The Whittaker Family Reunion Read online

  Martha was excited to see her boys again. Just thinking of them brought back memories. She was only eighteen when she had married their father, Jebediah Whittaker back in England. A new husband by an arranged marriage, with three young boys to care for was the last thing she had wanted at that point in her young life. The eldest boy, Isaac was ten at the time and only eight years younger than Martha. Jebediah Whittaker was a hateful man and took his unwilling family to the wilds of Wyoming for his own deceitful purpose. Her marriage was a nightmare but the boys had become like her own after the death of their father. She had taken full responsibility in raising them to be fine young men. Later, she fell in love with Jebediah's older brother, Jeremy and finally married the man of her dreams. Anna was the fruit of their love. Jeremy became the boys’ father as well as being their uncle and the family was extremely close. She could hardly wait to see them all again.

  Chapter Three

  Isaac

  “Pa, I see Grandad's carriage coming over the field. Can I take Chestnut and go to meet them?” The young lad pushed his hat back on his dark hair and tightened the cinch on the saddle. “Pa did you hear me?”

  A man, looking very much like an older version of the boy, walked from the barn. He was tall, thin and had dark eyes and hair. He smiled at his son's excitement, knowing full well how much the boy wanted to ride his new horse. “Thomas, I think we should just wait here. They will be along soon enough.” The boy's expression fell. Isaac laughed to himself. “Oh, go on. I know you can hardly contain yourself.” The boy was up and riding away before he finished speaking. Isaac laughed out loud as dust, pounded by the horses hooves, settled like a cloud on his overalls.

  “What are you laughing at, Pa?” A small, red haired girl appeared from the barn. Isaac reached down and scooped her up in his arms. “Pa, why are you laughing?”

  “I am laughing at that brother of yours, Pumpkin. He could hardly wait to ride off on Chestnut. Did you finish feeding the goats?” He chucked the little elfin girl under her freckled chin, then, tickled her belly. She giggled happily, squirming in his embrace.

  “Let me down, Pa, let me down.” She jumped to the ground and ran in circles around her father. He reached for her but she managed to avoid his grasp. The two enjoyed the game until the girl grew bored and ran back into the barn. Isaac turned back to the fence rail and rested his folded arms on the wood, worn smooth from years of use, surveying his property. It was a large farm, several hundred acres and many horses stood in various paddocks within his sight. A stream ran through the north end and cattle grazed lazily on the north forty. He was proud of his farm and his family. His wife Annabelle, Thomas, five-year-old Sissy, and the baby were his whole life and it was hard to believe that they had lived here for nine years now. He thought about seeing his brothers again and his heart was filled with love. The three were very close. He had missed Abe and Zeke. Isaac remembered the day the three of them had stood in this very spot years ago. It was the day that his two brothers revealed a long hidden secret, a secret that set Isaac free. They had seen what he had done that day in the church in Wyoming and they forgave him. He nodded in assent to the memory and returned to the barn.

  Thomas rode like the wind on his new horse. Jeremy and Martha waved as he approached. Proud grandparents, they were impressed with the boy's skill. At nine years old he rode like the adult cattlemen, he and the horse melding together as one. “Just look at that boy ride. He is smiling from ear to ear.” Jeremy pulled the carriage to a halt and waited for Thomas. Anna could not help but smile at her nephew. His happiness was contagious.

  “Grandma, Granddad, Auntie Anna good to see you. How do you like Chestnut?” The boy and horse came to an abrupt halt, spraying the carriage with a cloud of dust. Martha and Anna waved their gloved hands in front of their faces. Jeremy laughed and jumped down to inspect the newest addition.

  “Looks like a fine animal, Tommy. Chestnut is a good name for him too. Jump down and give your Gran a hug before we head for the house.” Jeremy continued examining the horse as young Thomas climbed into the carriage and hugged Martha. It was a quick hug, as nine-year old boys are not much for ‘mushy stuff’, as Thomas was always reminding his mother and grandmother. Martha hugged him tightly and brushed his cheek with her lips as he pulled away and returned to the horse. Jeremy moved his hands over the horse's muscled trunk and legs, admiring the magnificent creature. Anna impatiently brushed the dust from her dress. She removed the pin and shook her small hat, a look of irritation on her face.

