by Linda Daly
Lucas glanced up at Gilbert and seeing him with a child in his arms, whispered, “Son, come closer and let me see my grandchild.”
The blood draining from his face, Gilbert stunned, obediently walked over to Lucas and knelt beside the pale man who was gasping for air, and said, “Da, meet your grandson, Lucas Joseph O’Flaherty.”
Hearing Gilbert call the baby in his arms by his name, his eyes welled up and he gazed lovingly at the small child. Lucas said in a raspy voice, “Thank you, Gilbert for naming him after me. You’re a good man, better than I deserve. You make damn sure he grows up to be like the fine man his father is and not after his namesake, hear?”
Gilbert nodding, asked Lucas if he wanted to hold him and Lucas whispered, “No son, just seeing him was all I needed. Now you take good care of him and my daughter. And tell them both I love them.”
Glancing at his grandson, Lucas breathed his last breath. Seeing his head slump over, Bessie fell to her knees wailing, “Oh Mas’sa Lucas.”
Chester, consoling his wife, patting her shoulders listened to Gilbert as he said, “Please everyone, me Mandy girl has just given birth to our son and is restin’ upstairs. She doesn’t know she’s just lost her father. Please, don’t let her find out this way.”
Bringing his child closer to his heart, he looked at Michael standing solemnly at the doorway. “Mr. Honeycutt, will you kindly take care of things down here while I go to my wife and tell her?”
“Certainly, Gilbert.”
As Gilbert climbed the stairs leading to his bedroom, holding his son near to him, tears rolled down his cheeks. Feeling little Lucas stir in his arms, he whispered, “That was Grandda, son. He loved ya very much. God rest his soul.”
Moments later, after Gilbert entered the room where his wife lay resting from just giving birth, the chilling scream of grief rang out from behind the closed doors, followed by the soft cries of Lucas Joseph O’Flaherty.
~ Twenty-four ~
Closure
A week later, Michael had picked up his wife and family at the train station. After telling them the events that had lead up to Lucas’ and Thomas Hastings’, deaths, Sarah lovingly glanced at her husband, his arm bandaged and in a sling.
“And you darling? Are you healing from your gunshot?”
“Me? Yeah, sore, but I’ll be fine. Poor Montgomery will be left with a nasty scar, though. He’s damned lucky it missed his eye. Half an inch higher and he would have lost it.”
Sarah, shaking her head, said, “My God, I can’t believe it. Why didn’t you tell me the White Camellias that I had read about in Versus’ letter were so dangerous? I surely never would have allowed you and Tad to be down here for so long if I had known.”
“Precisely why I didn’t say anything. You were needed with Elise, and do you think I would allow you down here under these circumstances? Fairfax is no longer the lovely sleepy town we left a year ago. The hatred in the hearts of these men are possibly worse then during the war. This secret organization, the Ku Klux Klan members don’t proudly wear a uniform, they shroud themselves in sheets and strike at night most of the time. So you don’t know who they are. It could be any of your friends or trusted neighbors, which makes them doubly sinister. The fear they have brought down on honest law-abiding citizens is unbelievable.”
Elise, sitting next to Joshua holding her son, as Joshua held his daughter, looked at Michael. “And, you say that Thomas was a member of this organization?”
“Not just a member, but evidently the leader in these parts. That’s why Mammy Tess left Doves Landing. It just wasn’t safe for her there any longer.”
“And now? Where is Mammy Tess?” Sarah asked.
“Oh since Tad came down last month, she has moved back in to the old boardinghouse of course, tending to Clarisa, her daughter-in-law, who apparently had been beaten so badly they don’t think she’ll ever walk again. Jessie won’t come by the house at all, not even to see his wife. Blames himself for not protecting her, I suppose.”
Inhaling a deep breath, Sarah glanced out the window as they passed Glenbrook. A smile crossed her lips seeing the children running about the grounds.
“Well at least the Brown’s old plantation looks good. Why, I don’t recall it looking so nice in years.”
Seeing a newly-constructed fence where none had been before, she looked at Michael, and asked, “Is that the dividing of the grounds? I see the cemetery is on the other side of the fence.”
