Charlock's Secret

by Leah Moyes

  Outside of the house, we meandered through the gardens and down towards the river path. He never let go of my hand, and I never pulled away. Blessed with another cloudless day, I couldn’t help but feel as though I balanced on the edge of paradise.

  “Tell me about Merritt.” He suggested. My heart skipped, and my smile broadened.

  “He was a gentleman to the core.” I began. “When I first met him, he had just turned 23 and was facing the biggest decisions of his life. He wanted to do what was right for his family, but it compromised his heart and caused him conflict.

  “Was this about Johnna and the other woman?”

  “Yes, although at the time, I didn’t know that Merritt battled both his heart and head so fiercely. Despite Margaret’s many unappealing qualities, she was a woman of circumstance and their fathers arranged for them to marry. She was—”

  Trenton laid the blanket down the moment we reached the grassy spot near the river and sat down. My hands clenched just thinking of that woman and how easily she got under my skin. “She was a snake,” I smirked.

  “Come sit down, tell me about her.” He pointed for me to join him.

  “I can’t even think of anything nice to say about her. She had no integrity, no compassion, and I tried in vain to expose her deceit.”

  “But you punched her. That must’ve been satisfying.” Trenton chuckled.

  I grinned. “To get her out of the way so I could help Merritt. I had to do mouth to mouth, and she went ballistic the moment my lips touched his.”

  “So, I need to wrap my head around this . . . you kissed my third great-grandfather?”

  A quick bark of laughter left my lips. “You can’t call that a kiss.” I glanced over to his smug face, but somehow the word kiss drew my eyes to his lips. Either it was the warmth of the sun or my elevated breath, but my cheeks flushed with heat and my pulse raced. I quickly shifted my eyes to my lap. “I’m just glad he survived,” I whispered. “I wasn’t sure he would.”

  “Well, I, for one, am very grateful he did.” When I looked back up Trenton’s eyes sparkled. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise.” He chuckled and stretched backward, leaning on his elbows in quite a relaxed state. “So, as we know Merritt ended up married to Johnna after all, but what do you think happened to this Margaret woman?”

  Caught a bit off guard, I huffed. I didn’t care what happened to her, she practically destroyed my life, but I didn’t say this out loud. “She probably married some wealthy snob and ruined his posterity.” I said it before I realized how childish it sounded. “I mean, I’m really glad she didn’t end up being your great-grandmother . . . ”

  “She was that much of a muck-up, huh?”

  I raised one eyebrow and gave Trenton quite the look. He laughed, “Okay, I believe you!”

  “And there was this man, Josiah Abbott.” I shivered at the memory of him. “Since I read the journal, I now know he was Margaret’s brother, but he was quite repulsive.”

  “Oh yes, the man Merritt mentioned in the journal, about how you may have offended him, but Merritt seemed to enjoy it.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure Mr. Abbott will never forget our last confrontation.” I told Trenton about the knee to the bollocks at the ball. He laughed even harder as I continued. “I blamed his squirming position on the food!”

  “Between the black eye and the knee to the groin, remind me to never get on your bad side.”

  My finger shook his direction. “That’s right. Just always agree with me and we won’t have a problem.” I smiled and flipped my sandals off, letting my toes soak in the sunshine. “Seriously, though, I wonder why he was so protective. I was hardly a threat.”

  Trenton’s eyebrow rose, but he said nothing.

  “And why did they want to rush the wedding? I’m positive now they weren't intimate. No reason for a shotgun ceremony, but it still seemed precarious.”

  “Actually,” Trenton sat up. “On a page, you didn’t read, it went into more details about the dubious business practices of the elder Mr. Abbott and how their wealth came into question. I wonder if they misrepresented. Their plan may have been that once the marriage was sealed, the family couldn’t break it. Maybe Margaret’s family was actually after our family’s money?”

  “Well now, that’s interesting,” I mumbled, recalling Josiah’s less than hygienic state. Even though he dressed well, he had this coarseness about him, not like a properly raised gentleman who came from fortune.

