by Marie Silk
Fiona looked distressed to answer. “Bridget is not coming back. She went to volunteer with the Red Cross.”
Abigail cringed. “I hope I was not too harsh with her.”
“I don’t think you were. My sister was very sorry to be leaving you, but she said that it was time she did her part for the cause.”
Abigail nodded. “I see. Thank you for informing me, Fiona.”
Abigail was quiet at the dining table that morning. Mary asked why Bridget had not been coming to dine with them. “She left to volunteer for the Red Cross this morning,” Abigail replied.
Clara looked at her bewildered. “It seems rather sudden. Do you intend to find another companion?”
“No,” Abigail said quietly. “I will be leaving the house too. You see, Serena Valenti has family who she wishes to visit in Pittsburgh, and I will stay at the farmhouse with the children while she is away.”
“It’s kind of you, Abigail. At least you will not be far away from the house and we may still see each other often,” said Mary.
Abigail nodded. “I know that you are quite busy with delivering babies now, and I don’t wish to get in the way of the newlyweds.”
Clara laughed. “You are never in the way. Lawrence has to leave town on business, and I will be spending more time at the town hall this week anyway.”
Abigail quietly responded, “It appears like we all have something to pass the time while we wait for our men to return.”
She arrived at Serena’s house directly after breakfast. Serena greeted her cheerfully, but was confused when she saw Abigail’s traveling case. “Good morning. Are you leaving town?”
“I am not, but you are,” Abigail stated as she entered the house. “You are going to visit Angelina while I stay here with the children.”
Serena stared at her in astonishment. “You would do this for me?”
Abigail smiled and handed her an envelope. “It is twenty-five dollars. It should be enough for your travel.”
Serena’s eyes were wide. “More than enough, I should think. I can’t take your money, Abigail. It’s too much.”
“Nonsense. I never know what to spend my money on anyway.” She kissed Serena on the cheek. “Now go pack your things and get ready. Sam is waiting outside in the car. He will take you to the train station.”
Serena hugged Abigail tightly. “You are too good to be true! Thank you!”
After Serena left the house, Gabriella and Donnie reacted in delight when Abigail explained that she would be staying at the farmhouse. “You’re nicer than our Aunt Serena,” Gabriella said dramatically. “She never lets us have sweets.”
Abigail laughed. “We will not have too many sweets while I am here,” she clarified. “But I am certain we can still have a good time.” Abigail settled in with the children, content in knowing that Serena was on her way to see her daughter.
Later that afternoon, Sam drove Clara to the bank in Yorktown. The clerk cordially greeted Clara. “Mrs. Collins, how may I help you today?”
Clara smiled to herself. She was still becoming accustomed to being called Mrs. Collins, and it took a moment to realize it was she who was being addressed. “Good afternoon, Mabel. I would like to make a withdrawal. One hundred, please.”
Mabel furrowed her brow. “Mrs. Collins, the balance of your account with us is only ten dollars.”
“Impossible,” Clara responded. “My balance was at five thousand after my last deposit, and I have not made a withdrawal since.”
“I know you haven’t, Madam. But Mr. Collins has.”
“My husband came here?”
Mabel nodded. “He withdrew all the funds except for the ten dollars. I have the receipt just here.” Clara looked over the receipt and felt her heart sink when she saw Lawrence’s signature at the bottom. She stared at the page until all the words began to run together. Mabel spoke to Clara again after the awkward silence. “Mrs. Collins? Do you wish to withdraw the ten dollars?”
“It is not enough to pay the servants,” Clara finally said. “I must pay their wages today.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Collins. Perhaps Mr. Collins has already paid them. He did mention that he would be managing the finances for the house now that you are married.”
Clara swallowed the lump in her throat. “Thank you, Mabel. I will simply speak to him later. He must have forgotten to tell me before he left on business.”
Mabel nodded. “Have a good afternoon, Mrs. Collins.”
