Amelia's Story

by C.P. Murphy

  Chapter Two

  Weekdays, Mondays more than ever, brought commerce up and down the Hudson. The river was traveled more than most roads in the entire county. Millersport was right in the middle of Albany to the north and Manhattan to the south. Merchants would berth their ships and sell products received from the two cities. The general store sent employees down to the loading docks to pick up goods they ordered to stock their shelves. Most of the hustle of shoppers came from villagers who made their own purchases. Amelia was just one of many.

  “You’re fooling me right,” Emma Cooper said to Amelia as they began their journey to the docks. It was almost a ritual for them to travel together down to the ships although Emma just observed. When she saw Amelia’s face for the first time that morning, she knew something was wrong. Amelia confided in her, careless of what her father had told her about people knowing. Emma was her closest friend and Amelia knew she could be trusted. Emma felt horrible but was close enough to the Samuels family to know that Henry wouldn’t be changing his mind about the situation. As they stepped away from the house Amelia had another plan in mind to get out of her engagement. “What kind of design is that?” Emma saw the devious look in her friend’s face and wanted to know more.

  Holding her head up high and not looking Emma in the eyes on purpose, Amelia answered. “If I find someone else to marry, then my father would have to release me from Thomas’ hand.”

  “That’s absurd,” Emma hated to be the one to remind Amelia of the truth but there was nobody in Millersport that Amelia could wed. She placed her fingers on her chin as she thought for a moment; the available men were too old, too young, or just not worthy of Amelia’s devotion. She was the most beautiful girl in the village, everyone including Emma knew that. Many whispered that there wasn’t a man good enough for Amelia. There were plenty of men who would love to have had their chance but that wasn’t Amelia’s style and Emma knew her friend couldn’t change now. “You have just a little over two months before your birthday and you think you can find someone to marry by then? Amelia, you and I both know that will not happen and it won’t change your father’s mind.”

  Amelia’s steps were slow and her head hung low. Emma was right; her future looked bleak. The hopes of having a happy marriage have all gone away. “It’s not fair, just not fair at all. My idea won’t work, I know.”

  Emma whistled and looked up into the sky as she moved towards Amelia and bumped her friend with her hip. Amelia almost fell over, but it was Emma’s way of cheering her. She was about to do it again but Amelia was wise and jumped over to the side and laughed. Emma knew that her friend would be okay. Amelia needed to take her mind off of her problems. “Well I know one good thing about Thomas,” Emma said. “Jacob Miller is one of his closest friends.”

  Amelia looked over to Emma. She turned her face away but not enough to hide her rosy cheeks and quirky smile. Amelia wondered why she never knew that Emma had an interest in Jacob. “Emma Cooper,” she exclaimed. “Are you sparkling with him?”

  Emma’s hands covered her face as she peered out of one gap. “Promise you won’t say anything.”

  “Promise.”

  “What are you purchasing today,” Emma asked to return their thoughts to the task in front of them.

  Amelia shook her caba that carried the coins that her father gave her and replied, “Coffee, if they have it, some spices, and I would like to see what cloth the merchants will have.” Since the Tariff Act, some items were becoming hard to buy and Amelia hoped that it would soon end.

  “Perhaps you can buy fabric for a wedding dress?” Emma stopped herself from saying any more. She did not understand why she would say such a thing and hoped that Amelia would just ignore it.

  Amelia did just that and left her friends comment unanswered for a while. She knew it would be difficult but still hoped that her father would change his mind about the situation. For a while as they walked down the road, things were back to normal. They held hands and swung their arms like school-aged children and sang Hey, Betty Martin. The song had become a popular marching song for the war but the girls still stumbled over the words and laughed at their mistakes.

  Amelia had turned and walked backwards and was too busy frolicking that she didn’t realize that she was about to walk right into someone.

  Just then Emma’s face looked troubled as Amelia stepped on top of a pair of black boots and could hear a man’s voice groan. She turned around in an instant and said, “Oh, pardon me, Sir.”

