It’s a Small Uber World After All
Prologue
“Are you sure about this?” the taller woman asked her companion.
“I think so,” the second woman answered. “I followed the directions you gave
me.”
A dark brow rose. “Well, it should be interesting at the very least.”
The bard laughed. “I like the idea. C’mon,” taking the warrior’s hand. “There
are people here I want to meet and talk to and....”
The brunette woman followed her companion’s urging and stepped through the door,
chuckling softly. “I get the idea, Little One. Let’s go.”
Chapter One
by TNovan & Taylor Rickard
Charlie sat at his desk, going through his mail as usual in the afternoon. Most
was expected communications with the various bankers and investors he worked
with regularly. But one was a bit unusual. The handwriting was clear and
delicate, a woman’s hand, no doubt. And it was addressed from somewhere in
Florida. He grew more and more excited as he read her letter.
He walked into Rebecca’s sitting room, where she was going through some old
trunks of her brother Andrew’s, looking for anything that could be adapted for
Darby, who was growing like a weed.
As he walked in, she looked up at him. “Darling, can you possibly get a tailor
to move down here? I swear I cannot keep that boy in clothes right now. I think
he is growing as fast as a new colt.”
Charlie laughed. “I will see what I can do, darling. In the meantime, I believe
you and Mrs. Carter are doing a fine job with what you have to work with.”
“Thank you, dear, but having a dress maker do his clothes, rather than a real
tailor, is a bit of an embarrassment for our oh-so-appropriate eldest son.”
Charlie sat down on the davenport beside her. “On a different subject, dear, I
just got a letter I had been hoping to get for a long time. You remember talking
about setting up a breeding program for quarter horses and warm bloods in
addition to our thoroughbreds?”
“You mean me setting up a breeding program if we can get the right brood stock?”
She could not resist teasing him a little about which one of them actually ran
the horse farm.
“Yes, dear.” That line had become one of Charlie’s stock responses.
She smiled at him. It was taking time, but she was managing to get her
bull-headed General properly trained. It was, she thought, rather like training
a high-spirited stallion.
Charlie, as usual, ignored Rebecca’s condescending look and plunged into the
news that he had. “I have found someone who is willing to sell a breeding pair
of Andalusians, from the old Spanish stock that was brought into St. Augustine
when the Spanish originally settled Florida.”
“Andalusians? Why?”
“Well, they are great stock, hearty, strong and with lots of solid Barb’s in
their stud book. I thought that we could cross them with our Godolphin stock and
either get stronger Quarter Horses or improve our Warmblood lines.”
Rebecca laughed at him. “And they are beautiful and fast, and you cannot resist
your desire to win the Gold Cup every year.”
Charlie had the grace to flush at that. “Well, yes, there is that. But you must
admit, the more race winners we produce, the higher the price we get for our
horses. I look at it as a necessary investment, dear.” He tried to look
righteous and businesslike, but failed.
Rebecca stood and started putting various garments and miscellaneous items back
into the trunks, laying bits and pieces aside for Darby. “You know, I am not
particularly comfortable with buying stock sight unseen. I suppose this means
that we will have to send either Tarent or Albert down to Florida.”
Charlie cleared his throat. “I, um, had thought that you and I might go
ourselves.” He looked down at his knees and brushed imaginary dust from his
trousers. “You know, we only had a few short days of honeymoon, dear, and, um,
well, it is supposed to be beautiful in Florida – wild and natural. And you have
said you would like to see other parts of the country, so, I, um, well, I would
like to go together and make this something of a holiday for the two of us.”
Rebecca looked at him, thinking he had lost his mind. “But, Charlie. What about
the children? I have not been away from Buddy and Andy since they were born, and
Suzanne is still so in need of mothering. Not to mention how Em reacts every
time you go away. Remember how difficult she was for Richard and Elizabeth when
we went to Washington for just a week? And I cannot imagine how long it will
take for us to get to Florida and back.”
