The Cautious Maiden

by Dawn Crandall

  “Go ahead, dear. Take your time. I am so glad you didn’t leave yesterday for Tennessee.” Miss Abernathy reached across the sofa and took her dog from Roxy’s hands. “I knew the moment I saw Vance coming up the sidewalk behind you yesterday that you wouldn’t be going, no matter what Reverend Whitespire’s actions had been.” She turned to my aunt and cousins. “You probably don’t know the half of what has been going on around here in the last few weeks, but there’s no harm in telling you now, since it’s all turned out for the best.”

  “Oh, we’d heard that your engagement to Mr. Everstone had been broken, and we couldn’t understand why,” Mabel said. “We didn’t want to meddle in what wasn’t our business.”

  “We knew you were planning to move to Tennessee,” Aunt Letty added. “If it seemed we were distant, dear, it was because we didn’t want to bother you.”

  “You knew? How?” I asked, trying to keep a sudden suspicion out of my tone.

  Did that mean Rowen Steele had known about my plans as well? And what if he’d been watching and he now knew I hadn’t actually taken the train to Tennessee as I’d planned? But he wouldn’t come after me now…not now that I was married to Vance Everstone, would he?

  “Oh now, how was it, Cal? Didn’t you have an acquaintance with someone from the mission society or something?”

  “Yes, that was it.” Cal shifted his position on the settee, and seemed quite anxious to at least get up, if not just plain leave.

  Aunt Letty shot her son a strange, almost threatening look. “We were quite surprised when Claudine told us how your plans had changed again so drastically yesterday; that you’d been reunited and then married to your Mr. Everstone, after all.”

  “It was one of the most romantic things I’ve witnessed in my life, let me tell you,” Miss Abernathy sighed. “But what Reverend Whitespire did was unforgivable! To tell our sweet Violet that he would marry her—because well, there are quite a few unfounded rumors going about town about your dear niece, Letty—and then to choose to marry some girl he’d met on the train—”

  “It isn’t quite as bad as we’d been led to believe, actually,” I swiftly interrupted.

  I didn’t want Ben’s name as a gentleman to be ruined in Boston, and with the way Miss Abernathy liked to talk, I hoped I wasn’t already too late. But surely she hadn’t already seen anyone else to tell her opinions to that day.

  “What do you mean?” Roxy asked, looking more hopeful than she’d been in weeks.

  The audience for my news was larger than I had hoped, but I didn’t really have a choice. “Vance made up the part about Ben choosing to marry someone else.”

  “He did?” Roxy’s cheeks went pale.

  Miss Abernathy looked less shocked. “Because Vance loves you so very much…I could see him doing that.”

  “Yes, apparently. But it was a lie, regardless.”

  “And it is forgivable, I’m sure.” Miss Abernathy directed a little grin at me.

  “I do forgive him; please don’t think—” As I said the words, I felt the truth of them too. All morning I’d been forgiving him, realizing how very much I loved, valued, and admired him despite the lie he’d told.

  “Is this what you wanted to tell me—that Reverend Whitespire was still free and looking for someone willing to become his wife?”

  “Goodness, what a love triangle—or rather, square—you’ve been creating in the last few weeks,” Mabel laughed.

  “It is, Roxy—I’d meant to tell you more privately.”

  “Why, Miss Blakeley, do you have aspirations to become Mrs. Whitespire? If so, then, I do say, now would be your chance!” Mabel’s eyes sparkled knowingly.

  “No, of course not…not at all. That would be ridiculous.” Roxy seemed to wilt back into her seat.

  “You know, Cal has been talking about moving us all up to the area you’re from, Violet.” Aunt Letty focused all of her attention upon the dog in her lap which looked like a mirror image of Miss Abernathy’s puppy, Winston. “I suppose we might be moved by the time you get back from your honeymoon in Europe.”

  “Why would you do that?” I asked Cal, realizing I really hardly knew him well enough to know why he would or wouldn’t do anything. “Do you not like Boston—do you not wish to stay here?”

