Joy for Mourning

“An’ theees, Madame Brighton?”

Laina gave a soft gasp of pleasure and hurried forward at sight of the cherry-red watered-silk fabric Madame Duval pulled from a cupboard standing against the back wall.

“I have been saving theees for the right woman.” The modiste looked down and ran her hand over the shimmering fabric. “Theees must be worn by a woman of style…of verve…of élan!” She tipped her head to one side and smiled up at Laina. “You, Madame Brighton, are such a woman. You wish a gown of theees fabric, oui?”

Laina smiled. Judging by the gleam in the modiste’s eye, the gown would cost her a small fortune, but she didn’t care. The fabric was food for her beauty-starved soul. “Oui, Madame Duval.”

“Bon! And now we talk the designs for your new gowns. If you will be pleased to come with me?”

The little woman had turned all business, her fake accent evaporating, as well. Laina exchanged a wry glance with Elizabeth, then gave an eloquent shrug as they turned and followed the designer into another room.

“Would you ladies care to join me in the library for an after-dinner game of checkers?”

Laina followed Elizabeth through the dining-room doorway and glanced back at her brother. “There’s no one to make a fourth.”

Justin grinned and joined them in the hall. “We don’t need a fourth player. I shall gain the victory over one, then take on the other.”

“You believe so?”

His grin widened. “I do.”

Laina grinned right back. Justin knew very well she wouldn’t refuse such a challenge—they had been adamant checkers adversaries since childhood. She glanced over at Elizabeth, who had taken Justin’s arm. “What is your wish, Elizabeth?”

Her sister-in-law smiled and gave her husband a saucy glance. “I wish to give this overly confident gentleman a sound drubbing.”

Justin threw his head back and laughed. Laina drank in the wonderful sound, storing it in her heart to cheer her when she returned to the loneliness of her home in New York.

“And how did you find Philadelphia, Laina?”

“Different, yet much the same.”

Justin smiled as he held chairs for her and Elizabeth at the game table. “Now, there’s a remark I’m unable to follow. Would you care to explain?” He pulled the checkerboard from the drawer, took his own seat and grinned at them. “Which of you ladies wishes to be my first victim?”

“That would be Laina.” Elizabeth laughed. “I fall prey to your skill far too often.”

Justin rubbed the palms of his hands together and waggled his eyebrows, giving Laina what was supposed to be a diabolical look. “So be it! Prepare to meet your fate at my hands, fair damsel!”

Laina laughed and picked up one of the small cloth bags holding the checkers. “Do not expect me to swoon in terror at your threats, good sir. My fate rests in my own hands—prepare thyself!” She returned his challenge with a cheeky smile and placed her checkers on the board.

Justin chuckled and did the same.

“But to answer your query, dearheart, there are many new shops in Philadelphia. It’s quite exciting to see how much the city has grown in the ten years I’ve been gone. But it’s much the same in its cleanliness and friendly atmosphere.” She wrinkled her nose. “New York does not clean its streets daily as you do here. It can become most unpleasant, especially in the heat of summer.”

Justin nodded agreement. “Your move.”

Laina slid a checker forward.

He countered her move. “And what is your opinion of Madame Duval?” His gaze shifted to Elizabeth and he chuckled. “My wife found her a little avaricious on their first encounter.”

Laina laughed and moved another checker. “I can well understand that. There is a definite gleam in Madame’s eyes. And that French accent she puts on! I’m so thankful Elizabeth warned me, or I know I would have laughed.”

Laina looked down to hide the gleam she was afraid shone in her own eyes as Justin moved his piece exactly where she wanted him to. “But there’s nothing fake about the designs Madame Duval creates. And the fabrics she imports are simply beautiful.” She moved her sacrifice checker into place, then glanced at her brother. “It was so sad driving by Twiggs Manor today. It looks woebegone. Elizabeth said you’ve not decided what to do with it.”

Justin nodded and made the forced jump. “I will sell it eventually—it’s too fine a house to sit empty—but not yet. I’m not ready to face strangers living in Abigail’s home.”

“I quite understand.” Laina looked away from the sorrow that clouded her brother’s eyes—she saw enough of it in her own eyes every time she looked in a mirror. She shook off the gloom threatening to overtake her, jumped two of his checkers and smiled across the table at Elizabeth as Justin growled low in his throat and countered her move. “He’s running from me, Elizabeth, but it will do him no good.”

