The Daughters of Winston Barnett

by Dara Girard

  A voice she'd been waiting to hear.

  Chapter 36

  Janet spun around so quickly that her drink splashed to the ground and onto his shoes. "I'm so sorry."

  Frederick stopped her before she bent down to clean it up. "It's okay."

  "But—"

  He motioned to a waiter who immediately came towards them with a cloth. "Never mind, they'll clean it up."

  "So much for trying to look sophisticated," Janet said rueful. "Please take this," she said once the waiter had cleaned up the mess. "I haven't even taken a sip and I'm already clumsy." She smiled at Frederick. He looked like African royalty in a dark blue brocade two-piece traditional outfit, and a small hand woven, embroidered cap. She then noticed the young woman standing beside him.

  She was nearly as tall as Frederick and for a moment made Janet feel as if she'd entered the land of giants. The young woman wore an elegant floor length, layered outfit, made out of exquisite white lace, and an elaborate gold damask headdress. Janet knew who she was before Frederick introduced her.

  "This is my sister Elani."

  She wasn't as physically stunning as her brother but she had nice eyes and pretty features, but her mouth turned down at the corners as if she were bored. She didn't appear like the successful, talented artist she was.

  Janet didn't know what to say to her so she decided to make light of their awkward meeting. "So have I disappointed you or convinced you of everything your brother has told you about me? Never mind," she said when Elani looked confused. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Janet extended her hand.

  "No, the pleasure is all mine," Elani said giving her a firm handshake.

  Frederick said, "I'll leave you two to get to know each other," then left.

  Janet resisted the urge to call him back. She didn't know what she would say to this pretty, quiet person. But she didn't need to worry. Once Frederick had gone, Elani looped her arm through Janet's, as though they were best friends and said, "I've been waiting for this day for months. My brother has told me so much about you."

  "So you know all my faults."

  "Oh no," Elani said horrified. "He's always telling me how accomplished you are. How talented you are and kind."

  "He was exaggerating."

  "Impossible. Frederick never exaggerates. When he says something about someone he means it." She continued before Janet could protest. "I'm so glad you're here. I rarely get to talk to other artists. Or people who will be honest with me, but I want to know your opinion. What do you really think of this?" She pointed to a large, wood sculpture.

  Janet shook her head. "That's the wrong question to ask anyone. The most important opinion is your own. Did you achieve what you wanted?"

  "I'd hoped for a smoother line here." She indicated where with her pinkie.

  "Then you'll do better next time. Never leave yourself open to criticism. At this level people will pay you for your mistakes."

  Elani laughed. "I never thought of that. Frederick was right. You're brilliant."

  "Not quite," Janet said, but Elani didn't listen and didn't allow Janet to leave her side the rest of the evening. She introduced Janet to her agent, other acquaintances, pointed out the critics and a couple she'd done a commissioned work for then they talked about art until the event ended. Before leaving, Elani invited Janet and her aunt and uncle for lunch. They scheduled to meet later that week.

  In the car on the way home, Mrs. Perry raved about how wonderful the event was. "And that Durand was nothing like you described in your emails, Janet. He was warm, considerate, and attentive."

  "You met him?" Janet asked. "When?"

  Her uncle looked at her through the rearview mirror. "He introduced himself to us."

  "Sought us out," Mrs. Perry said evidently pleased.

  "I wonder how he knew," Janet said hoping they hadn't embarrassed her in some way. Had their clothes or behavior given them away?

  "He said he saw the family resemblance," Mrs. Perry said. She lifted her chin with pride. "He said the moment he saw me he thought he was looking at a prettier image of your mother."

  Janet smothered a laugh by coughing; her uncle loudly cleared his throat.

  "Naturally, he doesn't have the West Indian charm of Wilcox, but he's African and can't help that somewhat cool demeanor of his."

  "You know about Wilcox?" Janet said.

  "Of course, have you forgotten your emails to us?"

  "Apparently," Janet said wishing she hadn't been so prodigious with her correspondence.