Charlie looked up at her. “Rebecca, dear, the boys will be fine. Tess and Ginny
can handle them. And Darby can look after Suzanne – he has all his life. I think
our Em is big enough now to understand that we will come back – and this time,
unharmed. I can even ask Mrs. White and Jocko to stay here at the house with
them while we are gone, though I am sure the servants will take good care of
them. Elizabeth and Richard are less than two miles away, if anything were to
happen. And Beulah has the house in perfect order. I am sure they can live
without us for two or three weeks.” He said all of this in a rush, having
rehearsed it before hand, since he knew exactly how she would react. “Besides,
darling, you and I have had no time together, just the two of us, for several
years. I miss being the center of your world, darling.” A little blackmail never
hurt.
It worked. Rebecca smiled, walked over, and wrapped her arms around him.
“Charlie, dear heart, you are the center of my world. Were you not the one who
said we should have a house full of children? I would have been happy if it had
just been the two of us for the rest of our lives.” She settled into his lap.
“Please, do not misunderstand, I adore our children. But if they had never come
into our lives, I would have been happy with just you, sweetheart.”
************
Charlie walked out of the railroad master’s office, smiling to himself. The
private parlor car he had ordered from the Pullman Company in Chicago was on its
way and he had made arrangements for a horse car as well. In fact, as far as he
could tell, his plans were well on their way to being complete. He would be able
to tack his two cars to the regular train from Culpeper to Richmond. There, the
cars would be moved over to a regular train from Richmond to Charleston. Another
change would take them to Savannah and then on to Waycross, Georgia, where a
final change would put them on the Southern Railway to some little town called
Orlando.
At each stop, he had made arrangements to stay for a day or two; train travel in
the late 1860’s was still hot and dirty. The soot and cinders from the big wood
burning engines would get into everything not tightly sealed. So a rest at a
nice hotel, a big tub and a bed that did not sway with every joint in the rails
would be welcome, especially since his hip and thigh could not stand the
constant motion very well. He had also made arrangements for a suite for them at
what his friend Mr. Astor assured him was a lovely hotel in Orlando, a splendid
spa and resort that could be positively compared to the great hotel in Saratoga
Springs, New York, called the Grand Floridian. Treating Rebecca to some of the
comforts that their income could buy was something Charlie always enjoyed. He
rode home with fantasies of pleasant evenings, good food, and tender nights
rolling through his mind.
Charlie walked into the bedroom. Tomas had finished packing his case, including
daywear, evening clothes and riding attire. It all fit into one good-sized grip,
with his riding boots in their own case, which were neatly set by the door.
Rebecca and Lizbet had the entire room torn apart, with, Charlie thought, every
single garment Rebecca owned strewn all over the room. They would look at one
dress, comparing reticules, parasols, shoes, and jewelry to first this outfit,
then to another. He cleared his throat to attract attention, as both were so
absorbed by this obviously earthshaking challenge that they had not noticed him
enter. “Rebecca, dear, the train leaves tomorrow promptly at 8:00 am. You will
be ready?”
She looked up, one lock of hair falling over her face from where it had come
loose. “Of course,” she snapped. “Which do you think looks better, the ashes of
rose with the garnets or the mist green with the raw emeralds?”
Charlie’s eyes glazed over. “They are both lovely. I will be in my library if
you need me.” He beat a hasty retreat. Packing for a trip was clearly almost as
bad as preparing for a wedding.
Entering his library, he found Darby in his usual place, curled up in a window
seat reading. What was less usual was that Suzanne was curled up next to him.
Emily was also ensconced in the library, sitting in Charlie’s chair at his desk.
It was obvious from the look on her face that she was well into a first class
pout, and perhaps, with an audience, settled in for a full-scale conniption.
Charlie’s chin sank onto his chest. Why was a trip, a simple little trip, such a
major event for all of the women in his family? Thank God Buddy and Andy were
too young to really sulk.
“Hello, children. What brings all of you to my library this afternoon?”
Darby looked up and shrugged, then dove back into his book.
Suzanne looked at Charlie with sad eyes, and cuddled back into Darby’s side.
Emily glared at him, but said nothing.
He walked over to his desk, and lifted the five year old out of the chair.
Settling in, he set her on his lap and patted her back. She sat there, stiff as
a ramrod. “You promised.”
Charlie’s eyebrows rose. “I promised what, Imp?”
“You promised you would not go away.”
“I promised I would not die. I go away regularly – and I come back just as
regularly, Imp. Why is this different from going up to Washington for a day or
two?”
