The Cumberland Plateau
Page 54
Her hands trembled as she took the envelope and read its contents. Unable to believe what she saw, she read it again. “So he has anticipated me,” she whispered against the lump in her throat. “Somehow, I’m not surprised, but I don’t want the money. Our marriage was never about money. I have my own and the ability to support myself. I don’t need his. And I won’t have it.”
She paused, suppressing the urge to cry. Even as the words flowed from her mouth with a brooding sense of finality, they refused to register in her brain, though she’d rather die than show it.
“He can have his freedom. I will let him go. But first I’ll call him and give him a good piece of my mind.”
Hilda sighed heavily and shook her head. “Mrs. Darcy, I would counsel against that. I’m afraid he is in a series of meetings… critical meetings. You will never get through to him, and if you did, it would only make him angry should you interrupt another meeting. If you value your peace of mind, I strongly advise you to let him go.”
Elizabeth tensed. “I see,” she said with mortification as she remembered the last time she had interrupted a meeting. “I wouldn’t wish to disturb his tranquility or upset his priorities then. I suppose we’ve said quite enough to each other already, and frankly, I can’t take it anymore. I’ll write him a letter.”
“What will you do, Mrs. Darcy?”
“Don’t worry about me,” Elizabeth said with feigned confidence. “I have a long overdue vacation to take.” Maintaining her composure, Elizabeth signed the papers, refused the money, and penned her husband a short, but sweet, farewell letter meant to drive her point home.
After Hilda left, Elizabeth became violently ill. Sick and weak from the stress of the previous weeks, the arguments with her husband, and now this, it finally hit her full force. Had he loved her so little that he couldn’t even bother to leave his precious company to deliver his news himself? Instead, he had sent his aunt, his advisors—and the shameful offer of money. This outcome was not what she had expected or hoped for. In her heart, she had held onto the hope that he still loved her as he had when he’d last kissed her. Now that that hope had been shattered, bitter anger and disappointment began to settle in as she cried uncontrollably, feeling isolated and alone.
…How could you do this to me, Fitzwilliam? How could you! Did our relationship mean so little…was it a passing dalliance? On one hand you tell me you love me, but with the other you have stipulations—demands. You used me, didn’t you? Oh, God! I’ve been a fool! The shame of being cast aside. I cannot stand the thought of it! First Liddy and her child and now me and mine. … My child! Oh my God! Her head shot up as she remembered her dreams. …He’ll take my child …
Bewildered and struggling with an overwhelming sense of despair, she threw herself onto her bed and cried herself to sleep. Completely exhausted, Elizabeth slept through the afternoon and into the early evening.
That night, after eating what she could, and after deliberate thought, she called an old friend.
“Celia.”
“Lizzy?”
Chapter Forty-two
Love … it dissipated into nothingness, seemingly overnight…
July – Charleston
“Lizzy, honey, what’s wrong?”
“Celia, I am in trouble, and I need a place to go. Can you help me?”
“Do you even have to ask? Where are you? Do you need me to come and get you, or can you come to me?”
“I’m in Walnut Grove, but I’m sick and weak. Fitzwilliam and I have separated. It’s permanent.”
“Oh, no, Lizzy, I was afraid of that. Where’s Jane? Is she with you?”
“No, Jane and Charles are still on their honeymoon,” Elizabeth paused. “Celia, I don’t want Jane to know a thing about this. Charles and Fitzwilliam are best friends, and I don’t want Jane to be caught in the middle. I’ll explain it all when I see you.”
“Oh, Lizzy, what happened?”
“I’m still confused about that myself, but if I rest a bit, I think I can make it to you, and then I’ll tell you everything. There are some accounts that I need to close before I leave, and I want to change my cell phone number. Then I will try and drive to Charleston.”
“No, stay where you are. I’ll come to you. I need two days to clear my calendar. Is that enough time?”
“Yes, I’ll call you tomorrow with my new number. Then, when you arrive in town, you can call me.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
~*~
The next day, Elizabeth began the process of erasing her trail. She had the money that she believed to be Fitzwilliam’s transferred to his bank account in England and closed her personal accounts. She discontinued her phone service, effective that day, had the utilities and cable scheduled for termination, and had her cell phone number changed. She then submitted her resignation to the university. Although she didn’t want Jane to know, she did confide in Robert and Tana, telling them she was leaving for an extended period of time.
Before Cecilia came, there was one other thing Elizabeth did—she cut her hair. She couldn’t explain why she felt a need to do so, but the desire to cut it overwhelmed her. Her long hair had been the one thing he’d loved most of all, and the memory of him spending hours brushing and playing with it proved too painful, so perhaps the act of cutting it would sever him from her life. Regardless, shoulder-length hair was much easier to manage, and the new style flattered her as it hung in soft curls about her face.
~*~
Just as she’d promised, Cecilia came two days later, bringing with her a driver and a hired nurse, just in case Elizabeth needed assistance. Cecilia was shocked with what she found. Not only had Elizabeth cut her hair, but she was pale and very sick. The nurse advised that she be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.
