| Subject: Second Generation - Parts #51-54 |
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Wanda
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Date Posted: 09:46:46 12/10/03 Wed
PART #51
That evening after everyone had left to return home, Catherine was cleaning up the kitchen. Katerina and Juliana were helping her put away the last of the dishes. Catherine said, “Juliana, with all the excitement I forgot to thank Delbert for the flower arrangement. Please tell him how sorry I am for not doing that, and thank him for me. It was such a nice thing to do.”
Katerina said, “I wonder how Lucia is feeling. That was the strangest thing. She had seemed perfectly all right earlier in the evening; even while we were visiting in the kitchen she seemed fine. I felt so badly they had to leave before they had eaten.” Catherine said, “I am sure Boudreau stayed there for awhile after he took them home. Perhaps he can tell us how she is doing when he returns.”
Juliana said, “Mother, the meal was wonderful. I do think Delbert enjoyed himself. He had told me he wanted to get to know some people in the area. That is why I invited him to come tonight. I know it must be difficult to move into an area, and not know anyone. Oh, by the way, he did tell me his mother is coming to visit him. She will be here tomorrow, and will be staying at the hotel where Delbert is staying. She will be coming from Pennsylvania to help him look for a place to live. He told me he is interested in purchasing a small home. He also said he would like to talk his mother into moving here. I guess the two of them are very close. He told me his mother had no other relatives except for him; and he hated to see her living in Pennsylvania by herself.
Bow had already gone up to the bedroom, grabbed a book from the bookshelf, and was in bed reading when Catherine came into the room. He watched her as she removed her clothes, and put on her gown. She looked tired, and perhaps a little perplexed. She picked up the hair brush, took down her hair from the top of her head, and began to brush out her hair. The hair, now tipped with silver, fell about her shoulders. She was still a beautiful woman, though she laughed when he told her how beautiful she was. She would say, “Oh my goodness, Bow, look at all this gray hair. I’m getting old; too old to be beautiful.” He would always say, “Catherine, you will always be beautiful to me. Your heart makes you beautiful.” He hadn’t thought it would be possible to love her more now than he had when they were first married, but he did. She was like the air he breathed, the first rays of sun in the morning, the last bit of sunlight in the evening when the night stole the day.
Catherine brushed her hair a few more strokes, then walked to the bed, removed her robe and slid into the bed beside Bow. He asked, “Honey, you’re upset, aren’t you?” She answered, “Bow, there’s something we don’t know here.” Bow smiled, “How well he knew this woman!” He leaned up on his elbow, looked down at her; and asked, “What do you mean Catherine?” “I don’t believe that Lucia was sick. I saw her when Juliana introduced Delbert; and she had a look of shock on her face. I also looked at Lenore, and she turned ashen. There was something about Delbert that created this problem. Do you suppose the two of them knew Delbert?” Bow answered, “I suppose it is possible they might know him, but he came from Pennsylvania, and I would have my doubts they would know him. Now that I think of it, they didn’t register shock until they heard his name.” Catherine said, “Bow, you’re right. When they heard his name they became upset. That name must mean something to them.”
Catherine said, “They must recognize him by name, for they didn’t know him prior to Juliana announcing who he was.” Bow said, “Yes, I do believe you are correct in that.” Catherine said, “Maybe Boudreau can give us some information tomorrow. This was the most puzzling thing I have ever seen.” Bow asked, “Honey, is it all right to turn out the light? I am rather tired.” “Sure, go ahead and turn out the light.” She remarked.
Bow reached over, placed his book on the table by the bed, switched off the light, and said, “Good night, my love.” Catherine said, “Bow, do you think they were afraid of Delbert?” Bow reached over, and pulled Catherine into his arms, “No, I don’t think they were afraid of Delbert. He looked perfectly harmless to me.” “This bothers me a great deal,” Catherine said. Bow smiled; and answered, “I know it bothers you, but you are not going to solve this problem tonight, and your husband needs some sleep.” Catherine reached out to Bow; gave him a kiss on the nose, and said, “Honey, you shouldn’t talk so much. Go to sleep.”
