The Fledgling

by Jeanie P Johnson

  Mr. Giller smiled, bowed his head, and then turned towards the room where Connor was. I went down the stairs, but when I looked up, Mr. Giller was still watching me, as he walked slowly in the direction of Connor’s room, since the upper hall over looked the entrance hall below, and he could still see me descending the stairs. When he saw me looking up, he gave me a little wave, and smiled, so I waved back.

  I brought the bowl of broth up the stairs, once the cook had made it for me, and headed for Connor’s door. When I approached, the door was ajar, and I could hear Mr. Giller and Connor talking so I paused, so as not to disturb them, until they were through with their conversation.

  “I agree,” Connor was saying. “Floriana is going to grow up into a beautiful woman, but she is very headstrong, and independent.”

  “I am not looking for some timid wall flower. You know I want more than just a companion. I want someone who will keep me interested, and alert. I hope you have put in a good word for me.”

  “Yes, but I have to warn you. You must go slowly. It may be years before Floriana feels confident enough to take on a husband. She is still a child, regardless of the way she pretends to be an adult. Besides, she does not trust men. I am surprised she even trusts me.”

  “I have to admit, she excites me, more than any other woman, or girl I have ever met. When you asked me to help you with that charade, at Heather Ridge House, and learned it was her idea, I was rather impressed, not only with her wit, but her strength to get revenge for how she was treated by her Godfather.”

  “Which was almost the death of me,” Connor mumbled. “I worry about her, Giller. No telling what she will do, once she takes over Heather Ridge House. I can’t be with her all the time to keep an eye on her. You need to help me on that account, and keep her out of trouble.”

  “I would love to keep an eye on her,” Mr. Giller replied.

  “Good. But you need to return to Heather Ridge House, and collect the daughter. Floriana wishes the girl to be brought here. She does have a conscience, and wants the best for the girl, unlike her own father, who has gambled away any chance his daughter could ever have for a suitable marriage.”

  “Floriana has a good heart and I like that,” Mr. Giller said. “Of course, I will go collect her, but not until you are up and about. How does your shoulder feel?”

  “I’m not as bad as everyone pretends me to be,” Connor half chuckled. “It feels stiff, and sore, but I am sure I will survive, with your help, and Floriana tending me.”

  “You really like her, don’t you?” Mr. Giller asked.

  “More than I expected. That is why she must be married to someone she loves and trusts, before I will feel content. She claims she never wants to marry, but her heart could dictate otherwise, if it was handled right.”

  “Yes. Love is the only way to change her tune,” Mr. Giller stated.

  “She is good friends with the brother of the girl Sheldon was betrothed to, but he is off to school soon, and a relationship has to be groomed and tended to, in order to grow into something more than just friendship. I doubt he would have the time to attend to her emotional needs, if he is away most of the time.”

  “But how are you going to persuade her to allow me to remain long enough to gain her trust and love, if possible?”

  “For now, you are here. She has to learn to trust you first. It is the most important thing, so be patient, my friend. I want the best for her even if she does not think I know what I am talking about.”

  I stood still. They were trying to plan my future, to suit Connor’s need to watch over me, and make sure I was cared for by someone other than himself, eventually. At least he wanted my happiness, but for him to plan to sway me into falling in love with the man he had chosen for me, irritated me for some reason. It just made me want to balk, no matter how much I had been attracted to Mr. Giller’s looks or character. But then, I reminded myself, I never planned to get married anyway, so what was I getting all worked up about?

  I cleared my throat, before pushing the door open, and bringing the broth in. I gave Connor a stern stare. “Are you ready to eat?” I asked sweetly.

  He nodded, and I sat down in the chair I had vacated earlier. “I told the groom to fetch your belongings from the inn,” I said to Mr. Giller, as he looked down on me, smiling. “Did Connor ask you about getting Chandra?” I asked.

  “He did, and I will tend to it as soon as Connor is feeling stronger, and I can safely leave to collect her.”

