The Dowry

by C W Lamb

  “That’s fantastic,” he replied.

  It had been his greatest hope to see a riverboat tied up to the pier once more.

  “I have also contacted all the local costume shops and they have promised to have plenty of inventory on hand. I emailed the costume list to all the RSVPs and ordered yours as well. It should arrive in the next day or two.”

  Drawing down from the emotional rollercoaster he was on, he started to mentally tick off his checklist for the party. With each item, Alice would respond and confirm its status. By the time they were finished, Robert was back to being excited about the event.

  “So, is there anything we have forgotten? Perhaps a last-minute guest?” she queried.

  The comment made Robert realize he had completely forgotten about Charlie. With the turmoil around her arrival, he had not considered that she would probably be here for the party. His inquiries had thus far gone unanswered in her claims of ownership. His lawyer had complained of the loss of available physical documentation and the need to have a film archive search preformed at great expense.

  Approving the effort, he was still cautioned that it could take several weeks before a satisfactory result was achieved. Now with the party no more than a week away, he didn’t see the current situation resolving itself before her departure. He was also sure that any thoughts of shipping her off to live with Aunt Victoria were out the window. Her clear dislike for her relative was unexplained but obvious.

  Standing on his back porch overlooking the pool area, and with the object of his thoughts in clear view, he again scanned her exposed form as she lay stretched out in the sunlight. He studied her face, her eyes closed and her expression so serene looking. He felt a pang inside as he thought how much she looked like Charlotte.

  There was also something about the woman that interested him. He couldn’t explain it, but there was a feeling he got when around her that drew him in. Perhaps it was Hunter’s immediate acceptance of the complete stranger that had him most intrigued.

  “No, I think we are good, but I do have one request,” he replied as he considered Charlie’s possible role in the festivities.

  ----*----

  The days following Victoria’s visit and before the party had Robert and Charlie at odds over just about everything. When sober, she could be pleasant and even a joy to be around, but most days by the afternoon, he rarely talked to her as it always ended in a shouting match. While not always drunk, her moods seem to darken as the day progressed to night. Rationalizing that it was her defense mechanism did little to soften the exchanges.

  Just the prior morning, he had found her up early and busy in the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” he had said in surprise when he entered the kitchen.

  “Coffee, two creams and two sugars,” she said with a smile as she presented him with a cup.

  “What’s all this?” he asked.

  “I just thought you might appreciate someone making you breakfast for a change,” she replied as she placed the omelet in front of him.

  Taking a cautious bite, he found it delightful.

  “This is great!”

  “Hey, a girl’s gotta earn her keep somehow!”

  She took the stool next to him with a plate of her own and the two sat chatting while they ate. After breakfast, she cleaned the kitchen and started a load of laundry, collecting his things as well as her meager belongings. But then, later that day, hurricane Charlie arrived.

  “Why did you hide my rum?” she shouted as she waved the half empty bottle at him.

  He was sure it had been full just hours before.

  “First of all, I didn’t hide it, I simply put it away. Secondly, it’s my rum,” he answered, regretting it the minute the words passed his lips.

  “Right, throw that in my face! Make yourself at home, you said! You know I’m broke. You want me to work for my keep now, or do you have other ideas?” The look on her face and the way she said that left a unsavory implication hanging in the air.

  “No, let’s just forget it, ok?”

  He left the room before she could reply.

  When she was in a good mood, he would try and question her about her family. Robert had hoped she might know something about her family’s past, anything that could help solve the puzzle of the mystery deaths here. He was fairly positive that the similarity between her and her ancestor was not a coincidence.

  What he discovered was her complete denial that her likeness to Charlotte had anything to do with her future. Unfazed by her attitude, he continued to research and review everything he could find on the family history as well as continuing the paranormal reading.

  Rather than spending all their time at home, Robert had offered to take her along when he ran some errands. His hope was that, in providing some normalcy, Charlie might gain self-confidence and not resort to drinking to bolster herself.

  The first day in town proved challenging as, the morning went fine, but before noon they stopped at a local mini market for something to drink. Robert had grabbed a soda from the fountain dispenser but had lost track of Charlie until he arrived at the sales counter.

  “Excuse me, sir, is the lady with you?” the man behind the counter asked, indicating Charlie across the room.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” Robert replied as he noted she had pulled a six-pack of beer from the refrigerator section and opened one of the cans. She was drinking it causally as she wandered the aisles looking for the snacks.

  “I am sorry, but she can’t drink that in here,” the man replied nervously.

  “I’ll take care of it.” Robert said as he laid a twenty-dollar bill on the counter next to his drink and headed quickly to Charlie.

  “We need to leave.”

  He grabbed the remainder of the six-pack and reached for the can in her hands. Turning away from him like a child ducking a parent, she quickly drained the reminder of the can before handing him the empty with a burp.

  “That’s special,” he replied as he accepted the empty can while retaining control of the remaining five.

