Undaunted Love (PART TWO): Banished Saga, Book 3.5

by Ramona Flightner

  Savannah gripped Colin’s arm as she entered the hospital, the strong antiseptic smell causing her to sneeze. “It’s as though they believe, if they make it smell bad enough, the germs will disappear,” Colin said with a wry twist of his lips.

  Savannah squeezed his arm at his attempt at levity and followed him up a flight of stairs to her father’s room. “I wish it had been that simple for Lucas.” The large ward had sixteen beds in it, the majority full. Privacy screens separated a few of the beds, although most of them were open to their neighbor. She saw a few men sitting up and talking, although most appeared to be sleeping.

  “I’m certain you do not need to expose yourself to such … to such unseemliness.” A shrill voice behind Savannah gave them pause.

  They turned to see a middle-aged man rushing toward them, his clothing covered by a graying overcoat that used to be white. “Excuse me?” Colin asked.

  “The young lady. I’m certain she can wait outside or at home for any news about a gentleman here. She has no need to be in such a place. I’d hate for her to see things that are, well …” He shrugged his shoulders, not finishing his thought, and raised a hand, waving it around the room as though it were Exhibit A.

  “There’s little about a man that would shock me, kind sir, and seeing as my father is here, this is where I need to be. Good day.” Savannah turned, and Colin smirked at the man as they continued their walk down the long ward, stopping near the end at Martin Russell’s bed.

  “Father,” Savannah said. She sat in the chair next to his bed, reaching forward to push his hair off his forehead. “How are you? How do you feel?”

  “Stop worrying about me. How’s Lucas? How are you, my dear daughter?” He gripped her hand. He sighed as though a great weight had been lifted. “You don’t know what it does for me to see you. To see that they released you.” He turned grateful eyes to Colin. “Thank you, Colin.”

  “Don’t thank me. Thank her friends, Aidan, Jeremy and Sophronia. They got a lawyer who was frightfully competent, and he knew how to free her in a matter of hours.”

  “I’ll never be able to repay them,” Martin said. “Are you all right, Savannah?”

  She nodded, gripping his hand. “It seems as though it’s been a bad dream, and then I see you here in the hospital, and I realize it truly happened.”

  “And your mother?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen or heard from her since that evening. I … I won’t ever forgive her for inviting him. I won’t ever forget that she just sat there while you bled and I stabbed Jonas.”

  Martin closed his eyes as though pained. “I will always be thankful you were strong enough to stand up to him.”

  “Thank you, Father.” Savannah blinked away tears.

  “Any news on little Hope?”

  “She’s in Lowell. They were supposed to come down to see me after my birthday, but, with all that happened and her not feeling well, they didn’t come. I pray she can come this week or next. I miss her.” She smiled ruefully. “It’s amazing how much I’ve come to love her, and I’ve only seen her a few times.”

  “That’s what children do for us. Fill our hearts so full of love and fear that you don’t know what to do.” Martin squeezed her hand.

  “Why fear?” Colin asked.

  “Having a child is to walk around with your heart residing in another’s body. You love them with such an intense ferocity that any harm that befalls them also befalls you,” Martin said.

  Savannah sniffed as tears coursed down her cheeks and shared a long look with her father.

  “Tell me, how is Lucas?”

  “He’s stable,” Colin said after a long pause. “His fever is no better or worse, and it’s hoped that he will fight off the infection. They are doing all they can.”

  “I wish I could visit him, but they insist I remain here, recuperating without overtaxing myself. Even though I argue that I should be up and moving about, they warn that too much too soon could lead to a relapse.”

  “Please follow their advice, Father. I need for you to improve. And Lucas needs you to be strong for when he does return home.”

  Martin nodded. “Always sensible, my Savannah.” His eyes fluttered as he became weary. “Off with you now. You’re both too young to spend your time in a hospital.”

  “I’ll try to have Mother visit,” Savannah whispered.

  “Thank you,” he whispered.

  Savannah watched him a moment as he slept, before turning to slip her arm through Colin’s and walk toward the front entrance. She breathed deeply when they exited the hospital, sharing a rueful smile with Colin.

