Doves Migration

by Linda Daly

  Breaking out in a giggle, Miranda said, “Just look at you. Standing there tapping your foot like you’re going to give me a whoppin’ or something. You old bossy thing, you really are going to be a great mother.”

  Hearing Miranda referring to her in such a way, Elise’s attention was diverted and she asked, “Do you really think so?”

  The thought crossed Miranda’s mind that this may be the last time she would share one of these heartfelt chats with her oldest and dearest friend, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Take it from someone who knows, you always looked after me as a mother would. That little baby is going to be the luckiest child alive.”

  Needing no prompting, both women rushed to each other and again hugged tightly. Just then a knock at the door alerted them that their few minutes alone together had come to an end. Wiping a tear from her eye, Miranda softly said, “Come in.” Seeing it was Montgomery, she smiled fondly at him.

  “Miss Miranda, Mr. Honeycutt wishes to see you in his private suite.”

  “Thank you, Montgomery. I’ll be there in just a few moments.” Bowing politely, the chauffeur turned and left. Miranda looked at Elise solemnly.

  “Tomorrow, after the party is behind us, I promise all your questions regarding the love of my life will be answered. However, I can’t discuss anything right now since I’m expected to see Alfred, and you—my dear-shall be announcing that you are to be a mama. Just please know I love you.”

  Smiling triumphantly, Elise raised her brow. “Ah so you are in love. Just tell me one thing before you dash off, does he deserve such a wonderful woman as you?”

  “Oh Elise, it is I who find myself wondering how lucky I am to have found such a man as my Gilbert. He’s handsome and strong willed, but mostly he is a man of honor and integrity who loves me. I’m certain my Gilbert, genuinely loves me. Now don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone, hear me?”

  Crossing her index finger with her middle finger and placing it over her heart, just as she and Miranda had done as children, Elise whispered earnestly to her friend, “I cross my heart. Just promise you’ll tell me everything by morning or I’ll surely burst!”

  As Miranda left her room, she wondered if she should have confided in Elise as much as she had. Knowing her friend as she did, and knowing by her in confiding as little information as she had, Elise’s appetite of finding out more about Miranda would be quenched for the time being.

  Climbing the steps to the third floor, and knowing Alfred was with Gilbert, she wondered why he had called for her. Especially since they all had agreed she wasn’t to go to the room again. Suddenly fear gripped at her heart that something was gravely wrong.

  As she entered the room she and Gilbert had called theirs for the past several days, Miranda was stunned to see Alfred standing by the window obviously upset, while Gilbert sat with his head in his hands.

  Glancing at Alfred and then to Gilbert, she closed the door and went to her husband. “Darling, what is it?”

  “Mandy, all the weeks ya cared for me, tending to me wounds, I saw in yer eyes a love I had no right to. Every day then as I have these past few weeks, I’ve etched every detail of ya firmly in me mind, so years from now I would still have the memory of yer smile, yer scent, and yer laughter to remember.”

  Miranda gasped and glanced at Alfred. Returning her attention to Gilbert she said, “Remember? For heaven sakes why … I’ll be with you.”

  “That seems to be the problem. Mr. O’Flaherty seems to believe that you should remain here while I send him back to Ireland rather than to San Francisco as arranged.”

  “What?” Miranda felt dizzy and glanced back at Gilbert, leaning in front of him. “Why would you ask such a thing? How could you hurt us like this … Has everything that has happened been a lie?”

  Apparently not the least embarrassed at discussing something so private in front of Alfred, he said, “Christ a’ mighty, am I the only one who understands the life I have to offer ya is not deserving of someone as fine as ya? Don’t ya understand, until that evening ya overheard Mr. Honeycutt and I discus his job offer and ya …”

  Pausing, not willing to discuss that portion of the evening in front of Alfred, Gilbert hastily continued. “Durin’ all those weeks of ya carin’ for me, never had I allowed meself to even dream that someone like yer could ever be mine. However, from that first night … to this, I have come to know what God intended when he created man and woman, through yer love. Such a love, I never dreamed existed, let alone that I would find. Every time ya have looked at me, yer eyes have shown the love I had no right too, but selfishly I took it, prayin’ to God that ya would never regret lovin’ me. And until tonight, I believed ya had no regrets. That was until earlier when ya were writin’ yer letters to yer father and yer friend Elise. And when I saw the regret in yer eyes, I knew ya would be better here with yer kind.”

