Tangled Betrayals (21 page)

Chapter
Forty-Seven

The Webb Farm

Susannah tied the
horse and carriage to the hitching post and entered her parent’s home with dread. It was such a lovely day, with the sun shining brightly and a mild breeze to keep things pleasant.

“
Hello, is anyone around?” Susannah tried to call out cheerfully.

“Susannah, what a lovely surprise,” Constance Webb
remarked as she walked to the foyer from the back of the house, to greet Susannah. “What brings you here for this surprise visit? Are the children with you?”

Then
Constance Webb looked upon her daughter’s face. She thought her heart might stop beating. She recognized only sadness in Susannah’s eyes. “What’s happened? Please, come into the parlor so we can discuss whatever it is that you are troubled by.”

Constance knew whatever Susannah was about to tell her,
the news had affected her daughter very much. She prayed nothing had happened to one of the children.

Susannah sat by her mother on the settee and began sobbing. She allowed all her built up emotions to finally be released from her trembling body.
Finally, she was able to find her voice, after she finished another coughing spell.

“Mother, remember when I was little
girl and you’d tell me that no matter what happened, there was always a solution to any problem?” Susannah saw the fear in her mother’s eyes.

Constance
was waiting to hear the news she already suspected. “I remember, darling, and most things can be corrected.”

“
Yes, most things.” Susannah’s coughing spell lasted only a short time. “I’m sorry. I have trouble containing my cough. “Anyway, I went to see Dr. Morris today. I went for confirmation of what I’d already suspected. He also came to the same conclusion,  Mother, I have consumption.”

A few years back
, she’d watched helplessly as her sister, Amy, battle this illness at the age of thirty. She’d died within two years of contracting the disease. “I’m so sorry, Susannah. This isn’t fair; it should never be allowed to happen to two people in the same family. I’d give anything to have this deadly disease rather than you. What exactly did Dr. Morris tell you? How much time do we have?”

“
There’s no miracle awaiting me. He feels I have a few months to less than a year. James will be home in a few days from his trip to Baltimore, but Dr. Morris feels I need someone to stay with me, now. I know this is very short notice, but could you possibly return home with me until James arrives?”

“Of course
! I wouldn’t have it any other way. I shall pack immediately. Why don’t we have lunch here and you can rest a bit before we leave. Your father should be coming in for lunch soon, and then we can let him know what has transpired.”

Constance was trying very hard to put
on a brave front. Why Susannah, she thought. She’d been living a wonderful life up until now. But one never knows the reason why or when tragedy will strike. 

Susannah tried to smile at her mother as she was speaking
to her. She wanted to show her she could manage through this. She could be brave.

“Mother, I
’ve adjusted to my situation as much as one can. I know what the future holds for me. Telling James is what I find most difficult to do, and telling the children, when necessary, of course. But I fear Anna will be equally as hurt.”

“Of course
, this sharing of your illness will be difficult, Susannah.”

Before Constance could say anything further,
John Webb entered the parlor. Neither woman had heard him come in. He had at first entered with a big smile on his face, for he knew Susannah, and maybe the children, were visiting once he saw her carriage. But now, seeing her and Constance on the settee, both obviously in tears, he knew something was very wrong. “What the hell’s going on?”

Susannah rose and ran into her father’s open arms. She again sobbed
until she could cry no more. She finally stepped back from his powerful but loving hug, and spoke softly and quickly. She hoped her words would not falter.

“I
’ve been diagnosed with consumption.”

John Webb
kept a straight but stern face. He nodded but said nothing. He walked to the window as Susannah went to sit next to her mother. He looked out but saw nothing.

Susannah watched him come to terms with the news she
’d given him. He was taking slow even breaths. She and her mother waited for him to speak.

“There are many things one can hear that
will give you a shock in this life, but knowing your daughter has been given a death sentence is hard to comprehend and accept. How much time do you have, Susannah?”

Susannah smiled. Typical of her father to stay strong
and be honest and she knew this news was tearing him apart.

“
Maybe six months to less than a year, Father. I shall have plenty of time to make arrangements for the children and this will give time for everyone else to come to terms with my illness.”

Knowing her husband was unable to speak at the moment, Constance spoke to ease the silence,
“John, I’m going to stay with Susannah until James gets back from his trip to Baltimore. I know you can manage without me.”

John
pulled Susannah back into his arms, “I love you more than life itself, as does your mother. We’ll do anything and everything we can to make this as easy as possible for you. If only I could trade places with you.”

“I know
how much you love me, Father. I couldn’t have had better parents, a better sister, a better husband or better children than I’ve been blessed with. I wish, too, that things would have turned out differently. I’ve accepted this as being my fate, and I hope you’ll accept what you cannot change. Now that this is in the open, I think I shall lie down, if you don’t mind. I find myself very tired.”