She moved her next checker into place and grinned when Justin groaned. “Methinks someone has walked into a trap.”

Elizabeth giggled. “And straight into a drubbing!”

Thad halted the horse and stared into the darkness. Had a child run behind that building or not? He drew in a breath, then frowned and drove on. There was no sense in calling—the poor hapless children of the night were too frightened of people to answer. They either crouched silent and still in a hiding place, or crept away in the dark.

He shook his head and guided the horse onto Spruce Street. “Well, Lord, I’m sure You have a solution for this problem, but I can’t for the life of me figure what it might be. The merchants are so angry over the constant theft of their wares they’ve little sympathy left for the children, who are only stealing what they need to stay alive. And the town council says all the available funds are going into the development of the new waterworks, so—”

“Doc! Doc!”

Thad stopped the horse and sighed as a young boy raced toward his buggy. He’d almost made it home. He caught a look at the boy’s frightened face and guilt smote him. Forgive me my selfishness, Lord. “What is it, Tommy?”

“Ma’s birthin’, Doc. Jenny sent me to fetch you. She said Ma’s in a bad way an’ they need you. She said come fast.”

Thad nodded and patted the seat, processing the scant information as Tommy Dodge hopped up and sat beside him. They. So there was a midwife in attendance. He hoped she was a good, capable woman. Of course, that would mean the problem was serious. Thad scowled and urged his tired horse into a trot, his own weariness forgotten.

Laina turned on her side, pulled the covers closer about her neck and stared at the moonlight streaming in the window. So many lovely things had happened in the past two days with Justin and Elizabeth.

Laina sighed, threw back the covers and slid out of bed. They were the best days she’d had in months and still she couldn’t sleep. All those lovely things reminded her of the emptiness of her own life.

Laina lifted the long skirt of her nightgown, stepped into her slippers and walked to the window. Moonlight outlined the bare branches of the trees and highlighted the patches of snow in the gardens below. She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth and stared down at the scene. Everything looked desolate and barren.

She heaved another sigh and turned away from the depressing sight. She would be so glad when spring arrived. When everything came to life again. She wanted so much to feel alive again. Not on the surface, as she’d felt tonight while playing checkers with Justin and Elizabeth, but deep down inside. She was so tired of feeling like…like Abigail’s empty house.

There! The thought was out. All day she’d been suppressing it. Laina frowned and walked over to curl up in the chair on the hearth. Why couldn’t she get Abigail’s vacant house out of her mind? She didn’t want to think about sad things. She’d had enough of sadness. She’d come to Philadelphia to escape it! There had to be something she could think about that wouldn’t remind her of her own circumstances.

Mr. Buffy. Laina gave a nod of satisfaction. Yes, that was it. She would think about Mr. Buffy. There was nothing about him to make her feel her own lack. She’d never had a pet. She leaned against the soft, padded back of the chair, stared into the dancing flames of the fire and fixed her thoughts on the big black dog.

Chapter Four

“I wish you would come to church with us, Laina.”

Laina looked up at her brother and shook her head. “Not today, Justin. I’m not going to make my first public appearance among Philadelphia society in widow’s garb or borrowed clothes. There will be time enough for church when I have my new dresses from Madame Duval.”

“But—” Justin stopped as Elizabeth laid her hand on his arm and gave a small shake of her head. A frown creased his forehead. “All right, Laina. Perhaps it’s best if you wait.”

“Thank you for agreeing, Justin.” Laina went on tiptoe and kissed her brother’s cheek, then turned and gave Elizabeth a quick hug as horses’ hooves clattered against the brick paving outside. “Thank you for the help.”

Elizabeth smiled at the whispered words and stepped back to slide her hand through her husband’s offered arm. “We’ll be back soon.”

The butler pulled open the door.

Laina shivered in the sudden draft of cold air and moved to the window to watch Justin and Elizabeth descend the front steps and climb into the waiting carriage. Thank goodness for Elizabeth’s intervention. Justin could be adamant when he felt the occasion called for it, and judging from his frown, he thought church was such an occasion.

Laina sighed and turned away from the window as the carriage departed. She hated to disappoint her brother, but she wasn’t ready to go to church and listen to empty promises about God’s blessings and answered prayer. If God answered prayers, where were the children she yearned for? If He blessed, where was the baby she longed to feel growing in her womb?

