FicWad

9. Family

It took me a long while before I regained my composure. I gently stroked the tiny creature in my palm. The poor thing didn’t seem too damaged and I hoped that it would recover with some rest and nourishment. The sun was starting to disappear behind the trees and the room was growing dark. I cautiously placed the bird back in its cage and went to light all the candles in the room by using the fire in the hearth. With all the candles lit, the room was much brighter than before. While I continued to wait for Jim to return, I found myself staring out the window at a familiar door. It was the same door that Anthony had pointed out to me (just a different angle of it) when the servants were bringing in the sacks of lime. I stared at it for a long time, somehow intrigued by what was held behind it.

My stomach ached. I hadn’t eaten anything the whole day. When was dinner supposed to be? The thought of having to eat with all those people didn’t thrill me at all, however. I would wait. Jim still hadn’t come back. Would he come?

Music was drifting through the walls and the floor beneath. I opened the door to let the music flow in uninhibited. It was happy dancing music. I twirled slowly, waiting to match the beat. I made a few steps and thought up a little dance to do. I spun and jumped like a ballerina and then waltzed myself towards the bird’s cage. Already it had gained its feet and it watched me with a cocked head.

“Well, hello there, sir.” I said in a low voice and a thick English accent. “Would you care to have this dance? Yes? Thank you.” I bowed so that my head almost touched my knees and stood up with a snap. I moved my feet around the room not really watching where I was going and when my dress caught on the edge of a table and felled me, I yelped. A burst of laughter came from the doorway. I looked up and saw Jim holding his hand over his mouth.

My face was fiery hot. I pulled myself to my feet using the back of a chair and frowned.

“How long have you been there?”

Jim tried to bite back a laugh and said, “Long enough to see your wonderful performance, but please don’t’ stop on my account. I was being fully entertained . . .” He slapped his hand over his mouth and doubled over.

“Ugh!” I huffed. I threw myself into the chair I had slept in which was facing away from the door and slumped in it, my arms folded angrily over my chest. His laughing slowed to a chuckle and he came up to the chair.

“What is the matter? I wasn’t trying to be cruel, I was merely observing.” He was quiet for a second before he burst into another laugh. I sat up straight and faced him.

“You just let me make a fool of myself! You could have said something sooner—in fact, you could have come sooner! This whole time I’ve been waiting alone and—” I remembered my encounter with Manheim and shivered.

I rested my head on my knees and covered it with my arms. Jim’s laughter stopped abruptly. I could see the tips of his boots come in front of me and then his knees as he knelt down.

“Forgive me,” he said softly. “I didn’t know you would react this way.”

“I want to go home,” I whispered.

He sighed.

“Tell me where it is and I’ll take you there tonight if you wish.”

I chuckled bitterly. “You have no idea, Jim. I can’t go back.”

“What do you mean?” His voice was suddenly grave.

I didn’t continue. How could I tell him that I was from the future? Chicago wasn’t even an idea yet, so how could I go back? The reality of it was sinking in and tears blurred my eyes as I began to realize that the possibility of going back didn’t exist.

“I can’t go back,” I said desperately.

“What is it Imari?” He grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look him in the eyes. I was surprised by his forcefulness. “Do you . . .” he was trying to find the right words. “Are there difficulties at home?” he said carefully.

“What are you talking about?”

“Are you treated poorly at home?”

“My parents are dead,” I stated bluntly. He relaxed visibly and smiled softly. His smile was somewhat comforting.

“I’m sorry.”

I shrugged my shoulders and looked away.

“Well,” he said as he stood, “I came to inquire if you were hungry. Are you?”

I shook my head. “Not really.” My stomach twisted and let out a piercing grumble. I gasped and glared at my stomach.

Jim laughed. “I’ll send for something.” He left the room for a few minutes and then returned. An awkward silence followed. I slowly tapped my toes together and glanced about the room. I caught Jim watching me and I looked away instantly.

