The Visitor 1862

by Barbara Svetlick

  “Dominic stop!” Garnett threw him up against the table and he had to grab James to stop from falling over.

  “Please, the doctor said to get you.” He was grasping for air. “They’re all dead.”

  Mirisa reached the porch as he was saying it and she let out a gasp that caught them all off guard.

  “Judge can you stay at the house.” He didn’t wait for a response but instead ran into the house and strapped on his gun. His stable boy saddled his horse and brought him around front. Mirisa stood there unable to move until Mrs. Chauvin escorted her back into the house. They sat her down in front of the fire in the library and the Judge poured her a sherry to calm her down before he went out and spoke to the young boy.

  “You go down to Sheriff Katts and tell him what happened then go to my house and tell my wife that I’ll be home late.” The boy nodded and then left in the opposite direction at a gallop.

  Mirisa curled her legs under her and Mrs. Chauvin placed a blanket over her lap because she was still shaking. She tried to talk her into going up to her room but she wouldn’t leave the library.

  They could see the carriage upside down on the side of the bank. Mr. Covington was there with Dr. Robbins and his wife. Dominic jumped off his horse but the doctor stepped in front of him and shook his head. He cursed and turned away. James walked over and looked under the blanket that they had laid over her. Dr. Robbins walked up behind him. “She died instantly. Broke her neck when the carriage turned over.” The doctor knew better then to try to consol Dominic.

  “Dominic, the driver was shot in the back. I will only assume he was trying to outrun them when they shot him. We had to put both of the horses down when we first found the carriage. I am sorry.” Mr. Covington was the local pastor and frequently traveled to and from visits with the doctor and his wife.

  “Did anyone see anything?” He didn’t know how in the world he would tell his brother.

  “No, we haven’t found any witnesses but I found this near the carriage.” He held up a triple border strap with a relatively small silver eagle incorporating sequins into the design of the wing. It signified a colonel in the U.S. Army. “It appears to have ripped off when someone was reaching into the carriage.”

  Garnett knew instantly that he would not stop until Jacob was dead. Dominic looked at it, placed it in his pocket and walked toward his horse. They asked the doctor if he would wait for the Sheriff and they mounted their horses and left with Dominic. They went down a small road that forked right before the carriage turned over. Dominic dismounted and squatted on the ground. He got up and walked for about 100 yards then mounted again and turned into the woods. The trail was easy to follow because the underbrush was thick and they were in a hurry. They reached a small creek where the trail ended. Dominic’s horse danced in a circle as he looked for the trail on the other side.

  “You two head up river and Garnett and I will head west. One shot if you find anything.” They split and slowly worked the creek which was shallow but filled with large rocks and holes that was hazardous for the horses. After about twenty minutes, James and Meeks found tracks from three horses and followed them as they crossed the creek several times heading toward the town. They finally came out below the Plantation and knew once they hit the road it would be impossible to track them. Sheriff Katts was coming south followed by five or six men. He pulled up to speak to them.

  “What happened?”

  “The doctor said that the driver was shot in the back and when the carriage rolled over it killed the footmen and Suzanna. The armed escort was shot first but didn’t survive. His gun was empty and there was blood on the roadway so we think someone was hit.”

  “Where’s Dominic?”

  “He’s tracking the other riders. We tracked three to the road then lost them. The doctor found a Union patch near the carriage so we’re assuming either it was soldiers or they came along afterwards. But one would assume if they came upon it, they would have taken the time to notify someone.”

  “Damn. Three of Smith’s unit came into town and their horses were lathered from being rode hard.” He turned to his men. “Go find those soldiers and lock them up until I get back and I don’t care what they say. And if they resist, shoot them.” Sheriff Katts was as hard ass as you got and had served in the Army for many years as a Captain before coming home and running for Sheriff. He would rather hit you upside the head and ask questions later.

  “We’re heading to the house to relieve the Judge so he can head home.”

  “Okay, come on boys.”

  “Sheriff?” The sheriff reined his horse and turned back to James. “Be careful, he’s a bad one.”

  The sheriff turned and headed for the bog. He met up with Garnett and Dominic near the river. They stopped and talked a minute then Dominic handed him the insignia for evidence. Even though they followed the trail toward the river, everyone knew that too much time had passed from the time the carriage left until it was discovered.

  “Dominic, I have the bloodhounds coming but you know it will be difficult to track them. Go take care of arrangements for your niece. There’s nothing else you can do out here tonight.”

  Dominic asked Garnett to go back to the house and he would take care of things in town. He looked so bad that Garnett thought he should go home but knew that Dominic would not let anyone else handle his responsibilities. They parted near the road to the Plantation as Garnett turned in to the house. When he entered the house Judge, Meeks and James were standing in the foyer talking quietly so that Mirisa would not overhear the conversation.

  James was standing with his hand resting on the butt of his gun which was slung low on his hip. His disdain for Colonel Smith was probably stronger than the others. “Did you find the other two?”

  “No, the trail was too cold but one of the horses threw a shoe.”

  “Where’s Dominic?”

