by Jerri Hines
Sumner glanced up at her as Cathryn raced over to his side. She bent down on her knees and took up her brother’s scraped and bloody knuckles. His clothes were soaked in the intruder’s blood. Cathryn comprehended in quick order that the wrath of Sumner had exploded upon the lecher.
“Cathryn, we need to act quickly,” he said in a calm manner. “I didn’t mean to kill him. I only wanted him out of my home. He was as a wild man. When he was down, he said vile things about Mary. How a man could say…” He looked away. “It is no matter. I have only one choice. We have to hide the body.”
“But, Sumner, someone will know he was coming here.”
“What if the Negroes talk? Oh, Sumner, won’t they understand?”
“You tell me, Cathryn,” Sumner stated emphatically. “Who would they believe? A highly respected lawyer or a bastard son?”
“I’ll take care of the Negroes. Israel was injured. He’ll say nothing. I know of no other that was here that would,” Juriah answered. “But we need to get rid of the body.”
“In the garden,” Cathryn said quickly. “I was planting bulbs there yesterday. The ground is soft. I’ll move some plants over the body. It’s close to the house.”
“What of the horse?” Sumner asked.
“Ride him off tonight. Ride down southwest, where the scrimmages have been occurring,” Cathryn added. Her mind raced with details to cover. “Let him go wild close to the river. People can either take it he got ambushed, or was drunk and fell into the river.”
“It’s a long ride,” Sumner said. “We need to hurry.”
* * * *
Sumner wrapped the body and hid it in the waiting room. Cathryn prayed they had no more visitors this day. In broad daylight, Sumner rode off on Chelton’s horse with his in tow. No one would give him a second glance, thinking he was going to sell the horse.
Juriah and Cathryn waited with bated breath. Cathryn watched from the nursery window as dusk fell and her brother returned on his horse.
The twins fussed awfully. For once Cathryn had no patience with them. But Carreen, the wet nurse, soothed the tiny ones.
Waiting until darkness fell, the three worked in unison. Sumner started to dig a deep hole. A moment later, Israel appeared with shovel in hand. He didn’t say a word, but helped Sumner.
After the body had been placed and the hole filled, Juriah and Cathryn worked feverishly, transplanting bushes and bulbs that Cathryn had planted. Fallen leaves were sprinkled over the grave. The garden looked as if it had never been disturbed.
Tired and exhausted, Cathryn prayed it had been enough. The day would dawn and someone would come looking. That she knew well.
* * * *
A day passed and then another. Cathryn began to hope that they wouldn’t have anyone to come to question about Chelton’s disappearance. Sumner acted as though all was normal, but Juriah and Cathryn carried with them a fear of discovery. Sumner had been correct in his assumption. Charles Town was no different than England. So they waited.
* * * *
A group of horses descended upon them almost a week after the incident on a beautiful, Indian summer day. With not a cloud in the sky, Cathryn watched from the upstairs window while the babies cooed in their crib.
She looked down upon them before she exited the room. Philip had found his foot and thought it the most wonderful thing. They were content. A knock disturbed the peace.
“A group of gentlemen have requested your presence, Miss Cathryn. They’re from Charles Town,” Tacy uttered.
Tacy wrung her hands tightly; Cathryn sighed. Tacy wasn’t supposed to have known. Too many had knowledge that Chelton had been here.
“Tacy, get hold of yourself,” she said, annoyed. “Don’t come downstairs again. Do you understand? Just stay with the twins.”
* * * *
Cathryn entered the drawing room where Juriah had placed the gentlemen. She greeted the group of seven with a warm smile. She recognized a couple, but most were strangers to her. Henry Peterson, a silver-haired older gentleman, stood upon her appearance.
“Gentlemen, welcome to Elm Bluff, but I have to apologize that I wasn’t prepared for visitors. Since my return, I’m afraid I haven’t been able to be social.”
“I see you are in mourning?” Henry Peterson asked.
Cathryn stared at him for a moment. Who wore mourning clothes without being in such? She took a breath to control her emotions. She could ill afford to lose control.
