by Marie Silk
Clara’s mouth hung open in shock. “I can’t believe it!”
“It’s true, Miss Clara. Before Mr. Collins ever came here, he knew Bridget in Philadelphia. He made her think that he would marry her. Then he did not contact her for months. When he moved into this house, he told Bridget it was to be with her.”
Clara looked down at the desk, feeling as if she would fall to the floor if she did not hold on for support. “Now I wish that you never told me any of this. I know I said that I wanted the truth, but…how humiliating. Are you certain about this, Fiona? How do you know your sister didn’t make it up?”
Fiona approached the desk and reached into her apron pocket. “He gave her this,” she said quietly, laying the diamond necklace on the desk. “Bridget wanted to return it to you, but did not know how. I have been trying to find the proper way to get it back to you.”
Clara looked at the necklace in horror. “Did she—did they—stay in another room—after Lawrence was married to me?”
“No, Miss Clara,” Fiona said quickly. “Bridget refused to meet with him and left for the Red Cross the next day.”
Clara clenched her jaw emotionally. “I don’t wish to hear any more. I need your promise that you will not say a word of this to anyone.”
“I promise, Miss Clara.” Fiona left the room and Clara laid her head on the desk in front of her, feeling the stabbing pain of betrayal in her heart.
When Fiona exited the library, she crossed paths with Abigail in the Hall. “Good morning, Fiona. If anyone asks for me, will you tell them I have gone outside to see my brother? I’m going to tease him for not coming to my party last night.”
“Um—Miss Abigail—before you talk to Sam,” Fiona stammered. “There’s something you should know. He has learned that Jenny passed away. He received the news from her father the night before you returned.”
Abigail put her hand to her heart in sorrow. “Oh no…dearest Jenny…Sam must be devastated. Thank you for telling me, Fiona.”
Fiona nodded and went down to the servants’ quarters, heading for her room as quickly as she could. She was weary of the secrets she carried and the pain of telling those who were affected. As she rounded the corner to her bedroom, Nora stopped her in the hallway. “So, did you get into trouble?”
“I don’t wish to be bothered,” she said, pushing her way past Nora and into her bedroom. She closed the door and sank down to the floor, hoping and praying that she had done the right thing.
At the stable, Abigail found Sam on a bale of hay, staring blankly in front of him. “Welcome back, Abby,” he told her stoically.
Abigail sat down next to him. “I’m terribly sorry about Jenny.”
Sam nodded. “I feel like I’m out of my mind. I don’t know how you manage every day after losing your husband.”
“I don’t know how either, Sam.” She paused for several moments while she thought about it. “Perhaps it made a difference that I began mourning for him the day he left for the War. When I received the news that he wasn’t coming back, it was as if I was still in mourning—but it was a new grief that came with certainty. In a strange way, it was easier to know for sure about him than to be in a constant state of worry.”
“I forgot to water the horses yesterday. I’m worried what else I might forget when I’m messed up like this,” Sam told her. “I even forget to eat, then my stomach makes noises all night.”
Abigail laid her head on his shoulder. “I understand. I will do my best to take care of you—”
They were interrupted by Mary bursting into the stable. “Abigail! It’s time! Are you ready to attend a birth?”
“Yes, I’ll be right there, Mary,” Abigail replied, giving Sam an apologetic look. She kissed him on the cheek and followed Mary out to the car where Phillip was waiting for them.
When they arrived at their destination, the ladies worked quickly to ensure a safe delivery. It was not long before the mother held the new baby girl in her arms. Mary sent her medical kit with Abigail to take back to the car while Mary spoke to the new mother about what to expect next.
“That was fast,” Phillip remarked. “How did you enjoy your first time attending with Mary?”
Abigail managed a smile as Phillip helped her climb into the car. “It was not as difficult as I expected, but also quite tiring.”
