Beside Two Rivers

12





The Breese household was the quietest it had been in years. Mr. Breese lay in his four-poster bed upstairs. All the windows were open, and a soft, almost indistinguishable breeze shifted the curtains to and fro. Surrounded by his wife, daughters, and niece, he set his hand atop his dog’s head when Dash laid his paw on the bedside and whined.

Missy led a young physician through the door. He set his bag down at the foot of the bed. Dressed in black from his coat to his shoes, he posed a handsome man, with large brown eyes and hair as blonde as the wheat growing in the fields.

“How are you feeling, sir?” he inquired, leaning down to Mr. Breese.

“Everyone is making too much of a fuss. You may want to take my wife’s pulse, for she is very upset.”

He opened Mr. Breese’s shirt and listened to his heartbeat. “Your heart sounds strong and your pulse regular.” He straightened up and looked at Mrs. Breese. “Who found him, madam?”

“My daughter Martha, Dr. Emerson.” Mrs. Breese extended her hand over to Martha’s and lifted it within hers. “And my niece, Darcy. They are good girls, sir, and did all that they could and should do. Darcy ran home for help while Martha stayed with her poor papa. Together with Missy they were able to help my husband home.”

It did not escape Darcy’s eyes the way Emerson turned his to Martha—a controlled gaze that showed simmering admiration. He turned to Mrs. Breese. “Your husband has suffered a heart seizure, ma’am.”

With a cry, Mrs. Breese thrust her handkerchief against her mouth. Then she waved the handkerchief as if to chase the bad news away. “He is to die, I know it.”

“No, ma’am. He will not die. But he will need plenty of rest, strong broths, and fresh air. I’m afraid to say he will need to stop working for a time. Nothing strenuous. No exertion. He can no longer venture out alone.”

“But his livelihood is partly our bread and butter, sir. And he loves it so dearly.”

“I’m sorry. No exertion, ma’am.”

“Oh, surely, Doctor, a little water coloring in my portfolio is no harm to me,” Mr. Breese said.

“I want you to stay in bed a full week, sir. Then gradually you may do a little work, but again, nothing taxing.”

Mrs. Breese slapped her hands on her knees. “Oh, what shall become of us now? We have a small annuity from my father’s estate, but it is not enough to keep us all.”

“Aunt,” Darcy said. “You mustn’t think about that now. What is important is Uncle Will’s health.”

Her aunt shook her head. “It is of the utmost importance, indeed. But we shall have to eat fish from the river the rest of our lives. Washington College commissioned the work, Dr. Emerson, and will not accept an incomplete folio.”

Darcy knelt beside her. “We shall write to Dr. Ferguson at the college and inform him of Uncle Will’s condition.”

“Oh, no, Darcy. It’d be best to delay,” insisted her aunt.

“Well, a few weeks to recover will not set him back. He is nearly finished. Later, when he feels strong enough, he can complete it.” She looked over at Dr. Emerson for confirmation. “Uncle Will has been collecting flora along the river, sir. He is cataloging them, you see. The work is not difficult.”

“In time he can resume his work, as I said. As far as hiking the countryside in search of specimens, he cannot for some time,” said Emerson. “No lifting or laboring in the garden.”

“We can do any chore Papa needs us to,” Rachel said. “That way he will recover quickly. I’m right, aren’t I?” A broad smile broke across her face, and she looked over to Darcy. It seemed all the girls depended on Darcy to affirm their hopes.

“I believe you are, Rachel,” she replied.

Mrs. Breese huffed. “You are too optimistic, the pair of you. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen before. My father had a stroke, and we suffered for it. How shall I feed all these mouths now?”

“We shall get by,” Lizzy assured her mother.

“Papa will get well, Mama,” said Abby.

“You will, won’t you, Papa?” Dolley said, kissing her father’s cheek.

“I assure you all, I will.” Mr. Breese smiled and then shut his eyes. “I have enjoyed the quiet, I must say.”

Her aunt arched her brows. “Darcy will need to go to England for certain now. Perhaps your dear grandmamma will help us, Darcy, for I have no doubt she is well off. Your uncle is her son after all.”

“Mari, I insist you stop fretting at once.” Mr. Breese’s tone arrested everyone in the room, including Darcy. She had never before heard him speak to her aunt with such firmness. She looked over at her with concern, for she had all of a sudden gone silent and still, and her face was awash with color.

“I have enough money for you and the girls to continue as things were. You are not to even suggest that Darcy ask my mother for money. And I am not going to die—at least not anytime soon. And when I do, I will thank the Lord for the peace and quiet.”

Tears moistened Mrs. Breese’s eyes and she set her mouth firm. “All right, my dear. As you say.”




With her husband in need of peace and quiet, as well as sleep, Mrs. Breese ushered her daughters and Darcy out of the room. After a brief word with his patient, Dr. Emerson stepped out, closed the door, and met Darcy and Martha in the sitting room. Darcy did not say she was worried over her uncle’s situation, but as she tidied up the room, she paused to see that eyes were upon her. Martha stood beside Dr. Emerson, and Darcy wished she could say out loud how fine they looked together.

