by H D Coulter
Bea could hear Grace moaning as she walked towards Beth, holding out Bea’s cloak.
“If we need you, I will send word to you.” Beth replied, reading Bea’s face, and the question written all over it.
“Thank you.”
“Now - you go and dance the night away.”
Joshua smiled at Beth as he grabbed hold of Bea’s hand, drawing her towards the carriage waiting outside.
THE HOUSE WAS LAVISH, a real spectacle of Mr Goldstein’s wealth and power within the community, sitting proudly on the northern side of Beacon Hill. Carriages waited their turn to deposit strings of guests in front of the two front pillars, made up of the crème de la crème of the city money-makers, amongst them all, a former Ropemaker’s daughter. But tonight, Bea was not just her Da’s daughter; she was the wife of a successful business manager; she reminded herself. She noticed Joshua tilting his head at certain men as they passed by in the hallway. He strolled into the principal room as though he had always belonged there, tall and proud, comfortable in his own birth-class once more.
“Don’t look so nervous,” he whispered into her ear, “you belong here too.”
Bea nodded. Her throat had become dry and her hands were sweaty as she noticed some women staring at the new arrival in their midst.
Joshua felt her body tense against his and guided her towards the refreshment table. “This should help.” He handed her a glass of champagne and took one for himself.
The bubbles popped in her mouth and caused a fizzy sensation on her tongue. She couldn’t help but giggle. “That’s better.” He lent forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
She smiled. As the champagne disappeared, so did the fear.
“Shall we dance, Mrs Mason?”
“I think we shall, Mr Mason.”
Joshua guided her onto the dance floor as the music began. It was a quadrille. Joshua beamed at her, seeing how much of her old self had returned. Then they both remembered: they still didn’t know the steps confidently to a quadrille! A laugh slipped out from Bea, and she tried to cover it with a dainty cough. They watched the other couples do their steps first, and with their turn, in the middle, Joshua took her hand and leaned in close so that no one else could hear: “I love you.”
A passionate happiness surged through her body, and for the first time since their courting days, she wished they were alone. Instead, she waited for their next turn and whispered the same sentiment. She stared at him with wonder. How did she deserve such a man?
“Are you alright?” Joshua whispered, observing a wave of emotions flashing across Bea’s expressions.
“More than, this is wonderful.” She smiled up at him as he placed his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
“Come with me.” He took her hand in his and weaved them away through the crowd, issuing small nods to anyone he knew.
“Where are we going?” He replied with only a mischievous glance. One of the side doors to the now-empty hall stood ajar, and he pulled her through quickly.
“What- I don’t think they’ll allow us to be in here.” Her eyes darting around the room, making sure they were alone.
It had a musky smell, with a fire crackling in the stuffy air, and worn leather books lining the walls. He let go of her hand and closed the door behind them. Then, in a single movement, he pressed her back against the door and kissed her. It was deep and passionate, reawakening the earlier sensation in her body at the foot of the stairs. She wanted to give in to the moment, to allow all the past inhibitions and trauma behind.
“I’m perfectly happy.” She stroked the side of his face, staring into his sea-blue eyes.
There was a moment of relief and joy reflected in his expression. “I know.”
STILL BLUSHING, JOSHUA retrieved another glass of champagne for them both. Then: “Joshua Mason, so good of you to make it!”
“Mr Goldstein, Sir,” Joshua gave the broad-chested, sharp-eyed figure approaching them a courtly bow. “May I introduce my wife, Mrs Beatrice Mason.”
“Good evening, my dear.” They both bowed together as he inspected the woman standing before him. “I have heard a lot about you,” he added in a serious tone.
“Good evening Sir, you have a magnificent home.” Bea gestured, feeling an awkward tension between them.
