by Mercy Levy
With an odd feeling in her chest, Charity allowed herself to be whisked away by two of the maids, taking her back to her room to change into something fresh and clean.
Charity didn’t know what happened between them, but it was as though the interaction with the rabbit also had an effect on Frank. He usually took his afternoons to himself, but as Charity was reading in the sun room that afternoon, he came to find her.
“I grow tired of the same thing every day,” he said as he sat in the chair next to her. He also had a book in his hand, and cracked it open.
Charity did her best to focus on her own paper, but Frank’s presence made it difficult for her to concentrate.
“Why are you in here?” she said at last, closing her book and looking at him haughtily.
“I wanted to spend some time with you,” Frank said simply, continuing to focus on his book.
Charity opened her mouth to question him further, but decided to just let it go. She opened her book once more, pretending to read, but her mind was on other things.
“Well tonight is the big night, and I hope you are ready!” Mrs. Hardy said after breakfast on Friday. She beamed at both Charity and Frank, then nodded toward one of the maids.
“Melissa here is going to help you get dressed, I expect it to take a couple of hours, so please, report back to your room by two this afternoon.” Though she smiled as she spoke, there was a harshness to her eyes that made Charity nod quickly.
Mrs. Hardy then softened, and smiled.
“Excellent. I have much to do. Please try to stay out of the way.” Her demeanor reminded Charity much of the night she had arrived, and she was glad to retreat from the room.
“You’ll have to excuse Mother. Once again, she is trying to make everything perfect,” Frank sighed as he shook his head, and Charity couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m not going to be very perfect tonight, I’m afraid. I’ve never been to a ball before.” She stepped off the porch and onto the walkway, but Frank hurried to catch up.
“You haven’t? But Father always speaks of your father’s wealth. I assumed you’ve been to your fair share of balls and such.” He looked at her earnestly, but Charity shook her head.
“Father spends his money on other things,” she said slowly.
“And your mother?”
“Mother passed a just over a year ago. It had just been the two of us, but I suppose he was happy to see me married.” Charity gave Frank a look, hoping that would be the end of things, and Frank let the subject drop.
“All you need do is act like yourself,” he said at last, and Charity looked at him in surprise.
“But I thought – never mind.” She shook her head and turned back toward the house.
“I’m feeling fatigued. I think I’m going to spend some time in my room. See you tonight?” She gave him a charming smile, and for the first time, felt it to be genuine.
He smiled in return, and the sparkle in his eyes made her heart pound. He nodded, and Charity walked back to the house. As soon as she was inside, she looked both up and down the hall. Seeing she was alone, she ran to her room as quickly as she could, yanking the door closed behind her.
Frank wasn’t like the other rich men she had known. He wasn’t at all like her father, nor was he like his own father. He was a perfect gentleman, and she could see by the way he looked at her, he seemed to be changing his mind about her, too.
“You can’t let yourself fall in love. You just can’t. His parents are leaving within a couple of weeks, and you will be, too. Just get through tonight, and things will soon change.” Charity whispered the words to herself.
Hearing them spoken out loud made her feel a little better, but she didn’t want anyone in the house to hear what she said. Though she was clearly well-liked by all the servants, she didn’t trust them not to say anything, and if Mrs. Hardy found out she would be leaving, all would be lost.
“Just breathe. Relax and read your book for a while, and tonight will be over soon enough.” Charity took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Her mind was starting to clear, but she couldn’t ignore the pounding in her chest.
And she couldn’t stop thinking about Frank.
Chapter 8 – A Change in the Wind
Charity had no idea how to present herself at the ball, but she was surprised to find that Frank never left her side. She had expected him to stand next to her as they greeted the guests, but even when it would have been natural for him to leave her unattended, he did not.
Charity welcomed all the guests with a warm smile, and was happy to see she was welcomed in return, though there was something about many of the guests she didn’t care to be around. There was a rudeness about their wealth that made them unappealing to her, though they were all very nice to her and Frank.
“Are we going to need to entertain these people often?” she whispered the Frank during a dance, and Frank shook his head.
“Mother will often throw a ball around the holidays, and every now and then she gets the urge to have one in the spring, but we mostly keep to ourselves. Besides, you’re going to be leaving anyway, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it.” He looked down into her eyes as he spoke, and Charity couldn’t help but look away.
She closed her eyes, allowing Frank to guide her to the sound of the music. He was so strong, yet so gentle. She could almost let herself get completely lost in his arms.
She was leaving soon however, and she wouldn’t let herself get caught up. They had made the agreement before they had said their vows, and as far as Charity knew, Frank wanted her to leave as badly as she had wanted to leave. Though she wished she could say something differently now, she didn’t want to make a big deal of the issue.
They were at a ball in her honor, it was her duty to act in that honor.
“I thought that was a huge success, and I am pleased to see that everyone in town seemed to get along with you.” Mrs. Hardy was still speaking of the ball, though it was now nearly a week later.
Charity agreed with her once more, though she wished she could point out that it was only the wealthy in town who had been invited.