“It would not be wise to travel alone, Miss Darcy, if that is indeed your course,” Dr. Emerson said. “I know a gentleman, a colleague of mine, who is leaving for London with his young wife on business. It would be well for you to journey with them. I’m sure his wife would appreciate the company.”

It was happening all too fast. Her mind and her heart churned like the rapids in her river, tumbling with a sudden anxiety of leaving home and the people she loved. And there was the risk that she would meet up with that insufferable Englishman who had tossed her heart to the wind as if it were chaff. She sat still a moment, with her throat tightening, staring at the floor.

“Thank you, sir. It would be a comfort to my aunt if I had someone to travel with, especially someone you know.”

“I shall write to them today and help make the arrangements for you to meet them in Annapolis. Dr. Prestwich is a prominent surgeon there, and his wife, Ann, is very pleasant.”

“I look forward to meeting them, sir.” She curtsied to him, and then when Martha glanced toward the door, Darcy knew to leave the couple alone. She went back into the hallway, heard her aunt fussing out in the kitchen, and sighed deeply. Missy peeked down from the top of the staircase. Her uncle wished to speak to her.

“Do not allow this situation to stop you, Darcy,” he said. “I do not want you to worry. I am feeling better already.”

“You will take good care of yourself and follow the doctor’s instructions?”

“I promise I shall.”

“Well, you shall be happy to know that Dr. Emerson has recommended a very nice lady in need of a traveling companion, and he thinks I am just the person. She and her husband are sailing for England in a few days. He is a respected surgeon.”

She shifted from her chair to his bedside, lifting his hand in hers. “But how can I leave you now?”

“Must you stay with us until we are in our graves? Are you not entitled to a life of your own? Your grandmother shall not live long, so go to her. I shall have a letter for you to give her. I want you to tell her that I have always loved her, and have prayed for her each day since we parted. If she would leave Havendale and come back with you, I would welcome her to live with us. You go ahead and have your adventure. I have the girls to look after me.”

“Are those the only reasons you have to persuade me?”

“You need to find whatever it is God is leading you to, knowing where your roots began and where they must end. From the first moment I saw your curly head at my doorstep, I saw something in you that I rarely had seen in a child your age. You take everything in as if it were a gift. It would be wrong to keep you here.”

Darcy kissed his cheek, and when her uncle had fallen back to sleep, she stepped outside his room and went downstairs. Martha and Dr. Emerson had not been afforded much time together. Darcy’s aunt stood beside Martha with her arm around her, looking out the sitting room window. Dr. Emerson mounted his horse, and after he tipped his hat, he made for the main road.

“It is now a certainty, our income is affected.” Her aunt spoke in a low but trembling voice, twisting a handkerchief between her hands. “It is enough to keep a roof over our heads for some time, I think, but we shall be reduced to a very low condition if your uncle does not continue his work.”

Darcy pressed her lips together and said, “I have faith he shall recover. In this we must be patient, and depend on Dr. Emerson’s skill and God’s goodness.”

Her aunt lowered herself onto the settee. “But if he does not, we shall be forced to live in a small dwelling among the working class. And that is what we shall become—working class.”

Martha picked up her mother’s hand and squeezed it. “You must have more faith than that, Mama. You will not have to leave your home.”

Mari Breese wiped her nose. “Oh, I think I shall. There is little guarantee of anything for me to rely on.”

Darcy gazed into her aunt’s gaunt face. Worry moved within Mari’s expression. There seemed no means to comfort her and waylay her growing anxiety. “Of course there is, Aunt. Remember, I shall not leave thee, nor forsake thee”?

“I indeed remember it. And you are good to remind me. I need to put my trust in the Lord and not worry so much. But it is hard for me, Darcy.”

“You have your children.”

“Yes, and I must release you to your grandmother. You may become so dear to her that when she dies, or perhaps before that, she will provide money that you may send home. I know it is selfish of me to say, but it is a possibility—and if not for us, then for you.”

Darcy sighed. “You’ve worried over me all these years, and now you are settled that I go to England to people who are strangers to me?”

“Not all strangers. Indeed not. There is Mr. Brennan and Miss Roth. They live in the same county as your grandmother. When they hear of your arrival, they will call upon you, and that way you shall be introduced to other families in the area, and have no lack of acquaintances. The English love balls and gatherings, you know. You shall make many friends. Oh, I do envy you in some ways.”

The mention of Ethan, his face coming up in her mind, caused her heart to ache. “It does not matter whether I see Mr. Brennan or Miss Roth. We were not friends when they left.” She stood and walked over to the window. “I should like to see the house my father was born in, and the land of my ancestors. I should like to see my grandfather’s vicarage where my mother grew up, and the church where he preached.”