“Yes, of course,” Phillip chuckled. He noticed that Abigail was looking sorrowfully into the distance. “Abigail,” he said softly, “You know I care for you a great deal. You have helped me more than I can ever repay in one lifetime. If there is anything you need or anything I can do, just say the word.”
She turned her head to meet his gaze. “There is something you can do…if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Anything.”
“My brother has just received some dreadful news from home. It will take him time to recover, and in the meantime, well—if you could just check with him for any help he might need—help with the horses, that sort of thing.”
“Of course I will,” he told her sincerely.
Mary came out to the car and heaved a sigh of relief. “We’ll return to check on the mother in a few days. What did you think, Abigail?”
“You did a lovely job, Mary. I have new admiration for you, now that I know this is what you do every day. It was exhausting!”
Mary laughed. “It sure is. Now you see why I’m eager for your help!”
When Mary and Abigail returned to Davenport House, Fiona met them in the Hall. “Post for you, Miss Abigail,” she announced.
Abigail opened the letter and frowned in disappointment. “Oh no, Mary. Come read this—it concerns you too.”
Mary read the letter in sadness. “Those poor people. This means we will have no income,” she whispered. “We may have to move into the manor house.”
“What is it?” asked Clara, who had just come down the stairs. “Not more bad news…”
“It is bad news, I’m afraid. The tenants of the manor house and all of the servants have passed of influenza. Only the housekeeper survived and wrote to inform us.”
Clara reacted angrily. “Will there be no end to this grief? It’s as if the whole world is ending! Did you know the town hall is being used to store the bodies? This influenza is from hell itself.”
Mary was quiet. Abigail broke the silence, “Clara, this means that Mary and I have lost our income from the manor house. We won’t have the means to pay you as much in rent until we have new tenants at the house. It may be difficult to find anyone who wants it after what happened. Or we could move there ourselves and—”
Clara broke out into tears. “Please don’t leave me,” she cried. “Not now. I don’t want to be alone here.”
Clara’s sudden reaction surprised them. Mary put her arm around her. “We won’t make any decisions just now, Clara. But we cannot stay and be a burden on you either.”
“I want you to stay,” Clara told them. “Both of you. I don’t care about the money. Honest.”
Abigail could not help but feel sorry for her. “If you are certain, Clara. We don’t wish to take advantage.”
“It won’t be taking advantage if I am pleading with you to stay,” she assured them. “Please say you will.”
“You are too generous,” Abigail told her. “Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you, Clara. We will stay,” agreed Mary.
After dinner that night, Mary visited Abigail in her bedroom. “I wanted to check on you, to see how you are feeling after today. I know that attending a birth can bring out many emotions.”
Abigail closed the bedroom door. “It was dreadful for me, Mary,” she admitted. “Not because of the sights or the other difficulties…but because it made me realize that I will never be a mother.”
Mary sighed. “I’m sorry…I didn’t think of that.”
“You and William are sure to have children soon, and even Clara will when Lawrence returns. But I will not have that chance again. I always hoped I would have many childre
n.”
“You are only twenty, dear. You have time to marry again, if it is what you wish to do,” Mary said gently.
“I didn’t expect you to suggest that I could remarry. I was afraid that if I spoke of it, I may give the impression that I did not love Ethan so much after all.”
“No one could believe you did not love him,” replied Mary. “Have you—thought of marrying again?”
“Sometimes I think that I could,” she admitted. “But other times, I think that Ethan might walk through the door at any moment, proving that the last year was only a bad dream.”
Mary smiled. “I understand that hopefulness. But we also must be real. I want to see you happy, and if it means marrying another man and having a large family, then I hope that’s what you will do.”
“Thank you, Mary,” Abigail said timidly.
“Goodnight, Abigail.”
“Goodnight.”
Later that week, Abigail went to the stable to check on Sam. She was surprised to find Donnie and Gabriella sitting on the haystacks there. “Good morning,” she greeted them.
