Catherine's Cross, page 25
“Oh, my goodness,” she exclaimed. “We must go to them.”
“Yes, I agree. My Lord, we attended her high school graduation just a little over a year ago. ”
Mrs. Walker rose from the kitchen table and washed her coffee cup out in the sink.
“I’ll clean up the breakfast dishes,” Jenks volunteered.
“Thank you, my dear,” Mrs. Walker said as she left the kitchen.
When the Walkers departed for Bray’s Island, Jenks got out Seth’s school notes. “Would you like to go over contract law first?”
“Yes, that will be fine,” Seth replied. Jenks could see worry lines on his face. For the next two hours they reviewed his notes, but Seth was missing questions.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t concentrate.”
“Let’s take a break for lunch.”
“Okay.”
Jenks made sandwiches and as they sat down to eat, thunder sounded in the west. The sky became dark and the winds began to pick up. “Looks like we’re in for some bad weather,” she said.
Lightning flashed, followed by a large thunderclap, and the electricity went off in the house. Jenks went to the pantry and got several candles out, lit them, and placed them on the kitchen island. Walking to the window, she looked out. “My goodness, it’s pouring rain outside. I can hardly see to the edge of the woods.” She turned and glanced at Seth—he did not respond to her comment. In the half light of the candlelit room, she saw that he was staring into space.
When the severe weather passed, Seth asked Jenks to help him onto the screened porch. There was a daybed against the outside wall of the house, and she helped him maneuver with his crutches to the settee. He wearily sat down, and then Jenks helped him get comfortable. She put a light blanket over him, and then joined him on the bed.
He looked up into her eyes. “I’m very disturbed by Elizabeth Bradley’s death.”
“Did you know her?”
“Yes, I met her family on several occasions. Her grandparents are good friends with the Walkers.”
“Perhaps her death was an accident.”
“Unless she left a note, no one can be certain.”
Jenks looked out into the Walker’s rear yard. Large puddles of water were accumulating on the grounds, and she noticed a huge turtle making its way across the property. She turned back to Seth and said, “Prior to Rory’s suicide, I only knew one person who died that way.”
“A friend of yours?”
“I think I mentioned her to you. She had terrible trouble with her weight. This was in high school and teenagers ridiculed her because of her obesity. She took some kind of drug and killed herself one afternoon after class.”
“Terrible thing,” Seth said as he shook his head.
“I’ll never forget her wake. I’m not sure why her parents didn’t choose a properly sized casket for her, but she was severely cramped inside her coffin. I felt terrible sadness for her.”
“There are many reasons that people are driven to take their own lives. Sometimes, they don’t have a choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes, circumstances are so severe that a person chooses death over other alternatives.”
She noticed that he was beginning to have tears well in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
A painful expression was on his countenance, and he slowly replied, “My brother, Steel, took his own life in Afghanistan.”
“Oh, my God. Do you know what happened?”
“Yes, to some degree. Allied forces composed of British troops and US Marines were waging an offensive against the Taliban in the Helmand Province. The area is known as a major producer of opium and was heavily controlled by the Taliban. Steel’s unit was in an outpost that came under enemy fire, and the Marines were severally outnumbered. Those bastards . . .” He choked, and taking a deep breath, he said in a sob, “The last communication with his unit confirmed that Steel had been shot twice by enemy fire.”
“Please go on,” she whispered.
He wiped tears from his eyes and strained to speak. “I was told that his fatal wound was self-inflicted—I believe that he knew that he would be taken prisoner and tortured by the Taliban. They do horrible things to their prisoners, especially the wounded. Everyone in his unit died.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Tears streamed down his cheeks. “I believe he chose to take his own life rather than have death chosen for him and under tortuous circumstances.”
“Oh, baby.” Jenks lay down beside him on the daybed and took him in her arms. “This is what Dr. Walker said you needed to get off your chest the night you had the terrible nightmare about Steel.”
Seth nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“I can barely deal with it myself. Forgive me.”
“Shh . . . shh, it’s all right.”
He gazed into her eyes. “I knew that there was something seriously wrong with Steel on the day he died. I felt an indescribable pain.”
Cold chills descended upon her. “The same thing happened to me on the day Gigi was murdered.”
“I know,” he whispered.
They wrapped their arms around each other and held each other tightly. Jenks could feel Seth’s tears against her cheeks, and she leaned back to wipe them from his face.
“After he died, I drank myself into a stupor for several days. But I realized that Steel would not want to see me destroying myself with alcohol. I gained my self-control back by thinking about him. He was a man of courage and will always be my hero. For certain, I lost a part of me when Steel passed away.” He wiped tears away with the back of his hand. “I know that you felt the same sensations when Gigi was drowning in the river. God help us,” Seth said softly.
“Oh, Seth,” she said as she pulled him tightly against her and stroked his face. As they lay together, an occasional rumble of thunder sounded in the distance while the rain continued to fall.
