Chapter 7 - Ending A Rivalry
After a month of burning myself alive in books, fall was in the air, which didn't mean much for Louisiana. My father had spent weeks trying to find a new buyer for the mansion, while my aunt had given up, and my uncle could have cared less.
The mansion began to grow on my mother, realizing she was now able to hold the large parties and ballroom dances she always dreamed about. My aunt Delilah's fortieth birthday was coming up, and my mother choose it to be the perfect time to invite old friends and new to visit and celebrate.
Lina sat on floor of the balcony at the front of the house, overhanging the main entrance. Reading her book, she looked away every hour to see the faces of the new guests arriving to stay the week with them. She didn't recognize anyone.
Meena stood at the railing a few feet away from Lina, admiring the view.
Her father and mother greeted everyone as they arrived, as well as introduced Gordon and Mr. Reed to everyone.
Lina heard the door to the balcony open behind her. Looking back, she saw her uncle Edward making his way over to her holding a bottle of whiskey in his hand.
"Mind if I join you," he asked her.
"Not at all," Lina replied.
Edward sat down on the balcony floor next to her. He took another large gulp from his whiskey bottle. "Ahh! This used to be your grandfather's favorite. Red Iron Whiskey of the south."
Edward examined the bottle, then took another drink. Lina remained quiet, trying to read her book.
"I see your folks invited
Edward watched George and Ruth down below. "Did your father ever tell you I was a part of Jackson's army that defended New Orleans?"
Lina stopped reading. She looked over towards her uncle, intrigued. "No. He never really talks about his past actually."
"That's your father alright. Lips tighter than letter seal," said Edward.
"You fought with the president?" asked Lina.
Edward smiled and took another drink. "He wasn't president then, but he sure had my vote when the time came. Your grandfather and I had just received the letter you had been born from your mother a week before I went to New Orleans to help in the war effort. Despite the mountain we had to climb to start this country, the British still wouldn't give in.
"Men of all kinds for miles around came to New Orleans to fight at Old Hickory's side. Frontiersman, Native Americans, Privateers, Regulars, and even the local scuff of Louisiana such as myself. We were outnumbered four thousand to ten thousand, but we held our line five miles outside the city.
"They marched at is in columns that stretched for as far as the eye could see. As soon as Hickory gave the order, we opened fire, and continued to shoot for two hours straight. By the time it was over, we had only lost thirteen men, and the British were forced to retreat with no commander.
"Afterward, we scouted the battlefield taking prisoners and putting young men, your age, out of their misery. I was glad we won, but I could hardly believe what we had done. I prayed I'd never kill another man again."
Lina could see Edward's eyes start to swell. She was speechless, unsure what to say.
He sniffed, and took a heavy drink from his bottle.
"I'm sorry Uncle Edward," said Lina.
"Ah! Hog wash! Nothing to be sorry about. We did what needed to be done to keep this country. Spending time with you kids around helps remind me the reasons why we fought."
Lina smiled at him and leaned over. Her uncle hugged her with one arm.
"Well now ain't that just askin for trouble. Your mother invited old Hersh."
"Who?"
Lina gaze down off the balcony to see a man in a top hat, with a beige colored mustache that stretched from ear to ear. step out from his white carriage. Mr. The man removed his hat and greeted Lina's parents.
"Herschel Taft. A plantation own from just north of here. Fine gentleman, but has a short fuse you could say. Especially with that cocky gunfighter Blackeye Bell."
"Never heard of him," said Lina.
"Well you're about to. Because here comes the devil now."
Lina looked back out over the courtyard.
A gentleman wearing a grey overcoat, with a black fine pointed mustache and goatee road up on horseback. He stepped down from his horse, and removed his top hat.
Blackeye walked up to Ruth and George, and shook hands. He smiled at them both with a charismatic approach.
Herschel scowled at him and walked inside the mansion, leaving Blackeye to talk with his hosts.
"What's their problem?"
"Blackeye has a tendency to boast about his reputation, while old Herschel has little tolerance for his insults and jokes. That, and Blackeye was once caught kissing Mrs. Taft outside the church one Sunday. I think just about everyone around is ready for that pot to boil over."
