For the Roses (58 page)

"And then what happened?"

"Mistress Livonia gave me money and told me to run. She and Mama were going to tell the authorities I'd been sold. When the authorities arrived, Livonia told them it had been an accident. Neither woman mentioned me at all. I hadn't done any damage to Adderley's face with my punch. I was just thirteen and didn't know how to fight. Everyone in the state knew what a drunk Adderley was. No one doubted Livonia. She told them how her husband had stumbled and crashed into the mantel. It was ruled an accidental death."

"Did anyone else see what happened?"

"No."

"Why would her sons come after you now? What evidence do they have?"

"The letters I wrote to my mama. She saved all of them. Adderley's sons must have found them. I mentioned the past in several of the letters and told Mama I was afraid for her." Harrison let out weary sigh. "You aren't guilty of a crime, Adam."

"I was a slave, and I dared to raise my hand against my owner. I touched him. His sons believe I should be killed just for that."

"Do you think Adderley's sons went to their mother and forced her to tell them exactly what took place?"

"Oh, yes. Lionel's turning out to be just like his father. Mama's letters are filled with her worries about Mistress Livonia. None of it matters, does it? If two white men accuse me of murder, we both know I'll be convicted."

"Not without a fight," Harrison promised. "I have to ask you something else. Do you want to stay here and fight this, or do you want to run?"

"Would you let me run if I wanted to? You put up everything you own to ensure I would stay around."

"I didn't put up my most valuable asset," he answered. "I'll still have Mary Rose, if she'll let me stay."

"What do you advise?"

"In my heart, you've become my brother, Adam, from the day I married your sister. I don't want to see anything happen to you. As your attorney, I would advise you to stay and fight."

"So the brother in you wants me to run, and the attorney wants me to face it."

"Something like that," Harrison agreed. He happened to notice the framed words Adam had copied down and hung on his wall. It made sense to him now, the reason Adam so loved the passage.

"Make me a promise, Adam."

"What is it?"

"When this is over and we've won, you'll take the passage down and put it away." Adam stood up and stretched the muscles in his shoulders. "I've lived my entire life hiding and waiting. I don't want to live like that any longer. I always knew the day would come, and now that it's finally here, I'm going to stay around and face it. 'For whom the bell tolls,' " he added in a whisper. " 'It tolls for thee.'"

"Hell, that's grim."

"I'm feeling grim. I'm entitled tonight. Are we about finished talking?"

Harrison smiled. "We've only just begun. We're going to talk about what you're going to say when you're on the stand, and what I don't believe would be a good idea to say. Sit down, Adam. It's going to be a long night."

Harrison started taking notes. Cole carried in a tray with cheese and biscuits and beer. Since he wasn't asked to leave, he stayed inside the library and leaned against the edge of the desk while he listened to Harrison question his brother.

Travis and Douglas joined them an hour later, but Mary Rose stayed behind. She thought Adam would speak more freely if he didn't have to worry about her.

She couldn't eat anything, her stomach was too upset, and after sitting at the table all alone thinking about Adam, she finally got up and went to her room.

Her thoughts kept turning to Harrison. What in heaven's name was she going to do? He'd called her Victoria. Who did he love? Didn't he know he'd broken her heart when he'd called her that name? Why couldn't he love her just the way she was?

There was a flower on her pillow. It wasn't a rose, but a brilliant red fireweed. She finally understood what he had been trying to remind her of from that first night in England when he'd had a long-stemmed rose placed on her pillow. He knew what it would be like for her in England, how difficult the transition would be for her to make, and so, while everyone else was diligently trying to change everything about her, Harrison had been quietly reminding her that he loved her just the way she was. He accepted her, flaws and all.

She was his Rose.

She was overwhelmed by her husband. How could she have ever doubted him? And how could he ever forgive her for not having enough faith in him?

She sat down on the side of the bed, and while she gently pressed the flower to her heart, she bowed her head and cried.

"The flower was supposed to make you happy, not sad."

Harrison was standing in the doorway. Her heart felt as if it had just done a somersault. He looked so worried and tired… and vulnerable.

"You love me."

"Yes."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For loving you?"