“That is a grand attitude, Darcy. I shall write to Dr. Emerson’s friends right away. He told me of his suggestion.” She stood and went to her writing desk, rummaging through the middle drawer for paper.

A gentle smile tugged at Darcy’s mouth. She stepped from the room, and donning her broad-rimmed hat, headed for the path beside the house that led down to the river. Over roots and stones she went, pausing to pick up pebbles that caught her eye. She placed five smooth stones in her pocket to take on her journey as reminders that she could slay any obstacle that would rise up against her.




At last a reply had come that Darcy would have a pair of travel companions to watch out for her. Their letter emphasized how pleased they would be to have her company. On the day when the wagon was brought around to the front of the house to take Darcy down to the ferry, she put on a brave face. The driver, Mr. George, who had been her uncle’s neighbor for fifteen years, put out his hand for her to take in order to step up.

“Good morn to ye, Miss Darcy,” he smiled. “’Tis a fine day for travelin’.”

“It is a glorious day, Mr. George.” Darcy’s stomach churned from both fear and excitement. She gripped the handle of her traveling bag and swallowed the lump in her throat. “I will take every inch of it into my mind, so as not to forget home and my river.”

“Ah, that will be nice, miss. I was down at the river this morn, and caught a string of fine bass.” He reached back and pulled them out of a bucket. Then he handed them to Missy. “You cook them up for the family, Missy. Fish will do them all good.” The catch was happily accepted.

Unbidden tears were in Darcy’s eyes when she kissed her aunt and cousins goodbye and climbed into the rear of the wagon. Mr. George helped her uncle into the seat beside him. “It is good of you to drive for us, George,” he said.

“Your good lady made it clear you can’t do much of anythin’, Mr. Breese. I am glad to be of help.” And he clicked his tongue and the horses walked on.

Mrs. Breese stood out on the lawn, silent and forlorn with her daughters gathered around her. She lifted her handkerchief and waved, then wiped the tears falling down her cheeks and dabbed her eyes. Darcy buried her sorrow over leaving, raising her hand and smiling back at her aunt and the girls, who were more like sisters to her than cousins. She wondered what would become of them while she was away. Would Dr. Emerson and Martha wed? Would Lizzy? And would her dear Uncle Will grow strong again?

Questions about the future swam in her mind. She looked away from the house she had known all her life. It grew smaller and smaller as they turned at a bend toward the river road. The trees stretched overhead in a canopy of green. She drew in a long breath to feel the air fill her lungs, feel the cooling shade, and smell the grass growing alongside the hedgerows.

The flatboat waited at the river’s edge. She had thought it was difficult saying farewell to her aunt and cousins, but when she looked into the misty gray eyes of her uncle, her heart swelled into such despair that she threw her arms around his neck and held fast.

“You shall do well, Darcy,” he said. “I know it. Now, be off with you. The ferryman waits.”

She kissed his cheek and picked up her bag, gave him a smile that spoke of uncertainty, and stepped onto the planks of the riverboat.

“You have the list?” her uncle called to her.

“In my bag.” She clutched it against her stomach. “I will not lose it.”

“Do not forget—besides the heather, corn, chamomile, mayweed, and charlock. Send them to me when you can.”

“I will, Uncle. I won’t forget.”

Darcy fixed her eyes upon his face. She wanted to sear his image in her mind and hold it firm, so as not to forget the kindness that sparkled in his eyes. With a little effort, he raised his hand, and she waved back.

“Goodbye!” She stretched her arm as high as she could and shouted over the lapping water. “I shall write as soon as I can.”

The breeze strengthened, and Darcy watched her uncle flatten his hat over his head and nod to George. A snap of the reins and the horses pulled away. As a chill passed over her, she watched the wagon fade into the line of trees. No turning back now, she drew her eyes away and soaked in the hills and forests, the deer standing at the edge of the river— her river. Waterfowl splashed and skirted the riverbank, and a great heron flew overhead. Sunlight danced over the top of the water.

A pole-man turned his head to her as he plunged his pole into the water. “You comfortable, miss?”

“Yes, thank you.” She sat down on a barrel and soaked in the scene around her. She held down the top of her hat, the sunlight catching in her eyes. “This is my first time away from home, my first time to go all the way down the Potomac.”

“It will please you, miss. We disembark at the Great Falls. You’ll see them in all their glory as you walk along the footpath. Past them, you’ll catch the next flatboat going all the way down to Point Lookout, and what a sight to behold. The river widens as it gets closer to the Bay.” Then he lifted his pole and moved in unison with the other men down along the edge of the flatboat to the rear, causing it to cut over the river as if it were greased.

His description caused her heart to pound and her imagination to soar. “Oh, Lord, how I shall miss it,” she whispered with her eyes closed. “Please bring me back and let nothing change, not one leaf or flower, not a bend in the bank, not a single stone. Let it remain as it is, forever.”