  “I know your mother dislikes the South End, but she should be thankful you live so close to the hospital. I think it’s because of that that both of them have a chance of making a good recovery.”

  “Colin, will you do something else with me?” At his nod, she asked, “Will you come with me to visit my mother?”

  “Of course. As long as I can come with you when you return to Sophronia’s. I want to see Melly again.” Savannah smiled, grasping his arm and walking toward her old home.

  “Relax, Sav. He’s not there to hurt you. He’ll never hurt you again.”

  “Knowing that and believing it are two very different things, Col. And I’m beginning to realize Jeremy is right. No matter where I am, I’ll always have my memories. I need to make peace with them or I’ll never be free.”

  “I’d start focusing on the good memories,” Colin said with an impish smile. “And the ones you hope to create. For, unless I’m greatly mistaken, you are now quite an heiress.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “And you own one of the most desirable homes in Boston.”

  Savannah paled, gripping Colin’s arm to remain upright. Her breath left her in a whoosh, and she gasped, trying to catch her breath. Soon she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

  “Shh, … calm down, Sav. It’s fine. I was only kidding.”

  “No, you weren’t. Everything you said was true. I am to inherit everything. At least I think I am as his wife.” She watched Colin with dawning horror. “Are they saying I killed him for the money?”

  “It doesn’t matter what anybody says. Those who matter know the truth. And I’m glad you’ll receive his money. It’s the least that could happen after his mistreatment of you.” He urged her forward, and they continued the slow walk down Washington Street. He extracted a key and urged her inside the shop.

  “It’s been closed?” Savannah asked as she noted the darkened interior.

  “Yes, for four days now. Your mother hasn’t wanted anyone in the house or shop. Hasn’t wanted the gossip.”

  “Father will be irate. He’d want her to go on as usual.”

  “Try explaining that to her,” Colin muttered as they moved upstairs.

  They entered the parlor to find Matilda sitting in the same chair she’d occupied the night of Jonas’s attack. The blood-stained rug and settee had been removed, replaced by two new gentleman’s chairs in slate blue and a new forest-green rug.

  “It’s nice to see you’ve had time to visit the shops,” Savannah said as she strolled inside. Colin squeezed her shoulder, easing some of her tension at entering the room again.

  “Why are you here?” Matilda asked. Her dark steel-gray dress enhanced the circles under her eyes, aging her.

  Savannah stopped short, studying her mother, and quivered with anger. “Don’t tell me you are mourning?”

  “Someone must mourn him. His own mother is dead.”

  Savannah met her mother’s defiant eyes and stomped her foot in frustration. “How could you continue to care one whit about that man? About propriety in the face of what he did? You should be giving thanks that his mother is already dead and didn’t have to live through the disgrace of discovering what her son was truly like.”

  “I will not have you speaking poorly of the dead,” Matilda snapped.

  “But you’ll malign those living? Why are you acting like this? The grandparents ar
e never going to forgive you for your transgressions when you were a young girl.” She nodded as her mother gasped. “Aunt Betsy told me all about what happened before I was born.” Her mother glowered at her, but she barreled on.

  “The baby you lost is never going to be returned to you. And Anita is lost forever. And now I am too.” Savannah exhaled a deep breath. “The only difference between the baby you lost and Lucas’s dead twin is that I’m still alive. Yet I’d rather be dead to you than to acknowledge you as my mother.”

  Savannah spun on her heels, failing to meet Colin’s mournful eyes.

  “Savannah, wait,” her mother pleaded.

  Savannah paused at the door, waiting for her mother to speak.

  “You must understand I only wanted what was best for you.”

  “No, you didn’t. You did what was best for you. If I’m charitable, I will try to believe you hoped it would also be what was best for me.” She glared at her mother. “Good-bye, Mother. If you have any decency left in you, you’ll deign to visit your husband. He protected you, even when you were too stupid to realize you needed protection.”

  She stormed out of the room, rushing through the hallway and down the stairs, coming to a halt in the shop. She leaned against the counter as she began to sob.