  “Thank you. That will make me feel better. Since you are here to watch over Connor, I thought, after I fed him, I would go visit Tamara and her brother for a few hours. I need to speak to their father, about her betrothal to Sheldon.”

  “Are you sure you wish to do so. Perhaps we could just talk to Sheldon, and tell him to keep clear of her,” Connor suggested.

  “No. She thinks she loves Sheldon. I need to talk to her, and then to her father, before we talk to Sheldon. There are things I need to discuss with her first, before I talk to her father. I am sure you understand,” I said, pointedly.

  “That will be fine. Take your maid with you, when you go,” Connor offered, and I nodded. Then I lifted the spoon to his mouth.

  He couldn’t wait to be rid of his responsibility of me, I fumed inside. But I would make him stay as long as possible, by never agreeing to marry anyone, until I became of age, and then Connor wouldn’t have to worry about me any longer, even if I wasn’t married, because I would show him, I could take care of myself without a husband, I vowed.

  He didn’t eat much, and I frowned at him, when he waved the bowl away. “How do you expect to get stronger, if you don’t eat?” I insisted.

  “Give me time,” he mumbled. “I’m tired. I want to sleep. Have Giller take you to the Bronson’s home. If I need something, I will ring for the housekeeper.”

  “The doctor said you would need a nurse,” I protested.

  “Don’t argue with me,” Connor said. “Go along. Since Mr. Giller will be with you, you won’t need your maid to accompany you.”

  I knew what he was up to, but there was no changing his mind, so I shrugged. “Very well, Mr. Giller. I guess I have no other choice.”

  “Call me Gill,” he said, with a smile, as he offered me his arm.

  “You can accompany me, but I need to talk to Tamara alone, so you will have to occupy yourself while I am busy.”

  The buggy was ordered, and Mr. Giller took the reins, while I gave him directions to Tamara’s home. I knew that Vance was anxious to learn about the card game, and what came of it. He would be leaving for school in a couple of weeks, and I realized I would miss him. I gave a sideways glance at Mr. Giller, and he smiled. He was very good looking, and his clothes were something to be admired, even if he did go a little overboard with the frills. But I knew, from what Connor had told me, that Mr. Giller was no fob, or real dandy. I was a little honored that he thought so highly of me, and thought I was interesting, and not like other girls he had met, but the thought of Connor trying to set me up to marry Mr. Giller made me rebel against even treating him less than indifferent.

  He talked a little, as we rode, but I merely nodded, or smiled, and he realized I was not in the mood for light conversation. I was hoping that I could talk Tamara out of wanting to marry Sheldon, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to go about it. I decided I would talk to Vance first, and see what he thought?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  I sat with Tamara in her room, trying to decide how to start the conversation. She sat, smiling at me, as she idly stroked Goliath on the head. The dog sat with his head in Tamara’s lap, enjoying the attention she was giving him. I felt nervous and unprepared. Tamara was my friend, but she had known Sheldon all her life, and I was afraid she would pick him over me, to believe.

  Her room was pink and frilly, with ruffled curtains at the window, and soft rugs on the floor. It suited her, I thought. I glanced up at her large eyes, as I sat in the Queen Ann chair, trying to build up my cour
age, as she patiently looked at me with those expectant eyes. I had already talked to Vance, and told him about Connor getting shot, and how I planned to bring Chandra to my home, and then eventually take over Heather Ridge House, and have Aldridge and Sheldon become my servants, if they wished to remain there. But he had been no help in suggesting what I should say to Tamara to make her refuse Sheldon, because he did not know the full story about me and Sheldon, and how much I knew about what had happened, where Tamara was concerned. Now I took in my breath, to begin.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked. It had been at least two months since she had taken the tests with Sheldon, and I was wondering if she had gotten a baby, or not? I had my own doubts about only getting one, if you used the missionary position, because when I explained it to Connor, he had laughed, telling me I was too gullible, and the fit test, as I put it, could bring on a baby, no matter what position was used. I was hoping he was wrong, though.