  “And the Truth or Dare game.” Trenton opened the basket and offered some fruit. Plucking a grape off his own small vine, he continued. “That was all your idea?”

  I chuckled, “yes, it was something my brothers and I played. However, if I told you what they dared me to do, you would question my sanity again.”

  His mouth parted, but I quickly shut him down. “Nope.”

  He laughed, “someday, you’ll tell me.” My head tilted slightly to his reference to the future . . . wondering what he meant by that. “So, what was Merritt’s truth? The one he only told you.”

  “It was about him and the groomsman Joseph. The complete story is just astounding.” I relayed the narrative, and how Merritt rectified his wrong. “He was honorable and good. A true man of integrity.” Then I quickly added, “and get this, Joseph is Hennessey’s fourth great-grandfather. I wish there was a way I could tell him that story without him thinking I was nuts as well.”

  “Yes, that would be something, huh?” Trenton’s smile disappeared. He seemed lost in thought. “The honor you speak of with Merritt, must’ve disappeared somewhere along the line.” He whispered this mostly to himself but loud enough for me to hear.

  “No,” I disputed boldly. “I don’t believe that.” Even though I assumed it in the beginning, it no longer fit now that I knew him. “I see him in you.” I leaned forward. “Trust me, you’re much more alike than you know.”

  “Before I stumbled upon those journals, I knew of my family portraits, pictures, stories of success, family wealth, but I knew nothing of their daily life, their struggles, or their doubts. Shouldn’t I have known Merritt? Shouldn’t I have seen his influence in our pedigree?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Family success is often built on the trial and error of ancestors. Sometimes those struggles are downplayed as weakness.”

  “Business has been a way of life for us for as long as I can remember. It seems it always took precedence over family or relationships. I barely even know my father.” The regret in Trenton’s voice was unmistakable.

  “You can change that.” I placed my hand gently over his. “Since my journey, I feel like I have a lot of clarity now. It hasn’t been easy by any means. In fact, I don’t know if I would survive a second time back there, but I’ll never be the same because of it. I can’t even pinpoint one significant event that is responsible, but all of it. The house, the people, the experience, everything. I’m literally altered because of your ancestry, and you don’t see yourself as I do, but Merritt is definitely a part of you.”

  For a moment, the only sounds we heard were nature in origin. Despite his silence, I could feel the weight of his stare upon me.

  “Why did you take this position?” His inquiry was something I asked myself a dozen times.

  “Why did you hire me?”

  He paused and looked away when he answered. “I can’t explain it.” Several seconds went by before he continued, “you weren’t exactly the most qualified.”

  His comment didn’t surprise or offend me. “Yeah, I didn’t believe I was . . . so why did you?”

  His eyes met mine once again. “Ms. Campbell insisted. She was sure you were the one, and now I understand why.”

  A hawfinch called in competition with a slight breeze. Instantly chilled, I folded my legs in tight and rested my head on my knees.

  “I came to England to hide.” My answer reeked of raw honesty. “I was angry and in pain. Yet I didn’t want to let go of it because the feeling provided tangibility. If I could feel the
brutal agony, I could still feel something. I was afraid that if I let it go, Jeff would disappear.” I chewed my bottom lip. I hadn’t said that out loud to anyone, not even Kelly or my mom. “Your family healed me. I don’t know how or why.”

  Trenton smiled. “I’m glad you came.”

  “Me too.”

  For the next two hours we talked about everything—the night of the lightning storm, the horse accident and banishment, Merritt and Peter, and the night of the ball. Trenton craved it all. He was a captivated audience, and I shared it with ease. By the time we finished, he knew everything I knew. The only difference was that he didn’t live it, although he wished he had.

  “Would you show me where the cave is? The one where Merritt cared for the slaves before he found them a path to freedom.”

  “I think I can. I haven’t been there since I returned, but I might be able to find it.”

