For a moment their eyes met. “The vicar makes a good point. Do you agree?”
Caught off guard, Lavonia nodded and changed the subject. “I must say, Dr. Amory, based on just a brief acquaintance, I already admire your versatility in so many subjects. Medicine, the arts, Scripture. Where do you find time for so many endeavors?”
His eyebrows raised. “I find time for any worthy endeavor, Miss Penn.” His voice had a soft quality about it, as though he were trying to communicate something more to Lavonia. Deliberate attempts to remember why she was angry with him failed to reignite her wrath. Instead, his soothing tone made her heart race for quite different reasons.
“Do you now, Doctor?” the vicar interrupted, apparently having eavesdropped upon their conversation. “In that regard, you may find yourself with time for yet another undertaking, now that Mrs. Syms will be having her portrait painted by an artist other than yourself.” The vicar gave Dr. Amory a sly smile, clearly enjoying his moment of triumph.
If Dr. Amory was taken aback, he hid his emotions well. “Is this true, Mr. Syms? You no longer wish me to paint your wife’s portrait?”
“As a matter of fact—”
“Why, of course he does!” Helen looked at her husband at the opposite end of the table. “Luke, you have not changed your mind about having my portrait painted, have you? I was so looking forward to it.”
“I have decided to commission Osmond’s cousin.”
The vicar’s mouth curled into a victorious grin.
Luke continued, “He is a practicing artist and is highly recommended.”
“By the vicar, no doubt,” Helen observed.
“Naturally, I should recommend my cousin. But only because he possesses a large degree of talent,” the vicar hastened to add.
“Oh, I see,” Dr. Amory said.
Luke gave him a sympathetic look. “I beg your forgiveness, Doctor. Apparently our vicar did not know I had not yet spoken to you about my change in plans.” His tight-lipped delivery belied the defense of his friend.
“Nor did you inform me,” Helen said.
“Had I known Osmond had a cousin who paints portraits, I would not have burdened our doctor with such work when he undoubtedly has many patients in need of his healing powers. But I only learned of the vicar’s cousin this very day.” As if verbalizing the breach caused Luke to realize his error, he added, “Of course, I will pay you a percentage of the commission you would have earned had you completed the picture, Dr. Amory.”
“That is quite all right,” said the doctor. “I am not so destitute that I need take money for nothing.”
“But I insist.”
“As do I, Dr. Amory,” Helen added, clearly vexed. “The vicar is a childhood friend of my husband’s, which is why loyalty has taken precedence over his manners regarding your engagement. I implore you to accept the compensation he offers in return for your inconvenience.”
“Regarding manners,” Luke said, “where are ours, to discuss business over such a delightful lunch? And, my dear Helen, why are you worrying your beautiful head over business? That is a man’s job, oui?”
“Oui.” Helen gave him a smile that showed she was ready to drop the subject and return to lighter topics.
“How easily they forgive each other,” the doctor whispered to Lavonia.
“The effects of newly wedded bliss, no doubt.” Resolute in her intention not to show him his effect on her, she added, “One that you and I do not enjoy.”
“I beg your pardon for offending you earlier. Truly, that was not my intent.” Features softening, his eyes shone with regret.
Lavonia tried to keep her voice curt. “What was your intent, then?”
“To free you both.”
Surprised by such an answer, Lavonia didn’t answer right away, then she whispered, “Free us?”
“That is correct.”
“Who said I want to be free of my own sister?”
“It is obvious that you will either go to the mission field or become betrothed to Vicar Gladstone and care for your sister here, if Mrs. Syms has her way.”
“Perish the thought.”
The doctor chuckled quietly. The others at the table were engrossed in their own conversation. “Have you told Mrs. Syms yet?”
Lavonia swallowed a piece of mutton. “She knows my first priority is going to America. I have no time for suitors.”
“I am certain that preparing for your journey is a time-consuming endeavor. You are blessed to have a house to sell, so that the proceeds may secure your passage.”
Lavonia gently patted her lips with her napkin. “How did you become privy to such information?”