“Gilbert insisted that the family plot remain a part of Miranda’s and his portion of the property.”
“That was very thoughtful of him. How did Gilbert and Lucas get along?”
“Surprising well. Lucas took to him straight off. As a matter of fact, when Lucas died, Gilbert was by his side, bringing little Lucas closer to him, so he could see him.”
Sharing with them, Lucas’ last words, Elise glanced at her son sleeping in her arms. “I’m glad Mr. Brown got to see his grandson before he died. That must be a great comfort to Miranda.”
Pulling up in front of Gilbert and Felicity’s plantation and seeing the immense size of the Georgian mansion, she gasped. “Oh my, I had no idea Lucas had built such a large home for Miranda. What on earth is she ever going to do with such a big place?”
“It was Lucas’ wishes, trust me. Before she and Gilbert had arrived, he had already begun the construction of it. You should have seen poor Gilbert’s face as he tried to keep his temper. There he was—red as a beet-with Miranda jubilant, and I thought the man was going to burst. I genuinely felt sorry for him.”
As the carriage stopped, Bessie and Tess ran out the doors and instantly welcomed Sarah, Elise and Joshua while each of them took a baby in their arms, cooing and fussing over the twins.
After kissing Mammy Tess and Bessie, Elise went directly to the door where stood a man she presumed was Gilbert. Stretching out her hand to him, she said, “Hello, I’m Elise Carmidy.”
“Aye. I suspected as much. Welcome. I’m sure glad yer here. My Mandy girl has been needing her best friend.” Hearing him refer to Miranda by his pet name and saying such a kind thing, Elise impulsively leaned forward and hugged him.
“Thank you kindly. Where might I find Miranda?”
“She’s upstairs in the nursery with little Lucas—second door to your left. Go on up while I welcome the others.”
Nodding, Elise went straight up the stairs. Without knocking, she opened the door and finding Miranda nursing her son, lovingly smiled at her friend.
“Hello Miranda,” Elise said, while rushing over to her and kissing her forehead as she looked down at the baby contently drinking his mother’s milk. Elise, cooing at him, caressed his forehead and pulled up a chair. Neither woman seemed the least bit embarrassed that Miranda was nursing her child.
Elise said, “I met your Gilbert. I like him. Why didn’t you tell me how good looking he is?”
“Oh, I don’t know … I suppose, I failed to tell you lots of things, didn’t I?”
It was clear to Elise that her friend was extremely melancholy and was suffering deeply from the loss of her father. “Well, give me my little godson, Miranda. Looks like he has had plenty to eat. Besides, before long, Mama will be up here and then I won’t ever get to hold him, with Sarah Tess and little Michael wanting to be fed.”
Smiling, Miranda removed her son from her nipple and as she placed him in Elise’s arms, she smiled, watching Elise place him over her shoulder and tenderly pat his back.
“My, just look at you, Elise. Why you’re an old pro at this.”
As Elise sat rocking the wee baby in her arms, Miranda hastily buttoned her black blouse.
“I see Bessie’s been by sealing all the windows and mirrors in black taffeta,” Elise said.
“Yes. I suppose some things never change.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. From what I heard from Michael, your Papa sure did. Sounds like he and Gilbert had a wonderful relationship.”
Nodding, Miranda smiled
and said, “They did. Papa truly loved him I think. It was so wonderful these past few months …”
“Time well spent, I’d say. I’m happy you were able to make peace with Lucas.” Hearing the baby burp, Elise wiped his mouth with a cloth handing it back to Miranda, she added. “Well little man, you sure were a lucky little boy weren’t ya? You got to meet your grandpapa before he went to heaven.”
Smiling fondly over at her friend, Miranda said, “I’m so glad you came, Elise. I don’t know if I could have made it through the funeral without you. Beside, it’s only right that you’re here to say goodbye to Papa, he loved you so.”
Calmly rocking little Lucas in her arms, smiling down at him, seeing him drift off to sleep Elise said, “And I loved him. Lucas was like a father to me, and these past years seeing him … Well, let’s just say it does my heart good to know that he finally found true happiness in his heart through you and your family.”