“I heard that you had a pleasant time with Mr. Blaine last evening.”

“He’s very good at playing games,” I said. “He wanted to challenge me to a game of chess tonight as well.”

“I should like to play a round with you as well, if you would care to try me,” he said slyly after a moment.

“Only if you think you can handle being beaten by a girl.”

He only smiled in return. He sat at the chess table and began setting out the pieces. I sat opposite him just as a servant entered with a large tray that held two plates piled with food and two glasses. She silently set it off to the side, curtsied and exited. I took one of the plates and brought it back to set on my lap. I ate while Jim finished.

*

I sank down in defeat, laughing heartily. I slapped a hand over my eyes to hide the sight of my last two pieces, my king and a rook, standing alone in the midst of Jim’s black pieces.

“I can’t believe it! You are so mean!” I laughed.

“What? You put up an excellent fight and I spared you as long as I could.” He smiled triumphantly.

“It’s not mercy when you prolong the agony! Did you have to pick off my people one by one and humiliate me like that?” I pointed an accusing finger at the board. I flopped back in my chair and sighed. Jim rose and poured some wine into a glass. While he drank my eyes wandered to the table with the family Bible.

“Hey, Jim?”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“You want a rematch?” He smiled and moved the chess table to the side so we had no
obstruction between us.

“No, it’s about . . . about you and . . . your family.”

Jim looked me in the eye and waited for me to continue.

“I noticed that your name isn’t written in the family Bible and that your mother’s name isn’t there either . . .” I bit my lip. I dearly wanted to know more about Jim but I couldn’t find the words to say it.

“And you want to know why.” He stated. His eyes went to the floor.

“I don’t want you to tell me if you don’t want to!” I said, fearful that he might be offended. “I just wanted to know about your family. Please don’t be angry.”

“Oh, I’m not angry. I don’t mind telling you, I’m just thinking of where to begin.” I waited for him to collect his thoughts. “Lord Bryant is not my father.” He said slowly. “He was my mother’s second husband. My own father died when I was fifteen and my mother remarried in less than three months to my father’s wealthy friend who, at that time was known only as Mr. Nicholas Bryant. It was not that my mother did not love my father and remarried out of any disrespect but that he left her so little to live on and felt that we could not survive on such a small income. After the wedding ceremony I was sent here while my mother and Bryant left for their honeymoon. Things were peaceful enough for me during the weeks that they were absent but when my mother returned I could see a great difference in her. In general, my mother was a healthy, confident woman and now she was sunken, as if she had spent years in prison—her shoulders sagged, her voice was timid and her eyes rarely met mine and when they did I could see such fear in them. I couldn’t understand it then and I didn’t for some time. My mother made sure that I was seldom in the company of Lord Bryant or any of his family. I was relatively happy and when it was discovered that my mother was to have another child, I thought that the whole household would be in an uproar of excitement, yet the feeling only appeared to include myself and Lord Bryant. I did not think much of it at the time . . .

“When the time came, however, neither my mother nor the child survived. Now that my mother’s protection was gone I immediately learned the reason she had seen fit to give it. Bryant was furious after her death and he released it on me. Thankfully, this is the only scar that remains,” he touched the long, white indention on his ear. “God only knows how many he gave to my poor mother.”

I remembered Jim’s earlier question. ‘Are there difficulties at home?’ He thought that I might have been abused, like he had been. My chest ached. Wanting to comfort him somehow but knowing there was nothing in my power to do, I just watched him sorrowfully.

“He blames me for my mother’s death and hates me for it. His mother never approved of my mother and so out of a mutual agreement it was decided to exclude both our names from the family’s history.”

“But if Nicholas doesn’t recognize you as his son, then why did he tell me that when he tried to introduce us?”

Jim seemed irritated with me for using Nicholas’ name.

