Secret Tides

by Gary E. Parker

  “Just say it.”

  “Hampton York.”

  Trenton froze. “Hampton York! It can’t be true!”

  Mrs. Tessier waved him off. “It’s not your business. I can marry again if I choose.”

  “Not him!” fumed Trenton. “Yes, marry again if you like—I prefer that quite honestly—but not York! What possible reason could you have to wed him? He’s far below you. Marry someone of means, or at least some title, not a man who can bring neither to your bedchamber.”

  Mrs. Tessier studied her son. “Let me get this straight. You think it permissible for you to marry Camellia but not for me to marry Mr. York? Your inconsistency surprises me.”

  “I know it’s not logical,” he said, standing now. “But I grew up with her, and she’s beautiful and I … I’ve always wanted her. She brings out the best in me. When I’m not with her I get confused, make bad choices. It’s like … like she’s my conscience or something.”

  Mrs. Tessier laughed. “You know I’m against it. That’s why she’s so attractive to you. And yes, she’s got virtue and you don’t, but you think you want it. Ah, that’s charming as well. Plus, she is a stunningly attractive woman. No wonder you have desires for her. But I can tell you from experience that men like you don’t change, not even for one as pure as Miss Camellia. Yes, if you married her, you’d try to alter your stripes. You’d strive to live up to her high morality, but you’d fail. You’re too much like your father not to fail.”

  Her voice became distant as she continued, and her eyes seemed to see something a long way off. “Somewhere—maybe it would take a few years—but somewhere down the line, you’d see another woman, some spectacular new thing in town or a darky in the servants’ quarters. She’d catch your fancy. You’d fight it for a while, but to no avail. You’d get drunk one night and end up in the woman’s bed, and then where would you and your sweet pure wife be?”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” said Trenton. “Not to Camellia.”

  “You already have.” Mrs. Tessier smirked. “Or have you so soon forgotten? You’d do it again too. Oh, she’d forgive you, at least the first few times. But you’d despise her for it, for the weakness it would show. You’d despise her because you’d despise yourself. Gradually, you’d grow cold and distant toward her, and the wonderful Miss Camellia would grow sad and hurt and miserable.”

  Trenton scowled. His mother’s words stung him, but he didn’t know how to argue with them. “Why would you marry York? I don’t understand.”

  “He’s got money,” she said. “Simple as that. Enough to satisfy the bank until we can bring in a solid crop.”

  “Where’d he get that kind of money?”

  “He says he won it gambling.”

  “That’s a lot of luck.”

  “He says he’s been doing it for years.”

  Trenton did some quick figuring. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  Mrs. Tessier shrugged. “I’m not sure. All I know is he says he has it, and I need it. I’d prefer not to marry again, but since you didn’t succeed in saving The Oak, I have to do it.”

  “Not exactly my fault that my intended got hit by a carriage,” said Trenton, back in his chair.

  “Still, it’s a fact. We put our hopes in you, but they didn’t come to fruition. Now I can’t wait any longer. The bank will own the place in three months if we don’t do something. Mr. York is our only chance.”

  “He stole it from us,” snarled Trenton. “He’s probably been robbing us blind for years. We ought to put the law on him, make him explain his sudden wealth.”

  “If we had time, I might agree. But we don’t, so we’ll do nothing of the kind. In fact, you need to get off your high horse and accept this. I’m going to marry Mr. York, and he’s going to become lord of the manor around here. Not only will you not put the law on him, but you’ll begin to show him some respect.”

  Trenton’s jaw dropped as his stomach rebelled, and a vile taste rose in his throat. “I’ll not allow this,” he whispered, his voice cold. “No cheap, white-trash overseer will become master of The Oak. What a slap in the face! I’d rather lose the place to the bank; least it would sell it to someone worthy. If York takes over, we can never hold our heads up again … not here, not in Charleston, not anywhere.”

