“Not having to obey men would be a welcome change. I know I have had enough of it,” Darcy interjected pointedly. “I heard something about a senator from California who actually submitted a bill to the legislature this year to allow women to vote. Things are definitely changing for the better where women are concerned. I know they certainly have in this household.” Darcy and Eva immediately exchanged glances and a conspiratorial giggle. Mary Alice smiled warmly, as the two women shared their private joke.
“President Hayes has been very sympathetic toward the South since taking office last year. Starting the first of January, the government is going to begin exchanging worthless Confederate scrip for gold. That will help struggling Southerners recover from the war much more than the lying, sneaking carpetbaggers from the North that have descended on us like a plague of locusts. He promises to end Reconstruction, even if it requires military intervention.”
“Thank Goodness, someone is looking out for the South since we no longer have the strength to stand up for ourselves.”
“Yes. And his wife toured the South with him. She endeared herself in the hearts of Southern women by hugging them and letting them cry on her shoulder of the injustices they have suffered. She has indeed become a hero to Southern women everywhere, and her empathy regarding our situation has helped bind the wounds of the nation’s women.”
“I am so glad things are looking up. Things have been so bleak for so long.”
“Yes, the past decade has been a terrible struggle. I wondered at times if we would make it through at all. Looking back, I don’t know how we did it and certainly understand why so many gave up and left the country or this world.” Mary Alice concluded.
The other women nodded sadly.
Perking up, Mary Alice heard the chiming of the grandfather clock in the hallway and chirped, “My, my, it is nearly lunch time. I really must be going. I have errands to run and more visits to make. Thank you my dears for a lovely chat and delicious refreshments. Tell Isabella that her cookies were divine as always,” she called out loudly, in case the cook was lurking around the corner eavesdropping as Susannah does at the other Higgins’ household.
“Thank you, Missus,” a voice called from somewhere toward the back of the grand house.
“Thank you so much for coming. Please come back again soon. You know our social circle is quite small, so we are grateful when you can squeeze time for us into your busy social calendar. Please visit whenever you can. We love seeing you, even if you do not have any news from outside our walls.”
Hugs and kisses were passed all around as they said their goodbyes at the door with promises to get together again soon.
“See you soon,” she called back over her shoulder as the wind whipped dust devils around her feet pattering quickly down the sidewalk. The sky was dark and ominous as Mary Alice waved goodbye one last time before she disappeared around the corner. The day was August 22, 1879, a day Darcy would never forget.
Darcy called the household staff together.
“By the looks of that sky, we could be in for a bad storm. Better close the shutters before it gets here.” The rest of the day the servants, Eva, and Darcy spent battening down the hatches in preparation for a bad thunderstorm. That night, their anticipation of a bad summer storm would have been a pleasant alternative to the immense hurricane, which struck the southeastern section of Louisiana with tremendous force. Eva and Darcy huddled together in the alcove under the stairs as the winds howled like a woman in labor, and the rafters moaned as if some huge, wild beast was trying to rip the house apart. Rain pounded against the shutters like hundreds of tiny hammers.
“I wonder where everyone else is?” Darcy fretted.
“If they smart they are under sumpthin’ strong.”
The storm raged for hours. After daybreak, the noise subsided as quickly as it had come.
The two women had spent the night huddled together like peas in a pod in their small hiding place as the storm waged war around them. In the morning, they awoke and crawled out of their sleeping nook to find a broken tree limb jutting through the stained glass of the front door.
After struggling to get the door open, they both gasped. Outside was an unrecognizable scene of utter devastation. Once outside, it was eerily silent, no birds were singing, no dogs barking. Everything seemed muffled.
Uprooted trees were lying across the roofs of churches, businesses and houses, and blocking flooded streets. Debris was everywhere. Broken glass, tin and wooden shingles, clothing, tree limbs, and untold personal articles were strewn up and down the yards and sidewalks, hanging from straggling tree branches and rooftops.
Soon all of her servants appeared, unharmed.
“Oh, thank goodness. You are all here. Is anyone hurt? I was so worried about you. I didn’t know where any of you were.”
“We are all fine. We hid in the root cellar. We didn’t know if de house was blowin’ away or what wuz happenin’ in all that ruckus.” The residents of the mansion looked in disbelief at the damage that had occurred overnight.
“Have you checked the house for any damage, Alfred?”
“Yes’m. Some of the roof is missin’, and a bunch of limbs is blowed down. We can fix it easy nuff, tho.”
“That’s good news, Alfred. Well, let’s take a look around and see if others might need our help.”
Looking up the street to where Mary Alice and Andrew lived, she saw a large group gathering outside. An ice-cold fist gripped Darcy’s heart.
“No, no, please God, no.” Darcy let out an agonized scream and began to run with Eva close behind her. Shortly they were in the front of the other Higgins’ house.
“What is it? What has happened?” she was practically shrieking at the group milling around, sobbing and looking like lost sheep.
