Chapter 16
Victor seeks his son out and discovers him in his room, gazing out the window. He can feel the pain coming off his little body and he doesn’t know how to ease it. “Jonah, we need to talk, son.”
“She’s gonna leave just like my Momma did.” Jonah turns to look at him and his eyes burn with unshed tears.
The words stab Victor’s heart. He didn’t think Jonah would feel abandoned by his Mother and now Summer. How can he make this better? Victor picks him up and carries him to a chair.
“Your Mother was not well, son. She was always fragile, but she wanted you more than anything in this world. You were loved more than anyone could ever hope to be. Now you have found a new friend in Summer…”
Instantly Jonah grows agitated, “I don’t want her to be my friend. I want to keep her!”
“Jonah, you can’t keep her, she has a family and they miss her,” Victor argues.
“I want her to be my Mommy and we can be her family!” Jonah demands.
Victor is speechless. “She already loves me Daddy,” Jonah places his hands on each side of his father’s face, “Now you just have to make her love you.”
“Son, love doesn’t work that way. I can’t make her love me. It isn’t that easy.”
“Why cause you’re getting old?”
Victor tickles him, “I’ll show you old!” Jonah screams and laughs until he begs for mercy. His heart swells with love for his son, “You’re amazing, Jonah.”
He hugs his dad and rests his head on his shoulder. “I know,” he agrees.
Victor laughs at his son’s response. “You should know I have asked Summer to be your new tutor.” Jonah sits up in excitement. “For today, that is all I can do.”
“Really? That’s great! She’s really smart and she writes amazing stories! I’m hungry, can I go now?” Victor laughs and gives a nod. He leaps from his father’s lap and runs off to see the cook.
Victor passes Summer’s door and hears her murmuring, but he does not stop. Sometimes we have to confront our own demons and he has one to deal with in the barn. Victor steps outside and greets the constable from town. He tells him of the attack on his son and Nanny while walking him to the barn. When they step inside the barn, he finds one of the stable hands unconscious on the ground.
“Damn!” Victor yells for help and waits for it to come. The constable draws his pistol and begins checking the stalls.
“I need to check the house!” Victor pulls a small pistol from the shoulder holster under his jacket and runs for the house. The minute he enters the house he can hear Jonah playing with the cook.
He heads straight for the kitchen and hides his gun behind his back. “I need you to go check on the horses for me, and take Jonah with you,” Victor orders. The cook sensing his stress, picks up the boy and grabs an apple.
“Let’s go see Smokey, that horse loves you,” Cook suggests.
“Yeah!” Jonah goes without an argument. Victor sighs and checks his pistol again before beginning a systematic search of the downstairs, joined by the constable. They clear the downstairs and head upstairs. Victor gestures to one side of the house and the constable moves in that direction. He heads straight for Summer’s room.
When he enters her darkened room, he is relieved to see her sleeping form. The light from the drawn curtains shines on her purple face and he realizes he is shaking. He was terrified that something had happened to them. He leaves, shutting the door gently behind him and rushes downstairs.
“Mr. Yates, your prisoner escaped on a stolen horse. I will need a description from you, and we will start searching for him.” They help get the stable hand to his cabin and send for the doctor.
While the doctor is visiting, he attends to Summer and comes back with a smile. “Both of your patients will be fine, Mr. Yates. She is in considerable pain, but it’s mostly muscular. I imagine that will grow worse tomorrow you can give her a dose of morphine if she needs it but keep it small. After that she needs to be up on her feet. The sooner the better in my mind, the human body does not like sitting still too long.”
“How soon can she travel?” Victor asks.
Startled by the intensity of his question the doctor stammers. “I suppose one more day and she could travel. You will need to pace yourself and take it slow. She’s in considerable pain, Mr. Yates,” the doctor clarifies.
“I understand. We will take very good care of her. Thank you for coming back. Mrs. Evert will see to your payment.”
He is sipping his brandy when Mrs. Evert returns. “Sir, you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, we will be leaving the day after tomorrow for New York. I will need only one trunk for each of us, Miss Denning included. I can purchase anything else we will need, after we arrive.”
“I see. How will you travel sir?”
“We are going to take the train from Boston,” he explains.
“I will have the trunks ready. I thought you would like to have dinner with Miss Denning tonight. She is getting cabin fever and I thought she could do with some company. Jonah will need a bath and he can help me pack his trunk, if that is okay with you?”
“That sounds fine. I can explain our change of plans over dinner. What time?” They agree