“I think that is enough for me then. Your father and I are going to be moving within the week, Frank.” Mrs. Hardy sat back in her chair, and Mr. Hardy nodded.
“We’ve been speaking with a man in New York, and I do believe he has a house ready and waiting for us. I feel good about you two, and I feel good about the move. We’ve made the right choice, Honey.” Mr. Hardy spoke first to Frank then turned to his wife, who nodded.
Charity sat in silence now. She was sipping on a glass of lemonade, and though she had always loved the tartness of the drink, her mind was on other things. If they were leaving within a week, that would mean she too would be moving.
The thought had once been so welcome in her mind, but now it filled her with sadness. Charity tried to think through what she was feeling, and why, but nothing made sense to her anymore. When she had left Vermont, she had been scared to come out West, but there was no sadness in the feeling.
When she arrived here in Oregon, she had been elated at the thought of leaving as soon as she could, and at that time she never would have considered the fact she could change her mind.
But now, hearing that Mr. and Mrs. Hardy would soon be on their way, she knew she wouldn’t be far behind, and the thought filled her with such sorrow she wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed and cry herself to sleep.
“Let me know when you’re last evening here is, and we’ll make arrangements to take you to the train station,” Frank was saying to his father.
“I would rather you and Charity took us, to be quite honest,” Mr. Hardy replied, and both Frank and Charity looked at him in surprise.
“But – the servants. I thought you would want the town to see you leaving with class,” Frank said simply, and Charity looked from father to son and back again, feeling confused and unsettled.
“Well now, that would be nice to be sure
, but I don’t know when we’re going to get the chance to see you again, and I would like to spend a few extra minutes with you, if possible.” Mr. Hardy said with a laugh, and Frank agreed.
Charity felt her heart sink.
It was going to be bad enough saying goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Hardy knowing what she was about to do anyway, now that she was going to have to do it on a train platform in front of everyone, she would feel even worse. She knew gossip ran heavily through the town, and it wouldn’t be long before everyone was aware of her plans to leave.
Suddenly, her thoughts were brought back to the moment as she heard Mrs. Hardy speak up once more.
“I think we’ll leave the day after tomorrow,” Mrs. Hardy announced, and Charity felt her heart sink down into the pit of her stomach.
The day after tomorrow. She had two days left here. Two days left with Frank – two days left to change his mind.
Chapter 9 – The Idea
In spite of all her greatest efforts, Charity could think of nothing to change Frank’s mind. She knew she could simply tell him she had changed her own, and ask that she might be allowed to stay, but she couldn’t bear the thought of him telling her she must go anyway.
After all, he had told her he didn’t think much of wealthy women, and she was a wealthy woman. Her father’s wealth was for the present moment the same as Frank’s, and for all he knew, she behaved the same way the other women in his social circles did.
Though she had only been herself since the day she arrived, and she noticed Frank was seeking out spending time with her, Charity wouldn’t allow herself to entertain the idea he might have fallen in love with her as she had fallen for him.
It would only make the pain all the greater to learn if he had not, and she hated the thought of moving on with a broken heart.
The day came for Mr. and Mrs. Hardy to be going, and both Frank and Charity dressed in their finest clothing to take them to the train station. The servants hitched the finest pair of horses to the buggy, and all four of them climbed in. Though Mr. and Mrs. Hardy chatted away with each other and with Frank, Charity rode in silence.
Her mind was on the fact that she, too, would soon be leaving, and she wondered if Frank would give her a ride to the train station as well.
Probably not. He’s got enough servants to do his bidding, I’m sure he would rather one of them did the hard work of getting rid of his mistakes.
“Charity? Are you quite all right? You’ve hardly said a word all day.” Mrs. Hardy’s voice broke into her thoughts, and Charity turned with a smile.
“I’m sorry, I have a lot of things on my mind. Things are really going to be different after you two move.” She glanced over at Frank who kept his eyes on the road in front of them. Mrs. Hardy smiled, though it wasn’t a compassionate smile.
“Yes, this is true. The town is certainly going to miss our presence. I’m sure you will do your part in throwing balls, but none can measure up to the balls I put on. You know, several of the women have said that my parties are the grandest of all.” She settled back into her seat with a satisfied smile, and Charity nodded.
No wonder Frank thinks wealthy women are arrogant.
“There it is!” Mr. Hardy’s voice startled her, and she looked in the distance to see the train huffing across the field.
They would arrive in town around the same time the train did, which filled Charity with relief. She didn’t know how she was going to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Hardy – not because she would miss them, but because she would then have to say goodbye to Frank.
“Well that was pleasantly short,” Frank said as the two of them boarded the buggy once more.
Charity nodded and managed to keep somewhat of a conversation going with her husband as they rode back to the mansion. She could feel a tension between them but couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Frank pulled the buggy up to the door, and Charity climbed out. Normally, she would have gone to the sun room with a book at this time of the day, but now she wished to be alone. Frank slapped the reigns against the backs of the horses, urging them forward toward the barn, and Charity hurried up the steps inside the house.
