Home of the White Dolphin - Segment 10

Chapter 46

February 26, 1846 – That same morning at the Edgeworth estate

Mitchell burst into Elizabeth’s room and once again failed to see her. He began to worry she had disobeyed his orders to return to her room. Knowing Lord Edgeworth’s plans for Elizabeth that evening, Mitchell started to panic.

“Elizabeth, are you here?” he called out, before seeing her once again looking out the window. “Baby girl, didn’t you hear me come in?” He walked over and pulled her back against him.

Elizabeth was determined to be brave about his leaving for London, but her voice shook when she asked, “Will you be going soon?” She felt his arms go around her waist and twisted to face him. “Can you ask Atwood to bring up my two trunks? I just took a small suitcase with my nightclothes and things I needed last night.” Elizabeth hurried to get the words out before Mitchell could interrupt her.

He looked over her head and out the window. Elizabeth’s room was at the front of the large home, and he could see the circular driveway below. As he watched, out from the nearby stables came his carriage with Atwood driving the brace of four horses.

“No, I don’t think so.” His words confused Elizabeth. Long minutes had passed since she made her request for Atwood to bring up her trunks. She waited, but Mitchell said nothing else. He removed his arms from around her waist and turned away from the window.

In the bright glare of daylight, he saw how bare and drab the room was. This was where Elizabeth assumed she would be spending the rest of her life. There was no fireplace to warm the young girl during England’s long winter nights. The narrow bed had coarse sheets and one thin threadbare blanket. Because his intense and repeated sexual pleasure with Elizabeth’s body kept him warm the night before, he had failed to notice anything about the room.

Mitchell knew Lord Edgeworth would force Elizabeth into his large bed as soon as the carriage was out of sight. That thought turned his voice rough with anger when he finally faced her once again. “Your trunks are staying where they are, on top of the carriage.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the bureau where he had seen her open suitcase. “You have five minutes to pack, and don’t argue with me,” was his abrupt order.

Elizabeth stood there in shock at first, not moving. Slowly, the knowledge Mitchell wasn’t leaving her behind became clear, and she fell to her knees sobbing in relief.

Chapter 47

February 26, 1846 – That same morning at the Edgeworth estate

It took more than five minutes to pack Elizabeth’s few belongings. First, Mitchell knelt on the floor next to her and spent minutes wiping away the flood of her tears. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth, I should have handled that better. You’re coming back to London with us.” He tried to make a joke of it. “Robbie and Atwood insisted, and I figured I’d give in to make them happy.” Elizabeth rewarded him with a little hiccup, and Mitchell helped her to stand.

Ten minutes later, Elizabeth got into the waiting carriage. Robbie stood outside next to Atwood while Mitchell gave the driver final instructions. Both Atwood and Robbie were facing the building and tried to hurry Mitchell when they saw who was coming outside.

“So, Captain, you’ve decided to leave early.” Lord Edgeworth’s loud voice alerted Mitchell he would have to talk with his father one last time. When he turned, he saw Jane and Ronald were also there to see them off.

Ronald showed more interest in Robbie and ignored everyone else. He never looked away from the boy, and only smiled when Robbie nervously edged closer to Mitchell. Standing next to her future husband, Jane watched as he slid his hand into the front flap of his loose britches and winked at Robbie. Rather than disgusting her, Jane became excited by his crude action.

Unaware of why Robbie was muttering under his breath, Mitchell decided to ask his father a question that had been bothering him since their last talk. “Lord Edgeworth, I was wondering about your youngest son. You said he was lost at sea?”

“Yes, as I told you before, I sent him away to sea.” Lord Edgeworth glanced over at Ronald to make sure he couldn’t hear. “Melissa’s boy was sweet and so innocent at seven, and I wanted to toughen him up. After seeing the picture Ronald had done of him, I suspected what my older son’s sexual appetite was. I figured a few years at sea, maybe 10 or so, would teach Mouse how to defend himself.”

“Mouse?” Stunned, Mitchell heard for the first time in years the loving nickname his mother often called him.