  “Taking care of getting her home to her parents.”

  Mirisa stood behind them with tears quietly streaming down her face. Garnett walked up to her without thinking and took her in his arms as she sobbed. The Judge found it interesting that such a young woman had the ability to take so many hardened grown men instantly under her wiles. If her father had any idea what he had done by sending her here, he would probably abandon his post and shoot them all. Mrs. Chauvin gently took her by the arm and quietly led her up the stairs and had Jasmine put her to bed. Time was running out so fast. Simone’ curled up under her knees but never closed his eyes.

  “Mirisa.” The voice was soft but in the distance.

  “I don’t want to listen anymore. I can’t do this, I can’t.”

  “Mirisa, there is no one else. You know you must do this.”

  She sat up in bed and he sat on the edge looking at her. His face was always so peaceful and his voice soft but his eyes were what she loved the most. “Conrad?”

  “Yes, Mirisa.”

  “Why am I here?”

  “You know why you are here.”

  “I don’t know. I’m so confused and everything right now hurts.” She reached up but he was gone.

  THE MORNING was overcast with threats of storms coming from the South. It was quiet as the sun started to break over the horizon and the geese flew low over the river seeking shelter. Mirisa was curled up on the porch with her quilt wrapped around her protectively. She had a very restless night of dreams and nightmares but it was reality that she was having trouble accepting.

  She wiped away a tear as her guilt ate at her for the way she had thought about Suzanna but mostly she was very afraid for she knew they believed Colonel Smith had killed Suzanna. She remembered his words to Suzanna after the ball and wondered if all along he was plotting her death. She didn’t like knowing there were people who believed life was worthless and she didn’t like knowing that death was so omnipresent.

  Mirisa was the last child and came into the world on Christmas morning. Her father brought her down before Christmas dinner to introduce her not
only to her five brothers but the many friends and family who had come for the holidays. She was so small in her father’s arms and he told everyone that she was the best present a father could ever have on Christmas day.

  Thomas, the oldest of the boys, looked down at her then up at his father. “What is his name?” That caused laughter through the room as his father put his arm around his son.

  “This is your sister.”

  “But what is his name?”

  Charlie walked over to see her. He thought when the triplets came along that it was great until they started crawling and getting into his things. “Can I hold her Pappa?”

  “No Charlie, she’s too little right now.”

  “Can I name her?”

  “She’s not a kitten or rabbit. I think your mother will name her later.”

  “I think we should name her.” He kissed her little fingers then went back to play with his rabbit.

  Her life had been filled with boys and all that went with them. The fighting, pranks, the protectiveness, teasing and the love. They allowed her no leeway and there wasn’t a moment in her life that they didn’t tell her what she should or should not do. Charlie was probably the most protective of her but he was also the kindest of her brothers. She missed him terribly after he married and moved north to raise horses with Thomas.

  She knew the three youngest brothers were near her father and for the first time she had a knot in her stomach knowing that she could lose them as fast as Suzanna was lost. She was teetering on depression which was unfamiliar to her and she knew that she needed someone to protect her from the pain but no one was there.

  Mirisa got up and put on a simple dark dress. She didn’t have the energy to do much but thought it was necessary to pay her respects even if she would not be going to New Orleans. She closed the door quietly and descended the stairs hoping to delay seeing Dominic. She didn’t know what to say or what to do.

  Garnett was standing on the veranda with a cup of coffee in his hand just staring out over the river. The clouds were starting to build and the thunder could be heard in the distance. Sometimes he missed his years in the Calvary and the beauty of the West. It was so raw that it kept the adrenaline always pumping in your veins. Some of the best years were when they rode as friends and soldiers. He had been raised as an only child so never had the opportunity to know a close bond until he met Dominic, James and Meeks. They kept his life together after the accident that took his wife. They never asked questions or offered unsolicited advice. They were there and that was enough.

  “Good morning.” He turned around at the sound of her voice and was taken back at how beautiful someone could look despite the small circles under her eyes. Her hair was tied back but softly framed the hollows of her cheeks. Her voice alone stirred deep emotions in him.

  “Good morning.” He struggled with wanting to take her in his arms and wanting to kiss her sweet face. He hadn’t felt this strongly about a woman since his wife’s death. Two women nothing alike, two women who would change the direction of his life, and two women who would permanently scar his heart. He so badly just wanted to comfort her. Instead, he stood there with his heart in his hands and she could have it just by asking.

  Dominic came out behind her but didn’t address her at all. Garnett saw the flicker of hurt in her eyes as she went down the steps away from them and he knew she would be crying. He looked at Dominic who showed no emotion other then knowing he had hurt her when he should be comforting her. Garnett had never in his life wanted to hit someone as much as he did that very second.

  “The wagon will be here in a few minutes. I have put several men on guard around the property and instructed Mrs. Chauvin.” He paused but Garnett did not respond.

  Garnett put his cup down and walked back through the foyer leaving Dominic alone on the veranda. Dominic knew his friend had no idea how transparent his love was for her. He looked across the garden as she walked slowly along the wall. He couldn’t comfort others when the guilt was eating at him. He had been responsible for Jacob knowing she was heading to New Orleans. In hindsight, it was his carelessness that caused her death.

