Destinations

by Murray, Tamela Hancock

  You and no other. He wondered about the adolescent girl who had worn this ring, and the young man who had given it to her. “Such promise. The beauty of such a sentiment. If only my father had stood by his promise. How different my life would have been.” He sighed. “I shall never let a woman I love suffer.”

  A long-forgotten Bible verse popped into his head. “There-fore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

  At that moment he realized why he had wanted to contemplate the ring. For once, he had met a woman who deserved to wear it. How he wished he could give her the ring.

  He imagined Lavonia in his embrace as he buried his face in her deep brown hair, inhaling without inhibition the scent of roses that engulfed her being. For an eternity, he wanted to look into her eyes, as blue as any artist’s fanciful rendition of the Thames River. He wished he could touch her skin—it brought to mind the smooth cream he poured over fresh strawberries, the color of her lips.

  William didn’t want to indulge in his fantasy, but he was certain that Lavonia too was as affected by his presence as he was hers. When they were together, he saw interest in her eyes, noticed the tension in her body. If her unspoken reaction had not been proof to satisfy, Helen’s admonishment at Lavonia’s verbal sparring demonstrated well her response to him.

  But Helen’s chastisement also showed William that Lavonia’s cousin did not sanction a future between them. William knew all too well how difficult her disapproval would be to conquer. Yet he knew he could, in time. His own mistake would be more difficult to surmount. His assessment of Katherine’s ailment had angered Lavonia, and she had not bothered to conceal her feelings.

  “Why did I choose to be honest?” he mused. “And what was my reward? To be labeled a charlatan.”

  William indulged in a smile. “I wonder if that is what she really thinks of me? She seemed a bit less frosty at the noon meal, at least until her uncle arrived.”

  William felt the smile melt from his face. “Lavonia seemed to like Joseph even less than I do. I wonder why.”

  He was well aware of the source of Joseph’s animosity toward him. Thinking back to another time and circumstance, William remembered a pretty blonde who had once anticipated becoming Mrs. Joseph Penn.

  ❧

  “You are looking especially well today, Miss Hawthorne. You are proving to be a fine muse.”

  Rather than being flattered, his subject huffed, raising her nose heavenward. “Must I remind you I am engaged? I am here to have my portrait painted, not to become your paramour.”

  William could not conceal his surprise upon hearing such an accusation. “I beg your pardon. My sentiment was not expressed with such intent.”

  “So you say.” Susanna repositioned herself in the stiff chair. “You would do well to remember that my fiancО is paying for the picture you paint. I have no need to tell you he is the richest man in the province. As Mrs. Joseph Penn, I shall be well situated.” Her gray eyes narrowed. “I need not the attentions of a struggling artist, no matter how he might flatter me with words and a pleasing portrait.”

  Pretending to ignore her tirade, William touched the brush to a fold in the green dress on the canvas and listened to her argument. Though Susanna was a skilled actress, the tiniest bit of regret in her voice portrayed that she was not as ecstatic about her engagement as her words indicated. “So you meet your wedding day with great anticipation?” He lifted his eyes enough to catch a glimpse of doubt cross her face.

  “Indeed, I, I—” A tear streamed from her left eye. “I do not!” With that, she buried her face in her cupped hands and burst into tears. The sound of her sobbing rang throughout the studio. Her shoulders shook with emotion.

  Seeing her distress, William dropped his brush and ran to her side. Kneeling beside the chair, he withdrew a kerchief from his pocket and handed it to the weeping woman. “I beg your pardon. A thousand times, I beg your pardon. I never meant to force a confidence from you.”

  His apology seemed to calm her. She blew her nose into the kerchief with a zeal he was unaccustomed to seeing in a lady, an act that resulted in loud honking sounds reminiscent of a flock of geese. “I have spent so much time with you, Dr. Amory. Or might I call you ‘William’?” She didn’t wait for his reply. “I have heard such things. Such awful things.”

