Doves Migration

by Linda Daly

  “Yes, and none of them were able to prevent what happened tonight. I’m sorry if that hurt you, but promise me, you will never be alone again, no matter what. When you return to England, I do hope you will stay with Rupert and me for a spell. I know Anne will want you with them of course, but before we go to France for the season, I do hope you’ll spend a little while with us.”

  “Oh Annabelle, how can I possibly think of England, after what has happened? Don’t you see, nothing will ever be the same between Benjamin and me? If he were to find out, how could he ever hold me in his arms, knowing that another man had soiled me? Or worse, every time he did, I’d be worried he was thinking about what James did to me. On the other hand, if I don’t tell him, I am willingly and openly lying to my husband. So as it turns out, James was right. He has spoiled it for us forever.”

  Felicity had no more tears to shed, her heart was broken as was her spirit, and Annabelle tried desperately to show her that one night could not erase the love that Benjamin and she shared.

  Nodding as if in agreement, Annabelle knew her friend was merely appeasing her, and the two of them lay side by side both pretending to sleep.

  As Felicity lay there, suddenly it all made sense to her. James had chosen that night in particular, since it was Annabelle and Rupert’s introduction to New York society. Especially knowing that by Rupert proclaiming Benjamin’s innocence—the true perpetrator—Lavinia’s father was made public, which ultimately banished Lavinia from England’s society. Recalling James’ words as he left her, Felicity winced. Had Benjamin taken Lavinia by force? Was it possible her tender, loving husband was capable of such a vile act against Lavinia when they were married?

  Felicity couldn’t bring herself to believe Benjamin capable of such an act of violence. Surely, it was Lavinia who had lied to James, telling him that Benjamin had forced himself on her to excuse her from being intimate with Benjamin.

  Realizing that Lavinia would do such a thing, and understanding how deeply it must have hurt James to think the woman he loved had been abused in such a manner, Felicity still couldn’t excuse him from committing such an act himself.

  How could a man, after violating her in such a despicable manner, say he loved her as James had, and then in the next breath excuse his actions?

  Felicity had to understand why he would do such a thing if she ever were to find a moment’s peace, so she forced herself to process what she knew to be true, rather than focus on the act itself. As if her mind was trying to heal her body by logically figuring out why she had been violated, she thought, Obviously James had harbored such hate in his heart all these years. Seeing her and Benjamin happy, while his and Lavinia’s marriage was anything but blissful only had added to his hate and jealousy toward Benjamin.

  Recalling James say as much following his attack on her, the pieces began to fall into place. This made sense in some sick and twisted way, since James, after committing such a heinous act, had made it a point to tell her he had a right to do it.

  What better way to avenge his wife’s honor then to make certain Rupert suffered as his wife had, and pay back a dept he felt Benjamin owed him. One dastardly deed took care of both men whom he despised for causing Lavinia’s torment, and what he believed was the cause of his illgotten and tumultuous marriage.

  God have mercy on your soul, James Sterling, because I never shall! You can go straight to the devil where you belong!

  ~

  The following morning as Rupert had promised, he took Lavinia to her home to gather what personal belongings she wanted to take with her back to England. Arriving there, longing to have an opportunity to be alone with James, she glanced at Rupert wondering how she might accomplish such a feat without jeopardizing her current standing with her brother-in-law. Much to her amazement, Rupert made it easy for her.

  “Lavinia dear, after last night’s incident, perhaps it would be wise if I wait for you here. That is if you feel safe with your husband, this one last time.”

  Nodding, she said, “Perhaps you’re right, Rupert. Just knowing you’re near if I should need you is reassuring. After last night, I should think neither you nor James should ever be alone with one another again.”

  Climbing the stairs, she glanced back at Rupert who stood tall and erect by the carriage, to show James he was near, she imagined.

  As a servant answered, Lavinia, said, “Where is Mr. Sterling?”

  James replied as he walked from the parlor, his head and neck wrapped in bandages. Glancing out the door as the servant shut it, he said, “Ah, so I see you’ve brought the guard dog with you. No need Lavinia, your belongings are packed and ready for you, and all I can say is good riddance.”