“Mrs. Syms mentioned a few of the circumstances surrounding your visit when she first spoke to me about your sister. She did not indicate to me she was telling me in confidence,” he apologized as he speared a few green beans with his silver fork.
“Well, I think it is God’s will for the house to be sold. He is making the way for me to go to the mission field.”
“Your faith makes me wonder.”
“Wonder what?”
“If God is telling me that I, too, must alter my plans due to a change in circumstance. You see, my benefactor recently passed away.”
“I am sorry to hear that. Was he a close relation?”
“Not at all. In fact, I only knew his name. Philemon Midas. Does that name sound familiar to you?”
Lavonia took a sip of tea. “Of course, Midas was a mythological figure. And the New Testament book of Philemon is an epistle of Saint Paul.”
“Yes. Written to a wealthy man named Philemon. But you know no one by that name?”
“No. Why should I?”
“It has been my impression Mr. Midas was from somewhere near Dover.”
“I suppose it is possible. I am not familiar with everyone in the area.” Lavonia finished the last of her green beans. “Whom-ever he is, I wonder why he chose to be your benefactor, since you obviously didn’t know him if you didn’t even know where he lived. So what are these plans of yours?”
Before he could answer, they were interrupted by Lucy the maid. “Mr. Joseph Penn is here.”
“Mr. Penn? An excellent surprise indeed!” said Luke. “Do see him in.”
“I wonder why Uncle Joseph is here now. I was not ex-pecting him until next week,” Lavonia wondered aloud.
“I did not realize Joseph Penn is your uncle.” Dr. Amory was clearly surprised.
“Yes.” Lavonia noticed the doctor’s rich complexion had turned the color of Helen’s bone china. “Why? Is anything the matter, doctor?”
“Good day to all of you!” Uncle Joseph’s voice boomed as he entered the dining room. “How fortuitous for me to time my arrival for lunch!” His glance stopped short when he spied the doctor. Suddenly, Uncle Joseph’s jovial tone turned taut.
“William Amory. What are you doing here?”
four
Dr. Amory rose to greet Lavonia’s uncle, though he did not offer his hand. “Good day to you as well.”
The irony in the doctor’s salutation did not escape Lavonia.
Uncle Joseph glared at Dr. Amory as if his presence violated all forms of decency. “I was not aware of your friendship with the Syms family. And I certainly had no indication you are acquainted with my niece.”
If the doctor was disturbed by the suspicion in Uncle Joseph’s tone of voice, his blank expression didn’t betray him as he sat back down. “I have been the Syms’ family doctor for some time now. However, I have had the pleasure of meeting your nieces only today.”
“Katherine is Dr. Amory’s newest patient,” Helen explained.
Uncle Joseph didn’t conceal his surprise. “Katherine is ill?”
Dr. Amory’s eyebrow crooked. “You are unaware your younger niece suffers with chronic headaches?”
“No, I was not aware of her malady,” Uncle Joseph muttered, his sharp features becoming sanguine with embarrassment. “Naturally, I am pleased sh
e is seeking a cure. I do hope her treatment proves successful.”
As if he really cares, Lavonia thought. Aloud she said, “We have had very little contact with Uncle Joseph until recently. He is handling Mama’s estate, so he is apprised primarily of our financial, not our personal, affairs.”
Rising from his seat at the head of the table, Luke interrupted. “Let us not spoil luncheon by discussion of finances. Will you not dine with us, Mr. Penn? Surely business is conducted more pleasantly when one’s appetite is satiated.”
Lavonia noticed Dr. Amory’s body stiffen. He took a bite of mutton, chewing it with deliberate concentration as if in an effort to remain silent.
“I am not here on a social call, but on a matter of business with my niece,” Uncle Joseph protested in a manner most unconvincing. “I regret my visit here shall be brief and will allow me little time for pleasantries.”
Lavonia placed her white linen napkin beside the delicate bone china luncheon plate. “Perhaps we should excuse ourselves so we might proceed with our business, Uncle?”