  "I didn't find his demeanor cool," Dr. Perry said in Frederick's defense. "A bit reserved, but I didn't find it offensive at all."

  His wife nodded. "True. He is handsome, not as handsome as Wilcox, but that's only because he doesn't smile as much or have Wilcox's pleasing manner."

  Janet remembered the picture she'd sent of Russell with regret.

  Mrs. Perry lowered her visor and looked in the mirror. "I'm glad you changed your mind about him, Janet. All evening I couldn't find one reason to dislike him as much as you do."

  "Did," Janet corrected.

  "And now we get to dine with a famous artist! What a treat!"

  * * *

  Karen was happy the evening was over. She sat in her brother's rental car annoyed by how Janet had ruined her evening. She'd been able to convince Jeffrey that the announcement had been a mistake. Because he was quick to forgive, he instantly accepted her apology and decided to forget the incident. But Karen hadn't liked how Elani gushed to Frederick about Janet or how happy he was to hear her being praised by his beloved sister.

  She looked at Tanya. "Did you notice that Janet was wearing the same dress she wore to Valerie's wedding?"

  "No, I think—ow!" She cried when Karen pinched her. She rubbed her thigh. "I mean yes."

  "You can tell it's old because it looks like she hemmed the sleeve. That's what happens when you wear old dresses."

  "I thought she looked great," Jeffrey said.

  Frederick and Elani ignored her. Disappointed, Karen remained silent all the way home.

  * * *

  "So how are things back at Hamsford?" Jeffrey asked Janet. The group sat in a private booth Frederick had reserved for lunch.

  "Not much has changed. The most exciting thing in our lives was that Maxine and Trudy went away on a trip."

  "What a pity," Karen said. "The men of Hamsford will miss them."

  Janet ignored her remark.

  "Of course the women in Hamsford must be suffering more after the departure of a certain Jamaican artist with a surname beginning with 'W'. Too bad no one was able to convince him to stay," Karen said in a cool tone. She sipped her drink, unaware of the true impact of her words. She didn't see Elani's face pale from distress or Frederick's darken. She didn't know about their dealings with Russell and had mentioned his name deliberately to remind everyone of Janet's crush.

  To Janet's surprise Tanya came to her rescue—by design or accident, she didn't know—by mentioning the name of a different artist whose last name began with W who'd briefly visited the area. She announced how much she liked his work. Jeffrey jumped in referring to an architect with the same surname and Dr. Perry cheerfully shared that he'd also worked with a man with the exact surname. They all laughed at the coincidence.

  To Karen's disappointment and Janet's triumph, the conversation went in a different direction than she had intended. Aside from that brief awkward moment everyone-excluding Karen—had an enjoyable time. When Dr. Perry expressed interest in doing some bird watching, Jeffrey, who was an avid bird watcher, invited them to join him the next day for a full-day excursion visiting a Montreal wetland area, known for having a wonderful variety of species, followed by dinner at their hotel.

  Just as the conversation began to segue onto another topic, Dr. Perry received a call on his mobile and said that they had to go. Karen noticed the look of longing on Frederick's face as he watched Janet and her relatives leave and her sour mood worsened.

  "Do
esn't Janet look older to you, Tanya?" Tanya opened her mouth to reply, but Karen didn't let her finish. "It's amazing what a year can do. I don't know why she's considered one of the beauties of Hamsford I guess it's because the choice is so limited. Beverly is undisputedly beautiful but Janet is really just ordinary. Her face is too harsh. Her nose is too small, while her eyes are too big."

  She glanced at Frederick hoping to elicit a response but he continued to focus on his meal. She continued determined to get him to notice her, even if it meant tearing up the character of a woman she knew he liked. "And then there's her mind. Everyone thinks she's so smart, just because she went to college, but we know that Hamsford's standards aren't very high." Karen laughed.

  Jeffrey frowned. "Karen—"

  She pointed at Frederick. "I'll never forget how you described her after that odious engagement party when everyone was praising Janet. You said, "If she's their definition of class and beauty then the entire lot had enough brain cells to fill a thimble." She laughed cheered that she'd remembered his insult so clearly.

