by Carol Costa
As soon as John returned to Benton Harbor he sought out Mary to tell her about the agreement he had made with Etherton.
Daniel would give him a studio and living space on one of his properties in exchange for the exclusive right to sell his work for the next three years.
“It"s the same agreement you made with me,” Mary said softly.
“Yes, with one big difference. I will be paid handsomely for everything that Etherton sells rather than having the proceeds of my work go into the commonwealth treasury as it does here.”
“How soon are you leaving?” she asked.
“As soon as possible.”
“I won"t stand in your way, John. This is a wonderful opportunity for you.” Mary Purnell had long ago denied herself the luxury of shedding tears, but she felt them pricking her eyelids, straining to be released.
John strode across the room and put his arms around her.
“I want you to come with me, Mary. We can have a good life together,” John said.
“And I want you to stay here.”
“I can"t do that. You know that I am not a believer. I don"t belong here.”
Mary pulled away from him. “I once had a conversation similar to this with Benjamin. I was totally devastated because he was leaving me behind.”
“It would seem that you convinced him to take you along.”
Mary smiled and nodded. “I told him I was pregnant and he took me away with him. That"s the only reason, I"m here today.”
“Come with me, Mary. Leave Benjamin and all this craziness behind.”
Mary"s tears managed to break through and glistened in her eyes. “I look at you, John, and I know that you are my last chance for true happiness, yet I must let you slip away from me.”
“Why? Explain to me why you want to stay with Benjamin? He"s no longer a husband to you.”
“No, he"s not.” Mary sat down. Her fear that John would leave the colony because of the opportunities the outside world offered him had come about much sooner than she had expected.
“You know that I came here for a chance to promote my work to the public. I stayed on because of you, but now if I am ever to realize my full potential as an artist, I must leave here.”
“I know that, John.”
“I ask you again, to leave Benjamin and come with me.”
Mary looked up at him and shook her head sadly. “I don"t expect you to understand this, but I am no longer a young girl, far from it. I have grown used to the life I have here. These are good people and I love them dearly. I also have prestige and luxuries here. God knows I deserve them after all the years Benjamin dragged me from place to place like so much excess baggage.”
“I have heard that Benjamin would like nothing better than to be rid of me.”
“Benjamin has never really wanted me, but he doesn"t want anyone else to have me either. I guess there is something to be said for that.”
“Now he will get his wish.”
“Yes. It seems that in the end Benjamin always gets his way.”
John pulled her into his arms again. “I will be lost without you, Mary.”
“And I without you,” she said softly. “But you came here to work at your art and now your art is in demand. You no longer need the support of this colony.”
“My door will always be open to you, Mary.”
“Coy will return from his road trip tomorrow. Seeing my son, will ease the pain of your departure.”
“I will leave at first light, then,” John told her.
*** At dawn, Mary sat in her bedroom and refused to allow herself to walk into the sitting room where she had a view of the road. She was afraid that she might see the wagon that had been arranged to take John to the train station. Jacob had asked Samuel to deliver the artist and his belongings to the Benton Harbor train station. Mary was grateful that Jacob was not taking John as then she might have seen Jacob return to Diamond House with the empty wagon and that would also be painful.
Since they had said good-bye last night, Mary had asked herself over and over again why she was letting John go off without her. Her thoughts only raised more questions in her mind. Did she still love Benjamin? Was she afraid to live in the outside world? Or was it just that she felt too old and tired to begin all over again?
As far as her feelings towards Benjamin were concerned, Mary decided that she still loved the man she had married. The problem was that the man she married no longer existed. For that matter, as Benjamin had just pointed out, the naïve young girl that he took from the hills of Kentucky no longer existed either. Both of them had become different people, but life and circumstances had kept them together and together they would remain.
Mary remained in her suite until late that afternoon when Coy arrived at Diamond House. Mary was waiting in the front parlor to greet him. The sight of her son so tanned and relaxed did much to ease the pain in her heart over John.
Mary wanted to talk to Coy and explain about Evelyn and why she was back on the farm, but Benjamin and Jacob and their other dinner guests arrived so Coy hurried off to wash up for the evening meal.
That evening, in addition to Jacob, and the Purnell family, Cora and Silas came to partake of the meal and Francis Thorpe, the manager of the ball team, was also invited. The team had won all but three of their games on the road and Benjamin was very pleased with their success.
Much of the talk during the meal centered on the cities they had traveled to and the teams they had defeated.
“People come to the game the first time to get a look at us,” Thorpe said. “But they come back because we play good baseball.”
“How is your pitching arm, Coy?” Silas asked.
“It"s great. I won my last three games.”
“Coy"s a real asset to the team,” Thorpe said.
After dinner, Coy asked Jacob if Evelyn was still working in Lena"s souvenir stand.
“No. It didn"t work out and Evelyn is back on the farm with her parents,” Jacob told him.
Mary overheard them and took hold of Coy"s arm. “I have to talk to you about Evelyn.”