She shook her head. "For putting up with my uncertainty. I love you so much, and I've been so afraid inside. Wait," she added when he started toward her. "I have to beg your forgiveness first." A slow smile caught her by surprise. She shouldn't be smiling now. She needed to be serious so he would believe her when she promised to never doubt him again.

"You have the patience of Job," she began. "All this time you've been waiting for me to understand, haven't you?"

"No, you always understood. I was just reminding you."

"You called me Victoria."

"I did?" He looked astonished by what she'd just said.

"You broke my heart."

Harrison closed the door and went to her. He stopped just a foot away.

"I love you, Mary Rose MacDonald. I don't care what name you go by. If you want to change it every other week, that's okay with me. You'll always be my Rose."

She didn't want to hold the flower any longer. She wanted to hold her husband. She put the fireweed on the side table and stood up. "I love you too," she repeated. "I'm so sorry I doubted you. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I should have been there for you. I knew what you were going through, and I should have quit working for your father a long time ago. I shouldn't have wanted to finish everything first. Can you ever forgive me?"

"You quit?" she whispered.

"You didn't do anything crazy when you came back here, did you, sweetheart?"

"Crazy? Like what?"

"Like getting one of those divorces I read was easy to procure here."

"I'm not answering until you kiss me. Oh, Harrison, in the midst of all the confusion today, you remembered I used to think fireweed was a rose. Please kiss me."

"I'll only marry you again if you did get a divorce. Forever, Mary Rose. I meant it." And then he finally pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the love and tenderness he possessed. The ache he'd been suffering during their separation vanished, and now he felt complete again. She placed fervent kisses on his face. "Why did you wait so long to come to me?"

"Sweetheart, if you had looked behind you while you were on ship, I could have waved to you," he exaggerated. "I got here as soon as I could. Let me kiss you again." They were both shaking with their need for each other when they pulled apart. Mary Rose rested the side of her face against his chest. She loved the way his heart hammered in her ear, loved everything about him. Even when he was driving her crazy with his stubbornness and his arrogance, she loved him.

She wondered if he knew how perfect he was.

"It isn't easy to get a divorce here. You've read too many dime novels, Harrison. And no, I didn't divorce you. It's forever, remember?"

His chin dropped to the top of her head. Lord, he was content. He felt whole again, complete, and all because of her magical love.

"Are we going back to England? I will go anywhere in the world with you. As long as we're together, I shall be content."

He was overwhelmed. She would give up paradise for him and do so willingly because she loved him.

"No, we aren't going back. We're going to live here. I'll buy some land close by and build a house." She started crying again. She assured him they were tears of joy, of course. And then she pushed herself away from him and insisted she couldn't speak another coherent word until she'd taken her clothes off. He was happy to accommodate her. He thought he set a record of some kind for stripping out of his clothes and getting her out of hers without tearing anything. One of them pulled the covers back, and then they fell into bed together.

He covered her completely and kissed her softly until he felt her mouth open under his. The tip of his tongue rubbed against hers and then gradually slipped inside. He was determined to go slow and not give in to his hunger now, but she was making it impossible for him. Her hands caressed him everywhere, and whenshe began to stroke his arousal, he forgot all his good intentions. He twisted her long curls around his hands and shifted his position. His tongue thrust deep inside her mouth. With one motion, he penetrated her. The pleasure of feeling her walls squeezing him inside made him close his eyes in ecstasy.

She drew her knees up to bring him deeper inside her and let out a little whimper as the wave of pleasure washed over her. The intensity took her control away from her. She was mindless now to everything but finding fulfillment.

He had more stamina than she did. She reached Utopia first, and when he felt the tremors of her release, he quickened his pace and gave in to his own.

And it was as perfect as he had remembered.

He didn't have the strength to move away from her for a long, long while. He hoped to God he wasn't crushing her, and just as soon as his mind could get his body to cooperate, he'd find out. She didn't cry this time. She laughed. The sound proved contagious, and he found himself smiling in reaction.

He finally lifted himself up so he could look into her beautiful eyes.

"Felt good, didn't it?"

She slowly nodded. "Better than good."

"I behaved like an animal in heat."

She laughed again. "So did I. The memory of what happened is already fading. Do you think you could remind me again?"

