The Visitor - The Final Ride 1875-1928

by Barbara Svetlick

  James took the envelope and looked from Lizzie to Mirisa who wrinkled her nose. He shook his head.

  “James, Cassie has things she needs to do this morning.” He looked at Mirisa and knew she didn’t want them to be alone since Cassie would tell him everything.

  “She can do it later; I think I need to spend some time with my daughter.”

  “Alright. Cassie change your clothes.” Mirisa got up off the bed and told the girls to go put away their things. Charisse said she was going to find Garnett. They all left the room and she walked up to James. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

  “I have to keep remembering that the only thing keeping them from being as bad as us is you.” He kissed her deeply as he ran his hand across her ass. “I love holding you and I love your sweet kisses.”

  “I think I enjoy every moment in your arms I love the way you draw in your breath as you pull me closer, the way you nuzzle my neck as you walk by and the way you touch my lips.” He kissed her again and told her he’d try to keep his perspective as he was drawing information out of his daughter. Mirisa laughed and told him to always remember she was his daughter and would probably tell him way too much.

  They headed for the school first and Garnett talked to Lizzie’s teacher who kept stressing that she needed serious instruction and that the school had a great program for boarding students from abroad. Garnett listened to him and said he’d think seriously about it but he probably wouldn’t allow her to stay at this time because of prior commitments in the states. The teacher gave him a list of teachers in the New York and Washington area that he needed to consider if he was serious about her training.

  Garnett thanked him and asked where he could find Francoise. He walked down the hall and found him in an instruction room with four students. He listened for a while then walked in. They talked briefly and Garnett handed him the envelope

  .“Is there something between you and my daughter?” Francoise knew this would come but he didn’t know how much Lizzie had told her parents. Francoise studied his face and realized that he probably was a very protective father.

  “I’m in love with Elizabeth but I have not done anything to warrant your concern.”

  “How do you know what would cause me concern?”

  “I don’t but I haven’t done anything inappropriate nor would I.

  I hope to marry her.”

  “She’s young, she’s impressionable and you have touched her sweet little heart knowing how young she is. I will not give my consent to marriage until she’s ready and I will not tolerate someone breaking her heart.” His tone was low but so menacing that Francoise wondered how something so sweet could come from this man but at the same time he felt as protective of her heart as did her father.

  “It’s my desire to marry your daughter and I hope that you will give your blessing.”

  “Have you told her this?”

  “Yes.” He watched Garnett’s eyes narrow just slightly. “I’m sorry but I can’t help but tell her how I feel. I’ve never met anyone who has captured my heart the way she did that first night in London.”

  “How old are you?”

  “I just turned twenty-three.”

  “And how do you plan on supporting my daughter at your age?”

  “I will continue to be a concert musician and it’s my hope with the proper training that she will be able to play and travel around the world with me.”

  “You ever break her heart and I will kill you.” Garnett turned and left the school. James and Cassie were sitting on the front steps talking.

  “Garnett are you going to let her?”

  “Let her what Cassie?”

  “Marry him.”

  Garnett thought she was her father from head to toe. “I have to think about it.”

  “I think you should.” Cassie took in her breath. “I think there is magic when she’s near him and he gets that look in his eyes that all of you have when you talk to Mother. I think she is going to be very happy in Paris.”

  James looked at Garnett who shook his head. “Guess we didn’t see this one coming.”

  “Cassie what is your mother’s position?”

  “She says she’s done her best to make us happy and knows that we will each find our place in the world.”

  “Has she given Lizzie her blessing to marry?”

  “No. She says she needs to meet Francoise before she can do that. Mother never does anything without thinking about it a long time. Sometimes it drives us crazy but mother says we’ll understand if we ever have children.”

  The restaurant was packed and when they were shown to their table, Meeks asked why there was an extra seat and started to have the waiter take it away. Mirisa put her hand on his and shook her head. He started to say something but stopped. Mirisa and the girls were seated as Francoise walked across the room. Garnett looked at him and realized what Mirisa had done.

  Francoise stopped next to Mirisa and introduced himself and kissed her hand thanking her for the invitation to dinner. He turned to the girls and said good evening to each of them. Lizzie was frozen in her seat unable to take her eyes off of him. Francoise shook hands with Garnett who introduced him to Charisse, James and Meeks.

  Francoise was offered the seat between Mirisa and James and directly across from Lizzie. He spent the first few minutes observing the group and realized they all had the same mother but different fathers. “Francoise, tell us about yourself.”

  “Mrs. Alexander?” She nodded. He gave them the short version of his family who lived on an estate in the country, the schools he attended both in France and England and his tours throughout Europe.

  Francoise was extremely reserved and polite but Meeks figured that Garnett had already threatened him within an inch of his life just by the fact that they were avoiding each other. The report from the escort following the concert sent Garnett into a rage that took Mirisa and Charisse hours to defuse but the investigative report was so glowing that even Meeks had to approve of this young man. Mirisa engaged him in conversation about his music and his studies. The girls listened but didn’t get into the conversation knowing that he was being sized up by the parents.

