by Lynn Wolfe
James held his breath. He knew he was asking a lot of Mary. Yet, he was certain she loved him as deeply as he loved her. He wished he had spoken these words the last time, but he hadn’t realized he’d have to wait a year before returning to England. The Emerald was having some major work done and while the ship was being repaired, he was taking that time to build up his herd of horses on his plantation.
“Yes James, I’ll marry you, in one year. I’ll stay busy making my wedding gown and dreaming of the day you return.”
James grabbed Mary and held her. He knew how torturous this was going to be for both of them. “If you stay busy, Mary, the time will go by much faster. I promise to be back as close to a year as possible. When I return, I shall bring with me my mother’s emerald rings. They have been passed down for several generations. There as beautiful as you are. I shall give you the emerald engagement ring when I arrive, and then the matching band, which also has emeralds, when we marry before we sail.
“Mother has kept the ring set for me to give to the woman I love, the one I find worthy enough to marry. The rings will be a testament of how much I love and adore you.”
James again grabbed Mary and kissed her all along her face and neck. “About your dress, Mary, I’m sure whatever you chose to make will be lovely. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, as long as you’re in it.”
James pushed Mary back to look into her sparkling, tear filled eyes. He once again pulled her to him and stroked her back and whispered, “I’ll think of you every night as I go to sleep and every morning as I awake, darling. Before we know it, a year will have passed and we’ll be married on The Emerald, I promise.
“You’ll love sailing on the ocean, Mary. But not near as much as you’ll love America and my family waiting there to greet you. It’s such a grand country. I promise you’ll never regret leaving England. Never!”
“Aye, my only regret, James, will be not being here to care of my mother’s grave and seeing Miss Minnie and father. It brings me comfort when I spend time at the cemetery, to be close to my mother. But I know in my heart, she’d understand my need to move on. She’d want me to be happy. You’d think father would feel the same. But as long as I have you and Thomas with me, nothing else matters.
“It’s like we’ve said many times; it’ll be the three of us forever, you, me and Thomas. And, if I truly become homesick, I only have to look for the brightest star, where my mother is watching over me, as she promised when I was a little.”
“Your mother must have been wonderful, for you are such a grand girl, Mary. I’m the luckiest man alive.”
“No, James. I’m the lucky one. I can think of no one finer than you. You’re the kindest, smartest, and most handsome man I know. Thomas is lucky to have you for his friend, and I’m even luckier to have you to spend the remainder of my life with.
“I don’t want to let go of you tonight, but the sooner you leave for America, the sooner you’ll return. I’ll pray for a safe journey for you and Thomas, and a quick year to pass.”
“I love you more than anything in this world, Mary. I’ll miss you sorely. However, please don’t become upset with me if you do not receive any letters, I’m a horrible letter writer and to be honest, there’ll probably be little time to write. Even if I should get a letter written, it would be difficult to get the letter to you, especially from the plantation. Always know you’ll be in my heart and I shall miss you and think of you every day while we’re apart.”
“Yes, James, and I shall miss you more.”
Chapter Nine
Present Day England
1830
“Thomas, will you be kind enough to make sure our lovely ladies arrive at the Fairchild Hotel safely? Make sure they’re settled in their rooms as I finish up. If all goes well, I shall be along in time for supper.”
James leaned down and gently kissed his wife, Susannah. “You and Anna will have enough time to bathe and take a long rest before I return, love.” He knew Susannah was in need of sleep due to the toll the voyage took, even though she tried desperately to hide her weariness.
It was evident how excited both Susannah and her sister, Anna, were about finally arriving in the port of London. They’d done well on their voyage to England, even during the roughest seas. James was very proud of them.
James had asked Thomas to make arrangements for Anna to be staying in a room adjoining his and Susannah’s. He was happy Anna and Thomas had gotten engaged shortly after James and Susannah married. James had promised Mr. and Mrs. Webb, his in-laws, he would be sure nothing about their trip would look inappropriate.
“Thomas, I do wish you would allow me to accompany you to your father’s home. I’d truly love to see where you grew up and meet your father. He certainly would have the courtesy to be civil. It would give me a sense of what your life had been like living here. I don’t mind if it’s a simple cottage, as you say. It would be special to me because it had been a part of you. Besides, I don’t truly think your father could be as horrible as you’ve said.”
“As I have told you many times before, you must trust me on this, Anna. My father is not one you would ever like to meet when he’s angry, let alone when he isn’t. I know he’ll be furious with me for returning to London.
“Besides, I need to take care of a matter which is of great importance and has nothing to do with us or our future. The words my father spoke before I left England ended any chance of reconciliation now or in the future. The other person I need to locate is the one who has disgraced our family and I shall find her wherever she went.”
“You mean that wretched sister of yours, don’t you? Why must you contact her? I know how much she’s hurt you by her betrayal, but don’t you think it would be best to let well enough alone? After what she did, I fail to see the need of corresponding with her until she apologizes for her behavior! Besides, James doesn’t appear to be harboring a grudge now.”
