by Sharon Kleve
Merritt had never seen his father so overcome with emotion. He sat down and Fletcher gathered several glasses and the decanter of whiskey sitting on a side table. He poured shots for all of them, despite the early hour.
“I loved Lorelei Howland, and that’s the first truth I’ll tell this afternoon. She was beautiful, with a disposition that was light and full of joy. She made everyone who knew her happier just by being with them. And I wanted to marry her.”
So far, Merritt thought, this confirmed the stories they’d heard. “So, did her family object to the marriage?” he asked.
His father took a sip of the whiskey and shook his head. “At first, not at all, we planned to announce the engagement at the family’s Christmas dinner. It was all arranged, with plans for a May wedding.” He sat back in his chair and stared at them. “But, there were circumstances—I was not aware of— and suddenly the family started talking about a December wedding. It jolted me a bit, because while I loved Lorelei and wanted very much to make her my wife, just a few weeks to plan a society wedding seemed a bit rushed.”
He paused to glance over their heads, his eyes going out of focus for a few moments, as if recalling details from the past. “I met with her parents and they were furious with me. They accused me of having, of taking advantage of…” he paused and his cheeks colored an even darker red.
“Lorelei was expecting a child, but, I knew I was not the father. I pleaded my innocence, but of course, I was the most likely culprit. I’d spent many hours with Lorelei and while most were chaperoned, once an engagement is settled, there are more opportunities for couples to spend time together alone and unsupervised.”
Fletcher sat down in the other leather chair facing the desk, obviously as interested in the story as his brother. “So, you were going to end up with the cuckoo in the nest, so to speak,” he offered.
“I confronted, Lorelei, and she admitted she’d had an affair with another man, that in fact she was in love with that man.”
Merritt and his brother were now sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting in expectation. They were met with silence as their father tipped up his crystal glass and emptied it.
“That man was the head groom at their country house, Chemsworth. Lorelei had grown up with him, and she’d been in love with him for many years. Of course, due to his station in life, her family would never accept him as a son-in-law.”
“Ah,” Merritt said, rising from his chair. “So the solution was to arrange a quick wedding to you, the much more acceptable candidate.”
“Yes,” his father replied, placing his head down on one hand. “I loved that woman, and I was intending to go through with it.” He gazed up at his sons. “I was willing to accept her bastard child as my own.”
Merritt and Fletcher stared at each other. It was the most emotional confession they’d ever heard from their father. “But, something happened and the two of you were separated?” Merritt said.
Their father slowly stood and ambled to the fireplace, he stretched out his hands as if he was chilled to the bone, seeking warmth. “She disappeared.” He glanced back at them and waved his hands in the air. “As if a magician had sent her into the ether. Her family refused to tell me what happened and I never heard about her or from her again.”
There was silence in the room as they all pondered the story. Finally, Merritt cleared his throat. “So, did the family hold you responsible for her leaving? Is that why they’re angry with you?”
Their father’s shoulders sagged, and he looked older than when they’d first gathered in the room nearly an hour ago. “They told everyone I broke off the engagement and she was humiliated. And while they never spoke the words aloud, when some suggested the girl might have killed herself over our failed love affair, they didn’t squash those rumors either.”
“They could have destroyed your reputation, made it impossible for you to marry any lady of good family in the country.” Fletcher stood and began pacing again.
Hadley Barclay threw back his shoulders and lifted his chin higher. “They never counted on my growing a business empire. They were wealthy, but I used my brain, my connections and a good sense of what was going on in the world. By the time I met your mother, I could buy and sell those damned Howlands.”
Merritt glanced at his father and felt an odd shimmer of respect. He’d often taken his father’s detached and cold demeanor to mean he had no emotions. Clearly, he’d learned a hard lesson as a young man.
“Well, it’s a good story, Father, but it doesn’t get us any closer to helping poor Tatiana. It sounds like our investigation has set her aunt off on a strange path, and I fear if we don’t help her, the girl may be locked up for good in her country house.”
“I agree, Merritt, “his brother said. “We have to find this man she named in the message she sent you. It sounds like he’ll know what to do.”
“What man?” his father asked.
Merritt removed the paper from his pocket and read the name. He looked up to see his father’s face crafted into a frown. He then pulled a gold pocket watch from his vest, opened it and studied it for a moment.
“I can tell you where you will find Mr. Albert Farley in precisely one hour.”
*****
“I’d prefer you stop with this endless brooding, Tatiana.” Aunt Olivia sipped her tea and flicked away a small spot of lint from her dark wool dress. “It’s most unbecoming, and while I know you are upset because I made you leave your new friends, you’ll discover how right I am in a few months.”
Tatiana nearly burst into tears at the reproach. A few months? In a few months people would be leaving the city and heading to Newport to their summer homes or to Europe for the grand tour. With no connections, there’d be no invitations to join others and she’d spend months and months again in this lonely, cold, depressing house with her aunt.
She only kept from bursting into tears with the thought that Merritt could be helping her even as she sat here, feeling like a prisoner in her own home. Her aunt refused to allow her to send any letters or cards and they’d accepted no invitations since they’d returned to Chemsworth a few days ago.