  “Shh, … Sav,” Colin said.

  She turned and flung herself in his arms. “I don’t want to be filled with this anger, Colin. I want to be happy.”

  “You will be. You’ve lived through quite a lot in the past few days. You have to give yourself time to recover. And when you do, you might find that you’re not quite so angry with your mother.”

  “I’ll never be able to forgive her.”

  “Never’s a long time, Sav.” He patted her back. “Don’t allow yourself to become hardened due to the actions of others. Or your perceptions of others. Live your life the way you want to live it.” He handed her a handkerchief, swiping her face when she didn’t take it from him.

  “Let’s go to Sophronia’s. I know Melly is looking forward to seeing you.” Savannah grabbed the handkerchief from him, wiping at her nose. “Thank you, Colin. I can understand why you were a comfort to Clarissa when she traveled to Gabriel.”

  Colin’s cheery expression faded. “I hate that both you and Clarissa suffered at the hands of such men.”

  “I think I can speak for Clarissa when I say that we agree with you.” She took a deep breath as she looked around the storefront. She looped her hand through Colin’s arm and walked to the door. “I hope Sophie saved us some tea cakes.”

  Colin smiled and shut the door behind them.

  ***

  SAVANNAH AND COLIN SAT on the floor in Sophronia’s front parlor, playing with Melinda during an afternoon when Sophronia was out making calls. A robust fire roared in the fireplace, augmenting the forced heat from the heating vents. Bright sunlight entered through the windows, casting a golden glow on the room. A cough at the door by Poole heralded Jeremy’s entrance to the parlor. He carried a small rocking horse constructed in sturdy maple.

  Savannah’s face lit with pleasure as she watched Melinda eye the toy with feigned nonchalance. “This is beautiful, Jeremy.”

  “I thought Melinda might like it,” Jeremy said with a quick stroke along Melinda’s head to her shoulder. He smiled as she leaned into his touch.

  “It’s for me?” Melinda whispered. Her wide blue eyes filled with a mixture of hope and the echo of disappointment. She bit her lip as she reached out to trace the horse’s curved head and nose but dropped her hand before touching it.

  “Of course. I don’t think any of us would fit quite so well on it. Although I could always give it a try,” Jeremy said with a wink to Savannah as he acted like he was going to swing a leg over the rocking horse.

  Melinda giggled and pushed him. “No, Jeremy, it’s mine!” She spoke in a normal voice, laced with joy. She patted the back of the horse; leaning over it, she whispered to it.

  “What are you doing, Melly?” Col asked, sprawled on his side, leaning on his elbow.

  “Naming him,” she said with a proud tilt of her head.

  Savannah laughed and caressed Melinda’s blond curls. “If you don’t look just like Clarissa right now. What are you naming him?”

  “Reginald,” Melinda said with a touch of defiance.

  “A fine name,” Colin said.

  “Ahem,” Poole said from the doorway to the sitting room. “A Mr. Woodhouse is here to see you.”

  Savannah and Jeremy shared a quick glance. “Please, ask him to join us. Thank you, Poole,” Savannah said.

  “Melly, why don’t you and I bring Sir Reginald upstairs to your bedroom? I think he should see where he’ll spend most of his time.” Colin stood, picked up the rocking horse under one arm and clasped Melinda’s hand with his free hand, leading her from the room.

  A few moments later, the sound of footsteps approached the sitting room, and Savannah took a deep breath as she faced Mr. Woodhouse. “Thank you, Mr. Woodhouse for agreeing to meet with us. I know it is a long journey from Lowell. Won’t you have a seat and enjoy a cup of tea?” She waved toward the chairs and settees, but he shook his head. He remained in his heavy coat and rolled the brim of his hat through his fingers as he stood in the doorway to the front sitting room.

  Savannah watched him with growing alarm as she thought through events. “How did you know we wanted to meet with you? I sent the letter in the late post yesterday. It’s too early for it to have arrived already.”

  “May I take your coat?” Jeremy asked, reaching out a hand.

