To Honor and Trust

by Tracie Peterson

  “Luther, I’d like to introduce you to our new nanny, Mrs. Murphy.”

  Callie leaned forward and immediately understood Mr. Bridgeport’s puzzlement. Although Mrs. Murphy had changed her dress, she appeared even more rumpled than when she’d first arrived. If she didn’t prove to be excellent with the children, Callie feared Maude would soon be seeking another position.

  During the few weeks since Sophie’s marriage, Callie had managed to act as both nanny and tutor, but to attempt to handle both positions through a full winter would be impossible. Locating, interviewing, and hiring a qualified candidate now that they were in Georgia would prove extremely difficult, if not impossible. Most locals wouldn’t want to move north once the family returned home. Callie pressed her hands together and offered a silent prayer that Mrs. Murphy would prove to be a perfect nanny who would shower the children with affection.

  Chapter 2

  Eager to check into his room, Wesley Townsend strode toward the steps of the Bridal Veil clubhouse. He’d been opposed to coming along on his family’s yearly winter retreat to the South but had eventually given in to his mother’s tearful plea. Now, after traveling by train from Massachusetts to Georgia with his married siblings, their spouses and children, as well as his parents, Wesley needed some time to himself. Not that he didn’t love his family, but he had grown exceedingly weary of their constant talk about his future. Each one of them seemed to think he or she knew what was best for him. And all of them agreed that the first order of business was to find him a wife. But Wesley had no intention of seeking out a wife at this stage of his life. Too much had happened over the past few years and he needed time to discover exactly what he wanted to do before he thought about marriage—not the other way around.

  “Do slow down, Wesley. This isn’t a footrace; it’s a vacation.” Blanche Townsend tugged on her son’s arm and glanced over her shoulder. “We’ve left the rest of the family in our wake.”

  “They’re not that far behind, Mother. I’d like to get registered and into my room.”

  “I think your father will need to take care of the registration, Wesley. We’re here at the invitation of Josiah and Margaret Wade. Your father made the arrangements for all of our rooms through Josiah and the hotel director.” She glanced about the perfectly manicured grounds. “Use of the facilities on this island is by membership or invitation only. Since the Wades were sailing for Europe, it was most kind of them to offer us their apartments.” She squeezed his arm and smiled. “We can wait in those lovely wicker chairs on the porch.” She tipped her head closer. “I told Margaret I don’t think I’ll sail for several years. After the disaster with the Titanic last year, I’ve developed an aversion to ships.”

  “I don’t think you need to fear sailing, Mother. There are train wrecks, yet you still ride trains.”

  “I know you’re right, Wesley, but still . . .” She clasped a hand to her bodice and shook her head. “Those poor people. I do hope the Wades will be safe.”

  “As do I,” he said as they climbed the steps and sat down on the wide porch that surrounded the huge clubhouse and surveyed the lush lawns and ornamental shrubs.

  For as long as he could remember, their family had wintered in Virginia at White Sulfur Springs. He’d been astonished when his father had announced the family would visit a new locale this winter, but his surprise had vanished when he learned two textile investors would also be visiting the island. His father would be closing a deal to expand the family’s textile mills in Massachusetts as soon as they returned home in the spring, and he likely planned to mix business with pleasure while on Bridal Veil.

  No doubt his older brothers, Charles and Daniel, were also in on the scheme. And his sister Helena’s husband, Richard Kennebec, who also worked in the family business, had probably been the one to discover the investors would be on the island. Since his marriage to Helena, Richard had used his ability to sniff out such details in order to help the company. Wesley had heard rumors his brother-in-law enjoyed gambling, and he now wondered if Richard gathered his information at the racetrack and gaming tables. For his sister’s sake, he hoped this wasn’t true, for he had a few friends who had ruined their lives with such pursuits.

  His mother stepped to the railing as his father climbed the steps. “When will they bring the luggage, Howard? I do want to freshen up as soon as possible.”