"Meena!" shouted Ruth from down below.
Lina and Edward looked over to see her sister balancing on the top railing of the balcony. She wobbled around, about to lose her balance.
Ruth screamed.
Lina was stunned, watching her sister about to fall.
Edward jumped up from sitting next to Lina on ground, dropping his whiskey bottle to the floor. He reached out and grabbed her by the arm.
Meena grabbed his arm with her free hand, and stepped back down from the railing.
"What the hell were you doing?" shouted Lina.
"I was fine until mother yelled at me," argued Meena.
"Meena!" shouted Ruth from below.
Meena sighed and looked over the railing down to her.
"What were you thinking?!" asked Ruth with a very frustrated tone.
Meena replied. "I don't know! I just really wanted to work on my tight rope walking."
"You could have died! You are never allowed out on that balcony again young lady! Now get down here!" shouted George.
Ruth turned around and apologized to the couple that had just arrived.
Meena dragged her feet and pouted. She opened the door and slammed it close behind her.
Edward walked over and picked up his spilled whiskey bottle off the floor. He shook the bottle, listening to the little ripples of what was left inside.
"Lesson to be learned I guess," said Edward.
Lina stood up from the balcony floor, trying not to get spilled whiskey on her dress. "She means thank you uncle."
"No need to thank me," replied Edward. "You can't always cheat death though. He is a sore loser and sometimes takes more than you bargained for."
Lina reached down and picked her book up off the ground. Through the railings, she caught a glance of someone stepping out from the carriage. She glanced up as she stood upright.
A youngman with short light blonde hair stepped down off the running board, and adjusted his red waistcoat and grey suit. He extended a hand in greeting to Lina's father, and introduced himself to her mother.
Lina stared down at him, hypnotized by his elegant smile. The youngman glanced up at her staring down at him. She dropped her book into the puddle of whiskey on the floor.
"You alright, youngyin?" asked Edward.
Lina snapped out of her trance, and quickly picked her book up from the puddle. "Shoot," she said wiping the book off with her hand.
Edward looked over the railing to see the couple below accompanied by the youngman. The youngman looked back up to the balcony. Edward waved to him.
Lina looked away, pretending to still be trying to wipe off her book.
"I think someone just got bit by the love bug," said Edward with a grin.
"Who is that?" asked Lina.
"I could tell you, but sounds to me like you should go introduce yourself to him during the party," said Edward.
Lina carefully looked down over the balcony railing to watch the youngman step inside the mansion. She began to feel extremely nervous. The thought of even talking to a boy seemed a fate worse than falling off the balcony.
"Are you ready?" Asked Meena peeking her head through the door of Lina's room.
Lina sat at the mirror over her vanity tieing her burgundy colored ribbon around the bun on the back of her head. "No, now get out."
Meena rolled her eyes and closed the door.
Adjusting her ribbon, Lina scanned her dress. Staring down at her neck, she saw how her necklace clashed with her attire. She reached up and removed her new favorite necklace from around her neck and set it down on the vanity.
The sides of her head began to throb and pulse. She felt the presence of hands around her neck. She started to imagine herself drowning in her bathtub, gasping for air desperately as she clawed at the side. She tried to think of something else, but her imagination was trapped by the terrifying images in her head.
She reached down and grabbed the necklace. Locking the clasp together around her neck, the thoughts faded. The imaginary hands released their death grip from her throat.
Lina reached up and put her hands to her throat, feeling relieved.
Gazing into her reflection in the mirror, she choose to leave the necklace on. Still feeling less than adequate with her appearance, she stood up from her vanity and walked over to the door in her elegant evening dress.
Opening her door and stepping out into the hall, she could hear the band in the ballroom playing, accompanied by the laughs of everyone inside. Lina walked down the hall to the foyer. Her uncle Edward stood at the bottom of the stairs talking to Mr. Herschel both dressed in their black tail suits.
Lina walked down the stairs towards the two of them. She waited for her uncle to take a pause in his conversation to ask him where her mystery man was. Edward glanced over at her as she reached the bottom step. He pointed towards the ballroom with his glass of whiskey without breaking away from his conversation.
