by Kitty Margo
“Then why?” Her pain was mirrored in her glistening eyes. “Why, Joshua?”
He went to stand at the open balcony door, staring out at the bench under the tree where they had sat that morning, remembering her gay laughter. “She is carrying my child. I have to marry her. Just as I would have married you had you been with child.”
“Are you certain?” Lynna cried, grasping for any sliver of hope. “Perhaps she is mistaken, as I was. Perhaps her…flow...is only late, as mine was.”
“Lynna!” his tone was final. “Her father assures me it is so.”
Suzanne? Carrying Joshua’s child? How could he allow this to happen, knowing full well the consequences of his dalliance with the insatiable Suzanne? Lynna wondered if he had any idea what a dismal future lay ahead of him being bound to her, then decided that they deserved each other. Leaving her to bear the brunt of suffering for their indiscretions. It was too much. She could not bear to be in his presence another second. “Joshua, please! Leave my sight!” she cried, throwing herself on the bed as pitiful sobs shook her.
Hearing her pitiful cries, Judith rushed into the room. Joshua opened his mouth to speak, before realizing there was nothing more to be said. No way to ease Lynna’s pain or his guilt for causing it. He left the woman he loved to join in the celebration with the woman he loathed. True, Lynna was miserable, but no more so than he would be with Suzanne tied like a ball and chain around his neck for the rest of his life. He went in search of a bottle of whiskey, knowing a bottle of spirits would be his dearest companion for many years to come.
Late in the night when the celebration had ended, Lynna’s tears had finally slowed and she lay snuggled against her aunt. “Thank you for understanding that I must go away, Aunt Judith.”
“Of course I understand, darling. And I agree. There is no reason for you to return to Magnolia House for the…” She had almost said wedding. “Your Aunt Gypsie will be thrilled that you finally decided to visit her in Charleston for a while.”
Theirs was a tearful farewell, but Lynna knew how difficult it was to leave someone you loved behind. She wanted nothing more than to go home with Aunt Judith to their little cottage and close out the world around them, sequestered from any and all outsiders. But that would be impossible. Magnolia House would be a beehive of activity with planning for Suzanne’s upcoming nuptials and lavish reception.
Her aunt would be working round the clock on a trousseau for the bride to be. Deirdre Chisholm would sew the actual wedding gown, she was sure. Only the best for the daughter of Silas Fletcher, and the bride to be of Captain Joshua Jordan. Mary would be ecstatic, bustling about, making wedding preparations. And Suzanne? Lynna prayed never to see her smirking face again. She recalled the glowing look of triumph Suzanne had worn when she had slithered into her room after all the guests had retired.
“Will you marry my dear brother now?’ she had asked ever so sweetly.
“No.” Lynna continued with her packing, hoping to hide her tear stained face. “I will not be marrying anyone.”
“Well, why ever not?” Twisting the knife into Lynna’s heart a little deeper, she added, “We could have a double wedding. Would that not be a splendid affair?”
Lynna forgot her tears and spun around, wanting only to hurt her. To make her feel a small portion of the gut-wrenching pain she was feeling. Before she had the chance, Suzanne’s next words stopped her cold.
“Lynna, darling, I know how you must feel. But, honestly, you really must forget any misguided illusions you had toward my betrothed. I know all about that silly night the two of you shared in Judith’s cottage. However, you must realize an occasional dalliance with a besotted female means nothing to a man like Joshua. He has, or had, them on a regular basis. I am sure he will be quite content with what he has in his own bed now.” She smiled brilliantly for Lynna’s benefit. “Anyway, he told me about your little tryst and I was gracious enough to forgive him.”
“Forgive him? For what?” Lynna asked with disbelief written on her face. Joshua would never have betrayed her confidence. “What are you talking about, Suzanne?”
“You don’t have to deny it, Lynna. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It was beyond your control. I, of all people, know what a desirable man my future husband is. Why do you think I am marrying him? Anyway, he told me he went to deliver a message from your aunt, after the Morehead fire, and how you cried so pathetically and begged him to stay the night.”