Lord Edgeworth smiled when answering. “My Melissa always called her boy Mouse since he was such a little thing when he was born. In fact, I can’t even remember what his real name was now.”

“You say you sent him to sea? Did his mother agree to that?” Mitchell couldn’t remember that time too clearly and wanted to know if his mother missed him.

“Melissa was my servant and had no rights about what I did with my own son. She cried when the coach carrying my son disappeared from sight.” Lord Edgeworth’s smile disappeared. “She only cried more after I took her into my study and told her I planned on getting another child out of her, this time a girl. The silly woman didn’t understand I was doing the boy a favor by sending him away. It took two years, but I finally got her pregnant again.”

“Yes, yes, but what happened to her son?” Mitchell didn’t want to hear his father brag about his sexual prowess.

Chapter 48

February 26, 1846 – That same morning at the Edgeworth estate

Lord Edgeworth didn’t take offense at Mitchell’s interruption. “Melissa was in her eighth month and big as a house by then. Even though she kept saying it hurt her, many times I managed my release by forcing her onto her side and coming into her from behind. Not as satisfying that way, but better than nothing.

“One afternoon, after I’d enjoyed myself once again and was straightening my britches, my butler came unannounced into my study. Goodayle was younger and much brasher in those days. He ignored Melissa who was crying on the couch facing away from him. Her skirt was still pushed up around her waist. If he had bothered to look, he would have seen the cheeks of her bare ass reddened from where I’d slapped her repeatedly to make her lie still. I almost slipped out of her when she struggled to get away from me. Anyway, Goodayle handed me a letter and left the study without saying a word.”

While Mitchell tried to keep his revulsion under control, he failed to see Ronald edging closer to Robbie. He waited for his father to tell him what happened next.

Lord Edgeworth seemed lost in his memories of that day, but finally continued. “The letter was from my London solicitor, Artemus Tucker. The ship Mouse was on for the last couple years had recently docked, and the Captain regretfully reported that my son was swept overboard and lost months earlier. Tucker wrote a nice condolence letter informing me of this, and I decided Melissa should also be told. After I went to the couch and sat her upright next to me, I read the letter out loud. Strangely, she didn’t react at all.”

By now, Robbie was as close to Mitchell as he could get without being obvious. He knew he shouldn’t bother his Captain while Lord Edgeworth was talking to him. He looked behind him at the carriage and couldn’t see Elizabeth. Unknown to him, she huddled in the far corner, afraid her sister would see her and demand she stay as their father had promised she would.

Lord Edgeworth ignored everyone except for Mitchell. “Melissa pushed herself off the couch and never said a word as she headed for the door. Therefore, it totally surprised me when she doubled over and let out a scream of pain. Goodayle came running at that sound, and the two of us managed to get her up the staircase to the room I kept her in next to my own bedroom. My wife had her own rooms in the other wing of the building. She always thought Melissa was Ronald’s mistress, and I made sure she thought the pregnancy was his doing, too.

“While Goodayle went for the local midwife, I returned to my study, trying to ignore Melissa’s screams from upstairs. When I was on my second snifter of brandy, the old crone of a midwife arrived and went to check on Melissa. My wife had been ill for days and confined to her bed, so wasn’t aware the baby was coming early.”

Chapter 49

February 26, 1846 – That same morning at the Edgeworth estate

Robbie finally got up the nerve to tug at Mitchell’s sleeve. “Sir, I think I’d like to get inside the carriage now.” Seeing Mitchell nod, Robbie quickly moved away from Ronald, who was standing only a foot or so away from him. He said a quick good-bye to Jane and climbed inside. Only after he sat down next to Elizabeth did he relax.

Mitchell barely noticed Robbie was no longer there and listened as his father finished telling him about Melissa’s death. “Captain, you wouldn’t believe how a woman carries on when producing a child. Men wouldn’t make half the fuss females do during this simple process.” Lord Edgeworth preened as he boasted. “Why, I bet I could do it without making a sound. Anyway, Melissa kept screaming her fool head off for hours. I finally had enough of her caterwauling and went upstairs to shut her up.

