A Lady of High Regard (34 page)

“Is Papa gone to be with the angels?” Bliss asked. Her eyes were wide as she gazed from Garrett down to her father.

“Soon, Bliss. Very soon now.” Garrett hugged the girl close, grateful for her tender embrace.

“Why does Father have to die?” Agnes asked.

Garrett looked to where she stood with her mother on the other side of the bed. “Everyone has to die, Aggie. It’s the way of the world—the way of life. There is a beginning and an end.”

“Just like a story?” Bliss questioned.

Garrett smiled. “Yes. Exactly like a story. Our lives on earth are the individual story of who we are and what we do. Father was a wonderful man who did many marvelous things to help people and to show love. He would want us to continue that love by being good to each other and to other people in the world.

“I think it might serve us well to tell Father good-bye for now. We will see him again in heaven some day,” Garrett told his sisters, “but for now we must let him go.”

“Good-bye, Papa,” Bliss said softly. She leaned down from Garrett’s hold and placed her head upon her father’s chest. “I hear his heart,” she said, rising up to meet Garrett’s eyes. “He told me it beats just for us—his ladies. Mama and Agnes and Lenore and me.”

Garrett felt tears come to his eyes. “Your papa loves you a great deal.” He kissed her on the forehead and pulled her close.

Agnes viewed her father with a tentative, almost fearful, expression. The last few weeks she had seemed terrified to go anywhere near her father’s sickroom.

“Papa, I wish you wouldn’t go to heaven just yet.” Agnes’s voice broke as she began to cry. “I’m afraid.”

Mercy put her arms around Agnes and held her close. “Do not be afraid. Your papa will be happy in heaven. Death is nothing to be afraid of—it’s just the start of a new journey.”

“But we will be alone. What will happen to us without a papa?”

“I will always be nearby to help you,” Garrett declared, knowing his place was here in Philadelphia. He only hoped Mia might feel the same. He couldn’t leave his sisters to face the world unprotected.

“And we have our heavenly Father,” Mercy said softly. “He will always watch over us. Remember what Papa told us—God loves us even more than any human being could ever love us. And God’s love never ends.”

Garrett suddenly realized his father was no longer breathing. He put his hand out to feel the man’s chest and realized it was still. “He’s gone.”

“But he’s right there,” Bliss said, frowning.

“His spirit is in heaven now,” Mercy whispered. “Remember how I told you that his body would stay here but his spirit would go to be with Jesus?”

“I forgot,” Bliss admitted. She extended her hand and put it atop Garrett’s arm, patting him gently. “I won’t forget again.”

Agnes wept against her mother’s breast while Mercy lifted her gaze to Garrett. “I have never loved any man as I have loved this man. And I will never love another . . . although I promised your father I would try.”

Garrett helped Mercy get the children to bed, then accompanied her downstairs. “I need to go next door and let the Stanleys know what’s happened. Mia was going to tell them the end was near, but I feel I should tell them myself that he has passed.”

“Of course.” She brushed back several loose strands of brown hair.

He took hold of her hands. “Mercy, you have been a good wife to my father. I want you to know too that I meant what I said. I will be close by for you and my sisters. You will not need to fear for your future. I will see to it that you lack for nothing. I promise you.”

Mercy squeezed his hand. “I do not expect you to sacrifice your life for ours. You should find a wife and settle down—have children of your own.”

He smiled. “I promise you that I will seek a family of my own, but remember too that you are my family.” He paused and studied her for a moment. “You said something about father asking you to love again.”

She looked away. “He made me promise to remarry if the opportunity presented itself. He said your mother had made him promise the same thing, and he’d never regretted it.”

Garrett took hold of her shoulders. “I know he never did. Maybe one day it will be right for you to love again. God will lead you.”

She suddenly seemed decades older. “Thank you, Garrett. You are very dear to me. I know you’ve been planning to buy a place of your own, but please know that you are welcome here for as long as you like.”

“That may be straining the bounds of propriety,” Garrett said with a sigh. “Society might question the living arrangements with us so close in age. Besides, I already have in mind who I’d like to take as my wife.” He grinned. “And she’ll probably want a house of her own.”

“Mia?” Mercy asked with a smile.

“Mia.”

“She’ll make you a good wife. I know your father would be pleased.”

“I know he would be too. I wish he could have known.” Garrett gave her a quick embrace. “I should go now and let the Stanleys know what has happened. I’ll also arrange for the undertaker to come.”

“Mia said nothing to you?”Garrett asked after giving Lyman the news about his father and accepting the man’s condolences.

“I haven’t seen Mia all day,” Lyman said. Ruth passed by just then with a stack of linens. “Ruth,” Mr. Stanley called to her, “have you seen Mia?”

“No, sir. Jason said she came home some time ago, but she’s not up in her room and I haven’t seen her anywhere else in the house.”

“Well, let us give it a thorough search,” Mr. Stanley ordered. “I’ll go upstairs. Garrett, you search the grounds. Ruth, have Jason search the carriage house, then come back here to search the servants’ quarters.”

Everyone went their separate ways. Garrett took a lantern from the kitchen and wandered the garden to see if there was any sign of Mia. Perhaps she’d fallen ill and fainted. He checked near the bench where they’d first talked. Nothing.

