James stepped out. “There isn’t a choice. Mirisa needs to be here for the children because frankly we struggle with handling her so raising girls would probably kill us.”
“When are you leaving?”
“I’ll book passage on the train tomorrow and unless you object I’m taking the boys with me.”
Dominic nodded. “Have you seen them this morning?”
“They just headed for the kitchen with a stringer of catfish.”
“I’ll talk to them.” Dominic found them cleaning the fish in the outdoor kitchen and told them he needed to talk to them when they were finished. Matthew looked up from filleting as Jonathan pulled the guts out of one of the fish before turning to his father. They both went back to cleaning the fish before taking the fillets into Ms. Minnie.
Dominic told the boys that they were going to New York with James and he would be there sometime after the election. The train ride to New York was enjoyable as the boys kept James’ mind off of the reason they were heading to New York. Meeks met them at the train station uptown.
James put his bag next to the stairs and started up to see Mirisa when her father came out of the room.
“How is she?”
“James, I didn’t know you were back in town. How’s the campaigning?”
“He’ll win without a problem. I brought the boys home.”
Dr. Eppes nodded. “Mirisa is resting but if you can convince her to listen to her father I would appreciate it.”
“What is she refusing to do?”
“I want her in the hospital but she said you would be here in time to deliver the baby.” He looked at James seriously. “She’s risking both her life and the baby’s if she doesn’t allow us to terminate this pregnancy.”
James’ heart sunk. “I don’t understand.”
“I think the baby is separating from Mirisa because we can’t stop the bleeding and if we don’t stop it we will lose her. I never thought I would have to deal with so much stubbornness in my life but she has given me more grey hair this month then in my entire medical career.”
“Hasn’t Meeks been able to convince her?”
“Not yet and he’s really not dealing well with her reasoning or the possibilities. This could be very grave for her if she doesn’t make the choice soon.”
“Alright.” James hesitated then continued up the stairs. He knocked lightly on the door. Mirisa was propped up against the headboard with a book laying next to her. James walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up her hand. “How are you feeling?”
“I think if you are here then I must not be feeling very well at all.” She looked at the circles under his eyes and reached up and touched him lightly. “You worry too much. I think with everything I have been through that all of you would have more faith in me.”
“I just talked to your father.”
“And like Alexander you believe that I should listen to him?”
“I do.”
She put his hand on her stomach and watched him as the baby moved. James lifted her chin. “I understand but you have children who need you and frankly I don’t think any of us can handle raising girls.”
“I think I would probably have to agree with that assessment for the girls will be a handful. I plan on having this baby.”
“Sweetheart, do you understand the danger of continuing this pregnancy?”
“Well, I think you are the fifth or maybe sixth person to come in here with arguments and pleading with me to be practical but she’s more than ready to come into the world.” James leaned over and kissed her. “Would you tell my sons that I want to see them?”
James pulled the blanket up and told her he would be back after he cleaned up. He went to the nursery and told Matthew that his mother was asking for them. Matthew told Jonathan to stay and he walked down to her room and climbed up on the bed and sat down next to her. He handed her a small vial and told her she needed to take it with her tea.
“How has your summer been?”
“We have had a good summer and I am sorry that we can’t live at the plantation all the time.”
“I’m sorry as well.” She kissed his forehead. “Thank you for coming home.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No. I think I’ll sleep for a little while.”
Matthew got off the bed and took the vial away from her pouring it in the cup of tea stirring it slowly before handing it to her. “Ms. Minnie said she’ll get rid of father if you will bring all the children back to the plantation to live.”
Mirisa smiled. “I have the most wonderful children.” She drank the tea as Matthew watched then he kissed her cheek and closed the door letting the potion work. Matthew took his flute out of his bag and climbed the stairs to the music room. Mirisa drifted off as the sound of the flute filled the room.
Mirisa heard the sound of baby in the distance and pulled back the blanket climbing out of bed. Only a small lantern was burning on the mantle but the room was warm. Mirisa knelt down next to the cradle and put her hand on the little head then pulled back the blanket as the baby moved her little fist into her mouth as she sucked. She was very small with soft blonde hair covering her head. Mirisa slowly reached under her turning her over as she lifted her up out of the cradle. Her little face was so angelic and she had her father’s nose and light blue eyes. Mirisa sat down on the floor, unwrapped the blanket and checked her toes and fingers.
“I think she might be the prettiest baby but she is definitely the smallest.”
Mirisa looked up at her husband who was standing in the doorway with a tea tray. He put it down on the small table as she stood and curled up in the chair. “Am I dreaming?”
“No. She’s real.”
“I don’t remember having her. When did I have her?”
“Last night.” He poured her a cup of tea. “I think you were just waiting for James to get here. Your father said I am supposed to keep you in bed until he says you are strong enough to get up.”
Mirisa smiled. “I’m sorry that I have worried everyone.”