  Martha turned toward her. “I think Thomas likes horses better than girls.” Martha and Anna laughed to each other. Isaac had raised a farm hand and horse lover in Thomas, much like himself and Martha couldn't have been happier. There was a time long ago when she worried whether Isaac would ever smile again, but life had a way of making things right. He and Annabelle and the children were prospering and happy.

  “Is Annabelle home, Mama? I do want to talk to her about that gown that I saw in Harpers.” Anna was still concentrating on her gown and Martha knew that her daughter and Annabelle would have many in-depth discussions about it. Annabelle was young and Anna identified more easily with her than with her mother. Martha did not feel slighted, she was grateful that Annabelle was so patient with the young girl. Thinking back she remembered how her daughter-in law came to work in the dress shop when she was younger than Anna. She now knew a great deal about the designs and the business. She was Martha's right hand when it came to sewing and finishing. In the sales department, Loretta Wells, Martha's best friend and confidant, was the one she counted on. Loretta had the gift of the gab and could sell anything to anyone. She was very supportive over the years, personally as well as in the business. Martha was most fortunate to surround herself with unselfish loving people and each morning she thanked the Lord for each one of them. Bringing herself back to the present, she looked out at Jeremy and their grandson and smiled. Behind her, Anna was still chatting incessantly about the gown and how she and Annabelle would pick out the fabric and the accessories. Jeremy returned to the carriage and followed Thomas, far enough behind to avoid the dust.

  The carriage arrived in front of the large farmhouse where Annabelle stood waiting, a small bundle in her arms. Exiting quickly from the dusty carriage, Martha ascended the stairs and claimed the bundle, her newest granddaughter Amy. “How is my precious angel?” she cooed at the tiny infant.

  “You wouldn't think she was an angel last night when she hollered and screamed most of the night. She seems quite content now that the whole family is up and about however.” Annabelle laughed her tinkling laugh that Martha had grown very fond of over the years. Hugging her young sister-in-law and then her mother-in-law, Annabelle ushered them into the house. Jeremy and Thomas were already heading for the barn.

  “Where is Sissy?” Martha searched the room for her other granddaughter as she cuddled the sweet smelling Amy.

  “In the barn with the men, where she always is Mother Martha. You know Sissy, up with the sun and into the barn before the rooster crows. A real farm girl, that one.” Annabelle poured the tea that was brewing in the delicate china teapot. Martha took a seat at the kitchen table facing the large living room. The room was decorated in a lovely floral print. Hand sewn curtains and slipcovers added a real country charm to the house. Annabelle had personally sewn every stitch with her usual perfection. A large stone fireplace filled one wall and a pile of split logs were piled neatly on the hearth. A large portrait of Isaac's biological mother, Alicia Whittaker hung over the mantle. She had died when Isaac was only five-years-old. Jeremy had brought it from England and given it to Isaac and Annabelle on their wedding day.

  Fresh flowers added a splash of color on a white linen tablecloth and Martha felt comfortable and welcome. Anna wandered around the room silently, impatiently waiting for the chitchat to die down so she could capture Annabelle's complete attention. She stopped and gazed out the window at her father and older brother in front of the barn. The
tiny red haired girl was perched in Jeremy's arms as the men talked. I remember when you used to carry me like that, Father. How simple life was then. Instinctively she wanted to go and be a part of that group, but the thought of getting her shoes muddy kept her in the house. Anna Whittaker was undeniably not a farm girl.

  Isaac gave Jeremy a tour around the farm, pointing out the latest additions including a fresh flock of baby chicks, three new horses, one of which was Thomas’ pride and joy and a large addition on one of the out buildings. Jeremy noticed the pride and confidence in his son's voice as he spoke of the expansion and the latest news from the west. Isaac had once ridden ‘shotgun’ on wagon trains traveling as far west as California and Jeremy knew that Isaac still, sometimes longed for that life. Loretta Wells’ father, Arthur Langley had taken Isaac on as his ‘shotgun’ when the boy was only a teen and Isaac had loved the freedom, the travel, and the challenge of the cowboy's life. It was only because of Annabelle and the birth of Thomas that Isaac had settled down nine years ago. Jeremy still saw the longing in Isaac's eyes as he talked of California, Utah and the pioneer trails west.

