The Gilded Curse: Will the young heiress be the next victim of her family's curse? (21 page)

“It just doesn’t seem fair to treat a returning soldier like he’s mentally ill. Couldn’t there have been another way to help him?” Lexie’s stomach tensed with anguish.

“He wasn’t the only soldier that ended up in a mental ward. Lord only knows what those men had to see, much less do, during the war. It must be a terrible thing to live with,” Peg added.

“But thank God for your grandfather.” Marian pointed a finger at Lexie. “When he found out what happened to Abner, he moved mountains to get the man out.”

Lexie studied her cards but didn’t really see them. She looked up at the sisters. “That’s what Russell told me. I wonder why he went out of his way to help Mr. Jones.”

“Abner saved his life!” Peg glanced up at Lexie. “You didn’t know that?”

“No, no one ever mentioned it, or if they did, I was too young to understand. How did he save my grandfather’s life?”

“Your grandfather was Abner’s commanding officer in the army. During a battle in France, your grandfather was knocked unconscious. The enemy was advancing and he would have been killed, but Abner risked his own life to pick your grandfather up and carry him back to safety.”

Lexie thought of the picture of her grandfather in uniform that used to hang on the wall in the cottage.

“I had no idea. So Grandfather paid him back. No wonder.”

“It was the decent thing to do. Your grandfather was an honorable man. Everyone respected him,” said Peg.

“One sure thing about Abner is his loyalty. He never forgot the debt he owed your grandfather,” Marian added.

Lexie knew her grandfather garnered respect wherever he went. Now she knew one of the reasons. She wished she’d known him better, but he died when she was only eight years old.

Now, she also had an elevated opinion of Abner Jones. He had done an honorable thing as well, sacrificing his own safety for her grandfather. Surely, he deserved respect, too, regardless of his behavior.

When the bridge game ended, the ladies enjoyed tea and pastries from the Maurice’s own kitchen. Unlike most of the cottages, theirs had a fully-quipped kitchen capable of producing meals for large
gatherings. The Maurice family always brought their own chef with them to accommodate the many social functions they hosted.

Marian looked at the clock on the mantel. “It’s four o’clock, ladies. Time for a ride!”

Lexie glanced from one sister to the other. Were they leaving?

“Come on, dear.” Peg took Lexie’s arm and led her to the front door where the maid handed them their hats, coats, and gloves. “Charlie’s waiting for us. As Papa would say, ‘It’s time to roll.’”

The ladies exited the house and went down the stone steps where a horse-drawn carriage waited. The Negro driver tipped his hat and beamed as he assisted the ladies to step up onto a stone pedestal built especially for the purpose of aiding their climb into the carriage.

“Good afternoon, ladies.”

“Good afternoon, Charlie. This is Alexandra Smithfield—remember the Smithfields?”

“I do.” He nodded to Lexie. “Welcome back to the island, Miss Smithfield.”

“Thank you.” She settled into the seat opposite the sisters and next to Mrs. Prentice.

“Mr. Hill—Charlie—has been our family driver since we first started coming to the island. We’re so lucky we have him to keep our tradition of afternoon rides.”

Charlie climbed into the driver’s seat and clucked to the horses. For the next hour, the ladies enjoyed a leisurely ride. The peaceful tour of the island relaxed Lexie and lifted her heart, filling her with a connection to happier times there. Perhaps things weren’t as ominous as she’d thought. Maybe she was blowing things out of proportion. And maybe Abner was just a misunderstood, unfortunate man who had dealt with the ravages of war.

As they passed Faith Chapel, Lexie shrank back against the seat. She cast a glance at the small gothic-style church building, its terra cotta gargoyles leering down from the base of the steeple. The ugly heads were as menacing as ever.

“Ah, one of my favorite places!” Marian Maurice smiled as she swept her hand toward the chapel. “I’ve always loved our quaint little chapel.”

Charlie pulled the horses to a stop while the sisters discussed the building. Lexie held her breath, waiting for him to move on. The sisters were in no hurry, however.

“Mother was so fond of the chapel, wasn’t she, Marian?” said Peg.

“Oh, yes, she made sure we had plenty of guest ministers while we were here.”

Lexie listened with rapt attention to the sisters, surprised to hear the chapel discussed with such admiration.

“Remember Emily’s wedding there? I don’t believe anyone else has been married there.”

“No, they haven’t—not that I know of,” said Mrs. Prentice. “Guess they prefer the large lavish weddings in the major churches up north.”

“Well, I don’t think they could be any better than Emily’s. Such a lovely, cozy ceremony, wouldn’t you say?” Marian asked her sister. “Lovely” and “cozy” were not words Lexie would use to describe the chapel. And to think someone got married there! She wondered if their marriage had been cursed.

The sisters chatted while Lexie observed what a close relationship they had. She envied them, never having had a sister of her own. Neither of them had ever married, and they didn’t seem the worse for it. Instead, they had a zest for life and an eagerness to share it with others. They reminded her of Russell and his upbeat attitude. If only she could share it too.

Through the partially open doors of the chapel, a piano played notes of a hymn. Lexie’s ears strained to hear the tune—the same one she’d heard before.

“I love that hymn, don’t you?” Peg asked the question to no one in particular.

Marian and Mrs. Prentice nodded in agreement.

“One of my favorites,” said Marian.

Lexie hated to show her ignorance, but she had to know the name of the hymn.

“What is the name of that hymn?” She tried to ask as if she’d forgotten it instead of not being familiar with it.

In unison the ladies replied, “It is Well with My Soul.”

“I like the melody.” Lexie really did, even if it did emanate from the chapel. Were there words to the hymn? The title intrigued her, and she wanted to know the rest of it. How could she find out without entering the chapel?