“Mirisa?” She looked at her husband. “There were complications after her birth but you should regain your strength in a few months.” He walked over to the window and she knew just by his voice that something other than her health was on his mind.
Mirisa looked at the baby then back up at her husband. “Is this my last baby?”
Meeks walked back to her lifting the baby out of her arms as he put his hand out lifting her out of the chair. He walked her slowly to the bed and as she settled back against the pillows, Meeks handed her Cassie then kissed her forehead. “You do make beautiful children.” He put the tea and cookies down next to her then walked over before he sat down next to her on the bed.
“The girls have been waiting all morning to come see you and the new baby. I left them downstairs talking to James but I don’t know how long he can hold out.” Meeks told her that her father was downstairs and he would send him up before he released her daughters.
“Alexander, what is wrong?”
“Nothing for you to worry about darling. Just know that I love you.”
“Alexander?”
“Shhh…we’ll talk later.”
When her father came in the room she was curled up with the baby up against her. He reached over and picked up Cassie as Mirisa opened her eyes. “How do you feel this morning?”
“I’m tired and I ache all over.”
“You have been through an awful lot but thankfully the baby came easily.” Richard took out his stethoscope rubbed it against his shirt and put it on her chest. “You need to really take it very slow for the next few months. I don’t want you out of bed except if necessary and I have instructed your husband to get you someone to help take care of the baby. If you start having pains or bleeding then you send for me immediately and I don’t want any stubbornness out of you.”
Mirisa reached over and ran her finger along Cassie’s cheek then looked up at her fath
er. “Thank you Father.”
“Honey, I had nothing to do with this beautiful little angel but unfortunately I had to make a medical decision that I had hoped I wouldn’t have to make. Once you are back on your feet, we will sit down and talk. Until then I want you to rest.” Dr. Eppes checked Cassie and then wrapped her back up putting her in the cradle. “I will be back later this evening to check on you Behave yourself.”
“I shall.” He kissed her forehead and picked up his bag. Mirisa watched as he closed the door and wondered how in the world she would stay in bed for months. She pushed the covers back and slid her legs over the side of the bed. Something was so wrong and yet she couldn’t put her finger on it.
When James came in the room the bed was empty and the bathroom door was closed. He knocked softly and she answered as he opened the door. Mirisa was sitting in an empty tub with the water running as she washed her hair. She was still wearing her nightgown and he thought about the times when she was so shy. James squatted down next to the tub and filled the pitcher with warm water pouring it over her head.
“James, what does her name mean?”
James stopped and looked up into her eyes. “Cassandra or Cassie for short.”
“Is there any significance to the name?”
“Cassandra Austin was the closest confidant to her sister Jane during their lifetime and a great influence on her sister’s poetry. I just always loved the name.”
“Cassandra Austin Alcorn. I think it is a beautiful name.”
James pulled her nightgown off before he poured water over her back and watched the soap run down between her breasts. “I believe she’ll have Meeks name not mine. He’s not handling this well at all but I don’t know how to talk to him.”
Mirisa smiled weakly as she fought back the emotions. “Was the delivery hard?”
“No but then I don’t know what you took last night before you went into labor and Matthew is claiming deniability. She actually was a very easy birth though you scared the hell out of all of us.”
Meeks listened to them from the doorway. “I have explicit instructions and none of them included being in the bathtub with James assisting you.”
“There is no water. My father said I couldn’t sit in water but he didn’t say I couldn’t wash my hair.”
She put up her hand which was shaking from weakness and Meeks helped her stand up as James poured several pictures of warm water over her.
“I think your father also said there would be no sex for a while.” Meeks wrapped a towel around her and lifted her out of the bathtub.
“I thought there would be more since I can’t get pregnant again.”
James watched as Meeks tried to weigh how to respond. He was intentionally avoiding answering. “Your daughters are sitting in the nursery impatiently waiting.”
Mirisa put on a dry nightgown and climbed up on the bed as James picked up Cassie. As he turned to walk over, the girls were crawling up on the bed and covering their mother with kisses. She told them to all sit back and James would bring over their new sister. Maggie sat back and straightened out her petticoats and put her hands in her lap as Sara imitated her almost perfectly and Lizzie crawled over and wrapped her arms around Mirisa’s neck and refused to move. James watched them before he handed the baby to Mirisa. Lizzie looked at her then reached over and touched her hands. Maggie and Sara couldn’t sit back and were soon surrounding the baby.
Meeks nodded to James and they both left the room as Matthew and Jonathan climbed up on the bed with her.
“Meeks is there are problem?”
“I’m going out for a while.” Meeks opened the drawer and took out his gun putting it on. He looked up the stairs shaking his head. “She should have never been sent to Natchez.”
James watched as he left and he felt the same helplessness that was in Mirisa’s eyes.
THEY WON the election by a landslide and Garnett celebrated in Jackson with Dominic. They headed back to the Plantation for a week before they decided to head east. There was a letter on Dominic’s desk from James. He sat down and opened it.
