by Irene Brand
“She impressed me as a kind, good-hearted woman, and she does want to take Janie,” Violet said. “She isn’t doing this for Clifford. She wants to give Janie a good home.”
“And it’s your opinion that they’ll be good for Janie?”
Violet nodded. “She desperately needs the security of a decent home.”
Pat looked at the social worker. “If you have those papers here, I’ll sign them.”
“Mrs. Skeen,” Violet said. “Forgive me for giving unsolicited advice, but why don’t you come with us? Clifford told me that your family is concerned about you. I’m sure they will give you help to recover from your problems. I think Clifford would do it himself, for Janie’s sake. Why don’t you make an effort to change your life?”
Pat smiled wryly as she took the paper the social worker gave her and leaned over to sign it. “It’s too late. That’s the only reason I’m agreeing to let Janie go. You might not believe it, but I love my daughter. Forget this life, Janie, and go with your father. Clifford was always a decent sort—that’s the reason we didn’t get along.”
Janie started to embrace her mother, but Pat backed away and shook her head. Janie turned to Violet, who put her arm around the girl’s shoulder and comforted her as she began to cry.
It was a somber group that walked down the hallway to the stairs. Violet turned for one last look, and knew she would never forget the forlorn figure of Pat Skeen, leaning against the door jamb watching their departure with a hand to her throbbing throat.
Chapter Twelve
Peter Pierce scheduled Linda’s story for the second Saturday night in May. Since it was the night before Mother’s Day, Violet considered it an appropriate time for the telecast. Feeling that it might be a traumatic time for her, she invited Pastor Tom to come to her home and watch the program with her and Roger.
But the situation was handled with diplomacy and tact. Ryan Conley was portrayed as a man with a troubled mind, rather than a sadistic husband. Linda was depicted as a woman driven to murder when her husband had threatened their child. It was difficult to hear the tragic story of her parents’ marriage, but as they watched Roger sat with his strong arm around her shoulders, and with his other hand, he caressed her tense fingers.
When the program ended, Violet clicked the remote control. The three of them sat in silence for several minutes.
“Violet, you should be commended for allowing the revelation of this tragedy that took your parents away from you,” Pastor Tom said. “It couldn’t have been an easy decision to allow your parents’ problems to be broadcast to the world, but it certainly vindicated Linda’s action, while at the same time leniently portraying your father as a man with psychological problems rather than as a mean-spirited person.”
“Yes, he must have been mentally unbalanced,” Roger said. “No sane man would behave in such a manner.”
“Of course, Mr. O’Brien is prejudiced against my grandfather, but he said that my parents were happy the first years of their marriage, and that the trouble started when they moved back to Kansas City and my grandfather tightened his hold on my father.”
“Quite likely,” Pastor Tom agreed. He smiled. “I hope you can put the past behind you now.”
“I intend to. We’re getting married soon, and I want to concentrate on that now.”
“You are two people who should need little marriage counseling, but I’ll want a session with you as with all others I marry, so be sure to schedule a few hours for that.”
After the pastor left, Roger said, “I’ve talked with Jason and Misty, and both of them are agreeable to selling our home to move into a different house. My house is paid for, and you have some equity built up in yours, so we should have a good sum to buy another house when we pool our resources.”
Violet nodded. “Can we afford one of the new houses in that subdivision north of town? They seem spacious, but we’ll need a large house because we’re starting out with a family of four.”
“Let’s look at them tomorrow afternoon. I noticed in the newspaper that an open house is scheduled, and a few of the houses are ready for immediate occupancy.”
“Good idea. We should take Jason and Misty along. We don’t want them to feel left out.”
The next day, the four of them ate at a buffet restaurant at noon, and were on hand when the houses at Colonial Acres opened to the public at two o’clock. The colonial-style houses were being built on one-acre lots, and three were completed and ready for viewing. It was the last house they checked out that pleased all of them.
The dwelling was a modified two-story Dutch colonial with cream-colored siding and brown shingled roof. The first floor had a large family room, kitchen, dining area and a living room that ran the width of the house. A utility room and lavatory occupied an area near the garage entry. Three bedrooms and two baths were on the second floor, and a studio loft and a smaller room, designated as a sewing area, were located over the garage.
Jason immediately preempted the studio for his bedroom.
“But there’s no bathroom up here, Jason,” Misty said.
“No trouble for Dad and me to install a small bathroom when I return from Europe. The few days I’m here before then, I can use that small one downstairs. Okay, Dad?”
Roger looked at Violet, and she nodded. “That should work out great, leaving one bedroom for guests when your family comes to visit, Roger, or when Aunt Ruth is here.”
“Or, for a nursery when the time comes,” Roger added with a smile. Violet had thought the same, but didn’t want to say it aloud.
The master bedroom with its large bath and walk-in closet was spacious enough for Roger and Violet, and Misty liked the larger of the other two rooms. After their inspection of the house, the four of them sat on the carpeted floor of the living room to discuss their options.
“I suppose we should consider the most important question, Dad,” Jason said. “Can we afford a house like this?” His statement pleased Violet—mature thinking for a nineteen-year-old. Roger had done his work well.
