by Mercy Levy
Mrs. Maye studied my eyes. She watched my tears begin to fall and then she saw me look at her son in a way that made her smile from ear to ear. “Well,” she said, “it looks like I’m gaining a daughter today.”
Walton reached down and took my hand. “Ma, I love Beth and want to make her my wife.” Walton looked at my mother. “Mam, with your permission, may I please marry your daughter?”
My mother stared at Walton for a very long time. She read his eyes and then read his heart. And then she let go of Fredrick’s hand, walked over to Walton, and hugged him. “Yes, you may,” she said in a loving tone and kissed Walton on his cheek. “And call me momma, son.”
Fredrick walked over to me and looked me in my eyes. “Please forgive me,” he begged me. Tears began falling from his eyes. “I was so hard inside, Beth…I set all of the slaves free and came here to beg your forgiveness.”
I stepped forward, wrapped my arms around Fredrick, hugged him and whispered: “Please stay for the wedding.”
Fredrick pulled me into his arms the way a loving parent would his daughter. “Of course,” he promised.
I began to speak but then the entire lobby filled with a beautiful, warm, light, lingered a moment and then faded. My mother smiled. Mrs. Maye smiled. Then they walked off into the dining room. I looked at Walton. Walton just smiled. Walked over to me, took my hand and gently kissed me. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” I whispered back and closed my eyes. I saw my pa standing in the fields of heaven smiling down at me. “It’s done, Pa. You can rest easy now.”
Two days later Joe, who turned out to be a preacher, married me and Walton alongside of a beautiful river—the very same spot Walton’s parents had vowed their love to one another at. The river was powerful and full of life, cutting through the land with peace and harmony. As I stared at the river I was reminded of God’s love. God’s love was never ending river flowing from birth until death, carrying us through a dangerous and hurtful world while picking up wonderful passengers along the way.
“And do you, Beth, take Walton to be your husband?” Joe asked me.
I looked into Walton’s eyes with all the love in my heart. “I do,” I said in a soft voice and threw my arms around my husband. “Oh, yes, I do,” I whispered in his ear, “because you are my home.”
“And you are my home,” Walton whispered back. He picked me up and swirled me around and around. I giggled and laughed and thanked God for His never-ending love. My mother and Mrs. Maye took one hand and began discussing grandchildren. Fredrick reached into his pocket, pulled out an envelope holding money, handed it to my mother, and walked away. I never saw him again but the note attached to the money said: “I was reminded that love is from the heart. Thank you.” Many years later, when my own children were grown and Walton and I were sitting out on the front porch of our home watching the stars come out, I remembered that note and looked at my husband. “Yes, love is of the heart,” I whispered and watched the stars come out in the Heavens above.
The End
The Thanksgiving Day Bride
Chapter 1
“And to think they wanted us to ride there in a wagon! A wagon! Can you imagine that? A wagon! I told them we wouldn’t ride in in anything less than a carriage, and even then it had better be a nice one!” Mrs. Percy shook her head.
“My dear, you have to remember that the Bansters did not come from money. They only have some now because of that horse Mr. Banster managed to breed and race. I would do just about anything to get my hands on that colt—he’s won practically every race he’s been entered in this year,” Mr. Percy replied.
“I rather like balls,” Jane piped up from the back. “I’m not a little girl anymore, and I would like to be mistress of my own mansion. The only way that’s going to happen is when I manage to catch the eye of a charming young man.”
“That may be so, but let me tell you this right now: you aren’t going to find any charming young man with his mansion if you show up in a wagon! Anyone worth your time in marriage is going to go for the young women who show up in style.” Mrs. Percy clasped her hands on her lap, looking across the carriage at her daughter.
The driver pulled up in front of the mansion, and hopped down the side, hurrying around to open the door for the Percy family. Mr. Percy allowed his wife and daughter to get out of the carriage first, paying the man when he stepped out later. The driver thanked him and climbed back up on top of the carriage, slapping the reins on the backs of the horses and driving back up the lane.
Mr. Percy turned and gave his wife a look, then motioned for the family to go inside. Jane didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. She knew her parents were worried about their finances, and it wasn’t her place to chime in for any reason. It was up to them to take care of the fortune, but as an only child, she knew that the fortune would be hers one day.
But, Mr. Percy did his share of gambling, and though the money was being lost more often than any was being won, he refused to stop. He paid more money than he should to import racing horses from England and even more money than that to bring them from faraway places—even Arabia.
He would wager more and more money on these animals than he ought, and refused to learn when time after time he lost to them. Mrs. Percy, instead of offering advice or telling him she wished for him to slow down his betting, was just as foolish with her spending, also making her own bets and spending frivolously on furs and luxurious jewelry. She didn’t care about the numbers on their bank account, she only cared about what she looked like to those around her.