“From James?”
“Yeah. They made it to New York without issues and Mirisa had the baby the night they arrived.”
“What did she have?”
“A daughter. Her father has ordered her to remain in bed so they will be spending the winter in New York. James is going to come down to Washington until Thanksgiving and wants to know whether to bring the boys or leave them in New York.”
“Won’t you be busy settling in and getting your office set up?”
Dominic sat back and closed his eyes. “How do you want to get back?”
“Well, there’s a new riverboat coming up from New Orleans next week and I believe it is a gambling boat. Think maybe we can use a few days off. We have been going full force for months, passing on the road, spending time doing nothing but talking politics and planning. I think it would be good to play poker with no distractions.”
Dominic walked into the library and took his firearm out of the drawer and strapped it on. He locked his desk drawer then turned off the lanterns shutting the door to the library. Dominic looked around and thought he was always leaving, always traveling somewhere, always wandering through the country.
The porter opened the door to the front stateroom which was done in hand polished wood and subdued colors. The whole wall was French doors that stepped out onto a private balcony. It was a very large sitting room with very elegant furnishings. Off either side were separate bedrooms and bathrooms.
The dining room was extremely elegant with very proper serving staff. Garnett buttered his biscuit “They are having a professional tournament of Stud poker during the trip. It’s one hundred to register and runs for two nights. I registered us.”
“I can’t remember the last time we sat down in a tournament.”
“Dominic! How the hell are you?” Michael put out his hand and they embraced. “I want to congratulate you. This now makes two of the Unit in Washington and three who are dead.”
Dominic ignored his comment. “Michael, it’s been a long damn time. What are you doing on this boat?”
“We’ve been down in New Orleans playing the tables for a month and decided to take a break since they had the tournament on board.” He took a drag on his cigar. “We followed everything in the papers and weren’t surprised to hear that the four of you are still together. Rollie and Melvin are in the tournament with me and John is along but not playing because he is too cheap to pay the entry fee.”
“It will be great to catch up on things. I understand all of you stayed in uniform until a few years after the war.”
“Yep, but it wasn’t as much fun as our years out west. Are you playing the tournament?”
“It’s why we are here.”
“Strange way to get to Washington.”
“I think we just needed some time to unwind.”
“Well, we’re playing a friendly game if you want to warm up for the tournament.” They walked into the gaming room which was already filled with the sound of cards shuffling. Michael was standing up against the bar talking to a brash blonde dressed in black net stockings and a red rayon dress that showed more cleavage than you would think any woman could possess.
Michael had a bottle in one hand and was running his finger along the edge of her bodice as he talked. He gestured to them pointing to their table and they walked over and greeted the rest of the Unit. Dominic walked over intervening in the conversation with the blonde. They could tell by Michael’s smile that whatever Dominic said he found funny.
They took out a new deck of cards and Garnett shuffled them passing the deck to his right. Rollie cut them and the redhead brought over shot glasses for everyone. Melvin ran his hand up her leg which she ignored completely. “Damn, I hate a woman who dumps you after two nights when there’s fresh meat on the table.” They all laughed and she scowled at him.
They played serious five card stud for almost three hou
rs and the laughter filled the room for most of the time. They were all in various stages of being single but Michael and Rollie had never married though Michael said he had children in a half dozen states. They fought in the war for the North since all of them were born and raised in either Pennsylvania or New York. The room soon became overfilled with gamblers watching others play or playing themselves.
“See the gentleman with the diamond in his neck scarf?”
Garnett looked up and across the room where the man was leaning on the bar watching the table in front of him. Michael put his cigar back in the corner of his mouth and picked up his cards. “He’s a big, big winner in New Orleans. We haven’t figured out how he does so well but he’s almost unbeatable.”
“The gentleman in the blue shirt at the third table cheats but so far hasn’t actually been caught. The diamond man won’t sit at the same table as him.” He spread his cards took out one sliding it across the table and folded his hand back up. “The man with the large mustache across from him has been shot four times while playing but it’s mostly because he is just obnoxious and these dandies get rattled easily and they always have a derringer tucked away somewhere. I try to put as much distance between myself and them so that if they get a twitchy trigger finger it won’t kill me.”
“See the two sitting at the back table that look alike? They are brothers and supposedly extremely wealthy. They spend all their time either playing poker or beating up women. They are a nasty piece of work.”
Garnett looked over at him. “How long have you been playing the circuit?”
“We’ve been in the area a couple of months going between Houston and New Orleans. The girls in Houston are damn ball busters and the women in New Orleans will do things to you that you would never tell the devil much less God. The girls onboard are average but at least fresh.”
Rollie looked at Dominic. “What happened to James and Meeks?”
“They’re in New York.”
“Are those two still extremely tight.”
“Yeah, they have stayed very tight through everything.” He anted and raised. Garnett walked over to the bar and talked to one of the girls before he came back to the table sitting back down.
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