Aggie Read online

  “So, you think in time, she will forget about her dead husband and you’ll be able to pawn her off on someone else? You know a tragic loss like that will elevate her marriage to something more historic in nature. Whether he was a decent man or not, he will rise to sainthood because of how he died. No man can compete with that, Hiram. I fear you may be stuck with the woman for a lot longer than you anticipated.”

  He stopped a moment and pondered Prudence’s words. Could he compete with a dead saint? He knew there would be a grieving process for Aggie. He didn’t begrudge her that. But what would happened after that? He supposed he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

  He would simply have to do everything in his power to make Aggie realize there could be room in her heart for both of them.

  “I honestly don’t know, but I’m in no hurry to push her.” He turned toward the woman and tried a different tactic. “Prudence, I need your help. Please, allow me the time I need to help Aggie transition to her new life. She’s suffering in so many ways, and I fear if we push her too hard, she will fall like a house of cards. Can you give her time to put the pieces of her broken life back together? Perhaps when the baby is born, she will feel a sense of renewal and her vitality will return.”

  Prudence studied him for a moment without speaking. Then, as if she had made a decision, she nodded and stood. “Hiram, it has been my experience that if you coddle someone, you will only make them weaker. With that said, I will not extend any further invitations to your wife until the babe is old enough for her to leave the house.

  “But there is no reason I shouldn’t pay a visit to your wife and mother in their own home. I will not take no for an answer, Hiram. And, if I do not get an invitation for tea at your home by the end of this week, I will have no choice but to take it as a personal slight. I would hate to have to ostracize the both of them among their peers.”

  Hiram didn’t know whether to clap his hands in relief or swallow the lump of fear in his throat. When he didn’t respond, she pushed.

  “Do we have an agreement, Hiram?” Prudence gathered her things and stood.

  “Well, Prudence, I will have to check with my mother as to her schedule, and of course, I will need to see how Aggie is feeling before I can speak for either of them. You can understand how—”

  “You have until Friday to garner an invitation from your mother and deliver it to my front door. After that, I can’t promise your wife will be well received…even after the child is born.” Prudence stuck out her gloved hand for him to kiss. He did his duty and she nodded her approval. “Until the week’s end.” Then she turned, and in a flurry of silk brocade and lace, Mrs. Prudence Pendergast was gone.

  Hiram stood in shock staring at the door when his assistant knocked. “Is there anything you need me to do regarding Mrs. Pendergast’s visit?” Jason stood in the doorway with his paper in hand ready to take notes.

  Hiram stared at the spot where his worst nightmare had just disappeared through his office door. “I think all we can do now is pray, Jason. Just pray.”

  Chapter 2

  Aggie looked around her extravagant bedroom. It was every woman’s dream. She lived in the lap of luxury thanks to Hiram. She had thought no place in the world could compare to her childhood home where she spent so many fun-filled summers with her cousin, Rosie. But this place was much more grand than the home even she grew up in. She supposed on an emotional level, no place could ever compare to Meadowlark. A place she would never see again thanks to this horrible war. She wished it had ended last April instead of last month. To think how much of her life would still be available to her if it had made her want to cry.

  Aggie thought perhaps it was her melancholy that caused her reclusive and weepy behavior, and it was worrying to her husband and his parents. Truth be told, her behavior was worrying to herself. She just didn’t feel like herself anymore. And everyone had been so kind and generous to her. She felt the prick of guilt at her behavior, but she couldn’t get past the sadness of losing so much in such a short time.

  She knew Hiram had feelings for her and that those feelings ran deeper than friendship. She had kept the letter where he had proclaimed his love for her and begged her to allow him to take her away from the danger in Savannah. She had wanted to say no. She didn’t want to give Hiram false hope that there could ever be anything other than friendship between them, but his words were so eloquent and persuasive, she realized she had no choice but to say yes if she wanted any hope for her child’s future.

