by Zina Abbott
Andrew leapt to his feet and grabbed both of her shoulders before she had a chance to step back, his grip intending to cause her discomfort. “No, you will not, darling. Ours is a business arrangement, and you will do your part, which is to care for my home and bear my heirs. They will be my heirs, Delphinia, not some other man’s bastards. Do I make myself clear? No man can be expected to raise another man’s get. Do not concern yourself with what I do outside the home, but make sure you never stray. I may not be as gentle with my…restraint…of a wayward wife as your parents were with you this past three months.”
Ignoring the pain where he held her, Delphinia responded with a confident smirk that was the exact opposite of the sinking-into-a-dark-abyss feeling she was experiencing. She did not want a lover outside of marriage. She did not want children that did not belong to her husband. She wanted a true marriage, one with a man she loved or knew she could come to love—a man she could trust to be faithful as they built a life and family together. She would never experience such with Andrew Sopworth.
More than anything at that moment, Delphinia did not want to be nothing more than a pawn used by others for their own needs—not her mother’s, not her father’s, and certainly not Andrew’s. She could not resist one last dig. “But, as long as I’m discreet, Andrew, who will know? Not even you.”
Andrew leaned back and studied her, the hate rolling off him in waves. “You have a difficult time learning your place in society, and how things work, Delphinia. I hope after we are married I do not need to resort to the tactics your parents have to keep you in line.”
“Speaking of after we are married, Andrew, where to you intend we live? You have given no indication you have purchased a home for us. You have said nothing about any real estate you have considered, and you certainly have not taken me to look at anything. There has been no opportunity to consider appropriate furnishings.”
“I told you, we will stay for a time at my parents place after our honeymoon trip to Boston. After we marry will be soon enough to look for our own house.”
“You mean the three days you plan to spend with me after we marry? Are you sure we can see all the sights in Boston in that time? Or, are you too anxious to be with your ladybird to spend more time away from her than that?”
Andrew released her arms as he inhaled, his face morphing into a grimace. He raised his fist as if her strike her, but stopped it a foot short of making contact with her chin. He heaved a sigh, and stepped back. “Your mother has been a failure when it comes to raising you to be a proper lady, Delphinia. Mark my words—the time is quickly coming when I will be your husband, and I will finish teaching you to behave as you should and how to show proper respect. I’m leaving now. I will see you at the wedding.” With that, he left.
Without another word, Delphinia watched him go. The descriptive words for how much she despised her fiancé that coursed through her mind would not be considered proper if spoken in polite conversation.
Fly to your ladybird, Andrew. She can have you.
Helena, her excitement barely contained, joined her daughter in the drawing room before Delphinia had a chance to escape to her bedroom. “How did your visit with Andrew go? Is he getting excited about the wedding?”
Without preamble, Delphinia said what was foremost on her mind. “Are you aware Andrew is keeping a mistress, Mother? Are you aware he has no intention of giving her up after he and I marry?”
With curiosity Delphinia studied her mother as the older woman, one hand resting against her collarbone while the other supported her bent elbow, turned and walked to face a window. Her words, when they came, were slow and wistful. “That is unfortunate, Delphinia. However, it is quite common, I’m afraid. In spite of this unforseen development, we must not lose sight of what is important. You will be the wife and the mother of his heirs. You will have the nice home, and the freedom to be seen with your husband and family in public. You will have the social standing that a mistress will not.”
“That is small comfort, Mother. I had once hoped for better from marriage.”
“But, child, you must be realistic. After all, you have been rather unaccessable to him these past several months. You cannot be surprised he turned to another.”
“My being unaccessable was your doing, Mother. Besides, I imagine he was with her before my forced imprisonment. Even if I had been allowed more freedom, I had no desire to play his whore, not that he didn’t try to convince me to join him in his bed after our engagement was announced.”
Helena turned from the window, shaking her head, a frown on her face. “No, that never would do. It is best he turned to another rather than compromise you before marriage.”
Delphinia felt appalled by her mother’s attitude, but did her best to hide it. She went on the attack. “And is that how you handle father’s mistresses, Mother?”
Helena looked up into her daughter’s eyes for the first time since the revelation about Andrew’s mistress. “To the best of my knowledge, your father does not have a mistress, nor has he taken one in the past. If he has, he has kept his affairs discreet. Not all men protect their wives in such a manner, for more than one of my friends have been made aware of their spouse’s—procivities. That may be the best you can hope for from Andrew, that he shields you from his outside relationships. But, you must keep in mind there is so much more at stake than worrying about who he sees on the side. Married to him, your place in society will be assured.”
Delphinia shook her head in disbelief. “Surely that can’t be what is most important, Mother.”
“You will see the value of it in time, my dear. Now, please focus on the important matters. The wedding is mere days away, Delphinia, and we still have so much to do including the final fitting on your gown. Please try to not allow this latest distraction to upset you. Just move forward.”
Delphinia said no more as her eyes followed her mother’s departing form. She wondered what her mother would have said if she had revealed Andrew threatened her with physical violence to keep her in line.