  Vance’s words about the connection between Ezra and Cal, between Cal and Rowen Steel echoed in my ears.

  “It’s my job…” he began, but he didn’t finish his thought.

  “There is a job he’s taken,” Mabel continued.

  “And it would be better for him to relocate, and it happens to be in the area around Everston,” Aunt Letty added, nervously filling in her children’s lack of information.

  “With this new position, I’ll be doing much more good for others. And I’d prefer to keep the family together.”

  “It will be sad to see you all go.” Miss Abernathy scratched Winston’s neck. “We’ll have to take the train up to visit them, won’t we, Violet?”

  “Of course,” I replied, though my mind was elsewhere.

  I stood, intent on finally excusing myself again; convinced that nothing good could come from my staying. And perhaps Vance would come home to Everthorne for lunch…since no one else would be at Everstone Square. “Well, I think I’ll be going. Vance might be home for lunch soon—”

  “I’m sure he might,” Aunt Letty said, trying to hide her smile with a lifted finger to her lips. “Poor man, having to go into the office the day after his wedding.”

  “It is unfortunate,” was all I answered. “It shouldn’t take long to walk home though; I’ll still make it by the time he’s likely to be home.” I was sure. Because he probably wouldn’t actually be there waiting for me. Not after last night.

  “Oh no, don’t walk home,” Cal exclaimed, standing suddenly. “We can take you in our carriage.”

  I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or skeptical. Why this sudden gallantry? Could I trust them to take me home safely, or should I chance the short walk? It really wasn’t far, and I hadn’t felt that anyone was watching me on the way to Hilldreth.

  “Were you leaving already too?” Miss Abernathy asked, seemingly perplexed. “Weren’t you going to stay for brunch? You just got here.”

  Aunt Letty and Mabel looked at each other momentarily, but didn’t answer right away. All three of my relatives were acting so strangely.

  Finally, Mabel stood and said slowly, “We really ought to be going. We’ll make it up to you though, Miss Abernathy; in the coming weeks our time will be much less constrictive. We’ll have brunch with you then, and definitely before we make the move to Maine.”

  Aunt Letty followed her daughter to her feet. “Yes, we really ought to take Violet home. I hope you understand.”

  Even I didn’t understand. “You don’t need to take me home; please stay and enjoy your afternoon with your friends. Don’t leave early on account of me.”

  “If you’re worried about Violet walking home alone, it really isn’t far, and by the most respectable streets, but I could send her home in my carriage, if that would make you feel better. And I can send Roxy with her for the trip, for I have a feeling they’d still like to have that private conversation we never let them indulge in earlier.”

  “I would welcome the company, if Roxy feels well enough to join me.” I stood at the same time Roxy did, leaving only Miss Abernathy seated. “I would feel much better about not breaking up your time together, especially seeing as it’s limited.”

  “I’d love to come, Violet,” Roxy said. “But to be sure, I won’t stay a minute at Everthorne—not if your husband is meeting you for lunch.”

  Miss Abernathy stood to pull the bell next to the doorframe to the next room, and a moment later her butler was at the door.

  “Please have the carriage prepared for Miss Blakeley and Miss Hawthorne—I mean, Mrs. Everstone!” She turned to me, “I’m sorry, Violet! You’d think I would remember, as I saw the wedding take place!”

  “It
’s perfectly understandable—it was so suddenly done, after all.”

  “Please, let’s all sit while the carriage is readied.” Miss Abernathy suggested as she sat down. Everyone, including me, joined her, and for another twenty minutes of conversation revolving around the most mundane news about the latest parties and engagements, I fought down the voices of doubt that insisted my relatives—my own flesh and blood—were hardly to be trusted.

  25

  Entrapped

  “The most painful state of being is remembering the future,

  particularly the one you’ll never have.”

  —Søren Kierkegaard

  When Roxy and I made it to Everthorne in Miss Abernathy’s carriage, she joined me inside despite her earlier insistence that she wouldn’t. I supposed she thought that if Vance were indeed at home, he would have run out of the house at the first sight of our carriage in an amorous display of newlywed bliss.