“Yes, yes, thank you, most kind. Mason, may I pull you away from your wife for a moment, there is a gentleman I wish to introduce you to.” Joshua gave Bea a quick look. He didn’t want to leave her alone. “Mrs Mason, I am sure you will be more comfortable with the other wives, over by the fireplace.” He lifted his hand and within seconds a grand lady was standing beside the small group. “May I introduce my wife, Mrs Goldstein - this is Mr Joshua Mason and Mrs Beatrice Mason.”
“Mrs Mason and I have already met at Miss Julie’s, my love – the dressmaker’s.”
“Very pleased to meet you again, Mrs Goldstein, and thank you again for your help.” Joshua gave Bea a quizzical glance before turning himself to Mrs Goldstein.
“Good evening, Mrs Goldstein, what a splendid gala you have created.”
“Thank you, Mr Mason - I have heard much about you. It is a pleasure to place the face to the name. So glad you both could attend.” Bea and Joshua bowed their heads in acknowledgement. She graciously inclined her own, ever so slightly. “Now, Mrs Mason, would you be so kind to join me, we are discussing a certain matter dear to our hearts and would be grateful to hear your opinion.”
They herded Joshua in one direction whilst they beckoned Bea in another. He gave her one last look of thanks and reassurance before they became lost in the crowd.
“Mrs Mason - may I call you Beatrice?”
“Yes, of course.”
“How lovely; I am, Mary. I truly have heard great things about your husband, you know; my dear Mr Goldstein tells me he has become essential in the running of the company.”
“Oh I – that is so good to know, thank you, I am very proud of him.”
“Glad to hear it – ah! Here we are. May I introduce Mrs Louise Sears, Mrs Mary-Ann Appleton, Mrs Elizabeth Coffin, Mrs Hannah Lowell, Mrs Jane Amos and Mrs Sarah Perkin. Ladies, this is Mrs Beatrice Mason, the wife of my husband’s new manager, Mr Joshua Mason.”
“I am so pleased to meet you all.” Bea didn’t know what else to say.
The seven women huddled around her, inspecting her accent and her clothes, determining whether she was worthy to join their own elite group. All the women were older than Bea by some few years, some were old enough to be her gran. Bea smiled at an image of her beloved gran, working the land around the cottage, catching animals but would have snorted at wearing such fineries. The surrounding women dressed in a way that best showed off their influence and wealth, with fine jewels draped around their necks, and expensive but demure silk gowns. But it was also the way they held themselves which exhibited their power, an intimidating stance which cast each lady in a worthy, unquestionable light. If this had all been back in Ulverston, they wouldn’t have allowed her to serve them coffee, never mind permit her to stand toe to toe in their presence. But she was no longer in Ulverston, and here in Beacon Hill she could rewrite her own history as Mrs Mason, wife to an up-and-coming gentleman, firmly established in their society. She sighed inwardly, but reminded herself of everything Joshua had sacrificed for her, and told herself sharply to stop dwelling on her past.
“What do you think, Mrs Mason?” said Mrs Elizabeth Coffin.
Bea hesitated; lost in her thoughts, she had not been listening.
“I- Pardon? I beg your forgiveness, but I-”
“You seem a little overwhelmed dear, are you quite, all right?” asked Mary Goldstein.
“Yes, I am fine, thank you – I apologise. I felt a little dizzy for a moment. The champagne... I’ve had nothing so... since...”
“I quite see my dear -this the first time you have been back in society since you had your child, is it not?”
“Yes, yes, it is.”
“Is
it your first?” asked Hannah Lowell.
“Isn’t it just grand to leave them behind with the help, to venture out back out into the world again?” giggled Mary-Ann Appleton.
“I cannot remember mine when they were small at all, I must confess; it has been a long while – and now they have had children of their own!” laughed Sarah Perkins, distracted by her brooch.
“How old is yours?” asked Mrs Amos.
“Four months.”
“Lord, they take so much of your time, when they are small.” Jane Amos smiled fondly; she seemed the closest in age to Bea.
