The Fragrance of Her Name (10 page)

Lauryn released her mother and inwardly recognized that Brant’s coming home with her and Nana may be just what her own mother needed for now. A welcome adventure, someone to dote over and care for. Something to ease her thoughts of loss.

“
Now, you run along upstairs, Lauryn,” her mother encouraged. “I’m certain you’re needin’ to get out of those travelin’ clothes. You too, Nana.”

“
In good time,” Nana said, taking a seat near the fire with Junie on her lap.

However, without another moment’s pause, Lauryn was up the stairs and in her room. Closing the door behind her, she nearly burst into tears again at the familiarity of the room. Her own bed draped in the quilts stitched by her grandmother’s gentle hands. Her window…the window with the seat that overlooked the wisteria-drenched gazebo. It was heavenly! Her wardrobe, her vanity, her books and other treasured things placed lovingly on the wall shelf. And there was the overwhelming feeling of anxious anticipation at seeing her dearest friend.

“
Captain?” she called softly. “I’m home!”

It wasn’t even an entire instant before he was there, standing before her, his arms outstretched beckoning her to embrace him.

“
Oh, Captain,” she sighed as she threw herself into his familiar embrace. “How I have missed you!”

“
And how you’ve changed,” the Captain chuckled. “All grown up, my little Lauryn.”

Lauryn lingered in his embrace savoring the familiar scent of his clothes. That soothing scent of wool mingled with the fragrance of burning cedar. It was always the same. So warm and comforting. Ever since she had met the Captain, she’d loved the smell that accompanied him. Oddly however, it wasn’t until this very moment that Lauryn even realized she had. It wasn’t until she had returned home from being away so long that she had actually identified what the aroma about him was; the comforting scent of a well-worn, woolen uniform that had spent many a long, cold night around a campfire.

“
And bringing home strangers, too,” The Captain added, playfully.

“
He’s no stranger,” Lauryn giggled looking up into the mischievous eyes of the Captain. “Not to you. He’s your blood kin.”

“
And almost as handsome as me, I might add,” the Captain chuckled. “Now…you sit here and tell me the tale of this Brant Masterson.”

Lauryn paused, uncertain whether or not she should tell him everything about Brant. Should she tell him that Brant had spent his life with Lauralynn, all the while the Captain was being miserable without her?

“
He sees Lauralynn,” she blurted out surprising herself. “He’s known her since he was a child.”

Immediately, the Captain’s face paled, his grin disappeared, an overpowering sadness seemed to envelope his countenance. Instantly, Lauryn regretted this should be the first thing she told him after returning from being away so long.

“
The way I appear to you?” he asked.

“
Yes…and no,” Lauryn answered. “He sees her…but she can’t talk to him.” The Captain sighed heavily, the sigh of defeat. Lauryn scolded herself again for blurting out the information she had. And why, she wondered, had she chosen to tell the Captain about this instead of simply how she met Brant and how she felt about it? “But don’t you see, Captain?” she pleaded. “This is what we’ve been needin’! It must be meant that he should enter our lives. Because…somehow I know this will help us find Lauralynn.”

“
But why would she be there…with my family? Instead of here where…where…with her own?” the Captain asked.

Lauryn shrugged and again tried to encourage her dear friend. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about it all,” she began. “But I know he can help us. I know he can! With Brant’s help…we’ll find her, Captain. We will!” And she did know it. Something in her soul knew it! Her heart even seemed to beat differently since she’d met Brant. Of course, the fleeting thought breezed through her mind that maybe her heart being lighter had something to do with Brant’s handsome features and otherwise overall attractiveness, rather than the knowledge he may hold a secret that would help find Lauralynn.

Quickly, however, Lauryn shook her head to dispel the notion. No! Brant had been a gift from Heaven to help her heal the Captain.

The Captain reached out and caressed Lauryn’s cheek adoringly. Smiling he whispered, “I’ve missed you, you little runt.”

“
Well, I’m home now. And more determined than ever.” Lauryn smiled at him.

“
And what about your trip to New Orleans?” the Captain asked. “What grand adventures did you have?”

Lauryn could only shrug her shoulders once more and shake her head. “None. None more wonderful than today’s!”