  Taking her gently but firmly by the arm, Robert turned for the door.

  “Sir, your drink,” the man at the counter declared, holding Robert’s soda up for consideration.

  “Be right back,” he replied as he led Charlie back out to the truck and opened the passenger door.

  Reaching in before her, he dropped the remains of the six-pack into the center console, locking it afterward.

  “Sit,” he said as he pointed her at the passenger seat.

  Not waiting for her to get in, he returned inside for his soda and grabbed a water from the display cooler by the register. Holding it up, he got a nod from the cashier; the twenty he had left should have more than covered the items they took.

  “This is for you,” Robert said as he got into the truck and handed Charlie the water and placed his soda in the cup holder nearest him.

  Ignoring his instructions, Charlie pouted in the seat next to him while he backed out of his parking space. Then, in an apparent act of defiance, she casually lifted his soda from the cup holder and slowly started sipping from the straw without even a glance his way. That was the end of day one outside the house.

  Once they returned home, Robert produced the remaining five beer cans and presented them to Charlie as a form of peace offering.

  “We can drink at home, not in the store,” he had commented.

  She accepted the beer, but her look of confusion was an indicator that he was not behaving as she expected. Robert noted that it must have had some effect on her because she drank the beer but left it at that for the rest of the day. They finished the day without conflict.

  ----*----

  Charlie sat by the pool slowly finishing off the last of the beer Robert had returned to her, Hunter lying beside her chaise. She found the sound of the water spilling from the spa and into the pool soothing. The shorts and t-shirt she wore were Roberts, loans to extend her meager wardrobe, and helped in the warm Florid
a weather.

  She had been drinking far more than normal lately, an attempt to quiet the voices in her head that had grown much louder since her arrival at Foxworth House. Her mind was a jumbled mess, visions of things she could not explain, a growing attraction to her host and fear that she might not be long for this world if she stayed.

  Unable to leave on her own, she had determined to anger Robert to the point where he would send her packing, taking the choice from her. So far, his patience and understanding had been more than she bargained for and unusual in her experience. His continued kindness in the face of her behavior only made the situation more confusing.

  Maybe, for once, she could settle in one place and find happiness. For now, she wanted to get through the rest of the day with a quiet mind as she stroked the dog beside her.

  ----*----

  Day two had the pair once again attempting the world of retail sales together. Robert had decided to take her on a shopping spree; it had been a few days since her arrival at this point, and her wardrobe had proven woefully sparse. He had already lent her a couple of T-shirts and a pair of gym shorts to supplement her paltry selection.

  Perhaps it was a combination of sympathy for her circumstances and Hunter’s enthusiasm for her, or maybe it was something more. His time with the good Charlie had him struggling with his inner protector, wanting to take her under his wing, so to speak.

  He suspected there was something buried in her past that spurred the drinking, and yesterday’s good will had paid off somewhat. Either way, he had decided to spoil her a bit and see if that helped drive out the demons.

  The pair left the house early, after Robert’s breakfast efforts of pancakes and sausage. Since Charlie had gone light on her drinking the evening before, she was up before he had even finished cooking. They enjoyed some light conversation as they ate, Charlie apparently intrigued by the offer of a shopping trip. He was careful not to offend her in his offer, using her lack of swimwear comment as the opener.

  “You don’t like that I swim naked?” she had asked, a hint of laughter in the question.

  “Topless is not naked and I can’t say I object, but it’s not always going to be just the two of us,” he said with a smile.

  The comment drew a look of confusion from her, one Robert couldn’t quite interpret at first. After a moment he realized the statement could be understood to mean they had a future together. Without further discussion, he ushered her out the door and into the truck, where they chatted until they reached the shopping plaza near town.

  Their shopping took up the entire morning as he ran her from one store to another. By lunchtime they were both carrying bags from an assortment of stores, all intended to give Charlie a reasonable wardrobe selection.

  Included in the bags were jeans, shorts, T-shirts and assorted underwear. Three bikinis and a cover-up were added amid much discussion and humor. Charlie had initially selected some barely-there designs, teasing Robert, before finally selecting two reasonably modest options and one outrageous fashion statement. His hope was that the purchases might inspire usage.

  The banter developing between the two was both surprising and enjoyable to Robert. Although certain aspects of the younger woman’s personality were downright undesirable, times like this where her less superficial behaviors emerged, had him entranced with her. Charlie’s easy, playful nature was at odds with what he knew of the serious, responsible Charlotte.

  He recalled Charlotte’s ranting in her diaries over her husband’s purchases in Europe.

  “If I must tell Jefferson once more not to acquire novelties as we travel, I shall scream to the heavens. Where he expects me to display these obnoxious pieces he calls art, is a mystery I choose not to pursue.”

  This was placed in sharp contrast to Charlie’s suggestion that she get a knee-length t-shirt with a bikini printed on it rather than an actual bikini.