And she was careful to teach her daughter to do the same. Young Jane Percy had grown up knowing nothing but the best of the best. She had been taught to only accept the fanciest—the most expensive. She had learned that if something did not cost the most in the store, then she should refuse it and go with the item that was more expensive.
She was to refuse dances and advances from young men who didn’t have a large fortune of their own—or men who weren’t going to inherit some fortune someday. She had learned from an early age to assess anyone who approached her and know how she should treat them based on what they were wearing or the money they were going to have one day. Nothing else mattered.
Mr. Mosley, the butler, opened the door for them and welcomed them inside.
“Thank you, Mosely, can you tell us when dinner is going to be ready?” Mr. Percy asked.
“Mrs. Potts tells me that it shall be ready in less than an hour, my lord.” Mr. Mosley gave them all a light bow as they walked into the room and offered to take their coats. The weather was starting to turn, and it was clear Vermont would soon be seeing snow. The autumn was fading into winter, and Jane had been happy to pull out her fur coats.
“Very good,” Mr. Percy replied. He and his wife started for the drawing room and Jane walked toward the stairs. She would change into something simpler for dinner, and perhaps practice her singing in the meantime. She had to let go of her singing teacher because it had become an expense her father didn’t feel was necessary at the moment, but she was determined to keep singing for when she was able to hire him back.
Jane hadn’t been too upset when she had to let go of her singing teacher, but she was rather upset when she learned that her father had to not only sell the carriage, but also several of their horses from their stable. In addition, he had let go of the driver, and they had laid off several of their maids. The family had done their best to maintain the appearances that they still had money, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
When they received word that the Bansters were throwing a ball, Jane had hoped that her parents would accept, but if they were to do that, her father would have to once again pay a driver with his own carriage to come back out to the house to pick them all up and then take them to the ball. To make matters worse, when her father had explained they would be unable to attend, Mr. Banster replied they would be happy to send one of their wagons over to pick the family u
p.
Even Jane was horrified at the suggestion, unable to even consider being seen in such a way. Whether they were driven with the canvas on or off, it would be humiliating for all of them. What would their neighbors have to say? There was rumor that everyone in town was struggling to an extent, but there were certainly some who were struggling more than others, and due to her parent’s gambling and spending, they were among those who were struggling the worst.
She closed her door behind her and undid the bun in her hair, letting her chocolate waves fall around her shoulders. She was slender and beautiful, with bright green eyes and a womanly figure. However, she knew she was only worthy of the best, and she had heard others say that she could learn to be kinder to the world around her.
Jane looked at herself in the mirror in her room and sighed. She wanted to put on something different for dinner, just as she had often done when they were hosting other families or guests from far away. Tonight it would be just her and her parents, but she was going to still do her best to live the life she had grown up living.
As she pulled her red velvet dress from the wardrobe and began unbuttoning her brown day dress, she thought about what her father had said. Things were going to be difficult for a while, but he was going to find the winner, and when he did, they were going to have more money than ever before.
He would show them then what it was like to be truly wealthy, and any man would be thrilled to have her as a wife. Then one day she would inherit the fortune for herself, and all would be made perfect.
It was just a matter of time.
Chapter 2
“Today is the big day! I can feel it in my bones!” Mr. Percy clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously, giving the impression of a man who was scheming something. Both Mrs. Percy and Jane exchanged a look, then Mrs. Percy looked back at her husband.
“What’s going to happen today?” she asked, and Mr. Percy gave her a look of disbelief.
“Certainly you haven’t forgotten about the big race down in Berkley?” he asked with horror in his voice.
“This afternoon? Of course not, but I didn’t know we were wagering on it,” she replied with a casual and disinterested tone. Once again, he looked surprised.
“My Dear! We are not just wagering, we are in it! I think Rocket has a fair chance of winning this one, and I am going to see what he can do,” Mr. Percy rose from the table and walked back and forth in the room, clasping his hands behind his back as he spoke out loud.
“If we leave directly after breakfast, we can get right down there. That will give him more than enough time to rest up before the race this afternoon, and this evening we shall dine as kings!” Mr. Percy laughed, but Mrs. Percy looked concerned.
“I don’t have anything to wear, and are you quite sure we have enough to wager? Wouldn’t it be better to wait and let him take the crown next month?” she asked. Jane sat silently watching her parents as they argued back and forth. She knew better than to get involved in the conversation, but she still enjoyed listening. She didn’t know anyone else who were better at business than her parents, and hearing them discuss what the best thing to do would be together was exciting.
“My Darling, I would never do anything that would make us risk losing what we have. If I didn’t know Rocket would win the race, then I would never have decided to enter him. I was up all night thinking about it, and I think we should go through with it. Hurry up then, both of you. My family is going to stand proudly as we watch him take the prize!” He thumped his hand on the table with another laugh, and Jane smiled.
She turned her attention back to her breakfast, eating quickly so she could get ready for the afternoon.