  And since they had come to Boston, she hadn’t given him much reason to believe their relationship would blossom into anything more than friendship, and yet he was patient and kind and never pushed for anything more than she was willing to give. For that, she would always be grateful.

  A sudden memory pricked her thoughts reminding her of home. Not the home she shared with James. She missed Savannah, of course, but Tennessee and Meadowlark. It had been her home until she married James and moved to Georgia. She found herself missing her childhood home more and more these days. Perhaps it was because those memories came at a time when childhood innocence was in full bloom…before the tragedies of adulthood.

  A soft knock at the door pulled her from her dark thoughts. “Come in,” she called out.

  The door swung open wide and Hiram’s vivacious mother, Gertrude, swept into the room. “Good morning, my dear. How are you feeling today?” The woman’s sympathetic look touched Aggie.

  “I’m feeling better this morning. Thank you. Please, sit.” Aggie offered Hiram’s mother the other chair near the window.

  “I would love to join you. I only have about an hour before I’m off for my fitting at Mrs. Haversham’s dress boutique. She has prepared my dress for Mr. Meacham’s spring gala. He’s trying to raise money to build Boston’s first public gardens. He has invited everyone he thinks will turn loose of their purse strings.” Her mother-in-law let lose a hearty robust laugh, but then her expression changed abruptly, and her cheeks pinked in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I hope you don’t think you aren’t invited, Aggie. I just wasn’t sure, I mean…” Her words wandered off and once again Aggie felt bad for making everyone around her feel as though they had to walk on eggshells.

  “Please, don’t apologize. I would love to attend the spring fling. I feel the change of season in the air. The bright sunny days. The gentle spring breezes. The fragrance of the lilac bushes. I’m certain it would do my soul good to hear the sound of laughter and music. Perhaps once I’m feeling better, I can spend more time in the fresh air amongst your beautiful garden flowers. I’m sure I’ll be feeling better in no time at all once I’m able.”

  “I wish I could say I understand how you are feeling, but when I was carrying Hiram, I had the appetite of a horse.” She patted her round stomach with gusto. That is why I am so healthy now. I was but a wisp of a girl when I married Klaus. But when I was with child, everything grew bigger. My stomach. My appetite. My backside. And so did my dresses.” The woman’s robust laughter pulled a grin from Aggie.

  “That must have been wonderful. I’m not so lucky to eat anything I want. The smell of food—any food—makes me ill to my stomach. And when I force the issue, it all comes back up in a very unladylike way. Then I have no energy at all. I keep hoping that everything will improve as the baby grows, but it hasn’t happened so far, and I’ve only got a few more months to go.”

  Gertrude nodded her understanding and soon the awkward silence grew. Aggie should say something, but she and her mother-in-law still had much to learn about each other, so their conversation was often stilted, each one trying to find common ground with the other. Before she could think of something to say, Gertrude beat her to it.

  “Aggie, I know so much has changed for you since your husband was killed and I feel I don’t know as much about you as I would like to. Why don’t you share some memories of your life before you were married? Tell me about your life when Hiram first met you. He and his father were attending a party as
guests of your father if I remember correctly. At your parent’s home in Tennessee, isn’t that right?”

  “Yes, my parents owned a beautiful place in Tennessee. Just below the Appalachian mountains. It was a lovely place where I grew up.

  “I remember the night I met Hiram and your husband. My father introduced me to them, but I was so young and quite infatuated by a certain young man from Georgia. I’m ashamed to say that for the rest of the evening, I only had eyes for Mr. James Bohanan.”

  “Yes, I remember the story. When Hiram and Klaus arrived home, all my son could talk about was a party he and his father had attended at a place called Meadowlark on the way to meet with clients in Savannah. His eyes sparkled when he spoke of a certain beauty with blue eyes and curly blond hair. He couldn’t speak of anything else.” Gertrude grinned at the memory. “He loved you even back then.”

  Aggie was embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hanover. I had no idea.” It was all she could manage to say. She remembered Hiram, but she had been so in love with James, she couldn’t see anyone else.

