Bittersweet Endeavors (11 page)

“
That
girl.”  His father shook his head and let loose a heavy sigh.  “Learn from my mistakes, Seth.”

The words cut through him like a sword
.  S
eth turned
and faced
his father and was
unable to keep his surprise at bay. 
His father had
n
ever
mentioned
his past indiscretion so blatantly.  The incredulity of it brought a silence between them both. 

Anvil cleared his throat
and it slowly cleansed
the adulterous air around them.  Patting Seth heavily on the back, his boisterous voice rang out.  “Now, let us get
our
work done, Seth.  The hour is growing late and I w
ish for no
more delays. 
We shall
move into our new home
‘
fore winter becomes too harsh
.  Your dallying out here
shalt
only prolong that time
.  W
ouldn't you agree?” 

Seth
looked
across
the
field
and
watched
the
men
who
worked
into
the
late
hour
on
the
decorative
trim
of
their
new
home.
The
sound
of
hammers
striking
the
tips
of
nails
and
saws
grinding
against
wood
echoed
from
afar.

“It’ll be the grandest home in Jamestown
and
shalt
capture the envy of all.”  His father’s chest heaved outward and a proud look illuminated his face.   “It
shall
al
l be yours one day, Seth.  Then,
it shall be
y
our future sons thereafter.”  Anvil looked reverently at Seth
, but his father’s wariness
aged his face by
many years in th
e
short space of time they stood there.  “A girl like that,” he said
, nodding
in the direction
of
Myra
, “
Twould
on
ly bring down what I
strived
hard
in creating
.” 
His father
took a few steps away from Seth
.  He
looked off into the field where la
yers of tobacco gre
w prosperous when in season.
 
“
Wealth
and prestige
are
important,” his father continued in the same sharp, formidable tone.  “In the short time we’ve been here, I’ve gained that amongst our neighbors and elders. 
Aye,
wealth
and prestige
are
everything,” he repeated
, but much more vivaciously.  “Never forget that.  I
don’t wish seeing
all
my work
ruine
d by you
r
fancying the wrong sort
.  Do you understand?”

Seth didn't understand, but as always, he nodded his head in agreement.  “You have
naught
to worry about,
f
ather, I haven’t tak
en a fancy for our new servant
.”

“Good.  Then we must plan.  You are near
four
and twenty
years
. 
Tis
time we arrange your marriage
with
one of the eligible
ladies
who
are
more appropriate
for
your station
.
”

Seth
didn’t
consider marriage too often, but
the
thought of being
shackled
to
one of the proper ladies of Jamestown left a sour taste in his mouth.  Good God, if he raised his voice above a whisper, most
of them
would startle like a mouse. 
Nay
, t
i
mid, well-mannered women
didn’t suit
him. 
His taste desired o
ne full of fire and life.  A woman
similar to
—he quashed the thought before
he dwelled
on it
.  His father
was
right.  A girl—
nay
, he corrected after
he
envisi
on
ed
the well-defined curves
on
Myra
's delicate frame—a
woman
like
Myra
didn’t
make an appropriate wife for someone of his stat
ion
.  Not that
he considered
the possibility of marriage to
Myra
, of course, but someone
with a similar disposition
in the upper classes would suit him just fine.

“
Tis
best
if
we
hold off
marriage
plans until my return
from
Cambridge
.  Wouldn’t you
agree, f
ather?  I’m sure a new wife would
n’t
appreciate a husband
being absent for such a long
length
of time
after marriage
.
”

Anvil grunted out something unintelli
gible.  He
finally nodded. “
Perhaps you’re
right. 
We must think more about
it.  However, since you’ve
br
o
ach
the subject of school, it may
serve
best
if we
act on comple
ting your education first
.  We’
ve put it off
much
too long as it is.  I shall send a post to
England
on the morrow and see about
finishing your studies
.”

Seth followed Anvil’s stare as he w
atched
Myra
and Lucia
.
He admired
Myra
’s delicate figure silhouette
d
a
gainst the dusk b
ackdrop.  His body tensed and
the urge crossed his mind to call out
her name
, b
ut
his father
mewl
ed out his
disgust,
and
Seth quickly turned away, embarrassed
about
being
caught woolgathering over the servant
girl
again. 

“
Aye
, sending a pos
t to Cambridge is a good idea, f
ather.”

“I think the sooner the better,” his father added under his breath
,
as he, too, watched
Myra
in the distance.

“It’s a reception to honor the marriage of a
family
friend
,
Myra
.”

“But Miss Preston—”

“Margaret.  Please,
Myra
, call me Margaret.” Margaret’s youthful face glowed.  With an angelic smile, she bowed her head invitingly.

Myra
’s fingers twisted and pulled at her skirt.
A
ccompany
ing
Margaret
to the festivity wasn’t high on her priority list of things
required
to be
done
at
the Preston home. 
She
needed an excuse
, but no reason
that may
appease Margaret
came
in
mind.

“I
must
take a maid with me, and I cannot stand the other
maids
who
f
ath
er has br
ought from
auction,
”
she explained.
  She emphasized her dismay
when she puckered
her face. 
She w
atched
Myra
and
then Margaret
tilted her head
to the side and examined her,
as
if she
wanted to measure
her
worth.  “You’ll do just f
ine, but I dare
say, you cannot go in those
rags
! 
Albeit
you’ll not be seen by many,
I’
ll
not have people think we
cannot
afford
clothing
my maid in something other than oddments!”

Indeed,
Myra
thought.
 
She was a
lready
apprehensive
about
a
ttending
a
social
affair
,
and
she couldn’t imag
ine
a
rriving
at
any
event
in her present
fashion
.
“Honestly, Mi
ss
— um, Margaret, I truly believe
I’
m not
the right person
for
attend
ing
you.” 
Surrendering to
the humility of being a servant
proved
hard
enough
for her
, but
to attend
a gala
that
reflected back
to the life she once lived ask
ed too much
. 

Margaret peered into her eyes and her temper came unleashed. 
“
Myra
, this is not a request,” she said sternly.
 
Myra
flinched at the young girl
’s forceful
demeanor
, and Margaret
i
mmediately
relented
and
express
ed
her
regret.  “Oh, I’m sorry,
Myra
.
You must excuse my harshness
.”  She wrapped an arm around
her, hugged,
and smiled.  “But I must insist you attend.  Goodness, if not you,
who else is there
? 
Certainly
you see my dilemma.”

“What of Lucia?”
Myra
offered.  “She is so well-mannered and very conscientious
to
everyone’s needs,” she
praised
.  “I’m sure she—”

”Certainly not,” Margaret said aghast.  “I’d sooner take a field hand as my maid!”

“But Lucia’s polite, intelligent, and has such a sweet disposition—”

Margaret swiftly closed the door
.  She covered
Myra
’s mouth
with one quick swoop of her hand
, and
Myra
’s eyes widened
at Margaret’s abruptness
,
as well as
her
audacity
.

“You mustn’t speak her name so loudly here,” Margaret cautioned.

“But why?” she finally asked after Margaret
released
her hand from her mouth.  Myra didn’t understand why
they
wanted
her
there
and yet not let anyone
make mention of her name.
  It ma
de
no sense,
Myra
thought.

“
Tis
the way it is, is all.”  Margaret walked to her bed and gathered a gown into her arms
.  She
shook it lightly, ridding it of w
rinkles.  What about this dress?
” Margaret asked
,
as she whirled in a circle
and raised a
green
satin gown
in front of her
.  “Father ordered it from
London
and it arrived just this week
!  Isn’t it just splendid?”