  Thoughts of the west made Jeremy remember the time, years ago, when he and his best friend, Austin Wells had arrived from England in a desperate search for Martha. John McGuire, Martha's father had hired them to find her and bring her home. John had discovered the true character of Jebediah Whittaker shortly after giving his daughter's hand in marriage to the scoundrel. In a panic to bring her home, he hired the young men to find her. The two English gentlemen had traveled frantically across the country to Wyoming where they finally found Martha and Jebediah living in a log house with the three boys. Isaac was a very different boy then. Sullen, quiet, and angry at the world, a person would find it hard to believe this was the same young man. Jebediah was a cruel and heartless man. After a strange set of events and the death of Jebediah, Austin and Jeremy rescued Martha and the boys and returned to St. Louis with the intent of going back to England. However, the decision to stay in St. Louis had proven to be a good one for all of them. How all of our lives have changed since then, Jeremy thought as he followed Isaac.

  “Granddad, can you piggyback me? Granddad!” Sissy pulled on Jeremy's trousers and he lifted her up onto his shoulders. He trotted towards the house with the giggling girl. Isaac followed, stopping to remove his boots before entering and setting a basket of fresh eggs aside for Martha to take home.

  “Mama, look at me.” Annabelle looked out the door to see Sissy riding high on Jeremy's shoulders. “I'm riding my new horse too, just like Tommy.” Annabelle pecked Jeremy on the cheek as he bent down to enable her to reach the child. At over six feet, his shoulders were a far reach for the five- foot Annabelle. She lifted the tiny girl from his bent form, settling her on the kitchen floor and Sissy ran rambunctiously into Martha's arms.

  “Grandma!” The two snuggled long and hard until finally Sissy settled herself on Martha's lap. Isaac kissed his mother's cheek and poured two large glasses of water from the pump at the kitchen sink. Handing one to Jeremy, the two men moved toward the comfortable couch in the living room.

  “Sissy, go and change your clothes before you get Grandma all smelly. Go on.” Anna rose from her chair and walked towards her mother. Sissy slowly and reluctantly grabbed Anna's hand and propelled her towards the stairs. Once up in her room, it wasn't long before the adults could hear the laughter from above.

  “Sometimes I forget that Anna is still more child than woman.” Martha looked affectionately at her daughter-in-law who was thinking about her own offspring.

  “That child! I don't know what to do with her. Her mother and her grandmother are dress designers and she wants to work in the barn. At least you don't have that problem with Anna.” Annabelle looked at Martha in desperation. “Oh Martha, do you think there is any hope?” Martha smiled and patted Annabelle's hand. The tiny baby cooed from her location in the cradle by the fireplace.

  Martha brushed the dirt from her skirt left behind by Sissy, looking at her daughter-in-law with affection. “Perhaps you had better set your sights on Amy, instead.” Jeremy and Isaac laughed.

  Chapter Four

  Ezekiel

  “You're home early tonight, sir.” The butler removed his master's waist-length jacket and brushed the shoulders carefully before hanging it in the tall cherry wardrobe. Next he folded the dark blue tie neatly and placed it on the shelf with dozens of others.

  “The club was rather quiet this evening. Until Hubert Walton arrived and all hell broke loose. You know, Johnson, I really am becoming bored with the gentleman's club. I look forward to my trip to the Americas as a pleasant taste of something different.” The tall handsome young man ran his long fingers through his full head of blond hair and placed his arms in the smoking jacket held attentively by Johnson. The jacket was slowly raised over his shoulders and adjusted by the ever- conscientious butler.

  “I should think that St. Louis would be different indeed, Master Whittaker; very different from what I have heard of the ‘wild west.’ Will you require dinner, sir?”