She watched Lynna closely for a reaction to her lie, but there was none. “I must admit I was furious when he told me, but then he does apologize so...lustily. He assured me you meant nothing to him, that he had only been trying to comfort you after your trying ordeal and things got carried away, so I forgave him.” Lynna must never know she had stood outside the open window that night and heard every word.
“My…ordeal?”
“Yes, with your uncle. You poor thing! To have an uncle who… beats you. Why, I simply cannot imagine anything so heinous!”
A vision of Joshua and Suzanne together, laughing at her, him recounting to Suzanne how she had asked, no begged him to stay after being beaten by her uncle, sent a fresh wave of agony coursing through her. Oh God! She had been so blind, so stupid.
She was actually able to smile through her tears, as she envisioned the two of them growing old together.
Late that night, Lynna was a lone figure on the quiet streets of Charleston. Her carriage had busted a wheel and, rather than wait until morning, she had taken one of the horses and continued to her aunt’s house alone, against the stern wishes of the driver. Glancing up, she noticed that the moon had a bright ring around it. What were the superstitions Jasmine had warned her about concerning a ring around the moon? She wished she had listened more closely.
Suddenly, the horse slowed and pricked up his ears, alert. She gradually became aware of a tinkling noise, as if from gently ringing bells. That was odd. She searched for the origin of the sound but could not see anything unusual as the moon chose that moment to hide behind the clouds. The tower of Saint Michael’s Episcopal Church loomed up ahead stately and proud watching over the sleeping port city.
With increasing alarm, Lynna became aware of a low, steady rumbling noise that seemed to come from underneath the ground, growing continually louder until it was almost deafening. And the church bells! All across the city, church bells began to ring in an erratic cacophony. Terrified, the horse reared and Lynna was thrown to the ground in a painful heap upon the suddenly shifting earth. In a blind panic, she ran down the street until she came to the welcoming doors of Saint Michael’s.
Across the sleeping city, eyes widened and fear took root in every citizen as all around, chimneys crumbled and rained brick into the streets. As the thundering noise grew louder, people ran into the streets, consumed with terror. The roaring and crashing noises continued for just over a minute then the noise suddenly stopped.
Inside the saintly structure of St. Michael’s, the bells were chiming without the rope being pulled. Not their usual enchanting melody, but a horrible, uncontrolled noise that vibrated through the church. Dropping to her knees, Lynna prayed harder than she ever had before, begging God to be merciful rather than just and allow her a quick death. She was sure this was her punishment for giving herself to Joshua without the sanction of the church. Joshua! Oh, to be held in the safety of his strong arms once more before she died. But that would not happen, for her life would soon be over. As if to verify that fact the earth beneath her feet suddenly heaved upward. Holy statues broke loose from their pedestals behind the altar and crashed to the floor only inches from where she lay crouched under a pew.
The trembling became extremely violent, causing the beautiful stained glass windows to shatter and fall to the floor around her. She knew nothing of the destruction that was destroying the city and claiming many lives outside the church. Her mind was filled with the ringing of the bells and the horrible rumbling noise. She remained in her crouched position, too terri
fied to move until the trembling earth stood still.
When all was quiet, she crawled out from under the pew, not knowing which way to turn. The church was filled with thick, heavy smoke, making it difficult to breathe. In search of fresh air, she made her way through the rubble, falling every other step and cutting her hands and knees on the broken glass and other debris littering the aisle. She moved steadily forward toward the dim light filtering through the open door, fearing what she might find when she reached it. The full moon was bright, but the smoke and dust created a thick fog, hiding most of the destruction from her view until the stark morning light would illuminate it.
Her horse was nowhere to be found. She hoped he had survived the chaos, along with Leroy, her driver. She must hurry and reach her aunt’s house and send someone back for him. She looked around at the crowd that was beginning to gather in the streets, a crowd that had been roughly yanked from their beds.