  Frederick set down his utensils in a sharp angry motion and stared at her with a piercing look that made her go cold. "Yes, I did say that. But now I think she's one of the most beautiful women I've ever known." He stood. "Excuse me," he said then left the table, leaving Karen to deal with the brief victory of getting him to notice her and the pain of having him break her heart.

  The next day Karen feigned illness and begged Tanya to look after her. She pleaded with Jeffrey to reschedule the outing he had planned because she didn't want to miss out on the fun. However, when her illness continued into the following two days, Frederick and Elani decided to treat Janet and her aunt and uncle to a fancy dinner cruise on the St. Lawrence River. They scheduled to pick them up early that evening.

  Even though she knew Frederick didn't plan to stay, Mrs. Perry wanted to have everything ready for him. She went shopping for whatever food or drink he might request, just in case they stopped by the house after the cruise. She also asked her husband to go with her to buy several bottles of select wine. They left, but not before instructing Janet to make sure the house was spotless when he arrived. Janet was plumping up the pillows when the phone rang. She noticed the number and picked up. "Hello?"

  "You need to come home immediately," Beverly said without preamble.

  "Why?"

  "Maxine's run away."

  Janet gripped the phone. "What do you mean?"

  "The day before she and Trudy were supposed to return from the school trip she disappeared. No one could account for her. At first we thought she must have been kidnapped but then Trudy told us the truth. Maxine's run off with Russell Wilcox."

  Janet fell into the couch, shriveling inside. "What? How?"

  "She slipped away at one of the rest stops. Trudy told us that Maxine has been emailing Wilcox for months. This is no coincidence. She told Trudy that they were eloping. I'd hoped it was a mistake, but a student on the trip admitted seeing them together before Maxine disappeared. We think that they have gone to Jamaica, but there's no sign that they're married."

  "No," Janet said feeling her chest tighten. "That can't be."

  "It's true. We've talked to people at the university and found out that his reputation was exactly as Durand said. I don't think he's going to marry her. Janet we have to find her. Daddy's gone to Jamaica to look." Beverly told her some more then said, "Please tell uncle to fly back with you as soon as you can. We need his help."

  "I'll see if we can get on a red eye flight tonight."

  "Good." Beverly hung up.

  Janet sat staring at the wall. Maxine was ruined. The sound of the doorbell made her jump. She struggled to compose herself then answered.

  "My God, what's wrong?" Frederick demanded when he saw her. He quickly softened his tone when she jerked back. "Sorry. I—you don't look well."

  She didn't feel well. Thoughts of Ramani loomed in her mind: She saw Ramani after the attack, Ramani returning to the dorm drunk, Ramani with the 'Beast'. The room started to spin and her skin felt cold. She lifted a shaky hand. "Forgive me, but I can't—" She took a step forward and collapsed.

  Frederick caught her before she hit the floor. He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the couch. He gently set her down then felt her forehead. "Where's your aunt or uncle?"

  "They're out."

  "Give me their number and I'll call them."

  "No, I'm fine really." Her voice broke. "I can't tell them this over the phone." She started to sit up but he stopped her.

  "Tell them what? What's wrong?"

  Janet clasped her hands together to stop them from trembling. "It's Maxine," she started, but that was all she could manage before she was wracked with tears.

  Frederick hesitated then drew her to him. She didn't resist. She cried as she hadn't since Ramani disappeared. She relived Mrs. Malik's despair and Mr. Malik's rage; her own mother's pain and her father's blame.

  Finally her tears subsided and she leaned against him taking comfort in his quiet strength. "I'm sorry," she said embarrassed by the wet stain she'd left on his shirt.

  "Tell me what happened."

  Janet wiped her eyes. "I just got a call from Beverly. Maxine has run off with Wilcox to Jamaica. They aren't married. You know what he's like and you know what he'll do, if he hasn't already done it. There's no reason for him to marry her. She's lost to us forever." She pounded her thigh with her fist. "This is all my fault! Again I've brought disgrace. When I think of what I could have done to prevent this. I should have exposed him. I knew the type of man he was. You told me about his past behavior, and to beware of him, and I didn't tell anyone. I burned the evidence of his true nature! This is my failing as much as Maxine's."

