the most of this afternoon and evening.”
As they were walking towards Walter’s house, ‘Mike’ admitted that all this was a little daunting for him and Walter said, “I know how you feel. I was in a similar situation not so long ago but I was given a chance by Mrs Marchant to get myself out of a downward spiral which was taking my family down also. She stopped me ending up in prison and gave me a job. I would never let her down and I won’t allow anyone else to let her down either. We’re here now and I can assure you that you are now quite safe.”
‘Mike’ became very much part of the security division of Marchant & Fuller and surprisingly, enjoyed the work. He was introduced to Henry Mahoney and had been warned that he was a good friend of Liza’s so knew not to mention her unless she was mentioned first. He learned all about the company and then the day came when he met Felicity’s brother-in-law, Peter. He was staying at Liza’s house and Walter wanted ‘Mike’ to learn how to check out security on houses specifically for functions and he felt that he should start with Liza’s as it would be easy to talk him through the best way to undertake the normal procedures.
As they rode up to the house, ‘Mike’ found it hard to believe what he was seeing. It really was a most magnificent house in grounds that were perfectly manicured. Peter was just leaving for the offices as Walter and ‘Mike’ arrived and was pleased that they were making sure that everything was in order for Mrs Marchant.
When they were alone whilst they were checking doors and windows, ‘Mike’ just couldn’t help but ask, “Who actually owns this house, is it a company property?”
“No, it belongs to Mrs Marchant alone but she allows members of the Fuller family to stay whenever they need to,” said Walter not being aware of ‘Mike’s’ history with one member of the Fuller family.
“Why on earth doesn’t she stay in a magnificent house like this?” said ‘Mike’ quietly.
“Because she loves her husband and his life is elsewhere. I know that he enjoyed his stay here but this is not for him, he’s a soldier through and through. She also has a large house in Belfast and one of these days I may be able to look after that one also for her,” said Walter.
‘Mike’ just looked at him in amazement. “Well, I wouldn’t leave here if it was mine.”
“We had some trouble here
a while ago. Mr Edward’s wife got it into her head that she could use Mrs Marchant’s name and buy whatever she wanted as well as stay in this house, acting as if she owned it and upsetting all the staff. One of my jobs was to take back what she hadn’t used to the retailers and sort out paying the bills that she had run up. Poor Mrs Marchant had to stand the cost of that, but I believe Mr Edward then sorted that out for her. But you see, ‘Mike’, it’s not just making sure that goods don’t disappear from the docks and that doors and windows are secure in this job, it’s making sure that the company and the families’ reputations are kept intact,” said Walter.
Walter spent the day explaining what would be needed in preparation for a function at a property such as this. He was introduced to the members of staff and talked through exactly what would happen during the course of a party. He explained that, in Liverpool, there would be needed two types of security men, one that would blend in with the upper crust of society and a courser type who would be quite prepared to use force in order to protect what belonged to the company.
That evening ‘Mike’ reflected on what he had heard that day. It was obvious that Walter did not know of his connection with Felicity and also didn’t know that she was dead. It would eventually filter through to him and no doubt he would put two and two together and come up with the right number. He also doubted that Walter had ever known that Felicity had moved to Benson and when he learned that, it would just complete an accurate picture for him.
He also thought about what he had been doing at the same time last year and wished that he could go back to that time. Christmas was approaching and he remembered Christmas lunch at Kathy and Joe’s and all the people and children enjoying themselves. He remembered the huge snowball fight that just about everyone in Benson had joined in. He wondered how his goddaughter was and felt sad because he knew that she was possibly no longer alive. He missed the army life but was beginning to enjoy the job that he was being trained for, “But I mustn’t look back, I’ve been given a lifeline and must now look forward, and it certainly isn’t so bad.”
Walter had invited him to Christmas lunch, which was very kind of him, and he would enjoy seeing the children on that day and after Christmas he would finally be leaving America, which was going to be another daunting experience, although he was in some ways looking forward to the journey to Liverpool with Walter. He really did miss both Liza and Patrick above all others and he hoped that he would meet up with them again one day.
Chapter 14
Back in Benson, Liza, Patrick and Zelma were trying to come to terms with the loss of little Meg and although she had only been with them five months, she had occupied their thoughts and actions throughout that time.
Two days after little Meg’s funeral Liza started having nightmares. Initially she just woke up crying, but one night she was halfway down the stairs calling out that Meg was crying for her and that she must have been buried alive and that she had to go and get her.
The boys were unnerved and were holding on to one another as Patrick led Liza back to bed. She was not awake and he was frightened to leave her alone so that he could ease the boys’ fears, so they all got into bed together and Patrick had a very uncomfortable night.
The following night Liza went through her nightmare of being back in the Indian camp and desperately trying to save Patrick’s life by sacrificing herself. Patrick found her crouching in the corner of the bedroom and as he held her, she reverted to little Meg still being alive in her grave.
Each morning she was perfectly well and remembered nothing of the previous night. Zelma was very concerned when Patrick quietly told her about Liza’s constant nightmares. “I think that you should go and see Dr Tom and ask his advice,” she said, which Patrick did.