Lynna was lucky she had been in the business district when the earthquake struck the city of Charleston. Had she been in the residential section, she would have heard the screams as the bodies of men, women and children were pulled from the wreckage.
As she moved carefully through the crowded streets, fires burned out of control all around her, crackling sparks being carried high into the sky on the breeze that blew in from the river. Men, women, and children formed a human conveyor belt, carrying water to put out the innumerable fires. Her first impulse was to join them and help, but first she had to find her aunt and be assured that she wasn’t hurt, or worse.
She broke into a run as sharp talons of fear dug in, urging her forward. She ran until her parched throat and aching sides forced her to slow down. It was then that she saw her aunt standing on her front stoop and candlelight flickering in her window. It appeared to Lynna like a beacon guiding a ship in a violent storm and she followed the light. She breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief to find the house miraculously intact and rushed into her aunt’s outstretched, welcoming arms.
Many of the picturesque homes and stately mansions of Charleston were destroyed during the earthquake, but by far, the worst tragedy was the loss of life. Many people were killed in their sleep, while others were trapped under the rubble waiting, knowing there would be no chance for a rescue until morning. Some died before the rescuers could dig them out, while many of the severely burned or injured prayed for the relief that only death could bring.
Over the destruction, the tower of Saint Michael’s could be seen as a reminder to the people of Charleston. They had survived disastrous fires, tidal waves, hurricanes, and tornadoes in the past. The earthquake had proven to be a formidable foe, but the Holy City would not give up. She would come back stronger than ever.
Only her Aunt Gypsie did not have the courage to remain and watch the long process of rebuilding. Miraculously, her shotgun house sustained only minor damage, but no matter what room in the house she happened to be in, when she looked out the window, her eyes fell upon destruction.
Her once beautiful city, where her beloved late husband had been born, raised and buried, now more closely resembled a battlefield. A battle Charleston had lost. The downtown area still smoked from the raging fires that had swept the city. Now there were only ashes where a thriving business district had once been. Gypsie had lost two of her dearest friends to the earthquake and the pain was almost unbearable.
The following morning, Lynna returned from a walk around the smoking city to find her aunt staring dismally out the window, a pathetic sight.
“Aunt Gypsie, are you ill?” This disheveled woman was a poor caricature of the effervescent aunt she remembered.
It was a long time before Gypsie could trust herself to answer. “No, Lynna. I am fine physically, however emotionally, I am a wreck. I cannot remain in Charleston.” She took a deep breath and continued, “After careful consideration I have decided to visit my sister Bertie and her husband Cliff in Jamaica.”
Now where would she go, Lynna wondered? Certainly not back to Magnolia House! To Cedar Hill! Perhaps she could borrow the needed funds from Samuel to return to France. “I think that is a splendid idea, Aunt Gypsie. You will feel much better away from this destruction.”
“Oh, I do not intend to go alone! I mean for you to accompany me, Lynna. I could not possibly travel alone, and after the awful tale of betrayal you told me last night, you have no reason to remain here either,” Gypsie insisted, still gazing out the window upon her ruined city. “We will send a message to Judith and sail on the first ship out. Neither of us will return until our beloved Charleston has risen from the ashes like the phoenix that she is.”
Chapter Sixteen
The searing heat of an Indian summer was a force to be reckoned with as Suzanne and Daniel perspired in rocking chairs on the verandah at Magnolia House. Suzanne’s ever present slave child fanned unenthusiastically by her side, stopping often to swat at a pesky insect and causing Suzanne to cast an evil eye her way when she did. Daniel’s eyes were lowered, ashamed for having gone along with his sister’s calculating scheme to coerce Joshua into marriage, especially since the ploy had been such a stunning failure. True, Suzanne had finagled a proposal from Joshua, but Lynna was now an ocean away and Daniel accepted the fact he was partially responsible for dooming Joshua to a lifetime of misery for naught. He hung his head guiltily.
“Have you gotten yourself with child, yet, dear sister? The wedding is tomorrow, you know.”