"You're killing me, Mary Rose."

She almost did too. Harrison fell asleep an hour later believing he had died a happy man. January 2, 1876

Dear Mama,

Today is my sixteenth birthday and I am finally allowed to wear my beautiful locket for the very first time. I've been waiting for such a long time. Thank you, Mama, for giving me the treasure. I will value it forever. I'm so lucky to have you. Adam says that God has been watching out for all of us from the day they found me in the alley. He's right, Mama. He gave me four brothers to love and protect me, and He gave me you.

I've saved half the money I need to make the trip to Carolina. If all goes well, I'll be able to come and stay with you next year. It's my dream, Mama. Please let me. I so need to hug you. Your daughter Mary Rose

Mary Rose awakened Harrison around one in the morning when she tried to ease out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" he asked in a sleepy whisper.

"Downstairs. I'm starving. I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." Harrison decided he was hungry too. He put on his pants, stubbed his toe in the process, and hopped around the room muttering expletives.

"Hush," she whispered in a laugh. "I don't want to disturb my brothers." It was already too late. Harrison had made so much racket complaining about his foot, he got everyone up.

Cole was the first to join them at the kitchen table. Mary Rose was cutting slices of cheese while sitting on Harrison's lap.

She scooted onto her own chair as soon as her brother walked in.

"I couldn't sleep," he explained. He straddled the chair across from Harrison and gave him a hard look.

"You going to be able to fix this?"

"If you want a guarantee, I can't give it to you, Cole."

"Then you've got to help me convince Adam to run."

"I can't do that. The decision has to be his, and his alone. Back him up on this, Cole. He'd do the same for you."

The brother shook his head. "He wouldn't stand by and watch me die. I'm telling you here and now. If he's condemned, I'm getting him out."

Mary Rose was quickly losing her appetite. Fear tightened her stomach into a knot. "I think we need to have faith in Harrison, Cole. Trust him to do everything he can to save Adam." Harrison reached over and clasped her hand in his. "I'm not a miracle worker, but thank you for having faith."

"The hell with faith," Cole muttered.

Douglas joined them in time to hear his brother's remark. He'd put on pants and a long-sleeved flannel shirt. He had it buttoned up all wrong. Mary Rose smiled when she noticed.

"Have you figured out a plan yet?" he asked Harrison.

"I'm going to send a telegram tomorrow to the attorney I used in St. Louis. He's with a large firm. He might know the name of an attorney in South Carolina. I'll find one, even if I have to go there myself."

"For what purpose?"

"To get a sworn statement from Livonia and Rose. Time is critical now. It will work out though. I'll make it work."

"What good will their statements do?" Douglas asked.

"They'll confirm what Adam told me. Right now it's two men against one. I'm evening the odds. I hope to God Livonia cooperates. She may be too frightened."

The brothers nodded. "Adam will balk at this. He knows what will happen to the woman when the sons get back home. I don't think he'll let you go after her for a sworn statement." Harrison didn't argue with the men. He would do what he had to do to make certain Adam was given a fair trial.

"Let's talk about something else. Mary Rose is becoming upset."

"No, I'm not."

"You aren't eating."

She shrugged. "What would you like to talk about?"

Travis came in and answered for Harrison. "What happened after she left London? Did all hell break loose? Did that aunt call her ungrateful? Mary Rose thought she might." Mary Rose stared at her plate. "I hurt my father, didn't I?" Harrison didn't soften the truth. "Yes."

"I wish he could understand," she whispered.

"Sweetheart, he had plenty of time to try. He never gave you a chance. I think I might have made a sound argument. He seemed to understand when I was finished. I'm still not sure. I didn't want to wait around to find out."

"Why didn't they like her?" Cole asked.

"They wanted Victoria back. None of them could accept the fact that Mary Rose hadn't been a victim all those years. In their minds, they believed she'd been deprived because she hadn't been surrounded by riches. None of them took the time to get to know her. They were too busy trying to create someone else. It was crazy, all of it. They had this image of how she would have turned out, and they were all trying to mold her into what they wanted her to be."

"Their masterpiece," Mary Rose said.

"Why didn't you punch your aunt when she told you to think of yourself as a blank canvas?" Harrison asked.

