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MISS ELIZA STARED DOWN at the letter, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. It had been read to her three times already, but she still couldn’t believe it. It was either the cruelest joke or the greatest blessing.
“Read it one more time,” she said handing the letter back to Joseph.
“The words haven’t changed I promise you,” he retorted. But despite the roll of his eyes in exasperation, the boy did as he was told.
To Miss Eliza Smith,
I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and prosperity. My name is Charles Willcox, Esq. And I am the executor of the estate of the late Mr. Alexander Cummings. I offer my deepest condolences to you and yours over the tragic loss. He was a dear friend to my family as well. I write today on behalf of the estate to inform you that in his last will and testament, Mr. Cummings decided to provide an inheritance for you and your family before his untimely passing. He left instructions that his property was to be divided equally among all those listed under his employ at the time of his death. You will be provided half an acre of land, as well as, five-hundred dollars a year for the next seven years. Mr. Cummings hoped this gift would allow you to find prosperity and independence in his absences. At your earliest convenience, I request that you come to my office to sign the necessary documents to accept your inheritance.
Yours truly,
Charles Wilcox, Esq.
As Josephs words trailed off Miss Eliza sat hunched in her chair, hand clutched to her chest as tears fell silently down her face. She had known Mr. Cummings was a good man, but never could she have imagined such a fate would befall her. Tears of joy over the gift, mixed with tears of sorrow for the poor man and the broken-hearted woman he left behind.
“Thank you, Joseph. Now listen here,” she said, sternly pointing a finger in his direction. “Mr. Cummings was a good man. What happened to him is a true tragedy. But he left us a gift most people would never see in their lifetimes. It’s our duty not to squander that gift. You are going to take yourself to school every day and get your education. You are going to do amazing things and be an upstanding gentleman. You will grow into a man he could be proud of. Understand me?”
“Yes ma’am,” he replied. Face stern Joseph gave a curt nod of his head in acceptance of all that Miss Eliza and Mr. Cummings called him to be. He would be a man they could all be proud of.
~*~
SOLEIL SAT IN FRONT of her easel as she had done every morning for the past week. It sat in the corner of the apartment’s tiny room, next to the lone window. Light filtered through the dirty glass, casting a freckled pattern over the canvas. From below, hoof beats clomped on cobblestone, and New Yorkers’ carried on their daily lives with boisterous voices.
She lifted the paint brush and held it suspended in the air. Yellow paint flowed over her fingers, trailing down her arm and dribbling drop by drop onto the skirt of her dress. She couldn’t bring herself to place the brush on the canvas. It fell from her hand as she let her arm fall limp at her side.
Soleil folded in on herself, grabbing her head in her hands. She rocked back and forth in her chair on the balls of her feet. Visions of fire burned through her mind’s eye. Reds, oranges, and blinding yellow light haunted her every waking moment. Soleil lifted her head to look at the other canvases strewn across the room.
Scorching flames and charred remains dominated each picture. Rage, fierce and powerful, swelled in Soleil’s heart with each passing second. An agonized wail thundered through her trembling body and trumpeted from her mouth. Giving in to the fierce storm within, Soleil grabbed the frames one by one, slamming them against the wall, the floor, tearing the canvases to pieces.
Soleil stood, chest heaving, in the aftermath of her destructive outburst. Her anger ebbed, making room for heartbreaking sadness. She preferred the anger; the sadness left her feeling helpless and alone.
“Alex. Alex. Alex.” She chanted his name like a sorrowful prayer.
“Maman? Are you well?”
Soleil wiped the tears from her eyes, struggling to regain her composure. She never wanted Hope to see her this way. To see her so broken. “Come here, mon amour.”
Hope ran to her mother's outstretched arms and wrapped herself in Soleil's embrace. “I miss Papa, too,” she whined.
“I know, mon amour. I know.” Soleil rubbed the little girl’s back to comfort her. Hope needed her. Even though she barely had the strength to continue breathing, she needed to dig within herself to be strong for her little girl. “Will you do your maman a favor and go help Mrs. Virginia with the baby while I clean up in here?”
“Yes, Maman.” Shoulders slumped, Hope walked out of the room.
Once the door closed behind her daughter, Soleil walked to the full-length mirror to assess herself. Dark circles framed red-rimmed eyes swollen from days of constant crying. Her unkempt hair was overrun with knots and tangles.
Although her nose had gone numb to her bodily odors, Soleil was sure her stench could rival the smelliest barn. She had not washed in days. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Her haggard appearance screamed at her that it was time to heal. Time to pick up the broken pieces and assemble them into the shadow of a happy life.
~*~
“YOU LOOK MUCH BETTER.” Virginia cradled her nursing son as she greeted Soleil with an encouraging smile. His little mouth suckled greedily.
