A Lady of High Regard

by Tracie Peterson

  Hurrying upstairs in the dark, she sought the refuge of her bedroom before lighting a candle. She was just relegating the shawl and gown to a trunk at the foot of her bed when a light knocking sounded on her door.

  “Come in,” she called, straightening quickly, as if completely innocent of any mischief.

  “Miss, I wondered if I could help you dress for bed?”

  Mia smiled at the woman. “Of course, Ruth. I’m ready to retire. I’m sorry to have kept you up.”

  “I came earlier, but you were gone.”

  Mia’s smile broadened. “You won’t be saying anything, will you?”

  Ruth shook her head and returned a grin. “Just like all the other times, Miss Mia, I will be as silent as the grave.”

  “And of course, I will reward your loyalty,” Mia said conspiratorially. “I’ve been telling Jason all about you and he seems quite smitten. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble bringing him around to matrimonial thoughts.”

  “Oh, miss, do you really think so?” Ruth questioned as she began unfastening the silk gown.

  “I do. I have arranged for you and Jason to have some time away from the house. I plan to send you on a mission across town and will see that Jason accompanies you.”

  Ruth giggled and helped Mia from the gown. “I’m grateful, miss. No telling how long it might have taken without your help.”

  “Well, I’m quite gifted when it comes to matching people. Look at the good grooms I picked for my sisters. They are both very happily matched, and Ann is already expecting a child. Then, of course, there are my friends.” Mia shrugged. “It just seems to be a gift God has given me, and I shan’t be guilty of hiding my talents.”

  “No, miss. That would be tragedy.”

  “I think so too, Ruth.” Mia slipped into her soft white sleeping gown and turned as Ruth gathered her things. “You’ll be sure and see that the mud is cleaned from my hem before Mother spies it, won’t you?”

  “I’ll see to it first thing in the morning. You can count on me,” she promised.

  Mia went to her writing desk and cast a quick glance back over her shoulder. “Thank you, Ruth. No one ever had a better friend.”

  She could see the pride in Ruth’s expression as the girl exited the room. The satisfaction gave Mia a feeling of warmth. There was good and bad in life. Ruth was the better side of her experiences, while the things Mrs. Smith had told her were the very worst.

  Picking up her pen, Mia took her seat and began to write.

  “The seamen’s wives are being threatened, even to the point of death. Someone is forcing them to do unspeakable things, extorting monies that clearly are not owed, even threatening to take away their children to settle for debts they cannot hope to pay. What is to be done?”

  She underlined the last line three times as if the action might somehow give her clarity for the situation.

  “What is to be done?” she asked the empty room. “What can I do?”

  CHAPTER 2

  Lyman Stanley had won Garrett’s respect from the start. The older man had a stern expression on his face but a devilish twinkle in his eye. He was the kind of man who knew the importance of hard work, yet still had a zest for life. His daughters adored him, as did his wife, and the community respected him as well.

  No one respected Stanley more than Garrett’s father, George Wilson. The two men had met in their youth while still at school and formed a fast friendship. That friendship had taken them into business together—a business that had made both families quite comfortable . . . even wealthy.

  Listening to Lyman talk about days gone by, Garrett could only smile. He’d found he could learn a great deal about the business and about himself by paying attention to such tales.

  “Of course the biggest trouble with making a successful business is the need for trustworthy employees,” Lyman said as he pushed away from his desk and stood. “I’ve not yet found the secret to mastering that, which is precisely why I sold out my interest to your father. He has always been the better judge of character.”

  “Which is exactly why Father chose you for a partner.” Garrett smiled and got to his feet as well. “I know my father misses your companionship and wisdom.”