Once they arrived on Battery Street, Cecilia had all of Elizabeth’s things taken to what would be her room at the townhouse—the room on the southeast corner of the second floor overlooking Charleston Harbor. Soon, after everything was settled, she had Elizabeth taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, where the attending physician, Dr. John Adams, diagnosed her with severe dehydration and admitted her for twenty-four hours’ observation. She was given IV fluids, along with some medication to bring her nausea under control. Within the hour, it was confirmed that she was indeed pregnant and expecting twins with a due date of January 29th. As Elizabeth listened to the heartbeats and watched two tiny fetuses swimming and turning somersaults on the big ultrasound screen, a warm feeling filled her heart. They were hers…her babies…her children to love and care for.
~*~
The next day, Dr. Adams entered Elizabeth’s room with her chart in hand. Flipping through the pages, he scribbled a few notes as he approached her bedside. “Ah, I see you were taking the pill, but apparently no one told you to use extra protection when taking an antibiotic. Birth control pills have a higher failure rate when antibiotics are introduced. That’s probably why the pill failed in your case,” he said, looking up with a smile. “Nevertheless, you certainly look much better than when I saw you yesterday.”
“Yes, and I feel better, too.”
“Well, Mrs. Darcy, everything looks good,” he said as he scribbled out a prescription. “I’m releasing you today, but I want to monitor your progress until you deliver. Make an appointment with my office as soon as possible. I to want see you in a month.” He handed her his card, along with a prescription for prenatal vitamins.
“Thank you. I’ll do that today.”
“Okay, everything else looks fine. We’ll see you in one month,” he said with a smile as he reached and shook her hand.
~*~
Once she was settled into the Lawton Townhouse, Cecilia and Elizabeth went for a walk in The Battery, the park across the street. A nice breeze was blowing in from the ocean, and the smell of fish and saltwater, along with the piercing cries of seagulls, filled the air. While they strolled along under the shade of the live oaks draped in thick blankets of Span
ish moss, Elizabeth thought of her needs.
“Celia, how is my trust fund doing? Is there enough money for me to live off the interest until I am able to work again?”
“Umm, yes, I’m sure there is. My group invested that money in mutual funds, and they are doing quite well, tracking along the same percentages as last year, but I will not hear of you taking one penny out of it. I have more than enough money to take care of you, and I don’t mind one bit. You just worry about those babies you’re carrying. You’re under my protection now.”
“No, you mistake me.” She snapped a twig from a tree as they passed by the first cannon. “I need access to this year’s interest, not the principal or last year’s earnings. I’ll need money to live on until I can become established. I’m contemplating leaving the country as soon as I can.”
Cecilia’s head shot up. “Lizzy, where will you go? You can’t leave!”
“Oh, yes I can. And if you think I won’t, then you don’t know me very well. If I decide to go, I’m moving to Belmopan, Belize. I will take a teaching position there, and when the children are old enough, and I feel it’s safe to return, I’ll come back to Charleston and teach. That was my choice in the first place.”
Inhaling sharply, Cecilia quizzed, “But, Lizzy, you wanted to manage the farm. What was all of that talk about duty and responsibility?”
“Oh, I still feel that way, only I can’t do it anymore. I’ve given my Aunt Tana power of attorney to take care of things. I can’t go back.” She bit her lower lip and gave her friend a quick glance. “Charleston will be my home when it’s all said and done. I have no desire to return to Walnut Grove. I want to start over with a new life. Going out of the country is only a diversion. When my husband remarries and there is little to no chance he will find out about the children, then it’ll be safe to return.”
“Lizzy, you don’t really have to leave the country. You know I will help you. The culture in Belize is so different. It’ll be hard.”
“No, Celia, I’ll be fine. I speak Spanish fluently, and besides, Belmopan is mostly an English-speaking city. It’s very small, and I already know many people there. Mom and Dad supported the Southern Baptist Medical Compound in one of the outlying villages, and our estate still does. They will take me in until I’ve situated myself, and didn’t you tell me my trust fund paid three hundred thousand dollars last year or thereabouts?” she asked. “That is a fortune in the Belizean economy. I’ll do just fine.”
“It can be arranged for you to have a monthly income off the interest. I’ll take care of it tomorrow, but stay here with me until you are well enough to go—only, I don’t want you to go.” Attempting to lighten the mood, Cecilia giggled. “Besides, maybe you can talk some sense into me and help me keep Cameron Taylor at bay.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “Oh, please don’t tell me you’re getting back together with him. You can do so much better.”
“I’m afraid that’s what he wants, and yes, I am seeing him, but I promise you I am not sleeping with him—much to his dismay, I might add. Although I may just marry him someday if someone better doesn’t come along.”
“Do you mean to tell me you won’t crawl between the sheets with the most eligible bachelor in all of South Carolina?” Elizabeth mocked. “Most women would think there is no one better to be found.”
