Antebellum BK 1 (25 page)

“
I know something about you. I know that when I was a girl you were hiding in a vacant house at Van Buskirk Point and wearing my clothes for several weeks. I also know that Mother helped you start this business. That’s about the extent of my knowledge.”

“
William was my adulterous lover. He set me to ruin. Your mother saved me. Simple as that.”

“
Mother saved you by establishing you as a prostitute?”

“
I’m not a prostitute and this business was my idea, not Marina’s.”

Anna looked dubious.

“
She loaned me money and rented me the building where the Willard Hotel now stands at a reduced price. That’s all.”

“
It’s none of my business.”

“
Maybe not. But I don’t want you to think badly of Marina. She and your brothers Thomas and Robert saved my life. Both literally and figuratively. I’ll love them forever. Especially Robert. If I had my life to live over I would try very hard to make Robert part of it.”

“
Robert?” Anna laughed.

“
Why is that funny?”

“
Robert’s disdainful of women.”

“
Some men are smarter than others. Robert’s one of the smartest ones. He avoided me like the plague, but he was always sweet and caring.” She walked to the terrace doors and closed them. “It’s already getting hot.”

“
Yes. It’s the one thing I dislike about Washington. The climate here is beastly.”

“
If we’re not going to have any refreshments could we at least sit down?”

“
Of course.” Anna sat down on the nearest chair. “And please don’t let me prevent you from having some refreshment.”

Carlotta sat down on a couch and kicked off her little French slippers. “No. Let’s get down to business. You want to know the Washington dirt. I can provide it. What’s in it for me?”

“
What do you want?”

“
Your friendship.”

“
I can’t promise you that until I know you better.”

“
Good. An honest answer. I like honesty.”

“
That I can promise you.”

“
Well, honesty is as good a place as any to begin a friendship. What do you want to know?”

“
Nothing, at the moment. But from time to time I might want something a little more in-depth than the regular, everyday, street gossip.”

“
Fine. Before you go, I’ll give you a key to the back door. If you come here and I’m not available, write down what you want and give your note to the doorman. This is the best time of day to visit – if you don’t want to see or be seen by any of our clients.”

“
My being seen would probably hurt your reputation more than mine.”

“
Why is that?”

“
I’m thought to be a sapphist.”

Carlotta raised her eyebrows. “Any truth in it?”

Anna shook her head. “None. But my best friend, Nancy Vreeland, isn’t particular about the gender of her lovers, so people assume that I’m one of them.”

“
Ah, yes. I know of Nancy Vreeland. She is well regarded in both Washington and New York society. How do you explain that?”

“
Her being well regarded?” Anna smiled. “She’s beautiful, intelligent, very wealthy and her family is quite powerful in New York and Washington. What might be condemned in anyone else is considered a small eccentricity in Nancy’s character.”

Carlotta shook her head. “There must be more to it than that.”

Anna shrugged. “Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Nancy makes no excuses, offers no apologies and is never petty.”

“
Interesting. I’d like to meet her.”

“
I’m sure she’d be delighted. I’ll bring her with me the next time I visit.”

“
You live together, I take it?”

“
Not formally. Her family’s home is in Manhattan, she has an apartment of her own there, a small house in New Jersey, and a cottage on Chesapeake Bay, but she often stays with me. She was almost a fixture in our house when we were girls. I think Mother considers her as her second daughter.”

“
It must be nice to have such a close friend.”

“
Yes.” Anna looked thoughtful. “Now that you mention it, I think I take Nancy’s friendship too much for granted.” She got to her feet. “Well, thank you, Carla. It’s been a pleasure meeting you. I’m grateful for your time.”

December 24, 1852

Van Buskirk Point, New Jersey

N
ancy Vreeland wrapped her arms around Johnny Van Buskirk and kissed him soundly on both cheeks. “Look at you. You’re all grown up.” She released him and wiped a tear off her cheek. “Where are Quincy and Pea?”

Johnny had blushed beet red. “I uh – I haven’t seen Quincy,” he stammered. “That is, I haven’t seen him.”

“
And Pea?” she persisted.

“
Oh, Pea stopped off at Liberty Hall to show Beelzebub to Beauty Stuart. They’ll be along soon.”

“
To whom was he showing Beelzebub?”

“
An upperclassman. I think his real name is Jim or Jeb but his nickname is Beauty.”