  The stranger smiled as he wiped the dirt placed on his boot by the girl’s shoe. “That’s all right,” he said as he smiled at the two girls. They were both charming in appearance but the one who had stepped on his foot caught his eye. She had dark brown hair that curled over her shoulders and the loveliest blue eyes he had ever seen. She stood tall; he estimated almost five foot six, just a few inches shorter than he. Her figure looked soft and inviting, but he erased such thoughts from his head. He didn’t know who she was and never imagined thinking of a lady like that ever again.

  Not recognizing the man, Emma became alarmed put her guard up. He must have been a stranger. Her friend didn’t seem bothered by walking into someone they didn’t know.

  Amelia felt foolish, like she was a young child who wasn’t paying attention. “Are you okay?” Her eyes fell to the foot she could have injured but then took their time making their way back up his body. She could see the muscles underneath the man’s tight sit-down-upons that shielded his limbs. His arms were an abundance of strength and covered with bronzed flesh. Amelia then looked at his face and the mouth that smiled at her. She couldn’t help but to notice how attractive he was, but she ignored those thoughts and returned her eyes to his foot.

  Again he said that he was fine. He was new in town and wasn’t sure where he was going. “I must not have been watching myself,” he said to the girls. “I’m looking for a mercantile, does this village have one?”

  Amelia spoke even though she could see Emma’s look of disapproval. “Yes Sir, we have a general store. If you go in the direction you are headed, you will see it, just a few rods away.”

  That was about all that Emma could stand from her fearless friend. “We are not supposed to talk to strangers,” she said to Amelia but kept her eyes on him.

  “Oh Emma, I’m only trying to help,” Amelia protested. She didn’t see the harm in that. Keeping her thoughts to herself, Amelia felt like she had known him forever.

  The stranger looked at Emma and spoke, “I understand. Emma? Is it?”

  Amelia’s friend looked at her as if she was crazy for saying her name in front of the stranger but Amelia wasn’t afraid. “Yes, her name is Emma Cooper. And, I’m Amelia Samuels.” She introduced as she noticed Emma’s chin drop.

  The man extended his hand for Amelia to shake it. “My name is Patrick Buchanan. See, Emma, now we’re no longer strangers.”

  He stuck out his hand to her but Emma refused the shake it, offended how Amelia was open with him. She ignored him and turned to Amelia and said, “Come along Amelia, maybe your betrothed is waiting for you by the docks.”

  Thomas sat with Jacob Miller near the docks. He couldn’t keep quiet about his engagement to Amelia and didn’t care that her father said they must. She was a prize to him and nothing more. He couldn’t wait to walk down the street with her in his arm. “I have a secret but I won’t tell you unless you promise you won’t speak a word of it to anyone.”

  Jacob had been Thomas’ closest friend all of his born years and these days it seemed he was his only friend. He knew Thomas’ arrogant behavior, thinking only of himself and never of others. “You have my word. What is it?”

  He looked to Jacob with a crooked smile as he felt accomplished. “Amelia Samuels has agreed to marry me.”

  “No. It’s no secret she dislikes you.” Jacob shook his head thinking that Thomas’ news was just a prank of some sort. For mind games, nobody was better than Thomas.

  Thomas couldn't care
less that she didn’t like him. All he cared about was having his way. “Yes,” he explained. “She doesn’t like me very much; in fact I dare say she hates me.” Seeing Jacob tilt his head and studying Thomas’ face, he continued. “I asked her father first, and he thinks we are the perfect match.”

  Jacob rubbed his chin. “She wouldn’t disobey her father.” He knew the Samuels family well and knew that all the children had a great deal of respect and obedience for their father, Henry.

  Thomas’ laughter grew strong. He wanted to tell Jacob that Henry couldn’t ignore Daniel’s threats but knew that talk of the blackmail would destroy his future life with Amelia. He always got what he wanted and didn’t care at whose expense. “That is why she agreed to be my wife. Her father made her.”

  “Don’t you care she doesn’t love you?” Jacob questioned.

  “Jacob, Jacob, what is there not to love?” Thomas stated, running his fingers through his hair and flexing his muscles. He opened his arms and said, “I’m every girl’s dream.”

  If Thomas was anything, he was full of himself. There wasn’t a girl for miles that dreamt of him. Jacob realized that his friend was too conceited and rude for any girl to consider, not even with all the money his family had. “I’m serious.”