  He stood to his feet and immediately extended his hand. I put my sandals back on and met it once more before we proceeded through the trees. Finding the ravine, I led him to where an abundant amount of vegetation consumed the entryway. Trenton pulled the vines and cleared it enough for us to enter. Using the light on his cell phone, he led us through but kept one hand clasped to mine. The last time I was here, Merritt led me through also holding my hand and a lantern.

  Instantly met with musty smells, I covered my nose and peered around. The cavity appeared similar to my first visit, but now, nobody cowered within. Several large rocks circled a small hole. It was filled with dirt and flakes of ash, suggesting a firepit. As he shone his light towards the back, a small pile of rubbish caught Trenton’s eye. He let go of my hand and moved towards the wall. Grabbing a stick, he toyed with the debris until a familiar sound of metal clanking against metal, emerged. He reached down and pulled a chain upward, and at the end of the rusty find, a rounded restraint severed in half appeared. Trenton glanced back to me, and in the shadows of his limited light, he smiled.

  The walk back to our grassy paradise, though quiet, seemed filled with contemplations. I picked up the scattered contents of the basket when I paused and glanced up at the sky. The sun had shifted directly overhead in our absence. I peeked at my watch. Quarter to two!

  “Oh, no, Trenton, I’m sorry. I have to get back to the house to meet Felicia in ten minutes; I think there might’ve been a mix-up in the event reservations.”

  “A mix-up?”

  “I noticed when I arrived yesterday that two weddings were listed. One for tonight and the other in two days. We never book two in the same week.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, no need to be alarmed, Kat. It’s not your fault or Felicia’s.” He brushed his hand through his bangs as they fell loosely across his forehead. “I’m sorry I meant to tell you earlier—”

  I eyed him suspiciously. “Tell me what?”

  “The wedding tonight is for a college friend of mine. He's the reason for the double booking.” Trenton shook the blanket free of grass and twigs. “I’m his best man. I figured since my presence was required, I could manage the affair. You get to have the night off—a good night off.”

  Confused, I tried to remember what normal people do when they have a night off from work. “But I just had two weeks away. I can—”

  Trenton interrupted, “I insist.”

  My mind spun with excuses until I felt the tender touch of his hand on my shoulder. The impression instantly calmed me.

  “I know you’re trying to figure out a way to be needed. Please believe me. Nobody does your job better, but trust me, I want you to be at ease, and I know a wedding is not that place.”

  His hand slid down my arm and left a burning sensation until he reached my fingers. It was so natural it felt as if they knew where they belonged. He guided me leisurely back up the path. It felt familiar—comfortable—identical to the time Merritt held my hand as we returned from the river.

  As we made our way across the grounds to the veranda, the grin that surfaced was more like a clumsy teenager with a crush than an adult woman. Trenton stopped us at the bottom step and set the basket down. When he reached for my other hand, a mere foot separated us.

  “Thank you for telling me about my family.” The kindness in his eyes held me. “I can’t help but feel envious that you experienced this once in a lifetime event.”

  I silently let my breath go. “Well, now that it’s over, I can laugh about it.” His proximity tangled my thoughts. “but while I was there, it was difficult, even frightening. I wasn’t sure if returning home would ever be an option.” My forehead creased, “and let’s hope it really was a once in a lifetime event. Despite how much I miss them, I really don’t want to leave again.”

  “That’s something we both agree on.”

  His smile should’ve made me weak in the knees, but my head whirled with thoughts. “Do you think it has something to do with the cellar? I mean, I fell down the same way both times, and both times ended up in a different era.”

  “I don’t know,” Trenton considered. “It’s an odd room, not really used for anything. I, myself, have been down there a half dozen times and nothing happened.”

  “Yeah, but have you been down there, head-first?” I joked.

  “No . . . I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.” We bust out laughing. “Maybe I should have a go.” He added.

  I shook my head. “Please don’t.”

  With his fingers still tangled with mine, his face grew serious. The sea-green tint in his eyes wavered between intense and content. A fierce warmth spread from my chest to my face and settled in my cheeks. I was sure he could see them changing color. He leaned in. An invigorating earthly aroma materialized the closer he came. I tempered my rising pant to a slow rasp as my eyes fell to his lips, only a breath away.