  William’s heart felt as though it was sinking in his chest. He had heard about Joseph Penn and his sly business dealings. Could it be that Susanna had heard about them as well? Aloud he asked, “What have you heard?”

  “Oh, it is just awful!” A fresh wave of sobs ensued. Between gasps, she asked, “How can I marry someone so dishonest?”

  Before he could answer, she threw herself upon his chest, not waiting for a verbal invitation or for him to extend his arms for an embrace. Helpless to arise since he was still on his knees, William was trapped. There was nothing he could do when he heard the door to his studio open. His unexpected visitor had not bothered to knock, but had burst in and was surveying the studio.

  “I say! What have we here?”

  Susanna seemed oblivious to how they must have looked, since she made no attempt to release her embrace. Gently taking her arms from around himself, William placed them in her lap and rose to his feet. The man he faced was a fellow boarder. “We have nothing here, Samuel. At least nothing that is of your concern.”

  “Nothin’? It seemed to be somethin’, what with the lady sobbin’ and all that. You can hear her carryin’ on all the way to the front stoop, you can.” His voice was slurred, the result of too many pints of lager.

  “I beg your pardon for the disturbance. But as you can see, she is quite all right.” He looked at Susanna, who gave a vigorous nod in agreement.

  Their assurances did little to appease their accuser. The portly man had a glimmer in his eye. “Looks like you’re doin’ a little more than paintin’ here, that’s what I say. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when Mr. Penn finds out about this. That I wouldn’t.” He let out an evil laugh before making a hasty departure, slamming the door behind him.

  Samuel’s prophecy proved true, in no small part because he spread the word about what he thought he had seen among those who frequented the local tavern.

  ❧

  “How wrong he was!” William mused, bringing himself back to the present. “Yet I am paying for the gossip and innuendo, even now.” He felt sorry for Joseph Penn—the man had obviously suffered much since that difficult time. William didn’t blame him for his ill will toward him. He imagined he would feel much the same given the elder Penn’s circumstances.

  William let out a sigh. Joseph Penn had no way of knowing how much closer William had come to God since then. There was a good reason for William’s change of heart and of attitude.

  For the Lord had saved William’s life.

  seven

  “Good morning, Dr. Amory.” Having stopped midway in her descent of the curved mahogany staircase on the left side of the Syms’ foyer, Lavonia was in the perfect position for William to observe her.

  She was even more lovely than he remembered. Her beauty seemed a phantasm of his most elaborate imaginings. Dark ringlets framed her face in a fashionable coiffure that complemented her delicate features. Her high-necked morning dress was styled in a manner he had not seen in several years, yet it accentuated her form, its lavender hue contrasting with her blue eyes, reminding him of blue and purple pansies.

  He managed to sound professional with a mere, “Good morning, Miss Penn.”

  Lavonia gave a nod of dismissal to the maid who had answered the door. The girl exited and Lavonia descended the rest of the stairs. “I was wondering when you might call upon Katherine again.”

  Could this mean she wanted to see me again?

  Despite his hopes, William was not ready to reveal his emotions just yet. “Were you? I feared I should not return at all, since you seemed so apprehensive about entrusting your sister’s care to
that of a charlatan.”

  To his satisfaction, Lavonia’s face flushed an enchanting shade of red. “Having taken time since then to contemplate your diagnosis, Doctor, I now perceive that perhaps your opinion is justified.”

  William’s eyebrows rose, only this time in surprise. “Is that so? Would you care to elaborate?”

  “No.” As if regretting her abrupt answer, Lavonia added, “I trust you are not offended that I am not taking you into my full confidence. I need not remind you that we have known each other only briefly.”

  “I am never one to force a confidence, Miss Penn. Although I hope you would not jeopardize the health of your sister, or of yourself, by keeping secrets.” William hoped his face did not betray his disappointment. He wished she would trust him, but he knew it probably was too soon in their friendship.

  “I do trust you, Dr. Amory.”