“He did, didn’t he?”
“You sure made him proud of you, Miranda. We all are. Which by the way, I’m not liking it one little bit, my sister out-shinning me like that. So from here on out there will be no more heroics out of you.”
Chuckling, Miranda smiled through her tears. “God, I love you, Elise. Only you could make me smile the day I lay my father to rest.”
“Miranda, honey, your Papa lived a full life and thanks to you his last days here on earth were happy ones. So don’t be sad for him. Lucas Brown was to proud a man—far too proud to let his little girl grieve over his passing. I can hear him just as if he were standing right here beside me, ‘Missy, you just take this sweet child on down to that there cemetery and let me rest, because I live through you and little Lucas’.”
Nodding, Miranda said, “He would have said that. Thank you, Elise. I truly needed you here today, especially since I’m certain Tad will be in attendance and it’s hard enough seeing that man when I’m having a good day …”
“I heard he’s been in Fairfax. Mama even mentioned he was seeing Constance Hildebrandt.”
“Is he? I wouldn’t know and I don’t rightly care, either. I just hope Constance knows what she’s up against. If I were a better friend, I’d probably warn her against the likes of him.”
“She wouldn’t listen to you anyway. You know Constance, she always had a mind of her own.”
Again, Miranda chuckled. “Why Elise Carmidy, I can’t believe my ears. Coming from one of the most stubborn women I have ever know … Why, I’m flabbergasted.”
“Me?” Elise said smiling. “Why you should talk Miranda dear, or need I remind you how you ran off with Gilbert, without so much as a how do you do?”
Then Miranda raising her eyebrow, smiled and said, “Well, I suppose you’re right. It must run in the family, little sis.”
Hearing her own children crying Elise said, “Well come on Auntie, let’s you and me go introduce little Lucas here to his cousins. And then later this afternoon, just when the sun sets—Lucas’ favorite time of the day—we’ll lay him down to rest next to those he loved.”
“Papa would like that.”
The two of them left the nursery, arm and arm, and hearing the door open, Joshua stood at the foot of the steps with Sarah Tess in his arms crying to be fed.
“Hello, Miranda. I’m so sorry at your loss.”
“Thank you, Joshua, especially for bringing Elise and my niece and nephew here. It means the world to me.”
“It was my pleasure.” Looking over at his wife, he hastily added. “Thank heavens darling, you came down when you did because my little princess here is just like her mother, impatient as they come.”
“Hmm,” Elise said teasingly, leaning into Miranda, she said, “Oh, and by the way, I’m one up on you little sis, so you and that good looking husband have some catching up to do.”
Gilbert, standing under the stairwell, able to hear every word Elise had said, stepped out so he could be seen looking up at her and his wife. He smiled hearing his wife snicker. Already he knew he was going to like Miranda’s friend, and said, “Aye. Da, God rest his soul, sure gave us a large enough house now didn’t he?”
As they all went inside the parlor, the Honeycutt’s, Carmidy’s, and O’Flaherty’s rejoiced in Lucas’ legacy, knowing he would have loved having those he cherished most celebrating his life and accomplishments.
THE END
Linda Daly
As a child, I recall sneaking a flashlight into bed so I could finish reading under the covers a book from the school library before it had to be returned the following day. As a teen, my English teacher read Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes having everyone in my class, including myself, mesmerized upon discovering how a fictional boy from the Revolutionary War is maimed for life following a tragic accident. I remember gasps by my classmates as the bandages were taken off Johnny’s wounded hand and his discovery that his fingers had grown together.
As I studied my own hand, imagining what it must be like to have webbed fingers, I understood fully the significance of weaving a good tale—a tale that could take the reader on a holiday for the mind.
It is my sincere hope that as you read the third installment to the Doves Collect series, you will be swept away to another place and time and fully enjoy discovering more about the lives and times of these fictional characters during America’s most tumultuous era in history.
The “Doves Collect” series will continue with…
In the forth book of the series life isn’t always as we expect… The past and the evil that lurks in the hearts of some will dramatically change the future forever, especially the innocent.
