The Immortelles (33 page)

Jeff stared at her. “I guessed that might happen, Damita.”

Damita shook her head. “You and I have both been confused, but now the important thing is Charissa.”

“I'll follow you back. Let me get my horse,” he said.

Charissa felt a hand on her forehead and stirred slightly. Her head ached, and a cough seemed to tear her in two. A voice asked, “Charissa, can you hear me?”

Charissa pulled herself out of the sleep that had wrapped itself around her. For a moment, a face was blurred before her, then it cleared, and she whispered, “Jefferson?”

“Yes, it's me.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I came as soon as I heard.”

Charissa began to cough, and he held her hands until it subsided. “That sounds terrible.”

“I feel terrible.”

“I can give you some good news. You don't have yellow fever. You've got some kind of congestion and infection.”

Charissa fully awoke then and licked her lips. Jeff gave her water, then sat down beside her.

“How did you know I was sick?”

“Damita came and got me.”

“You can't stay here. There are too many sick people.”

“Yes, I can,” he said, almost roughly. He reached out, took her wrist, and felt her pulse, then put his hand on her forehead.

Charissa lay quietly, watching him. He said nothing, but she saw his concern.

Abruptly he said, “Charissa, Damita's going to marry Yancy.”

“Oh, Jeff, I'm so sorry.”

He looked at her strangely, then forced a grin. “Don't be sorry. I could never have made her happy, and she couldn't have made me happy, either.”

“I know you feel bad about it, though.” She coughed again, but then she smiled and said, “You know, it's good to have a brother to take care of me.”

Jeff stared at her sternly. “I am
not
your brother, Charissa.”

Charissa looked at him with surprise.

“I wish you'd stop calling me your brother. It bothers me.”

Charissa suddenly felt buoyant. “Why does it bother you, Jeff?” she asked in a weak voice.

“I don't know, but please don't say it again.”

Charissa was aware of the warmth of his hand as he held hers, aware also that life had somehow changed for her. She smiled at Jeff fully and completely, and he reached out and put his hand on her cheek. “You're going to be fine, Charissa. You have to be.”

“You're a masterful doctor.”

“Am I?” He smiled, leaned forward, and kissed her head. He stroked her hair back from her face and said, “You must get well very quickly. I can't have my—” She knew he almost said sister, but he changed his mind and said, “I must have my
best friend
feeling perfectly well again. Will you do that?”

“Yes, I will, Jefferson.”

Jeff was getting ready to leave the plantation, and he was speaking with Yancy and Damita. “She doesn't have yellow fever, of course. It's just some sort of respiratory infection. I think she's over the worst of it, and she'll be fine.” Jeff shook hands with Yancy and nodded to Damita. “I'll be back tonight. I know you'll take good care of her.”

The pair bade him good-bye, and as soon as he was out the door, Yancy turned and said wryly, “I was afraid he might challenge me to a duel for taking you away from him. If he does, I think I'll choose cornstalks for weapons.”

“He didn't seem too broken up about it, did he? I suppose I should be upset about that. Here he's gone mooning around for months, and now he doesn't seem to mind at all.”

“He's a strange sort of chap. But we Kaintocks are. You Creoles never understand us.” He reached out, took Damita's hands, and drew her forward. “When can we be married? I may be a Kaintock, as you've often pointed out—just a rough fellow. But I love you.”

“As soon as you wish. We've missed a lot of time.”

“I guess it wasn't all lost,” he said quietly. “We had to learn some things about ourselves, didn't we?”

Damita put her arms around him and laid her cheek on his chest. “I think we did, but we've found each other now.”

“I still think you're leaving too soon. You need to rest a bit longer, Charissa,” Damita said with concern. Charissa had rested for two days but was now dressing to leave, saying she needed to get back.

“I'll be all right, Damita.”