  Lizzie couldn’t eat with him sitting there and just moved her food around her plate. Every time she looked at him he smiled. This behavior was not lost on anyone at the table. He finally addressed Garnett.

  “Mr. Alexander, I have spoken to Lizzie’s teacher and he believes she is ready to play in front of an audience. I would like your permission to work with her for a few days in hopes that she will play with the orchestra at the Sunday performance.”

  Garnett lit a cigar and sat forward with what James thought was his deadliest look when he wanted someone to know they were a split second away from death. “I’m not sure she is ready for the pressure of being on stage.”

  Francoise didn’t respond but waited. He didn’t dare look at Lizzie but kept eye contact with Garnett. Lizzie had never seen her father this serious before and she wanted to crawl under the table. He turned and looked at her realizing that she had tears just forming across her eyes.

  “Lizzie, do you want to do this?”

  She bit her lip and looked at her mother then at Francoise. “I don’t know if I can.”

  Francoise smiled because stage fright was the hardest thing to conquer. “You can say no at any time even after the curtain goes up.” He watched as her breathing became labored as though the fright was already taking hold of her at just the thought. Francoise would marry her right now if he thought he could hide from these three men. Lizzie looked up at her father and he knew she was trying so hard not to cry.

  “I’ll think about it and let you know tomorrow when I drop her off at school.”

  “Thank you.” Francoise stood and thanked them for their hospitality and company. He kissed Mirisa’s hand and told her that it was obvious why all three of her daughters were beautiful. He bowed to the girls and left the restaurant.

&n
bsp; James lit a cigar. “Well, that’s probably about as polished as I have seen in a long time. Reminds me of myself.”

  “You wouldn’t be saying that if he wanted to marry your daughter.”

  They all turned and looked at Garnett who realized he said it out loud. Lizzie dropped her fork stunned as it clattered. “Don’t even go there Lizzie. You are too young to get married and you are not staying in France to go to school.” He got up from the table and walked outside.

  “Is he mad at me?” The tears were so close. Meeks put out his hand and she got up and sat on his lap putting her head on his shoulder as he talked to her. She finally got up and went after her father. They stood out by the river talking as the rest of them walked back to the villa. “Daddy.”

  “Yes Cassie.”

  “Why did he get mad at Lizzie?”

  “Because fathers don’t want their daughters to grow up but they can’t stop it and they don’t want young men trying to take them away.”

  “Are you going to get mad at me when I grow up?”

  “Probably but I don’t plan on letting you get married.”

  “Oh Daddy. Someone is going to come along and carry me away.” She put her arm around his waist as they walked.

  Garnett and Lizzie came back to the house where she went upstairs and he picked up the bottle of whisky walking out to the garden.

  Charisse excused herself and found Garnett standing at the seawall. “Garnett, you can’t stop her even though you want to and to lash out only hurts her feelings. You need to learn to embrace this part of her life and to trust that she can make her own decisions.” He pulled her close and just listened to her. “He has a very good background, he was very polite at dinner though you seemed to scare him half to death and he is a great musician. I don’t think you could ask for a better suitor for your daughter.”

  “I know.”

  “Mirisa married Dominic in the middle of a war without the consent of her father.”

  “Which is why Mirisa should be discouraging Elizabeth from getting married.”

  Charisse sipped on her wine. Jack never even gave any thought to his daughter’s wants or mistakes. He was just happy to marry them off so he didn’t have to support them. She thought it was so wonderful that they cared so much. She stood and put out her hand as Garnett looked at her. He finally stood and she led him upstairs.

  “I don’t think he has a chance to win this one.”

  “Well, we have been outnumbered before so I wouldn’t throw in the towel yet.”

  Mirisa sliced the fresh fruit and put it on the table with the left over baguettes as Charisse prepared the pressed coffee. James had bought everything needed to prepare their favorite French foods. Meeks looked up from the table and folded the paper putting it next to his plate.

  “Alexander, I know it’s going to cause problems and I have been at this point so many times when the four of you would take sides against my decisions but she is my daughter as well as his. I see no problem with allowing her to spend the next year here if it will help her to obtain her dreams.”

  “You know she’s going to get married.”

  “Everyone knows that because Francoise will pursue her the way you did me.”

  “I think I will take her to her lesson today. It will give Garnett more time to mull over his decision.” Mirisa reached over and put her hand over his.

  Meeks sat in the viewing area as the maestro gave her a lesson. Francoise climbed the steps and sat down next to Meeks. They listened for a while before Meeks spoke. “Has she agreed to marry you?”

  “She said she couldn’t if it meant her father would be angry. Her emotions are the heart of her talent and I don’t think she can handle his disapproval. I am willing to wait because her music will suffer if her emotions do. Do you know her well?”

  Meeks smiled. “I raised her while her father has had less time with her but she is his only child.”

  “I understand that but I love her.”

  “Do you think she’s good?”

  “I think she’s holding back because she doesn’t deal well with what others think but I think she is the best untrained violinist I have ever heard.” Francoise listened to her, shook hands with Meeks and left for his next class.

