by Marie Silk
Mary was skeptical. “But what if this is just another way that she is trying to gain control of the estate? Jimmy might not even be who she says he is.”
“Mary,” Clara said gently, laying her hand on Mary’s. “I believe he is. Look into his eyes and tell me if you don’t see my father in them.”
“I suppose I didn’t notice,” Mary said. “I’m not sure what to think about any of this.”
“It’s all right. Do you remember the day you met Mrs. Davenport outside the house?”
Mary groaned under her breath. “How could I forget.”
“She was coming to tell me that Joe’s estate went up for sale. She urged me to do whatever I could to buy it and expand the estate to its original size of a thousand acres.”
“And…did you?” asked Mary.
Clara nodded proudly. “It wasn’t easy, but Mrs. Davenport helped me with it all. I don’t believe she wants the house for herself any longer, Mary. I think she is only concerned that Jimmy is taken care of.”
Mary was still skeptical, but held her peace. Clara sighed loudly just then. “Oh, I am so glad you know everything now,” she said. “I don’t wish for there to be any secrets between us. I’m sorry I was not forthright about it from the start. I was so worried you wouldn’t understand.”
Mary felt the same pang of guilt that she spent each day pushing to the back of her thoughts. She finally spoke up before she lost the courage to tell her. “Clara, there is a secret I’ve kept from you as well. I’m worried that if I tell you now that I knew all along, you might banish me forever.”
Clara laughed. “Oh Mary, don’t be ridiculous. You will always have a home here. But what is this secret? You have me in suspense.”
Mary took a deep breath. “I know why Joe left.”
Clara’s face fell. “You needn’t waste your time, Mary. I already know why he left,” she whispered.
“You do?”
Clara nodded sadly. “He often spoke of wanting a big family. I told him I would likely never have any children and it was too much a disappointment for him to go through with it. I suppose all this grief could have been avoided if I had just told him sooner.”
Mary shook her head dismissively. “Clara—I saw Joe. He was in Yorktown last week. And that’s not the reason he gave me.”
Clara’s mouth dropped open. “Joe came back to town?”
“Yes,” Mary answered gently. “I’m sorry I never told you before, but I was afraid it would hurt you too much to know the truth. Several years ago, Joe knew a young woman…and they had a child.”
The color drained from Clara’s face until she was white as a sheet. “I can’t believe this! He never told me any such thing!”
“Apparently, Joe never knew about the child until recently when he went to see the woman in Harrisburg. He married her within the week.”
Clara put her hand over her heart. “I never thought he could be married. I suppose I figured he would not come back to me, but for him to be married so soon…and with no explanation to me! Oh Mary, what a great mistake I nearly made in marrying him! Thank goodness he left when he did. The devastation of me being betrayed after the wedding would be more than I could bear.”
“I am terribly sorry about all this, Clara. You deserve so much better.”
Clara laid back against the settee. “But Mary, is there anyone in the world would want to be with a woman who has been engaged and married as much as I have? I would die of embarrassment just to explain it all to a man.”
“All I know is that you deserve better,” said Mary. “Heaven help the man would betray you after this.”
Later that night, William pulled into the front drive at Davenport House. He was tired after the long day but determined not to spend another consecutive night away from his wife and daughter. Sam met him outside where the cars were parked in a row. “ ‘Evening, Dr. Hamilton,” Sam told him. “I haven’t seen you here for awhile. I’ve been cleaning the cars real good and I can get yours done in the morning, if you’d like.”
“I would appreciate that, Sam,” William answered sleepily.
“I found something in Mrs. Hamilton’s car that I thought might be yours,” Sam continued. “It looks important like that doctor stuff you keep in your car sometimes.” Sam reached into his pocket and handed William a sheet of paper.
William looked over it with his tired eyes that suddenly grew wide. He felt his heart drop into his stomach when he realized the significance of what he held in his hand: a page torn from the register of the Yorktown hospital. He looked in horror at the final name handwritten on the register:
Mary Hamilton of Davenport House, “After Hours” Visit
Chapter 12
Phillip Valenti and his children gathered near the garden to collect the few crops that had surfaced that year. Gabriella frowned at the meager harvest. “We could eat all that in one day,” she said.
“We likely could, but we’ll try to make it last just a little longer than a day,” her father answered.
“Miss Clara is coming for a visit,” Donnie announced, looking in the distance.
“She is?” Phillip looked up from the garden. Clara was approaching with two baskets full of vegetables.
“Hello,” she said to the children. “Do you suppose you could use any of this? We don’t have any more room in our cellar.”
“We can use them!” Gabriella said joyfully. “Our garden died this year.”
Phillip coughed awkwardly. “Well, it didn’t do as well as we’d hoped,” he said. “Children, what do you say to Miss Clara?”
“Thank you,” the children said in unison. Phillip and Clara watched as they made their way to the house with the heavy baskets.
After the children had gone inside, Clara looked at Phillip. “I wanted to tell you that Mary came back. She did not leave me as I feared. In fact, we seem to be on very good terms now.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Phillip said.