Clara’s knees felt weak as she stumbled to the car where Sam was waiting for her. “Are you alright, Mrs. Collins?” he asked as he helped her into the car.
“I’m fine. Sam—did you receive your wages this morning from Mr. Collins?”
“No Ma’am,” he replied.
Clara took a deep breath. “Take me home, quickly.”
At the Valentis’ farmhouse, Abigail was preparing dinner for the children when there was a knock at the front door. “Abigail, it’s me,” Clara called from the other side.
“Good evening, Clara,” Abigail greeted when she opened the door. “What brings you here?”
Clara held a satchel in her hands and seemed distressed as she spoke. “I need to speak with you.”
Abigail motioned for her to sit at the small kitchen table. “You look pale,” she said in concern. “Are you feeling alright?”
Clara shook her head. “I’m sorry to ask you this, but I wonder if I may borrow one hundred dollars. I must pay the servants’ wages today, and my bank account is nearly empty.”
“Of course you may borrow the money,” replied Abigail. “Are your tenants late on their rent?”
Tears began to roll down Clara’s face. “I had five thousand dollars in the bank—but Lawrence has taken nearly all of it. I only found out because I went to make a withdrawal today and the clerk told me that my account had only ten dollars left.”
Abigail put her hand over her heart. “Five thousand is a fortune. What would he need that kind of money for?”
Clara shook her head sorrowfully. “Oh Abigail, I’m afraid that I acted hastily with Lawrence. I feared that it would be the last time I was made an offer, but the truth is, I don’t know anything about him or what he could need this money for. He never said a word to me about visiting the bank. I must wait until he returns to confront him...which is why I need to ask another favor of you.” Clara placed the satchel on the kitchen table and slid it toward Abigail. “These are ledgers of my investments that Lawrence has not seen yet. After today—I am afraid for him to know about them—until we get this matter of the five thousand sorted out. Would you be able to keep them safe for me?”
“Here at the farmhouse?”
“Yes. Lawrence must have already searched the library at the house if he discovered the information on my bank account. I usually kept these ledgers hidden in case we were ever burglarized. I am not ready to tell Lawrence that I have them.”
Abigail smiled compassionately at Clara. “Of course I will keep them safe here.” She rose from her seat and opened the trapdoor to the cellar. Clara handed her the satchel and Abigail took it down the stairs and placed it on a shelf next to the canned vegetables. “Your ledgers will be just down here if you ever need them.”
“Thank you, Abigail,” Clara said. “This is the most embarrassed I’ve ever been. I promise to pay you back the hundred dollars just as soon as I can.” Abigail felt sorry for Clara as she left the farmhouse.
Abigail finished making supper for the children and it was nearing time for bed. Gabriella and Donnie asked her to lie on the bed with them until they fell asleep, and Abigail agreed. She watched the stars through the window of the room when she suddenly caught a glimpse of headlight beams from a passing car. She wondered if Lawrence had returned from his business trip. Abigail hoped that he and Clara would resolve the misunderstanding with the money. But when she heard the front door of the farmhouse creak open, Abigail bolted upright in the bed. She heard heavy footsteps cross the kitchen floor. The fo
otsteps grew louder as they came down the hallway.
Abigail felt her heart pounding in her ears, and remembered the rifle hanging over the fireplace in the sitting room. But whoever was in the house was between Abigail and the rifle. She drew a sharp breath and stared in fright as the door to the children’s room slowly opened in front of her. She saw the silhouette of a man standing in the doorway.
“Abigail?” came Phillip Valenti’s bewildered voice.
Before Abigail knew what she was doing, she had run to Phillip and thrown her arms around him. “Is Ethan with you?” she cried frantically.
“No,” he answered quietly. “It’s only me.”
“Oh,” she answered, still trembling and hugging him tightly. “I was so afraid when I heard footsteps coming to the children’s room. I didn’t know it was you!”
“I was anxious to see them.”
