One afternoon, James sent John, the footman, into town on an errand, and he returned with a pamphlet announcing a Romani fair being held in the town square. Remembering the wonderful time that they had enjoyed the last time they had attended such a fair, both Dolly and Gladys were anxious to attend.
Thinking it would make for a fun family outing if they all went, Gladys suggested it to James while they were sitting in the garden having a drink of lemonade.
James was quick to reply that he would prefer that no one from Four Oaks attend the fair. Surprised, Dolly wanted to know why.
“They are not only a lazy bunch of vagabonds, my dear, but thieves as well. A fitting simile would be to say that they are like weeds in a bed of roses.”
“And I suppose you consider yourself one of the roses?” Gladys retorted.
“I was merely using a garden as an example with the honest, respectable people as roses and them as weeds. It is rather fitting, don’t you agree?”
“Certainly not, but if I were to think of them as weeds, they’d be daisies. Did you ever see anything more beautiful than a field of wild daisies?”
Dolly spoke up, “Oh, Mother, remember the daisies at Oaken Arms? I used to pick a huge bouquet of them for Gamby every time we were there.” Their eyes connected, and they hugged each other as thoughts of those wonderful days picnicking with Andrew under the old oak tree returned. Both suffered with a bout of melancholy for the rest of the day.
James was very fond of Dolly, and he had noticed her disappointment when he said they shouldn’t go to the fair. It weighed on his mind for a day or two until he finally relented and even agreed to accompany them.
He wouldn’t let on to anyone, but he recalled the frightening stories he had been told when he was a child about Romani coming into town and stealing little children. Common sense made him realize how silly those stories were; nevertheless, he still held Eliza firmly by the hand the entire time they were there.
Eddy, Eliza, and Blossom enjoyed the event, but Gladys and Dolly were disappointed to find that the Romani were a different group than those they had met years before. With James along, Gladys began to perceive the band with a more critical eye. The costumes, although bright and pretty, were very worn, and the children were too persistent in begging for money. Even she became annoyed when they pulled on her skirt while begging for coins.
Even so, when James remarked about their shortcomings on the way home, she defended them by snapping back, “Just because they asked you for a few pence to buy food with, you condemn them.”
He surprised her by confessing, “I suppose I did, didn’t I? I should probably adopt more of a Christian attitude to the poor souls. I do believe that our government has treated them rather shabbily. And they do cook excellent food. Did you have one of their currant cakes?”
His light-heartedness put them all in a good mood, especially when he began singing a lively tune. They all joined in and sang all the way home.
It was one of the warmest Julys they had had in years, so James decided to take them all to Brighton for a weekend. The children loved playing on the beach, picking up seashells, and wading in the water. Meanwhile, Gladys and James spent their time sitting in the latest model of canopied chairs and discussing books and authors. When the weekend ended, they both agreed to return soon, as the entire family had loved the beach.
The warm feelings toward each other continued after they returned home and gave off a pleasant ambiance that was felt throughout the manor. Then, two weeks before Gladys and Eddy were to meet Angelo, a heart-breaking incident occurred that would have a profound effect on every member of the family.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The day began with a heavy rainfall, so Dolly spent the morning in the nursery listening to Eddy read and showing Eliza how to arrange furniture in her dollhouse. Dolly had read Eddy all her books until he had learned to read them himself, so when she asked him what book he wanted to read that morning, he said, “I am rather bored with these books, Dolly. Could you ask sir if we could borrow some of his?”
“Why don’t you ask him?” Dolly replied.
“I do not think sir likes me, not like he likes Sidder.”
Dolly knew James wasn’t fond of Eddy. She hadn’t been fond of him at first either, but, after watching him play with Eliza, she’d begun to appreciate his kind nature. He was exceptionally thoughtful for such a young boy, but she thought he was a little too forthright to suit James. Hoping to convince him otherwise, she said, “I am certain that is not true, Eddy. He treats you differently because you are a boy, but if you would rather I ask him, I shall.”
When the sun came out in the afternoon, the children, tired of being indoors, begged to go outside and play on the swings. Eliza was wearing a white eyelet pinafore over a pretty pink frock, and Eddy was dressed in a pair of navy corded knickers, a blue vest, and a white shirt. Since they only had time for a quick swing before dinner, Dolly didn’t think it necessary for them to change into their coveralls.
Years ago, Gladys and Dolly had visited the Sorenson family, and their children had been playing quite happily in coveralls that kept them neat and tidy, preserving their good clothing from becoming soiled and worn while they played. Gladys had been so impressed with the coveralls that she had made both Eddy and Eliza a pair to wear whenever they went outdoors to play.
The grass directly under the swings had been worn away by the children’s feet and left a small area that became very muddy whenever it rained. Careful not to stand in it, Dolly lifted Eliza into her swing, neglecting to tie her in before she turned to give Eddy a few pushes. Eliza was wiggling back and forth in the swing, trying to see how high Eddy went, when she suddenly wiggled too far and fell off into the mud.
Before Dolly could reach her, she jumped up, looked at the mud on her hands and dress, and said, “I falled off!”
