Never Look Back (106 page)

This was something neither Tabitha nor Sebastian had thought of, and Tabitha wished they had.

But Matilda just shrugged. ‘Jennings is my family name. When I started up my business in San Francisco, I decided to revert back to it.’

‘Because you were afraid that people would find it shocking that a minister’s widow would run a saloon?’

Neither Tabitha nor Sebastian had sought to cover up what Matilda’s business was, even though they knew genteel folk were invariably affronted by it. Sebastian had said his family were
open-minded and once they met Matilda they would see what a fine woman she was for themselves.

But Anne’s remark was clearly designed to belittle Matilda. Was it jealousy because she sensed everyone was captivated by this attractive, interesting woman?

‘I’ve never been afraid of anything, or anyone,’ Matilda retorted, fixing Anne with a chilling look. ‘I had two children to support, so I just did what I could for them,’

‘And a fine job she made of it too,’ Sebastian said stoutly. ‘Look at my lovely Tabitha, one of the first few women doctors in America. I’m so very proud of her, but it is to Matilda much of the praise should go, for without her determination to give Tabby a fine education, she never would have got there. Did you know Matilda joined Tabby in nursing during the war too?’

Tabitha was touched by Sebastian’s effort to move the conversation on to safer ground, and as none of the guests knew about this, she told them a little of the hospital in Washington and about their cramped lodgings there. As medical matters weren’t considered a suitable topic for the dinner table she kept off the horrors, but she did add that after the Battle of Gettysburg the number of casualties were so vast they worked almost round the clock.

Albert Everett had said almost nothing during the entire meal, in fact he hadn’t appeared to be even listening to the conversations either, but just as Tabitha thought all difficulties had been surmounted, he suddenly spoke up.

‘Were you two the nurses at Brigadier Russell’s funeral?’ he said, leaning forward. His dark blue eyes, so very like his son’s, were suddenly animated. He looked towards George, his brother-in-law, at the far end of the table. ‘You must remember that funeral, George? Brigadier Russell was the man who insisted on being buried with his men at Gettysburg. None of his family attended, just two nurses. We read about it in the papers, it was just a couple of months before we heard Aaron had died.’

George looked a little bewildered and flustered. ‘I recall reading about the funeral, Albert. We thought it was very noble of the man to wish to be buried there, and a comfort to the families of his men. But I don’t remember about two nurses.’

‘You do,’ Albert insisted. ‘We were sitting in the library that
afternoon and we talked of nothing else. There was a great deal of controversy because Russell’s wife was the daughter of Colonel Harding and they weren’t informed of his request.’

Tabitha felt a chill run down her spine. She wasn’t surprised Albert remembered about it, war correspondents had made much of James’s funeral, and as Aaron had also been at West Point, like James, it would have had special significance. But then the story had touched people all over America. Many considered it to be one of the most moving incidents of the war. Many notable generals, including Grant, paid homage to James’s gallant leadership and unswerving courage in battle. Even President Lincoln was quoted as having said that ‘Brigadier Russell was an inspiration to his men, and his request that he should be buried with those who fell alongside him must surely acknowledge his deep respect for them.’ Yet some of the correspondents who sided with the rebels had brought up the Union defeat at Fredericksburg, James’s home town, and implied this was the true reason he didn’t wish his body to be returned there for burial.

Tabitha caught hold of Sebastian’s hand under the table and squeezed it, hoping he’d think of something to say to prevent this going any further.

But before he even had a chance to say anything, Matilda spoke. ‘You have a very good memory, Mr Everett, Tabby and I were indeed the two nurses at the funeral. Brigadier Russell was an old and very dear friend. We had met him when he was a captain, he led our wagon train to Oregon. When I heard he had been brought to Washington wounded, I went to see him, indeed stayed with him until he died. He asked me if we would attend his funeral and we were proud to be there.’

‘Well!’ Anne Everett gasped, her slender body as stiff as a fire iron. ‘It’s all coming back to me. He came from Virginia, one of the oldest families. There were many who felt he should have fought for the Confederacy’

‘He couldn’t have fought for them,’ Tabitha said. ‘He was against secession and slavery.’