“Good morning, Miss Abigail,” Gabriella replied. “Papa is helping the man who works here. He said we could stay in the stable as long as we did not get into mischief.”
“I see,” Abigail replied. “How long have you been here?”
“A hundred hours,” Donnie replied in an exasperated tone.
“More like five hundred hours,” Gabriella corrected him.
Abigail smiled and sat on the haystack next to Donnie. He cuddled up to her arm and looked dreamily into her eyes. “Miss Abigail, you are bellissima.”
Abigail giggled. “What does bellissima mean?”
“It’s what our papa calls you,” explained Gabriella. “He says you’re the most bellissima lady in America.” Donnie nodded in agreement.
“Then I will have to ask your papa what it means,” Abigail replied playfully. Phillip and Sam walked into the stable just then.
“Hello Abby,” Sam greeted her before turning to shake hands with Phillip. “Thank you again, Mr. Valenti.”
“Papa, are you done yet?” Donnie moaned. “We’ve been waiting five hundred years.”
“Five hundred years! No wonder I feel like an old man,” he said to Donnie, but he was smiling at Abigail. “How about we go home and have some lunch?”
“I’m so hungry, I could eat a whole chicken,” Gabriella said dramatically.
“I could eat two chickens,” Donnie retorted. The Valentis walked back to their house leaving Abigail and Sam in the stable.
“Boy, that Valenti fellow sure helped me this week. I’m all caught up now. He just showed up out of the blue and said he had extra time,” Sam told her.
“That was kind of him,” Abigail replied.
“He saved my skin, that’s for sure. But don’t tell Pa I said so. He’d hate it if he knew I was working with an Italian.”
Abigail laughed. “I won’t tell our pa. But remember, Phillip is an American now. He earned his papers when he fought in the War.”
Sam looked at her skeptically. “What’s up with you two anyway? Is he just buttering me up so he can ask for your hand?”
“Good grief, Sam. How did you come to that conclusion?”
“I saw how he looked at you…and him showing up to help like this…it all adds up.”
“Oh don’t tease me, Sam. He’s just being neighborly. You should go inside the house now or the maids won’t save any lunch for you.”
Abigail remained alone in the stable after Sam went into the house. She was not expecting to see Phillip return so soon.
He walked in, shaking his head with a chuckle. “Gabriella left her doll here. I thought I better come back and find it or there will be no peace in our home.”
Abigail joined in the search. “The children were sitting just here when I came in, so perhaps the doll is not too far.” They began to look around and behind the haystacks. Finally, Abigail found the doll laying on the ground, covered with hay. “She must have been putting the baby to bed,” Abigail remarked as she dusted off the doll and brought it to Phillip.
“Thank you,” he sighed. “Now that the important doll is found, the world may stop coming to an end at the farmhouse.” But he continued to stand there, gazing at Abigail as if he wanted to say more.
“Phillip…what does bellissima mean?”
He smiled bashfully. “Where did you hear that word?”
“From the children.”
“Of course.”
“Well?” she prodded.
He looked into her eyes. “It is how we say, most beautiful.”
Abigail stepped closer to him and put her arms around his neck. She felt his arms around her waist and she laid her head on his chest. “I just wanted to know what it would feel like to be held again,” she said quietly, enjoying the feel of his heartbeat against her ear.
“I can do this for as long as you’d like,” he replied.
Abigail closed her eyes and listened to his deep breaths. “Phillip…do you love me?” His heart raced against her ear and his breathing abruptly halted. Abigail opened her eyes and looked up into his.
“Yes,” he answered. His gaze drifted from her eyes to her lips, but he remained still.
Abigail finally leaned into him and pressed her lips to his, forgetting everything else that may have kept her from doing so. They held each other tightly until they heard little footsteps running toward the stable.
“Papa, did you find her?” Gabriella called breathlessly. “Did you find my dollie?”
Phillip was jolted back to reality and he and Abigail backed away from each other. “Gabriella, you are supposed to be helping Donnie with his lunch.”