  “No thank you, Johnson, I'll just have brandy in the library. And Johnson, St. Louis is hardly the ‘wild west’ believe me; compared to Wyoming it is most civilized and sophisticated.” Ezekiel Whittaker combed his hair and splashed water on his face. As he gazed at his own reflection, an old memory of Wyoming loomed large in his mind. The grown man stared at his reflection in the mirror; only the face of a small boy stared back. The memory played out like a moving picture in his mind. The small boy sat at a table with four other people, Martha, his father, and two brothers. He reached for his glass of milk and it tumbled over, spilling the white liquid towards his father. As fast as lightening, he felt his father's hand strike his face and the loud thunder of his father's voice echoed in his ears. The grown Ezekiel placed his hands over his ears in a desperate attempt to push the memory aside and quiet the voice in his head. I hate you, Father! After all of this time, I still hate you! You beat us and you almost killed Martha, but we won, Father, oh yes, we won!

  He shook his head, and then adjusted his jacket. Turning on his heel, he left the room and the memory behind, for now.

  The library was warm and cozy. A large fire burned in the stone fireplace and the firelight reflected off the spines of hundreds of books that were neatly shelved here. Most of the books had belonged to his grandfather, Jonas Whittaker. Pheasant Run had been Jonas and Elizabeth's home for many years. His father and Jeremy were raised in this house. His uncle Jeremy, whom he now referred to as Papa, had rescued the boys and Martha from the ‘devil himself’ in Wyoming and later had married Martha. Jeremy was the exact opposite of Jebediah, kind, considerate and loving. The thought of Martha brought a smile to his lips. Mama, your fortieth birthday is coming and I would not miss it for the world. Ezekiel loved Martha more than anyone else on this earth. She had come into his life when he was five years old and showed him the only adult love he had known. The boys owed a great deal to the brave young woman who became their stepmother and neither, Ezekiel nor his brothers ever forgot that. Thinking of Martha brought the thought of his lively and mischievous sister, Anna to his mind. Ezekiel loved his brothers and his younger sister and he had missed them dearly. Anna, what do you look like now after these two long years? Are you still impatient and demanding?

  He walked toward the mantel and picked up a tattered teddy bear leaning against one of his awards. Ezekiel smiled as he remembered how Abby Wells had given him the bear to take away to college. She was only seven or eight at the time and he thought the gesture to be very sweet. For some reason, the tiny toy had stayed with him all these years. A charming child, Abby; it will be nice to see her again. He picked up the brandy snifter and raised it to his nostrils. Inhaling the bouquet of the sweet brandy, he swirled the amber liquid carefully before taking a sip. The heat rolled down his throat slowly and sensually. Papa was right when he said there was nothing like a good brandy to settle a man's nerves and his thoughts.
r />   Upon completing university, Ezekiel had returned to England to study in Oxford. After his studies he was offered a professorship at a prestigious boys’ school and settled in at Pheasant Run. Although he loved St. Louis where he had lived most of his life, Pheasant Run and England felt like home to Ezekiel Whittaker. He loved the history of Oxford and London, the historic buildings and the centuries-old culture of the British, the home of his birth. His grandparents and his biological mother, were buried near Pheasant Run and his roots ran deep in England. Ezekiel would travel to St. Louis for a few months, visit, and then return to England. The book on his lap lay open while the young professor sipped his brandy and thought lovingly of his family.

  The next morning, while Mrs. Johnson was clearing the breakfast dishes in the dining room where Ezekiel sat at the head of the long dining table; a visitor arrived at Pheasant Run. Johnson appeared, announcing that Miss Geraldine Briton had come to call. Ezekiel carefully placed his china teacup back in the saucer and stood to greet his visitor. The young woman entered the room surrounded by the rustle of taffeta as her two-toned blue gown brushed the floor. She wore a large blue hat that matched her gown and a huge peacock feather adorned one side. Ezekiel watched her appreciatively. She was a lovely creature. Tall, slim, and raven haired, her lashes fluttered over her dark eyes as she approached him with her hand extended.

  “Zeke, darling, I thought I would stop for tea on my way to London. It is such a long way by carriage. Are you sure you won't reconsider? I would love the company.” Ezekiel pressed his lips lightly to the back of her hand and motioned for her to take the chair next to his.

  Mrs. Johnson appeared immediately with a second china cup and proceeded to pour the steamy liquid. The older woman locked eyes with the young man, a look of understanding passed between them. She also placed a tiny plate of cakes in front of the guest before leaving the room.