‘I think we should change the subject,’ Sebastian said. He knew the whole story of Russell and Matilda, and what they had been to one another. While he thought the story very moving, and one he intended to tell with pride to his own children, he
was afraid that it would only bring back sad memories for Matilda, and also of Aaron for both his parents.

‘But why, Sebastian darling?’ his mother said, fixing him with an overbright smile. ‘Because it was rumoured that one of the nurses was Russell’s mistress?’

There was a gasp from some of the women round the table. But before Tabitha could catch her breath, Matilda turned in her chair to face Anne.

Tabitha knew Matilda loved James far too much ever to deny her relationship with him. Their love affair was her most treasured memory. Tabitha could see her bracing herself to speak of it, and she had never looked more lovely: such pride in her clear blue eyes, defiance in her chin, only the faint quiver of her lips proving that her love for James ran as deep today as it had ten years ago.

‘Mrs Everett,’ she said in a clear, unwavering voice, and Tabitha felt as if her heart was breaking for her, ‘rumours about me abound, most of them founded on ignorance or jealousy, and usually I ignore them. But I will put you straight on this one, because it is not something I am ashamed of, and if Tabby is to marry your son it is best that there are no secrets between us.

‘It is true that I was James Russell’s mistress, and I loved him more than life itself.’

‘I can really make no comment about your behaviour, but didn’t you stop to think what such a scandal could do to your daughter?’ Anne retorted, two bright red spots appearing on her cheeks. ‘Taking her with you to your lover’s funeral!’

Matilda’s eyes narrowed and darkened, she had the expression on her face which Tabitha had seen so often as a child. It was a mixture of anger and scorn, and it always precipitated a verbal tongue-lashing.

‘My dear Mrs Everett, Tabitha went to the funeral to pay her last respects to an old friend. She was twenty-two then, hardly a child,’ she said, her voice like ice.

There was a little sniff from Anne. Matilda looked across the table at Tabitha and Sebastian first, then her eyes swept right round the table at all the shocked faces.

‘I am sorry if my bluntness offends you,’ she said, ‘but I have always believed one should tell the truth. However, whatever you choose to think of me, you must not allow that to reflect on
your opinion of my step-daughter. She has a spotless character, she is an excellent doctor, and comes from better stock than anyone else at this table.’

Mrs Everett gave a sniff of disbelief.

Tabitha’s blood ran cold, for she knew Matilda always fought to win, and her tongue could be as sharp as any sword when her blood was up.

‘You don’t agree?’ Matilda said with a faint smirk. ‘Well, let me put this to you. Does a family fortune made by the work of slaves, and the building of railroads which took the lives of hundreds of Chinese and Irish labourers, mean one is superior to a poor but enlightened church minister, who spent his whole life working for the good of others? I surely doubt it.’

There was utter silence for a moment, not a clink of a glass or the rustle of a napkin. Every face turned towards Anne Everett and Matilda.

Tabitha hadn’t discovered how the Everetts’ fortune had been made until she’d arrived here in New York. She wondered when and how Matilda had discovered this.

The silence was broken by Sebastian clapping his hands. ‘Well said, Matilda,’ he exclaimed. ‘You are not only right of course, but very brave to speak out. But this evening was intended to celebrate the engagement of Tabitha and myself, not to look back on the rights and wrongs of either of our families. I wish to propose a toast to that effect.’ He picked up his glass of wine and looked around the table. ‘I propose that we should all look forward to a bright new future in which sadness and old prejudices will be laid aside.’

Brett was the next to raise his glass, and gave his mother a scathing glance. ‘To the future!’ he said.

George and Albert at opposite ends of the table looked a little puzzled, perhaps they hadn’t fully heard everything that had been said. But they raised their glasses, and everyone else followed suit.

Tabitha wondered how the dinner party could possibly continue harmoniously, but to her surprise Matilda turned to Anne and smiled. ‘We really should have got together earlier to sound one another out, shouldn’t we? But it’s done now, and let’s put it aside. Now, do please tell me where you got that beautiful gown made, it’s so stylish, it could have come from Paris.’