“My husband in England,” she replied. “You know, gentlemen, why don’t we go out to the veranda. As I’ve said, I haven’t been able to socialize, but it doesn’t mean I have lost my manners. I’ll have Juriah bring out refreshments.”
Cathryn studied the men from the window as Juriah had the refreshments served. Juriah walked around the corner.
She grabbed Cathryn’s hand. “Are you sure about this?”
“I will show them I have nothing to hide,” Cathryn whispered. “Do you see their arrogance?”
“Please be careful.”
Cathryn joined the men. She took a seat that overviewed the garden, eyeing especially the final resting place of the man whom they sought. She turned her attention back to the men.
“It’s a beautiful day. I so missed the gardens. I have always loved them so. While I was in England I longed to see this again. Can you not blame me?”
“I didn’t realize you had returned home until yesterday. Pardon me for asking, but don’t you have Mary Montrose as your companion? She is my niece and I was never informed of her return to the colonies, much less she was back in Charles Town.” He made no effort to hide his impatience.
Cathryn tilted her head to the side. “You are correct. Mary is my companion and will remain so. She is like a part of my family now. And why, sir, would she have contacted you?”
“Because, Miss Blankenship…” he uttered.
Cathryn eyed him intently. Obviously, he didn’t believe she had married for he intentionally called her by her maiden name.
“She isn’t your family, but mine. It was never meant for her to—”
“To what, sir? Do you really want to get into the details? For if you continue being incisively rude, I will have to ask you to leave. I believe I have well looked after your niece, given the circumstances I found her in.” She met his stare with her own.
“Pardon, us, Miss Blankenship,” another stated. He reminded her of her father, older, distinguished. “Josiah Parker, the local magistrate in Charles Town. I knew your father well—”
“It’s Lady—” Cathryn froze. She almost spoke her name, a fatal mistake. “It’s Mrs.—”
An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room. Cathryn bit her bottom lip. How stupid could she be? She had never come up with a cover name.
“Torrington.” Juriah entered again with a tray of sandwiches. “It has been a trying last few months for Cathryn. To lose her husband so early in her marriage.” She set the tray down on the table. “Do you have need for anything else?”
“No, thank you, Juriah.” Cathryn regained her composure. “Yes, Mr. Parker?”
“I’m sorry for your loss and imposing upon you, but we are seeking Franklin Chelton. He has gone missing. We are trying to trace the last footsteps that we think he took,” he said plainly, but respectfully. “We have reason to believe he may have made his way out here. Have you seen him?”
“Is that all you want? Yes, the dreadful man was here. Let’s see.” She gave the appearance of remembering. “Last week, perhaps. When was it, Juriah?”
“I believe almost a week, Cathryn,” she replied matter of fact.
“I believe you are right, Juriah. Time goes by when one is taking care of a baby. Do you not think?”
“I suppose, Mrs.—” Henry Peterson hesitated upon the utterance, “Torrington. But back to Franklin?”
“He banged upon the door early one morning as I was visiting my parents’ graves.” Cathryn relayed the story they had agreed upon, staying as close t
o the truth as possible. “He scared me to death. He abused my houseboy, Israel. I was frightened, for he entered my home without being invited. He frightened poor Mary, physically trying to restrain her and drag her from the house. Thank goodness Sumner appeared!”
“Pardon me, Mrs. Torrington, for doubting your story, but I can’t believe Franklin would behave in such a manner,” Henry Peterson interrupted.
“If you don’t believe me, why ask?” Cathryn stood. “I don’t know why you are here. I can assure you we threw the bastard out the door. That’s what he is, Mr. Peterson. A bastard! I believe you can leave now.”
“You haven’t answered any of our questions. We need to find Franklin,” Henry demanded.
“Uncle, why are you questioning Cathryn in such a manner?”
All eyes turned upon the utterance. Standing in the doorway, Mary looked vulnerable. Her long dark hair down, she had on Cathryn’s old lavender dress which flattered her coloring. Her dark eyes illuminated pain from within.