  He was always serious, Thomas thought. He didn’t care she might never love him because he wasn’t even sure if he would ever love her. All he knew was that she made him look even better than he already was. “That doesn’t matter my friend. All that matters is that she’ll be mine and she must obey me.”

  Jacob shrugged his head. “You’re terrible. So when is the big announcement?”

  “That is the reason you can’t say a word,” Thomas warned.

  Now Jacob was the one laughing. “Oh, I see,” he said. “This whole thing is just in your head. Amelia would no sooner marry you than anyone else around here.” He knew that Thomas couldn’t be serious.

  “Not a joke, Jacob,” Thomas explained. “That was her father’s idea. He thinks it’s natural for a couple to court before marrying. Though we are engaged, he says we must ‘court’ until her next birthday before we announce our marriage.”

  Though he was skeptical, Jacob had no reason not to believe Thomas. “Well then, I’m the first to congratulate you.” Jacob said as he thought of his own interest in Emma Cooper. The two had always got along well, and he looked forward to seeing her. “Thomas?”

  Still wrapped up in his own thoughts, he almost didn’t hear his friend. “What?”

  “You reminded me what I’ve wanted to do. I will ask Emma if she would have me for a beau.” Jacob informed Thomas.

  Thomas grinned. He didn’t stop to think that Jacob could have real feelings for Emma. He assumed that his friend was as devious as him. “Now you are thinking, my friend, now you are thinking.”

  Amelia’s faced flushed with heat as she caught up to Emma. She had been polite to Patrick and told her farewells to him before continuing on with her friend. As she quickened her steps,, she wondered why Emma would refer to her engagement when she knew it was the last thing on her mind. “How dare you, Emma Cooper,” she snapped as she stepped in rhythm with her. “You know that I don’t want to marry Thomas, and to say it in front of a stranger. What were you thinking?”

  Emma lowered her head and wiped away her tears in secret. Her fear of strangers put her on the defense but she hadn’t meant to hurt Amelia’s feelings. Her best friend was going through a hard time and now she was making things worse for her. She felt horrible about what she had said. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what Amelia was thinking because she had remained quiet. Lifting her head, Emma turned to Amelia in hopes to stop her from making any terrible mistakes. “I know you don’t care for Thomas but it won’t be as bad as it seems.”

  “So now you want me to marry him?”

  “It’s what your father wants, and what Thomas wants,” Emma said. She glanced ahead and saw they were several feet away from Thomas and Jacob. “I won’t tell him you were talking to a stranger.”

  “But,” was all that Amelia could say before Emma rushed off towards the men. She followed.

  Emma hurried over to Thomas and Jacob and exclaimed, “I’m so glad we found you, we saw a stranger.”

  Amelia couldn’t get over the way Emma was behaving. “He meant no harm.”

  Thomas looked concerned. It wasn’t often that there was a strange man in the village. He had heard nothing from the land agent about someone purchasing property. “What was he doing?”

  Emma started, “Oh, he was,” but Amelia stopped her.

  “Emma, you are over reacting. He was looking for the general store and I told him where he could find it.” She said to the group.

  Thomas didn’t like knowing she spoke to the man. He couldn’t wait until she was his wife following his rules. “Jacob, will you take Miss Cooper home? I would like to be alone with Amelia.”

  Jacob had no problem walking Emma home. He looked at her, she had light brown hair that was French braided to the back of her head. Several strands had fallen out and was now blowing in her face from the slight breeze coming from the river. Her long lashes batted at him when she realized that he was watching her and then lowered in a bashful way, hiding her bright green eyes. Jacob held his arm out to Emma and she took hold of it without hesitation.

  As they walked away, Amelia objected, “No, Thomas. I’m here to make purchases from the merchants.”

  Thomas admired the stubbornness in her. “Then I will stay with you until you are finished then I will carry your packages back to your father’s house.” He knew that she would try to get away from him but he wouldn’t allow it. Amelia was his and he would let everyone know.