‘When I slammed the bedroom door open, I was ready to complain to Melissa about the headache she was giving me. Melissa was on the bed, her legs bent with the midwife kneeling between them. Now, I’d enjoyed myself quite often between her legs, and I’d even heard Melissa cry out in pain during those times. That day, I couldn’t understand the fuss she was making. Ladies have told me I’m extremely well endowed, so how much bigger could a baby be?”

Mitchell didn’t answer, so Lord Edgeworth went on. “I told the midwife to keep Melissa quiet and sat on a chair to watch. Melissa ignored the midwife’s pleas to stop screaming until all at once blood gushed out from between her legs. The sheet under Melissa’s body rapidly became soaked and turned red, and the midwife jumped away from the bed to avoid the blood. When she returned to pull something out of Melissa’s still body, I saw it was a tiny girl, barely breathing. With Melissa no longer screaming, I was able to hear the whisper-soft cry of the child. Soon, even that sound ended, and the room was silent for the first time in hours.”

Lord Edgeworth turned finally to face Mitchell. “So, Captain, that’s how I lost my youngest son. Melissa and the daughter I asked for died on the same day. I never wanted another woman after Melissa until I saw Elizabeth that day in Boston.” He suddenly remembered his plans for Elizabeth as soon as the rest of his visitors left. “Perhaps I can get my daughter out of Elizabeth, maybe even another son. Well, Captain, I guess I’ve been keeping you from your journey long enough.” He slapped Mitchell on his back in farewell.

Before anyone discovered Elizabeth inside the carriage, Mitchell motioned for Atwood to start the carriage and jumped inside. He looked out the window and saw Jane waving while his father and half brother headed back inside their home.

As the carriage passed by the small cemetery, Mitchell gave a sad shake of his head when he caught sight of the gravestone of his mother and sister. He knew he would never come back here again and said a silent prayer for their souls.

Ahead of them were weeks of travel before reaching London. Only then would he have to make a decision about Elizabeth’s future, whether to keep her or send her back to Boston.

Chapter 50

December 03, 2008 – Early morning in the mansion’s dining room

Walker strolled into the dining room, feeling more alive than he had in months. He spotted Edith and Jack sitting at his usual table at the far end of the room and headed toward them.

After giving his breakfast order to the waiter, Walker leaned back in his chair, a silly smile on his face. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

Jack looked at him as if he were crazy. “Walker, it’s been snowing for days, and everyone is cranky with cabin fever. What’s beautiful about that?”

Walker didn’t hear his friend’s complaint, his complete attention on the door into the dining room. He also didn’t see Edith’s surprised look at hearing her son’s strange comment. She noticed his brief look of disappointment every time someone entered the room.

“Are you waiting for someone special, Walker?” she finally asked. He ignored her and the breakfast the waiter placed in front of him. Edith worried about him not eating enough since he’d lost weight during Samantha’s recent kidnapping and subsequent illness. Walker never had been heavy, just muscular, but lately he looked somewhat gaunt. His dark brown hair had more streaks of gray, and Edith had noticed recently he moved slower than usual.

This morning, though, Walker seemed to have shed the worries of the past few weeks and returned to his once-cheerful self. Edith knew it was only her imagination, but his blue eyes seemed brighter, and his body radiated energy. Suddenly, she saw her son sit up straight in his chair and then stand.

She looked at the doorway and saw Samantha entering the dining room. Edith glanced up at Walker and started to smile when she saw the eager expression on her son’s face. This shows promise, she thought, watching him leave the table and head toward Samantha. Edith watched Samantha blush when Walker reached her and bent to whisper something in her ear.

The crowded dining room became totally silent when Walker took Samantha slowly into his arms for a long lingering kiss. A coffee cup being replaced in a saucer was the only sound heard as the delighted elderly diners watched the two people all had grown to love and admire. Edith sat at the table, tears of joy flowing down her aged face.

Only after the diners broke out in applause did Walker and Samantha remember where they were. When Walker reluctantly ended the kiss, he kept his arm around Samantha, an obvious sign of male possessiveness.

Continued in next segment

Home of the White Dolphin - Segment 11  (GC) Chapters 51 thru 55 #2091634 by J. A. Buxton