He told Tom of how, on a few occasions, Liza had relived her time in captivity, adding Patrick into her fears and now believing that they had buried little Meg alive and all the while she remained asleep.
“I believe it will pass, Patrick. I have seen similar problems in others who have lost a child. I don’t think there is much that I can do about how she sees her captivity and that will probably remain with her for the rest of her life, especially when there is a trauma of some kind. But the loss of your daughter will ease in her mind and it’s not unusual for mothers to experience exactly what she is seeing and hearing in her dreams. I will give you a sedative for her to take at night which hopefully, should help to give her a dreamless night,” said Tom.
“She has frightened the boys on a couple of occasions to the extent that they believed that little Meg was still alive in the ground,” said Patrick.
“Liza is always going here, there and everywhere, seeing people and helping them, she works a great deal and that I know she enjoys. You have to admit that as little Meg was dying, she had the worry of being accused of helping to free Mark and was threatened by that general. It was a great deal to contend with all at the same time. At least she had you to help her through it. Something must have brought back to her all the violence that she experienced in the past,” said the doctor.
Patrick just nodded and a feeling of guilt swept over him as he remembered the mental and physical pain that he had inflicted on her such a short while ago.
“Has she cried much since losing little Meg?” asked the doctor.
“Not as much as I would have thought,” said Patrick.
“She needs to do that, Patrick; she needs to have a really good cry which could go on for hours and I think that could cure one of her nightmares. But you can’t just make people cry if they don’t want to. How are you coping Patrick, after all she was your daughter as well,” said Tom.
“I’m all right, Tom, but if Liza starts crying I might just join her, although that’s not very manly and would not be expected of a lieutenant in the army,” said Patrick.
“It would do you both good,” said Tom. “Let me know how you get on Patrick. It hasn’t been a good year for you both. You must also remember that Liza was very ill when she had little Meg, which was only just over five months ago. I’ll call in to see her later on today.”
When the doctor called after surgery, he found Liza sitting writing letters to various people informing them of little Meg’s death. It was a difficult task and Dr Tom asked her why she couldn’t leave that to somebody else.
“I have nobody else to do this for me, Tom. It’s just one of those tasks that the sooner it’s done, the better,” said Liza.
“Yes you have someone Liza; I’m sure that Laurie’s days are not so full that she can’t help you with tasks such as this,” said Tom.
“I suppose you are right, Tom, it’s something I hadn’t considered, but to be honest, this is something that I really should undertake myself. You are right though, I will start using Laurie to help with some of my correspondence,” said Liza.
“I saw Patrick this morning and he happened to mention that you were having nightmares,” said Tom and Liza frowned. “Don’t blame him for telling me Liza; he’s worried about you and so am I. It is quite normal after what you’ve been through to be disturbed. A good cry would do you the world of good and I’m going to give you a powder that will help you sleep.”
“Sleep isn’t the problem. I sleep through the night; sometimes I remember and sometimes I don’t. I’m told that I’m frightening everyone in the house,” said Liza.
“When you’ve finished your letters, Liza, will you promise me that you will rest,” said Tom.
“No Tom, I have to go to the print shop and make sure that they are all right, and I also have to see Kathy and Joe and then I must be here for the boys and Patrick will be home late. I don’t feel up to going to see the colonel or Ada yet. I need to keep away from the fort as it is unnerving me, which is a pity as Ada and Bea have been so good to me, as has Brigeta,” said Liza.
“You have Zelma to help you,” said Tom.
“I think everyone is under the misconception that Zelma is a servant. She isn’t, she is part of my fam
ily and she looks after the boys as well as I do because she loves them as I do. She will look after me if I need it and I look after her should she need it. I don’t rely on her to keep my house, we each also have our own lives,” said Liza.
“She would give up her life for you Liza. I have heard how you saved her and I saw how she worked to save your life when you had little Meg. You both trust one another with your lives, so don’t tell me that she wouldn’t jump in again if you needed her to,” said Tom.
“Hopefully she won’t need to,” said Liza.
“Liza, you need help now. You need to grieve, you need to cry, you need to rest,” said Tom.
“No, Tom, I need to work. I need to keep busy and I need to look after my family and try to forget this past year,” said Liza. “We have Christmas coming soon and I must get ready for that; the boys need to be able to look forward to that instead of having a mother who is crying over the past.”
“At around nine or ten o’clock tonight, take the powder and you should get a good night’s sleep with no nightmares to disturb anyone and much as I don’t agree with you, you should then be able to get on with whatever work you feel you need to do and any arrangements you need to make, but to be able to do all that you need proper sleep,” said Tom.
Liza promised that she would take the medicine at the right time and told him that she looked forward to an undisturbed night. She thanked him and he left.
The rest of the day went smoothly with Liza going to the print shop and the boys coming home from school. Zelma arrived back from her visit to Kathy and finally the house was quiet with the boys in bed and Zelma having gone to her home.
Patrick came home fairly late and Liza told him that she was not happy that he had discussed her problems with Tom.
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