The Roswell Legacy Read online

  “Rad is a fine man, Araminta. And he came into my life when I needed someone.” Allison’s eyes clouded with tears as she remembered the family tragedies she’d shared with her sister-in-law. “Oh, Araminta, the war brought so much sadness to both of us, with Jonathan and Coin being killed. I named my son for our Jonathan, Araminta—yours and mine. But then you must have realized that.

  “Right after Coin’s memorial service, I wrote to you, but you evidently didn’t receive that letter, either. I was desperate, with no money and a baby to support.”

  “So you married one of Sherman’s Yankee officers. I’ll hate Sherman and his entire army till the day I die, Allison, because of what he did to Savannah.”

  “Rad wasn’t in Sherman’s army, Araminta. But I dislike Sherman as much as you do. Roswell suffered under him even more than Savannah. Do you remember my servant, Rebecca?”

  “Yes. I never really liked her, though. Too sassy for her own good.”

  Allison ignored Araminta’s comment. “She died several years ago, Araminta. But she was a true friend, and I wouldn’t have survived without her.” Allison took a sip of tea and then continued talking. “When I didn’t hear from you, I decided the only way I could get back to Cypress Manor was to earn enough money to hire a wagon or a carriage for the trip home. So Rebecca and I swallowed our pride and asked for jobs as weavers in the Roswell mill. But on the second day Sherman’s troops came and burned the mill. All of the women were arrested and shipped north. Rebecca and I were in that group. And my baby, Morrow, too.”

  Allison’s eyes showed her sadness. She had no wish to relive this part of her life or to parade all of her hardships before Araminta. So she quickly glossed over the months that she and the three others had spent working on a tobacco farm in Kentucky until the owner, Major Rad Meadors of the Union army, returned from the war.

  “I met Major Meadors a year later. We were married, and a year after that our son Jonathan was born. Which brings us to Ginna. So, now tell me about this Dr. Forsyte and where you met him.”

  “You mean you don’t know who he is, Allison?”

  “I know only what Jonathan told me. That he’s an eminent surgeon who’s just been appointed to the staff of the medical center here. But, of course, I wondered if he might be some English relative of Coin’s, with a slightly different spelling of his name.”

  “Allison, he is Coin.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “You heard me, Allison. Coin didn’t die in the Battle of the Wilderness. He was merely hurt and out of his head for a long time. Then he went back to the fighting. And after the war, when he returned to Roswell, you had completely disappeared. When we got married, we both thought you were dead.

  “Do you want some laudanum, Allison? Charles might have some in his cabinet.”

  “No, I’ll be all right, Araminta. It’s just the shock of being told that Coin is still alive.…”

  “And the shock of realizing that you’re a bigamist, Allison, with a son who wants to marry my daughter. For the good of everyone concerned, we’ve got to keep them apart. They mustn’t be allowed to marry each other.”

  Halfway across town, Cassie narrowed her eyes as she looked at her half sister Ginna, who was seven years younger than she. The girl’s skin was perfect, and her large eyes were a breathtaking azure. And she had inherited their mother’s brown hair without the red that Cassie was plagued with.

  Seeing Ginna looking so beautiful, Cassie felt all the old animosity returning. She even remembered the very day it had started, a small happening that caused a steady, aching, devouring anger to erupt suddenly. She had been eleven, the same age that Nathan was now. She had been tending to the four-year-old Ginna that day in the park, when the boy she liked finally came up to talk with her. But he had accused her of telling a fib when she told him Ginna was her sister.

  “You two can’t be sisters,” he’d said, looking from one to the other. “You’re as different as freckled cheese and clotted cream.”

  Recalling his words, Cassie fanned harder to cool her flushed face. She was beginning to feel like freckled cheese all over again, what with her pregnancy and the awful July heat. But then she remembered who she was: a married woman with a husband who had a promising future. Of course, Stanley wasn’t the handsomest man in the world, but he had provided her with a nice house and furniture. And when her mother had advised her to have a baby as soon as possible, before he lost interest in her, as all men do with their wives sooner or later, she had complied. Only her mother hadn’t warned her how uncomfortable she would be.