“You are going away, you are taking Mama with you and you will be gone for a
long time. How do I know you will come back?” She was still stiff as a board and
clearly more angry than scared. “And you are not taking us with you.”
Charlie thought for a moment. “Well, when I go to Washington, I always come
back. And I always bring a present for each of you, do I not?” He scratched her
back, something she always loved. “What makes this different?” The offer of a
bribe often helped ease things with Emily.
“You are going away for a long time.”
“Well, I suppose that means I will have to bring you back something especially
nice.”
“Why not take us with you? That would be especially nice.”
“Because Mama and I have business to attend to, and having a brood of children
would be inappropriate, Imp.”
“We could be good.”
“No, Imp. Not this time. When you get bigger, I will take you on a trip, but not
yet.”
“I want to go now.” The conniption was on its way.
“No, Imp. You have to stay here and look out for Buddy and Andy.”
“Tess and Ginny look after Buddy and Andy. I want to go now.” The lower lip was
coming out, and her voice was rising.
Charlie looked at his daughter and raised one eyebrow. “If you want to have a
conniption, go ahead. But I do not bring back good presents for bad little
girls. You will stay here, you will do what Miss Wilson tells you, and you will
be a good girl.” Charlie realized he had just doomed the new governess to a
miserable three weeks. But that is why he paid her a good wage.
Emily sat and thought for a few minutes. Punishing Papa for leaving or foregoing
a nice present – it was a hard decision. Finally, grudgingly, she said, “I will
be good.” She looked up at him, her eyes slanted. “It better be a good present.”
************
Morning came none too soon for Charlie. All he wanted to do was to have things
get back to a calm, non-conniption ridden pace. Rebecca had finished packing,
finally. Emily had gone to bed the night before, finally. Suzanne had been pried
from Darby’s side, finally. He watched as Tomas and Reg loaded the carriage with
Rebecca’s four trunks and three hat cases, his grip and boot case, and one case
each for Tomas and Lizbet. He wondered to himself if she had simply packed
everything she owned.
The trip to the railroad station was uneventful, which Charlie deemed a
blessing, since the departure from the house had been fraught with wailing from
Em, tears from Suzanne, a lot of long suffering looks from Darby and a more than
a little misty eyed Rebecca giving her children a last hug each before they
left. With a little luck, the new parlor car from Pullman would have enough
elegant features to distract Rebecca from the pain of leaving her children for
the first time.
The train pulled in on time, and they quickly loaded the baggage onto the car.
As the train pulled out, Rebecca and Lizbet put both men to work arranging
things conveniently, so that Rebecca could select what she wanted for each
layover without having to tear the whole car apart each time. Charlie and Tomas
looked at one another, signed in unison, and went to work.
The trip to Richmond was relatively uneventful. Charlie and Rebecca watched the
scenery, chatted, and played cards for most of the time, stopping to enjoy the
cold lunch that Sarah had put up for them. Sweet ham on biscuits, potato salad,
cold fried chicken, and delicate peach tarts were welcome, and washed down with
tea prepared over the small burner that was built into the parlor car’s pantry.
They made it to Richmond by late afternoon.
Richmond had not been as damaged as many of the towns and cities in Virginia. It
withstood the siege well, and had rebuilt quickly after the war. Charlie and
Rebecca adjourned to a lovely suite in the Linden Row Inn, and took a walk down
Monument Avenue to stretch their legs after the train ride.
All along the boulevard, construction was progressing, both on new houses and on
a series of memorials for the heroes of the confederacy. Charlie shook his head
as Rebecca commented on the various statues along the way. “It seems clear that
Richmond is not going to forget its place in history as the capitol of the
confederacy for a long time.”
“Yes, I agree. I wonder just how hard it will make things in the coming years,
for I fear that the aftermath of the war will last far longer than most expect.”
“Dear, I can only hope that reasonable men, like you and Richard, prevail, and
that those obnoxious folks like Mr. Stevens and Mr. Sumner, who tried to impeach
President Johnson, do not.”
“I fear they will, dear. All we can do is hope.”
Dinner that evening was very pleasant. Being here on the James River, with
access to the Chesapeake Bay and all of the wonder seafood there made it
special. Charlie missed the fresh seafood he had grown up on, and savored a
plate of raw oysters as his first course.