PART #52
Boudreau carried the plates over to the sink after they had finished their roast beef sandwiches. He turned back to Lucia; and asked, “Shall I wash the dishes?” Lucia smiled; and said, “Why don’t we rinse them, and leave them in the sink? Cook will take care of them in the morning.” Boudreau remarked, “I will be happy to wash them; it’s really not that many, and Cook won’t have to face dirty dishes in the morning. There is nothing that bothers my mother more than to come into the kitchen in the morning, and find the sink full of dirty dishes.”
Lenore laughed at that statement; and said, “I do so like your parents Boudreau. They are such wonderful people. You know I have been thinking about asking you not to share the information about Delbert with anyone. I know you and your parents have a good relationship with each other. I also feel I can trust your parents to not share the information with anyone regarding Delbert. Please tell them you have my permission to share the information. I am sure they will understand why I am asking them not to share this with anyone.” Boudreau said, “I do appreciate you telling me that Lenore, for my mother does not handle being in the dark about things. I can promise you they will not tell anyone about it. They know how to bury information.”
Lenore said, “We are all going to be family, and we shouldn’t have to keep secrets from each other. I have been forced to live a life of secrets for far too long, and I don’t want to have to live the rest of my life in that manner. She looked at Lucia who had remained very quiet; and asked, “Lucia, will this be all right with you?” Lucia said, “Mother, I can’t think of anyone who would be more careful to not share the information. Of course it is all right with me for Boudreau to tell his parents.”
Lenore excused herself; and said, “I am really tired, so I am going on up to bed.” She gave Boudreau a hug; and said, “Thank you for being so kind to bring us home this evening. You’re a very special young man, and I am glad that Lucia is going to marry you.” Boudreau told Lenore “good night” and then told Lucia he was going to have to go home.
He kissed Lucia, and went out to the car, got in, and drove away. As he drove back to the plantation, he thought of Delbert Cummings. He meant every word about keeping an eye on that young man. He had just about made up his mind to drive into town tomorrow; and talk with that young man, and let him know where he stood. He meant it when he said he was not going to let him hurt Lucia and Lenore. If he were anything like Hollingsworth had been, he really didn’t want him hanging around Juliana either.
When Boudreau pulled into the driveway, he saw there was still a light on downstairs. His mother always left a light on until everyone got in for the night, and the last person was to turn the light off before going to bed. Somehow, lately, he had been the one to turn it off at night. He parked the car, got out, and walked up the steps into the house. When he got inside the house he saw there was a light on in the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen to see who was there, and found his mother sitting there drinking some coffee. “Mom, you’re up pretty late, aren’t you?” he asked. She looked up over the mug she was holding close to her mouth; and answered, “I have been in bed, but couldn’t sleep. I decided I would sit down here so I wouldn’t disturb your father. If I had stayed in bed, it would have kept him awake.” How is Lucia feeling?”
Boudreau looked around the kitchen; and asked, “Do you have any pie left over? I could use a piece with some of that coffee.” She said there is apple and sweet potato pie left. The pie tins are on the shelf in the pantry.” Boudreau took a knife and a fork, plus a dessert plate to the pantry; and soon came back with a slice of sweet potato pie. He reached for a cup, poured a cup of coffee, and walked over to the table to sit down. He looked up at his mother, smiled, and said, “Mother, you may ask what you want to know.”
Catherine looked at this son she loved with all her heart; and asked, “Was Lucia really ill tonight, or was something else wrong?” Boudreau responded by saying, “Lucia was not ill; there was something else wrong.” “Did it have to do with Delbert Cummings?” his mother asked. “Yes, Mother, it did have to do with Delbert Cummings.”
Catherine said, “Would you please explain to me why she was so shocked when his name was mentioned? Also, I looked at Lenore, and she was positively ashen after hearing his name. What is going on here with these two ladies and Delbert Cummings?”