  Frederick turned away from her and said in a low voice. "Are you sure she's gone off with him?"

  "Positive. When my uncle comes back, we have to go home right away."

  "What's being done?"

  "My father has gone to Jamaica, and Beverly hopes my uncle can help him search. They've spoken to people at The Art Institute in Michigan, trying to see if they could get a forwarding address, but didn't get one."

  "Damn." Frederick stood when he heard a car drive up outside. "I'll tell Elani that you can't make it today."

  Janet jumped to her feet. "Please don't tell her the reason."

  He gazed down at her, his eyes dark. "I won't tell a soul."

  Her shoulders slumped and she fell onto the couch, wishing his words could make her feel better. "Our shame will soon be exposed for all to see."

  He knelt in front of her. "You have to be strong. This will not defeat you. Everything will work out. Do you hear me?"

  She looked away.

  He held her hands. "Janet?"

  She faced him and looked into his tender gaze which mirrored the pain she felt. "Do you hear me?" he repeated.

  Her voice was hoarse. "Yes."

  He released her hand and turned when the front door opened. Her aunt and uncle stepped inside. "Durand, sorry we're late. Has—"

  He walked towards the door. "I have to leave. Janet has something to tell you."

  Mrs. Perry dropped her bags when she saw Janet's face and rushed to her. "Dear God who died?"

  Chapter 37

  "Si-gon-ya! Sigonya come quick!"

  Sigonya heard her brother's shout from outside and rolled her eyes. "What is it now!" She went to the screen door then stopped at the sight of the man coming up the path. She rushed back inside and nudged her Aunty who was sewing by the window. "Aunty. He's back. Frederick's here."

  For the first time in years, Hattie Seabright's eyes lit up. "He's here?"

  Sigonya nodded.

  Hattie ran to the door as if she was a young girl of sixteen instead of a woman past seventy and she felt the pain of the past melt away. Her life as the housekeeper for the Durands had been perfect before the gang attack. After that, everything changed. She knew no one blamed her, but she still felt guilty that she h
adn't done more. Mrs. Durand had been like a sister to her and her institutionalization and death still hurt.

  Hattie kept busy on the property and was comfortable with the work Frederick had given her relatives and he'd sent postcards, letters and emails about his travels and work, but they all paled to seeing him again.

  For a moment she saw him as a boy of ten with a broken collar bone from falling out of a cocoa nut tree; at twelve sneaking food to a stray dog; at fifteen rushing off to play football with his friends. When Frederick reached the door Hattie hugged him as though he were still a little boy, although her head barely reached his shoulders.

  "It's been too long."

  "Big Mummy," he whispered, using his affection term for her.

  "I'm sure he's had a long trip Aunty," Errol said. "Let him come inside."

  Hattie brushed his suggestion aside. "In time." She looked up at Frederick, sensing something was wrong. "What brings you here?"

  His face was grim. "Wilcox."

  * * *

  Janet returned to a house in mourning. Her uncle had flown immediately to Jamaica to help with her father's search. Her aunt traveled to Hamsford with her. The weight of shame hit them the moment they entered. All the blinds were closed and no one spoke. They found Mrs. Barnett sitting motionless in the living room, staring at the wall. Beverly told them that she hadn't changed her clothes, bathed or left the house in days. She'd wailed the first two days after the news, but now she was too sad for tears.

  When she saw the face of her sister, Mrs. Barnett fell on her knees and both women began to wail. After several minutes of weeping, Bernice spoke to her sister in hushed tones and was able to convince her to go upstairs and rest. Four days later Mr. Barnett returned home and—without a word—went straight to his study where he stayed the entire day into the next morning. He didn't need to come out. There was a half bath off his study, and he refused to eat. All they heard were his prayers, his cries and the sound of Elvis singing.