“I have always suspected you of being able to eat anything, dear.” Rebecca eyed
his plate with the large, gray blobs resting in their own shells, warily. “This
proves it.” She delicately tasted her melon with paper-thin ham slices.
Charlie smiled cheerfully. “You should try them, dear. They are absolutely
delicious.”
“They may taste delicious, but I cannot manage to overcome the slimy look. And
someone told me that you have to eat them live.” She had a slightly greenish
look to her as she considered the consumption of anything alive, even something
so obvious far down the evolutionary scale as this blob of shell-bound stuff.
“You will be sure to brush your teeth and gargle before you kiss me, dear.”
************
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful. They stopped in Charleston for
two days, visiting with Charlie’s cousin Edouard and gathering their resources
for the journey into the wilderness that was much of Florida. They passed
through the great switching yard in Waycross Georgia and then plunged into the
pine forests that grew on either side of the great St. Johns River.
They traveled through mile after mile of long leafed pines and scrub oaks,
broken by great Cyprus forests and periodic glimpses of the second largest north
flowing river in the world.
“Charlie, where in the world are you taking us?” Rebecca was bored with
traveling. She wanted to be wherever it was they were going.
“I talked to Mr. Astor when he was in Washington last month. He said that the
area around the St. John’s River was beautiful and that we would find it to be
excellent horse country. I am afraid that he also said it was in the middle of
nowhere.”
“Dear, we have found nowhere. Now, where is the middle and how long will it take
to get there?”
Charlie just smiled. There was nothing else he could do.
Finally, after two very boring days of train travel after their layover in
Waycross, they pulled into a little, one room, white washed train station with a
large sign that read “Orlando, Home of the House of Mouse.”
Charlie and Rebecca stood on the platform while Lizbet and Tomas unloaded their
baggage. A few minutes spent with the stationmaster made sure that Charlie’s two
train cars were properly stowed on a side railing, to await their return home.
They stood and waited. The arrangements they had made included having a carriage
from the hotel pick them up at the station. No carriage was in sight. Charlie
paced. Rebecca just sat, happy to be out of the swaying car, and longing for a
cool drink and a bath.
After about a half hour, another train pulled into the station. Two women, both
dressed in trousers, disembarked, along with their luggage. Women dressed in
trousers! What a shocking thought that they would travel like this. Charlie and
Rebecca looked at one another.
“Dear husband, did you tell me that there was some kind of writer’s conference
going on at this resort we are staying at?”
“Um, yes, I believe there was some mention of it.”
“Do you think that perhaps these two oddly dressed women are part of some sort
of extreme social movement – like the women in England who are starting to
campaign for the right to vote?”
“Perhaps. But, dear, however, um, unusual they may be, we should still be
polite.”
Charlie and Rebecca walked up to them. Charlie doffed his hat and bowed, like
the gentleman he was, and Rebecca smiled at them.
“Good afternoon, ladies. I am General Charles Redmond, and this is my wife,
Rebecca.”
“General, I’m Jennifer Heart, and this is my friend, the author Kristen
O’Rourke.”
“A pleasure to meet you both.” Handshakes were politely exchanged all around.
“I notice, ladies, that you are unescorted. I am expecting a carriage shortly to
take us to our hotel. I would be more than happy to provide you with a ride to
your destination.”
The taller woman responded. “Thank you, General, but I don’t think that will be
necessary. We are staying at the Grand Floridian, and expect a shuttle by
shortly to pick us up.”
“Oh, the Grand Floridian. We will be staying there as well,” Rebecca chimed in.
“I understand it is the very picture of elegance, from what our friends have
told us.”
At that moment, a strange wagon, fitted with seats up front and a luggage
platform at the rear, all covered with a brightly colored, striped and fringed
canopy, pulled up to the station. A young man, dressed in boots, khaki pants and
a matching short-sleeved belted jacket, and a pith helmet jumped down from the
driver’s seat. “Sorry to be late, folks. There was an alligator that decided to
sun herself on the road and we had the very devil of a time getting her to move.
The horses just refused to move until we convinced the ’gator to go back into
the pond.”
The four guests standing on the platform looked at one another with various
expressions of concern. What had they gotten themselves into?
To be continued in Chapter 2 ....