  Turning back to the parlor, Lavinia directed her attention to Andrew, their butler, before following her husband. “See to it all my trunks are taken to my brother-in-law’s carriage at once.”

  Andrew paused and looked for direction from James, who nodded to him before following Lavinia’s directions.

  Chuckling, Lavinia said, “James darling, don’t tell me you had directed the servants to protect you from Rupert. Were you afraid he’d finish off what he started last evening, after you viscously attacked his beloved cousin?”

  Turning at her, he glared. “Allegedly attacked, my dear. I would hate to have to bring a lawsuit of slander against my own wife, who stood by and did nothing as her brother-in-law viciously attacked me without provocation.”

  “You must think of a far better excuse than that darling, if you think anyone in this godforsaken country is ever going to believe you.”

  “What do you want, Lavinia?”

  “Want? Why James, how considerate of you to think of my needs when obviously you’re in so much pain. My only question is who hurt you more, your precious little tart, or her cousin, after finding out you attacked her? This by the way, truly was an act of sheer genius on your part, and especially on Annabelle’s welcoming into America’s society. I couldn’t have planned a better or more befitting way to destroy such a joyous occasion for the little will-robber. Thank you so much for assuring my welcome back into England society after my exile. Too bad you won’t be able to attend my victorious return as the poor helpless wife of an unscrupulous brut who made my life as miserable as he did his first wife.”

  Not responding to Lavinia, James walked over to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a stiff brandy and winced as he gulped it back then promptly poured himself another.

  “Oh dear James, does your throat hurt this morning? Why how silly of me, of course it must, having Rupert’s boot pressing on it as he did or was it that punch in the jaw? Tsk, tsk, tsk, pray tell, James, was bedding that precious tart worth the pain and humiliation it has caused?” Lavinia’s amusement was undeniable by the twinkle in her eyes and James raised his glass to her.

  “I can assure you my dear, it was indeed! Especially after bedding such a droll and cold woman as yourself.”

  Hearing his remark, Lavinia’s smile faded, she glared at her husband and said in retaliation, “To bad though you felt the need to avenge my honor, James, considering there really was no need. You see darling, Benjamin never forced himself on me. On the contrary, that puritan had to be seduced before he would take advantage of even his own wife. But I can assure you, once I sufficiently aroused him, Benjamin found bedding me more than enjoyable. As I recall, I too scratched him rather deeply as I clung to him while he excited me beyond anything I ever felt with you. That is, I’m assuming your lusty little tart scratched you out of enjoyment.”

  “Get out!” James yelled in a strained voice.

  “Oh I shall. Just keep this in mind, James, while I’m basking in my homeland, and you are banished in this godforsaken country with your lusty little tart nearby, you can be assured that everyday I will make sure her life is a living hell for what she has done and there will be nothing you can do about it.”

  With that, Lavinia turned and James threw his glass across the room then slumped in a nearby chai
r, saying, “Christ, what have I done?”

  ~ Twenty-two ~

  Bitter Sweet

  Late October, 1865 Lucas Brown, standing outside a hotel room in Buffalo, New York took a deep breath before knocking softly, hearing a man’s voice call from behind the door.

  “Mandy girl, times a wastin’, lass. Better be getting yerself up and ready, Montgomery’s already here.”

  Lucas knew he was at the right door hearing the male’s voice having an Irish brogue, and his daughter being referred to as Mandy. Bracing himself to meet the man who had stolen his daughter from him, Lucas held his breath as the door swung open.

  Immediately Gilbert’s smile faded as he saw the stranger standing where he thought Montgomery would be. “Can I help you?” Gilbert asked politely.

  Eyeing the rugged man before him, Lucas said, “Yes, Mr. O’Flaherty you can. May I come in please? I’m Lucas Brown, your father-in-law.”

  Stepping aside, allowing Lucas access into the room, he immediately extended his hand. “Pleasure to meet ya, sir. I’ve heard a lot about ya from yer daughter.”

  Taking his hand in his, Lucas, said, “Is that right? I unfortunately can’t say the same since my daughter never spoke a word of you to me.”

  “Aye.” Gilbert nervously gestured toward a chair for Lucas to take then added. “Beggin’ yer pardon sir, but how did ya know where we were?”