  His mother moved to his side. “You need to calm yourself. If Mr. York’s money allows us to save this place and make it profitable again, then it won’t matter what people say. You know how it works. If you have money, people keep their mouths shut, least to your face. If we give this place up, everyone will know why. Talk about shame. How will that feel? To go back to Charleston with our pride lost. Who’ll accept us then?”

  Trenton took his mother’s hands and tried to stay calm. Maybe she’d respond to gentleness, if not to logic. “I can’t let you do this,” he said in the most loving tone he could muster. “I just can’t. It’s a matter of honor.”

  Mrs. Tessier chuckled. “What do you know of honor? You’re a spoiled rich boy, who never had to practice any honor.”

  “You’re right. But maybe it’s time I started. Maybe it’s time I stood up to you, to what you want, to the way you’ve taught me.”

  “You’re talking nonsense,” she said. “It’s done, and you have no choice but to accept it.”

  “A man always has choices. Always.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “What I have to do,” he replied. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

  She grabbed him by the shoulders. “Stay out of this! You had your chance. Now it’s up to me!”

  He shook her off and left the room, his hands clenched into fists. Nobody would tell him what to do, not even his mother. Maybe especially not her. No matter what happened, he could not let this come to pass, not so long as he had a heart beating in his chest.

  Trenton burst into Calvin’s room a few seconds later, his anger now hotter than when he’d left his mother’s room. “Have you heard?” he shouted.

  Calvin nodded. “Ruby told me. All the darkies know it. But nobody knows why.”

  “York stole from us!” Trenton complained. “She’s marrying him for the money, to keep the bank at bay!”

  Calvin jumped from his chair, his young face confused.

  “We can’t allow it!” continued Trenton. “Father surely wouldn’t!”

  “But what can we do?” asked Calvin, by the fireplace now, his back to the mantel.

  Trenton paced the room, his eyes wild. “The only thing a gentleman can do. York has offended us; we cannot let it stand. We’ll go to him, demand that he return the money and leave The Oak. We don’t need him now. I’ll run the place.” He rubbed his hands together as he warmed to the possibilities. “If York takes our offer, we’ll let matters end there; won’t get the sheriff involved.”

  “Will we go to the law if he doesn’t?”

  Trenton stopped and faced his brother. “We’ll not have time for that. An inquiry could take weeks, maybe months. And I’m sure York can get witnesses to his gambling winnings. I know his reputation. If we go through the law to reclaim the money, the bank will have us before we finish. No, if York won’t cooperate, we’ll have to take matters into our own hands.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ll go to Josh Cain,” Trenton said. “Make our challenge through him.”

  Calvin’s face bleached. “A challenge?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure? It’s illegal now.”

  Trenton stepped over and stared out the window. The road leading from The Oak stretched out before him. Clouds drifted through the sky as the rain blew out. He knew the route he’d just chosen brought many risks, maybe mortal ones. But what other path could he take and still claim any pride as a man?

  “I’m sure,” he said. “The law will do nothing, never has. I cannot let this stand if I ever hope to hold my head up again. York has aggrieved us. Not just with the stolen money—which is certainly offense enough—but with the proposal to
Mother as well. A man of his station doesn’t wed a woman so far above him. It’s an offense to our name, you know that.”

  “But he’s not a gentleman,” said Calvin. “A challenge is not permitted to one who isn’t.”

  “He’s a captain,” said Trenton, pivoting back to face his brother. “Officers are always considered gentlemen.”

  Calvin dropped his eyes. “He might kill you.”

  “True, but I have no choice. People of our station must defend their honor.”

  Calvin nodded, but without much conviction. “What about your hopes with Miss Camellia? If you kill her father, she’ll surely not marry you.”

  Trenton bit his lip. “She loves me, and she and her father are not close. She has not told me this, but I know it’s true. When I have the money again, I can keep The Oak and still marry her if I choose. She’ll forgive me, even for this.”

  “You have great confidence in her love.”