She smiled at him, and began wading through the crowd outside the ballroom. Lina wandered through the crowd, eagerly searching.
"Lina, dear," said her mother waving her over to the dining room table. "This is our oldest daughter, Lina. Lina, this is JudgeBerkly and his wife, Lauren."
Lina curtsied to the couple as she stood next to her mother. Judge Berkley reached out and kissed the top of Lina's hand under his fine combed black mustache.
"It's an honor to meet you," said Mrs. Berkly.
"And to you as well," Lina replied still watching the crowd around her in her peripheral vision.
"Lina," shouted her father over the music. Lina glanced over to see her father waving her over to him near the fireplace. "Would you excuse me?"
Both the Berkly's smiled and nodded to her.
Lina walked away from her mother's side over to her father, still maintaining her wandering gaze. George stood holding his glass, dressed in his tail suit, awaiting to introduce Lina to another couple of guests.
"She's beautiful," said the man standing in front of George as Lina approached.
"Indeed she is," said the women standing with them, dressed in her red rose colored dress and white gloves, holding her glass of wine.
"Lina, I'd like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Tenner. Mr. Tenner owns the cotton mill… how far did you say it was John?"
"No more than ten or fifteen miles. Our plantation is just shy of Lake Pontchartrain. No more than a mile or two down the road from here," replied Mr. Tenner.
"Pleasure to meet you both," said Lina once again bowing in a curtsey.
"Now isn't that just a lovely necklace you have on," said Mrs. Tenner reaching out to examine Lina's necklace. "By what manner did a young lady like yourself come across such elegant apparel?"
"Uh, it was a gift. A gift from an old friend back home," said Lina, choosing not to tell the truth about finding her necklace in the dirt outside to a group of people who no doubt would think less of her.
"What a lovely gift," replied Mrs. Tenner.
The conversations throughout the room began to fall quiet, as the band was interrupted by the tapping of a champagne glass on the staircase. Clive tapped his spoon against the glass repetitively, waiting until everyone was finished talking. The crowd turned their attention to the stairs.
"Greetings everyone! First of all, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for coming this evening. Despite our move under unexpected circumstances, I know I can speak on behalf of my wife, children, my brother-in-law and his family, as well as my other brother-in-law Edward, in saying each an everyone of you have made the change easier and comforting."
The crowd all clapped their hands.
Lina clapped her glove covered hands together, still scanning around the room for her mystery man.
"Now, if you would all join me, I think it's about time we sing happy birthday to my wonderful wife, Delilah," said Clive.
Delilah sat at the head chair at the end of the table, smiling at everyone. All together, the crowd began to sing to her under Clive's leadership, with the band playing a harmonious birthday toon.
As everyone sang, Mr. Reed opened the doorway from the kitchen carrying a small birthday cake with several candles on it. Setting the cake down on the table in front of Delilah, the crowd finished and waited for her to blow out her candles. Delilah perched her hands on the table, and leaned forward, ready to let out a fierce breath.
With a single blow, each of the candles blew out, and the crowd began to applaud once more.
"Now, let the party continue," shouted Clive from the stairs.
The band members all counted to three, and continued to play their lively music for guests.
Ruth congratulated her sister-in-law at the table. George made his way over to his sister at the table, and gave her a hug. Waiting until George had finished, Ruth tugged on his sleeve, pulling him away from the table.
George walked away with his wife, sipping his whiskey as she spoke.
"Did you talk to Gordon," asked Ruth.
George wiped his mustache clean. "I haven't seen him all evening. I'll be sure to ask him as soon as I find him."
"Alright. Please, don't forget," Ruth replied.
"Dear, I can assure you. Gordon and I will go over the will again tomorrow morning. I promise, I'll try and see if there's another way out of it. Now, just try and enjoy tonight and we'll worry about that another time."
Ruth sighed. "Very well. But please don't forget."
"You have my permission to cut me down where I stand if I do," George replied jokingly.
Hours had passed since the party began, and Lina still hadn't seen her knight in a black tail coat. She had been introduced to just about everyone at attendance, except the boy with blonde hair.