  Miranda, saying not a word, stood up and asked Alfred for a moment alone with Gilbert. Alfred immediately stepped inside the bedroom area of the suite and as the door closed, Miranda glared at her husband, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

  “My kind? How dare you Gilbert O’Flaherty speak to me of love in one breath and insult me in the next. Well I’ll have you know, not only are you pig-headed, but by insisting you know what’s better for me and my kind, you are sentencing not only me but your child to a life of unbelievable shame and ridicule.”

  Stunned by her words, he stood up and clenched her arms. “Me child? What are ya sayin’?”

  “What I am saying is I think I’m going to have a baby, and now I discover my baby’s father doesn’t want us!”

  Dazed, Gilbert’s eyes locked onto hers. “How … We’ve been only together a short while … Surely ya are mistaken?”

  “Over a fortnight is more than ample time to make a baby Gilbert, and I can assure you, a woman knows these things. As sure as I’m standing here, I can tell you I’m with child. So, go ahead, run off to your precious Ireland. All the while wallowing in your self-pity and degradation believing that you are being chivalrous for my sake, and I’ll see to it that your child is raised with more confidence in women then apparently you have in me.”

  Judging by the look on Gilbert’s face, he didn’t know what to say or do as he gazed at her. Unrelenting, Miranda raised her brow. “You do realize, I can’t stop you from going to wherever it is you want to go. However, just keep one thing in mind Gilbert O’Flaherty. As God is my witness, I will not ever deny your child his inheritance. And although I will forbid you from ever setting eyes on our child or me if should leave tonight without us, know this—our baby will be raised to know just how lucky he or she is to be Irish-American.”

  Not waiting for a response, she walked to the door of where she was certain Alfred was eavesdropping and swung it open. As she suspected, Alfred nearly fell into the room. Not commenting or giving him a chance to explain, Miranda hastily said, “Mr. Honeycutt, thank you for alerting me to what my husband has intended to do. Please be so kind and inform me what his final decision is, while I attend to your guests who are surely arriving as we speak.”

  Turning her attention back to glance at Gilbert, she said, softly, “I love you Gilbert O’Flaherty and I always will.”

  Then hastily before she lost her nerve, she stormed out of the room leaving both Gilbert and Alfred in stunned disbelief. Closing the door behind her, she held her breath and trembled. Dear God, let him choose me!

  Within moments, Miranda was cordially kissing Elise as she and Joshua were walking up the stairs leading to the third floor.

  “Sorry Miranda, but we’ve come to look for someone to greet the guests who are arriving. Where is everyone hiding? Poor Benjamin went in search of someone in the gardens leaving Felicity, who looks dreadful I may add, in Alfred’s study, and I haven’t seen Mama or Michael.”

  It was obvious Elise was confused, so Miranda calmly said, “Well, I suppose everyone is getting their last instructions from Vivian before being announced for
mally. Let’s you and I sneak inside Alfred’s study and check on Felicity and then wait to see how the night unfolds. I’m sure it will be anything but dull.”

  “What a strange thing for you to say, Miranda. Are you alright? Why you’re trembling.”

  Before Miranda could explain, Joshua urged Elise to take a stroll with him in the gardens as well. Glancing at him perturbed, she flatly refused.

  “Oh fiddlesticks, Joshua. Felicity isn’t ill, she’s drunk for goodness sakes. Now you go find your parents and I’m going with Miranda.” She spat indignantly. “I promise I’ll be careful.”

  Seeing the fire in her eyes, Miranda pressed a smile to her lips all the while glancing up the stairs to the third floor wondering what Alfred and Gilbert were discussing. Joshua kissed his wife tenderly on the cheek then Elise and Miranda made it down the stairs and quickly dashed into Alfred’s study unnoticed by arriving guests.