Jane sat with her coat bundled about her, doing her best to see. Though Rocket was entered in the race, they hadn’t the money to pay for seating that was closure to the track, so she had to do her best to see through tall hats and broad shoulders. Being a petite girl, this was no easy task.
The announcer addressed the crowd, doing his best to keep the excitement down so the horses could line up properly. With the anticipation floating through the air, it was clear they were all just as eager to begin the race as those who were watching. Mr. and Mrs. Percy were standing together, both with a better view of the track than Jane.
Mr. Percy had spent much of the afternoon making bets and wagers, taunting all the other owners and riders and insisting that his horse was the best on the track. There wasn’t a single bet he turned down, while Mrs. Percy did her part in talking up the speed of the animal. Jane felt her heart pounding in her chest, eager to see the race begin. She knew Rocket was a fast animal—he was a thoroughbred, a descendent of the Arabians themselves.
Though her father had to sell the more expensive of the animals in his stable, Rocket was the fastest of all his stock, and he was the horse Mr. Percy believed was the solution to all their problems. The announcer told all the riders to get on their marks, then raised his gun into the air. Jane held her breath, awaiting the big moment.
With the shot he fired, the animals were off, thundering along the track. Light snow had fallen the night before, making the track muddy and hard for the animals to run on. Rocket was off to a good start, but it was clear that he was struggling with the mud that lined the track. Jane shouted her encouragement to the animal, but her voice was lost among the voices of the throng. She continued to scream in spite of it all.
Jane pressed against those who were in front of her, and she could feel people pressing on her from behind. All who were present wanted to be able to see how the horses were running, and every one of them screamed their encouragement for the animals they had bid on. The horses rounded the far corner, and Jane could see Rocket was holding a good place in the group.
He was getting closer to the front, running easily with the rest. She knew once he came around the far corner, his rider would let him have his head, and he would begin to pull away from the rest. He would win the race easily, and they would win all the money her father had bet on the animal. She could already taste how divine their dinner would be that night, and soon, they would once again be traveling in their own carriage.
But, as the horses came around the far corner and onto the final stretch, something terrible happened. The horse in the lead slipped on a hidden patch of ice, losing his footing. The scream of the animal was terrible as he fell, tossing his rider from his back. Rocket had been almost directly behind him, waiting to pass until they were around the corner. Although he did his best to jump over the fallen animal, the accident happened so quickly he didn’t have time, and instead ran directly into it, falling himself and throwing his own rider to the ground.
Jane was screaming, and there was a different kind of shout running through the crowd. Other horses were falling over the animals that had already stumbled, and there were more besides who had managed to avoid the accident and continue with the race. Though the chaos was over in a matter of minutes, the confusion that ensued was almost more than Jane could handle.
A different horse crossed the finish line, and the sound of cheering ran through the crowd, but, back on the corner, there were still those who were struggling with the horses that had fallen. All the riders were on their feet and evidently unharmed after the fall, but the same could not be said of the horses. Jane did her best to see through the crowd of people who all wanted to know what happened, but she could only catch a glimpse every now and then.
Mr. and Mrs. Percy were doing their best to push their way to the track and see what had happened, but their progress was slow as well with all the people they had to get through.
“Stay here!” Mr. Percy told his daughter in a fierce tone. She nodded, but she still did her best to see through the hats. She could see that the rider her father had hired for the race was on his feet, but Rocket wasn’t. The man was standing on the track looking down at the horse with the reins in his hands. Other horses were struggling to get back to their feet. But even in all the chaos, Jane could se
e that Rocket wasn’t moving at all.
He was lying completely still on the track, and she felt a lump form in her throat.
This couldn’t be happening—he had to be all right.
He simply had to be.
Chapter 3
Jane laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, listening. She could hear the sound of her parents arguing through the wall and felt a knot forming in her stomach. Though she was eighteen years of age and plenty old enough to get married herself, she hated hearing when her parents were arguing about things. The ride back home had been a very quiet one, with them refusing to discuss what had happened.
Jane respected her parent’s privacy, but she wanted to know what was going to happen now. Rocket hadn’t survived the accident on the track, and her father still had to pay all the bets he had made. He had been so confident that they were going to win, he hadn’t at all held back with his wagers. The fortune was all but gone, and Jane knew it.
She didn’t want to be selfish, but she had been raised to think of herself before anything else, and she didn’t have any problems doing so now. That fortune—the inheritance—it was all supposed to be hers one day, and now what was going to happen? There was nothing left to give her. There was nothing left that would allow them to live the life they were all used to living. There wasn’t even enough money left to hope to start building a new inheritance for her.
Her father would have to sell what remained in the house to pay off the debts he still owed other collectors, and there would be nothing left for her. Of course she wasn’t going to say anything to either of her parents about it—at least not yet. Perhaps they would remember that they did owe her the money and would set some aside for her.
At least, she thought, if they loved her they would.