Lina sighed, and began to give up her search. She wandered away from the party and out into the foyer. Her uncle sat on the steps of the staircase, his eyes closed with a strong odor of whiskey on his suit as he leaned forward.
Walking past her uncle, she opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch, breathing the fresh night air. Standing at the railing, she heard a someone sniffiling from down the way.
Lina looked over to see Gordon, holding an open letter in his hand in the orange flickering porch light. He stared off into the distance. His beard wet from his tears.
"Everything alright Mr. Gordon?" asked Lina.
Gordon looked over at her, and wiped his eyes. He folded the letter up and tucked it into his jacket pocket.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Miss. I was…" Gordon sniffed, "merely enjoying a moment to myself is all. Best I get back inside."
Gordon tugged on the bottom of his coat, and walked past Lina with a broken smile.
"Enjoy your evening Miss Gracey."
"And to you as well," Lina replied, watching him walk past.
Gordon opened the door to the mansion, and stepped inside trying to keep his composure.
Lina sighed and looked back out over the front courtyard. She listened to the peaceful soothing sounds of the bayou all around her, enjoying the subtle chirping of the crickets and fireflies dancing through the air ahead of her.
"Don't like big crowds either, huh?" said a voice from the stairs next to her.
Lina looked down. Staring back up at her in the gas lamp light was the face she had been dieing to see all evening.
Her heart raced. She struggled to say anything.
"My parents attend a party just about every weekend. I try my best to find somewhere quiet. I'm guessing your parents probably do the same?"
Lina stepped over towards the stairs. "On occasions. I usually just go to the library and read until the sun comes up."
The boy laughed. "Care to sit?"
"Absolutely," said Lina smiting over his subtle laughter. "I mean, sure."
Lina stepped down onto the stair, and fixed her dress to sit.
"I'm Samuel. Samuel Tenner."
"Lina Gracey," Lina replied.
Samuel reached over and kissed the top of Lina's hand. She smiled at him, unable to hide her blush.
Samuel stared back out off the porch.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" said Samuel admiring the fireflies across the yard.
"Yea," Lina replied continuing to look at him with a soft voice.
"When I was a kid, I always thought they were stars that had fallen to earth. I use to catch them in a mason jar as a kid and keep them on my nightstand to help me fall asleep. Later on, my mother would always sneak in and let them all go outside and replace the jar on my nightstand. The next morning, when I found the jar empty, she would tell me it was because stars only lasted until the sun came up."
"That's beautiful," said Lina gazing out across the yard.
"What about you?" asked Samuel.
"My sister and I grew up in New York. I would always wanna go play outside, but my mother always insisted that ladies never get their hands dirty. I guess I just started reading instead. I figured if I couldn't go out and play, I may as well imagine it."
"Well that's no fun," said Samuel.
"I guess. It never stopped me from getting into trouble every once in awhile. One time, I snuck outside and dug a hole in garden and filled it with water from the kitchen sink trying to make my own private lake. Instead I just made a mud pit, and my mother was furious. I ruined her favorite dress for me to wear, with white and blue ribbons."
Samuel snickered. "I'm sure I've done something like that too."
Lina took a deep breath. "I've never actually caught any bug before though. Can't say I haven't ever wanted to, but I'm sure my mother wouldn't approve."
"Maybe you and I could catch a few sometime?" suggested Samuel.
"Yea," said Lina with a smile. "I'd like that."
Samuel smiled back, and stood up from his place on the stairs. "Since we both hate crowds, would you care to accompany me back inside?"
Lina stood up. "I'd love to," she replied.
Samuel extended his right arm out to her. Lina wrapped her arm around his, ready to walk back inside with her new loving acquaintance.
Samuel was a sweet boy. Probably the kindest and most gentle of men I had ever met in my life. We danced together in the ballroom for the first time that night. Looking into those bluish green eyes of his, it was easy for a young women at my age to fall madly in love with him. I still see his smile in my dreams every once in awhile. Still offering me the same comfort I adored about him.
His family was just like mine. They had inherited a nearby estate in Louisiana when he was only two years old, and they had been living there ever since. I wish I could say out night simply ended with a kiss good night and a night of blissful tranquility I would never forget, but the mansion always found ways to take a happy moment, and paint something tragic.