Boudreau said, “Mother, I am going to tell you something that must not go any further then you and Dad.” Bow walked into the kitchen and asked, “What’s this about your Mom and me?” Catherine looked up; and asked, “Oh dear, did I awaken you?” He answered, “My feet were getting cold, and I realized you were not in bed. So, I thought I had better come and check on you.” Catherine said, “Bow, Boudreau was just about to tell me about the problem tonight with Lenore and Lucia, and how it relates to Delbert Cummings.”
PART #53
Catherine poured a cup of coffee for Bow, and asked him if he wanted a piece of pie. He said, “No, the coffee is enough for me.” He sat down; and asked, “Boudreau, didn’t I hear you say the problem tonight with Lenore and Lucia is related to Delbert Cummings? What did you mean by that statement?” Boudreau answered, “Well, the long and short of it is that Delbert is the son of Hollingsworth Deverall, and a woman whose name is Ruth Cummings. Years ago Ruth worked for the Deverall family, as a housekeeper, in Pennsylvania. She and Hollingsworth had an affair that resulted in the birth of Delbert. Lenore and Lucia did not know anything about Delbert until after Hollingsworth had died. They found a box that contained his will, and a letter addressed to his son. That, in itself, was a shock to both of them. They also discovered as they read the will that Hollingsworth had arranged for Delbert to come to Lake Charles, and assume a position at the bank. He is to be in training there, and will eventually take over the management position at the bank.”
Boudreau said, “I have been thinking about Delbert coming here tonight, and I have to wonder if he came with the sole purpose of getting some information about Hollingsworth. Of course I don’t know if this was his motive, but it was terribly upsetting for Lucia and her mother to run into him here. They told me they knew he would be coming to Lake Charles, but they had not expected him to show up so soon.” Catherine said, “Boudreau, Juliana said that Delbert’s mother was coming in tomorrow on the train. She is going to help Delbert look for a home. I would say that sounds like he is planning on staying here in Lake Charles.”
Boudreau said, “Lucia and her mother have asked me to tell you they did not want their connection with Delbert out to the people of Lake Charles. This is a humiliating situation for them, and they need time to adjust to the shock. I wish I knew if he engineered this whole thing tonight. I would also like to know if Juliana told him that Lucia and Lenore would be here. I have made up my mind I am not going to stand back; and let him strike out, and hurt these two ladies. They have been through enough, and they don’t deserve that.”
Catherine said, “I wonder if Hollingsworth kept his son in the dark about his other family here in Lake Charles. Since he kept Lenore and Lucia in the dark about Delbert; I would think it might be a possibility he did the same with Delbert concerning Lenore and Lucia. I also think about Delbert’s mother. She would have known that Hollingsworth was married to Lenore. Can you imagine living with the knowledge that you had a child by a man who was married to your former employer?” Bow said, “Hollingsworth certainly was a complex person. I realize we don’t know why he did a lot of the things he did, but his life was certainly a waste. I can’t help but think of all the lives he has affected.”
Standing outside in the hall was Juliana who had come down to get a drink of water. As she padded along on her bare feet, she heard conversation coming from the kitchen. She heard the mention of Hollingsworth Deverall and Delbert. She didn’t really mean to eavesdrop, but she had heard enough to realize that Delbert was Hollingsworth’s son. She didn’t want her parents and Boudreau to think she had been listening in on a private conversation, so she padded back across the floor and up the stairs to her room. She got back into bed, and lay there thinking about the evening. Things were becoming much clearer now; no wonder Lucia and Lenore had looked so shocked. They must have known something about Delbert. She wondered about this whole situation. Why had Delbert come to Lake Charles?
Juliana decided she was going to get to know Delbert better. She would like some understanding of this matter. She knew that Delbert had told her his mother was coming tomorrow. She wondered if Hollingsworth had been married before. She had never heard that he had been married. She also wondered about the age difference between Delbert and Lucia. Did Hollingsworth have an affair with another woman while he was married to Lenore? If that were true, she could understand why Lenore and Lucia would be shocked to see Delbert in Lake Charles.