Doing such an outrageous thing was absurd to her. She burst into laughter just thinking about it.

"My Aunt Barbara gave me that suggestion. I could never have hurt her. She had my best interests at heart."

"Are you going to take her back to England and try again, Harrison?" Douglas asked.

"No."

The brothers smiled. They didn't need to know specific plans tonight. They stayed at the table another half hour or so talking. The discussion eventually circled back to Adam, but Mary Rose had finished eating by then.

"What can we do to help?"

"Quite a lot," Harrison answered. "I'll give you all the particulars as we go along. When we're inside the courtroom, I don't want Mary Rose sitting by Adam. Cole, you sit on Adam's right side and I'll sit on his left side. Travis and Douglas will put Mary Rose between them in the first row behind the table. If there's a recess called, when you sit down again, sit in the same places."

"Why can't I sit next to Adam?" she asked.

"I want you to separate yourself from him as much as possible," he answered.

His blunrness took all of them by surprise. None of the brothers looked angry though. They looked curious to find out his reason.

"If you put your hand on his or hug him or pat him, all everyone is going to see is a white woman touching a black man. People know all about your family, and they somewhat accept Adam now. Don't push them, Mary Rose. I don't want anyone to forget he's your brother. We aren't just fighting a murder charge now. Hell, that would be easy. We're fighting prejudice too. I don't want to hear any argument about this," he added when she looked like she wanted to disagree with him. "You'll all show your support for Adam as a family, but not as individuals."

"Why did you choose Cole to sit next to Adam instead of Travis or me?" Douglas asked.

"For intimidation purposes. He makes people nervous."

Cole smiled. "I do, don't I?"

"Yes, you do. The jury will hear all the evidence, and Cole's going to stare at every one of those twelve faces and act like he's memorizing each reaction."

"Couldn't that backfire?" Douglas asked.

"In a more sophisticated courtroom, it probably would backfire, but not out here. Mary Rose once told me people are more concerned about surviving than worrying about what other people do. I want the jury to think about surviving Cole's wrath if they let their prejudice guide their decision."

"You fight dirty," Cole said. "I like that."

"I might remind all of you that what I'm now saying is privileged information. Got that?" Mary Rose yawned. Harrison immediately took her back up to their bedroom.

"I have a surprise for you. Sit down on the bed and close your eyes." She did as he ordered. She peeked once and saw him pulling clothes out of his satchel.

"Are they closed?" he asked.

She squeezed them tight. She felt him brush her hair away from her face, and then she felt something cold around her neck.

She knew what it was before she opened her eyes.

"Mama's locket," she cried out. "Where did you…" She couldn't go on. She'd started crying again.

"It was wedged between the mattress and the headboard."

She threw herself into his arms and thanked him over and over again. It didn't take him any time at all to want her again. They fell on top of the covers and made wild, passionate love.

He knew the blissful interlude would have to last them a long time.

The storm was coming.

Mary Rose saw little of Harrison during the next week. He spent most of his days over at Belle's house, pouring over the letters they'd all sent to Mama Rose that the Adderley boys had taken. At night he sat in the library and read the letters their mother had written them. He took page after page of notes, and when he wasn't working, he sat on the porch to think and plan.

She didn't have to ask him what progress he was making. His grim expression told her everything she needed to know. She felt completely useless and powerless. She asked him every single morning if there was some little thing she could do to help him. His answer was always the same. If he thought of something, he'd let her know.

The closer to trial the more preoccupied he became. She didn't feel at all slighted, even when he would go up to bed without telling her good night. He was thinking about the case, and that was all she wanted from him.

They came together as a family on Sunday for supper. She made a promise that no matter what, the meal would be pleasant, and so, every time someone mentioned anything having to do with the trial, she quickly changed the subject.

Everyone caught on to her game. They went along with it too, and in no time at all, Travis was even able to smile about something she'd told him.

"Cole, you never asked me about Eleanor. Aren't you curious what happened to her?" He shrugged. "Is she happy?"

"Yes," Mary Rose answered. "She went to work for my Aunt Lillian."

"The general? Eleanor's got more guts than I thought. Good for her." Harrison smiled. "You call your aunt a general?"