  As he restored her house, he had always assumed that what he read in Charlotte’s diaries were a complete picture of the woman he had become infatuated with. Now he had to wonder if this physical representation before him was a more accurate picture of the woman than mere words on a page could provide, and it was drawing him in.

  “Why aren’t you getting anything?” she asked at one point as she flipped through a rack of tops.

  “Well, first of all, I don’t swim naked,” he replied, teasing her.

  “You should try it,” she flipped back at him with a wicked smile on her face.

  “And besides, I have a lot of clothes already,” he continued, ignoring her reply.

  “Well, you need to pick something out or I will for you,” she said defiantly.

  “OK, you find me something,” he said in a challenging tone.

  They spent the next twenty minutes searching men’s athletic wear with Charlie pulling out several items.

  “No, not that one,” she said as she held a sports shirt up in front of him, assessing its appeal.

  “And definitely not that one,” she said about another.

  “Hummmmm,” she finally muttered as she considered a light blue polo, concentration written all over her face.

  “That’s the one,” she said triumphantly, adding the item to her stack.

  He was getting a sense that the woman was beginning to warm up to him. The almost affectionate way she touched him to get his attention or the way she paraded for him when trying on various outfits held a hint of attraction. The joking was becoming flirtier as she selected provocative outfits to try on.

  It was as she was in the changing room after a particularly suggestive exchange that his phone rang.

  “This is Robert,” he replied, eagerly anticipating Charlie’s next appearance.

  “Mr. Garrison, this is Sally from the attorney’s office.”

  “Yes, Sally. How can I help you?” Robert asked, unsure of why they were calling him now.

  “Mr. Jones is tied up or he would have called you himself. He asked me to let you know that Miss Foxworth has no valid claim to the property whatsoever. He also suggests you distance yourself from her for your own protection. Her continued presence in the house could jeopardize your position should she decide to take you to court.”

  “Tell him thank you very much and that I will consider his advice,” Robert replied as he watched Charlie emerge from the changing room in a red bandanna halter top and Daisy Dukes shorts.

  “Is this southern enough for you?” she giggled and twirled in place.

  “Is there a problem?” she asked, watching him put his phone away, his face apparently displaying his thoughts.

  “Oh, no. It was just one of my projects. They are having delivery issues and wanted to know what to do about it. It's fine,” he lied and worked to put a smile back on his face.

  Robert knew this was his out, a chance to send her on her way, free from any obligations. As he considered the decision, he found no pleasure in the relief having her out of his life would provide. A smile finally crossed his lips as he considered the highs and lows of the last few days.

  “Well, should I get it?” she asked, bringing him back to the moment.

  “Absolutely, let’s live dangerously!” Robert replied, putting the call out of his mind.

  Taking a break for a late lunch, as it was now early afternoon, Robert and Charlie dropped their purchases off in the truck. They then walked across the parking lot, heading to one of the many sit-down restaurants surrounding the retail complex.

  Robert preferred them as they were a tad nicer than the places in the food court. Once they were seated, Charlie was quick to order the house wine from the waitress while Robert stuck with an unsweetened iced tea.

  As they sat eating, Robert was starting to think he had finally reached the woman behind the mask. Now he needed to decide what to do about it.

  Chapter 18

  Foxworth Landing, Late 1865

  There was not a lot to celebrate as the announcement that the war was over, spread throughout the area. For C
harlotte, their war ended the day she got word that Jefferson was dead. While the fighting was over, the real battle was just beginning, and she struggled with how to put her life back together again.

  Far from the only widow in the area, she was still a woman of standing in the community and the Northerners sent south to govern pretty much left her alone. While it was well-known that her husband had been a Confederate Officer, the fact that her father still held powerful contacts in the North kept her from more than just a passing harassment from the occupying troops and politicians.

  The one bright spot in an otherwise dismal existence was the frequent letters she now received from her sister in the North. A benefit of having a regular stop along the river was the mail service contract her father had managed to secure. Now, people from all around would descend on Charlotte’s home as they came to pick up or send their post.

  The happiness she spread in providing letters of love and encouragement to others was in stark contrast to her own misery. Her last memory of the man she loved was him rescuing her from the deserters, intent on doing her harm. It was replayed over and over again in her head.

  His bravery in the face of danger and loving concern over her safety was the double-edged sword that tormented her. That same bravery was what had likely led to his death on the battlefield, just north of the home he so eagerly defended.

  Foxworth Landing, Present day

  Charlie couldn’t remember when she had a better time than she was with Robert right now. The morning’s shopping spree had been frivolously and fun, no conditions or negotiations placed on the experience. She found herself drawn into the desire to please him; each selection intended to produce a smile she was starting to crave.

  Her drinking as they ate was not driven by the need to numb the emotions building within her, more they were reflective of her lowered guard. Robert was charming the inner Charlie out from the corners of her mind, where she had retreated to so long ago. Bit by bit he was pulling her out into the light.