  “Uh, um.” Hennessey stood at the top of the steps.

  Awkward.

  Trenton grinned at me and tilted his head in the butler’s direction. I tried to pull my hands away, but he held fast and still gave Hennessey his full attention. “Mr. Gilford, Miss Walker, is waiting in the foyer, and I have laid out your evening apparel.”

  My eyebrow lifted. “Apparel?”

  Trenton’s smile grew. “Thank you, Hennessey, please let her know I will be there shortly.” After he left, I waited for an explanation. The interruption left me flustered, and the shift in the mood made me question its reality in the first place.

  “I mentioned that I’m the best man for the wedding tonight, right?”

  “Yes . . . ”

  “Well, my friend is a bit . . . let's say, eccentric. He and his fiancé are performers at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Their wedding is set completely under a nineteenth-century theme. I will sport the clothing from that era.”

  My eyes teased. “Like a ball?”

  “Actually, yes,” he laughed. “It’s the only wedding we’ve allowed in the ballroom outside of the family. He’s a devoted friend, and well, quite persuasive. I couldn't refuse.”

  “You’re good to your friends.” I smiled back. “I noticed that with your guests the night of the dinner party.”

  “The dinner party . . .” Trenton’s lips pulled into a thin line. “That night seems like ages ago.”

  “Yeah, in a way it does.”

  “Justine is just a friend, a—”

  I squeezed his hand to stop him. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. You said it yourself, your friends are like family. They’re important to you.”

  “But, you should know—”

  “Get going, Mister. You know how cranky Felicia gets when she’s waiting.” I laughed.

  “Yes, you’re correct.” Trenton paused with classy formality, let go of my hands and reached into his pocket and handed me an envelope. “Kat,” My eyes followed his movements with confusion. “I booked you a room at the Waldorf Hilton in London for the night. I have ordered them to bow to your every need. Please shop and dine and enjoy the evening at my expense. You deserve it.”

  “That
is— uh, generous of you, but I should stay here and help.” I asserted, “You won’t be enjoying it quite so much if you’re working.”

  “We both know Felicia will do most of the work. I appreciate your offer, but . . . ”

  “But what?”

  “Now that I know how you feel about weddings, I should’ve never asked you to work them.”

  “It was part of the job. I never allowed it to affect my responsibilities.”

  “And it never did.” He insisted. “However, if it’s in my power to ease some of that suffering, I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t try.”

  I bit my lip, touched by his desire to protect my feelings, but feared an uncertainty in my capabilities at the manor.

  “You should go.” I said. Despite my desire to keep him near, I knew his time was limited.

  “Please don’t overanalyze this.” He reassured. “You have earned some happiness too.”

  Flattered by his gracious gift, I recognized the sincerity of his intentions. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  Trenton nodded and excused himself.

  Instantly, my knees wobbled. I grappled for the nearby bench outside, afraid I’d fall if I tried to walk. A gamut of emotions seized me—surprise, excitement, gratitude, and confusion.

  Two nights ago, when I boarded my flight to London, I believed sadness and disappointment awaited my return—the pending sale of Charlock, losing not only my job, but an experience I could barely put words to and above all, possibly the most I feared was returning to face a detached, unreceptive Trenton who questioned my sanity. Yet, I sat here, less than forty-eight hours later, and faced an entirely opposite reality. My ring returned, the unexpected cancellation of the sale, a chance for me to stay, and above all, a new friend in Trenton Gilford. A person I severely misjudged. A man who allowed me to glimpse into his own dreams, challenges, thoughts, and fears . . . just like Merritt.

  Chapter Forty-five

  I packed eagerly. Having spent no amount of time in the city, beyond the airport, I loved the idea of a getaway for the night and loved even more that it was a gift from someone I no longer disliked. I contemplated this revelation repeatedly as I zipped up my overnight bag. Trenton wasn't Jeff or Merritt, but he shared similar qualities to both and summoned a few surprises of his own.