“Never!” Cecilia burst out laughing. “I don’t care what most women think. He may be handsome and rich, but I couldn’t care less.” She sighed. “Still, I have to marry someday. I wish I had the option to either stay single, or, at the very least, marry a man I deeply loved, but then, I don’t suppose such a man exists, not for me anyway,” Cecilia said, looking up into the treetops. Turning back to her friend, she smiled. “Besides, you know how I really feel about love. It’s not important.”
Elizabeth stiffened. “I married for love,” she whispered softly. “As I look back on it, I agree. It’s overrated.”
Wrinkling her brow, Cecilia asked, “Do you think you can tell me what happened? If I can’t help you, I can at least offer you a shoulder to cry on.”
“Yes,” Elizabeth sighed, “this is as good a time as any, I suppose.”
Elizabeth began her tale, starting with when the English gentlemen came to the Cumberland Plateau almost a year ago. Elizabeth explained how everything had been wonderful until that phone call in the early morning hours. She explained about Pemberley, PLC and how the London group disapproved of her marriage, culminating with her husband’s emotional withdrawal as things unfolded in London and their many arguments that followed.
“You know that I wanted to join him in London to be by his side, but he refused, claiming the tabloids might expose me to ridicule, thereby jeopardizing Pemberley.” She glanced sideways at her friend. “Fitzwilliam was concerned about his public image. I never realized to what extent his father disapproved of our marriage until all of this happened. He seldom called unless I called first.”
“Lizzy, as I told you then, he is correct about the media. If they had chosen to vilify you, they would have been unmerciful. And with Liddy’s trial and all that came out in court, it would’ve been just as he told you.” Tilting her head, Cecilia looked Elizabeth straight in the eye. “As far as Liddy goes, that girl was very lucky. She could have been sent to prison for a very long time, and you would have been tarred and feathered just the same as her. The British press is brutal—much more so than ours. That’s the way it is, Lizzy.”
“Well, it very well may be. I don’t care. It was my choice to make—not his. I think it would have been a lot easier than being left here all alone. Where was he when I needed him? I wonder if he would’ve called me at all had I not called him. I don’t think it was me he was concerned about, but rather his public image. Had I gone to London with his aunt, our lives wouldn’t have been what they were before all of this happened. He wanted to change me, and I couldn’t do that, so he left me. After the way we had argued, I wasn’t surprised. You see, I wanted him to come for me personally. If he had come, then I would’ve known that he still cared, but instead, he sent his aunt, whom, I might add, was kind enough to explain to me how things really were. When I refused to go with her, I thought—no, actually I had hoped—she would return to London and convince him to come for me. But instead, Fitzwilliam had anticipated me, already having divorce papers and terms settled with his aunt. That’s when I decided to leave for good. Aside from losing his love, for a company no less, being abandoned is possibly the worst thing I could’ve imagined. I don’t want people’s pity, and I know that is exactly what I would’ve received from both my family and the community. If I weren’t pregnant, it wouldn’t have been so bad.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Lizzy. It must be tough living in a small farming community where everybody knows everyone and their business.”
“Yes, and what they don’t know, they make up.”
Cecilia laughed. “Well, here in the city, nobody cares.”
Cecilia looked at her old friend, wondering how much to reveal about a certain gentleman who occupied more of her thoughts than she cared to admit. She pinched off a leaf from a hedge. Twisting it in her fingers, she decided that telling Elizabeth a small part wouldn’t hurt.
“Lizzy, I must tell you that I know something of the Darcy brothers, well, at least David Darcy. I sell them my South American coffee each year. David is a shrewd businessman whom I’ve dealt with personally, and I also know of their problems. In fact, I consider David to be a friend. We’ve talked over the past few months, but I confess that I don’t know them as well as you do, and I’ve never met his brother. David only mentioned him in passing. He never even mentioned his name, and until I called you about Liddy’s trial, I had no idea he was your husband or the heir to the Pemberley conglomerate. You never talked about it.”
“I never thought it was important. To me, he was simply Dr. Darcy, professor of Classical Studies.” Elizabeth turned her gaze to Cecilia. “You didn’t mention me to David, did you?”
“And he’s not likely to, either.” Elizabeth chuckled. “Celia, David’s a nice man, but be careful about becoming too involved with him. I understand he’s quite a lady killer, and he’ll never commit—ever.”
Cecilia laughed. “Well, that makes two of us. Lizzy, you know I don’t have a problem with that. I don’t commit either, and besides, I’m not looking for love. You’re the sentimental one—not me. Now why don’t you show me those divorce papers you told me about? I want to read over them.”
Taking a seat on a nearby park bench, Elizabeth pulled the papers out of her purse. “Here, tell me what you think.”
Cecilia took the papers and carefully read each one. “Have you read this letter?”
Tears streamed down her face. “Yes, of course I’ve read it. And he put it so nicely, didn’t he—written with cold civility and all on corporate stationery!”