  Helena and Richard approached the front steps moments later. Richard carried their baby boy while Helena attempted to keep the two girls in tow.

  Howard Townsend raked his fingers through his thatch of thick white hair. “I must go inside first, Blanche. Give me a few minutes and we’ll get settled.” His jaw twitched as he turned and looked at Wesley. “Look after your mother while I take care of registering the family and securing our keys.”

  Wesley nodded. He doubted his mother needed “looking after,” but he didn’t argue. The twitch in his father’s jaw meant only one thing: The family patriarch was reaching the end of his rope.

  “I believe this is going to be a wonderful change of pace for all of us, don’t you?” His mother let her gaze sweep from one family member to the next. “It’s too bad Charles had to remain in Massachusetts.” His mother glanced toward Daniel. “And your father says you’ll be staying only a week or so. That saddens me very much.”

  Wesley didn’t comment, but he thought Charles and Daniel were the fortunate ones. He would be here all winter, listening to how his life had taken a wrong turn and that he needed to move forward and make some decisions regarding his future. With the acquisition of several woolen mills due to take place as soon as they returned to Massachusetts, Wes was expected to manage the new mills, or be prepared to support himself with some other form of meaningful employment.

  “If Father is going to be away all winter, Charles and I need to be in Massachusetts to take care of the business. Melody may remain an extra week or two, but she doesn’t want to be separated for too long.” Daniel grinned. “We are newly married, after all. And Father will be working while he’s here. He plans to hold several meetings with investors who will be vacationing at Bridal Veil.” At age twenty-eight, Daniel had as much charm as a dose of castor oil.

  “What happened to my fun-loving brother?” Wes eyed Daniel and scooted to the edge of the wicker chair. “I remember when you enjoyed playing tennis and riding horses.”

  “The rest of us grew up and learned to work for a living. How long has it been since you’ve actually done anything useful, Wes?”

  The words stung like salt in an open wound. “I’m not sure anyone in this family believes I’ve ever done anything useful, Daniel—especially you and Charles.”

  “Now, boys! Let’s don’t ruin our vacation before it’s even begun.” Blanche patted Wesley’s shoulder. “And we all know how hard you worked in college and medical school. And down in Texas, too.”

  His sister, Helena, bobbed her head. “And I’ve commended you over and over for the work you did with those New York doctors, Wesley.”

  “That’s right, Helena. We all have expressed our admiration.” His mother glanced at the group with a look in her eye that defied any one of them to disagree. “Haven’t we?”

  “There’s no need to coerce them, Mother. I know what they think. And frankly, it doesn’t matter. I don’t dictate how they should live their lives, and I’m not going to permit them to have a say in mine.”

  Daniel shook his head. “We’re not attempting to tell you what you should do, Wes. But you’re twenty-five years old. You’ve said you don’t want to return to medicine. If that’s the case, you know you’re needed in the family business. With the recent acquisition, there’s a real need for you to step up and manage the new mills.”

  The family business was the last place Wes wanted to spend his time. Working in the office of the family textile mills was as unappealing as a toothache, but it appeared this entire vacation would be riddled with pressure for him to take his “rightful place” in one of those
mills.

  “I have keys!” Wesley’s father strode toward them with several keys in his hand. “All of the rooms are adjoining except for yours, Wes. They couldn’t manage to get all of us together. I hope you won’t mind.”

  “Not at all. Just hand me my key, and I’ll find my room.” Wes stepped forward and extended his hand.

  His father clamped his hand around the keys. “They have their own way of doing things here at the clubhouse, and we’ll be expected to abide by the rules.”

  Wes exhaled a long breath. “I’m sure there will be ample time to hear the rules later.” He hoped his father wasn’t going to read a set of regulations before they could go to their rooms.