Tatiana often stood in front of the portrait of her Aunt Lorelei, silent questions she wished she could ask the woman running through her head and wondering what had really happened to the woman. After the last angry tantrum her questions caused, she was too afraid to broach that subject again with Aunt Olivia.
So, she sat in the window seat in her room, sometimes reading, but most often gazing out the window at the icy crystal landscape and wondering if Merritt missed her as much she missed him. Her sadness was more than grieving the loss of her friends, she was heartsick and lonely for the man she now realized she was falling in love with.
It had only been a few days, but each morning she woke up hopeful Merritt had found Mr. Farley and convinced him to help her. It was really her only hope of getting free of Aunt Olivia, since she knew she couldn’t marry without her guardian’s permission.
“Are you feeling well enough to attend Evensong?” Her aunt’s voice was pitched as if she was speaking to a child. Tatiana wanted to remind her aunt that she’d never been sick. Her excuses to the matrons she’d sent apologies to that insinuated Tatiana had suddenly taken ill and needed the quiet of the country to settle her nerves infuriated her, but she had no recourse but to accept the lies.
Since returning to Chemsworth, she’d worked hard to be as soft and compliant as possible. She didn’t argue with her aunt or defy her in any way. As a result, at least her room was no longer locked from the outside every night. “Evensong would be lovely. I always find the music and liturgy so calming.”
Her aunt shot her a look filled with skepticism but nodded. “Good. I think this time in the country is doing you more good than you realize. The city seems to excite you in ways that are not healthy. I must make sure to take this into consideration before we return there after Lent.”
Tatiana rose and excused herself to
go upstairs and change into a warmer dress. The sleigh ride to St. Thomas Church would be brisk. Mary hadn’t returned yet from the city, so one of the other maids was serving her. Tatiana admitted, she missed the cheerful, chatty girl who was her regular lady’s maid.
She changed into one of her darkest, most dour gowns. All her new gowns for the months of secondary mourning had been left in the city but it didn’t matter. She didn’t care to dress in lighter colors, the gown she donned matched her mood perfectly.
She added black jet jewelry and donned her thickly veiled hat to hide her face. Let the other parishioners believe what they wished to believe, she intended to somehow find a way to escape from the harsh confinement her aunt was using to punish her.
Their sleigh and driver waited at the door for them. A huge quilt and a buffalo hide covered them as they settled into the sleigh. Any other time, Tatiana would have been thrilled to be out on a sleigh ride on a clear night with a full moon and stars lighting the sky.
Instead, she kept considering options. Until Mary returned from the city, she wasn’t going to be able to communicate with Merritt. She couldn’t trust any of the other servants, who were loyal to her aunt and not likely to incur her wrath by assisting Tatiana.
The small stone church glowed with light, and she had to smile at the beautiful scene. It was like a painting, with the candles and lanterns lighting the church and setting it aglow in a patch that reflected the moon and was surrounded by winter snow piled high. It cheered her up a bit, and she found a bit of courage to cling to and hope to reassure her.
She would find a way back to Merritt. She swore it as an oath and made it her heart’s prayer.
They swept into the church, nodding at neighbors and fellow parishioners. The choir had not yet entered, but the organist was pumping her instrument and playing a familiar hymn. They entered the family pew and settled their inky black skirts around them. Tatiana thought they must look like a matched pair of crows, settling onto a fence.
The choir processional entered the church, their voices raised in praise of God, and Tatiana settled in to let the familiar service sooth her.
Father Davidson had concluded his sermon and was climbing down from the pulpit when the back doors burst open with a rush of wind and a swirl of snow. Two men in dark topcoats, hats obscuring their faces and thick scarves wrapped round their necks stood in the aisle.
There was a sudden hush throughout the church as everyone gazed at the duo. The priest continued his descent, then stood before the altar. “May I be of service, gentleman?” He asked in his kindest voice. “Do you seek shelter from the cold night?”
One man removed his hat and Tatiana gasped. It was Merritt. When the other man was bareheaded, and shook out his inky black hair, she recognized Fletcher Barclay. She started to rise from the pew but her aunt yanked on her sleeve to pull her back down to her seat.
“Do not be difficult,” Aunt Olivia hissed at her. “I will not be embarrassed in front of our friends and neighbors.”
“I’ve come from New York City in search of a friend,” Merritt announced, brushing the snow from the front of his coat. “She left most unexpectedly, and I haven’t been able to find her.”
The priest raised his hands and indicated both aisles of the pews. “We are all friends here. Please come in and join us.”
Tatiana’s gaze met Merritt’s, he nodded at her and smiled. “We are happy to join you, Father.” The two men took seats in one of the empty pews in the back.
Father Davidson nodded at the choir and they proceeded with the service. Tatiana couldn’t follow the words of the hymn in her prayer book. Tears filled her eyes at the thought that Merritt had found her, and he’d come for her. She didn’t know what he planned, but she assured herself that his presence here meant they’d find a way to leave Chemsworth together. If not tonight, then soon.