Susannah
was exhausted. Then, she had another one of her coughing spells. Again, she spit up some pink tinged mucus. When she looked to her parents, she saw the sadness overtake them. “Please, don’t feel sorry for me. I truly have come to terms with this and you must also.”

Her father
nodded as he watched his wife continue to rub her hands together. “Of course, we know we must stay strong, Susannah, but at the moment, that’s difficult to do. We’ll do whatever you wish. I’ll stop often to check on you. Mother can stay as long as needed. Believe it or not, I can manage without her.”

Susannah smiled at the thought of her father who’ll make a mess of things without her mother to clean up after him.
“I want both of you to know that I’m aware of the battle I’m facing. I remember much of what Aunt Amy went through, even though you tried to shield us. I’m trying to be brave. I have to be for the sake of the children. We all must die someday. It’s just coming sooner than I’d hoped.

“
Father, would you mind breaking the news to Anna. I don’t think I can find the words to tell her, knowing how she’ll respond.”

“
I’ll tell her this afternoon. We’ll all try to remain strong, Susanna,” John Webb said, with tears in his eyes. Praying he could do as she asked without breaking down.

Once Susannah had rested, t
hey ate a quick lunch. Constance had packed her things for a long stay; for she knew she’d be there until the end.

*****

John saved his tears until after Susannah and Constance left. The news she’d shared was unbearable. He took some comfort in the knowledge he had a few months to come to terms with the outcome. He was fully aware life could change in an instant, having had to deal with such losses throughout his years. However, knowing life could change and knowing life will change, are two different scenarios, especially when his daughter was involved.

Chapter Forty
-Eight

Anna smiled brightly as she greeted her father at the door. “Father, what are you doing stopping by so early in the afternoon? I bet you told mother you’re checking fences and then took the time to ride here to see you’re lovely and challenging granddaughter, Jane, didn’t you?”

John
smiled down at his youngest daughter but not with his eyes. He knew they held the sorrow within him. He realized he couldn’t find the words he needed to say at that moment. How could he find the right words to ease the awful truth?

“Father, what is it? Something
’s happened to Mother, hasn’t it?” Anna hadn’t thought about her parents getting older until right then. She became frightened at what news he brought.

“
This might be easier for you to understand if what I’m about to tell you was about your mother or me. Please, Anna, let’s sit, while I share some very disturbing news. This will be difficult for you to hear, and even more difficult to adjust to, for the next few months.”

Anna didn’t want to hear anything more from her father. She now wished he hadn’t stopped to see her. Her day had been perfect so far. Now, she knew
this day was going to take a turn for the worse. She noticed the tears in her father’s eyes as he paced.

“I
’ve raised you and your sister with the knowledge that life can change in the blink of an eye. We’ve been blessed for many years with a very happy and comfortable life. But today, your mother and I received news, that’s any parent’s worst nightmare.”

Anna waited for her father to continue. But he stopped and just stared at her. Then when she thought she couldn’t take any more silence, he continued.

“Susannah stopped to tell us she has a confirmed case of consumption. She says Dr. Morris thinks she has six months to less than a year to live.”

Anna jumped from her chair and paced frantically.
Her face was flushed. “No, this can’t be true! It can’t be! She has two small children who need a mother. She has everything she’s ever wished for! Why? Why now?”

John
held her as he’d held her sister earlier. “No one can answer that, Anna. We must be strong for her. Susannah would have told you herself, but she knew how much this would distress you. And I don’t think she was physically able to face you, yet, for she’s known for some time she was very ill. Looking back, I think we all ignored the symptoms because that was easier to do than to think of the alternative.”

Anna thought back
to a few weeks past, trying to remember anything that seemed out of the ordinary. “She’s had a cough for the past few weeks. I’d questioned her about it one time. She passed it off as a reaction to the change in the weather and the growing of the things outdoors.

“I think we
’ll all remember little things we took as something not important because she hid her symptoms well. It’ll do us no good to try to second guess ourselves. Knowing any sooner wouldn’t make any difference to the outcome. You and I both know that even if we’d known--- there’s no cure.”

Those words, no cure, were what hurt John Webb the most
to think about. Why couldn’t there be a remedy for this terrible disease?

Anna kept pacing. “
I can remember Aunt Amy dealing with this. I guess if the truth was told, we’ve all wondered if any of us might contract this dreadful disease. But somehow, I thought we’d be spared. Do you think she’d like me to visit her, Father?”

“Not for a few days, Anna. James won’t be home from his trip to Baltimore until late
on Friday or sometime Saturday. Mother will be staying with her for the next few weeks or more. James and Susannah will need some time to adjust.”

“
How does one adjust to such news? I feel so helpless, Father.”