Henry Peterson ran to her side. “Oh, Mary. It’s so good to see you.”
Mary took a step back from her uncle. She ran to Cathryn and wrapped her arms around her waist. “It’s good to see you, Uncle, but don’t treat Cathryn badly. She was the only one to treat me with kindness, besides Aunt Fanny. Do not blame Cathryn because I didn’t contact you. She wanted to, but I didn’t want him to find out I was back. And with good reason, for he descended upon me.”
“I’m certain he wanted only to apologize for his behavior,” Henry tried to explain. He looked around, unsure whether he wanted everyone to hear. All but Josiah Parker had left.
“Apologize!” Cathryn’s voice rose. “He was—”
Mary interrupted Cathryn. “Uncle, you don’t want me to tell you all he did. You are a good man, but you don’t know…” Her voice faltered. She swallowed hard. “He was a monster, Uncle. A monster. He tried to drag me out by my hair. He told me what he was going to do to me. If it hadn’t been for Sumner—”
“What did Sumner do?” Henry pressed.
Cathryn caught Juriah’s eyes and held her breath.
“As well as I can remember, Uncle, for that man was on top of me,” Mary cried. “Sumner pulled him off, dragged him down the steps and placed him back upon his horse. The last I saw him he was swaying upon his horse down the road. All I remember after was Sumner carrying me back to my room, Uncle. Sumner saved me. Oh, Uncle, Franklin had liquor on his breath.”
What an accomplished liar! Cathryn thought with admiration. Even in her state, Mary had set forth to save her hero, her savior in her eyes, Sumner. She had set him up to be held in high regard. A true gentleman. A true gentleman that pounded the life out of that monster, Cathryn thought to herself.
“I don’t think we need anything else,” Mr. Parker stated plainly. “It would explain why he got lost.” He turned to Cathryn. “We found his horse wandering along the banks of the Ashley River. It looks like he fell victim to an ambush, which makes sense, especially in that area. We will continue to look in that area in hopes of discovering either him or his body.”
Cathryn saw Mr. Parker suspected, but he wasn’t going to push for more information. He knew well what kind of man Franklin Chelton was. It would accomplish nothing to dig further. Only Peterson cared.
“I hope you find what you are looking for, Mr. Parker. If we can be of any more assistance…” Cathryn said. The others were already upon their horses.
Mr. Parker lingered for a moment. “Mrs. Torrington,” he said in a manner Cathryn realized he questioned also. “The matter with Franklin Chelton is closed as far as I’m concerned. I have far more to deal with than to search for one such as he, but…”
He looked up the stairs. Lucy had begun to cry. “To let you know, I received a letter of interest the other day. It asked if I had knowledge if you were back within the area. The letter asked certain interesting questions, including whether you had delivered a healthy child.”
Cathryn, terrified, couldn’t find her voice. He gave her a sympathetic look. “I noticed a slight slip up in our conversation. If you have run from England with reason, it’s not for me to judge. I see no reason to give out information either, but you may want to be aware.”
“Who was the letter from?”
“It came from Philadelphia, one of the representatives from Congress, as a favor to one in England. There was an expressed concern over your safety and the safety of your child, but it seems you have more than one.” He smiled as Philip joined his sister crying. Tacy began calling for her.
“Please, don’t,” she pleaded. “I only need time. I’m doing no harm.”
“I won’t say anything. You have my word. If I hear anything else, I will let Sumner know,” he answered.
“Thank you,” she uttered.
Tacy called down to her as Cathryn watched the group ride off. One worry replaced another. She turned with Mary at her side and walked back up the stairs.
Chapter Fifteen
“It isn’t news we didn’t perceive would happen,” Sumner casually addressed his sister.
In his usual manner, he visited the nursery in the late afternoon. The babies loved their uncle. If the truth be known, Sumner enjoyed watching their faces light up upon his appearance. She wondered if his thoughts were on Randa. Her child was due to make an appearance soon.