The priest finished the final prayer and he shuffled out with the choir behind him. Other people started to leave their pews, but her aunt’s hand grasped at Tatiana. “We’re going out the back, I refuse to be accosted in my own church by your hooligan friends.”
Tatiana tried to pull away. “There’s no reason not to speak with Mr. Barclay. He and his brother have traveled her tonight to see me, and I won’t be so rude as to ignore them.”
Her aunt’s fingers were like bird claws, refusing to let go of the fabric. Tatiana pulled her arm as hard as she could, and was rewarded with the sound of fabric ripping. The older couple in the pew next to them stared.
“Why must you always be so difficult?” her aunt screamed at her. She picked up her black leather purse and swung it at Tatiana. It was fortunate that she’d managed to back out of hitting distance, but the edge of the purse caught her veil and yanked her hat off. The attempted assault frightened her.
“Aunt Olivia, stop it. You’re the one being difficult.”
The gentleman in the pew who had been astonished into silence was finally moved into action. He grasped her aunt’s arm, as she stepped forward in an attempt to attack Tatiana again.
“Miss Howland,” he admonished. “You should not be hitting your niece in church.”
“You should not be abusing your niece at all, nor should you be holding her captive.” A man’s voice from behind them made her aunt freeze and turn around, shock evident on her face.
“Albert Farley, what are you doing here?” Her aunt was clearly not happy to see the portly gray-haired gentleman in fine clothing standing in front of them. “I thought you were dead!”
The man frowned. “Why would you think that? I was in India for nearly a year, but I’ve been in my office everyday for the past couple of months. Did someone say I’d died?” He shook his head. “Most distressing to hear that in a church, like walking into a funeral and discovering it’s for you, eh?”
He looked at Tatiana and she smiled at him. “Uncle Albert? Is that really you?”
He held out his arms and Tatiana stepped into them. “I’m so glad to see you again. I was afraid what she’d told me was true, that you died of yellow fever.”
The older man enveloped her in a hug. “It’s my fault. I kept telling myself I should come out and visit, but there was so much work to be done after I got back.” He pushed her away from him to look at her. “And you’ve grown up while I’ve been away. You’re a lady now.”
Tatiana felt her heart soar, because this was the man she’d been searching for, a man who had been her father’s business partner and best friend. A man who was a part of her childhood, who had loved and spoiled her.
The man named in her father’s will as her other legal guardian. She’d asked Merritt to try to find him, because she knew when he discovered what had been happening with her Aunt Olivia, he’d free her from her aunt’s guardianship and let her return to New York.
“I can thank your young man, Mr. Barclay, for bringing me here.” He glanced at Aunt Olivia, who stood in shocked silence staring at Albert Farley like he was a ghost. “I’ve heard some strange things, but let’s return to Chemsworth and sort it all out, shall we?”
Tatiana hooked her arm with his and glanced back at her aunt. “I won’t be returning with you, Aunt Olivia. I’ll ride with Uncle Albert.”
Her aunt’s only response was a thinning of her lips and an angry toss of her head. Tatiana didn’t care, because she was sure when she explained what had been going on lately, she’d finally be free of her aunt’s rules and constraints. Free to be with Merritt, which was her only concern now.
As they walked down the steps of the church, she released Uncle Albert’s arm, brushed past him and rushed forward to Merritt. He stood next to a sleigh, and held out his arms as she took several long steps in his direction. She didn’t pause to even consider if it was appropriate, but let him fold her into a warm hug.
“I hope you know I never planned to stop until we were together. It didn’t matter what it took or how long. I love you Tatiana.”
She gazed up at him and put her gloved hands on
each side of his beloved face. “I knew you would come because you are my knight in shining armor and you will never fail me.”
With that—the starlight and the moonlight and all the people gathered in the glow of lanterns watched as two young people, who clearly loved each other, sealed their vows with a long, sweet winter’s eve promise and a sacred kiss.
Epilogue
My Dearest Aunt Lorelei,
I believe you know who I am, but until recently, I was not aware that you were still alive. I cannot tell you how delighted I was learn I had another close family member.
Your true story was shared with me by Mr. Albert Farley, who was a good friend to my family and I understand also to you. He told me you and your husband moved to France many years ago. I was happy to hear that you own a successful vineyard and still raise champion horses. It seems you did indeed get your own -happily-ever-after ending.
I’m writing to request a favor. Your older sister, Olivia, was never told that you were alive and well. She’s been overcome by guilt for many years because she was the one who told your father about your love for one of the staff here at Chemsworth. In her defense, she thought she was protecting you.
She’s been under the assumption that you died of a broken heart, and despite all the evidence we’ve provided, she’s now suffering and quite overcome with her emotions. We are increasingly concerned about her health.
I would like to bring her to France and reunite the two of you. I know under the circumstances you may be less than inclined to forgive her, but I’m begging you. If you could see the daily stress she undergoes, the despondency and the sadness she’s experiencing, I think you would understand.
My fiancé and several of his family members would also like to meet you. I think you would recognize one of our party. Mr. Hadley Barclay is the father of my intended husband ,Merritt Barclay’. He asked me to send his highest regards.
I await your answer and we would set sail in early May for Paris if you approve of our plan.