“The Master and Misses, dey be gone, ma’am.” Jim, the houseman answered her as the rest of the servants and some neighbors were weeping and distraught. “Dey was coming home from late supper and de storm hit and knocked their buggy over. We found ’em early dis morning.”
“Oh, no, no!” Darcy held her hands to her face and sobbed.
“Looks like da Missus broke her neck. She was layin’ in a most peculiar way, and de Master, he was crushed under a buggy wheel. Dose poor folks didn’t have a chance.” Loud sobbing cut off any further explanation. Jim wandered away looking like a forlorn, little boy.
“Where are they?” Darcy finally thought to ask Emma, their housekeeper, as tears continued pouring down her face. She cared deeply for Mary Alice, her one and only friend outside of her own household.
“We has them laid out in de house. Fixin’ to call the undertaker if we can find him in dis mess. I reckon as how he is gonna be mighty busy by da looks of things.”
“Yes, Emma, I think you are right. Please, I must see Mary Alice.”
Eva immediately grabbed Darcy’s arm in protest. “No, Missus, please don’t go see her all broken up. Don’t get yourself all upset. Best to just remember her like she was, a beautiful person inside and out.”
But Darcy glared at Eva and pulled her arm away. With a purposeful stride, she entered the house that suffered smashed windows, a hole in the roof, broken shutters, a yard strewn with debris, but worst of all the tragic loss of its master and mistress.
Immediately on seeing the dark blue face of sweet Mary Alice, Darcy sobbed uncontrollably. This was the only woman in New Orleans who had extended a hand of friendship to Darcy, and she would never forget how this dear woman had helped her through every step of Edgar’s funeral. She had been a guiding light to Darcy, only now that light was snuffed out far too soon.
“What am I to do without her?” Darcy wailed. “Poor, sweet Mary Alice. My only true friend.”
Eva, standing stiffly at Darcy’s side, visibly bristled at her mistress’s words.
Taking the dead woman’s hand, Darcy bent down and kissed it, then laid it gently at the woman’s side.
“This is too awful for words. I
never even considered that the first tragedy we would encounter would be our own. Where are the children?”
“Dey is wid dare nursemaid, Annie. She done took ’em to de neighbor’s house to get away from all dis.”
After finding out about Andrew and Mary Alice, Darcy had no interest or stamina for helping others. Oh those poor children. Two of the four Higgins children were away at boarding school, and the other two were in private Catholic school here in New Orleans. What should I do? They don’t really know me, but I am their only relative here in New Orleans. Should I offer for them to come live with me? They can’t stay alone with just the servants! Oh, I wish I had someone to help with all of these strange and awful circumstances.
Immediately, Cole sprang to mind. He had offered to help her in the past; perhaps he would be willing to lend a hand in getting her loved ones buried and the children taken care of properly. On thinking of Cole, a little warm spot formed in her chest. It was a new, wonderful concept. She actually did have someone to turn to in times of trouble.
The two women and Darcy’s handful of servants walked numbly back toward her house, carefully picking their way through the hazardous debris. Looking up, Darcy saw an answer to her prayer.
Chapter Seven
Outside her house on the sidewalk, Cole stood waving wildly in her direction, his hair glistening in the sun like an iridescent raven’s wing. He was the most beautiful, welcome sight she had ever seen. He bounded down the littered sidewalk, jumping over downed tree limbs, dodging toppled chimneys, and avoiding smashed fences to reach her as quickly as possible. When Cole approached, he looked her over quickly assessing for injuries, then scooped her into his arms and squeezed her against his chest.
“Oh, thank God you are all right! I was so worried about you, about all of you.” He told them looking from face to face. “I saw your door open, and no one answered. Of course, I feared the worst. It was the most horrible moment of my life!” His voice caught on the words that alluded to incomprehensible tragedy for him. “Where were you just now?”
“Oh, Cole, I am so glad to see you.” For a brief moment, she buried her face into his shoulder and let herself truly lean on him. This was not Darcy’s normal behavior, and Cole immediately feared something dreadful had occurred.
“Darcy, what is it? What has happened? Did you have a lot of damage?”
“No. Edgar’s brother and his darling wife are dead. She was my only friend in this whole stinking city! Oh, Cole, they have four children!” She paused to sniff loudly and swipe with the back of her hand at the tears continuing to flow. “What should I do? What can I do? I am their only living relative in this town. I don’t know where Mary Alice’s family is, or even if she has any.” She buried her face in her hands, and her whole body shook with sobs as he kept his arms looped comfortingly around her.
He wanted to crush her to him and whisper that he would make it all right again, or as good as possible. He feared that in her fragile state, it would be even more foolhardy than usual to take such liberties with her. He did not want to distress her further; he only wanted to soothe her broken heart and kiss away her tears. Deciding he must tread carefully, he handed her a crisp, white linen handkerchief, and she indelicately blew her nose.
“Thank you for coming to check on us. I am at a total loss as to what to do for those poor children. I am not sure that I am even a legal relative. Oh, Cole…” And tears again burst forth.
It is good that she can finally cry about something. She has kept too much pain bottled up inside of her for too long. Finally, something has happened to burst the dam and get the healing tears flowing.