Laina’s face drew taut. She uncurled her hands, which had clenched into fists at her sides, and lifted her long skirts to ascend the stairs to get her cloak. She needed to walk off her anger before Justin and Elizabeth returned. Her sister-in-law could look at her in a way that stripped away every bit of artifice.

Laina shook off the thought, strode down the hall to the red bedroom and wrenched open the door. For once the color of the room didn’t cheer her. How could it? Red or black—what did it matter? Either way she was still a lonely, loveless, childless widow. And nothing would change that. No healthy man of her age would marry a barren woman.

Laina stalked to the wardrobe, yanked open the carved doors and grabbed her cloak. With a quick lift of her arm and a violent twist of her wrist, she swirled it around her shoulders, then fastened the braided loops over the self buttons, grabbed her matching coal-scuttle bonnet and rushed from the room.

Laina walked rapidly, heedless of her direction, wanting only to outpace the hurt in her heart. She was twenty-nine years old, strong and healthy. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life alone, without love. A shadow fell across her path. She turned her head, staring at the brick pillar beside her. It stood square and tall, a solid anchor for the black wrought-iron fence that marched off into the distance. Abigail’s fence.

Laina scowled. Why had she come this way? Of all the places she didn’t want to be right now, Twiggs Manor was foremost. She moved beyond the pillar, focusing her attention on the walkway, but she couldn’t resist a strong urge to look at the brick mansion. She lifted her head and glanced at the house. Blank, dark windows stared back at her. She shivered and turned to walk on, but for some reason her feet remained planted to the spot.

Compelled by a feeling she could not identify or ignore, Laina made her way along the gravel drive. Her reluctant steps carried her over the stone sweep, up the stairs and across the porch to the front door. It was locked. She strode to one of the multipaned front windows and cupped her hands on either side of her face to peer inside. White fabric draped the furniture and chandelier of Abigail’s beautiful drawing room. The carpet was rolled, the wood floor bare. There were no candles in the wall sconces, no fire burning in the marble fireplace. How sad.

Laina sighed. She could remember the wonderful lively parties Abigail had held in this house and in these gardens. Her mind’s eye retained visions of people playing quoits on the lawn, chess or checkers on tables set out in the shade of the trees, dining on fabulous foods served picnic-style.

She could close her eyes and see the winter parties—people skating on the pond out back, the flickering of torches against the cold night sky, the dancing flames of bonfires where shivering servants roasted chestnuts and made hot, mulled cider for the guests. If she listened with her imagination, she could even hear the jingling bells on the horses that pulled the sleighs on rides that began at the carriage house and ended with a late-night dinner in Abigail’s vast dining room. She’d met Stanford at one of those parties.

Laina stepped off the porch and looked up at the house, her heart swelling with protest. There should be warm candlelight shining a welcome from the windows, smoke pouring from the chimneys! There should be the sound of happy chatter and laughter. It was wrong to let this beautiful house sit empty and silent.

She stared at the house a moment longer, then turned and retraced her steps to the road. She would talk to Justin about selling Twiggs Manor to someone who would enjoy it. Someone who—

Laina stopped dead in her tracks, stunned by a sudden idea. Why not her? Why shouldn’t she buy Twiggs Manor? The house needed people to bring it back to life, and she needed something to give her life meaning. There was nothing left for her in New York. She…

She was out of her wits! Laina snorted, shook her head and started walking back to Randolph Court. She must be going stark, raving mad from boredom. What a ridiculous notion—her buying Twiggs Manor.

Or was it?

Laina paused at the corner, pursed her lips in speculation and stepped to the wrought-iron fence to look back at the house. At least if she moved to Philadelphia she would have a goal, a purpose. She could save the three-story brick mansion from its present forlorn state and fill her life by carrying on Abigail’s role as leader of Philadelphia society. It wasn’t much compared to a husband and children, but at least it was something.

Laina drew her cloak close against a sudden gust of wind, crossed Walnut Street and walked south on Fifth Street. There was no problem with finances—she had inherited Stanford’s sizable fortune. But her heart quailed at the thought of all the unknown legal processes involved.

Judge!