“Oh—of course—I’m sorry,” she stammered as she backed away. She watched him lean over Gabriella and Donnie so he could kiss their sleeping faces. Abigail went into the kitchen and turned on the light, hoping to find something for Phillip to eat. When he came out of the hallway, Abigail noticed that he limped and walked with a cane.
“Where is Serena?” he asked.
“She is in Pittsburgh visiting Angelina. I offered to watch the children until she returned,” Abigail explained.
“Thank you,” he said wearily, and winced in pain as he lowered himself onto a kitchen chair.
Abigail set a plate of cold meats and cheeses in front of him. “Have you seen Ethan since training camp?”
“We fought together in France,” he answered. “I got hurt two weeks ago and they took me to a medic camp. I didn’t see Ethan again after that day.”
Abigail frowned. “Do you think he is alright?”
Phillip forced a smile but avoided the question. “Haven’t you heard from him?”
Abigail shook her head. “I haven’t received a single letter.”
“The letters must have been lost in the mail. I watched him write to you a dozen times,” Phillip told her.
Abigail felt her heartbeat quicken. “Did he truly?” Then she noticed that Phillip’s plate was empty. She took the plate to the counter and served another helping. Phillip was wincing in pain as he reached down to unlace his boots. “Oh, I can take them off for you,” she offered.
Phillip chuckled. “I hate to have you do it for me, but I might be in too much pain to argue.”
“I’ll send William over first thing in the morning to have a look at you,” Abigail told him. She carefully removed his boots and took them out to the front porch. When she returned the kitchen, Phillip was already sleeping soundly in the chair.
At Davenport House, Clara awoke to the sound of the telephone ringing. Her heart raced when she imagined what sort of call would come at this time of night. She ran to the library and breathlessly answered the telephone.
“Clara,” Lawrence’s voice came from the other end.
“Lawrence! Is everything alright? Are you on your way home?”
“No, that’s what I called to tell you. My mother is ill and I’ll be staying with her in Pittsburgh for a while. I don’t know how much longer she has left.”
“Oh, I see,” Clara said gently. “I’m sorry about your mother.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Lawrence, there was a matter at the bank when I went to make a withdrawal. The clerk said you had taken all the money.”
“Well, I left you ten dollars,” he replied.
“But where has the money gone? I’ve spent years saving it, and we need it to pay the taxes as well as the servants’ wages.”
“Don’t worry, I still have it,” he assured her. “I brought it in case I needed it for my business trip or for my mother. Do you want me to send you the money?”
“Yes, please,” Clara answered quickly.
“I will drop it in the post tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll telephone again when I’m coming home.”
“Thank you, Lawrence. I hope your mother gets well.”
“I hope so too. Goodbye, Clara.”
After Clara hung up the phone, she saw that Abigail had just entered the house. “Has Serena returned already?” she asked.
“No,” Abigail replied. “But Phillip has.”
Clara gasped. “How wonderful! We must invite him for dinner and celebrate his return.”
Abigail hesitated. “He is injured. I promised to tell William to look in on him in the morning. Why are you awake at this time of night?”
“I had a telephone call from Lawrence. It was all just a misunderstanding…with the money. Lawrence is posting it to me tomorrow,” she explained.
“Oh, thank goodness. I’m glad you were able to get it sorted, Clara.”
“You can bring the ledgers back from the farmhouse now. I’m not worried anymore,” Clara told her.
Abigail giggled. “I will be sure to retrieve them from the root cellar the next time I visit.”
Early the next morning, William went to the farmhouse to see Phillip. Gabriella answered the door cheerfully. “Dr. Hamilton! My papa is home,” she told William.
He smiled at the little girl. “So I hear. May I come in and see him?”
“Sure!” she said, opening the door wide. Phillip was reclined in the sitting room.
“Abigail said that you might need your leg checked out,” William told him.
“I’m afraid it hurts worse now than it did when I left France,” Phillip replied.
William rolled back the pant leg and removed the bandage. “You’ve got a bad infection,” he said solemnly.