“Not if I had to pay for it alone,” he said, “but with Violet working, we should be able to swing it. It depends somewhat on how much we can get for our two houses. If the cost is so great that I can’t afford to send you to college, then we’ll stay where we are.”
“I fully intend to work and pay for most of my own college expenses,” Jason said, “that way you’ll only have Misty to support. After I take this trip through Europe, I want to work for a year if you approve. It may take several years to graduate, but if I finance my own education, I’ll appreciate it more.”
“Of course, you have the trust fund we set up with your mother’s insurance that will be an income for both of you when you’re each twenty-one. That will help quite a lot.” Roger turned to Violet. “What’s your opinion?”
“I like the house, and we shouldn’t have to buy any furniture when we combine what we have in both houses. My vote is to purchase.”
“I’m agreeable, too,” Roger said. “Misty, we’ve heard from everyone except you.”
“Can we be moved in before the wedding?” she asked.
“That depends on the contractor and how fast our houses sell. Six weeks should give us time.”
“I would like to move my bedroom before the wedding, and since Jason is leaving the next day for Europe, he should move his things, too.” She dropped her head. “You see, Dad, I want to go back with Grandma to spend the summer in Arizona, if you will let me. Now don’t get me wrong, for I want you to marry Miss Conley, but I would rather be gone the first few weeks when you’re…getting used to one another.”
Her face flushed, and Roger and Violet exchanged an understanding smile.
“I’ve already asked Grandma, and she said it would be fine if you’ll permit it. She agrees that it would be better for the two of you to be alone this summer.”
“That’s thoughtful of you, Misty,” Violet said, “although I hadn’t thought of such a thing. I don’t wan
t either of you to ever feel that I don’t want you in the house.”
“We don’t feel that way,” Jason assured her. “As soon as the two of you say, ‘I do,’ I’m going to start calling you Mother,” Jason said. “I’ll think of you like that while I’m gone, and it will be natural for me when we’re together as a family again. Our first mother was ‘Mama’ to us.”
Roger clasped his arm around Jason in an affectionate gesture. “By all means, Misty, go with your grandmother for the summer. It’s considerate of you to give Violet and me some space. It was her idea to bring the two of you along to view this house and help make a decision, so she wants you around, and I wouldn’t marry anyone who wasn’t willing to share my kids—you know that. I love Violet very much, but that doesn’t lessen my love for you, nor will it change our feelings for you if we have more children, as we expect to.”
Before they left the house, the four of them huddled together in a mutual embrace as Roger prayed. “Lord, we remember the words from the Bible, ‘Every…house divided against itself shall not stand, and Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.’ I can’t find the words to tell you how grateful I am that you’ve given me two such understanding children and Violet, who not only is possessed of a heart big enough for me, but is willing to accept Misty and Jason as well. The day when their mother died, the three of us thought we could never find happiness again, but in your wisdom, you’ve brought Violet into our lives. Thank you, God. We praise you with our lips and our lives. Amen.”
All four of them cried, hugged and kissed in a moment that would prove as sacred as the marriage ceremony. Their wedding day would serve to confirm the pledges they made here today, for it was fitting that in this building that would become their home, they had become a family.
The next month passed in a flurry of activities that kept Violet and Roger so busy that they had little time to be alone. The Realtor from whom they bought the new house worked out a package deal—if he couldn’t sell their two houses by the time they wanted to move, he would take them as a payment on their new home. While Violet was busy the first two weeks of June with school-closing activities, Roger and his children moved into the new house and started living there. Violet wouldn’t move her furniture until after they were married. When Aunt Ruth arrived for the wedding, she would stay with Violet in her old home.
After many hours of soul-searching, Violet asked Larry for an appointment during her prep period. The two of them sat in painful silence for several minutes.
Taking a deep breath, Violet said, “I’ve decided to apply for a transfer to Maitland Middle School when the school year starts in September.”
Larry nervously snapped the top of the ballpoint pen he held and kept his eyes on the desk pad before him.
“You’re a good teacher, Violet—I’ll hate to lose you.”
“Then if my work has been satisfactory, I hope that you will give me a good recommendation and not hinder the transfer.”
He looked at her in amazement. “What makes you think I would do anything as petty as that? Have I ever treated you unfairly?”
Perhaps the Hollands were above revenge and not vindictive as she and Roger had feared. “Not professionally, no, and I apologize for that inference. I have always liked teaching here, but the situation has been a bit strained during this semester, and for the good of both of us, I believe I should leave. Also, it might be intimidating for Misty to have a stepmother on the staff.”
“You can be assured that I will do anything in my power to grant your wishes,” Larry said genially.
Violet stood to conclude the interview. “Larry, I don’t know if I should say this, but I remember fondly the times we had together. We were good friends, but I’m sure that both of us are better off that the relationship didn’t go any further.”
“You may be right, although right now, I can’t see that. I’m fond of you, Violet, but apparently it wasn’t meant to be. I hope that you will be happy.”
Violet wiped unshed tears from her eyes as she left the room.