“
What?” The Captain gasped, exaggerating his astonishment. “No handsome young man endeavored to steal your heart? No returned soldier tried to woo you into his arms?”

“
Not really,” Lauryn answered honestly. “None of them…of the men I met were….none of them were
him
.”

The Captain chuckled once more. “You mean none of them were Mr. Perfectly Imperfect? This dream man you’ve invented? Or do you mean none of them were this Brant Masterson?”

Playfully Lauryn glared at him for a moment. How dare he tease her about her dream man! And how dare he tease her about this stranger that now sheltered at Connemara. Then, she realized something. “Either one,” she told him. He smiled with understanding.

“
Well, you’ll have a lot you’ll want to talk to your family about. And, no doubt, you do need your rest. And so my girl, I’m off.” The Captain bowed respectfully kissing Lauryn’s cheek as he’d done since she was a little girl. “Good night.”

“
Now? You’re leavin’ now?” Lauryn exclaimed. She didn’t want him to leave! She’d been away for nearly a year. She had missed him desperately. She had longed for conversation with him. And yet, somehow the feeling of wanting him to linger began to be overshadowed by fatigue. “I guess…I guess…I should go down with the family. And sleep will do me some good, too. But when will we talk? First thing in the mornin’?”

The Captain shrugged. “We’ll see. Your mother has had a bad few months, peach. She needs you. My life…my existence hasn’t changed. I have no news to report. But you…you’ve had such adventures. And your mother needs you.”

“
Brant will help us, Captain,” Lauryn whispered with conviction. “I know it!”

“
Then I’m certain of it, too.” The Captain kissed her cheek once more.

“
Good night,” Lauryn sighed as he disappeared leaving only the faint aroma of worn wool and cedar.

Once she’d freshened up and tidied her mane of wavy hair, Lauryn returned to the parlor. She found everyone, including Brant, sitting around the hearth enjoying light conversation. Brant sat to the right of her grandmother, Nana’s hand resting reassuringly on the young man’s knee. Baby Junie was crawling around on the carpet giggling as Patrick pretended to chase her about. For all of Patrick’s whining about Junie getting all of Sean’s attention, it was obvious Junie’s young uncle adored her. Mindy sat elegantly on the floor next to Sean. Lauryn’s mother looked up from her seat near the hearth, smiling as she caught sight of Lauryn entering the room.

“
There you are, my angel,” Georgia chimed. “Do you feel quite refreshed?” she winked at her daughter . No doubt Lauryn’s mother knew to whom she’d been talking.

“
I do,” Lauryn answered with a nod and a pleased smile. “And yet, I’m tuckered out.”

“
I imagine you are,” Mindy sympathized. Then nodding toward Brant she added, “Mr. Masterson has just been tellin’ us all about his family’s orchards and cattle up in Vermont.”

“
Oh! I bet it’s cold up there this time of year,” Georgia exclaimed.

“
Yes, Ma’am,” Brant confirmed. And somehow the tone of his voice caused a delightful shiver to travel through Lauryn. It was so deeply smooth and rich. She felt that if she just opened her mouth she would taste the honey of it. “And I’m certain it surprises you to be told that I miss it,” Brant added.

“
Not at all, Brant,” Georgia assured him. “The south, beautiful as it is, can get very…stiflin’ at times. I remember when Lauryn’s daddy and I went up to New York state one autumn. That cool, crisp air was very revitalizin’.”

“
I’ve telephoned Brant’s family, Lauryn,” Nana said quietly. “They’re relieved to know he’s here with friends instead of with strangers.” Lauryn nodded thinking it odd that Nana should see no difference in the people at Connemara and other sets of complete strangers that might have met Brant in Memphis. “His brother, Parker, will be here to strip him from us Thursday next,” Nana explained.

“
By which time you all should be quite ready to have your home to be your own again,” Brant added, smiling. He covered his mouth trying to hide a yawn.

“
Mother, I’m certain Mr. Masterson is worn out,” Lauryn suggested. Suddenly, she felt overly concerned with his health. He needed rest. And he certainly wouldn’t find any in conversing in the parlor with the lot of Kensingtons.

“
Of course. Oh, my! How selfish of us, Brant,” Georgia exclaimed. “You certainly need your rest.”