  Which he hadn’t, of course. And probably wouldn’t have, even if he had been home.

  Mrs. Jeffries and Brubaker were mindful not to bother Roxy and me. I was still getting used to having servants, and I guessed that Vance had explained to them that I wouldn’t want to be bothered often, for which I was thankful. Roxy and I sat in the main parlor, and I spread my drawings and paintings over the sofa for her to look at.

  As she studied them, and then the stories that went with them, she eventually asked, “Do you happen to know where The Boston Inland Mission is, Violet?”

  Although I’d had private meetings with members of the mission board at Hilldreth Manor concerning marrying Ben and serving alongside him, I’d actually only ever visited the headquarters once, and that had been to meet the Hatfields. I did have a pamphlet with which contained the address, however, and I dug around my writing box until I found it. I handed it to Roxy without a word.

  “May I have this?” Her eyes were wide with excitement, and I wondered just what was going through her mind that made her seem so rejuvenated. She’d seemed sad of late, and I’d guessed it was because her brother and Estella were traveling back to Everston soon, without her, but perhaps it had more to do with Ben than I’d ever imagined.

  “I certainly don’t need it,” I said.

  I really didn’t want to face anyone at the mission society again, actually. The pamphlet only revived uncomfortable memories. “What are you going to do with it?”

  “I’m not certain, but I’ve heard good things about the organization.” She fiddled with the paper in her lap. “I’ve never done much for anyone else in my life before coming to Boston and being a companion for Miss Abernathy. I know she likes having me around, but she doesn’t necessarily need me. She has so many friends already. I feel that I’m simply someone she’s been convinced to take along.” Roxy produced an impatient little huff. “But there’s nothing else for me to do. Dexter and Estella obviously wanted me out of their hair, and living alone with my mother is exhausting.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sure that isn’t exactly how Dexter and Estella feel. I thought it was considerate of them to bring you along to Boston.”

  “But now they’ve gone, and here I am.”

  “I know. I feel much the same way, actually.”

  “But you’ll be gone within the week, to Europe on your honeymoon.” Roxy stood, stuffing the pamphlet into her reticule. “I should go. Thank you for having me in, I’m sure your husband will be back soon and will want all of your attention, so I should get back to Miss Abernathy and her guests.”

  I stood as well. “About her guests…did you not think they’ve been acting strangely—avoiding us for so long and then suddenly appearing today—when they’d thought I’d boarded the train to Tennessee yesterday.”

  “They were rather disconcerted when we told them you were still in Boston.”

  “Why would they be?” I swiveled around, simply wanting to pace out my frustration. “Why, when they’d originally been so pleased to make my acquaintance, do they now treat me as if the best thing I could do, in their opinion, is move across country and never see them again?”

  “I don’t know,” she answered. “But I did notice that too.” She moved toward the door to the hall, looking to the clock on the mantle. “I really should go, I’m sure—”

  Mrs. Jeffries entered the room, stopping Roxy’s explanation. “I heard you were leaving, Miss Blakeley? I’ve called for your carriage; it is waiting out back.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Jeffries,” I said, though a little surprised. Had she been listening to our conversation? “Have you happened to hear from Mr. Everstone yet today?”

  “No ma’am. Not a thing.”

  “Oh.”

  “Perhaps you would like to walk Miss Blakeley out to her carriage?”

  “I suppose I could do that.” Oh, how I wished Vance was around! I had no idea how to be with servants!

  Mrs. Jeffries excused herself and then Roxy and I made our way to the back of the house, toward the garden where I assumed the carriage would be waiting by the gate. And upon leaving the house, that was exactly what we found.

  The groom waited, holding the door to the carriage, ready to help Roxy into the vehicle.

  “I’ll be sure to see you again before Vance and I leave for Europe next week.”

  “Thank you. I’d like that.”

  The groom helped her into the carriage, closed the door, returned to the driver’s seat and drove down the path.