“I know when my own wedding is, Daniel Fletcher! And no, I am not carrying Joshua’s offspring, yet. However,” she added confidently, “after tomorrow I should have no difficulty resolving that minor problem.” She smiled dreamily in anticipation of the many nights to come in Joshua’s arms. “No, after tomorrow it shouldn’t be too difficult at all.
The wedding was a simple affair. Suzanne had begged and pleaded for a grand event complete with an orchestra, dancing, and hundreds of guests. But, for once, Silas had put his foot down and gone against his daughter’s wishes, and her mother had agreed that due to her condition, the ceremony would not be an elaborate one.
Few people saw her in the virginal, white wedding gown that had been painstakingly stitched by Deirdre Chisholm. The gown was magnificent and had set Silas back a small fortune, but Suzanne and her parents were certain that there had never been a more beautiful bride. Unfortunately, her bridegroom saw nothing at all extraordinary about her. He made the requisite responses during the vows, but his mind was far, far away.
After the ceremony, with his wife’s arm entwined securely through his, Joshua drank to toast after toast, already feeling suffocated by her cloying nearness. He relaxed somewhat as the chilled liquid warmed his insides, but no matter how much he imbibed, he could not drown out the vision of Lynna’s tear-stained visage.
When at last Silas claimed his daughter for a dance, Joshua took the opportunity to slip outside unobserved. He had to get away from the crowd, the music, the heat and his wife. Wife? God, how did he allow this to happen? As he turned the corner of the house, his eyes fell on Lynna and Judith’s cottage. Would she ever return? Should he be made to pay for the rest of his natural life for his foolish mistake? The thought of his child being raised by Suzanne’s hands alone was all the answer he needed. He would not wish that fate on his worst enemy, and never on his own flesh and blood. He might be made to suffer a lifetime of misery, but his child would not.
Long before the festivities had ended, Joshua stumbled upstairs to their room with the help of his wife. Their room! He could hardly abide the notion of being in the same house with the shrew. As she undressed him, Suzanne let her hands wander slowly over his body, caressing him until they drew the desired response. Leaving her expensive wedding gown in a crumpled heap on the floor, she ignored the sheer peignoir that had been laid on her bed and stretched out beside him. Pressing her slim body against his, she continued moving her hands over his muscular frame until they reached his manhood, taking it firmly in hand.
Joshua gasp
ed and grabbed her close as their lips met in a rough kiss. Passionate moans erupted from her throat as his lips slid down her neck to nibble at her small breast. Suzanne smiled deliciously as his hands slid over her hip, then up the curving waist. She now had all she needed in this life. No man had the power to make her body ache for his touch the way Joshua did and he was her husband, now and forever.
Suddenly, Joshua stopped and opened his eyes, realizing the woman in his bed was not Lynna. No, even in the dark, and officially drunk, he could differentiate between their bodies and vastly differing curves. “Suzanne!” he slurred drunkenly.
All of a sudden the events of the day came rushing back and he released her, repulsed by her touch. He may have been forced to marry her, but he damn well did not have to share her bed! Turning over, he closed his eyes, and his steady breathing confirmed to Suzanne that he had fallen asleep, on their wedding night, without consummating their vows.
However, being quite sure of her charm and appeal, Suzanne came to the erroneous conclusion that his rejection was to be blamed on the large quantity of wine and rum consumed during their reception. She was confident that was it. After all, what man of sound mind could fall asleep with her naked body pressed against him? She had let him shirk his duty tonight, but no more. She could not afford to waste precious time. He had to plant his seed in her and quickly, before everyone, but especially Joshua, learned of her deceit.
Much later, after Joshua was sure she was asleep, he crept silently from the house and into the barn, where he saddled his horse. Perhaps a ride at breakneck speed would help him dismiss his current plight from mind. How had he gotten himself into this sorry state of affairs? It was a query that reiterated over and over in his mind as he raced through the countryside. Married to a woman he despised, while the woman he truly loved was... God only knows where.