  From behind the closed door, both men turned when Miranda called out, “Darling, please tell Montgomery I’ll be out directly.”

  Gilbert, hearing his wife speak, and ready to tell her that her father was there, stopped when Lucas said in a hushed voice, “Please Mr. O’Flaherty, let us have a few minutes to get acquainted.”

  Nodding, Gilbert awkwardly took a seat beside Lucas and said, “Sir, under the circumstances, perhaps ya should call me Gilbert.”

  Not responding to Gilbert’s request, Lucas said, “In answer to your first question, Mr. O’Flaherty, Alfred Honeycutt was kind enough to inform me that the two of you were here. From what I understand, my daughter was too ill to travel on the train. Is that right?”

  Noting that Lucas had still called him by his last name, Gilbert said, “Aye. The motion of the train made her a wee sick, so I thought it best to stay here in Buffalo for a spell.”

  Rather enjoying seeing the man before him, feeling uncomfortable trying to explain that not only had he stolen his daughter from him, but had impregnated her as well, Lucas applied more pressure to his son-in-law. To see if what he had heard about this man from Alfred was true, he cleverly goaded him by saying, “Is that right? How peculiar, as I recall Miranda has a strong constitution and never has a train made her ill before.”

  Clearing his throat and rubbing his hand through his hair before answering, Gilbert said, “Well, I wouldn’t be knowin’ about that, sir, but I do agree Miranda is a strongwilled lass.”

  “Indeed. How clever of you Mr. O’Flaherty, to remind me of my own daughter’s character.”

  “Look sir, we seem to be getting off on the wrong foot here … I meant no disrespect, obviously ya know yer daughter far better than me. Considerin’ everythin’ that has happened, and if I were in yer shoes, I’d be ticked off. But I can tell ya sir, no man could love yer daughter as much as I love Miranda. As soon as I’m able, I’ll do right by her. But I’ll be damned, if I’m going to sit here and let ya or any other man try to make me feel as if I’m not good enough for my wife. Cause I am. I make Miranda happy and I’ll keep on makin’ her happy with my last dyin’ breath.”

  Immediately, Lucas erupted in laughter, and hearing the familiar sound of her father’s voice Miranda—brushing her hair in the other room-dropped her hairbrush. “Papa?” she whispered. The blood drained from her cheeks, she tiptoed to the closed door and listened intently all the while trembling.

  “Well your reputation supersedes you, lad. You’re every bit as independent and stubborn as Alfred said you were and it’s clear to me that you love my daughter as much as I’ve heard.”

  Dumfounded by Lucas, remark Gilbert sat speechless across from him, trying to size him up, as Lucas had just done to him.

  Glancing at his son-in-law, Lucas said, seriously, “I apologize, Gilbert, for putting you through that, but I had to be certain you truly loved my daughter as I had heard from Alfred. Which by the way, he’s your greatest ally and coming from a man like him, that’s quite a feat.”

  “I have no qualms with Mr. Honeycutt, he’s a rightly kind man. Decent and honorable and I owe him a lot.”

  “Yes. Well since we both seem to agree on another point, and since if I know my daughter, she is probably listening at the door by now. Let me get directly to the point as to why I wanted to speak with you before being reunited with Miranda.”

  Pausing to clear his throat, he said, “Gilbert, I don’t know if Miranda told you or not, but when I married her mother, Catherine Mason, I was not a wealthy man. I married into wealth.”

  Standing up, obviously angered by what Lucas was implying, Gilbert said, “Well if that’s what ya think I’ve done …”

  Chuckling, and raising his arms at seeing the fiery temper Alfred had spoken of, Lucas said, “Sit down Gilbert, and let me finish, please. I think you owe me that much.”