Perhaps Anne Everett realized she had made a grave mistake in trying to humiliate Matilda, for she made no further sarcastic remarks, and surprisingly, seemed to warm to her outspoken guest. By the time the dessert was served, the matter had been put aside, for Matilda had drawn everyone out by suggesting everyone told their favourite comic story about someone they knew.

George’s was about a good friend of his involved in landscaping Central Park who was tricked into parting with an enormous sum for trees, expecting them to be well-established ones of at least four or five feet in height. When they arrived they were seedlings, no more than three inches high. Rupert, who was in banking, told a tale about a man who posed as an English lord, got himself invited to all the society events, where he charmed everyone, and managed to swindle thousands of dollars from the bank. By the time it was discovered the man was in fact Irish, a penniless immigrant when he first arrived in New York, he had skipped off to South America.

Brett prompted his father Albert to tell them all about the disastrous ceremonious opening of the railroad into Chicago. The dignitaries, including two Senators, were to arrive by train. A band was playing on the station, Albert and Brett waiting to receive them with a champagne reception. When the dignitaries and their train never arrived, Brett and Albert had to go out on a handcar, pumping themselves down the line to inspect, only to find that several miles out of town, some wild railroad men had decided to remove a length of the track as a prank. The train with its load of dignitaries was stranded there, not hopping mad and indignant as Brett and Albert expected, but drunk, as there had been large supplies of whiskey on board.

It was almost midnight when the party finally broke up. Matilda was last to leave, and as Tabitha and Sebastian escorted her to the front door where her carriage was waiting, Matilda suddenly enveloped Tabitha in a tight hug.

‘I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,’ she said. ‘But I had to set the record straight.’

‘I’m very glad you did,’ Tabitha said, hugging her back. ‘It’s all out in the open now, and I’m so very proud of you.’

Sebastian grinned. ‘It turned out to be the best and liveliest
dinner party Mother’s ever thrown,’ he said. ‘I bet we’ll all be talking of it for months.’

Matilda disengaged herself from Tabitha and took Sebastian’s two hands in hers, looking up at him. ‘You are a good man, Sebastian,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t imagine any man being more worthy of my precious Tabby. I really don’t mind your mother thinking I’m a common upstart, I guess I am. But I had to point out to all your family, for Giles and Lily’s sake, that Tabitha is their equal. That was the really important issue.’

Sebastian was touched by the sincerity in her words. He could feel the roughness of her hands in his, even through her lace gloves. They said so much about her character and he hoped his mother would one day see them too, for then perhaps she’d really understand what made him love and respect this woman so much.

‘You are more of a real lady than all of Lady Astor’s cronies put together,’ he said. ‘Now, go on back to your hotel before you catch cold and sleep tight. Tabby and I will meet you for lunch tomorrow.’

As Matilda’s carriage bowled away through the snow to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, she smiled to herself. All things considered, she decided, Tabitha was marrying into a good family. The men were principled and fair-minded, and Tabitha’s modern views would almost certainly bring a welcome breath of fresh air to the younger women. She thought it would be advisable, though, to keep her distance from Anne Everett. Tonight’s sharp exchanges might have been necessary to clear a few cobwebs, but she guessed that in the next few weeks before the wedding, Anne would be eagerly waiting for her to make a social blunder, and if it came she would be all too gleeful.

Not that Matilda had any intention of getting involved with any more society folk while she was here, that was the main reason she’d opted for staying in a hotel. That way she was free to come and go as she pleased, wander around the city, and see Tabitha and Sebastian on her own.

She was astounded at how much New York had grown and changed since she first came here as a young girl. The vast and beautiful Central Park had replaced that awful shantytown Flynn had once shown her, blocks and blocks of smart new
houses on both sides of it. There was a train which ran overhead, lighting on all the streets, and many wonderful shops. So far the snow had prevented any real exploring on foot, but maybe she’d buy some stout boots if it didn’t clear soon.

Peter and his wife Lisette, Sidney, Mary and their children would be joining her for the wedding, and after the bride and groom had gone off on their honeymoon, they were intending to make the return journey a holiday, stopping off in different towns they’d always wanted to visit.