After his cast was removed, Seth wore a soft cast and walked with a cane. He was having pain in his leg and could only walk short distances before having to rest. Since Jenks had met Seth, she had seen him only with a military-style haircut. He had not been to the barber in weeks and his dark hair had grown out to form wavy curls. Jenks loved to run her fingers through it, and she found him sexier with his thick tresses.
Jenks thought back to the first time they had been intimate. She had mentally compared his physique to the statue of a Roman youth whose steely facial determination and physical perfection had reminded her of her lover. Now Seth’s hair matched the wavy tresses of the Roman youth. She recalled wondering at that time what Seth’s hair would look like if he grew it out. His hair now covered his scar. Be careful what you wish for.
On class days, Seth was now traveling with Dr. Walker to Charleston. He was introduced to performing research in the law library, and Dr. Walker continued to help him in the evenings with his studies. Jenks noticed that Seth still tired easily and was continuing to have some memory problems. While Seth was away at school, she often volunteered at the Beaufort County Library. The children’s reading sessions were over from the summer, but there was usually someone who could use help with reading or finding a book.
One evening, when Seth lay down on his bed after dinner, Jenks came in to join him. “I’m so tired. Perhaps I should have postponed law school until the spring,” Seth said wearily.
“You’re going to be fine. Everyone wants to see you succeed. Just don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself.”
He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “I don’t want you to lose your job in Raleigh because you’re here helping take care of me.”
“I’ve already made a decision about returning home. I want to stay with you. I’m not going back.”
Tears filled his eyes, and he pulled her into his arms. “I’m glad you’re staying,” he whispered.
“I’m going by the Beaufort County School District office to inquire about substitute teaching and to see if there are any openings in the spring.”
The next day, Jenks met with Dr. Anderson at the District office, and she was given the contact information for the principals at several local schools. She phoned each administrator and explained her situation and that she was available for substitute teaching. The principal at St. Helena Elementary asked if she could come to work on Friday. One of their third-grade teachers was taking a personal day for business. Jenks agreed to be at the school early so she could meet the staff and go over the teacher’s lesson planner.
Jenks looked up from her desk as the children came in to the classroom. She greeted them as they entered. Some of the children had just finished breakfast in the cafeteria, and they were involved in conversations in pairs or in small groups.
Jenks looked down at her roll and noticed a familiar name—Amanda Stevens. No sooner had she read the name than she glanced up to see the happy face of her summer reading friend.
“Our teacher told us you were going to be here today. I was so excited when I found out.”
“Thank you, Amanda. I’m glad to be here.”
“Miss Jenkins, I’ve got something to show you.”
She removed from her backpack a letter and opened it on the teacher’s desk.
“What’s this?”
“Do you remember when we sailed our boats from my Grammie’s dock back during the summer?”
“Yes, I do.”
“This is a letter from the boy who found my boat and read my poem. His name is Charles Cain and he lives near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. He found my boat in the ocean two weeks after we sailed them.”
“Amanda, that’s wonderful!”
“Yes, ma’am. We’re pen pals now, and we write to each other. One day I’d like to go to Cape Hatteras and see what it looks like. Charles said that the Wright Brothers flew their first airplane from Kill Devil Hills. That’s near his home.”
“Yes, that’s true. I’m so excited that someone found your bottle boat. Now you know ‘where go the boats!’”
“He wrote me that Kill Devil Hills got its name from when there were ship wreckers. These bad people would hang lanterns around the necks of nags and walk them up and down the beach. It was dark, so the ships thought the nags were other ships floating in between them and land, so it looked like they had lots of space to sail in. Then they sailed right into the reefs. Nags are the same as mules, that’s what they called them then.”
“So that’s how Nags Head, North Carolina, got its name?”
“I think so. I got a book from the library about it. When the ships got wrecked on the rocks, the bad people would go out and steal the cargo. They stole the rum and hid it in the sand dunes. Charles said that the English called rum Kill Devil so that’s why the hiding place is named Kill Devil Hills.”
“Wow, you’ve learned some very interesting history from your pen pal.”
Amanda beamed with a tremendous grin and folded the letter, returning it to her backpack.
“What did you write about to Charles?”
“I wrote him about how we came to launch the boats, and I told him about you.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes, ma’am, I told him how you picked me up from my Grammie’s so I didn’t miss my reading, and how you took the time to work with me.”
Jenks took Amanda’s hand in hers. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
The bell rang indicating the beginning of the school day, and Amanda took her seat in the front row.
As Jenks began their lessons, two boys were talking in the rear of the room. Amanda turned and looked at them. Placing her fingers to her lips, she said emphatically, “You get quiet back there!”
The boys looked in her direction and then became silent as they gave Jenks their full attention. Jenks looked at Amanda; she knew she had a loyal ally in this little girl.