“
Beauty? Well now. I look forward to meeting him.”

“
You needn’t. He’s anything but beautiful.”

“
Wait a second,” she said. “Why is it that you haven’t seen Quincy? Didn’t he travel with you?”

“
Pug graduated in June, Aunt Nancy. He’s stationed in South Carolina. I don’t know if he’ll be able to get a leave for Christmas or not.”

“
He graduated?” Nancy looked stunned. “Why wasn’t I invited?”

Johnny shifted his feet. “I don’t know.”

“
You do know. I can see it on your face.”

Johnny took a long time to answer. “You were invited,” he said without meeting her eyes.

She shook her head. “I never received an invitation.”

“
Aunt Anna declined for you both.”

“
What?” she gasped. “In God’s name why?”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure if Pug knows why. After graduation, he checked with the activities director and both your invitations were returned to the Academy with regrets. He saw them and said it was Aunt Anna’s handwriting.”

“
Well damn Anna,” Nancy said angrily. “She had no right to decline for me.”

“
Pug asked about you but we didn’t know why you weren’t there at the time.”

“
He asked about me?”

“
Yes. He seemed a little hurt that you weren’t there. He said that he’d expected you.”

Nancy burst into tears.

“
Oh my.” Johnny looked toward the kitchen. “Aunt Anna?” he shouted. “Help.”

“
What’s all this?” Anna asked, hurrying from the kitchen.

Nancy waited until Anna was in range, slapped her across the face and then ran for the stairs.

“
What the…” Anna put her hand to her burning face.

“
She asked me why she wasn’t invited to Pug’s graduation and I told her,” Johnny blurted. “I’m sorry.”

“
It’s not your fault, Dear,” Anna said. “And don’t call him Pug. I loathe that nickname.” Anna dropped her hand from her cheek.

“
Tell that to him,” Johnny said. “He punched me for calling him Quincy in front of some other cadets on the day he graduated.”

“
Did he? Well, I’ll punch him back for you, if I ever see him again.”

“
Oh please don’t. It will only make him angrier at me.”

“
I’ll not mention it to him. Although I doubt we’ll be seeing him this Christmas. I think he’s in Charleston.”

“
Well, he may get leave,” Johnny replied hopefully. “He hasn’t answered my last letter, so I thought he might be on the way. Has he written to you lately?”

She shook her head. “We’re currently not speaking to each other.”

“
I don’t understand the two of you,” Johnny said passionately. “You only have each other and yet…” He shook his head. “But that’s none of my business.”

“
It is absolutely your business,” Anna replied. “But I can’t offer you any insight. I have no idea why Quincy and I are so frequently at odds. I suspect it has to do with my personality. It seems that I’m universally disliked.”

“
I don’t dislike you, Aunt Anna. Nor does Pea or Father.”

Anna laughed. “Your mother is noticeably missing from the list.”

“
Mother disagrees with some of your choices.”

“
Meaning she still thinks that Nancy and I are lovers.” Anna waved off the protest. “She’s not alone. It’s such a common belief that I’ve stopped denying it. There’s actually some advantage to it.” She looked up the stairs. “Speaking of Nancy, I must go up and see if she can be placated.”

“
She’s quite right you know,” Johnny said, gathering his courage. “You had no right to deprive her of attending Quincy’s graduation.”

“
Yes. I do know. It was a bad decision. But I can’t change it now.”

“
I’m sorry that I told her – I mean…”

“
It isn’t your fault.” She kissed him on the cheek and hurried toward the staircase.

Johnny watched her until she reached the top of the stairs, then with a sigh, he wandered into the big parlor and walked to the fireplace. Portraits of his ancestors filled the walls. All but two of the men were wearing uniforms. Johnny looked down at his own gray West Point uniform and sighed.

“
Welcome to the long gray, soon to become blue, line, Brother,” Pea said from the doorway. “We who are about to die for our Country, salute you.”

Johnny gave him a glare that might have peeled paint.

Jeb Stuart crowded Pea aside, pushed his way into the room and did a full turn with his arms spread wide. “Look at this,” he said excitedly. “Look at all these heroes. Ya’ll should own this whole country by now.”

“
We did several times but we gave it back,” Pea said. He turned toward his brother. “Is Pug here?”

Johnny shook his head. “There’s been no answer to my letter. Aunt Anna says that they’re fighting again and she hasn’t heard from him.”