The Cogan Legend (2 page)

The week passed without much discussion between Ann and her father; she hadn't seen Rachel for over a week.  Rachel knew something was wrong and Tom, through Ted, got word about Ann's punishment.  

At the end of the week, Ann decided she had to speak to her father about their trip.  “I'm not questioning my punishment,” she conceded meekly, “I deserve it.  However, I have one request.”  

“What is it?” her father asked.  

“I want to ask Rachel to come along.”  

“Rachel?” Charles frowned.  “Rachel has a job; she must support her mother, and what about Tom?” Charles asked.  

“If you paid her wages, Father, she would be able to come.”

“Pay her to go?” He shook his head in disbelief.  

“Yes, Father.  She doesn't make much where she works.  It wouldn't be very much.”  She gave her father a pleading look.  “Please, Father, I'm begging you. It will be a terrible trip for both of us if just you and I go.”   

“Absolutely not!”  Charles declared flatly.

Several days passed, giving Charles time to rethink the request.  He realized Ann would turn against him, so he decided to honor the request.  He liked Rachel and believed she had nothing to do with Ann's behavior.  “If you can convince Rachel and Tom of your plan, it's fine with me,” Charles said.

“She's my best friend, and I know I can convince her to go,” Ann said happily.  “May I go see her tomorrow?” she asked.  Her father agreed, and Ann stood up, ran over and gave him a hug and kiss.  “Father, I love you so much. I'm truly sorry for my actions.”  

Tears came to both their eyes.    

The next day, when Ann showed up at the dress shop, Rachel was extremely glad to see her.  She feared she and Tom would be blamed for Ann's actions.  “Where have you been?” she asked.

Ann explained her restriction to the house and added, “I should've thought that he would find out sooner or later.  It was so foolish of me to do what I did, but I just couldn't control myself.  Now he's going to take me to his hunting lodge, and when I return, I have to enroll in school.”

Rachel looked at Ann with pity.  “It's going to be a horrible time, isn't it?”

“When I was a little girl, I wanted to go with him, but that was years ago; now I don't want to go unless you go too.”  

“Me?  What are you talking about, me go with you?”  

“Please,” Ann pleaded.  “Father said I could invite you.  You're right; it would be absolutely horrible to be there alone.  You will come, won't you?”

“Your father agreed?”

“He said yes,” Ann replied, eyes shining.

“But, I can't just leave work for a month or more,” Rachel protested.  She lowered her voice.  “I can't, Ann. I have my mother to worry about and Tom.  I can't just up and quit my job to go to some hunting lodge.”  

“My father has agreed to pay you while we're there,” Ann explained.  She put a hand on Rachel's slim arm.  “Rachel, please, I'm begging you to at least think about it.  I couldn't go alone. I'd run away, I swear I would.”  

Rachel looked doubtful.

“Think of it as an extended holiday,” Ann said, adding, “I bet Tom would ask you to marry him when we returned.  Please, Rachel, please, consider it.”   

Stunned and a little angry, Rachel thought about it.  Then her attitude and mood changed.  “Yes, maybe you are right, Ann; let me talk to Tom and Mother about it.”  

Ann gave her a hug, sighed, let out a deep breath and squinted her eyes.  “I really hate telling you this, but Father wants to leave next week.”  

“Wow!”  Rachel's hand flew to her mouth. “That's not possible for me.  I can't leave on such short notice.  I need at least an additional week or more.  I just can't up and quit here and leave Mother and Tom that quickly.”  

Excited that Rachel was even considering it, Ann clapped her hands. “I'll talk to my father, Rachel,” she promised. “I'll get him to postpone the trip for a week or two.”

As Ann turned to leave, Rachel said, “I'll have an answer in a few days, but if we must absolutely leave next week, I'm not going.”

That evening at supper, Rachel told Tom and her mother of Ann's proposal.  Tom was immediately upset.  Mrs. Miller, Rachel's mother, was not happy with the thought of her daughter going away.  

Tom gave his fiancée a disgusted look. “The little rich girl waltzes into our lives and thinks she can do whatever she wants with us.”  Midway through supper, Tom could no longer control his anger, so he excused himself and left the house leaving his meal half-eaten.  

Rachel turned anguished eyes on her mother.  “Mother, why did I ever bring this up? I should have told her no.”  

Already upset with the idea, Mrs. Miller wiped moisture from her eyes before asking, “Why would you even agree to go?”

“I don't know, Mother.  I don't know.”  Rachel sighed and added, “But I will tell her no.”      

In the tavern, Tom's anger got to him.  He regretted ever talking to George about Ann's escapades; he wished he would have just let Charles find out for himself.  After a few more drinks, a ridiculous plan replaced his anger.  It was one that Charles Fairchild would never go for.  

When Tom arrived home, Rachel immediately apologized for bringing up the idea and was surprised when Tom shook his head.  “Wait, hear me out; I have an idea.  If Charles would double your wages and pay all your expenses, I wouldn't be opposed to you going along.”