“We all do.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Baltimore Docks 

James was delighted to learn that Edward would be joining
him for his meeting with his father at the docks, since he hadn’t seen Edward for a few weeks and always enjoyed his company. Edward had just stopped by on a whim so Clayton invited him to tag along to the docks after they had lunch at a local pub. Their big decision now was which pub to dine in.

The
morning turned out to be a fairly pleasant one and after lunch the men decided on walking the few blocks to the ships instead of fetching a carriage. Clayton and Edward took this time to discuss the best way for Clayton to ease out of the company.

When they
had almost reached their destination, James surprised both Clayton and Edward with foul language exploding from him with so much anger, and aimed at the man approaching them. They were not yet to
The Emerald.
The man was obviously a dock worker by the way he dressed. But neither Clayton nor Edward had ever seen James out of control.

James
now stood toe to toe with Henry Ball, wondering if he should knock him down or wait to hear what the bastard had to say.

“James Parker, fancy meeting you here
,” Henry said ever so sweetly.

“What in the hell are you doing here? I
’ve a notion to beat you till you bleed to death, you son of a jackal!”

Edward
, as well as Clayton, was shocked by James’s outburst. It was obvious to anyone around them; James Parker acted like he wanted to kill the man standing in front of him.

“Now James, I
’d think you’d want to be a little nicer to your best friend’s father. After all, we were almost related, at one time.”

“Henry Ball, you
’re the most evil man I’ve ever known. I think rotting in hell, would be far too good for the likes of you. Why are you here? Does Thomas know you’re in Baltimore?” Then, James felt introductions were in order.

“Father, Edward, let me introduce you to Thomas’s father, Henry Ball.” James
spat out still furious and realizing he’d lost all sense of reason.

As Clayton and Edward took in the news of who
the man was standing in front of them, Henry pulled out his hanky to wipe his brow.

Now
, it was Edward who chose to speak, surprising James and Clayton. “Henry Ball, I believe we’ve met before. Don’t you remember me, Edward Pierce?” Edward asked hesitantly. He was now facing the man who’d given him the awful news about losing his wife and son so many years ago in London. Henry Ball had aged some and gotten heavier, but he was the one who Edward had spoken with, so many years ago, he was sure of it.

Edward noticed
Henry paled at the mention of his name. Before Edward could say anything further, someone yelled about a fire. James, Clayton and Edward turned to see where the fire might be, looking behind them.

The
carriage came hurriedly down the street. Henry noticed that no one was paying much attention to the carriage, just as he had hoped. Henry waited until the last possible second before he shoved James, with everything he had, in front of the racing horses’ hooves. He took off running for all he was worth in the other direction.

Henry
could hear people loudly screaming now, as he ran to meet Chester. He felt certain that some of the people heading for the fire had now stopped to see who’d fallen in front of the carriage. Henry had not waited to see what had actually happened to James. He was certain he had to be dead. He had to be! No one could have survived such an accident.

He
found Chester waiting for him as planned. They quickly grabbed the gold from the ship where they’d hidden it, and placed it in the carriage. They’d transfer the chest to the boat they’d hidden, and then stash the carriage in an alley, away from view. They’d then row to an inlet, where they would find the horses they had tethered to a tree earlier in the day.

Soon, they
’d be out of Baltimore and find a place of refuge, until the dust settled. In time, they’d be safe once again to be seen in public, just not in Baltimore.

*****

“James, are you hurt,” Clayton asked
bewildered by what had happened and relieved James hadn’t been killed.

“I
’m fine, a little shaken, but fine. I wish I could say the same for my clothes and my ego. I should have known Henry Ball was up to no good. I’d have been killed if I hadn’t at the last moment realized what Henry was up to. He shoved me a second too early. I rolled quickly out of the way of the carriage.”

“Y
ou mean, you think Thomas’s father intentionally tried to harm you? Why, James?” Clayton asked, shocked and in disbelief. The idea that someone would want to cause harm to James, let alone kill him, was unthinkable.

Before
he could reply, one of the men from
The Emerald
came upon them. “I saw what Henry Adler did. He pushed you, Mr. Parker, as sure as I’m standing here; he intentionally pushed you right in front of that carriage.”

“Please stay
around; we’ll need your statement once the law arrives” Clayton said, thankful there had been another witness.

“I can’t believe that was Henry Ball.” Edward spoke out loud
, dazed. “But, the witness had called him Henry Adler! Did you catch that, James?”

“
Yes, I did. That puzzled me too! But Edward, how in the hell would you know Henry Ball?” James asked, becoming more confused by the minute. First, Henry tried to murder him, and now, Edward seems to know of him, but how and from where? In all these past months that Edward had been around Thomas, Edward never once mentioned knowing his father. And Thomas showed no recognition of knowing Edward, once they’d been introduced. This puzzle was missing pieces, James thought, still unsure how everything went together.    

“Why don’t you explain your knowledge of Henry while we wait for the authorities to arrive?”
James demanded.