  “I feel all right, I guess,” she said softly. Just the way she said it, made me worry.

  “I have to tell you something,” I finally said, because I had to make sure she was not having a baby. “I was hiding in the wardrobe, the night Sheldon wanted to test you. I saw what he did, and heard what he said. That is why he locked me in the tower. He was angry at me for spying on him.”

  “That was a horrible thing for you to do,” Tamara wailed. Apparently, what Sheldon had done to me, didn’t seem to bother her as much as my being in his wardrobe. “What were you doing in his room hiding for?” she demanded.

  “Because he had been giving me several of those tests too. He said he wanted to marry me, and he didn’t even love you, but his father was making him marry you. He told me that once he touched me, he could not touch anyone else, that way. But then he was touching you!”

  “That is not true! We love each other. That was why he was touching me. I want to marry him. You are lying!”

  “Why would I lie?” I asked. “In the beginning, I though he loved me, but when I saw him with you, I knew he had either been lying to me, or he was lying to you. I was very angry and confronted him about it, so he locked me in the tower. He was going to keep me there to give me all the tests he wanted, even after he married you, he said.”

  “Why would he want to do that?” Tamara asked, in shock. “I don’t believe you!”

  “I don’t know. He treated me cruel, after that, so I know he didn’t love me, but I didn’t know if he loved you, or not. I worry about you. I know Sheldon can be mean sometimes, and if he really doesn’t love you, he may treat you cruel.”

  “He does love me. I wrote him a message, to tell him about our baby. I know he will want to marry me as soon as possible. Only I haven’t heard back from him yet.”

  “Does your father know?” I asked, discovering what I feared.

  “He would kill Sheldon, if he found out. It was agreed that we would wait until Sheldon was eighteen.”

  “At your birthday party, Sheldon tried to convince me that he still loved me. That he would always love me. I don’t think he loves you, Tamara. Only I don’t want him to love me either.”

  “But I am going to have his child. We have to get married. I just have to convince my father that I don’t want to wait any longer. I know he loves me. Why are you trying to pull us apart?”

  “Your father will know. You will have to tell him. It is the only way he will allow it, but I have to tell you something else.”

  “What?” she asked, with a pained look on her face. She knew it was not going to be good news.

  “Sheldon and his father no longer own Heather Ridge House. I do.”

  “What? I don’t understand?” she bellowed.

  “I bought up the mortgage. Aldridge lost all his money in a card game. I will be repossessing the place in a month or so. If you marry Sheldon, you will have to buy your own dwelling.”

  “But that was part of the betrothal! I brought the dowry, and Sheldon furnished the estate. The house has been in his family from the beginning of time. His father may be a gambler, but the family name is still respected.”

  “I am sorry, but I refuse to allow Sheldon or his father to reclaim Heather Ridge House. The only way I will permit them to remain there is if they are my servants. I plan to restore the place, and have them do their share of labor.”

  “That was to be done by me and Sheldon together! You are ruining everything!”

  “You do not know the half of what Sheldon, and his father did to me,” I stated. “They degraded me, and threatened to make me a street woman, if I did not obey them. You shouldn’t marry Sheldon. He does not deserve you!”

  “You are not my father, or my mother! Who are you to tell me what I can do? You aren’t even as old as I am! I thought you were my friend!” Tamara’s face was crumbling, in disbelief. She almost looked as though she hated me. It was not going how I had planned.

  “I am your friend, and that is why I don’t want to see you suffer. Sheldon may say he loves you, but he told me the same thing. Even now he thinks he can convince me he will always love me. Why would you want to be with someone like that?”

  “Because he is the father of my child! I don’t care what you say. I have known Sheldon all my life. He is not what you say. I don’t know why you are telling me this. You have no reason to try and keep Sheldon and me apart. You must leave my house immediately!”