After school, Jenks checked on Gigi’s house. There were three real estate agents’ cards on the kitchen table. She concluded that the showings had not generated any interest since Agnes had not called her about an offer.
When she reached the Walker’s property, Jenks could hear the sound of the piano before she came inside. Entering through the back door off the kitchen, she glanced into the living room and saw that Seth was the pianist. She came up behind him as he continued to play. Before she reached him, he turned around and winked at her.
“How did you know I was behind you?”
“You’re too noisy. You’d never make it as an Indian.”
She bent over him and kissed him on the forehead. “You were playing so beautifully, I thought you were Dr. Walker.”
“They’re not here. They decided to visit Savannah this weekend.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, they have a favorite hotel in the downtown they like to stay in . . . the Mansion on Forsyth.”
“Interesting.”
“The staff is crazy about the Walkers, and they always invite Dr. Walker to play the piano in the Bösendorfer Lounge.”
“Bösendorfer?”
“It’s a magnificent piano made in Austria.”
“I see,” Jenks said as she massaged the back of Seth’s neck. She could feel the swollen area where Frank Hiller had slammed the steel pole into the back of his head. “How are you feeling this afternoon?”
“No headaches—third day in a row without any pain.”
“I’m so glad.”
“How was your day in school?”
“You wouldn’t believe it, but Amanda Stevens was in my class.”
Seth looked at her with slight confusion. “Jenks, I’m sorry, but who is Amanda Stevens?”
She realized that Seth was still having memory issues and she reminded him, “Amanda is the little girl I helped with her reading this past summer.”
“Oh yes, I remember now.”
Jenks sat down on the piano bench beside Seth and asked him to continue to play. She watched his strong hands on the piano keyboard and listened to him perform several compositions.
“I see you haven’t forgotten how to play the piano.”
He faced her on the bench and their eyes met and locked on each other’s. “We haven’t been intimate since we were both hurt,” Jenks said.
“Uh-oh, your eyes are turning green—they’re almost catlike. What have you got in mind?”
She ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair and then kissed him on the lips. He put his arms around her, returning the kiss, only with more power.
“I want you so badly,” she murmured with deep desire.
“I think carrying you into the bedroom is out of the question right now.”
“You don’t have to carry me. I can walk,” she said, standing up from the piano bench. She helped him up by the elbow and handed him his walking cane.
As she led him to his bedroom, she whispered in a calm voice, “I’ll be gentle.”
Opening the door, he said, “You promise?”
“Yes, sir.”
Once inside his bedroom, Jenks pulled Seth’s shirt out of his pants and unbuttoned it. Her hands roamed his chest, massaging his muscles. She placed her tongue on one of his nipples and caressed it vigorously. He gasped for breath and she took his hand, pulling him down onto his bed. Her hands went to his pants and unzipped his blue jeans, continuing to touch him passionately.
“What’s gotten into you?” he asked, gasping for air.
“I’m crazy about you,” she responded with breathless desire.
A low moan escaped his lips and he whispered, “Just keep proving it . . . just keep proving it.”
That evening after dinner, Jenks sat down on the living room couch and motioned for Seth to put his head in her lap. She bent over and kissed him on the forehead while rubbing his temples. Kissing him again, she massaged his head and ran her fingers through his curls. “I don’t want you to cut your hair in a military style anymore.”
“Why is that?”
“I think you look sexy with the waves in your hair, and I like running my fingers through it.”
“I see.”
Jenks turned on the television that had been put in the living room for Seth to watch while he rested on the couch. Searching through the channels, she commented, “I thought I saw in the paper that Casablanca was on tonight.” She picked up the Life and Style section of the newspaper and read through the listings for the evening’s television programs.
“Here it is—on Turner Classic Movies.” She used the remote control device and changed the channel. The movie had already begun, and the scene was set in Rick’s Café Américain.
As Jenks started to put the newspaper down, her eye was caught by the photograph of a beautiful blonde. The caption read: “Italian Countess Maria Gavriella in New York to participate in a fund raiser benefiting refugees in war-torn Sudan.”
Jenks stared at the photo and gasped. She tried to catch her breath. Seth sat up on an elbow and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Look at the necklace she’s wearing in this photo!”
She handed the newspaper to Seth and his eyes grew large as he studied the photograph. He stared at Jenks. “It couldn’t be.”
“I think it is,” Jenks responded, still in shock.
The Countess Maria Gavriella was wearing a gold cross with red stones that was virtually identical to the Petersburg Cross.
“My God—how can we find out about the cross she’s wearing?”
“The New York State Police. Jenks, give me your cell phone. I’m going to call Captain Barrett.”
Seth found out the next day from the New York police that the countess and her husband were staying at the Plaza Hotel. When questioned about the cross by the state police, the countess stated that she and her husband had recently purchased the crucifix and a gold-beaded necklace from a dealer of rare antiquities in St. Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands. The dealer’s name: Frederick Augustin.