  “No, I can’t remain long and thought it best to come and share the news. Harriett was unable to travel with me, and I didn’t believe a letter was appropriate. I didn’t receive your letter, ma’am. I have news.” He raised tortured eyes to Savannah. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

  Savannah collapsed into a chair, gripping the edge of it as she awaited his words. Jeremy moved to stand next to her, a hand on her shoulder. She reached up to clasp it, whitening his fingers with her firm grip.

  “You must know we did everything we could. We paid for the best doctors. But there’s nothing you can do for typhoid.” He choked down a sob, and Savannah flinched as though struck at the mention of typhoid. “She was our little girl, and we loved her so much. I can’t believe she’s gone.”

  “I know she’s been sickly recently,” Savannah said, shaking her head in denial. “No one mentioned typhoid. I would have come immediately. I would have ensured …”

  “At first we thought she simply had a cold or a touch of flu. I think Harriett wrote you.” He sighed when Savannah nodded. “Then we realized it was more serious, and we became focused on her. On her recovery. We ensured she saw the best doctors. Nothing more could have been done.” Mr. Woodhouse scrubbed at his eyes, unable to meet Savannah’s or Jeremy’s gaze.

  Jeremy approached him, tugging him forward until he fell into a chair. “When did she die?”

  “Last night. The doctor said she was getting better, but then the fever returned two days ago, and she had no ability to fight. She hadn’t fully recovered from the high fevers, and she just slipped away.” He swiped at his cheeks, reaching in his pocket for a handkerchief. “I meant to telegram, asking you to come, but, as she failed, I didn’t leave her bedside. I couldn’t leave Harriett. Forgive me.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive,” Savannah croaked out, reaching a hand toward him. “She was surrounded by those who loved her, and I could want nothing more for my Hope. My Adelaide.” She stuttered out a sob. “How is Mrs. Woodhouse?”

  “Inconsolable.” He rubbed his nose again before folding the handkerchief and placing it in his pocket. “Hope was the daughter she’d always dreamed of having. Beautiful, bright, cheerful. She prayed we’d be able to find a way that all of us would have a part in the raising of her, because she couldn’t bear the thought of giving her up.”

  “I will forever be thankful to you for caring for my daughter as your own.
For she was yours, the daughter of your heart,” Savannah whispered as she fought tears.

  “If you will forgive me, I must return to Harriett.” Mr. Woodhouse rose. “The services are planned for the day after tomorrow in Lowell. I’ll leave the information with the butler.”

  “Thank you,” Jeremy said as he rose and walked with Mr. Woodhouse to the front door. When he returned, Savannah was curled on the settee, a throw pillow clasped to her middle as sobs burst forth.

  Jeremy knelt beside her, hugging her as best he could. He pulled her to him and rocked her in his arms, sitting on the floor with her in his lap. Running his hands over her head and shoulders, again and again, he attempted to impart wordless comfort.

  Sophronia came in as Savannah sobbed and met Jeremy’s tormented gaze, her aquamarine eyes glistening at the sounds of Savannah’s distress. She sat in a chair, waiting for Savannah to calm.

  “You’ll go with me?” Savannah asked.

  “You don’t need to ask,” Jeremy whispered into her ear. “Can I tell Sophie? She’s sitting behind you.” Savannah nodded her agreement, rubbing her face up and down on his chest. “Mr. Woodhouse visited today,” Jeremy murmured.

  “He refuses to travel with you and wants Hope to have no further contact with you?” Sophie asked, her anger and indignation rising.

  “No. We didn’t even ask him about Montana. They’d sent messages that Hope’s been ill with a cold. I guess it must have been more serious than they told us because she had typhoid. She died last night.”

  “Well, I never,” Sophronia said, as she held a hand to her chest. “Why didn’t they tell you so you could visit?”

  “She was recovering and then became suddenly more ill again. Unexpectedly. He meant to send a telegram but didn’t want to leave her bedside.” Jeremy kissed Savannah’s cheek as another sob stuttered out.

  “Admirable,” Sophronia whispered as she watched Savannah. “Oh, my dearest. There are no words to ease this torment. What can I do?”