Ignoring Lavonia, Uncle Joseph’s gaze roved over the generous portion of leg of mutton situated on the platter in the center of the ample dining room table. “Though, I might make room for a bite of lunch.”
The shifting of chairs, plates, and accouterments followed as he sat down to the meal. Considering his substantial girth, Lavonia was not surprised to witness her uncle consuming large portions of meat and the remaining bread, though he seemed to have a noticeable aversion to green beans.
As the vicar began citing his own accomplishments, Lavonia’s mind tried to guess the purpose of her uncle’s unannounced visit. The house had been for sale almost a year. Perhaps a buyer had been found. She prayed that if that were so, the price offered was enough to secure a comfortable future for both Katherine and herself.
Preoccupied, Lavonia remained quiet for the rest of the meal. A glance Dr. Amory’s way near the completion of the plum pudding revealed a sullen expression on his face; his spirits had been dampened as well.
Dr. Amory was fine before my uncle arrived. Obviously they know each other. I wonder in what context? And what soured their relationship?
Lavonia had no time to inquire after the meal since both the doctor and vicar departed minutes after dessert. Unable to postpone the encounter any longer, Lavonia nervously followed her uncle into the parlor. She stood in front of the picture window as she watched her uncle plop himself upon the cushioned sofa and give his stomach a satisfied pat. Ignoring his tasteless gesture, she said, “I surmise your visit must be about the affairs of Mama’s estate. Otherwise, I cannot fathom why you would journey all this way.”
“Yes, it is. I regret this matter has taken so much time to resolve. As you are aware, the courts in London are chronically backlogged. And the fact that your mother had inherited a small parcel of land in another jurisdiction complicates matters all the more.” Slowly he bent his arm over the side of the sofa and picked up the brown leather portfolio resting on the floor. Pulling it onto his lap, he opened it and withdrew several papers.
Lavonia’s stomach lurched with nervous anticipation and a flood of hope that the documents contained good news. “Are those to clear the sale of the land?”
“No, these are another matter entirely.” He handed Lavonia the papers. “I thought it best to see if you could explain them, though certainly such business is well beyond the feeble intellect of your gender.”
At his barb, her anticipation transformed into animosity. Hiding her feelings, Lavonia calmly took the papers from his outstretched hand. Then taking a seat on a hard mahogany bench, she examined several letters demanding payment on overdue bills. As she read, her ire grew.
These should have been paid months ago!
Revealing his impatience at her delay in commenting, her uncle interrupted her thoughts. “Those are letters from your many creditors. They demand prompt payment,” he explained as if she were an obtuse child.
“I can see that.” She gave him a level stare. “So why have they not been paid?”
“Simply because I refuse to pay bills far beyond what should have constituted your normal household expenses. I fail to understand why the merchants in question insist your father made these purchases.” He paused. “Look at the bill from Dover Fire and Fuel.” As Lavonia rifled through the bills, he continued, “They say your family purchased ten tons of coal in January 1813. I hardly believe you could have burned that much fuel.”
Lavonia read the bill. “Your assessment is correct. Ten tons is double the amount we generally consume over an entire year.”
Uncle Joseph raised his bushy black eyebrows. “I see you possess some knowledge of household finances. Then you can dispute these claims.”
“I will not dispute them, because Father did indeed make these purchases.” Tilting her chin upward, she returned the stack of bills to her uncle.
His mouth opened in a show of shock. “Are you trying to say your father spent over a thousand pounds in fuel, food, and clothing last year?” The pitch of his voice rose with apparent disbelief. He stood and paced the rug as if his apoplectic fit would be relieved by the exercise. “Preposterous! That is more than he should have spent in three years! The merchants are attempting to take advantage!”
“No, they are not,” Lavonia protested. “If you had been in touch with us at all these past decades, you would know the reason for these obligations. You see, Uncle Joseph, my father was not only generous with Mama and me, but with the less fortunate as well. Thanks to his largesse, many people were fed, clothed, and kept warm each winter.”