Violet and Misty, who was going to be maid of honor, went to Saint Louis one Saturday to shop for wedding clothes. Since she couldn’t have her mother with her for the wedding, Violet decided to use some of the money she had inherited from Linda to buy her dress, for she wanted to feel that her mother had a part in the wedding. They went to an exclusive shop, and she chose a venise lace empire cage dress with allover embroidered illusion sleeves and chapel train topping a satin gown. The matching shoulder-length veil was attached to a small crown of pearls. Violet knew she didn’t have any jewelry worthy of such a gown, but after the expense of the dress, veil, and white satin shoes, she wasn’t going to buy jewelry. Actually, the dress didn’t need any ornamentation, and her pearl earrings would suffice.
For Misty they chose a pink sleeveless rosette-back organza A-line with a matching organza wrap, which set off her blond features.
The open church informal wedding was to be held at six o’clock with a reception following in the church’s fellowship room for all the guests. At her insistence, Aunt Ruth would assume the cost of the reception, and they planned for two hundred guests.
Roger was spending all of his free time in moving, but after Violet’s school year ended, he dropped in occasionally on his noon hour, and they lunched together.
One day, he said, “I’ve neglected to talk with you about a honeymoon. Is there any place in particular you would like to go?”
“I didn’t suppose we could afford to go away, so I hadn’t given it any thought.”
“I’d like for us to be alone for a while.”
“Of course we’ll be alone all summer after the children leave.” Violet thought for a few minutes. “Why don’t we go out to your farm for a couple of days? We could have all the privacy we want there.”
“Say,” Roger said, and his eyes lighted into a smile, “I would like that.”
Aunt Ruth arrived the day before the wedding. Not concerned about it being “bad luck” to see the groom on the day of the wedding, Violet invited Roger to have breakfast with her and Ruth.
They had just finished their scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and juice when the doorbell rang. Still holding a teacup in her hand, Violet went to the front door and opened it to—Josiah B. Conley. His limousine was parked in front of the house.
They stared at one another for a few seconds before Violet unlatched the screen door and motioned her grandfather to enter. He carried a large case.
“Would you like some breakfast?” she said. She indicated the dining area. “We had just finished.”
“No, thank you. I’ve eaten.”
Motioning for Ruth and Roger to join them, she asked her grandfather to be seated.
“You’ve met Roger,” she said, “But this is my aunt, Ruth Reed—she’s the one who gave me a home and reared me.”
Josiah gave Ruth an appraising glance. “Then I must commend her for doing the task well.”
Ruth acknowledged the compliment with a nod. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable in his company.
Violet took Roger’s hand so that he would sit beside her on the couch. She was amazed at how much calmer she felt in her grandfather’s presence than she had when he had been here before. He couldn’t intimidate her anymore. This time tomorrow she would be Mrs. Roger Gibson, and she considered that a highly potent buffer against intimidation.
“Well, Violet,” Josiah said. “I’ve taken you at your word. I’ve made my brother’s son my heir. He’s worked at Midwest Enterprises for several years, so he already knows much about the business, and by the time I die, he should be well qualified to handle my estate as I want it done. He already has three sons, so the family operation should be ensured for many years to come.”
Violet smiled warmly. “I’m very pleased about that. I didn’t enjoy refusing you, but the Conley dynasty held no fascination for me. I’m used to a simpler life. I would have been unhappy.”
Josiah sig
hed. “As I’ve told you before, you remind me of my Rachel, and I would have liked you in my home. But,” he added with a wry smile, “she was meek most of the time, though occasionally she refused me, too, and did what she wanted to do.” A softer light came into his eyes as he reflected on the wife he had loved, and he took an envelope from the inside pocket of his coat. “I didn’t know I had a conscience,” he said, “but I apparently do, because I will no longer withhold from you this letter discovered in Rachel’s possessions after her death.”
He handed Rachel the business-size envelope labeled, “To my granddaughter, Violet.” As she stared at the envelope with wondering eyes, Josiah lifted a large jewelry chest from the case he carried—it was the one Violet had seen at his home in Kansas City. “You were also mentioned in her will. Rachel wanted you to have her jewelry.”
Josiah opened the chest, and placed it on the coffee table. Sunlight coming through the window sparkled brightly on a vast display of diamonds, rubies, gold and silver jewelry. Violet picked up the ornate necklace that she had worn to the reception in the Conley mansion. Noting that Violet was speechless, Josiah said, “Perhaps you will have a daughter to inherit these some day. Many of these items have been in Rachel’s family since the War Between the States.”
“My life-style doesn’t call for jewelry of this magnitude, but I can assure you that I will cherish the gift and keep it for the next generation.” She took a letter opener from the table and slit the seal on the envelope, holding the letter so that Roger could see the message as she read silently.
My dearest granddaughter,
You are dear to me, although I am not allowed to have any communication with you. You are all that is left to me of my favorite son, and although I do not hold him blameless for his actions, he was mine and I loved him. Your mother was a wonderful woman. We were close, and I have mourned her and miss her as I would have a daughter.
Although Josiah forbade me to have any contact with you, I have never forgotten your birthday, and on each of those days and on Christmas, I have added gift money to a trust fund I started for you on your third birthday. This is money that I inherited from my mother, and over which my husband had no control.