  “It’s not your fault, dear. The heart has a mind of its own. James was your heart’s choice. You were Hiram’s. I just hope now that fate has directed you here to us, the two of you will be able to find in each other the happiness you both deserve.”

  Aggie nodded and felt even worse because she didn’t know what to say. She cared for Hiram. Of course she did. She had deep feelings for him. She just hadn’t decided where those feelings belonged yet. Most definitely friendship, but as a husband? It was too soon to know where her heart would go.

  “Now, tell me more about your home in Tennessee. Hiram and Klaus both spoke of its beauty. I can only imagine what it must have been like to live there growing up.”

  “Of course.” Aggie reached for the water pitcher and offered her husband’s mother a cup.

  Gertrude shook her head. “No thank you, dear. I’ve got that fitting at Mrs. Haversham’s this morning, and I would be mortified to have to break off and visit the water closet right in the middle of the dress fitting. I fear, I would never hear the end of it.”

  Aggie smiled at the woman’s colorful explanations and grinned. She poured herself a glass and returned the pitcher to the table. “I don’t really know where to begin. What would you like to know? Where should I begin.”

  “Begin at the beginning. What are the first memories you can recall? Tell me as much as you can remember in the next,” her mother-in-law glanced at her lapel watch hanging from her dress, “half hour.”

  “Very well then. I remember it was the most unimaginable place. Meadowlark was breathtaking with its ancient oaks and fields of green as far as the eye could see. Horses and cattle dotted the countryside.”

  Gertrude’s chubby hand pulled Aggie’s slender one into hers. It felt warm. Comforting. Safe. Emotions pulled tears into Aggie’s eyes.

  “Meadowlark? Why was it called Meadowlark?” Her mother-in-law wanted to know.

  “Because those ancient oaks and willows made homes for hundreds and hundreds of Meadowlark birds. They came every spring and built their nests. The trees were alive with motion and song. It was so nice to sit outside on the veranda when the evening breezes pushed the summer heat away. The trees swayed and the birds sang and fluttered around the porches. Everything just felt right with the world. Little did I know how things would change someday.” Aggie choked back a sob as her emotions rolled over her self-control.

  Gertrude squeezed her hand. “It sounds like a grand place.”

  Aggie pulled in a calming breath. “Oh, yes. It was. A very grand place. Fifty-four hundred acres of prime land. Tobacco. Cotton. Pure-bred horses. It was the finest place in a dozen or more counties.”

  “Fifty-four hundred acres? I can't imagine what that must have been like. Klaus came from a well-heeled family, and I…well, I was but a poor farmer’s daughter who caught the eye of a young man. Against his parent’s wishes, I might add,” Gertrude’s grin spread wide across her face.

  “As you said, the heart makes its own choice as to who it loves.” Aggie hoped Gertrude understood that her heart had chosen James and she couldn’t guarantee it would choose Hiram this time around.

  Hoping to change the subject, she offered another round of thanks. “I can’t thank you and Mr. Hanover enough for welcoming me into your home. I know I’m not exactly the kind of woman you wanted for your—”

  Gertrude turned to Aggie. “Nonsense. You are exactly the kind of woman my Hiram should be married to. You make him happy, my dear, and that is all that matters to this mother’s heart. Now, tell me more about Meadowlark.”

  Aggie pushed back her emotions and continued with her reminiscing. “My cousin used to spend every summer with me. We would ride our ponies and play with my dollhouse in my room. Momma and Papa would read wonderful stories to us at night on the veranda. It was a perfect life."

  “And where is your cousin now?” Gertrude asked.

  “She is in Kansas City, Missouri last I heard. We’ve managed to exchange a few letters since I left home.”

  “Missouri? How did she get so far from Tennessee?” Gertrude wondered aloud.

  Aggie offered a sad smile to her mother-in-law. “In a word…the war. It was that horrible war that changed everything for so many people. Some good changes. Some devastating.” Aggie's melancholy returned.