Charles Edward Wilcox II had been born three days before, a healthy, squalling bundle of flaming red hair like his mother. Even through the pain, Soleil’s heart had instantly expanded to give him a special place.
“I feel much better.”
“Soleil, I...”
“No.” Soleil cast her eyes to the ground, running her hands down the front of her skirt to gather her resolve. “The time for talk of death and sadness is over. I need to look ahead to the future, not to the past. After all, we sail for France tomorrow.”
“I can't wait! I'm so excited. It's like a brand new adventure.”
“You and Charles do not need to come with us if you do not want to. I know you are worried for me, but your world cannot revolve around mine.”
“Have to? We want to! There is nothing for us here. Besides, I get to travel to London, spend my summers in Paris. I plan to fill my wardrobe with enough of the latest Parisian fashions to make any high-class debutante green with envy.”
“Thank you.”
Virginia placed a reassuring hand over Soleil’s. “I consider you a sister, you know, and I love you as such. We will make it through this together.”
“Yes. Yes, we shall.” As she said those words, Soleil realized she believed them. She would make it through this dark time with the help of the loving people around her.
~*~
SOLEIL INHALED A DEEP breath. Cleansing, salty air filled her lungs. The large dock was alive with the sights and sounds of ocean life. Seagulls cawed overhead. Men and women called out to loved ones disembarking from nearby vessels. Soleil held tight to Hope’s hand as their small party moved through the sea of passing strangers. She was bumped by the occasional shoulder of someone squeezing through the crowd.
Muscles tense, her eyes roamed the crowd, constantly scanning the faces of those she passed. The large crowd and tight confines made her uneasy. As they neared the vessel that would carry them across the ocean to her homeland, she reached into her reticule to check on their tickets yet again.
“Pardon,” a man yelled, his stout body pushing past Soleil. His shoulder connected with her chest, nearly toppling her to the ground. The small purse flew from her hands into the throng of moving feet.
“Are you hurt, Maman?”
“No, mon amour. But I dropped our tickets. Please help me search for my reticule.”
Soleil and Hope crouched low to scour the ground, but there were too many moving legs blocking their view.
“Excuse me, miss. You seem to have dropped this.”
Every cell in Soleil’s brain ceased functioning as the smooth baritone washed over her. Her body went rigid, every muscle drawn taut, leaving her frozen in place on the busy dock. Had she heard what she thought she’d heard? Or had her mind finally plunged into the realm of insanity? She pivoted slowly on the balls of her feet to face the voice’s owner.
“Alex.” Soleil’s hand flew to her gaping mouth. Here he stood before her. The man who gave wings to her soul. Soleil sucked in choppy gulps of air. Her breath hitched as uncontrollable sobs overtook her trembling body.
“Hello, my sunshine.”
Everything around them ceased to exist. Soleil ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight and never wanting to let go. She rained kisses over his face, not caring about the spectacle they made.
“Papa!” Hope squealed, wrapping her little arms around his thigh. “You’re here, Papa! How are you here?”
Soleil pulled back from Alex’s embrace as Hope’s question broke the joyous fog surrounding her brain. “Yes, how are you here? You died. You made me believe you died.” Hurt colored the elation she’d felt just moments ago.
Alex pulled her back in. “I’m sorry, I honestly didn’t know the fire would happen. It was a part of Charles’s plan to free me.”
Soleil looked at Charles and Virginia, who stood a few feet away, watching them. Charles wore a triumphant grin, while Virginia looked as shocked as she was. Soleil found a little solace in the fact that she wasn’t the only person left in the dark.
“When I knew what was happening, we needed to make sure it was safe before I could return to you. There was no body, so we wanted to make sure they didn’t search for me and follow me back to you. I couldn’t risk your safety, or Hope’s.”
Soleil understood his need to protect her, but it still stung. She had spent the last week mourning him and the life they could have built together. She had known no greater pain than thinking she would have to continue through this life without him. “Did they search for you?”
“For a time. Then they gave up and concluded I had died in the fire, and my body had turned to ash.”
“What about your plantation? If you are assumed dead, what will happen to your people?”
“I divided my estate among them and established a trust to pay their wages for a few years. I gave it all up. There is no cost too high for me to pay to have you and Hope. Do you forgive me?”
“Yes,” Soleil answered. Despite the hurt, if nothing else she had learned that life from one second to the next was not guaranteed, and she wanted to cherish each and every one of them. She would not waste her energy creating wedges between them.
Alex lifted her in his arms and kissed her passionately for all the world to see. Hope bounced and cheered next to them. Placing her back on her feet, Alex took hold of her hand in his left and Hope’s in his right. “Come. Our new home awaits.”