Moving back toward the house, however, he spotted her shawl on the ground. Garrett picked it up and searched around him, almost expecting her to materialize. The shawl was cold. It was obvious it had been on the ground for some time.

“Where are you, Mia?”

He hurried his search and met up with Jason, who was headed toward the house. “Did you find her?” Garrett asked.

“No, sir. She’s not in the carriage house. We looked everywhere.”

“I’ll let Mr. Stanley know. Thank you.”

Garrett hurried to find Lyman Stanley. He held up the shawl as Mr. Stanley descended the stairs. “I found this, but nothing else.”

“I don’t understand where she would be.”

“We were speaking in the garden when Cook came to fetch me,” Garrett told him. “She was planning to come tell you of my father’s situation.”

“You don’t suppose she got another message from the women at the docks?” Mr. Stanley questioned.

Garrett felt his chest tighten. “Surely she wouldn’t head there again. Not this late and not after everything you’ve said to her. She knows things are going to be better now with Barrill safely in jail.”

“Perhaps she felt she needed to see to the matter herself. She might have gone to see that Mrs. Smith.”

“I’ll leave immediately.” Garrett knew he sounded angry and tried to contain his emotion. If Mia had put herself in harm’s way once again, Garrett didn’t know what he would do.

“I’ll come back as soon as I know something,” he promised.

He went to the carriage house and began to harness a horse to the small buggy. Anger coursed through him. How could she do this? How could she be so heartless when she knew his father was dying?

“I can do that, sir,” his groomsman stated as he took up the strapping. Garrett stood back, feeling rather helpless as the man took over the task.

Mia would never be so thoughtless. She was going to tell her family about my father. Even if she had plans to leave again, she would have fulfilled at least that one duty.

That thought caused Garrett to fear even more for her safety. The shawl on the ground made it look as though she’d been in a hurry and had dropped it. Either that . . . or been forced to leave it behind.

“Would you like a driver, sir?” the groom asked as he lit the buggy lanterns as a final measure.

“No. I’ll take myself. And please send word to my stepmother. Tell her I had to take care of something important. Then please go fetch the undertaker.”

“Yes, sir.” The man started to leave, then turned back. “Mr. Wilson, I’m very sorry about your father. He was a good man.”

“Thank you.”

Garrett mounted the buggy and snapped the reins. The horse seemed to sense his urgency and whinnied softly as they headed out.

Garrett’s thoughts clung to the simple prayer on his lips:

“Lord, help me find, Mia. Please help me find her safe and unharmed.”

CHAPTER 27

M
ia awoke flat on her back, her mouth gagged and her hands and feet tied. The room was dark, so she couldn’t be sure of her surroundings, but she heard water and sounds of activity outside. Inside, the room smelled damp and musty.

He must have brought me to the docks.
Panic flooded her reasoning.
I have to get out of here. I have to get away.
She pulled at the ropes that bound her in place. It seemed that Barrill had tied her to a rickety bed. Every movement Mia made caused the entire thing to shift in a rather precarious manner.

She stilled and tried to push back the terror that rose in her heart. What did Barrill plan to do? Her father said he was accused of killing his own mother. There would be no hope for a stranger given that knowledge. There would also be no reasoning with or promising this man anything. Mia knew that from her previous encounters.

If I’d been obedient and listened to those who loved me, I might never have brought myself to this end.

She tried to move her legs but the rope held fast. There was no hope of freeing herself. She couldn’t move her hands or feet, and she couldn’t call for help.

To her surprise the door opened and Barrill stood in the opening with a lantern. Mia raised her head up just enough to see his frightening expression. He seemed quite pleased with himself—almost excited.

“I hope you find the accommodations to your liking,” he said in a sarcastic tone. He entered the room and placed the light on a small wooden table. “It’s not as lovely as your home, of course, but it’s all I have right now. My own delightful home is no doubt being watched by the police—thanks to you.”

He checked her feet to make sure they were tied securely. Mia tried to speak, tried to tell him what a hideous monster he was and that somehow she would make him pay for this. But of course, the words came out in garbled noises that made no sense.

“You can fight all you want. No one is going to find you here—not that you’ll be here all that long. I have contacted friends who are going to come and take you away. Take us both away. We’ll go south—perhaps to the islands, where we will sell you as a slave to some grateful plantation owner.”

He leaned over Mia, his face only inches from hers. “You are a very beautiful woman. No doubt men will pay me good money for a bit of fun with you. You’re a quality piece—not like the hags here on the docks. Were it not so profitable to sell untainted merchandise to the highest bidder, I might have a bit of fun with you myself.”

Mia fought against the ropes to move away from Barrill as he ran his hands over her body. He laughed as she struggled. “A few well placed touches does no harm.”

Screaming at him, Mia thought she might well be sick. She could only imagine the plans this man had for her future.
Oh, God, help me. Take me from this wretched creature.

Barrill suddenly straightened and cocked his head to the side. “That could be my friends now. I’ll have to leave you, but we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves later.” He licked his lips in a most disgusting fashion. “I will enjoy myself just thinking about it. You can think too, although I’m sure you won’t enjoy yourself nearly as much.” He laughed, then turned to go. “I’ll leave the lantern in case you’re afraid of the dark. No sense in having you too frightened. After all, I’m not a completely unreasonable man. I have my softer side, and if you’re nice to me you might benefit from it.”