“I have to tell you something, Charissa. It won't come as any surprise to you, but I'm the most selfish woman who ever lived. I don't do anything but take,” she said quickly. “I took Yancy's help when I nearly died. I was so selfish with Jeff. I let him court me when I didn't care for him. And I took your help when I didn't deserve it.” She reached out and took Charissa's hands. “I wish I could do something unselfish for you.”

Charissa looked at Damita with shock. She saw that she had tears in her eyes and knew that this was not the same self-centered young woman she had served years before. “Why, don't cry,” she said. But then the tears rolled down Damita's cheeks, and Charissa did something that, in previous years, would have been unthinkable.

Stepping forward, she embraced Damita and felt the tremors passing through her body as she wept silently. “I want you to forget the past, Damita. You've got a new life now. You serve the Lord God and Jesus. Let Him be your King. You've got a good man, and I forbid you to brood over what God has already forgiven.”

She held the weeping young woman and thought,
What a miracle this is, that God can take what she was and make her into what she is now. And He did the same with me
.

Charissa stood beside Jeff, and as the new bride and groom passed by, they threw handfuls of rice. Charissa
laughed as Yancy and Damita gave them a quick glance and waved, smiling.

They followed the crowd until the two were in a carriage and pulling away to the sounds of the crowd's cheers.

“Well,” Jeff said, “they're married.”

Charissa turned to look at him. “Are you sure you don't feel a little bit broken up about that?”

“Oh, no. I'm a hardheaded, rather stupid fellow, but it finally sank in. I know she's got the right man. Come on. Let's go get something to eat. Weddings make me hungry.”

Charissa had watched Jeff carefully as the wedding day approached. He was such a transparent man, and as far as his emotions were concerned, she had been relieved to find that, indeed, he was over his infatuation.

“Excuse me, sir.”

Jeff and Charissa turned to see a young man with dark hair and dark eyes beside them. He removed his hat and said, “You remember me, Miss Charissa?”

“Why, of course. Mr. Ransom, isn't it? We met at the hospital when you were visiting your cousin.”

“Exactly right. I'm pleased you recall it. I understand you've been ill.”

“I'm perfectly well now.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” Ransom said and smiled. “I would like to invite you to a party that I'm giving next Thursday night. Now that the fever's gone, people can begin to have lives again.”

Charissa's mischievous streak arose. “Why, Mr. Ransom, you'll have to get my brother's permission.”

“Oh, of course. I'd be—”

“I am not her brother. But no, she won't come.”

Ransom drew up to his full height. He was still two inches shorter than Jeff, but he looked intimidating. “Are you trying to provoke me, sir? I'll be happy to give you satisfaction.”

Charissa said, “Mr. Ransom, please go away. Dr. Whitman's been under a strain. I apologize for him. Come on, Doctor.”

As they hurried away, Jeff growled, “Why, that insolent puppy! What does he mean, coming up in broad daylight, asking you to parties?”

“Would you rather he came sneaking around after dark? Don't be such a bear.”

Charissa pulled him along firmly to the carriage, and when they got in, he was still mumbling about puppies.

Ever since Charissa had left the plantation, and it was clear that Jeff was through with Damita, the young beauty expected him to show an interest in her. But he seemed preoccupied and troubled most of the time. She had grown impatient with him and devised a scheme. “Jeff,” she said, “I'm going away for a while.”

Jeff turned to stare at her. “What do you mean, ‘going away'?”

“I'm going to take a vacation.”

“I think that's good. Why don't you go over to Savannah. That's a nice—”

“No, I mean a long vacation. Maybe half a year.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I've been thinking about going to England. You know, we talked about it before. I've decided to go.”

Jeff sat silently, and when she snuck a glance at him, she saw that he was staring at his hands. She expected him to argue, but he said only, “If that's what you want to do.”

“It is!” she said sharply. “I'll be going very soon. Next week, perhaps.”

The next week was a strange one for Charissa. Since she had spoken to Jeff about her going to England, she had expected him to try to persuade her to stay home—or to offer to go with her, as they'd discussed some time ago. Instead, he had grown silent and sullen.
If he doesn't want me to go, why doesn't he say so?
she wondered impatiently.
He does nothing but mope.