“We’ve already had lunch,” she replied. “I need my dollie.”
Phillip gave her the doll. “Now go back home and I’ll be along shortly.”
Gabriella hugged her doll tightly and skipped out of the stable. Phillip shook his head. “Sorry about that. The children seem to interrupt at the worst times.”
“I should be getting back to the house anyway,” Abigail said, looking at the floor.
“When will I see you again?” asked Phillip.
Abigail looked up to meet his gaze. “I feel terribly guilty for what I just did. I am sorry.” Abigail hurried away from the stable. When she got into the house, she nearly ran into Mary in the Hall. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mary.”
“I’m going to a birth,” Mary explained, holding her kit.
“I’ll change my clothes and be right down,” Abigail told her.
“Wait, Abigail—” Mary stopped her. “I wonder if you could stay here. Clara has been awfully quiet and I’m worried about her. She won’t tell me what’s wrong but perhaps she’ll talk to you. She is in the sitting room upstairs.”
“I’ll go to her. Good luck, Mary.”
When Abigail arrived in the sitting room, Clara was staring blankly at the fireplace. “Good afternoon, Clara,” Abigail greeted.
“Good afternoon,” she replied quietly.
“I have just asked for Fiona to bring us tea,” Abigail said, taking her seat in the chaise lounge.
Clara looked at Abigail. “Have you heard from Bridget recently?”
“She telephoned just this morning about the manor house. She said the Red Cross is asking to use it as an emergency hospital since it is sitting vacant now. And of course I saw Bridget every day in Philadelphia,” Abigail replied. “We worked in the same part of the hospital camp.”
“Then she really did volunteer for the Red Cross,” Clara thought aloud.
“Well yes, why would you think differently?”
“I was worried that she might have been away with Lawrence all this while.”
Abigail looked bewildered. “Why would she be with Lawrence?”
“Did you know that they were sweethearts before he came to live here?”
Abigail was aghast. “What? Clara, I had no idea of anything like this. Where did you he
ar it from?”
“As if it wasn’t bad enough to have a husband who humiliates me, I had to learn about their attachment from my own housekeeper. Fiona said that Bridget knew Lawrence from when she was your maid at the manor house.”
Abigail’s eyes were wide. “The only attachment I was aware of was the one Bridget seemed to have the postman. It couldn’t have been Lawrence. Isn’t he an attorney?”
“It’s what he told me. But I don’t know that I can believe what he tells me. He never sent the money back, even after he promised repeatedly.”
Abigail quietly gasped. “Oh dear, Clara. I thought that had been sorted long ago.”
Clara shook her head. “I thought it was…but he has lied to me since the day we met. I don’t know what to do about it. He is not even here for me to confront him.”
“I’m terribly sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“There is something you can do. I would do it myself, but I’m rather depressed about it.” Clara left the room and returned with the diamond necklace.
“Could you take this to the jeweler in town today? I spoke to him on the telephone and he promised to pay a good price for it.”
Abigail took the necklace from Clara. “If there is anything else I may do for you, you need only ask.” She prepared to leave for town and asked Fiona to summon Sam.
“Sam has taken Miss Mary to her appointment,” Fiona answered. “I will go tell Mr. Valenti that you need a driver.”
“It’s alright, Fiona. I will tell him myself.”
Phillip was pleased to see Abigail arrive at his home. “The children are sleeping,” he told her. “Please come in.”
She walked into the farmhouse but did not sit down. “Actually, I did not come to visit. I was hoping you could drive me into town in Clara’s car. I have to meet with the jeweler.”
“Of course. I will just leave a note for Gabriella,” he told her. “She is fine to care for Donnie as long as we are not away for long.” Abigail watched him write a note and leave it on the kitchen table.
“You are a good father,” she remarked.
Phillip smiled. “I love my children…I would be glad to have more, if I ever had the chance.”