  Respectfully, Gilbert sat down while Lucas continued. “Alfred was right again, you do have a temper, which I’m not opposed to, mind you. As a matter of fact, I’ve been know from time to time to be a might stubborn myself, if provoked. As Miranda’s father, I’d like to imagine that’s what attracted her to you in the first place …”

  Clearing his throat, again feeling suddenly very sentimental, Lucas said, “That’s neither here nor there—my point was—whatever your intentions were, the fact remains, Miranda comes from a wealthy family. And, as the sole heir, and being a woman, her holdings when I pass will automatically resort to you. Now Gilbert, what you do with them after I’m dead I’ll have little say in the matter. You can let them all resort back to the government, which would pain me deeply, but obviously there won’t be a damn thing I can do about it. So, I was hoping that today I might persuade you to please consider for Miranda’s sake, and take her back to Virginia where she belongs, rather than begin a new life for both of you in San Francisco. This isn’t a gift, Gilbert, there’s not much left of my holdings but the land. And by God, I’m just too old and I no longer have the drive or the heart to work it properly. So what I’m proposing is that you build a life for you and my daughter on the land of her birth. There is over fivehundred acres that need to be worked, and by God I’m asking—no, I’m begging you—to raise my grandchildren on the land of their ancestors.”

  Gilbert’s eyes locked onto Lucas while Miranda stood breathless, waiting for his reply.

  “Mandy told me her family home was now an orphanage. I won’t be havin’ me wife tend to other children or live under another man’s roof.”

  “I can abide by that, besides, Glenbrook needs to remain a school. What I had in mind is … That is if you agree, of course, is you and I pick out a fine location to build a new home for you and your family. One that is solely yours and hers. Maybe alongside the brook that travels along the backside of the property. As a child, Miranda and Elise used to sneak down there and catch pollywogs …” Recalling his daughter as a little girl, his eyes welled up and he looked pleadingly at Gilbert.

  “Fine, Mr. Brown I’ll work yer land and build a home for Mandy and the wee ones, but not because I want it for meself, but for her.”

  “Thank you, Gilbert, and please call me Lucas, son.” Gripping his hand, Lucas shook it heartily and then called out, “Missy, come on out of there and give your father a hug.”

  Without any further prompting, Miranda ran to her father, tears running down her cheeks. “Oh Papa. I love you. I’m so sorry I’ve hurt you.” Kissing and hugging him excitedly, she glanced at Gilbert and whispered, “Thank you.”

  As Lucas pulled away from her, he said, “Let me get a look at you.” Seeing she
was indeed carrying a child as he had been informed by Alfred, he softly said to her, “My, but being married and in the family way suits you my dear. I’ve never seen you look more beautiful. And don’t be frettin’ none about hurting me, seems to me we’ve all been hurtin’ long enough. After I found out what you had done, and after getting over the anger and shock, it occurred to me, Miranda, what an incredibly brave and strongwilled woman I had raised. Fearing I had lost you too, when I heard you were here with your husband, I came at once. And the whole way here, I didn’t know how I was going to be able to tell you just how much I love you and how proud I am of you. But seeing you now, obviously happier than you’ve ever been, it suddenly occurred to me, words aren’t what matters. What truly is important is showing you. Not only do I have my daughter back thanks to your fine husband, I have a son, and soon a grandson who deserves some happiness as well. And by God, his papa and I are going to make damn sure he gets it. Isn’t that right, son?” Lucas glanced at Gilbert for confirmation that he would allow him into their lives.

  “Aye, sir.”

  Overcome with joy, Miranda smiled through her tears. “Grandson? Just how are you and Gilbert so certain this baby is going to be a boy?”

  “A father just knows these things, daughter.”

  Immediately, Miranda and Gilbert laughed hearing Lucas say that and once finding out Gilbert had said the same thing after realizing out she was expecting, Lucas said, “Ah, so another thing we see eye to eye on, Gilbert.”

  For the remainder of the afternoon, traveling plans were made for their trip back to Virginia including Montgomery, who had agreed to work with Gilbert—not just as an employee but as a trusted friend. With Lucas having already scheduled to meet Michael in Fairfax on business, he would travel ahead by rail while the other three would go by coach for Miranda’s sake. Gilbert, agreeing to the location Lucas had described by the brook—rather fond of the thought that his own child would be playing where his mother had as a child—it was agreed Lucas would begin the construction on their new home before their arrival. Settling on late November, giving them able time to make the trip by not pushing Miranda in her delicate condition, Lucas set off for Fairfax with a smile on his face and at last peace in his heart.