“You certainly did, you poor darling! Are you hurt?” Dolly asked.
“Uh, uh, I just muddy.” Eddy got to Eliza first, and he tried to brush the mud off her dress.
“Thank you, Eddy, but it will be easier to get off if we just leave it alone.” Then she patted Eliza on the head and said, “Thank goodness you are not hurt. Now, I think you had better run in and ask Nanny to clean your hands and change your clothes before dinner. Go in the kitchen door, dear, and ask Cook to call Nanny, and she will take care of you. Eddy and I shall be along in a minute or two.”
Eliza ran off, but on the way to the back door, she saw a beautiful big butterfly and followed it as it flew around the house. When it flew up in the air and disappeared, she was closer to the front door than the kitchen door, so she went in that way. She was walking past the library when she noticed the door was ajar, and remembering what Eddy had said about wanting more books, she forgot about her dirty hands and went in hoping to find a nice one for him.
Spotting a small book lying on a table beside her father’s chair, she picked it up to examine it closer. It was covered in soft leather and smelled like her father’s gloves. A green ribbon with a tassel on the end was hanging from inside the book, so she was sure it would have pretty pictures too. She smiled, thinking how proud Eddy was going to be when she showed him what she had found as she opened the cover and began turning the pages.
A few minutes after Eliza had left, Dolly spotted James over by the stables. Wanting to talk to him about borrowing some books for the children, she told Eddy to go in and make sure that Eliza had found Nanny.
Eddy also went in through the front entrance and, like Eliza, noticed the open library door. He was almost past it when he saw Eliza holding one of James’s books. Knowing how possessive his father was of all his books, Eddy was afraid his sister would be scolded if she were caught, so he rushed in and snatched it out of her hands. He was about to put it back on the table when he saw the muddy smudges on the pages. Speaking sharply, he said, “Naughty, Sidder.”
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“I looking for pictures, Eddy,” she answered. Then her face puckered up, and she started to cry.
Seeing he had frightened her, Eddy said, “Don’t cry, Sidder. I shall take care of it. You leave now and go and wash your hands. And, Eliza,” she knew when he called her “Eliza” it must be important, so she listened intently, “never, ever, tell anyone what you did, understand?”
She wiped her nose on her sleeve and nodded.
“Go on now,” he ordered, gently pushing her out of the room.
After she had gone, he pulled his shirttail out of his britches and tried to rub off the muddy fingerprints, but it just made a worse mess. Although James had never punished either of them, Eddy was afraid he would be so angry over the soiled book that Eliza was sure to receive a spanking, so he decided to tear out just the muddy pages, hoping they wouldn’t be missed. Unfortunately, he was tearing out the last dirty page when, without warning, James, followed by Dolly, entered the room.
“What the devil are you doing?” James cried out. Without waiting for an answer, he snatched the book out of Eddy’s hands. “My God, you’ve ruined it!” He threw the book down, grabbed Eddy by the collar, and shook him until the boy almost choked. Then he slapped him twice across the face and shouted, “You spoiled little bastard!”
Gladys was just coming down from upstairs and overheard him. Appalled, she hurried into the room to find Eddy with his arms over his face, sobbing. Putting her arms around him, she held him close, looking up at James with a confused expression. She was unable to believe he could be so cruel. She asked, “How could you say such a thing?”
James was shaking as he bent down and picked up the book. He held it out for her to see. “This book was given to my grandfather by Cowper himself, and it is irreplaceable.”
Ignoring his words, Gladys asked, “Did you strike him?”
Shaking the book at her, he replied, “Look at this. He has torn out pages, can’t you see?”
“Did you strike my son?” she demanded.
“Yes, I struck him, and he damn well deserved it,” James cried.
Gladys said nothing, but the abhorrent look she gave him before she and Eddy left the room expressed how she felt far more than words could have.
Dolly had been so shocked by the confrontation that she watched it all dumbly, as though it were nothing more than a staged performance. Now she looked at James, who was slumped in a chair with the book in his hand, teardrops falling on the open pages. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He had told her how much he treasured that particular book, but, nevertheless, as much as she sympathized with him, she couldn’t condone his actions.
What had just happened was slowly replaying itself in her mind, and the cruel manner in which James had handled Eddy, along with the horrid word he had called him, upset her deeply. She knew what the word “bastard” implied, and now, the thought that Eddy might actually be a bastard entered her head and wouldn’t leave. She began to wonder if it could be true as she walked slowly out of the library.
James, engrossed in his own troubles, had been unaware of her presence as well as her departure.
In 1782, James’s grandfather had met the famous poet William Cowper in Olney at the home of Mary Unwin, where the poet was recovering from a bout of insanity. James was never told what circumstances brought the two men together, but since his grandfather had been a lawyer, it may have been a legal matter. Four years later, Cowper sent his grandfather the leather-bound book containing a selection of what he considered his best poems. The inscription he wrote in the book said, “To James Hornsby; Your kindness will never be forgotten. William Cowper.”