A tingle of excitement quickened Laina’s steps. With Judge to handle things in New York and Justin to handle things here in Philadelphia, she—

No! Laina clenched her hands and reined in her runaway thoughts. The idea was absurd. A pathetic attempt to change a life that could not be changed. She must put it from her mind, stop railing against her circumstances and accept her future with dignity, though she’d never been good at bearing adversity patiently.

Laina sighed and turned into the brick path leading to Randolph Court. The walk had done nothing but create more questions, more distress. Would anything ever be right again?

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Brighton, Master James is asleep. So is Miss Mary. But Miss Sarah is awake. She’s in the playroom having a tea party with her dolls and Mr. Buffy. Would you care to join her?”

“Would it be all right?” Laina shot an anxious glance at the connecting door to the playroom. “I don’t want to intrude if she would prefer to be alone.”

The plump nanny smiled. “I’m sure Miss Sarah would welcome your company—if you’re willing to drink pretend tea.”

Laina laughed. “I shall consume gallons of it!” She walked to the door, then lifted her hands as if holding a plate in front of her and stepped into the playroom.

“Good day, Sarah. I’ve brought some cinnamon biscuits for your party. May I join you until your mama and papa come home and I have to go down to dinner?”

“Oh, goody!” Sarah gave her a happy smile. “I like cinnamon biscuits.”

“Wonderful. They’re my favorite.” Laina grinned as the big black dog sitting beside the table gave a soft “woof” and thumped his tail against the floor. “So you like them, too, Mr. Buffy. You shall have two.” She walked to the small table and mimed placing a plate of cookies in the center. Bafflement took the place of amusement as she swept her gaze over the ragged-edged plates and lopsided cups that graced Sarah’s table.

“Mama and me made the dishes.”

“You did?” Laina cringed inwardly. Sarah had noticed her reaction to the dishes. She smiled, seated herself on one of the small chairs and hastened to repair her faux pas. “You did a very nice job.”

Sarah beamed. “Mama showed me how. Then she tickled me. And then the mean lady came and scared me. But she wasn’t really mean—she was Aunty Twiggs.”

Laina choked back a laugh at Sarah’s description of Abigail Twiggs and accepted the cup of pretend tea her stepniece handed her. “And did you and Aunty Twiggs become friends?”

Sarah nodded, offered Laina a pretend biscuit, then placed one on the floor for Mr. Buffy before taking one onto her plate. The dog sniffed, snorted, then crossed one paw over the other and lowered his head to rest on them. Sarah looked up at her. “Aunty Twiggs came to my tea parties in the garden. Now she’s with Jesus in heaven. She got deaded.”

“I see.” Laina didn’t want to talk about that subject, even with a four-year-old. “May I have some more tea, please? It’s very good.”

Sarah giggled, leaned forward and tipped a tiny yellow teapot decorated with red flowers over Laina’s lopsided clay cup. “Oh-oh.” She tipped her small head toward the open door, then jumped up and grabbed her plate and cup. “I have to put these away now. Mary waked up, and she breaks things.”

Sarah went on tiptoe, slid the dishes on the top shelf in an alcove formed by a brick fireplace, then glanced back at Laina. “She doesn’t mean to break them. She’s little.”

“I understand.” Laina gathered the remaining dishes and placed them on the shelf as Anna Hammerfield entered the room, carrying a sleepy-eyed Mary in her plump arms.

“I hope you’re not ruining your dinner by eating too many biscuits, Miss Sarah.”

The little girl giggled. “They’re pretend biscuits, Nanny.”

“All the same.” Anna Hammerfield lifted her hand higher to support Mary as the toddler twisted toward Laina and held out her arms.

“Tory.”

Laina glanced at the nanny. “May I?” At the woman’s answering nod, she took Mary into her arms. The toddler put her thumb in her mouth and snuggled close against her. Laina swallowed hard and laid her cheek against the baby’s soft brown hair. How could you feel joy and pain at the same time?

“Miss Mary likes to look at pictures.” The nanny glanced at Sarah and held out her hand. “Time for you to get washed up for dinner, missy.”

“All right, Nanny.” Sarah pulled a book off the shelf beside her and carried it to Laina. “Mary likes this one. It’s about aminals.”

“Thank you, Sarah.” Laina smiled down at the child.

“I’ll come back for Miss Mary when I’ve got Miss Sarah cleaned and settled, Mrs. Brighton. This one never tires of stories, but it’s her dinnertime, too.” The nanny tweaked Mary under the chin, then took hold of Sarah’s hand and headed for the door. Mr. Buffy rose and lumbered after them.