Coy shook his head angrily. “I don"t understand why Evelyn is back on the farm. She hates it there.”
“Let me explain what happened,” Mary said.
“Later,” he said, pulling free of her grasp. “I"m going to the farm to see her before it gets too late.”
“Please listen to what I have to tell you first,” Mary said in a low voice. “It"s important.”
Mary and Coy walked outside so they could speak privately. Coy looked over at Assanti"s studio and saw that it was dark. “Looks like John isn"t working tonight,” he said casually.
“John has left the colony,” Mary replied quickly.
Coy looked at her and saw the pained expression on her face. “I"m sorry, mother. I know you are very fond of him.”
“Coy. Never mind John, I want to talk to you about Evelyn.”
“What about her?” Coy asked with concern in his voice. “Has she taken up with another man while I was gone?”
“No. I don"t think so. Just listen to me, please.”
Mary told her son how Evelyn had been moved into Diamond House by Benjamin and how she had insisted the girl leave the house and go back to the farm.
“Are you saying Benjamin wanted to make Evelyn part of his Inner Circle?”
“I don"t know that for sure, but when I told him that you were interested in the girl, he agreed to send her back to the farm.”
Coy was angry. “She hates the farm. You know that.”
“I"m sorry. I just wanted to get her as far away from Benjamin as possible and he had already given her place at Lena"s stand to another girl.”
“I must go to see her at once.”
Without saying good-bye, Coy turned and ran for his car. Mary heard him crank the engine and then heard the car drive off. Daylight on this long summer afternoon was quickly turning to dusk and the golden rays of the sun were turning to orange as the sun beg
an to slip down into the horizon.
Mary turned back to the Diamond House and as she walked she looked over at the studio where she and John had spent so many happy times. Her heart felt like lead inside her chest. She now carried an additional burden, the worry that Coy"s meeting with Evelyn would not have a happy ending.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Evelyn had been living on the farm when Coy first met her. He had driven her home a few times and knew exactly where the farm was located. It had always been late at night and her parents had already been asleep, so Coy had not met them.
This evening Evelyn"s father was still working in the field next to the house. Coy drove onto the edge of their front yard and stopped the car. He could hear the chickens clucking from the coup behind the house.
Adolph Warren leaned his hoe against the side of the house and met Coy a few yards from the house.
“Mr. Warren, I"m Coy Purnell. I"d like to see Evelyn.”
“Evelyn is not feeling well. I don"t know if she"ll see you.”
“Please, tell her it"s important that I talk to her.”
Adolph nodded and walked quickly to the sturdy log house. Coy waited in the front yard looking around at the fields that were bursting with crops of corn and tomatoes. Several minutes passed, and Coy thought Evelyn was not going to appear, but finally she came out the door and walked slowly towards him.
“Evelyn, are you all right? Your father said you weren"t feeling well.”
“I"m not. What do you want?” her tone was as abrupt as her words.
“I just got back from the road trip. I wanted to see you. I missed you.”
“I"ll bet.” She turned away from him.
“I wrote to you. Didn"t you get my letters?”
“Yeah, I got them. So what do you want now?”
Coy grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. “Look, my mother told me what happened. I know you"re upset, but it wasn"t my fault.”
“It was your mother who got me kicked out of Diamond House. I was so happy to have that job in the office. And I was good at it too. I moved all my things into one of those nice little rooms upstairs. Then, your mother came along and made them send me back here. She wouldn"t even allow me to go back and work with Lena and stay at Bethlehem again.”
“Jacob had no right to assign you to the office without telling me,” Coy said.
“How could he tell you? You"ve been gone for weeks and weeks,” she said angrily.
“Well, I"m back now. Evelyn, you don"t need Diamond House. I"m going to build a wonderful house that you and I can live in together.”
“Leave me alone, Coy. It"s too late for that.”
“You can"t mean that. I know I"ve been gone for a long time, but I"m back now. The season is almost over. If you want me to, I"ll quit the team. I"ll stay right here and take care of you.”
“I"m going to have a baby, Coy.”
Coy stepped back, his face drained of color. “A baby?” he echoed foolishly.
“That"s right. Of course you may still want to take care of this baby because it"s going be your little brother or sister.”
Evelyn stood there glaring at him defiantly, until he slapped her so hard she dropped to the ground.
*** Coy did not return to Diamond House that night. He did not show up for baseball practice the next day, nor did he join the team for the game on Saturday at the House of David field.
On Sunday evening, Mary sat by the window in her suite staring out the window. The heart that had felt so heavy when John left had now become a block of solid ice. Clutched in her hand was the note she had received from Coy that afternoon. There was a knock on the door, but she ignored it. Then, the door opened enough for Jacob to stick his head in.
“Mary? May I speak with you?”
“My son is gone. There is nothing you can say.” “Coy is young. When he has taken some time to think, he
will come back to us.”
“He will not be back,” Mary replied. “And I will never for
give Benjamin for driving him away.”