  “You’ve done a good job of taking my place. The world is much different now than it was when I was your age, and having no sons who lived . . . well, it seems right that the company should pass to you,” Mr. Stanley said, a hint of sadness in his tone. “I think the world is a much more complicated place these days. Not that we didn’t have our issues, of course. Why, the matter of whether locomotives should be taken seriously or not was cause enough to have people in the streets. Now you have the ordeals of women who want to go to college and take on the roles normally reserved for men. You have economic issues that threaten to leave us all paupers, not to mention the dreaded problem of slavery and the ghastly 1850 decision. What say you on that troublesome topic?”

  Garrett shook his head. “I think it’s reprehensible to turn slaves over after they’ve managed to escape. I realize they are considered property by their masters, but I cannot look at another human being in that way. They are not livestock to be manhandled and driven back into place. Frankly, it’s an issue that should have been dealt with long ago. We can’t ignore the plight of the Negro. Slavery should never have been allowed and must be abolished.”

  “And well I agree . . . but at what price? The South has long relied upon that peculiar institution. They claim they cannot provide the goods the North, nay, the whole country, has come to demand without slave labor. Will we see the country torn apart?” Lyman came to stand in front of his library window. He looked out as if deeply troubled by the conversation. “Will we see fighting upon these very streets?”

  “Surely calmer and more knowledgeable minds than ours will prevail,” Garrett offered. “I pray we will see the end of slavery as well as the preservation of the Union. I believe both are possible.”

  Stanley turned. “I pray you’re right, son. I pray you’re right.” He noted the time and moved toward the door. “I’m sure the ladies are wondering why we tarry so long. I’m glad you could share the news of the last shipment. It seems the crystal from Waterford is a fine choice. I’m certain it will continue to demand a good reception.”

  “I believe so as well. They’re producing a purity of color that is unmatched by any I’ve seen elsewhere.” Garrett followed Mr. Stanley from the library and into the same drawing room from which he’d seen Mia exit the night before. He still hadn’t figured out what she was up to, but he intended to mention the matter to Mia and see what excuse she gave him.

  “Ah, it seems the ladies have set tea for us in the gardens. I would have thought with the threat of rain imminent they wouldn’t have risked it.”

  “The Stanley women are not to be stopped by a few clouds,” Garrett mused. They exited the French doors and joined the women outdoors.

  “My dears, are you not worried about the weather?”

  “Why, Mr. Stanley, you know very well there is often a threat of such tragedy, but we are quite safe,” Aldora Stanley stated patiently and motioned the men to take their seats.

  Mia looked up at Garrett and smiled as if sharing a marvelous joke. He took the seat opposite her and sat beside her mother, while Mr. Stanley took his place next to his daughter.

  “Do you care for cream, Mr. Wilson?”

  Garrett shook his head. “No thank you. I will, however, avail myself of the sugar.”

  “Of course,” the older woman said, nodding in approval. “I too indulge myself in such a manner from time to time. I’ve even been told it’s good for one’s constitution.”

  Aldora Stanley could not be called a great beauty. Her face was much too narrow and her expression far too severe. However, her heart was genuinely kind and she was made welcome no matter where she went because of her generous nature. Garrett had considered her to be like a second mother since he was young.

  “I pray you and Father
had a good discussion,” Mia said, pouring a liberal amount of cream into her cup.

  Garrett stirred his tea without glancing up. “We did indeed, as we always do. Your father is by far and away one of the most intelligent men I know. I have been extremely blessed to know his counsel.”

  “I could not agree more,” Mia said. “But Father has always known my admiration for him.”

  Garrett looked up to see Mia giving her father a look of pride. The older man seemed embarrassed by the attention and cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I have no counsel for the issues of the day. This country teeters delicately, it would seem. Economic issues are a concern as always, but let us not linger on such matters. We must endeavor to live life in a positive vein.”

  “Are you still considering a trip abroad this summer?” Garrett asked. “I could arrange to travel with you on one of my business trips. That would afford you additional assistance.”

  “That’s so very kind of you, Mr. Wilson,” Aldora Stanley said, offering him a platter of refreshments.