She purchased her passage on the
Orion,
a steam-driven ship, and had begun packing her things a little at a time. Jeff and Debakky both asked about her plans, but she was purposefully vague. “I'll decide when I get there” was all she would answer.

Two days before she was to leave, Jeff arrived home from the hospital whistling. He spoke to Charissa cheerfully and smiled, and that night he laughed a great deal, at least for him. He was very lively over the following two days. Charissa did not know what to make of him.
I thought he was sad at my leaving, but now he seems delighted.
This depressed her. She had no real wish to go to England; now she saw no way out.
I've got to go,
she decided.
Even though he's acting as if I were traveling around the block.

“I'll go to your cabin with you, Charissa,” Jeff said. “I'd like to see it.”

“All right, Jeff.” Charissa was downcast. She had lost all taste for a sea voyage.

Debakky had said good-bye, hugged her, and told her to enjoy herself. For some reason, his eyes had danced, and he had said, “It'll be the best thing in the world for you.”

“You don't seem very sorry to see me go,” she said reproachfully.

“A young woman needs to get away. You have a good time!”

Now, as they walked up the gangplank, Jeff was speaking rapid-fire about the voyage. “You'll love it,” he said. “Beautiful weather for an ocean voyage. You'll stay out on the deck a lot, and get sunshine and exercise, and the food's wonderful.”

“I'm sure it is,” Charissa said shortly. She stepped on the deck, and Jeff asked a steward in a white coat how to find her room. Then he took her arm and led her down some stairs and into a corridor. “This is almost a brand-new ship. You're going to have a wonderful time.”

Charissa glanced up at him.
He could at least act as if he's a little sad,
she thought.

“Here it is. Let's see if the key works. It does. Step inside, my dear.”

Charissa did so, and Jeff followed her. “It's a small room, but then, you don't need a lot of space. You will be eating in the dining room, and I understand there are dances and things like that. You will have such a good time, Charissa.”

“I worry about you, Jefferson,” Charissa said, trying to turn the conversation to more personal matters. “You always work so hard.”

“Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine.” Jeff sat down and began to speak of England. “I brought you some maps and some books,” he said, handing her the parcel he'd been carrying. “Here, let me show you. One place you should go is Cornwall. I've read a lot about Cornwall. It's where King Arthur was supposed to have been.”

Charissa listened to him dully, and finally a whistle blew, and she said, “That's the warning for you to leave, I think.” A voice cried out faintly, “All visitors ashore!” Charissa stood up and said, “Well, this is good-bye.”

“These ships never leave on time. Sit down. I want to show you some other places. Now, Brighton—there's a place you must visit.”

Charissa sat, and Jeff continued to open the maps and the books and chatter in an excited fashion. Twice she warned him about the ship's pulling out, but he said, “There's plenty of time.”

She felt the ship move, and she said, “Jeff, the ship's leaving!”

He looked up at her and rose to his feet. “Is it, really? I believe you're right.”

“Jeff, you've got to get off!”

“Oh, too late now for that.”

“But,
Jeff—”

“Come along, Charissa. There's something I want to show you.”

Charissa stared at him. His eyes were sparkling with a spirit of joy, and he took her arm and led her back to the deck, then down another set of stairs and into a corridor. “It's right down here, I think.”

“Jeff, the ship is leaving right now!”

“I know. Just this one thing.”

She followed him until he came to a door, whipped a key out of his pocket, and unlocked it. “Step in here.”

Charissa did so, and he followed her, shutting the door behind them. “How do you like this?”

The elegant cabin was three times as large as her own. It was furnished magnificently. Charissa demanded, “Jeff, why are you showing me this?”

“This is the honeymoon suite.”

“The what?”

“It's used for newly married couples. That's what a honeymoon is.” Jeff pulled her close and said, “I'm staying in it all the way to England, and I want you to stay in it with me.”