She moved quickly to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She didn’t want to speak with anyone, especially Frank. Lying on her bed, she looked up at the ceiling, wondering if she was making a mistake, or if her feelings were a result of the mistake she had made in coming here.
“I don’t want to go. I especially don’t want to go home,” Charity whispered as she looked at the ceiling. Suddenly, she sat up in bed, a new feeling of resolution in her mind.
“I couldn’t tell Frank in person that I want to stay, but I can still tell him.” She ran over to her nightstand and grabbed a pen and some paper, then quickly scribbled a note, telling him she wanted him to ask her to stay.
Feeling a surge of excitement run through her, Charity silently opened her door, looking for a servant. She was going to ask him to deliver it to Frank, when she suddenly paused.
“If they read the message, they’ll know something wasn’t right between us. I should just leave it in his room.” Charity then looked up and down the hall to ensure there was no one present, then slipped quickly into his room, leaving the note with a few other papers on his desk.
Feeling proud of herself for her accomplishment, she then hurried back to her own room, slipping through the door and silently closing it behind herself once more.
Now, a smile rested on her lips as she walked over to her window, crossing her arms and looking out. Frank was so different from any other man she had ever met, and this was their home.
“This is my house now, and I’m going to build a life here with my love.” A satisfied smile slowly crossed Charity’s face, and she threw herself on her bed, allowing the feeling of happiness to engulf her.
Chapter 10 – Finally Home
“Well, where do you want to go?” Frank asked as Charity sat down to breakfast the next morning.
She felt her heart sink. She hadn’t seen Frank at all since he dropped her off at the door the previous afternoon, though she kept expecting him to come knock on her door after he had seen the note.
“I don’t know.” Charity said, feeling confused. Perhaps he didn’t want her to stay after all. She felt a tightness in her chest, and was relieved she hadn’t told him in person that she wanted to stay. She fought a lump that was forming in her throat, and smiled to him as she sat down.
“I hear Sacramento is nice, or I can send you down to Texas. Of course, if you want to go home, I’ll be more than happy to send you there, too.” Frank rustled the paper he was reading, and Charity thanked the servant for pouring her tea.
Her mind was in a whirl. Not only did he not ask her to stay, he was suggesting places hundreds of miles away. Charity thought she would be angry at such a thing, but the anger quickly gave way to hurt as she realized her love for Frank was not returned.
She took a bite of her breakfast, though she was far from hungry, when a sudden urge swept over her.
“I think I’ll go to Sacramento to start. I’ll get on my feet there, then who knows where I will go next,” she said with a smile, but the look Frank gave her made her feel he was far from happy.
“Very well. Sacramento it is,” he said after a few seconds of silence. He then leaned back in his chair and pulled the paper higher than he normally read, concealing his face from her sight.
“Are you to take me then?” Charity ventured after a few minutes, but Frank declined.
“I’ll have one of the servants drive you. I have a dreadfully busy day ahead of me, and can’t spare even a second.” His voice was cold, but Charity said nothing.
Later that morning, she bid Frank goodbye, and she was grateful it was short. Frank told her he wished her the best, and she returned his wishes, then, with a light kiss on her hand, Frank turned and left.
Charity climbed into the back seat of the buggy, and rode silently to town. She refused to chat with the
servant, and she refused to look back. She maintained her stone-cold appearance as she purchased her ticket and took her seat on the train.
It would all be over soon.
The whistle sounded, and Charity felt her heart pound. This was it. She was leaving. Suddenly, a disturbance on the platform caused several people to shout in alarm, and Charity looked around in confusion.
“Wait! Don’t go! Wait!” a man on the platform shouted, hitting the side of the train as he ran alongside. The train screeched to a halt, and Charity looked in surprise to see Frank through the window.
“There’s a man opening the door! Is he a robber?” One of the passengers shouted.
Charity turned as the door opened, and several people cried out in alarm.
“You can’t be in here, Sir! I must kindly ask you to leave!” The conductor stepped in front of Frank, but he pushed past.
“That is my wife sitting in that chair, and I’m not going to let her just walk away from me. I have to talk to her!” He was walking toward Charity, but the conductor tried to stop him once more.
“Let me have a minute!” Frank barked, and Charity felt her heart flutter.
Frank was so attractive, but the fact that he was standing up to the conductor so he might talk to her made him appear even more attractive than before. The conductor gave him a look, then nodded.
“You have five minutes,” he said, then walked toward the engine.
“Charity! Please just give me a minute to talk to you! I’m sorry I let you get this far, but I can’t let you leave me. I love you, Charity, and I want you to stay here with me, please!” Others in the train car were watching, but Frank didn’t care. He removed his hat and knelt down beside her seat, putting his hands over hers.
Charity felt her heart flutter, but there was still something inside her that wouldn’t allow her to give herself to Frank completely. He had asked her to leave, and that had hurt her. And, she wasn’t even sure she still wanted to live a life among the rich.