  “Then I will have to speak to your father, and tell him the truth,” I warned as my last argument.

  “How could you do that? How could you lie just because you want to keep Heather Ridge House for yourself? They took you in and put a roof over your head, and now you want to take it from them? You are taking it from both Sheldon and me. I hate you!”

  “I bet Sheldon was pretty surprised you got a baby, unless he gave you the fit test in the missionary position,” I said softly. “He did try and make you think you couldn’t get a baby unless you did it in the missionary position, didn’t he?”

  She looked at me, and then shrugged. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” But I knew she knew exactly what was talking about.

  “You are foolish to insist on marrying him,” I said. “You may say you hate me for trying to save you from Sheldon, but in the end you will discover I am right!”

  “I would be foolish not to marry him. If I didn’t, and I have a bastard child, no one will ever ask for my hand. He is my only choice!”

  I realized she was right, and I didn’t know what to do. “You will have to tell your father, then. But I will not change my mind. If you marry Sheldon, you can remain at Heather Ridge House with him, if you like. But the house will belong to me, not you, and if Sheldon does not become my servant, no matter how much money you bring into the marriage, I will not allow him to remain there. It is up to you, what you wish to do.”

  “You talk about Sheldon being cruel. I believe you are the one who is cruel. Why are you so set on punishing Sheldon? All he did was lock you in that silly old tower. And you escaped, anyway,” she spit at me.

  I was sad, because I liked Tamara, and I wanted to remain her friend. But I was not going to reward Sheldon after what he had done to me, so if he chose not be my servant in order to remain in the house, they would have to go elsewhere. I had not told her everything Sheldon had done. I wondered if I should. But the way she looked at me, I knew she wouldn’t believe me, and possibly accuse me of making it up because I was angry that Sheldon did not love me, the way he said he did.

  Vance was waiting outside the door, when I went into the hall. He could tell by my expression that things did not go well with Tamara. “I may have to talk to your father,” I told him. “It would be better for Tamara to go into a nunnery, than marry Sheldon. She still wants to marry him.” Only Vance did not know the half of it, or that his sister was carrying Sheldon’s baby. I wondered if I was over stepping my bounds. I decided to talk to Connor about it first.

  “He is not in right now,” Vance informed me, and I was actually gratefu
l that I could put it off a little longer. It would give me time to see what Connor thought I should do.

  “I have to get back,” I told Vance. Connor is recovering, and Mr. Giller has to get back in order to care for him. He drove me out, you know.”

  “Yes, I saw him, waiting in the buggy. I suggested he come in, but he said he would just wait. I wish you could stay longer, though. I will be leaving for school soon and there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Will it take long?” I asked, feeling impatient.

  “Not really. It’s just that, this seems so…so…well I might as well tell you.”

  “What?” I asked. He was looking nervous.

  “I just wanted to tell you, how much I have enjoyed spending time with you, and how much I have grown to like you. I was wondering…if…if you would promise yourself to me, so when I come back from school…”

  “Promise myself? I…I can’t promise myself to anyone,” I stated. The very word frightened me.

  “Why? I thought you liked me.”

  “I do like you. You are a very good friend, but I am never getting married, Vance. Didn’t I tell you that?”

  “He shook his head.”

  “Well I can’t promise myself to anyone right now, anyway. I will see you when you return, though.”

  “And you won’t promise yourself to anyone else?” he asked, hopefully.

  “Never,” I said truthfully.

  “Then I will be looking forward to seeing you when I return for break.”

  “…If your father will allow it by then. Tamara is very angry at me, and once I talk to your father, he may never let you or her have anything to do with me again.”

  “Why? You haven’t done anything, have you?”

  “I can’t talk about it right now. When you get back from school, I will know, though.”

  “Promise you will write me, while I am away,” he said, grabbing my hands.

  “Of course, you are my best friend,” I told him.