“I don"t understand,” Jacob said and Mary believed
that he did not. She handed him the note she had received from
Coy and watched the color drain from his cheeks as he read it.
“This can"t be true,” he said.
“Oh, I believe it is true,” Mary whispered.
Jacob sank to his knees in front of her. “Please forgive me
for my part in this.”
“Don"t blame yourself. I know it was Benjamin who
brought Evelyn here. I will speak to Benjamin and tell him to
send the girl away from the colony before any more harm is
done. Is he in his suite?”
“Yes.”
Jacob scrambled to his feet and Mary pushed her weary
body from the chair. In the hallway, Jacob excused himself and
went downstairs.
Mary walked down the corridor and raised her hand to
knock on Benjamin"s door. She stopped when she realized the
door to the sitting room was ajar allowing her to hear Benjamin
greeting a visitor.
“This is a nice surprise, Evelyn, but I"m about to go downstairs for the evening meal. I"ll send for you later tonight.” “No, you won"t. Look at my face,” the girl said angrily. “Is that how my son greeted you?”
“Yes.”
“Coy is not a violent man. Why would he strike you?” “Because I told him I was pregnant with your child.” “You are a liar,” Benjamin said calmly. “No one in this colony will believe you.”
Mary pushed open the door and stepped inside the room,
closing the door firmly behind her. Both Benjamin and Evelyn
were startled by Mary"s unexpected entrance.
“I believe her,” Mary said. “And more importantly Coy believed her. That is why he left without a word to any of us.” “She is a liar,” Benjamin told Mary.
“I am not a liar,” Evelyn shouted. “You came to my room
the first night I stayed here and forced yourself on me. You
came back the next two nights and would have come back the
fourth night except your wife came home and insisted I be sent
back to the farm. But even after I returned to the farm, you would send for me. I came to this room several times to satisfy
your needs. Now I am carrying your child.”
“You have broken the virgin law,” Mary said coldly. “You
and your family will be expelled from the colony.”
Evelyn turned to Mary with a look of hatred in her eyes.
“That might work with the other girls Benjamin has taken to his
bed, but it"s not going to work with me.”
Benjamin suddenly stepped forward, wanting to take charge
of the situation. “Don"t worry, Evelyn. I"ll send you to one of
the other colonies and make sure you are well taken care of.
And your parents may remain here if they wish.”
“I"m going to stay right here and be taken care of,” Evelyn
declared. “Otherwise, I"ll go to the sheriff and charge you with
rape.”
Benjamin laughed. “That"s what I like about you Evelyn.
You have spirit, but it would be your word against mine and my
word is very powerful in this community.”
Mary wanted to scream and run from the room, but her feet
were riveted to the floor as she watched Benjamin take a menacing step toward the girl and saw that Evelyn Warren was not
afraid of him.
“My word alone may not be enough to cause you trouble,
but my word along with several others will cause you a great
deal of trouble. You see, Benjamin, I have been talking to the
other girls in this colony. I"m older and they look up to me and
confide in me. I"ve got names a
nd dates and all sorts of interesting information about what happens in this house at night and
the things that take place on your boat.”
“You blaspheme the Seventh Messenger,” Benjamin said,
pointing a finger at her. “You will be struck down.”
“The first night you came to me, you overpowered me with
your strength, and at this moment you could strike me down
and even kill me, but it wouldn"t do you any good. I"ve already
contacted an attorney in Benton Harbor. The information I gathered is with him. If anything happens to me you will be prosecuted.”
Mary couldn"t believe her ears. The girl was as cunning as
Benjamin himself.
“I could have had a pleasant life with Coy,” Evelyn continued in a bitter tone. “But you couldn"t stand to see a virgin go to another man, even your own son. Now I am carrying a new life and you are responsible for it. My baby will be born
here and we will be taken care of for as long as I desire.” With her threat still hanging in the air, Evelyn turned on her
heel and left the room. Mary went to the door and watched the
girl disappear down the staircase.
When Mary turned around again, Benjamin was sitting on
his expensive custom-made sofa. His face was dark with anger.
“Leave me,” he shouted at Mary.
Like Evelyn, Mary stood her ground. “You have taken a
serpent into your bed,” she said. “You must drive her away before she poisons us all with her venom.”
*** Benjamin did not come to the table for the evening meal. Jacob and Mary ate in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Mary did not know if Jacob had heard Evelyn"s threats, but she was sure that everyone in the colony would soon know that the girl was pregnant.
A few girls in the Inner Circle had become pregnant and they had been quickly banished. Benjamin"s sacred teachings had spread across the oceans and there was a small colony in Australia that accepted the pregnant girls and took care of them.
Mary"s anguish over the loss of the two people she loved most in the world made her want to leave the colony and Benjamin forever. At the same time, she knew that she would never leave. As she had told John, she had earned all the comfort and respect she had as Benjamin"s wife and no matter what he did, she would remain at his side until the end.