  Seeing Miranda and Elise come into the study, Felicity, feeling a sudden flash of heat rush through her veins from all the liquor she had consumed, started waving a fan in front of her face. “Don’t worry about me Miranda. I’m just fine. My, but it is warm in here, isn’t it?” All the while praying, Dear Lord, please don’t let me faint. It’s not time yet.

  The smell of brandy filled the air, and Elise and Miranda, recognizing the scent having smelled it on Catherine Brown’s breath countless times in their youth, glanced at the other. And Elise smirked at her friend as if saying I told you so.

  Never being shy, Elise knelt down beside Felicity and whispered, “Why Mrs. Myles, I do believe you are tipsy.”

  “Oh dear, you can tell? I needed a bit to steady my nerves.” Felicity, bringing her hand to her lips apologetically, glanced at Miranda. “I was so nervous about introducing Rupert to New York society with Lavinia here and recalling my own introduction party …” Felicity cleverly added as to mask her real reason for being so nervous.

  Elise and Miranda immediately comforted her by patting her on the shoulder as Felicity looked pleadingly at them. “Please don’t let Rupert or Annabelle see me in such a state. Why I’ll die of embarrassment.”

  “Don’t fret Felicity, we will tend to getting you something to nibble on,” Miranda said as Elise called for a servant.

  “Bring us some coffee at once.”

  Hearing Elise’s comment as James entered Alfred’s study, Miranda rushed to his side, as if to spare Felicity any embarrassment. “Oh James, I was just this very minute on my way to find you. Could you please be a dear, and go fetch Alfred from his private suite and explain to him, his guests are arriving and that Mrs. Myles is not herself this evening?”

  James, looking at Felicity, and seeing the glazed look in her eyes, smiled and whispered, “Oh dear, poor Felicity looks intoxicated.”

  “She is, but please go upstairs and see if Gilbert is alright. I don’t have time to explain. but I’ve just left him and I can assure you he is far from being ready to follow through with our arrangements.”

  A look of concern filled James’ eyes. At once he left the study and went directly up the stairs while Miranda returned to Felicity and Elise who was pouring Felicity a cup of coffee.

  Without showing any interest in where her husband had gone in such a hurry, Lavinia skillfully managed to her make her way into Alfred’s study without anyone noticing.

  Silently she watched as Felicity whispered to Miranda, “Don’t worry dearest, the bird will escape from the nest unscathed, even though the cat is prowling about.”

  “Bird?” Elise said, glancing at Miranda. “What on earth is she babbling about?” Then bringing the cup of coffee to Felicity, Elise said, “Please Felicity, drink this.”

  Felicity smiled at Elise then pointed to the doorway where Lavinia stood. At once Miranda stood and greeted Lavinia, knowing full well what Felicity had meant.

  “Well hello, Mrs. Sterling. It appears poor Felicity, after taking such good care of me, has become ill herself, so perhaps it wouldn’t be wise of you to come any closer.”

  “Nonsense! I never get sick. I have a constitution as strong as a horse.”

  Seeing Elise stand up and noticing her attire, a smile crossed her lips. “Ah well, Elise dear, I see you are with child. How lovely for you and Joshua, which reminds me—where is that devilishly handsome man of yours? Perhaps I should go and find him and tell him you’re attending to a sick woman in your delicate condition.”

  Not wanting Lavinia Sterling anywhere near Joshua or he being alarmed, Elise said, “How kind of you Mrs. Sterling, but I was just on my way to find my husband myself. Why don’t we both go in search of our wayward spouses?”

  Turning to look at Felicity, Lavinia’s trained eye raised as she turned her attention back to Elise who hastily whisked her from the room. Why the prim and proper Mrs. Myles is intoxicated. Oh this may prove amusing.

  Smiling sweetly at Elise, Lavinia whispered, “You know, some women in your condition fear their husbands may find them unattractive; dreading they might seek comfort in the arms of a more pleasing woman to look at. But in your case my dear, I’m certain you have nothing to be worried about.”

  Elise not giving Lavinia the satisfaction of seeing how her comment hurt her, smiled. “Oh I know, I just can’t imagine any woman being so vain, but then again it’s probably because her husband never really loved her as my husband loves me. Speaking of husbands, where is Mr. Sterling this evening? Funny how I never see you and he together.”