“Heavens, an hour a day was enough for me. They do not notice when they are that small, a nursemaid and a nanny are all that they need. We have far more important things to be doing than suckling, and singing nursery rhymes,” remarked the haughty Elizabeth Coffin. This all took Bea by surprise, and she only held her tongue in response, reminding herself that these women were not like her. They hailed from a different breed.
“Either way, it must be nice to have some time in a pretty dress, with your young husband?” Jane read Bea’s expression.
“Yes, indeed - it has been nice to have some time with my husband, and to choose a new dress for the first time in... er...”
“And how lovely it is.” Mary Goldstein smiled, but there was an empty tone to her voice. She was not in earnest. “But girls -did you hear the rumours surrounding Mrs Garret and her music tutor?”
Bea took a step back whilst the other ladies moved forward to hear the latest gossip.
“Yes, isn’t it a shame.” Elizabeth replied.
“What happened?”
“Well, I heard...”
Bea disengaged from the conversation and turned away to observe the room. There were small groups of people like her own set gathering around the edges, whilst the centre was buzzing with excitement as the dancers whirled in and out of the throng. On the far side of the room were the high-standing husbands of the ladies standing next to her. These were the men on whose wealth Beacon Hill had been founded; they dictated its society and wielded its power. She watched Joshua, at ease, talking to them, a glass of champagne in one hand, and a lit cigarette in the other. She wondered how much it would take for a woman to be standing beside the men, their equal in every sense, as they had at the abolitionists’ meeting house? She didn’t think such a phenomenon would happen in her time, but possibly in Grace’s. Bea was determined to teach her to be powerful in her own ways: reading and writing, like her Da had for her; to know her own mind, to have the acquaintance of a wide variety of people, from all classes and backgrounds, and to be afraid of nothing under the sun. She watched the black servants standing in corners or filtering through the crowd, serving drinks with keen discomfort. There was so much that still needed to be changed in Boston, in society. She was looking forward to returning to the meeting house in a weeks’ time, reigniting her determination, and trying to bring about a change in her own way.
Bea turned her attention to the ladies standing next to her once more, still engrossed in society gossip.
“Please excuse me for a moment, I need some air.”
They all nodded, as if they had forgotten she was still there.
ON TOP OF THE HILL, the air was clean and crisp compared to the lower streets, which were filled with soot from the mills, sickness from the cramped alleyways, and dust from the streets. The gardens here were grand and lavish, one advantage of belonging to the first Beacon houses, built when there was still plenty of land to be had. Bea strolled around the side of the house, taking in the speckle and shimmer of the distant sea, as the moonbeams bounced off the distant waves. She closed her eyes, and instantly found herself back at the old harbour, waiting for Joshua to join her.
“Excuse me, Madam?”
“Hello?” A figure stepped into the low light issuing from the oil lamps. The man wore a finely tailored suit matching those of the other gentleman, but his skin blended in with the night sky.
“I have intruded on your solitude. Forgive me. Allow me to introduce myself, Mr Abe Winston.” He held out his hand for Bea to shake.
“Oh – a pleasure to meet you, Mr Winston - Mrs Mason,” taking his hand.
“Forgive me, do I know you? Your face seems familiar.”
“Possibly... I... I don’t really step out into society, I have an infant at home, not yet a year old. I rely on my companion Sarah to run most of my errands.”
“Sarah Bateman?”
“Yes... I?”
“You were at the meeting yesterday afternoon... What were your thoughts?”
“Yes, – we both were. It was astonishing, shocking... but somehow... inspiring. It gave me hope. Sarah is taking me back next week.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Mrs Mason. Sarah told me once that you have shown great kindness to her.”
“I owe so much to her. She has become a great friend, and a part of our family. I don’t think of my actions as a kindness.”
“It is lucky she has found such a place in your hearts. I meet not many with open arms in Boston.”
“How long have you known Sarah?”
“I helped arrange her arrival, and over time we have become close friends.”
“Then, can I ask - how do you know Mr Goldstein?”
“I am a merchant in some ways.” He paused before continuing. “I have done business with most of the men here.” It intrigued her. She could see he was hiding something.