  Smiling, he gave her a nod. “I am glad to hear that.”

  “When I feel it would benefit all of us for me to share my observations, I shall not hesitate,” she said with a convincing smile.

  “I do hope my new patient is feeling better.”

  “Well enough to leave her bedchamber and to pursue her needlework once more.” Lavonia cocked her head toward the back of the house. “She is in the drawing room.”

  “Excellent. May I speak with her?”

  “But of course.” Walking toward the back of the house, Lavonia motioned for him to follow her.

  Transparent glass in the French doors revealed a different young woman than he had visited earlier in the week. Kath-erine was sitting in an overstuffed chair, embroidering pink flowers onto a kerchief. The peaceful look on her countenance suggested she had not a care in the world. The sound of Lavonia’s light footfalls brought her to attention.

  “Vonnie! Has the morning mail arrived? I do so hope there’s another letter from Aunt Amelia.”

  Lavonia shook her head. “You have a visitor.”

  Her eyes lit with obvious anticipation as she leapt from her chair, allowing her needlework to fall to the floor. Her gaze fell upon the doctor. “Oh. It is you, Dr. Amory.” The expectation drained from her voice.

  He nodded toward her. “Good morning, Miss Penn.”

  “Good morning.” She returned to her seat, her face reddening as she retrieved the fallen needlework.

  “I am pleased to see you are feeling well enough to be up.”

  Katherine put her hand to her forehead in an affected motion. “Oui. But it is such a strain to be out of bed. I am feeling quite weak this morning.”

  “Really, Kitty?” Lavonia’s voice indicated a combination of concern and surprise. “That is not what you have been reporting to me.”

  “Oh, dear Vonnie, I have indeed been feeling exceedingly poorly. My head has been aching every day, though not as much as it was the day Dr. Amory saw me before.”

  “Why did you not tell me?”

  Katherine shot Lavonia a look that was enough to induce guilt in a saint. “I have been so very much trouble for you already, I did not wish to cause you, or Helen and Luke, who have been so very kind to me, further anxiety.”

  “How considerate of you,” William couldn’t resist observing.

  Katherine focused her gaze on him. “It has been so very long since you have come to call on me, Doctor. I surmised you had forgotten all about me and my illness.”

  “Au contraire, Miss Penn. I would have gladly called upon you, but I have been on business in London. I returned only last night.”

  “I hope you will not be on business too long in the future.” Placing a hand on her chest, she explained, “I never know when a spell might come on.”

  “I assure you, I shall do what I can to ease your pain.”

  “I thank you,” Katherine said in a withering voice.

  Ignoring her implied dismissal, William chose to give his patient some sound advice. “You might discover your head will feel better if you keep yourself out of drafts.”

  “This room is hardly drafty, Doctor,” Katherine argued. “How can it be, now that spring has arrived?”

  “There is still a bit of breeze circulating through the house, whether or not you notice it. And the spring air is cool enough to require you to be prudent. A precaution you might take is to cover your shoulders with a shawl, particularly when you choose to wear a dress that does not cover the neck and barely conceals the shoulders.”

  “I shall thank you to keep your observations to yourself,” Katherine snapped.

  Lavonia turned to William. “I beg pardon for my sister’s sour humor. I suppose by now you are quite aware that her headaches cause her to suffer from an ill disposition as well as physical pain.”

  “That is quite all right. As a doctor, I rarely see a patient at his—or her—best.”

  At that moment, a white longhaired cat leapt onto Kathe-rine’s lap. “Out of here, you beast! You’ll ruin my needlework!” With an abrupt motion, she picked up the offending creature by the scruff of the neck and tossed it aside, where it landed on the floor on all fours then dashed out of the room.

  “I see your sister is fond of pets,” William observed to Lavonia.

  Lavonia’s mouth curled into a knowing grin. “Quite fond, indeed.”

  At that moment, Katherine let out a series of sneezes. Lavonia acted quickly to hand her a kerchief.