  “Frankly, I wish you would reconsider the trip altogether,” Mia interjected. “I have no time to go abroad. I am needed at the magazine. Mrs. Hale believes we are facing difficulties ahead in regard to the safety and health of women and children.”

  “Sarah Josepha Hale is always concerning herself with one plight or another,” Garrett said in a teasing tone. “Surely such issues will wait until autumn.”

  “The summer is such a difficult time for this city,” Mia’s mother began. “Both of our families have lost sons from the diseases that are borne in the summer heat.”

  Mia’s tone immediately softened. “Of course you are right, Mother. Summer is a desperate time some years. But this year we’ve been blessed with a pleasant spring. Even now the heat is very mild and the air seems quite sweet. Perhaps there will be no outbreak this year.”

  “But it’s hardly a risk we wish to take,” her father added.

  “I will so hate to miss the Independence Day celebrations,” Mrs. Stanley admitted.

  “No one celebrates this country’s liberty with more enthusiasm than Philadelphia,” Garrett agreed. He could tell by the look on Mia’s face that the issue of leaving for the summer was far from resolved. She focused on her plate and the cream tart she’d chosen, but the set of her jaw left him fully aware that Mia was scheming.

  “I do hope to remain long enough to attend the party being given by your family,” Mrs. Stanley said before sipping her tea.

  “Will your stepmother be up to the ordeal of a party?” Mia questioned.

  “Mercy is already running circles around the rest of us. She seems to have a very strong constitution.”

  “And the new baby?” Mrs. Stanley asked.

  “Lenore has as sweet a disposition as one could want in a child, and her sisters adore her. Her parents do also.”

  “And what of her half brother?” Mia asked. She offered him a smile that suggested she already knew his answer.

  “I have enjoyed little Lenore’s presence in our house. On more than one occasion I have held her while Mercy tended to some other things. I cannot say the experience was anything but pleasant.”

  “You are different than most men, Mr. Wilson.” Aldora lifted the pot and poured steaming tea into Garrett’s now empty cup. “I would say most men would be put off by an infant.”

  “I always feared dropping them,” Mr. Stanley admitted.

  “I find I rather like children,” Garrett told them. “I’ve enjoyed my half sisters, although they are a rambunctious lot. Agnes and Bliss keep me constantly amused.”

  Mrs. Stanley finished filling her husband’s cup and asked, “How old are the girls now?”

  “Agnes is eight years old and quite the little lady. She loves to curtsy whenever she meets you. Bliss, now five, is less inclined to such formalities and would just as soon assault you—at least with questions. However, both girls believe me to be their most trusted steed.”

  Mia laughed. “I would love to see such a thing.”

  “You are welcome to join us at any time,” Garrett assured. “However, I would be prepared. They might delight in riding your back as well.”

  “Your stepmother has turned out to be the perfect companion for your father,” Mrs. Stanley declared. “I cannot say I was without my concerns when he married such a young woman. But she is exceptional and I have come to love her as I did your dear mother.”

  “I never thought Father would remarry, but Mercy came into our lives and cheered us all. She’s a very kind woman with a tenderness for her children that has thoroughly blessed me. When Father suggested bringing in someone to help her with the children, she only agreed so long as she could spend whatever time with them she desired. Nanny Goodman often has nothing to do.” He smiled as he thought of the idle woman having taken up crocheting.

  “What news do you bring of Boston?” Mia questioned. “You are just returned from there, are you not?”

  “Indeed. It’s been only two days. I found Boston very enjoyable. I met with some agreeable colleagues and found it advantageous to Wilson and Stanley.”

  “You really should change that name,” Mia’s father said, rubbing his chin. “Wilson and Wilson or even Wilson and Son would sound quite fitting.”

  “But the influence of Stanley is ever with us,” Garrett replied. He noted the smile on Mia’s face and knew he’d said the right thing. “You will always be an important part of our importing business. My father may have many interests in a variety of ventures and properties, but Wilson and Stanley will always be his favorite. He talks constantly of the old days when you were young men first starting the business. Those are his fondest memories, aside from my mother.”