Juliana thought about arranging to meet Delbert’s mother. If she could become acquainted with Delbert’s mother, maybe that would open the door for a friendly relationship to follow. Perhaps when everyone got to know each other, things would not be so tense. She decided it might be best if she did not mention to her family the things she had discovered. She was going to talk to Delbert; and see if he could enlighten her with some information.
PART #54
After Boudreau left to go home, Lucia turned out the light and went up the stairs. She walked by her mother’s bedroom and thought she could hear her softly crying. Lucia tapped on the door, and asked, “Mother, may I come in?” Her mother said, “Yes, Lucia, you may come in.” Lucia walked into the room, and saw that her mother had been crying. She walked over to her and reached down to put her arms around her. Lucia held her mother much like a mother would hold a child and said, “Mother, it will be all right. Please don’t be sad.”
Lenore looked up at her daughter and said, “Lucia, I thought the anger would be gone when I got rid of all of the things that belonged to Hollingsworth. I have hated the life we had as a family. I begged him so many times to walk away from the type of life he lived, but he consistently told me, “Lenore, it’s not possible to walk away from that life. He tried for a while, but the pull was too great, and he re-entered the life under an assumed name. Little did I know he was living a whole other life and had a son about the same age as you, his daughter.”
Lucia said, “Mother I hate the way he has treated you over the years. I loathe the unfair way he treated you in his will. I resent him for bringing this unknown son to Lake Charles in our midst, and setting him up in business for life. Our lives have been turned upside down because of him.”
Lenore patted Lucia’s hand and remarked, “I don’t believe that Hollingsworth understood love. Much of what he did at the end of his life was because he wanted to protect you from Boudreau. He could not bear to think that you might marry Boudreau and leave him. His feelings on what constituted love were warped. I will never understand why he felt it necessary to protect you from someone as good and decent as Boudreau La Faye.
Lucia asked her mother, “How do you really feel about Ruth and her son? I don’t want you to feel you have to give me an answer if you don’t feel like it, but I would like to know you feelings when you feel you can talk about it.” Lenore shook her head as if to clear it, and said, “Lucia, it’s difficult right now to feel anything but anger towards this woman. I will say she seemed like a lovely lady when I knew her in Pennsylvania. She worked hard, and was always kind in her actions toward me. I do remember how much she loved flowers, and she was always cutting fresh flowers to bring into the house. She lived in a small cottage on the same grounds as our home. When she came to me one day and told me she would be leaving, I offered her more money to stay. She thanked me for being so generous, but said she really had to go. She had tears in her eyes when she left. I am assuming she left because of her pregnancy. When I think of Ruth I do have to say, “Her life has not been easy. Having a child when you are not married is difficult for any woman. I don’t think she had any other family.
Lucia listened to her mother talking about Ruth; and she wondered how Ruth had managed to make a living since she was a single mother. She asked, “Mother, how was it possible for her to make a living all these years?” Lenore answered, “Lucia, I’m not sure, but I have a feeling that Hollingsworth was sending money for her and the child. She had no one else as far as family goes. Lucia, if you are wondering if I have feelings of hatred toward Ruth, I would have to say, “No, I don’t hate her. I know how persuasive Hollingsworth could be when he wanted something. He was that way with me at first too. I fell for all his charm and persistence. We were married, and I was pregnant with you before I realized what Hollingsworth did for a living. When I asked him to give up his life in crime, he laughed at me. He said I didn’t know what I was asking, and even if he wanted to, he could not leave. After you were born, and I saw how much he loved you, I asked him again to break away. He became angry with me, and began to withdraw himself from me. I am assuming that is when he began the affair with Ruth. Approximately one year after that, Ruth came to me and told me she had to leave.”
To be continued....
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