Stopping in his tracks, Uncle Joseph turned to face Lavonia. His already pale complexion had become several shades whiter. “Is that so? And how did he manage to form such attachments with the lower classes?”
“My father felt the Lord’s calling to use a large portion of his wealth to help the poor, whether they had been poverty-stricken their entire lives, or members of the upper classes who were experiencing temporary difficulties.”
He shivered visibly. “And he allowed his daughter to mingle with these people?”
“I would have considered it an honor to meet those he helped.” Lavonia bristled.
Uncle Joseph raised his eyebrows. “You never met any of them?”
She shook her head. “No one but Father was acquainted with the details of his ministry. He sought no publicity or fame.”
“Fool,” he muttered.
Lavonia was certain she wasn’t meant to overhear her uncle’s unbridled opinion. “Dear Father was a kind and generous man,” she countered nevertheless.
Her uncle sniffed. “What you consider kind, others would think eccentric.”
“I have no qualms about paying for Father’s largesse.” Emphasizing the last word, Lavonia squared her shoulders. “Please inform my creditors that the bills will be paid in full as soon as the house is sold.”
“Oh yes.” He lifted his forefinger. “The house. That is an-other matter.”
“You have news, then?”
“Yes, and I am afraid it is not good. Your home did not fetch the price I expected. Indeed, the proceeds from it are thousands of pounds lower than anticipated.”
“Thousands of pounds? That is preposterous. The price I asked is more than fair.” Lavonia lifted her chin. “I will simply not accept the offer.”
Uncle Joseph shook his head. “That is not possible. The papers have been signed, and the sale is complete.”
“Complete? How can that be? I have not signed, nor even seen, any deed of sale.”
“The original deeds are in my London office. I have left a duplicate set of papers with Luke for safekeeping.”
Realizing she was helpless to reverse the transaction, Lavonia’s heart beat with fear. Her mouth became too dry for her to speak.
However, her uncle was not deterred. “It has also come to my attention that thousands of pounds have disappeared with no record of their whereabouts. Can you expl
ain that?”
Lavonia was shocked. She cast about, trying to come up with a reason for the money to be missing. But the situation was too much to comprehend. Her head bowing, she felt her shoulders, moments ago set in pride, droop with anguish. “No.”
“I thought not.” Her uncle sniffed. “Are you aware that I have been paying Luke for your living expenses plus your allowance while the will went through probate?”
She nodded.
“Those expenses are not inconsequential. Consider yourself fortunate to have an uncle wise in the ways of business. Unlike your father, I have preserved my share of the family fortune. Indeed, it has increased fourfold under my stewardship.”
“So you have informed me in previous conversations.”
“Had your problems resulted merely from my brother’s spendthrift ways, they might not be so severe. But as you remember, your mother was consumed with wasteful spending as well.” Stretching the fingers of his left hand, he ticked off a list with the forefinger of his right hand. “Trips abroad. Fine clothing. Furnishings imported from America.”
“We had a lovely home and many opportunities,” Lavonia argued in her mother’s defense.
“I hope you enjoyed that home and those opportunities of the past. Because of their expense, your future might not be so pleasing.”
Pictures of happy times flashed through her mind. Setting her jaw as she gazed at him, she kept her voice strong. “I have no regrets.”
“So you say.” He paused. “But those times are past, and now you must face the future. How do you think you shall do that?”
Unable to answer, Lavonia swallowed.
His voice brightened. “There is a solution to your dilemma.”
She looked into his eyes. “Yes?”
“Marriage.”
“Marriage?”
“Of course.” He looked down his nose. “Surely you have contemplated marriage.”
“I have not.”
“Then you would do well to reconsider.”
I dare not tell Uncle Joseph betrothal is not in my plans. How can it be, when I promised Mama I would be a missionary? Or perhaps I should tell him, so he will know how important it is for me to secure money for my trip to America. Rising from her seat, Lavonia opened her lips to speak but his firm expression made her change her mind. No, I cannot say anything. Anyone who looks down on Father’s compassion would never understand our faith.
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