  “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you, Aggie.” Gertrude still held her hand and gave her fingers another squeeze.

  “There were good memories too,” Aggie said. “Meadowlark is where I fell in love with my—” Aggie stopped short. She didn’t think Hiram’s mother wanted to know how her son’s wife had fallen in love with another man.

  “Please. Don’t stop. Tell me about this husband of yours. How did you meet and how did you know he was the right man for you?” Gertrude encouraged her to go on.

  “Honestly, Gertrude, I knew the moment I laid eyes on him. It was, indeed, love at first sight.” Aggie smiled and remembered the night she met her husband. “It was such a glorious time in my life. Michael was so handsome.”

  “Michael? I thought you said his name was James?” Gertrude frowned at her, clearly puzzled by her use of James’ middle name.

  “I’m sorry. When I first met my husband, his parents called him Michael, which was his first name. It was only after we married that he asked me to call him by his middle name, which is James. He explained it was because he felt as though his parents still treated him like a child instead of the man he had become. His father tried to control his decisions on the farm and when my husband purchased our farm outside of Savannah, it was then he wanted to be known as Mr. James Bohanan instead of Michael Bohanan-Jessie Bohannan’s son.”

  “Ah, I understand.” Hiram’s mother nodded and let go of her hands. She leaned back in her chair and gave Aggie a kind smile. “So, tell me, how did you know your husband was the right man for you?”

  “He was so handsome. And he had a good sense of business. And he was funny. Not as funny as Hiram, but he was always laughing. He was a good, honest man.”

  “He sounds like a wonderful man and I think he would have been a wonderful father, don’t you?”

  Aggie rubbed her hand softly over her swollen belly. “Yes, he would have made a wonderful father.” Tears burned as emotions bubbled.

  “And it is truly tragic that he is no longer with you and he will not be present to witness the birth of his child. Truly tragic.”

  Aggie could no longer hold back her overwhelming sadness and tears fought their way free. She openly sobbed pressing her lace handkerchief against her face until she hid from Hiram’s mother.

  “It’s quite alright, dear. I’m not certain you’ve had a chance to mourn your husband properly since he passed. Cry. Cry as hard and as long as you need to. It is perfectly natural.”

  Aggie nodded unable to speak her gratitude to her mother-in-law. The two of them sat in silence until Aggie’s tears subsided and she was
finally able to speak. “I can’t thank you enough for your kindness, Gertrude. It means the world to me.” She sniffed and dabbed at her nose and eyes.

  “Nonsense. These are trying times for us all. It is important that we remember where we’ve been as well as where we’re going. We must all work together to rebuild this nation now that the war is finally over. We have to find our place in this world.”

  Aggie sensed there was something more behind the woman’s words. She raised her swollen eyes to meet Gertrude’s clear, blue gaze.

  “You’ve had a time of it, Aggie. Of that, there is no doubt. But, may I gently point out that the past can only serve to remind you how fragile the future can be. All we truly have is the present. Don’t miss it because you are too focused on the past.”

  Aggie frowned as she considered what message her mother-in-law was trying to convey.

  “I’ll be blunt, my dear. Your husband is gone. All that you shared with him is a memory and part of the past. Your future, all of our futures, depend on how well this nation can come together and unite. So, that only leaves today for us to prepare for tomorrow. You are living with a roof over your head, food in your belly, and unconditionally adored by a man who would give you his last penny if you asked it of him. My Hiram loves you, my dear. He loves you with his heart and soul. And he wants nothing more from you than for you to find a tiny place in your heart for him.”

  “But I do…I mean I have…strong feelings for Hiram.“ Aggie stammered unsure how to respond to Gertrude’s frank discussion.

  “You and Hiram were once the best of friends. I suggest you start there. Start somewhere. Because even a man of his patience will grow tired of begging for scraps.” Hiram’s mother stood. “Now, I must get going or Mrs. Haversham will charge me for my fitting without the benefit of being fitted.”