“There you are, Bea!” The familiar voice from behind them caused her to jump and glance backwards.
She reached a hand out for him to take, their fingers interlocking. “I needed some air, and ran into Mr Winston - Sir, this is my husband Mr Joshua Mason.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Mr Mason.” Mr Winston stepped further into the light and held his hand out to Joshua, which he accepted.
“And you too – I hope my wife hasn’t been distracting you from your business?”
“No, no, not at all - but I should return now to my companions. A delight, Mrs Mason.”
“Likewise.” Mr Winston tilted his head to Joshua as he walked past and made his way through the side door.
Bea continued to look out at the view, and Joshua placed his arm around her waist, standing behind her.
“Look at this view – it was making me think of our spot on the harbour.” She turned around and saw a loving look on his face. She couldn’t resist leaning in for a kiss, which he welcomed.
“Will you do me the honour of another dance, Mrs Mason?”
“Of course, Mr Mason.”
Before letting go, Joshua took a moment to glance around him, then pulled Bea in even closer. Their second kiss was passionate, and as his tongue flirted with hers, she could feel his desire stirring.
“I have missed you.” His lips hovered above hers.
“I know. I’m back now.” He kissed her again.
THE COUPLE LASTED ANOTHER hour at the gala before Joshua made their excuses. They crept through the front door hand in hand and made their way to the bedroom. Bea scanned the room for a sight of Grace, but she was nowhere to be seen, guessing she must be with either Sarah or Beth. For the first time in a while, they were alone. Joshua grabbed hold of Bea and pulled her against him, kissing her with speed and hunger. Running her hands through his hair, she slipped them down his neck and pushed his jacket off his shoulders and on to the floor. His hands mirrored her actions as they made their way down the front of her dress, undoing each fastening. The dress gave way, revealing her rounded breasts and figure-hugging corset. His lips moved from her mouth and down her neck, causing her back to arch. He spun her round and unlaced the corset. Soon they were standing in front of each other completely naked, seeing one another properly for the first time. Bea had thought she would feel frightened in this moment, and exposed – instead, there was a desire and love for the man holding his body next to hers. The warmth of his skin and the feather-light touch of his hands as they stroked over her curves generate
d an unfamiliar ache that surged through her, of wanting him; needing him. This was how their wedding night should have been, she thought briefly. She let out a gasp, and then a moan as his fingers stroked over her curves. Together as one, they made their way to the bed. His kisses skipping down her body, she could see his desire clearly as he crawled deliciously over her on the bed, pressing against her.
“Are you sure?” He paused for a moment, his breathing harsh, his eyes dark. Bea nodded. “If you need me to stop, just say.” She wanted it, and they both needed it; the making of a true husband and wife. They became one, unable to tell where Joshua stopped and Bea began. A spike of hard pleasure erupted inside her, and the warm aftershocks rippled through every inch of her body.
Chapter 16
September Beacon Hill 1832
SINCE THE GALA, JOSHUA had inwardly celebrated his reconnection with Bea. He had waited for over a year to lie with her intimately, and although they took it slowly at first, getting used to each other’s bodies, gauging Bea’s responses carefully, he felt an excited fulfilment in her company that brightened his days as much as his nights. Life was good, and he was happy. His wife was coming back to him, Grace was growing and felt like his own child, and the house had developed its own daily rhythm that suited every occupant.
Joshua rolled out of bed and gazed at his sleeping wife, feeling his body stirring again as images of last night flashed through his head. Grace had slept with Beth again, allowing them to have more time alone, leaving Bea to sneak out and giving Grace a feed in the night. He leaned in and gave Bea a light kiss on her forehead.
“Morning my love.” Bea opened her eyes and smiled. “I must get ready for work.” Joshua was about to back away to find his shirt when Bea grabbed his hand.
“Do you have to; it’s still early... Come back to bed?” She pulled him closer and gave him a playful kiss. His body coursed with excitement, giving him no other choice but to stay a little longer.