  Garnett passed him in the hallway as he went in and saw Meeks sitting up in the viewing area. He climbed the steps and sat down next to him.

  “And what is your position?”

  Meeks looked at him. “When was the first time you went against your parent’s wishes?”

  “When I decided to go to VMI.”

  “Did you ever regret it?”

  “Never.”

  Lizzie put her violin in the case as the maestro told her that he was quite pleased with her progress. She looked up at her father who was walking down. He stopped and talked to the maestro as she knelt down and latched her case before picking it up.

  “Elizabeth.”

  “Yes father.”

  “I apologize for getting angry. I’m going to let you stay in Paris for the next year. I don’t believe you are old enough to get married nor do I believe you know this young man well enough.”

  The tears washed over her eyes and Meeks smiled as Garnett held her tight talking to her. “Daddy. I want your permission to get married before you leave and I want you to promise not to shoot him.”

  Meeks sat back and tried hard to keep a straight face. Garnett tipped her face up resigned to her passion. “I will talk to your mother.”

  Garnett took her violin case while Meeks came down to the floor and she hugged him as he wiped the tears off her lashes. Lizzie stood on the steps with Meeks waiting for her father to come out. She knew whatever he told Francoise was right on the edge of a threat.

  Mirisa and Charisse were sitting out in the garden when they sat down. Garnett sat down as Meeks brought out the bottle of whisky. None of them said anything as James looked up from the paper.

  “Mirisa?”

  “Yes Garnett.”

  “She wants to get married.” He poured another shot. “And she asked me not to shoot him.”

  “Then she knows the danger of merely asking.”

  “I need your opinion.”

  Mirisa knew if they were alone the conversation would be more frank but she also knew that he had given in to her just because of the tone in his voice. “Do you remember the first time you opened the carriage door for me and kissed my hand? You knew me at most an hour? You stepped back not because my father was there to threaten you and he would have certainly done so considering he knew your history. You stepped back because of your respect and friendship for Dominic or maybe he threatened everyone.”

  James sipped on his whisky. “He threatened everyone.”

  Mirisa looked at him and nodded. “If you wish to know what my feelings are saying to me, they are in love with each other. They are both in love with their music and where she is insecure and weak Francoise is strong and disciplined. I think at the age of seventeen, I would have so fallen in love with Paris that I would have never gone home. As her father, I have always and must accept your decision in this matter but remember that she will always be your daughter and will always want your approval. Only you can make the decision on whether you wish to give your daughter away because I believe she will marry him no matter what anyone says.”

  “Why do you believe that?”

  “Because she’s just like me.”

  The weather was slightly chilled but comfortable and the moon was bright. Garnett walked Lizzie to the back of the stage where Francoise was waiting for her. She was shaking like a leaf and didn’t want to let go of her father’s arm which she was squeezing with her little fingers.

  Francoise told Garnett that she wouldn’t join the orchestra until the second half and her part was non-essential in case she froze it would not be noticeable. He looked at Lizzie who looked like she was going to throw up if she even moved.

  “Lizzie, you do not have to go on stage. I’m
going to have you sit in the wings and if you can’t do it you can just listen from there.”

  Garnett watched him as he so softly comforted her with his words. She smiled meekly and let go of her father’s arm. She took about two steps from her father turned and put her arm around him. He held her tight kissed her forehead telling her she would be fine. Garnett had played on stage so many times that he forgot how scary it was the first time. He walked back and sat down with everyone.

  “Did she throw up yet?” He looked at Cassie and smiled.

  “Not yet but I will be surprised if she can walk out on that stage without fainting.”

  The first half was the composition by Cesar Franck which had just been published with a solo pianist and the orchestra in D minor. They all thought it was a wonderful composition. When the orchestra took the stage for the second half Francoise lead Lizzie out and put her in the center next to him. There were eight violinist on stage. They started with Brahams and switched to Joachim then back. Lizzie played through every song and the few times that she lost her place she merely stopped until she could pick it back up as she had been taught.

  The conductor tapped his baton three times as everyone sat down except Francoise and Lizzie. He turned and walked to the center of the stage and raised his violin. He started the piece very slowly and it built so romantically before it became slow again as he turned toward Lizzie who had her violin under her chin and her bow raised. Lizzie bit her bottom lip but kept her eyes locked on his.

  As Francoise’ bow made the last note, Lizzie started playing and he raised his bow as she stopped he began again but in a more demanding tone. They went back and forth almost like they were talking to each other, his was forceful and demanding and hers was almost crying and sad, and in the end he softened and she climbed with his tempo as they played the end together. Francoise walked toward her as he played and when the song ended they were within inches of each other.

  Francoise took his violin from his chin and lifted her hand kissing it and turned bringing her out to the center of the stage as they bowed. Lizzie was as white as a sheet and trembling as tears ran down her cheeks. Most of the audience had been at the prior concert and were well aware of his claims that he would marry her. Francoise was one of the greatest young talents in a long time. The audience gave them a standing ovation that just kept going and going.