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CHAPTER 6
~o0o~
Just move forward, her mother had said. Back in her room, after thinking about everything that had been said and done that afternoon, Delphinia decided she would take her mother’s advice—she would move forward. However, she had no intention of her forward movement being in the direction her parents, or Andrew, or any other person of her acquaintance, expected. She was dead set against entering into any sort of binding agreement with Andrew, let alone marriage.
Delphinia ate dinner with her parents, chatting about inconsequential topics that had nothing to do with Andrew and his mistress. That evening, she waited in her room until she was sure Annie would not be returning for the night, nor would her parents stop by her room to check on her. Only then did she take action to start putting together her plan to move forward.
Delphinia turned all but one gaslight low and opened the door to her secret hiding place inside the wood fireplace mantle. From it she pulled out everything she had been saving since she started the venture with the Colorado Bridal Agency. The now-yellowed newsprint advertisement she placed away from her on her bed coverlet. The letters from Aaron Brinks she placed in a single stack. She knew the contents well enough she did not feel the need to re-read them at this time. The others from Owen Spencer she had no reason to keep. As soon as she was alone in her room and had a roaring fire going in her coal heater, she would burn them. It was the other items that interested her.
Delphinia counted the money she had stashed away, as well as the jewelry pieces she had gradually set aside that could be sold. It did not add up to enough money should she need to disappear someplace for many months, but it would have to do.
She could sell some of her gowns, if only she could find a way to get them out of the house.
The tickets Mrs. Millard had sent her took her on the most direct route from New York to Denv
er. Delphinia knew that would never work. Within a week after her incarceration in her room, her mother had come to her radiating disgust with the news that her father had learned Mrs. Lizett Millard ran a bridal agency. After enduring in silence hours of haranguing, the matter had been dropped. However, once she disappeared, the first place they would check would be the rail lines leading directly to Colorado. No, she would need to purchase tickets to someplace else first. North New York or New England states would not be wise—her father had too many contacts in the region. Chicago. She decided on Chicago. From there she would work her way down to Denver, or to wherever she could find a train connection to get her to Jubilee Springs. If there were as many men looking for wives there as Mrs. Millard had indicated, she should have no problem finding one to marry her, even when she insisted it be in name only.
Delphinia would endure a marriage of convenience, at least for a time, as long as she was in control of the situation, not the pawn of her family and a philandering husband. For, marry she must. Even though she was legally of age, as long as she remained single, that would not stop her father or Andrew from hiring a pack of hooligans to drag her back to New York and force her to marry Andrew Sopworth.
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CHAPTER 7
~o0o~
The next afternoon, Delphinia began to empty her armoire of many of her dresses. She sought those which were plainer and might help her better fit into a frontier mountain town. She decided she might take one ball gown—not necessarily her newest or finest. She could not disguise the quality of the fabric or construction of her clothing, but conservative styles with fewer fashion frills would suit her plans better. Only those gowns that might—might—pass as appropriate clothing for a storekeeper’s-son- turned-miner’s wife would go.
Delphinia had her bed almost covered in layers of outerwear when she heard the knock on her door. She grimaced when she heard Annie’s voice on the other side.
“Miss Delphinia, may I come in? Mrs. Blakewell sent up a pot of tea and cake squares for you.”
Delphinia stared at the closed door.
Since when did Mother become so solicitous of my welfare?
Delphinia surveyed the clothes on her bed. If she refused to let the maid in, it would only raise questions that would bring her mother to the room. At least Annie no longer barged into her room without knocking. Instead, she waited for permission to enter. That was a blessing since the key to her door had not been returned to Delphinia even after she was released from being restricted to her room.
Delphinia sighed and bowed to the inevitable. “Thank you, Annie. Please come in.”
Her back to the door, Delphinia heard the click of the latch and the door open. After she knew Annie had walked to her side table to set the tray down, she turned.
Annie stood, her eyes glued to the dresses piled on the bed. She raised them to meet Delphinia’s gaze. “Miss, if you’d like, I can help you sort out your clothes.”
“Close the door, Annie. Perhaps you can help me get started while I take some tea.”
The young woman obeyed, after which she turned and poured tea in the cup. Delphinia sank into her chair and picked up the cup, more interested in watching Annie than sipping her hot tea or eating the sugary confection her mother had told Cook to send up. As much as she had once harbored a grudge against the young maid after her one letter went missing, she had to admit she could not fault Annie regarding her work. The atmosphere had been cold between them much of time Annie had come to her room to bring her trays of food and clean up the room each day. Yet, through it all, Annie had remained respectful and helpful to Delphinia, which Delphinia had chalked up to guilty conscience.
“You don’t need to help me if Mother has other tasks for you, Annie. I was just looking through everything to decide what I want to take with me on my wedding trip, and what I want sent to my new home when we return.” Delphinia watched the maid who she figured hoped might be given some cast off clothing as was customary in her circle. She decided she was tired of holding a grudge against the young woman who she knew was caught between her and her parents. “I’ll be happy to pass something along to you if I decide I don’t want it anymore.”