  “Cassie, it’s hot as blazes in here,” Nathan complained. “Can’t we sit out on the porch instead?”

  “No, Nathan. Mama told me to keep a sharp eye on you two this afternoon, and you know I don’t like the sun in the middle of the afternoon. We’ll stay inside.”

  At Nathan’s groan, Cassie said, “But I’ll get Harriet to bring us some iced lemonade. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Nathan?”

  “If you’ve got a scone to go along with it.”

  “Can I help, Cassie?” Ginna offered.

  “No. Just stay in the parlor with Nathan to make sure he doesn’t break anything.” Cassie put down her fan and left the room.

  “She still treats me like a two-year-old, Ginna,” Nathan complained. “How much longer will we have to stay? I want to go home.”

  “So do I, Nathan. But we just got here.”

  A croaking sound came from the nearby purse. “Cat’s pants! I almost forgot Green Boy,” Nathan whispered, opening Ginna’s purse and standing up to slip the frog into his pocket just as Cassie reappeared.

  She saw the conspiratorial look on their faces, but she said nothing. Let them have their little games. They’d be separated soon enough. Nathan was to be sent away to boarding school in September, although he didn’t know it yet. And Ginna’s marriage to that Mr. Jonathan Meadors wasn’t a certainty. If her mother had anything to do with it, Ginna would remain at home to oversee the smooth running of the Forsyte household, instead of establishing one of her own at her age.

  “Harriet will be here in a few minutes with the lemonade,” Cassie announced. “And do sit down, Nathan. You’re too close to the flower vase Stanley gave me for my birthday.”

  “I haven’t touched a thing, Cassie.”

  “Well, see that you don’t.”

  A large tray with a pitcher filled with iced lemonade, three crystal glasses, and a plate of scones was brought into the parlor.

  Nathan returned to his seat beside Ginna while Cassie carefully poured the glasses half full and meted them out as if they contained a rare nectar.

  “What did you say, Nathan?”

  “I didn’t say anything, Cassie.” The boy shifted position, trying to make the frog in his pocket more comfortable.

  Quickly, Ginna prompted, “I think Cassie is waiting for a thank-you for the lemonade, Nathan.”

  “Oh. Well, thank you, Cassie. For the scone, too,” he added. But just as he leaned over to select a pastry from the plate, Green Boy escaped from Nathan’s pocket. As the frog hopped onto the tray, Cassie screamed. With a second hop, the frog landed with a splash in the pitcher of lemonade.

  Nathan’s glass overturned on the carpet as he struggled to retrieve the frog. And through it all Cassie continued to scream.

  “It’s all right, Cassie,” Ginna said soothingly. “It’s only a harmless frog. I’ll help you to clean up.”

  “No. I want you both out of my parlor. Mama had no right to fend you off on me when I’m in such a delicate condition. Because of you two, my baby may be marked for life.”

  “You know that’s poppycock, Cassie. You heard Papa say so more than a dozen times.…”

  But Cassie was in no mood to listen to Ginna. “Just take your damned frog, Nathan, and both of you get out of here. You can tell Barge to drive you around until four o’clock. That’s when Mama said I could send you back to the house. But you, my little brat of a bro
ther, you’re going to be sent away permanently in September.”

  Cassie disappeared upstairs while Ginna took her handkerchief and mopped up the spilled lemonade.

  “What did she mean by that, Ginna?”

  “Oh, you know how Cassie exaggerates. She probably overheard Papa and Mummy discussing where you’re to go to school. That’s all.”

  “But I don’t want to go off again. I want to stay where you are, Ginna.”

  “But after I marry Jonathan, we’ll live in Kentucky. So, you see, I’ll be going away, too.”

  Seeing the stricken look on his face, she added, “You can come to visit us during the summers. And Jonathan will let you choose your own horse to ride. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Nathan?”

  “I guess so.”

  Harriet appeared because of all the commotion, and Ginna said to her, “Nathan and I will be leaving now, Harriet. Will you please tell Barge to bring the carriage to the front?”