With his arm wrapped around Lina's waist, the two of them danced around the ballroom to the music as it played. Lina continued to stare into Samuel's eyes, wanting never to look away, not even more a moment.
A sudden crash against the upstairs balcony railing caught the attention of everyone in the room. The band stopped playing. The room became quiet as Samuel and Lina stopped dancing along with the other couples.
Herschel was down on the balcony floor, the railing above him broken from Blackeye's heavying shove which toppled him to the ground.
"She never loved you in the first place," said Blackeye standing across from Herschel.
Herschel rolled over and got back up on his feet. "I've about had it with your mouth, Bell. Why do you say you and I finally end this quarrel once and for all like gentlemen?"
"Been waiting for you to say it all night. Dawn," replied Blackeye grinning at him.
"No. Right now," said Herschel.
The two men both walked back across the balcony and down the stairs with the crowd still watching. Everyone began to make their way out of the ballroom to the front of the house, eager to watch.
Lina turned to Samuel, confused as to what was going on.
"Where's everyone going?" she asked.
"They're aiming to settle their dispute out front at gunpoint," Samuel replied unenthused.
Lina stared around at the crowd as everyone exited the ballroom. Her mother argued with George about trying to stop the two men ready to settle their differences. Lina could see her father obviously was at a loss and didn't know what to say.
"Come on. I know somewhere we can go," said Lina taking Samuel by the hand.
Passing through the foyer, Lina and Samuel made their way up the stairs at out to the upper balcony door. Stepping outside onto the balcony, they could see everyone below gathering around the front as the two men removed their coats and rolled up their sleeves.
Blackeye removed his rings and handed his coat to someone in the crowd. Everyone gossiped below, watching the two men prepare to face one another to the death in the glowing lamp light.
Mrs. Taft stood at the railing, pleading with her husband to stop and reconsider what he was about to do. Herschel ignored her, continuing to roll his sleeves and examine his pistol. Blackeye stepped out into the yard, holding his flintlock pistol at his side. Herschel walked out to him looking steady and unnerved.
"Five paces apart, then we turn and face each other on the count of three," said Herschel glaring into Blackeye's smug stare.
The two men turned around and stood back to back, holding their pistols up at the ready. Mrs. Taft continued to plead to both men from the railing, begging someone to go out and stop them.
Lina kneeled down at the railing, and watched through the bars. Samuel bent down at her side. The crowd below them was completely quiet. The only sound was the soft echoes of the bayou surrounding everyone.
Both men took a heavy breath, and began their steps in sequence away from each other. They slowly gathered distance from one another, each staring off in the distance ahead of them. Herschel kept his calm, stern, vengeful gaze, while Blackeye grinned under his fine cut, black, beard, showing his over confidence.
Reaching the final step, both men raised their pistols high into the air ahead of them in silence.
"One," said Herschel to his opponent.
Everyone waited eagerly. Mrs. Taft covered her eyes, as she sucked in sorrow.
"Two," said Blackeye cocking the lever back on his pistol. Herschel did the same.
Without another word, both men turned around to face the other. Both of them were prepared for the other to be shot in the back, they both fell victim to their own game.
In a single thunderous echo, the powder from each man's gun was set ablaze.
For a moment, they both continued to stare at one another, shocked that they both had turned on the count of two.
Blackeye clutched his stomach, and dropped his pistol to the ground. Herschel's arms fell limp. He collapsed on the brick courtyard beneath him. Blackeye kneeled down onto the ground, and toppled over dead, still clutching his stomach as he bled out.
Mrs. Taft shrieked and ran out over to Herschel's lifeless body on the ground. Everyone remained silent watching Mrs. Taft wallow in agony over her husband's corpse.
Mrs. Taft had her husband buried next to Blackeye in our graveyard outback. Our family's graveyard was the only one she found to be the most comforting, and no graveyard was willing to take both men after the scandal they had caused. She buried them close together saying she didn't want to choose between the two loves of her life. I like to believe they stayed just as close of opponents in death as they did in life, still competing for the same women.