“Won’t you come in? I’ll have Isabella put on a pot of tea, and maybe you can advise me on what I should do now.” She attempted a weak smile up at him, instantly melting his heart. My brave, little girl. She needs me! She really needs me! His heart rejoiced that she was turning to him in her darkest hour, wanting and needing his help.
“Of course, my dear. There is nowhere else I want to be.”
As they sat at the little table by the bay window in the small sitting area off the kitchen, they talked in low, sad voices of what had happened all around them.
“This area has been battling storms like this for over two hundred years, they tell me, so I guess people take them fairly well in stride, but it is all new to me. The locals tell me this is the most common time of year for the severe storms.” He talked about anything he could think of while she listened, smiling faintly at times, weeping at others, but she stayed seated beside him sipping her tea. It felt so perfect.
He had told her he would be her rock in any storm, but he regretted that it had taken such a heart-wrenching loss to drive his point home. He must make her understand she is not alone, nor would she ever need to be again. Gaining her trust was of utmost importance to him. He must find a way to prove to her she has nothing to fear from him; he has no ulterior motives, no cruelty in mind, and no intention to pilfer anything from her.
Whatever that bastard Edgar did to her has left her emotionally scarred, and jaded against men for life. Damn him! All I want to do is love, protect, and care for her all the days of my life, yet she is terrified of letting herself be loved.
“I heard that at least eleven vessels were stranded high and dry by the strong winds, and there is a rumor the lighthouse was wrenched about six inches to the west. I know it is tragic, but I heard hundreds of cattle had been rolled head over tail. I can’t help but find the image of cows rolling like tumbleweeds down the road rather comical. The end result was not funny, however, because despite their struggle to stay afloat, hundreds had drowned. Of course, cotton and rice crops are a total loss from this massive storm. A rider stopped at the hotel to say the damage extends from Morgan City westward, no one knows how far yet. What a mess!”
After several hours, he finally left, and Eva went in to Darcy.
“Oh, ma’chere I am sorry you are hurting so bad. She’s not your only friend though. No, no, no! You have me, and you always will. We are best of friends for life, you said so yor’sef. I will never leave you like she did.”
“Oh, Eva! She didn’t leave me. She was killed! I know we are best friends, but I really think of you more as family. You live here. She was the only one from the outside who was nice to me.” Salty tears slid down her pale cheeks.
“Well, anyways, I am here for you and always will be.”
“Thank you, Eva. That’s exactly what Cole told me. I am so lucky to have two people who care so much about me. Cole has been a big help already. He helped me figure out some of what needs to be done for those children, and the funerals and the millions of other details involved in this horrible tragedy.”
Eva visibly stiffened and dropped her arms from around Darcy’s shoulders where she had been trying to comfort her. Fuming, Eva stormed from the room.
Too emotionally drained from the day’s tragedies to react to this latest outburst, Darcy let her go. She had no energy to deal with temper tantrums right now. She lay back on the settee and soon was fast asleep, exhausted from hours of weeping. When she awoke, it was dark outside. With no lamp lit, it took a moment to figure out she was in the parlor, and to assimilate whether it was the same day or the next. Then the events of the past twelve hours came flooding back to her. Her head ached miserably from so much crying, and her stomach was empty. She needed to find Eva.
“Eva, why did you let me sleep so long?” She saw Eva coming downstairs with the only lighted lamp in the house.
“I didn’t know you were sleeping, ma’am. I been in my room,” Eva answered icily.
“Eva, please don’t be difficult. It has been a horrible day for everyone. I do not need your emotional outbursts, or your pouting, so please stop. I know you are jealous that I spent time with Cole, but he was a big help, and I needed him. He might really be a very kind man. I wish you would give him the benefit of the doubt and stop being so rude to him. You could at least try to get to know him before you condem
n him like this.”
“Why?” Eva snapped. “Are you planning on him being around here permanently?” Her eyes were little cauldron’s of bubbling black poison. “If you are, you’d better tell me now Missus, because he will never live in this house while I am alive.”
“Oh, Eva, enough! You are not going anywhere, and no one is coming to live here except possibly the two Higgins children. We will have to talk to Mr. Parker about the legalities regarding the orphaned children. Surely, their parents left a will that will say what is to be done with them. Now, listen. Cole is coming back tomorrow, so I want you to try to show him some civility instead of the unacceptable way you’ve been treating him. Understand?” Then her authoritative tone softened dramatically as she added, “Please, Eva. Please do this for me.”
“All right, ma’chere.” Eva agreed, her face still a cauldron of anger.
The next day Cole was back bright and early as promised and took breakfast with the two women. Eva was silent, but not outwardly glaring at him as on previous visits. Darcy was pleasant although still visibly shaken by the recent deaths. Together they planned the funerals, and with help from the other Higgins’ household servants, they searched bureau drawers and desks, and any likely place where important papers would be stashed. Then they asked at the bank if there was a safe deposit box, and inquired at Andrew’s boat building warehouse for the name of an attorney and hopefully a will.
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