“There is something else,” she began shyly. “You were right—what you said about Joe. I learned that he has a child with a woman from his past. They are married now.”
Phillip shook his head. “And he couldn’t be bothered to tell you about this before?”
“He never mentioned it. In fact it was just yesterday that I found out through Mary what truly happened.”
“Will you be all right?”
Clara shrugged. “I’m sure I will be. I used to believe that the only way for me to be respected in this world was to be married. But the last weeks have shown me that I can have purpose without it. Your sister wrote me a lovely letter about the difference I made for her before she left for Pittsburgh. Now with Jimmy at the house, I feel more purpose than ever to continue with my father’s estate. I don’t require a husband to do so. And come November, I will be voting in my very first election,” she said, beaming with pride. “Can you believe it?”
Phillip chuckled. “After all the work you put in with the suffrage movement, I can believe it.”
Clara saw the children leave the house to play in the backyard. She felt herself becoming sad to watch them. “Do you think you’ll hear back from the landlord about the house for rent?”
Phillip seemed confused. “What? Oh, that. If I do hear back from him, I’ll have to decline.”
“Did you find something better?” she asked.
Philip smiled sheepishly. “I suppose I found a way to stay here at the farmhouse.”
“Oh, that’s excellent news! How did you manage it?”
“It involved swallowing my pride a little,” he said with a laugh. “But I would do it again if it meant giving the children the best I can. When you and I were looking at those houses around Pittsburgh, I suppose I was reminded of the reasons I wanted to live in the country in the first place. I decided I’m going to find a way to make it work for as long as I can right here.”
“I am very glad you will be staying. I was going to miss you terribly. After everything that has happened
at the house these last years, you’ve been here for us, the most perfect neighbor we could ask for.” Clara suddenly felt embarrassed. “Well, I suppose I should leave you to your harvest.”
“Wait,” Phillip said, looking up into her eyes. “Thank you for the vegetables, Clara. You have truly been the kindest neighbor we could hope for. The children adore you, you know.”
Clara blushed. “You’re welcome. Good day, Phillip.”
Back at Davenport House, Mary was laying Violet down to sleep in the wooden cradle. She saw William enter the dark room, but could not see his distressed expression.
“Mary, I need to speak with you,” he said.
“We’ll need to leave the room,” whispered Mary. “I just got her to sleep.” She went to the hallway with William and looked at him expectantly. “What is it?”
William looked in both directions around them. “I don’t want to talk out here in the hallway.”
“Oh dear, is it serious? We can go into the sitting room. There is no one there just now.” William followed her to the sitting room and closed the double doors while Mary seated herself on the settee. “Is this about the new hospital?” she asked.
“Y—yes—” he stammered. “How did you know?”
“I hoped you had heard back from the directors about a position there.”
“No, I haven’t heard from them. Mary, have you actually gone inside the hospital?”
“Me?” she laughed. “I have no reason to go in there…especially since I learned about that awful Dr. Jones working there.”
“So you’ve never gone to see Dr. Jones since he got back to town?” William questioned.
Mary was bewildered. “Gone to see him? Of course not! William, I hate that man more than anything in the world. You remember he killed my mother, don’t you? Why would you ask such a question?”
William felt nauseated when he replied. “The detective asked me to do the autopsy on Dr. Jones. They think it was a murder.”
“More than likely,” Mary remarked. “But I hope you don’t expect me to feel sorry for him.”
“I don’t expect you to Mary—it’s just that I had to hear from your own lips that you were never there. The police found a gold bracelet that looks just like yours. They might use it for evidence.”
“My bracelet from Father is one of my most prized possessions. I would never leave it lying around anywhere. It’s safe in my jewelry box at the moment,” she assured him.
William breathed a sigh of relief and pushed the feelings of doubt to the back of his mind. “I’m sorry, Mary. I got so worried and didn’t know what to think.”
“It must have been distressing to have to do the autopsy,” Mary said compassionately. She stood up and hugged him. “I promise I’ve never stepped foot into that hospital.”
“All right,” he said. “I’m going to get changed and head back to town now.”
“Have a good day, William,” she said, stifling a yawn. “I am going downstairs to the library.”
William watched her leave the sitting room and head down the grand staircase. William returned to their shared bedroom where Violet was sleeping soundly. He changed his clothes as quietly as he could so he did not wake her up. On his way out the door, he noticed Mary’s jewelry box on her vanity table. He held his breath as he opened the box to look inside. He searched through every piece, but the gold bracelet was not there.
In the city of Yorktown, William sat at his desk in the clinic and made a call to the manor house in Philadelphia. “Hello?” answered Abigail.
“Abigail, it’s me, William.”
“Hello, William. How are you?”
“I’m having difficulty with something and I’m hoping you can help,” he said. “Mary has not been herself lately. I don’t understand what’s happening with her, but I wondered if she might have told you anything. I don’t mean to pry—I’m just desperate for answers.”
“Oh dear,” Abigail said. “Poor Mary has been in distress since she saw her mother again, and she phoned me this morning to say that she is kept awake by nightmares.”