“After this trip’s over, I won’t be seeing or hearing from my father or my sister, ever again. Anna, please allow me to do this my way. Even though this must be done, it makes my heart heavy to do so. I’d once been very close to my sister.”
*****
When James walked up the plank to finish overseeing the work, he realized how much he hated the fact he had ever gotten involved with Thomas’s sister, Mary. Once they return to America, he would never have to sail to London again. The memories of the woman he’d once loved so foolishly could now fade forever. He seldom thought of Mary, unless Thomas made some reference to her, and he wanted to keep it that way. His heart now belonged to Susannah.
Looking over the people on the docks, James could still faintly see Thomas and the ladies making their way to fetch a carriage. He smiled as he thought back to meeting Susannah for the first time.
He and Thomas had been on the walkway in the middle of the busy merchant section of Baltimore when they spotted a beautiful and extremely fancy carriage. As the carriage slowly made its way past them, he and Thomas turned to follow it in hopes of finding out the owner.
When Thomas turned back to continue walking, he nearly knocked down Anna Webb, the tallest of the two women in front of them. Thomas had not been paying attention to the fact he had crossed over into the line of oncoming walkers. He had quickly grabbed Anna’s arm apologizing profusely, when all of a sudden Susannah Webb started laughing until tears ran down her face.
“Sir, you caused her no harm, please try to calm yourself,” Susannah had said to Thomas, not allowing Anna to speak for herself.
“But it was my fault, I wasn’t looking where I should have been and I could have hurt your friend,” Thomas had sputtered out deeply embarrassed.
“Well, you didn’t hurt her. She’s not my friend she’s my sister and if she had been paying attention to where she was walking, this incident you keep apologizing for, would have never taken place. She was busy looking at the items in the store windows and she wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking. That’s wha
t I found so funny. Neither of you were paying attention. I do apologize for laughing, but if either of you could have seen the look on your faces when you ran into each other, I think you would have laughed too!”
“I’m sorry I missed their run in,” James remembered remarking. He also had been looking at the carriage and hadn’t seen Thomas heading for a collision. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Thomas so flustered.”
Thomas then surprised James by trying to keep their conversation going. “Maybe we could start over, I’m Thomas Ball and this rouge making fun of me, is my friend, James Parker.”
“It’s very nice to meet both of you. I’m Susannah Webb and this is my younger sister, Anna.”
“I know how forward this sounds, but if you ladies would be willing, maybe we could offer you something to drink at the Hotel restaurant and possibly have some dessert to make amends for what’s happened? I need a little something to tide me over until dinner. Unless you’re attached, then I apologize for my suggestion. I know I am being rather forward,” Thomas added.
James realized he, too, had been hoping they were unattached.
“We’re not attached and we kindly accept your offer. I don’t think I could shop another minute longer!”Susannah replied finding these two men quite interesting.
Anna was blushing and Thomas was still attempting to make amends as they headed for the hotel. James had thought Anna had been very kind in forgiving Thomas. As they visited while eating their pie and drinking coffee the next thing James remembered was Thomas inviting the ladies to supper. Thomas had taken a fancy to Anna and James surprised himself by being attracted to her older sister, Susannah. They had agreed as long as it was an early meal, for they needed to be home by dark.
At first, James had been reluctant to have any feelings for Susannah as they continued to see the ladies over the next few weeks. The only other woman he could compare her beauty to was Mary. He remembered all too well how things had turned out with her and he wasn’t about to allow his heart to be broken again.
Yet, in a very short time, James realized he had fallen in love with Susannah Webb. He felt he couldn’t live another day without her being a part of his life. To his surprise, she not only agreed to marry him, her parents were willing to throw an impromptu wedding even though the courtship had been short at best. Three months after their meeting they had married.
*****
James heard some yelling below between some ship hands and he was quickly brought back to the present. James felt a dark cloud lingering over him. He knew he no longer hated Mary but he found being in London gave a tug at his heart that brought back some of those feelings that had, until this moment, been buried memories.
He could picture Mary throwing her head back and laughing at the stories he told about growing up with his brothers, Jacob and Luther. He remembered the glint of laughter always in her eyes and how she always seemed to glow with happiness. He remembered her crying when he had told of losing his youngest sibling, Lydia, at a very young age from the pox.
He knew Mary had felt his pain due to losing her own mother in similar circumstances. She had seemed naïve and wonderfully innocent. She always appeared happy and loving. She was everything he had ever wanted in a wife. In all the time he spent with her, she never once indicated she wanted more than he could give.
James had known neither she nor Thomas had very much growing up and he assumed she would be thrilled to have the home he had promised her. He wouldn’t be rich at first, but they would be comfortable. She wouldn’t have had to work outside the home. How could he have misjudged her? Even Thomas said what she had done was unforgivable. But now, he did forgive her, even if Thomas hadn’t. He found it easier to forgive after Susannah had become a part of his life and he had allowed himself to love again.