"She acts like one," Mary Rose admitted. "Corrie left me a note yesterday. Would you like me to read it to you?"

"No." All four brothers shouted the word together. Then they burst into laughter. She wasn't put off by their rudeness. "I'll be happy to read it to you, Harrison."

"Sweetheart, I've already heard it three times. Corrie wants you to bring her another book."

"And?"

"She's happy you're home. You're sure pretty when you blush."

"I'm not blushing. I don't mind my brothers laughing at me. They can't help being uncivilized at the table. Ignore them."

"I think I missed being uncivilized most of all while we were in England."

"Oh, Lord. Have I married someone just like my brothers?"

"I hope so. It would be the highest compliment you could give me."

"I told you he liked us," Cole drawled out, embarrassed by his own reaction to Harrison's praise.

"Someone's coming up to the house," Douglas announced. "He's dressed in a suit and driving a buggy." Harrison stood up. "It's Alfred Mitchell," he guessed. "He's the attorney we hired to do some work for us. You wait here," he told the brothers when they all started to get up. "I want to talk to him alone first. You can meet him later."

He left the room before Adam could ask him to explain the work this Mitchell fellow was doing for them. He posed the question to Cole.

"Harrison wanted to get some information about Livonia's sons. He sent a wire to an attorney in St. Louis, asking for a recommendation, and Mitchell was suggested. The man must have ridden day and night to get here so soon. I can't imagine how he did it."

"Should we listen at the door?" Travis asked.

"We'll do no such thing," Adam dictated. "We'll give Harrison privacy." They all heard the screen door open once again. A few seconds later, Harrison came back into the dining room.

He looked stunned.

The reason was standing right behind him.

Mary Rose staggered to her feet. "Father?"

Her brothers all stood up. Their attention was focused on Lord Elliott. Harrison was watching his wife. Her complexion had turned a stark white, and he thought she was going to faint.

He hurried to her side and took hold of her arm.

Elliott stood there in the entrance staring at the family. He still didn't know what he was going to say to them. He'd worried about it all the way here. How could he let her brothers know he accepted them as part of his family and hoped they would accept him?

Harrison saw the worry in his eyes and decided to help the reunion along. He leaned down close to his wife's ear, and whispered, "Your father's very nervous."

He knew he wouldn't have to say another word. Mary Rose's heart immediately went out to her father. She hurried to his side, leaned up on her tiptoes, and kissed him on his cheek.

"I'm very happy to see you again."

He came out of his stupor with a start. He took hold of her hands. "Can you ever forgive me, daughter? I'm so sorry for all the pain I caused you."

Tears gathered in her eyes. Her father had spoken in such a passionate voice that she knew the words had come from his heart.

"Oh, Father, I love you. Of course I forgive you. I love Harrison, and I have to forgive him all the time. He forgives me too. It's what family is all about. I'm so sorry I hurt you by leaving."

"No, no, you made me come to my senses. You did the right thing." Her brothers heard every word of his apology. None of them showed any outward reaction. Harrison thought their expressions could have been set in stone.

"Father, I'm called Mary Rose here."

"All right then."

"All right… It's all right?" She threw herself into his arms and hugged him.

"When you come to England to visit me, I may slip now and then and call you Victoria. Will you mind?"

"No, no, I won't mind at all."

Elliott patted her shoulder, a soft smile on his face. His worry eased away. He had done the right thing. Mary Rose finally remembered her manners. She pulled away from her father and smiled up at him.

"Father, I would like you to meet my brothers," she announced, her voice filled with pride. Elliott closely studied all of them. Harrison moved to stand with the brothers. Elliott realized why he'd done so. He was helping him remember what the pecking order was in Mary Rose's heart. Her husband came first, then her brothers, and finally her father. He didn't mind being last on her list because he now knew she had enough love for all of them.

The time had finally arrived for him to acknowledge her brothers as family. He didn't feel rushed. He stared at the strapping young men and suddenly felt as though he were in the presence of giants. He was both humbled and in awe of them.

They were God's answer to his prayers. All those years of anguish and terror, in the dark hours of the night when desolation threatened to devour his very soul, he had prayed for a miracle. And all along God had already given him four.