“
I’m fine, Ma’am,” Brant responded.

“
Don’t you lie to me, young man!” Georgia scolded playfully. “You come along. Lauryn and I will get you settled in for the night.”

Brant inhaled deeply and Lauryn couldn’t quite be sure, but it seemed that he blushed. “Um…if you just show me the way, Mrs. Kensington…I’m sure I can manage.”

Georgia stood up. She walked very determinedly to Brant, took his hand, and tugged on it so he stood. Then she looked directly into his face and shook her index finger at him. “Now, you listen here,” she began. “You are a guest in this house. More than that, you’re family. I won’t have you feelin’ like you’re just company. Lauryn and I will take you up now and you’ll do darn well what I say!”

Brant smiled and chuckled slightly. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“
Now, say goodnight to everyone, Brant,” Georgia ordered as though Brant were merely Patrick’s same age, instead of a grown man.

“
Goodnight, Mrs. Kensington, Mindy, Sean, Patrick, Junie,” Brant obeyed, chuckling.

“
Lauryn, bring Brant upstairs, will you?” Even Lauryn smiled at her mother’s bossiness. She was very entertaining to watch when she was bossing. The typical southern woman who would not have anyone feeling uncomfortable in her home.

“
Yes, Mama,” Lauryn giggled, taking Brant’s hand and placing it on her shoulder. She tried to ignore the warmth of his touch, the power in his grasp as she, leading Brant, followed her mother upstairs.

“
Now, I’ve got the fire goin’ in there, Brant…but it should die down soon enough,” Georgia rambled as they climbed the stairs. “And there’s an extra quilt at the foot of your bed. Sean lugged your bag up…and since I didn’t find a stitch in it resemblin’ night clothes…I figure you’ll be sleepin’ bare as you were born.”

“
Mother!” Lauryn gasped. Her family had no tact whatsoever. None.

“
Yes, Ma’am,” Brant chuckled.

“
You went through his things, Mama?” Lauryn scolded. Still, her mouth dropped open and she looked at Brant, surprised and a little delighted at the thought of his being so willing to do without night clothes.

“
I figured I’d just lay things out for him. Wasn’t that what I should’ve done, Brant?”

“
Yes, Ma’am,” Brant agreed. “But just in case of an emergency, Ma’am…maybe it will ease your daughter’s mind to know that I do sleep in my…my…” he stammered.

“
Your underwear?” Georgia finished. Lauryn wanted to crawl into a hole! How embarrassing the entire conversation must have been to Brant.

“
Exactly,” the tired man confirmed.

“
You see, Lauryn? Nothin’ at all to worry about. Now, this will be your room, Brant.” Georgia opened the door to the guestroom and Lauryn stepped inside, Brant following her lead. “Like I said, there’s an extra quilt…and I put a pitcher of water on the night stand in case you need it. And, oh! I’ve brought up Grandpa Kensington’s old chamber pot. I thought that might come in handy being that you’re not familiar with the house yet.”

Lauryn shook her head and dropped her face into her hands. What was wrong with her family? Couldn’t they leave Brant any shred of dignity?

“
I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Ma’am,” Brant told her, sincerely grateful. “You seem to have thought of everything. This room is warm and comfortable and I’m done in, I will admit it.”

“
Well, we’ll leave you to get ready then. But I always, always, always tuck my children in at night, Brant.” Georgia went to the bed and turned back the covers. “So, I will be in to tell you ‘sweet dreams’ as well.”

“
I’ll look forward to it,” he said, smiling. Lauryn led him to the bed and his hand dropped from her shoulder, indicating he no longer needed her assistance.

“
Goodnight, Mr. Masterson,” Lauryn told him.

“
Goodnight, Miss Kensington. Mrs. Kensington,” Brant mumbled.

“
Lauryn and Georgia, Brant,” Lauryn’s mother corrected.

“
Yes, Ma’am.” Brant chuckled and shook his head, obviously delighted with Lauryn’s mother. Lauryn felt a pang of disappointment pinch her heart. She had not managed to impress him the way her mother had. She took one last look at him, standing there appearing rather helpless next to the bed. Then she left with her mother.