  “Yes, I do. She’s wanted to marry me since I was a boy.” He tossed back his hair and moved to Calvin, put a hand on a shoulder. “Will you serve as my second?”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  Trenton patted Calvin’s shoulder. “York will probably tuck tail and run. No duel will ever occur. And if it does, I can handle myself, you know that. Father taught me—you too, remember? He fought two duels, killed two men; he knew the craft and passed it to us.”

  “York is a dangerous man,” said Calvin. “A former soldier as you said.”

  “But not a duelist,” Trenton threw in quickly. “I’m not afraid of him. I have to do this.”

  “You’ll write the letter of challenge?”

  “Before the day is out.”

  “Then I’ll take it to Cain,” Calvin said, sounding confident now.

  “You’ll tell no one else. We don’t need anyone trying to stop this.”

  “As you wish.”

  “I expect York will leave in peace.”

  “I pray that you’re right.”

  Trenton grinned. “I didn’t know you were a man of prayer, young brother.”

  “These are unusual circumstances,” said Calvin. “Perhaps you will forgive me my sudden religiosity.”

  Although stunned by the news of York’s proposal to Mrs. Tessier when he heard it from Stella as he washed up in the barn at the end of the day, Josh didn’t let it bother him. With the money he’d put together, York might just pull this off and get his picture over the mantel after all. Josh wondered for a few seconds what such a marriage would mean for Camellia but couldn’t see much harm from it. If Master Trenton didn’t marry her, she’d find another young man soon enough. Either way, a match between York and Mrs. Tessier didn’t look to harm her.

  What an irony, thought Josh as he headed home. York’s marrying Mrs. Tessier relieved Trenton of the need to marry a woman of means and opened the way for him to marry Camellia. Had the Lord set all this up this way? Made a path for Trenton and Camellia so odd as to be almost funny, if not so strange?

  No matter, Josh decided. It wouldn’t change his plans. He’d get the crop in the field, then take Beth and Butler and go west. With the fire-eaters in Charleston and Beaufort and a hundred other cities calling for war any day now, he wanted to leave before that happened. He’d seen war before and knew what a mess it could make of things. The sooner he could get shed of this part of his life and start the next, whatever that might be, the better.

  The last of the sun beat down on his back as he reached his house and stepped onto the porch. After checking inside and not finding anybody around, he moved back to the porch and sat down on the steps. A light breeze blew in from the ocean. A rooster crowed in the distance. Josh took out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. He stared out over the land and thought what a pretty picture it would make to paint it. Since Anna’s death he hadn’t done any drawing. He dropped his head. Maybe when he got settled somewhere he could start again. Hearing footsteps, he glanced up to see Calvin Tessier headed his way.

  “Afternoon, Calvin,” said Josh, pocketing the rag and standing in surprise at his appearance. “Shouldn’t you be preparing for supper?”

  Calvin kept his chin up, his back straight. Josh knew from his posture that something important was up.

  “I’m here because I have important affairs to attend,” Calvin said.

  Josh tilted his head. “I assume those affairs include me, otherwise you wouldn’t have come to my house.”

  “You assume rightly.”

  Josh noted that Calvin’s hand shook at his side.

  “I’m here by the request of my brother, Trenton Tessier,” said Calvin in a most formal manner. “To express a formal challenge to Hampton York for the offense he has given to every member of the Tessier family.”

  Josh put his handkerchief in his pocket. “A challenge is dangerous business.”

  “Master Trenton is aware of the dangers.” Calvin’s voice broke slightly.

  “What is the nature of the offense?”

  “The offense is twofold,” stated Calvin, his heels together. “First, Master Tessier has cause to believe that Hampton York has practiced thievery against his family. Taken money that does not rightfully belong to him.”

  Josh bowed slightly. “If that is so, then I can understand your position. But what gives you cause to believe such a thing?”

  Calvin cleared his throat. “Hampton York claims to possess money that he could in no way have managed to acquire on the salary he receives. How else could he accumulate such funds if not by thievery?”

  “He is a gambler, you know.”