  Amelia dealt with the merchants while Thomas stood close behind her. It made her very uncomfortable, but he appeared to like the attention. She wondered if this was the start of their so- called courtship.

  After Amelia purchased several items, Thomas asked, “Are you ready to return home now?” Hanging around the mudsill wasn’t his style.

  Amelia slapped her fist against the side of her dress in anger. She hated being near Thomas and hearing him act like he cared, upset her more. “Thomas please,” she started. “I can walk myself.”

  Thomas didn’t care she objected. She was his fiancée and had a right to spend as much time as he wanted with her. He leaned over and whispered so that the surrounding boodle couldn’t hear, “We are to be married. Don’t you think it’s about time we get to know each other better?”

  “No,” she whispered back. If she had her way, the wedding would never take place. “Thomas, why do you want to marry me?”

  As they walked further away from the loading docks and the crowd of shoppers, he thought about her question. Amelia was an exquisite girl. She was groomed, she kept her body cleaned and her clothes washed and ironed. She was strong and knew her way around the house, having experience with hard household chores, and with raising a family. Thomas needed special attention. He needed someone who would fulfill his every desire, wait on him hand and foot. He wanted someone who was strong enough to labor in his home during the day but yet soft enough to pamper to his needs every night in bed. Amelia was perfect for both. He lied, “Amelia, I’m getting older and so are you. It’s time that both of us consider marriage. I know how finicky you are and I don’t wish for people to consider you an old maid. I’m doing you a favor by making you my wife.”

  Other people thought that Thomas Van Martin was a respectable young man but Amelia saw right through him. He was up to no good and she knew it. “I don’t care about what others think. I have to know one thing, and it’s very important for me to know the truth. If we will be man and wife, I insist that you be honest. Tell me, Mr. Van Martin, do you love me?”

  Again he laughed. “Love you?” The one person he would ever love was himself and he needed no one to tell him that. To Thomas, love was for fairy tales but marriage was reality. “No, Amelia. I don’t love you,” he st
arted but she wouldn’t give him the time to finish. She walked faster to get away. He picked up his pace, caught up to her, swung her towards him and then right in the middle of the street placed a kiss upon her lips. She reacted just like she had the day before and tried to get away. “Amelia let me finish talking to you.” She turned and walked again but this time not so fast so he could explain. “We will love each other. By the time we wed we will be in love, you’ll see.”

  Amelia looked at him with disgust. She couldn’t believe that he had the nerve to kiss her without her permission. She had half of mind to run and tell her father but then again, her father might congratulate the young man. “You sound like my father. He said the same thing.”

  “Well, because it’s true. You are not the first girl to get married against her will.” Then he told her how he felt. “You are the perfect bride for me, you’re beautiful, smart, physical, and you would be socially acceptable to marry into my family. Besides, your father wants you to marry me. He doesn’t even care I don’t love you. He wants to see you married.” It was another lie, he knew, but he loved to aggravate her.

  His words stung her heart, and she wondered if he was telling the truth. Perhaps he was, she thought to herself, because her father wouldn’t even hear her pleas. Amelia filled with hope once more than she thought maybe she could get him to back out of the engagement. “Thomas,” she started. “This isn’t the way things are meant to be. Don’t you have dreams of someday finding the perfect girl for you? We can stop this right now and in time we’ll both be happy.”

  Thomas grinned and put his arm around her shoulder. She was miserable, and that made him blissful. It didn’t matter how she felt, she was his for the taken. “No, no, don’t think you can talk me out of this marriage. You’re mine now and nothing you can say to make me change my mind.”

  “But,” she protested. “I will never love you. Don’t you care?”

  “Love is for girls,” he stated. “It’s fine you don’t love me because I will never love you.”

  Amelia spoke no more but ran off ahead of him. His words were like ice being thrown at her; cold and painful. She fought the urge to cry as she advanced towards her father’s house. He called out for her to return to him but Amelia denied him. “Go away, Thomas. You’re making me sick.” Her shoulder struck the door as she turned the knob and just about fell into the house. Tears fell once she knew that he couldn’t see her. She could hear him calling out to her and when she didn’t answer, she heard him say he would be back to call on her at another time. Amelia groaned; things were not going her way.