  The wagon stopped on the roadway but James and Meeks rode down to the house and started to dismount when Garnett came out of the house and mounted his horse without acknowledging them. They both stood there watching him ride toward the road when Dominic came out. It was obvious from the look on his face that it would be a tense trip to New Orleans. They all mounted and Dominic and James took the lead while Meeks and Garnett fell behind the wagon. The coffin was a simple wooden one but it was draped in a quilt that had belonged to her grandmother.

  Mirisa stood at the corner of the garden and watched as they left. She didn’t know that love could form so fast nor hurt so much and she asked God to just turn back time as the tears overcame her.

  THE STORM hit before noon the second day with a fury that she could only compare to the winter gales that came up the Chesapeake. The winds began to howl and the rain seemed to come in bands as it was driven sideways obscuring the view of the river. The moss that hung from the large trees was shredded as large branches cracked from the barrage of power. She jumped every time one gave way and hit the soggy ground or fell into the river. The picket fence around the cemetery was under water and several of the older magnolia trees were toppled. The staff had closed the house down against the elements with only the door and windows in the kitchen unshuttered allowing them to come and go as needed.

  Mirisa sat in front of the kitchen fireplace where she had been all morning. She had her journal on her lap and every once in a while would write something or draw a little picture but she didn’t invite company nor conversation. In fact, other than short responses she had not spoken to anyone though she seemed to need to be near others. The household accepted this change in her behavior for they had gone from a very quiet existence to turmoil in just a few days. Their loyalty to Dominic Lanfear was obvious but their love for Mirisa far outweighed that loyalty. Miss Minnie spent the morning working with the roots and herbs she had gathered taking great care to not allow anything to contaminate the recipe.

  The day wore heavy on everyone with sounds of shingles hitting the ground and trees groaning against the elements. The water continued to climb the banks getting closer and closer to the garden wall. The horses and livestock were moved away from the river as the wind took off part of the stable roof. Mrs. Chauvin informed Mirisa that they would put her in one of the second floor rooms since her chambers were more vulnerable. Mirisa sat on the edge of the small bed and looked around the room. Other than her room and the front parlors, the entire house was so masculine but she knew that no woman had lived in the Plantation since Dominic was born. She wondered if his mother ever got to hold him or if she died while birthing. She thought having no mother was a better choice than having one who caused upheaval through craziness. She had suppressed so many incidents but mostly she remembered the times when her father would lock her mother in her room to prevent her from harming herself or others and then other times she would appear to be so normal.

  After two days of unrelenting weather, the sun finally appeared and the house was opened back up. The staff talked about how very unusual it was to have a storm of that strength so late in the season. Everyone set about cleaning up the debris and fixing the damage to the house and stables. Mirisa put on her oldest work dress and apron before heading to the kitchen. Minnie was singing in French and Mirisa inquired as to the song since it was not the formal French she was taught.

  “Cajun my dear. I was raised in the backwaters of the bayou on my grannie’s knee. “Everything I know my grannie taught me.” They were alone in the kitchen as she rolled out dough so that they could feed the workers.

  “Are you French then?”

  “Oui’ I am a little bit French, a little bit of that Irish fella that came through and some Indian.” She laughed as she said it and continued. “Grannie lived in a big ole house up on the bog and you had to
use the flats boat to get to her. She was a healer and when I was born she said I would be a healer after her. My momma ran off when I was a young’un and I never knew a daddy.”

  “A healer? My father spends days like you making medicines with herbs and roots. I think that maybe that’s why I am happiest in your kitchen.”

  “The Lord made everything a body would need right here but you need to know what is good and what is bad.”

  “I believe you use more things than my father.”

  “You never speak of your mother. Not that I find that odd because I don’t ‘member mine but you seem to hold in a lot. You struggle mightily.”

  Mirisa began to cut out the biscuits as Miss Minnie washed her hands and put the large bowl in the sink. “My mother was…everyone said she was touched..and she got worst after me.”

  “Happens. Yes it does but it is not the child that makes it happen, just the body that can’t seem to come back from the changes. Never had any children but I have seen it happen and sometimes you can bring them back and sometimes the devil just seems to create havoc in their souls.”

  “They used to give her medicine and she would be fine then she wouldn’t. I think I believe that’s why my father sent me here. He knew he was going away and he was afraid to leave me alone with my mother. Though when I first came here I thought maybe I had her illness.”

  “You have done well here child and we have grown to love you immensely but if you don’t quit crying on those biscuits they’ll be too salty to eat.”

  Mirisa laughed and wiped her face with the apron and finished putting the biscuits in the Dutch oven swinging it over the fire. They sat in the kitchen for hours cooking and talking. Mirisa found her stories more wonderful then any book she had ever read and when Miss Minnie took out a small vial handing it to her she raised her eyebrows.

  “It is just a little something that will make you feel better. It has been a very bad week for everyone. Take a little with your tea and soon you will be feeling like your old self.”