  “Yes, Miss Ginna. And I’ll finish cleaning up the spill.”

  “My sister’s rather nervous these days, so I would appreciate it if nothing is said about this afternoon.”

  “I understand, Miss Ginna. And I’ll have this room good as new before Mr. Stanley returns.”

  “Thank you, Harriet.”

  Later, two carriages wandered aimlessly through the streets of Washington. One contained Ginna and Nathan Forsyte, watching the time carefully until they could go home. The other held Allison Meadors, who had no knowledge of time, no desire to return home. That afternoon her world had toppled around her, threatening the happiness of her entire family.

  CHAPTER

  3

  When Rad Meadors left his Senate office, he took out his watch and looked at the time. Six o’clock—so much later than he had intended to stay, especially with the dinner party at Senator Drake’s home that evening. The meeting with the other committee members had been a worrisome one, with serious disagreements about the way to proceed with the pending investigation.

  “You’re going to alienate half the attorneys in Washington,” Edwards had warned.

  “If it’s the half dipping into government funds illegally, then I don’t care,” Rad had responded.

  He had voted against much of the legislation enacted in those four years between Cleveland’s two terms, but this last veterans’ thing was the worst of all. It had bestowed a government-approved license to steal on any unscrupulous man with an unscrupulous lawyer. He wasn’t happy at being appointed to chair the committee to investigate the matter. But there was nothing he could about it since it came by Cleveland’s request.

  Although the president had finally gotten a telephone put into the White House, it had done no good that afternoon. Cleveland had suddenly left town and couldn’t be reached. Rad had demurred from calling the vice president, for the two were on opposite ends of the political pole, especially with the upcoming session to repeal the Silver Purchase Act.

  As the carriages waiting in the shaded park across the street began pulling up to receive their passengers, Rad waved to his friend, Miles Johnson, and began the trek down Pennsylvania Avenue to the livery stable where his black horse, Sumi, was waiting for the gallop home.

  God, how he missed Bluegrass Meadors, his estate outside of Lexington. Although he had turned over the running of the stables almost entirely to his son Jonathan, the horses and the races were still in his blood. And it was on days like this, in the middle of summer, when he had to deal with graft in the government, that he missed his life in Kentucky with Allison.

  He hadn’t thought about Bourbon Red in a long time, but as he approached the livery stable, Rad began to think about his old war-horse, who had lived out his last days in peace on those hazy blue acres far from the noise of battle.

  Lately, he’d begun to think he might do the same: leave the Senate after this session and retire to the country. Wendall, one of the congressmen from Kentucky, knew the ropes well, and with just a little push, he might run for the seat vacated by Rad.

  “Good evening, sir.”

  “Good evening, Dorty.”

  “You’re a little late. Thought maybe you’d decided not to come. Won’t take but a minute, though, to get Sumi saddled up.”

  “I hope he’s in the mood for a gallop. I need to clear my head after sitting in a hot, smoke-filled room all afternoon.”

  “He’s every bit as anxious for a gallop as you are, sir.”

  The livery man was right. A small twister of dust took shape as the two—man and beast—galloped down the road toward the turreted house that had been a second home for Rad during his past seventeen years in Congress.

  With a slight rising of the wind, the heat of the day was now beginning to dissipate. Straight ahead, a few dark clouds forecast a late-afternoon thunderstorm. Rad wanted to get home before the rains began, so he urged the animal on even faster.

  When he reached the house, Rad saw his son waiting on the front steps. Jonathan was a younger version of himself: tall, broad-shouldered, with a muscular physique that spoke of his outdoor life. But now, underneath the sweep of dark hair, his brow was wrinkled in a frown, an unusual thing since his gentle temperament had been the one trait inherited from his mother.

  “Did you see the family carriage along the way?” Jonathan called as he walked down the steps toward Rad.

  “No. Is your mother still out?”

  “Yes. She’s been gone far too long, and I’m worried about her.”

  “Isn’t this the afternoon she was to call on Mrs. Forsyte?”