  “Does she sneeze like that often?”

  “I never noticed Katherine experiencing sneezing fits before we arrived here.”

  William thought for a moment. “You have never lived with a household pet?”

  “No. Mama was not markedly enthusiastic about animals.”

  “Have Katherine’s headaches increased since she arrived here?”

  “Come to think of it, they have.” Lavonia nodded.

  “Then I surmise she should not be residing with an indoor cat.”

  By this time, Katherine had recovered enough from her sneezing to speak. “Dr. Amory, I would thank you to interview me rather than my sister about my condition. It is I, rather than she, who is your patient.”

  “I beg your pardon, Miss Penn.”

  “I will have you to know that Snowball has nothing to do with my headaches, if that is what you are implying,” she objected. “I like it here, and I am not leaving until I must.”

  “I implied nothing of the sort,” William assured her. “I am merely suggesting that if one sneezes when near a creature, then perhaps one should avoid contact with it. And from what I have seen, that would not be a regrettable course of action from your viewpoint.”

  Katherine’s eyes narrowed. “If you are quite through with your visit, Dr. Amory, I would like to wish you a good day.”

  “And a good day to you, Miss Penn.” William tried to keep his voice pleasant, no small feat considering Katherine’s rancorous temper.

  “I shall see the doctor to the door,” Lavonia informed Katherine.

  “To discuss me, no doubt.”

  “No doubt.”

  When they were beyond earshot of the drawing room, Lavonia asked, “Do you have any advice for me, Dr. Amory?”

  “Yes. Encourage any suitor who might present himself. The prospect of romance might be just the thing to improve her temper.” He flashed her a smile to indicate he was only half serious.

  Lavonia let out a pleasant giggle. “Perhaps. Do you think her headaches would disappear as well?”

  William turned serious. “That is hard to say.”

  “You do believe she suffers from headaches?”

  “Yes. But I noticed their extent and severity ebbs and flows according to how pleased she is with her present circumstances.”

  “For example?”

  “Did you not notice how serene she looked while she was alone, doing her needlework? It was only when she saw us that she became pale and started to complain.”

  “But even you admitted she really does suffer,” Lavonia pointed out. “Is there nothing you can do for her?”

  “He
r circumstances can be controlled to a degree. And as you heard me caution her, she must stay out of drafts and away from the cat. But beyond giving her that advice, there may not be much I can do.”

  “If only something could be done. I hate to see her suffer.”

  Studying Lavonia’s face and the hurt in her expression, William remembered afresh why he was attracted to Lavonia for more than her physical beauty. Her compassion and concern for others, plus her strong spirit, drew him to her.

  “I regret I cannot linger, Dr. Amory,” Lavonia said, snapping him back to the present. “I promised I would appear at the church at ten this morning to help roll bandages for the hospital. I shall be late if I tarry.”

  For the first time, he noticed she had been carrying a shawl in the crook of her arm. He was comforted to realize she was not feigning a reason to depart.

  “I wish I were not visiting my patients this morning, so I could help as well.”

  “I wish you could, too.” As she looked into his eyes, her expression revealed she would welcome his presence beyond providing an extra pair of hands.

  Without words, William swept toward her and extended his hands for her shawl so he could assist her in wrapping the garment around her shoulders. Though she complied by surrendering the wrap, crocheted in lavender wool, he stopped in mid motion.

  As soon as Lavonia noticed, she asked, “Is something amiss, Dr. Amory?”

  “No. I mean, yes.” Stammering was so unlike him, he felt like a schoolboy.

  Her face softened from mild alarm to a look of amusement. “Do tell.”

  William looked about the drafty foyer, which at once managed to be both massive and practical, much too practical for his mission. “Might I ask you into the parlor?”

  Lavonia’s eyes moved leftward, long enough to note the time on the grandfather clock. She seemed to debate the merits of staying versus attending her church meeting on time. To his pleasure, she decided to stay. “All right.”