Annie turned back to her with a shy smile. “Thank you, Miss, but it’s not necessary. They’re all so pretty, I don’t know how you can bear to part with them.”
Delphinia set down her teacup and rose from her chair. “Some of these are years old and probably should have been gotten rid of long before now.” She picked of one of white lawn. “This one, for example. It is not only out of date, it is no doubt too short for me now.” She reached for two others, a pink muslin and navy wool. “And these, the hems are probably inches above my ankles by now. I’m giving them to you, Annie. If I recall, you have younger sisters. Perhaps if you don’t want them all, you and your mother can remake them for the girls in your family. If not, you can sell them.” Delphinia turned to Annie whose expression of surprised glistened with tears.
“Thank you, Miss. True it is my family can use them.”
Delphinia smiled as Annie slipped back into a touch of the Irish brogue Helena had forbidden her to use in the house. She picked up a medium blue wool dress trimmed with white lace and clear glass buttons. “I would also like you to have this. I’ve been seen too many times in it.” Delphinia turned to see the wistful smile on Annie’s face.
“If you don’t mind, Miss, I’ll be giving this one to my next younger sister, Kate, for church. She’s grown quickly lately and been lamenting she’s looking like a schoolgirl. Even though Mam has let down her hems as far as she’s able, her dresses are too small.”
“On one condition.” Delphinia smiled as Annie looked at her in apprehension. “Be careful you don’t slip into your brogue around Mother. She’ll have a fit if she hears it.”
Chastened, Annie looked down. “Yes, Miss. I try to watch myself so I talk proper, but sometimes it’s hard, especially after a visit home.”
Delphinia shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me, Annie. It’s just I know what Mother would say about it.” Delphinia canted her head and studied her maid. “If you give the blue one to your sister, which of the others do you plan to take for yourself?”
Annie shook her head. “None, Miss. I mostly wear this uniform, and the dress I have at home is good enough what little I’m there. I’ve two sisters who could use the lighter dresses, and my mam—I mean—my mother could probably remake the navy wool into something for herself.”
Delphinia shook her head as she studied the black dress with white cuffs and collar and an apron around the middle, plus the white cap her mother insisted all her female servants wear. “That won’t do.” She surveyed the pile of clothing and pulled out a velvet traveling suit of darker green with yellow tones. It was something that would have looked good on her mother, but Helena had insisted Delphinia have it, even though the color made her skin look jaundiced. She picked up the stylish garment complete with bustle, black piping, and brass buttons. She held it up to Annie’s face. It did not bring out the blue-gray color of Annie’s eyes the way the medium blue dress did, but it lit up her skin and red hair. “I don’t want this one, Annie. I’m giving this to you. I want you to promise you won’t give it away to anyone else in your family, but you will remake it for you to have as a nice dress to go to church in—when Mother lets you off in time to go.”
Annie blinked back a fresh infusion of tears as she reached for the green outfit and added it to the pile she had been given. “Thank you, Miss. It means a lot, you being so nice to me, especially after what I did. I wouldn’t blame you if you still haven’t forgiven me for taking the letter that one time. But, your mother kept after me and kept after me to tell her everything you were up to. I’m sorry, Miss, but I feared for my job.”
Delphinia stilled and kept her voice even. “Did you read the letter?”
Annie shook her head. “Oh, no, Miss. I can’t read or write. I ne
ver went to school because I went from the street selling apples or whatever Da could find for us to sell right into service. I only knew it was a letter. I guessed it was something you didn’t wish anyone to know about because you hid it in the back of your drawer rather than leave it out until you returned to it. I…I took it because your mother said to bring her anything out of place. I thought it would help make your mother trust me more, maybe not always be so short with me, but she only became more demanding. That’s why I promised myself I’d never help her again, and I haven’t.”
Annie dropped to her knees and bent forward, burying her head in her hands as she whispered. “I’ve felt so guilty since, Miss. I even took it to confession, and the father told me what I need to do to be forgiven. Even though I did everything he said I still feel terrible I betrayed you. Please, Miss Delphinia. I beg you to forgive me.”
Delphinia closed her eyes as a multitude of feelings competed for her attention. Then she realized Annie had learned the hard way to not trust her mother, and had paid the price for her misplaced obedience. She sighed and held out her hand. “Stand up and stop crying, Annie. I forgive you. And take the light straw bonnet, the one with yellow silk flowers. It goes with your dress.”
Annie’s damp hand reached for Delphinia’s as she stood to her feet. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. “Thank you, Miss Delphinia. That takes a great burden off my soul.” Annie raised her eyes until they locked with Delphinia’s. “Miss, I have one more favor to ask of you. Your mother says when you marry Mr. Sopworth, she’s planning to let me go so I can work for you in your new home. I beg you, Miss, when that time comes, please write out a good reference for me and turn me out.”
Delphinia raised an eyebrow. “You don’t wish to work for me?”