  Seeing Joshua coming toward them, Elise beamed and immediately went to his side, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm. Leaning over to her, he whispered, “Back so soon? I was just going to see if you were behaving yourself, my delicate pearl.”

  Sickened by his comment, Lavinia excused herself as Elise drew Joshua away from the others explaining Felicity’s predicament. “Darling, after Rupert and Annabelle are announced, you must keep him preoccupied until we can get Felicity away from here. Now don’t worry, I’ll do nothing to over exert myself. Come let’s say hello to your dear parents.”

  Back in the study, Felicity, turning to Miranda upon seeing James and Alfred enter the room, said, “I’m fine really. I just need to rest for a spell.”

  Before Miranda could say a thing, Alfred said, “Miranda, don’t be alarmed. Gilbert is safely tucked away as originally planned. By God, young woman, you do have a way of getting what you want, don’t you? Not that I approve of what you just did mind you, but remind me never to cross you.”

  Felicity drank more of the hot coffee as ordered and looked at her friends with tears in her eyes. “I’m so ashamed, please forgive my foolishness. I hope I haven’t spoiled everything.”

  Before Miranda had a chance to answer, James said, “Listen to me, we don’t have much time. I saw Lavinia lurking about.”

  “She’s already been here.”

  Shaking his head, James said in a strong and urgent voice, “Benjamin is with Rupert explaining that you have taken ill, and since they are planning to make their introduction within the half hour, there is no time to spare. Especially since Tad and Vivian are expected to be announced before them. As for you Felicity, you’re doing splendidly. It may not be the illness we had planned, but you certainly don’t look yourself, so follow my cue.”

  His voice became gentler as he looked into Felicity’s eyes. “Just don’t begin weeping and spoil everything.”

  Alfred opened the study doors and called for a servant to retrieve Montgomery while he motioned for Miranda to join him on the terrace, so he could have a few moments alone with her before she left.

  As he and Miranda were saying their farewells, Miranda discreetly passed him the letters she had written earlier. James, meanwhile spoke privately to Montgomery, going over the last minute details to assure everything was going precisely as planned. Lavinia, seeing that Felicity was alone, discreetly entered the study while everyone else was preoccupied, and caring a glass of punch, offered it to Felicity.

  “I’ve instructed th
e cook to bring along some broth for our ill patient. I see you have some coffee. I should think that might be rather harsh for you. Here Felicity, why not try the punch instead. I’ve poured it especially for you, dear.” Lavinia, nearly choking on her own syrupy words smiled at Felicity.

  Not wanting to appear ungrateful, Felicity took the goblet of punch from her and said sweetly, “How kind of you to make such a fuss over me Lavinia. I’m fine though, really!”

  Thirsty, from the effects of the brandy and detested coffee, Felicity took a rather large swallow of the punch, nearly choking. By this time Miranda, Alfred, and James saw Lavinia near Felicity and went to her side nonchalantly. Still coughing from the punch, Miranda took the goblet from her passing it to James as she patted Felicity on the back. James’ eyes locked onto Lavinia’s who smile immediately changed her look to that of concern.

  Suspicious of his wife, James sipped the punch himself, and when he discovered it was vodka with a splash of punch for color, he scolded her, “Are you mad? This is straight liquor!”

  “Why James, I don’t know what you referring too?” Lavinia appeared to be shocked. “I was only trying to help. How was I to know that the punch was spiked?”

  “I’m sure there is no harm done. I think though, under the circumstances I should get Felicity home,” Miranda hastily said.

  In agreement, Felicity nodded her head as she tried to regain her composure through the coughing spell. “Yes,” she gurgled.

  Glaring coldly at his wife, James, in a stern voice demanded, “Lavinia and I will accompany you.” His voice softened as he looked at the other two women. “It’s not safe for two women to wander the streets alone at night. Besides, we haven’t helped the situation much anyway, have we, dear?”

  His glance returned to Lavinia and she gasped. “And miss the entire ball?” she whined. “No. I simply cannot miss my own sister being announced into New York society. What would people think? You go with them and I’ll stay here and represent the family.”