  I strolled back through the flower garden, not particularly in a hurry to reenter the empty house. Not that there was much to look at by way of flowers, for the weeds had overtaken the space without the careful eye of a faithful gardener to watch over it. There were a few stragglers that had blossomed, but I didn’t know much about flowers and could only identify the white peony bushes lining the wrought iron fence.

  I walked over and plucked one. I didn’t know what had happened to the bloom Miss Abernathy had given me to hold during the wedding the night before; I guess I’d misplaced it. I’d probably left it in Vance’s carriage.

  The wonderful scent of the peonies brought back memories from the night before…from my wedding.

  My last words to Roxy had sounded normal and very married-like, but I still felt uncertain about so many things concerning my new husband. What would Vance do when he came home? What would he say? Would he forgive me for being such a cat?

  Or would he ignore me; want to keep his space? What if my actions from the night before had made his walls go back up, and this time there was nothing I could do to get him to bring them down?

  I’d truly forgiven him by then, and I really just wanted everything we’d had, before my insufferable reaction to that telegram, to be restored. I felt like there was a piece missing from my life with his disappearance from Everthorne that morning, and that I very well might have permanently ruined everything that had ever been between us.

  I suddenly recalled my parents strolling together, arm-in-arm, down a similar path. How much they had loved one another! They had so clearly been one in their devotion to each other. When my father had died, my mother—although she’d been recovering well before that point—deteriorated quickly, as if there were no reason to go on if life didn’t include him.

  I could imagine.

  How I wished my parents could have met Vance, but that would have been impossible if they had lived. My life never would have intersected with Vance Everstone’s if I’d not been orphaned the year before.

  My family would all still be living at The Hawthorne Inn together, working as a dedicated entity toward our goal—the success of our big brick house turned into an inn.

  Perhaps Ezra would have still been my friend—a gentleman, instead of a drunk, a gambler, and a trader of women. The thought of betting my life away in a poker game wouldn’t have crossed his mind, once upon a time, and Vance never would have witnessed Rowen Steele’s obsession with me. Vance never would have heard of me.

  How strange the workings of life were, that G
od could work so many things together. I was sure God had put Vance and me in each other’s paths. It was so obvious the day I’d met him, when Estella had introduced him to me, and revealed to me who she truly was—not a lady’s companion, but an heiress much wealthier than most of the wealthy people I’d seen come through the front lobby of Everston.

  Vance was different, and for some reason, I’d known from the moment we’d met that he would be more than just another hotel guest. In truth, I really shouldn’t have cared one bit about such a man. There shouldn’t have been any way in the world that we would ever have been suitable for each other, yet there we were, married. Surely, despite the debacle of the night before, there was grace enough in this world for us to build our marriage to radiate the strength I had witnessed in my parents’ life together.

  I stood to go into the house with renewed optimism, and heard the squeak of a gate opening behind me. My heart skipped, and then beat faster and faster. Vance had finally come! In a moment I would be in his arms—all wrongs forgiven yet again.

  I heard his steps on the path and slowly turned around, relishing the anticipation, yet longing for the moment to culminate.

  A man was indeed walking toward me—but it wasn’t Vance. His sudden presence sent chills through me, paralyzing me to the ground with fear. I knew him. I recognized the sneer on his face.

  It was Rowen Steele.

  He looked the same as when I’d thought I’d seen him—when I’d definitely seen him—at The Propylaeum. He was tall, impressively built, and would be able to, without a doubt, overpower me in a moment.

  “What are you doing in my garden?” I asked, my voice shaking.

  “I’ve come to collect what is rightfully mine, Miss Hawthorne.”

  “I’m not yours. If I belong to anyone, it’s to my husband, Vance Everstone.”

  “So it’s true. You married him.”

  “Last night, in fact.” I lifted my chin, feigning confidence. Oh, where was Vance? Where was Mrs. Jefferies—Brubaker? “I think you should leave.”

  “Oh, I will. But you’ll be coming with me.”