Mary pulled her thumb from her mouth and pointed a pudgy finger. “Doggy.”

“Doggy, yes.” Laina smiled at the toddler and headed for the rocking chair on the hearth. “His name is Mr. Buffy. Can you say Mr. Buffy?”

Mary shook her head. “Doggy. Tory.”

Laina grinned. It seemed Mary had a limited vocabulary and a one-track mind. “All right, precious. You shall have your story.” She sat in the rocker, settled Mary on her lap and opened the book.

Mary pointed. “Kitty.”

“Yes. A pretty, fluffy kitty. And he’s chasing a butterfly.” Laina glanced at Mary. “Can you say butterfly?”

The toddler’s lower lip came out in a stubborn pout. She poked the picture. “Kitty.”

Laina choked back a laugh. Obviously Mary was not going to tolerate instruction. “All right, Mary, we’ll read the book your way.” She began to rock. The toddler stuck her thumb back in her mouth and rested against her. Laina caught her breath against the sudden sharp pain in her heart and turned the page.

He’d lost her. Thad stared down at the pale, still face of the young woman on the bed. She shouldn’t have died. She wouldn’t have died if it weren’t for the bloodletting. He was sure of it. Barbara Grant had been improving before her mother sent for that other doctor!

Thad shoved aside the bowl of beef broth Barbara Grant had been too weak to swallow and walked over to close the window he’d opened on entering the stifling room. No amount of fresh air would help Barbara now. Thad’s mouth tightened. In truth, he wasn’t sure it would have helped her, anyway. It was only one of his theories. He didn’t know.

The door creaked open. Thad turned and looked at Barbara’s mother.

“Hubert says your buggy is ready.”

The woman’s face was stiff with anger. Why wouldn’t it be? She blamed him for her daughter’s death. She thought Barbara should have been bled when she first became ill, and he couldn’t prove her wrong. But Barbara had been gaining a little strength daily, until that doctor bled her yesterday morning and again last night. If Hubert had come home earlier, maybe—

Thad broke off the useless speculation and picked up his bag. “Goodbye, Mrs. Stone. I’m sorry about Barbara. She—”

“She’d be alive had you bled her and kept the windows closed so the bad humors couldn’t get in!” The woman spat the words at him, then turned her back.

Thad absorbed the criticism. What else could he do without proof to the contrary? He started for the door, then stopped. Hubert Grant stood in the doorway, his lips so compressed it looked as if the taut skin around them would split. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save her, Hubert.”

The man opened his mouth, then promptly closed it again and stepped aside. Thad walked out into the parlor and crossed to the front door. The cold air made him shiver after the excessive warmth of the sickroom. He hunched his shoulders and walked to his buggy.

“Doc.”

So Hubert had followed him outside. Thad turned to face the angry, grief-stricken husband.

The big man cleared his throat. “I wanted to say I know you did all you could, Doc. An’ Barbara was gettin’ better doin’ like you said. She told me she felt stronger—that she thought she’d be gettin’ up in a few days. That’s why I went on my sellin’ trip. But I shoulda known her mother…”

Hubert’s face tightened. He made a visible effort to calm himself. “That butcher never would’ve got in the door if I’d been home.” His wide shoulders sagged. “I don’t know how I’m ever gonna tolerate seein’ that woman around here, but I have to, for our kids’ sake. I reckon that’s my cross to bear for leavin’ Barbara to her mother’s mercies. But that’s nothin’ to you.”

Hubert took a deep breath and stuck out his hand. “Thanks for tryin’ to pull Barbara through, Doc. I reckon you could’ve saved her if she hadn’t been so weak from the bleedin’.” He pumped Thad’s hand, then spun on his heel and walked rapidly toward his barn.

Thad’s heart ached for the grieving man. Anger spread through him at the needless waste of life caused by the common medical procedures of the day. Why wouldn’t his colleagues listen to him? Why couldn’t they see that their patients only got weaker when they drained off their blood?

Thad clenched his jaw, shoved his bag onto the seat and climbed into his buggy, picking up the reins as his horse moved forward. It did no good to think about it. Thinking never changed anyone’s mind. He needed proof. And now, thanks to Barbara Grant’s mother, his proof was gone. Who would trust him to treat them according to his theories now?