William had continued his visits. Cathryn found his excuse to visit Sumner ranged from two to three weeks. She was no fool. He came to converse with her.
William had been the essence of a gentleman. He would never consider anything other than friendship in these circumstances. Cathryn was thankful for she knew well it could never be anything other than such, but found she looked forward to his visits and would hate to see them stop.
Cathryn held Lucy in her arms, but Lucy wiggled dreadfully, trying with all her little might to get over to her uncle. At over four months, both babes favored their father with their light coloring, blond hair and blue eyes, but with Lucy, Cathryn saw Philip so clearly. Her smile would get her much in life. It had her father.
She wished that she could in turn say Philip was more like her family, but all she saw within little Philip of hers was his temper. He was stubborn and determined. He pouted his mouth at times, and she would swear he had looked like of the duke.
At the moment though, he laughed loudly. Sumner had him giggling so, Cathryn was worried he couldn’t catch his breath.
“Remember he’s but a babe,” she admonished her brother. Sumner glanced over at Lucy and she let out a shriek that hurt Cathryn’s ears. “Neither will they find sleep anytime soon after your visit. You should settle down yourself, Sumner, and have children of your own.”
“I’ll leave that to you, Jalyn.” He laughed. “This I enjoy. Visiting and leaving them for you to care for.”
“You know this is only temporary, Sumner. I will have to return to England at some point. I have to reclaim our money. It will change everything. You say that the news that Mr. Parker has continually gotten letters requesting information is of no concern, but it is, Sumner. You said yourself when I first arrived home that the children would be in danger.”
“I told you no one is saying a word.” Sumner placed Philip back upon his blanket on the floor. He reached over for Lucy who literally jumped out of her mother’s arms for her uncle. “I promised you I will keep them safe. They are too young to travel, but if any issue arises, I have put a plan in order.”
“Don’t you think I should be aware of what it is?”
“I have a trail to take you and the children on if we are alarmed about any issues. One takes you down to Savannah, the other up through North Carolina’s coast line. I don’t want you going inland, but if I can I would send you by ship to Boston. I have someone keeping logs of ships coming into harbor. Israel has been instructed to take you if I’m not here, along with Mary and Tacy. But it’s my hope that everything remains as it is.”
“You told me once that nothing ever r
emains the same.”
Sumner glanced up at his sister with his dark eyes. “Yes, that is true, but it also means you need to enjoy the time that is given at the moment. Right now, you have your family. We have no need of the money that is tied up. The babes are content. Look at them. Are they suffering?”
She studied the two, smiling and cooing.
“No, you are right.”
She sat back and enjoyed the moment.
* * * *
Cathryn decided it was time that she went through her father’s personal affects. She stood outside his bedroom door. She hadn’t gone into the room since she had returned. Acute awareness that Juriah had probably gone through his things gave her pause.
Cathryn wished she could ask Juriah of her relationship with her father. Had it continued? Cathryn thought of her mother. Had she known or wanted to?
She turned the handle. The room was as she remembered it. Juriah had kept it as a shrine to her father. She opened the armoire; all his uniforms hung as if he had need of them. His medals and commendations were within the chest. At the bottom of the trunk, a box caught her attention. She opened it without thinking.
Correspondence that had come after his death lay within, most had been left unopened. On top sat one. She recognized the handwriting. Suddenly, her hands trembled. In the far recess of her mind, she remembered he had told her he had written her father.
In that, he had spoken the truth. She stared at it, not knowing if she wanted to read what he had written, but found she couldn’t open it. It had been another time. She had been another person.
“I wondered when you would come. It’s hard. Isn’t it?” Sumner said as he walked through the open door.
“I miss him so. When I got the news of Father’s death, I was devastated, but it wasn’t until I came home that I realized that I will never see him again. It was easier to push the thought back much like if he was off on a mission…for it tears at my heart.”
“We still have each other. We are the only family we have. The Governor was a good man. He looked after me, as I know you did also. You could have cut me off or kept me on as an overseer.”