  Mr. Townsend waved the family to silence. “The first rule is that the hotel staff will escort each family to their room. They want to be certain we are properly settled. We are asked to wait in the grand sitting room just inside the front doors or enjoy ourselves here on the porch until our name is called. The hotel clerk said a young lady would be out shortly to serve us lemonade.” He extended his arms to Helena’s daughters, and both little girls came running to him, each one settling on one of his knees.

  Wesley was surprised by the show of affection. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d sat on his father’s knee. In fact, he didn’t recall his father being home much at all during his childhood. When they’d spent winter months at White Sulfur Springs, his father would remain for only a week or so, and then he’d return to his work in Massachusetts. Shortly before their departure for home, his father would reappear to travel home with them. And during his summers in Lowell, Wesley spent most of his time outdoors with his brother or friends. Exploring the woods had instilled an interest in trees and plants that had never left him. While in college, he’d taken a number of botany classes and had enjoyed them so much that he’d briefly considered becoming a botanist rather than a physician. His life wouldn’t be in this present state of disarray if he’d become a botanist or landscape architect—anything other than a medical doctor.

  The clerk called out his father’s name, and both girls jumped down. “Can we come and see your room, Grandpap?”

  Any sign of his earlier irritation vanished as he winked at his granddaughters. “As soon as your mother and father give you permission, you can come to our rooms.” He leaned down and kissed each of them on the cheek before they followed the hotel clerk.

  Wesley reached for his small traveling case and withdrew a book. While his brother and Richard were talking about the textile mill, he read about the art of architectural landscape. Once he had settled his belongings into his room, he planned to begin exploring the island. He was eager to find new floras that were listed in his book. On their short buggy ride from the dock to the clubhouse, he had observed any number of plants he’d never before seen. And the landscaping around the cottages and clubhouse was magnificent—proof that work could be found for good landscape architects.

  Helena’s husband, Richard, leaned against one of the thick white porch columns. “I hear they have an excellent golf course here on the island, Wes. That should keep you occupied for the entire winter.”

  Wesley couldn’t decide what bothered him more—Richard’s arrogant sneer or the sarcasm in his voice. For an instant, Wesley considered mentioning the racetrack as the place where the family would likely find Richard, but such a comment would hurt his sister more than Richard.

  “Thank you for thinking of me, Richard. One of Father’s friends told me about the course before we left Massachusetts. If it’s as good as he said, then you can be sure I’ll spend a great deal of time there.” He flashed a smile at Richard. “You should give golf a try. The fresh air and exercise might help you.”

  “Is that what you learned in medical school? A little fresh air and exercise will fix any problem?”

  “It won’t fix all problems, but fresh air and exercise are proven to aid good health.” Wes patted his stomach. “And it appears you’ve put on a bit of weight.”

  “I could have told you fresh air and exercise aid good health. It would have saved your father the money he spent sending you to medical school.”

  “Stop, Richard!” Helena reached for the baby in his arms. “Take the girls and let them watch the croquet game on the lawn.”

  Once they were alone, Helena took a chair next to him. “Don’t let Richard’s comments bother you, Wes. He’s not happy unless he’s irritating someone.”

  Wesley glanced over the railing at Richard and the two girls. “The girls are growing up. They’re good-looking children.”

  Helena’s lips curved in a forlorn smile. “I long for the days when they were much younger and more dependent upon me.”

  Wes chuckled. “You could always have more. Besides, they’re only five and seven. It’s not like they’ve become adults just yet.”

  “Speaking of children, when are you going to find a girl and settle down? Mother mentioned several young ladies she thinks would be perfect for you.” Helena resituated the squirming baby on her lap.

  Wes pushed up from the chair and settled against the white wooden railing that surrounded the porch. “I’m beginning to think this entire vacation was arranged to either force me to accept a position at the textile factory or to find me a wife.”

  “Or both.” She grinned at him. “You know Mother and Father. When they come together with a plan, they usually circle around and tighten the ranks.”

  “So there is a plan?”

