Chapter 107
Jarrod and Lisette made it to Prudy and Bax's house in the late afternoon. Henry and the twins quickly reunited and the nanny took them to the park.
"How are you feeling Prudy?" as they rode upstairs in the newly installed elevator.
"Better now that Bax got this for me a few weeks ago. I got winded on the stairs. I have another week or two to go but this little one seems to be quite active. The doctor says I am in perfect health."
Lissy kissed her on the cheek; she thought her friend looked especially beautiful carrying a child. Her weight was all in front and Lissy thought she was inordinately large. She had been in Maine when the twins were born so she had no frame of reference to them.
"I wish I could say I was sorry about Paul. It's all the news has written about. The Vanlandingham banks and Paul's hotels. At least there is no mention of the horrors you suffered at his hand or your name or of sweet Henry."
"Thankfully. Jarrod paid a fortune to keep the funeral private. Nate paid the morgue to say the body was sent east. I never thought we would resort to bribes."
"He didn't lie. The cemetery is east of the morgue."
The ladies laughed.
"I wish I could be there for you but I am in confinement now."
"Oh Prudy, I wouldn't want you there. It is to be simple so Henry has closure. Eugene is coming with a divinity student friend to say a few words. Then we come back here. Less than an hour, start to finish."
"My sister is due tomorrow at lunch. Priscilla will be so happy to see you. She's staying this term from college to help with the new baby. And away from a boy at Vassar who won't take no for an answer. Baxter had to get the school authorities involved."
"How horrible. How old is Pris now?"
"Nineteen. She is good friends with Anna and hopes to visit her while she is in California."
"Oh she will love the ranch. Anna and Nick are so blissfully happy. And she will love to see Prissy."
"And? I know it's presumptuous but I am your best friend. "
"Soon. Simple at the ranch. I am a few days shy of my monthly. My head has been so foggy since Modesto. That's not unusual for my calendar but this time I am a bit worried."
Prudy laughed loudly, "I hope you are! And to bring another beautiful baby into the world. Jarrod adores you. Is he excited to be a Father?"
"He wants to be one very badly but I am not sure of the timing. You know men. He will be surprised if I am. They have no ideas about such. I am sure he hasn't given it a second thought—"
"Probably."
—-&—
They ate a big family dinner and the children thoroughly enjoyed each other. Lisette offered to put the girls to bed since Prudy looked so tired. Henry went happily to bed with his book and Lissy enjoyed brushing out the long curls of the girls. They giggled and talked to Lissy about dance and art. She doted on the twins and counted herself lucky to be living in California close to them and her best friends—-as well as becoming Mrs Jarrod Barkley.
Bax and Jarrod went out on the terrace with cigars and brandy.
Jarrod shared with him the questions that he and Nate had about the estate.
"That is unique. One more casino to sell or give back to the said she wants it off her hands."
"I never want to see another casino again."
"I don't blame you a bit, Jarrod."
"Whatever Paul has left will go into a trust for Henry. I am hoping to leave it in Nate's hands in a couple of days. Go home; run a hotel; get married and have a few dozen babies. That's my plan."
"Sounds like a good one, friend. Prudy and I want to come down for a weekend after the new one gets here—We are dying to see the place all together."
"Well, we left it in good hands and headed here. Lissy wanted to bury Paul for Henry's chapter is over for her."
"It's better than he deserves. I wonder what will happen to the old man's wife."
"If her stepson has anything more to do with it—-"
"Heard they paid the fine and headed back east with the trollop on the Vanlandingham private car she had the cheekiness to take on her affair. That's audacity if I have ever heard it. She's like twenty or so. Caught the old man's eye and had a stroke soon after. Been bedridden two years."
"Sad," Jarrod commented.
"Well better head up to check on Prudy. She looked tired at supper."
"Me too. Check in on Henry."
"He and Lissy are lucky to have you, Jarrod. You saved them."
"I think it was mutual."
—&—
Jarrod walked up the stairs deep in thought. He wanted this blasted funeral behind them so they could get on with their life. Lissy had only been in life five months but so much had happened. It felt like a small lifetime. He paused at the door and watched her and the twins talking, all three of them on the big bed, with smiles and giggles. Lissy looked up and gave him a big smile. It warmed his heart.
"I hope we have a little girl." he muttered to himself.
"Going to check on Henry."
"Thank you," she mouthed back.
He walked down the hall to Henry's room. He pushed the door open and saw the young boy in the middle of the big bed. He thought he looked awfully young and small propped among the pillows reading. His eyes met Jarrod's with a sleepy grin.
"I laid my suit out Pappy. I hope you don't mind, I asked Grandmere if I could have a western tie like yours. She made me one before we left."
Jarrod was touched by how much the boy looked up to him.
"Henry, I think it will be quite an honor for us to wear the same tie. Now how's that book coming?"
"Good. I finished it on the train but I am reading it a second time. Didn't want to miss anything."
"I used to do the same thing—-son." He sat down on the bed with him.
"I'm kinda nervous about tomorrow."
"That's understandable," was all Jarrod could think to say.
His own father's funeral was one of the worst days of his life but he knew without a doubt the man loved him and they shared thirty years of memories. Henry had no memories of the man who sired him. He resolved to change that when he adopted Henry. Lisette had already told him that Henry had spent more time with Jarrod in the first week than his eight years with Paul.
Jarrod trimmed the light and lay down by Henry, "Goodnight son."
"Nite Pappy. I am glad you are going to be my father."
"Me too,son."
Jarrod and Henry fell asleep quickly on the big bed.
—-&—-
Across town, Davina and her Aunt were laying out their black mourning dresses. They pressed them in their own rooms in case a servant decided to tell the Judge what they were doing. They would meet their Aunt's driver after the Judge left for court.
On the second floor of the Franklin mansion, the judge took a nip of the schnapps he kept for medicinal purposes. He took the small glass and then two more.
He thought back to his older sister Cecilia.
"Beautiful with big eyes, just like his precious Davina."
"Our oldest brother, Paul, came home from the military. Handsome and charming and tortured. He was five years older than my Cecilia. His mother had died when he was a boy. He went to live with his wealthy maternal grandparents and our father remarried, our sainted mother. There were five of us. Paul came back in his teens. I overheard my parents talk, "too much to handle in their dotage. Angry, rebellious—"
"Then all the hushed conversations and Cecilia sent to the convent, then a marriage and then a baby Paul—-and then before I knew it they were dead and the child sent to boarding school. Their names were never spoken again. We moved churches and schools and neighborhoods; the authorities investigated us—-the shame—-eventually put my parents in an early grave."
His sister's words came back to haunt him, "There are just two of us siblings left. We owe it to our parents to bury their grandchild. Please."
He refused but the cemetery contacted him about the plot being readied. He thought it was a mistake—-but it was Paul's wife burying him there. The papers didn't say anything about a wife.
"Poor shamed woman."
"So be it," he told the clerk, "Leave my family out of it. No scandals."
"Yes sir."
He pulled out his black suit and pressed it alone so the servants wouldn't tell his sister about his plans.
"I will watch from afar. For Cecilia."