“Nightmares? She never mentioned it,” William said. “Did she say what about?”
“She only told me she is afraid to return to sleep after having them. Perhaps I left her too soon. But surely you’ve found a nanny by now.”
“No, we are not going to have a nanny,” William replied.
“What do you mean? Didn’t Mary advertise for help with the baby?”
“She was going to, but I told Mary that she should get accustomed to life without servants. She doesn’t believe she can do it on her own, but I think she’ll find out she is capable soon enough.”
“William, how could you!” scolded Abigail. “Mary is in no condition to be doing everything herself! She should be resting so she can heal.”
William was puzzled. “Heal from what? Did something happen?”
Abigail hesitated on the other end. “Mary promised that she would tell you, but from this conversation, I’m afraid she has not. Mary is still in tremendous pain from the birth. She has not healed as she should have. I thought you must have known by now. You’ll need to examine her yourself and see what can be done for her. I would have stayed longer to help Mary, but I had to come home.”
William leaned his forehead against his arm on the desk. “I had no idea of any of this,” he said sorrowfully. “I feel ashamed, Abigail. I have neglected Mary without realizing it and now she doesn’t think she can be honest with me.”
“Then I hope you find the time to really talk to each other. Do you think I should return to her? I assumed she had someone to help with the baby all this while.”
“Yes Abigail, please come. I don’t know what’s happening with Mary, but there is more that she is not telling me. I’m just afraid to find out what it is.”
Chapter 13
“Thank you for your offer, Sir,” William said to the director of the hospital. “I’ll need to speak with my wife about it first.”
The director chuckled knowingly. “Of course you will. Let me know just as soon as you’ve made your decision, Dr. Hamilton.”
“I will, Sir,” William replied, shaking the man’s hand. He left the hospital and saw Clara’s car parked nearby with Sam in the driver’s seat. William went to speak with him. “Good morning, Sam. How is everything at the house?”
“It’s all right, Dr. Hamilton. Miss Clara seems to be much more herself now,” he answered with a smile. “She’s out shopping for hats.”
“That’s good to hear—but I have a favor to ask of you,” began William. “Well, it’s more a favor to ask of your wife. I hoped you could relay the request to her as soon as you get back to the estate.”
“Sure, I’ll ask her,” replied Sam.
“I understand that Fiona gave up her position at the grand house due to her condition,” William said.
“That’s right. Keeping up the whole mansion was getting to be too much for her, so now she’s staying home while we wait for the baby.”
“Of course. I just wonder if she might be able to help Mary with Violet for a few weeks. I’m afraid I can’t pay much in cash, but perhaps we can make it up in trade. You can have this or get a good price for it at a second-hand shop. It’s Swiss made.” William removed his watch.
“I can’t take your watch, Dr. Hamilton,” Sam told him. “I think if I talk to Fiona, she’d be happy to help your wife for free.”
“Are you sure you can do without payment?” asked William, still holding his watch out for Sam.
“Fiona plans to ask Mrs. Hamilton to be her midwife anyway, so I’m sure things will even out in the end.”
William sighed humbly. “Thank you, Sam. I am grateful to the both of you.”
Later that morning at Davenport House, Clara and Mary were having tea in the upstairs sitting room. “Abigail telephoned this morning,” Clara said. “She is coming for another visit.”
“How wonderful,” responded Mary. “So much has happ
ened since she was here last.”
“Morning paper for you, Madam,” Mrs. Spencer said, handing Clara the newspaper.
“Thank you, Mrs. Spencer.” Clara’s eyes went directly to the gossip column. She raised her eyebrows and read with interest.
“What is it?” asked Mary.
“I’m not sure if you want to hear this,” she answered slowly. “It’s about Dr. Jones.”
Mary shuddered. “You just reminded me of the terrible dream I had last night. You’re right, Clara. I don’t want to hear any news about him. I have to tend to Violet anyway.” She rose from her seat and left the sitting room.
Mary was about to return to her room, but Mrs. Spencer approached her first. “Fiona is here to see you, Mrs. Hamilton.”
Mary became concerned. “I hope all is well with the baby.”
“She said she is here to help with Violet, Madam.”
“She is?” Mary asked in surprise. Mrs. Spencer led her to the parlor where Fiona waited patiently.
“Hello, Miss Mary,” Fiona said cheerfully. “Dr. Hamilton sent me to help with the baby. I can arrive every day about this time after breakfast, if it’s all right with you.”
“Of course it would be all right!” said Mary in delight. “I’m surprised it was William who sent you, but I’m pleased nonetheless. Violet is upstairs in my room just now. She is certainly about to wake up soon.”
Fiona smiled sweetly. “I will go attend to her, Miss Mary. You look like you could use some rest.”
After Fiona went upstairs, Mary enjoyed a leisurely walk to the stable to see her horse Dolly. “How are you, old friend?” she whispered, running her hand down Dolly’s nose. “I wish I could take you for a ride today. It would be just the thing to clear my head.”
“Mary?” William’s voice called from behind her.