He and Thomas said very little to Anna or Susannah about James relationship with Mary. The least said the better it would be for everyone. James knew once Thomas left London, he would no longer lay claim to having any family left in England. The only other family member James knew of, besides Mary and her father, was an aunt Thomas had disowned years earlier.
James hoped Mary was truly happy. As far as Henry went, James found him to be the most despicable person he had ever met. He prayed he never had to deal with the likes of him again.
Chapter Ten
Thomas knew he must hurry to accomplish what needed to be done before supper. He had gotten Anna a room adjoining the suite for James and Susannah, and once he had the ladies deposited in their rooms, he headed back to the dock to locate his father. He had one thing in mind that needed done before leaving England for good. He planned to find out who Mary had married and how to reach her. He’d send her a letter which would be so scathing; he knew it would end their relationship forever. She deserved no better for what she had done to James.
Once Thomas returned to the docks, he learned his father was due back any day from a leave. He had apparently been called out of town due to a sibling’s illness. That could only be his Aunt Bertha. Thomas could care less if the witch lived or died.
Thomas decided to go to the cottage and search for clues as to where Mary may be. The cottage looked the same as Thomas remembered on the outside, yet the home appeared shabby. Funny, he hadn’t noticed that before.
Thomas found the hidden key under the flower pot which had been neglected for some time. He sadly entered the home he had once loved so dearly.
It was obvious his father had not returned. The cottage was too neat for his father to be living there. But to his surprise he found a recently used tea cup on the table. He knew his father never drank tea. Could it be his father found a woman to keep him company? Maybe she was a housekeeper getting things ready for his father’s return. Whoever she was, she wasn’t there now.
Thomas entered his old room. To his surprise, the room was as he left it. Thomas had been sure his father would have thrown everything out that had belonged to him. Yet, strangely, things were exactly as he remembered. Memories flooded back. Tears entered his eyes as he pictured his mother humming as she fixed their meals and cleaned. She was now the only bright spot in his memories.
Next, he pictured Mary and James at the table bantering back and forth. They had made so many plans for their future. The three of them had sworn to be together for the rest of their lives. How many times had they made that commitment? How could Mary have forgotten her promise to James?
What happened to Mary after he and James left for America? And worse yet, how could he have been fooled for so many years by her act of innocence?
Thomas then went to Mary’s room. He stared at the bed in disbelief. He slowly allowed a smile to form. His disappointment had quickly turned to pleasure.
“Well, Mary dearest, it appears you’re living at home. So the teacup must belong to you. That means you’re probably working at Miss Minnie’s Dress Emporium, how fitting. I wonder what you’ll have to say for yourself.” Thomas said, realizing he’d been speaking out loud. He felt his anger growing, He was glad he would have the opportunity to tell Mary face to face what a wicked person she was. She’d get no sympathy from him. Not now, not ever!
He guessed the bloke she took off with found out rather quickly Mary had little knowledge of the real world and the upper crust of the London Ton. Beauty can only hide so much. He couldn’t wait to tell her how James found someone to love who was not only beautiful, but kind and decent. Something Mary should now strive to be.
Thomas had no feelings of sorrow for Mary. He sat at the table to get his thoughts in order. This confrontation would be much better than anything he could have put in a letter.
He thought back to the day he found James drunk and passed out on the floor at his plantation, three weeks after they arrived in America. He’d gone to visit James, but as he approached his home, he was informed James had been drunk for the past few days and hadn’t been able to overseer the plantation.
Thank goodness, Thomas thought, James had good
people working for him who could function without direct orders. Their loyalty to their boss was evident as to how smooth the place was running and their obvious concern for James. But what had happened? Or had James had a drinking problem all along that Thomas had not picked up on?
When Thomas entered the parlor, James was indeed passed out on the floor in the den. Thomas filled a flower vase with water and threw it on James in disgust. “Wake up, James, you have work that needs done!”
As James began stirring Thomas saw the crumpled letter on the stand. He didn’t bother to ask if he could read the letter, for James was in no condition to answer. James slowly begun to arouse groaning with every move he made as Thomas picked up the letter and ignored the names he was being called by his drunken friend.
Thomas straightened the letter out the best he could and swore to himself as he read the contents. He felt sick when he read what his father had written. His beloved sister had met a man of means from London’s elite society. She eloped shortly after James and he had sailed. His father made it clear that James got what he deserved. He had written Mary was happier than she’d ever been. Thomas had no doubt this letter had nearly destroyed James until he met the angelic Susannah Webb.
Thomas wasn’t sure when he left the cottage and headed for the dress shop. He only realized he had filled his mind with so many memories he had lost track of time and found himself in front of Miss Minnie’s Dress Emporium. He was more than ready to confront his sister, Mary.
As Thomas opened the door, he spotted Minnie and without missing a beat he spoke, “Miss Minnie, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I hope all’s been well with you.”
Thomas, thought Minnie looked the same, always neatly dressed with her red hair perfectly in place. But then he noticed she seemed unresponsive toward him, almost as if she didn’t want to see him, even though he had been gone for a little over a year.