  “An extraordinary one, if he’s got as much money as he says.”

  “You said you claim two offenses.”

  “Yes, and the second is as bad, if not more so, than the first. Hampton York has asked our mother to marry him.”

  Josh smiled slightly. “Who can control matters of the heart? I do not see the offense in this.”

  “It’s not yours to see or not see,” stated Calvin haughtily. “It is your task to take the letter of challenge to Mr. Hampton York.”

  Josh sat down on the porch steps and tried to ease the tension some. “I assume there are conditions that would appease Trenton’s offended spirit.”

  “Yes, they are threefold.” Calvin stared straight ahead, above Josh’s hat. “First, Hampton York will return the money and offer an apology to the Tessier family. Second, he will retract his proposal to Mrs. Tessier. And third, he will pack his belongings and take his leave of The Oak within seven days from this day.”

  “Those are hard conditions.”

  “They are not negotiable.”

  “And what are the consequences if Mr. York refuses?”

  Now Calvin seemed even more hesitant, a little unsteady in his knees. He glanced down for a second before he faced Josh again. “You know the tradition of the code duello. If Hampton York refuses the conditions of appeasement, then he—as challenged—will choose a second, pick a weapon, and designate a time and a place. Then he will meet Master Tessier at the stated time and place, and they will face off for the duel.”

  Josh took off his hat and stared into it. Things had suddenly become real serious, and he wanted no part of it. “Not many men resort to duels anymore. They’re illegal, you know that. Perhaps the courts would suit Mr. Tessier better.”

  “A duel is still an honorable man’s way of settling disputes,” said Calvin. “No matter that they have fallen somewhat out of fashion.”

  “I suggest you ask Trenton to consider the courts. He is a young man. No reason to put his life at such risk as this.”

  “He knows the dangers,” Calvin insisted. “I can assure you of that. Will you carry the letter of conditions and challenge to Hampton York, or should I communicate them through someone else?”

  Josh stood and took a step toward Calvin. “Look, Calvin. I know you and Trenton. You don’t need to do this. So what if your mother marries York? So what if he’s got some money? Maybe he won it gambli
ng, maybe he took some of it from you. Is it worth Trenton’s life—and yours too, maybe? That can happen, you know. A second in a duel sometimes gets caught up in it; has to protect the honor of the one dueling. This whole notion isn’t smart. I’ve seen York with a pistol. He knows what he’s doing. He’s not going to back down from this, if that’s what Trenton is counting on. He won’t do it, I can tell you that for sure.”

  Calvin blinked, and Josh saw sweat on his young face. “Tell Trenton to let this pass,” Josh coaxed. “Tell him it’s not enough to die over.”

  “Please take this letter to Hampton York,” said Calvin, his voice cracking slightly as he lifted an envelope from the inside of his jacket pocket and handed it to Josh.

  “I will. And you will take my message to Trenton.”

  “We’d like a response by the morning.”

  “I’ll tell Mr. York.”

  After clicking his heels once more, Calvin pivoted smartly and hurried away. Josh watched him go, his heart heavy. Then, settling his hat back on, he left the porch and went to find York. Although he didn’t think York would care what he had to say, he wanted to do all he could to get him to give back the money. Then he’d leave The Oak.

  Josh found York by the barn, talking to Leather Joe. After asking Leather Joe to give them privacy, he immediately handed York the letter and told him what Calvin had said. York listened intently but without comment. When Josh had finished, York gave the letter back.

  “Open the letter,” York commanded.

  Josh quickly obeyed.

  “It say what you just told me?” asked York.

  Josh read it. “Yes, the offenses, the conditions to satisfy the offended, and the challenge if the conditions aren’t met. He also requests that we keep this between us. No public proclamation of the challenge.”

  “I’m some surprised. I didn’t expect Trenton to like the idea of my marryin’ his mother, but I didn’t expect him to act so rashly.”

  “He’s a boy,” said Josh. “Hotheaded. Not clear in his thinking.”