  She held up her hand. “I was only joking with you. However, you know that Father believes you should be doing something with your future.”

  He closed his book and tucked it back into his bag. “I’m glad to hear that everyone knows exactly what I need.”

  “We’re your family, Wes. We all want you to succeed and be happy.” She swatted a pesky fly away from the baby. “Did Mother mention the masked ball to you?”

  “No.” He sighed. He disliked the formal events that the resorts seemed to think necessary each season. “Why so soon? Couldn’t we enjoy at least a week or two without some formal gathering?”

  Helena flashed him a smile. “I believe this is a welcoming ball so that newcomers like us can get acquainted with the other guests. It wouldn’t be a welcoming ball if they waited for two or three weeks.”

  “Maybe I can convince Mother I don’t need to get acquainted.”

  Helena laughed. “You know better than that. The rest of us received our instructions about the teas, card parties, and balls that we’re expected to attend before we ever departed Massachusetts. She likely feared you wouldn’t come if you’d received the information in advance. You have a few days’ reprieve. As I recall, the ball won’t be held for three more days. Oh, the clerk just called our name.” She jumped up and waved to Richard. “Bring the girls, Richard. They’re ready to take us to our room.” She patted Wes on the arm. “I’m sure they’ll come for you soon.”

  He nodded. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

  Wes leaned back in his chair and watched his sister and her family as they made their way to the hotel entrance. In some ways, he wished he could be like Charles or Daniel or Helena—that he could be satisfied marrying the proper socialite and working for the family business. But he didn’t fit the mold. And he doubted he ever would—not after all that had happened in Texas. In fact, he wondered if he would ever find peace again.

  Chapter 3

  Callie followed Maude into the sunroom, where Mrs. Bridgeport planned to explain her list of expectations. Though Callie had attempted to escape this meeting, Mrs. Bridgeport insisted upon her presence. Once they’d settled in the cushioned wicker furniture, Mrs. Bridgeport unfolded a piece of stationery.

  She tapped the piece of paper and smiled at Maude. “I’ve written these down so I won’t forget any of the things we need to discuss concerning the children.” Mrs. Bridgeport cleared her throat. “But first I want to address my expectations regarding personal appearance.”

  Maude snap
ped to attention. “Last I knew, none of us is able to change the way we look. We’re stuck with what the good Lord gave us.” She pointed her thumb at Callie. “Not that I wouldn’t prefer to look like her—or you, for that matter, Missus—but that ain’t going to be happenin’.”

  Mrs. Bridgeport arched her brows. “Isn’t going to happen.”

  Maude frowned. “That’s what I said.”

  “I was correcting your grammar, Maude. You should have used the word isn’t instead of ain’t. I want the children to use proper English. I’ll add that to my list.”

  Maude’s look of confusion remained, but she nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Now, let’s return to the topic of personal appearance.” Mrs. Bridgeport turned her attention to Maude. “I want our children to be well groomed at all times. And we must lead by example. Don’t you agree, Maude?”

  The older woman immediately tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, I do think children should be neat and so forth, but I’m all for lettin’ them have fun and get dirty, too. Elstwise, there’s not much sense in having a childhood, now is there?”

  “Childhood is a time to have fun, but it is also a time to instill proper values. Callie takes care of educating the children. They are fluent in both French and English, and they have been equally successful in their other educational skills, as well.” She beamed at Callie. “That, of course, is due to Callie’s excellent example and dedicated efforts. The children are quite fond of her, yet she sets high standards for them.”

  Maude reached over and patted Callie’s arm. “Good for you, Callie. Sounds like the missus might be preparing to give you an increase in pay.”

  Callie smiled at the older woman. Somehow, this meeting had gone off the rails and Mrs. Bridgeport was having difficulty getting it back on track.

  “I was attempting to make a point that children frequently learn by following the example of others. For instance, when Callie instructs the children to speak in French, she reinforces her request by conversing with them in French.”