  “It pleases me to hear you say that,” Mr. Stanley said, sitting back to draw a long breath. “Still, as I said earlier, I am content. It was the proper thing to sell my interests to your father. I don’t regret having more time with my ladies.”

  The rain held off and despite the overcast skies, the afternoon was pleasant. Garrett enjoyed the Stanleys’ company but was relieved when Mr. and Mrs. Stanley announced their need to be elsewhere. Once they were gone, he leaned back in his chair and raised a brow.

  “For someone up so late, you seem quite well rested.”

  Mia looked surprised but replied calmly. “I am quite well rested, thank you.”

  “Mia,” he said in a rather chiding tone.

  “I have the most marvelous idea for you,” she interjected. “The Overtons’ party is nearly upon us. You know what grand affairs their parties can be, and I have the perfect woman for you to escort. Sylvia Custiss has come out of mourning and would be a wonderful companion for you. You know her husband has been dead for well over a year.”

  “Mia, I do not want to accompany Mrs. Custiss to the Overtons’ party.”

  “But of course you do,” Mia said in the same no-nonsense manner that Garrett had fallen whim to a hundred times over. “Sylvia is quite pretty. Her son, Sheldon, is away at boarding school, so he needn’t be a bother while getting to know his mother.”

  “I see no benefit to this, Mia.”

  “But you should. Sylvia Custiss is a God-fearing woman who keeps a good house and is still young enough to bear you a dozen sons.”

  Garrett had just taken a drink and nearly spit it out across the elegantly set table. “Excuse me, but that is of no concern to you.”

  “But it is. I am your dearest friend. I see how much you enjoy children. You are a good man, Mr. Wilson, and you deserve a good wife.”

  “I very much desire a good wife, but I do not need you to play matchmaker for me.”

  Mia looked indignant. “Certainly you need my help. You’re thirty and two and have not yet managed a wife for yourself. My assistance—”

  “Interference,” Garrett interrupted.

  Her blue eyes widened in surprise. “Interference? How very rude of you to suggest such a thing. Why, my friends and sisters have benefited greatly from
my ability to bring two people together. You would do well to remember their happiness before criticizing me. Besides . . .” She let her voice trail off as she looked away. “I was only trying to help. I care a great deal about you.”

  Not intending to hurt Mia’s feelings, Garrett supposed the only way to get back in her good graces would be to admit defeat. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to spend a few hours in Mrs. Custiss’s company.”

  Mia looked at him and shook her head. “I shan’t force such an arrangement upon you.”

  Garrett could see she already knew she’d won. “Just tell me what to wear and when to be ready. I have but one requirement.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “You will also accompany us. Act as chaperone for our first outing. That way we’ll have no wagging tongues to discuss the length of our buggy ride or delayed arrival to the party should Mrs. Custiss be less than prompt.”

  Mia laughed. “I will be happy to accompany you. Wear your best black tails with the wine-colored waistcoat,” she said and quickly reached for another tart. “I shall wear my new white gown with the pink trim. You’ll like it; it’s quite stylish.”

  “I always find you to be quite stylish. But then, you get all the most current fashion information from Godey’s, do you not?”

  “The magazine is up to date on all styles and fashions,” Mia admitted. “I believe Louis Godey and Sarah Hale have done a tremendous service to women everywhere. After all, the poor frontier housewife can hardly find any other way of learning what the latest fashions from Paris might be.”

  “True, but the poor frontier housewife hardly has need for Parisian styles.”

  “Of course she does. She needs to know what is available to her and what choices she might have. The post runs east as well as west. She is certainly entitled to place an order and pay for delivery.”

  “Everything always seems so simply resolved with you, Mia. I sometimes wonder how you manage to keep it all so neatly ordered.”