The monetary, as well as sentimental, value of the book had increased as it was handed down from one generation to the next, and James had planned to leave it to Horace, so he could likewise hand it down to his son when he had one. Now it would be meaningless, since the page with the inscription was one of the pages Eddy had torn out. James was a pacifist by nature, and the only other time he had ever lost his temper to such a degree was after Percy had kissed him.
He was still shaking as he got up and poured himself a glass of whiskey. As the drink began to take an effect, he calmed down and realized how badly he had behaved, not for disciplining Eddy—he fully believed the boy deserved a thrashing for what he had done—but for what he had called him.
He was afraid that if any of the staff had heard him, they would be sure to know that the boy was not his. Although James had always been a recluse until Gladys came to live at Four Oaks, he was a proud man and valued a spotless reputation. He had allowed everyone he knew to believe Edward was his son. If they were to find out he wasn’t, they would consider him both a fool and a liar. James had a dual purpose in marrying Gladys: he sincerely wanted to help her, but he also wanted to erase any doubts that he may not be a normal man with honourable ethics, a debauched soul like Percy. He refused to admit that the doubts he hoped to silence were mainly his own.
“I do not like him, Mother. He is thoroughly wicked,” Eddy said between sobs when they reached Gladys’s apartment.
“Don’t you cry, my darling. I promise he will never hurt you again.”
When he quieted down, she ordered dinner sent to her sitting room, but when it arrived, neither she nor Eddy could eat more than a few bites.
Shortly after, Dolly knocked on the door. Not only did she want to have a serious talk with her mother, but she was anxious to see Eddy. During the last few years, she had become almost as fond of him as she was of Eliza.
Now that Eddy had finally dropped off to sleep, Gladys didn’t want to disturb him, but she knew that Dolly had been present when James attacked Eddy and could give her a first-hand account of the incident.
“We will have to be quiet. The poor darling just dropped off,” she said as she led Dolly into her sitting room.
Dolly tried to explain what had happened, “James just lost control when he saw what Eddy did to his book—I doubt he was aware of his actions. I know that is no excuse for slapping Eddy, Mother, but I am certain he is sorry for what he has done.”
“No, Dolly. I don’t think he is sorry, but don’t you worry, he soon shall be.”
Dolly, hearing the threatening tone of Gladys’s words, attempted to soften her anger by saying, “I do hope you won’t be too angry with him. That book meant so much to him.”
“Not nearly as much as Eddy means to me. Eddy told me it was Eliza who made the smudges on the book, and he was just trying to save her from a scolding. He made me promise not to tell anyone, but I am going to tell James, you can bet on that.”
Dolly could see it was no good trying to convince her mother that Eddy wasn’t telling the truth; Eliza was not even in the room when they caught Eddy tearing out pages, so she changed the subject and said, “There is something else I think we need to discuss, Mother. You know, I am no longer a child.”
“No, my darling, I realize that. You have grown into a lovely, strong, and sensible young lady, and I am very proud of you. I only wish your father could see you now.”
“Did you love my father, Mother?”
“Of course I did! You have his eyes, you know. I see him every time I look at you.”
“And do you love James, too?”
Gladys didn’t know what to say. She rose from her chair, went over to the window, leaned her forehead against it, and stayed that way for a few seconds before she replied, “Dolly, I know I should have talked to you before. There are things that I hoped you would never have to know, but now I have no choice. I suppose you have every right to know what sort of mother you have. Only I’m sorry, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I really must have a talk with James now. Do you mind?”
Dolly did mind. She knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until she had some answers, but she also hoped her mother would settle things with James as soon as possible, so she ki
ssed her and left. When Gladys learned that James had gone riding, she waited in the library for his return.
Although he was still angry at the boy for what he had done, the ride allowed him time to reflect on his actions. He knew he had allowed his resentment toward the boy to augment his temper. He recalled when Edward was a baby and how he had done his best to treat him as his own, but he had begun to dislike the lad when Gladys insisted on mollycoddling him.
Unfortunately, he had just started to think that the boy wasn’t such a bad sort when the book incident occurred. Now he wondered what was to be done. By the time he arrived at the stables, he was certain he had the answer. Handing his mount over to Ruby, he was on his way to change his attire when Jenkins told him that Gladys was waiting in the library.
“Ah, Gladys, my dear,” he said as he entered the room smiling. Gladys was standing by one of the windows when he entered, and his light-hearted greeting was more than she could bear. She ran over to him and slapped him hard across the face.
“That’s for Eddy!”
James rubbed his stinging cheek. His reaction was subdued since he understood her anger. “I suppose I deserved that, Gladys. I do apologize for my childish behaviour. The only excuse I am able to give you is that the book was one of my most treasured possessions. I lost my temper when I saw Edward tearing out pages.”
“And did you bother to ask him why he was doing it?”
“I fail to see what he could have said to excuse such behaviour.”
“Well, for your information, James, it was Eliza who soiled your book. Eddy was just trying to remove the evidence so she wouldn’t get into trouble.”
James walked over to the table, picked up a decanter of brandy, and as he poured himself a drink said, “Come now, Gladys, you surely don’t believe that?”
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