  “Yes.”

  Rad laughed as he swung down from his horse. “You already sound like an impatient bridegroom, son. Your mother is all right, I assure you. But if something’s gone wrong with the carriage—a loose wheel, perhaps—then remember, Browne is with her. He’ll take care of the problem.”

  “Well, if she isn’t back in a few more minutes, I’m going out to look for her.”

  Rad called Higgin from the carriage house by ringing the bell at the hitching post. “Sumi has had a hard run, Higgin. Walk him a bit and then give him a good rubdown.”

  “Yes, Mr. Rad.”

  Rad had merely pretended to be unconcerned to Jonathan. He was worried, too. It wasn’t like Allison to be out so long, especially because of their important dinner engagement. Even though they were friends, Senator Drake was a stickler for protocol and he didn’t brook his guests being late, unless they’d gone to their own funerals.

  As Rad began to remove his dusty clothes, he listened to every small sound, straining to hear the familiar crunch of carriage wheels along the driveway. A leafy branch rubbed against the second-story bedroom window and a sudden gust of wind swept one of the giant ferns from its balustrade, sending the greenery tumbling down the steps.

  Rad put on his robe and walked downstairs. “Jonathan,” he called out. “I think you’re right. You’d better go look for your mother before the storm breaks.”

  The water in the park bubbled over the gray rocks, polished smooth from the constant bombardment of the stream. Occasionally, a twig from a nearby tree floated on the surface, became prisoner for a time between the rocks, and then steered its way downstream.

  Allison watched the trickling of water as if her life depended on its steady flow. And she stared at the small twig that had not budged from its prison between the rocks as the others had done.

  Strange how something as insignificant as a twig caught between rocks could affect her—it was as if it were an omen for her own life.

  She had been so happy these past years, putting all the old heartaches behind her. Now, in one afternoon, her world had crashed around her. And she was no more certain of what to do about it than she’d been two hours previously.

  “Miss Allison, a storm’s brewing. Are you ready to start home now?”

  Allison looked up to see her servant standing on the bank. “What time is it, Browne?”

  “Almost six o’clock, ma’am.”

&nbs
p; Allison quickly stood and brushed the debris from her skirt. “I didn’t intend to stay here so long.” Her voice was apologetic. “Yes, let’s start for home immediately. Everyone will be wondering where I am.”

  She took one last look at the water lapping against the rocks and then hurried to the carriage. As the wheels picked up speed, Allison came to only one conclusion. For the next several days, she must keep this heartbreaking revelation to herself. Neither Rad nor Jonathan must learn the truth until she’d had a chance to meet Coin face-to-face.

  Jonathan had ridden only several blocks when he saw the family carriage. The horses were at a steady trot, as if trying to make up for lost time. He brought his horse alongside the carriage. “I was just coming to look for you, Mother. Are you all right?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry if I gave you cause for alarm.”

  Jonathan smiled. “You and Mrs. Forsyte must have gotten along remarkably well to have spent the entire afternoon together. What were you doing? Planning every detail of the wedding and the honeymoon, too?”

  Allison forced herself to smile. “It didn’t get quite that far, Jonathan.”

  “Well, how did you like her?”

  “Mrs. Forsyte?”

  “No, I mean Ginna. She’s beautiful, isn’t she, Mother?”

  “I’m sure she is. But I didn’t see her this time. She wasn’t at home. I only met Mrs. Forsyte. Ride on, Jonathan,” Allison urged, “so Browne can get me home. We’ll talk at length later.”

  A disappointed Jonathan looked at his mother closely. Her bright smile almost achieved the illusion that everything was as it should be. But he knew his mother too well. Something had gone wrong and she was doing her best to hide it from him.

  “Oh, Lord, I have to do better than this,” Allison said to herself as she watched Jonathan’s horse break into a gallop. Her son was too perceptive. It would be much harder to deceive him than Rad, preoccupied as he was with the upcoming legislative session. Now, if she could only get through the dinner that night without having Peggy Drake suspect that something was drastically wrong with her best friend.