“I suppose you also noticed that Lord Bryant had a twin. Well, because they are twins and they are both male, it was very questionable about who should be heir to the title and the more substantial part of the fortune. So Lady Bryant took it upon her self to settle the dispute. She said that which ever son could marry first and produce a male heir of their own would inherit everything. When Bryant married my mother he thought that he had a ready made heir and did not have to worry about having another child. His brother was very angry because of the marriage and left to start making his own fortune, but he changed his name so that his new . . . profession would not harm his family name.”

Jim watched me closely for a moment, waiting to see if I would speak. I watched him, expectantly.

“He decided to use his mother’s maiden name. Fredrick Bryant is now known as Fredrick Manheim.”
I sat in complete shock.

“What? B-but . . . they don’t look alike!” I said confused.

“I said they were twins. I never said they were identical. Very few people know that they are fraternal twins and until one of them is decided on to be the heir no one else will know.”

“But everyone already believes that Nicholas has the title of Earl and everything that goes with it. Would their mother really transfer it all to Manheim if he married first?”

“Absolutely. Lady Bryant didn’t approve of her son’s first choice and it was not the first time she disapproved of him. She’s far more attached to Manheim because he does everything that she tells him to and I’m sure she would love to give him everything now but she can’t take back the promise she gave.”

“Then, Lady Bryant is still alive? Where is she?”

“She’s something of an invalid. She stays in her room unless she feels that there is something important enough to deserve her attention.”

“So the reason that Nicholas is having a house party is to try and pick out a suitable wife?”

“That’s a very probable reason.”

“And is that why Manheim wanted to come here—he wanted to keep his brother from marrying first?”

“Most likely.”

“So, since your mother died there was never another lady to catch Nicholas’ attention? And what about Manheim? Isn’t he looking for a bride as well?”

“I have no idea of what Manheim’s real intentions are. He’s never shown a real interest in anyone except . . .” Jim stared at me for a moment and then cleared his throat. “But Bryant did have someone that he was sure would make an excellent choice and I believe his mother approved, however reluctantly. I was at sea with Manheim at the time and when he heard of the engagement we returned immediately. Weeks passed and Manheim never said anything in objection, at least to my knowledge. And then one day when Bryant and Manheim were to go out hunting, the lady said she wanted to go with them to watch. They came back much later that day but she was not with them. Both brothers said she had wandered off and when she did not come back they searched for her for as long as they could but that they never found any trace of her.”

He stopped.

“Is that it? They never found her?”

“No.”

“How long ago did this happen?”

“I believe it is only a year since.”

“Wow.” I said astonished. “That’s creepy.”

“Is there anything else you would like to know?”

“You still didn’t answer one of my questions. Why does Nicholas still introduce you as his son?”

“It’s for appearances sake only. The wedding was publicly known and if he were to suddenly turn me out and say I never existed it wouldn’t be good for the family name.”

“Then what became of your mother. I mean, she died but what did they do with her body?”

“She’s in the family’s crypt below the mansion. I know it doesn’t make sense—cutting her off from the family and then burying her with them. Nothing this family does is sensible, I believe.”

We were both silent while we kept to our own thoughts. The bird whistled from the corner, bringing us out of our reveries.

“It’s late. I’m sure you are very tired of listening to me.”

“No. It was very interesting.” I smiled encouragingly. He smiled back.

“Perhaps tomorrow we could talk about you.” He said looking at me underneath his
eyelashes. My heat skipped a beat.

“Y-yeah.” I wasn’t sure if I was ready to tell Jim about myself—especially because of the time thing. He stood and offered his hand to me, which I took. We walked quietly out into the hall and he led me wordlessly to my room. He stopped at the door and let me enter.

“Well, goodnight, Jim.”

Jim stopped the door with his hand and I glanced worriedly up at him.

“Thank you, Imari.” He looked as if he wanted to say more. After a long moment of silence I felt uneasy and decided to end it.

“You’re welcome.” I smiled and said goodnight once more.