“I figured as much.”
“I’m going to clean it now and put on a fresh bandage. Get as much rest and water as you can. We need this infection to go away so your leg can heal,” William explained. He turned to the children. “Why don’t you two play outside while I get your papa’s leg cleaned up?” The children went out the back door and William turned to Phillip. “I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt. I’ve seen a lot of injuries like this at the clinic now that the wounded soldiers are being sent home. Sometimes a man gets lucky and the infection heals. Other times…”
“I know,” Phillip answered, his voice catching in his throat.
“I’ll do everything I can to save it. But if it gets much worse…it’s better to lose a limb than your life.”
Phillip nodded that he understood, clenching his jaw in pain while William cleaned the wound. The new bandage was soon placed on, and William returned to the house to find Abigail.
“Abigail, I’ve seen Phillip this morning and now I need to get to the clinic. Do you think you can return to the farmhouse and help with the children for a few more days?” he asked her.
“Yes, of course. Is Phillip alright?”
“He is going to need help around the house. If he starts feeling ill and feverish, call me right away.”
“Oh dear. Is it that serious?” Abigail prodded.
William looked at her sorrowfully. “His leg will likely need to come off.”
Abigail covered her mouth with her hand. “How terrible. I did not realize he was that bad.”
“He puts on a brave face, but make no mistake, he’s in a great deal of pain.”
Abigail nodded solemnly. “I will go over at once.”
When William arrived at the clinic that morning, one of the nurses greeted him urgently. “Jake Robinson is back with a bad fever. We have no more anesthetic.”
William felt sick to his stomach. “We’ll have to amputate without it. Prepare him for surgery right away.” William opened the curtain to see the man writhing in pain. “Jake, we’ve done all we can for you and your leg hasn’t improved. We need to operate today.”
“No!” he cried, his teeth chattering from the chills. “I won’t let you take it off! Just fix it, Doctor. You can’t leave me without my leg!”
“I’m sorry, but the infection will kill you if we wait any longer.”
“No it won�
��t! You’re lying!” he shouted through his teeth. “You won’t fix my leg up because—because you’re one of them!”
William remained calm. “I know you’re upset—”
Jake Robinson reached into his boot and pulled out a knife, holding it menacingly in front of William. “You’re one of them. You won’t help me. I’ll go to the witch in the woods if I have to, but I’ll never come back here.” He finally hobbled out of the clinic.
William felt his heart racing as he watched him leave. The nurse came alongside him. “Are you alright, Dr. Hamilton? Should I call the police?”
“No need,” William replied. “With the severity of that infection, he’ll be dead by tomorrow.”
On his way back to the house that night, William stopped by the farmhouse to have another look at Phillip’s leg. William’s expression was grim when he looked under the bandage. “How you’re not screaming in pain right now is beyond me.”
Phillip shrugged. “I might if I thought screaming would help.”
“I’m going to bring my instruments with me when I return from the clinic tomorrow. If your leg still looks like this by the evening, I’ll have to take it off.”
“Alright,” Phillip sighed in defeat. “I’m luckier than some men who lost both legs or arms. I suppose I just have to remember that.”
“The beds at the clinic are full and I don’t want to move you anyway. Mary will care for your children at the house and we will operate here.”
Phillip nodded in a agreement. “I’ll be praying that my leg looks better by tomorrow.”
The next day after breakfast, Abigail spoke to William before he left for the clinic. “Is there anything I can do to help with tonight?”
“I can’t spare any nurses from the clinic, but I need someone to help me hold him down. I was going to ask Sam…”
Abigail shuddered. “I don’t wish my brother to see such a thing. I know where to find everything in the farmhouse, and I can help to hold Phillip down while you operate.”
“Are you sure, Abigail?”
She nodded. “I want to help. I intend to volunteer for the Red Cross once Serena returns. I’m stronger than I look.”
William smiled. “I have no doubt about that.” He held out a glass bottle to her. “Give him this at about 5 o’clock.”