The carriage started again, the road eventually running parallel to the beach. The afternoon sun began to make its descent, changing the color of the sky to shades of pink and orange as it peeked through the clouds. The ladies oohed and aahed at the magnificent display.

“Sometimes God just outdoes himself, doesn’t he?” Peg said. “I’d love to capture this scene in a painting.”

While they watched the sun sink, a lone rider appeared on horseback. He trotted along the beach, gazing out at the ocean, binoculars hanging around his neck.

“Who is that?” Marian said.

“He’s part of the beach patrol,” Mrs. Prentice replied.

The sisters jerked their heads to face her, their eyes wide.

“Beach patrol?” Peg said.

“Yes, the Coast Guard has increased their patrol and we’ve increased ours as well.”

“Is there a threat to us?”

“Probably not. They just want us to help spot German submarines. Frankly, I think it’s too shallow for a submarine around here,” Mrs. Prentice continued.

“I agree,” Peg asserted with a nod of her head. “I can’t imagine a submarine being close to us.”

A loud boom shook the ground and the ladies jumped.

The horse whinnied and pawed the earth.

The women all looked at each other, their eyes wide. Lexie glanced at the rider and saw him stop and focus on the distance with his binoculars. Was that smoke on the horizon?

“We better get back,” Charlie said. “It’s gettin’ late, gonna be dark soon.”

“Charlie, do you know what that noise was?” Marian looked up at the driver as he urged the horses on.

“No, ma’am.”

“Have you heard anything like that before?”

“No, ma’am.”

Lexie’s heart pounded while she stared at the spot on the horizon where she thought she saw a trail of black smoke. What happened? She couldn’t wait to get back and ask Russell. Did the rest of the people on the island feel the jolt? So much for a peaceful day. She knew it couldn’t last.

Chapter 24

“L
et’s turn on the radio when we get back to the cottage. If anything has happened this close to our shore, I’m sure it’ll be on the news.” Marian fixed her gaze across the carriage at her sister, emphasizing her statement with a firm nod of her head.

“Of course, you’re right, Sister. You know how they interrupt programs with important messages.” Peg nodded back her affirmation.

“I’ll speak to Bernon about it. He would be the first to know if anything happened so near to us.” Mrs. Prentice offered the others the most immediate solution.

“Oh, yes, please do. I know if anything is important enough for us to concern ourselves with, he’ll let us know,” Marian said.

Lexie watched Charlie Hill to see his reaction. Although she could only see the back of him from her place in the carriage, she thought she detected tension in his body and tightness in his jaw. What did he think about the incident? If he was frightened, he did a good job hiding it. She applauded his calm demeanor, despite the anxiety emanating from the ladies.

As soon as they returned, Lexie would make a beeline to find Russell. Had anyone else on the island heard the noise or just those near the beach? When the carriage neared the chapel, Russell came out the door and hurried down the steps. Another man walked beside him, carrying on an animated conversation. Russell strode briskly toward the clubhouse, not bothering to look in the direction of the carriage as he crossed the street.

Lexie started to call out to him but resisted, not wanting to call attention to herself, much less interrupt his discussion. His face was set with a serious determination she hadn’t seen before as he marched away. What a dramatic difference to the easy-going, jovial person she had come to know. She no longer needed to question whether he could be serious. If the occasion warranted it, indeed he could be. But what was the occasion?

When Charlie drew the carriage up in front of Hollybourne, the ladies breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“It’s so good to be home.” Marian turned to their driver, who had come around to help the ladies out. “Thank you, Charlie.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Would you like to come in a while, listen to the radio with us?” Peg addressed Lexie as she stepped down from the carriage.

“No, thank you. I need to get back to the clubhouse. But thank you both so much for a wonderful afternoon.”

“It was our pleasure, dear. We would love to get to know you better. Why, it almost felt like old times having a Smithfield here again.”

Lexie smiled and nodded. Indeed, the afternoon spent with the sisters had almost been like good old times that weren’t yet tainted by tragedy. Almost.

“Yes, we so enjoy having people here at our home, don’t we Peg?”

Peg nodded and clasped Lexie’s hand. “You’re welcome to our home anytime, Alexandra.”

As Lexie walked back to the clubhouse, the sisters stayed on her mind. They were so close, so happy here on the island. Why, they even called Hollybourne their home. Destiny certainly wasn’t home for Lexie—not the safe, comfortable place the sisters enjoyed. Even her home in New York lacked a homey atmosphere. No, living with Mother before going off to college, before Mother went to live at the hospital, was anything but. And the best times at Destiny existed only in her mind.

Her chest tightened with yearning. A place to call home and someone to share it with seemed like a distant goal, out of her reach. She didn’t know where or when she’d find her home, but she knew one thing—it would be in her future, not in her past.

When she got back to the clubhouse, she stopped at the front desk and asked the clerk if he knew where Russell was. The older gentleman glanced up the stairs.

“I believe he’s in a meeting, miss. I can give him a message when he gets out, if you wish.”

Her eyes traveled to the grandfather clock in the hallway. Just past six o’clock, rather late for a meeting.

“No, thank you. I’ll just wait.”

“Meeting might take a while. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to keep you waiting.”

He must’ve known what the meeting was about, guarding Russell like a watchdog. She hadn’t been deterred from Russell’s office before. She might as well go up to her room and wait.

“Of course. I’ll just speak to him later.”

She turned and walked to the staircase, but as she placed her hand on the banister, she heard voices above her at the next landing. She peered up the stairwell and glimpsed two women seated in the alcove beside the stairs. Oh, no. Not Mrs. Appleton again. There would be no way to get past her. If only there were another set of stairs. A memory of Stella the maid exiting the hall at the opposite end came to mind.

As she strolled away from the staircase, she gave the clerk a nonchalant wave and smiled, heading toward the front door.