Rachel said nothing for a moment. Then she shook her head.  “Mother and I discussed it, and she doesn't want me to go.”  

“Don't worry,” Tom grinned.  “I'll talk to your mother.”

“But…” Rachel's confusion left her without an adequate argument.

Tom looked at her.  “It's double or nothing, or you don't go.”  

“Alright,” Rachel said slowly, “but only if you can convince Mother.”

At breakfast Tom broached the idea with Mrs. Miller.  “Carrie, Rachel and I talked about this last night.  If Charles Fairchild will double her wages and pay her expenses, I wouldn't be opposed to her going.”  He waited to see if Rachel's mother would disagree. When she didn't comment, he continued.  “If Charles agrees, Rachel and I can get married soon after she returns, but Rachel won't go until you agree.”  Mrs. Miller gazed at the clock on the wall with her hand over her mouth.  After what seemed like an eternity, she broke her silence, “I don't like this idea at all.  I would rather have my daughter right here with me regardless of the money.”  Pointing a finger at Tom, “If that is what both of you want I will agree, but if anything happens to her, I'm holding you responsible.”  

“Carrie, what could happen?  They are only going to a lodge for a while and coming home,” Tom said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Mrs. Miller just gave him a long stare before she nodded assent.          

A few days later, Ann was so anxious to get down to the dress shop she practically followed Rachel in the door as she arrived for work.  “I know I'm here early, but I couldn't sleep; I must know what you decided.”  

“We've discussed it,” Rachel said.  “But Tom is only willing to let me go if your father will pay.”

“Pay?”  Ann's eyes searched Rachel's.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel continued.  “If he doubles my wages and pays all my expenses.”  She placed her hands on the glass case holding jewelry.  “Mother also agreed even though she doesn't like the idea, and Tom promised to marry me when I return.”

Excited that Rachel was willing to go under any circumstances, Ann promised, “I'll talk to my father.  I'm sure he'll agree! I'll beg him, I'll get down on my knees and beg him if I must!”  

At dinner Ann presented Rachel's offer.  

“That sounds like Tom Straub speaking,” Charles groused.

“You're probably right, Father, but if you don't accept, I won't go.  I'll run away, I swear I will.”  

Frowning at his daughter's impertinence, Charles placed his hands on the shiny mahogany table.  “I'm going to have to think this over.”  He frowned at her.  “This is your punishment, and you're asking me to make concessions?”  

For several days Charles pondered the question.  He knew he had to get Ann out of Philadelphia and away from her temptations.  He also realized that he didn't know for sure if her threat to run away was real or not.  Several days later he announced his decision.  “I'll double Rachel's wages and pay her expenses.”  He studied his daughter's dancing eyes and knew he'd made the right decision.  “Go tell Rachel,” he announced.  “And tell her to pack plenty of warm clothing because it gets much colder at the lodge than it does here in Philadelphia.”

Sudden realization made Charles pull a sheet of white letterhead from the rollup desk and dip a quill into ink.  The letter informing Mary Lentz, the lodge's housekeeper, would get there in time for her to prepare for an extra place at the table.

The next day Ann again practically beat Rachel in the door of the dress shop, she was so excited and overjoyed at her father's decision.  She could barely contain her emotions as she hugged Rachel.  “He agreed!”

“Really?”  Rachel responded in surprise.  

Ann gave Rachel her father's instructions, telling her to pack lots of warm clothes.  “Just bring your personal belongings, don't worry about food.  We will be leaving next Tuesday sometime around eight o'clock in the morning, and we'll pick you up at your house.”  

Rachel crossed her arms.  “Ann, I told you I can't leave on such short notice, I owe the shop owner a notice so she can fill my position.”  

“I'll beg my father to postpone for a week.  I'm positive I can convince him,” Ann promised.

Still in shock, Rachel asked, “How long will it take to get to the lodge?”  

“Three days,” Ann replied.

 Rachel rolled her eyes.

“Please don't be like that,” Ann begged.  “I can't wait to go!  And, I'm going to find out as much as I can about the area.  Maybe we can talk my father into letting us do some traveling.”

“I hope so,” Rachel replied.  “It's going to be an awfully long stay if we can't leave the lodge.”

“I do know that there is a town – Sunbury, I think – that's not too far from the lodge. Perhaps we can go there.”

With that comment, Rachel who had never before traveled out of Philadelphia, gave a half-hearted smile.

“We'll make the best of this trip, Rachel,” Ann promised.  “I know it's going to be hard for you to leave Tom and your mother, but we'll have fun, I promise!  This will be an adventure for both of us.”  She turned to leave.  “I'll let you know in a few days if we'll be leaving in two weeks.”  

Rachel smiled doubtfully.  She really didn't want to go if it meant leaving Tom and her mother.  Even though she was sick with worry and fear, she couldn't bring herself to cancel the trip.  Tom did his best to calm her fears, but the one thing that worked was Tom's promise that they would get married when she came home.  

The day of departure came quickly.  When the carriage pulled up at her house, both Charles and Ann got out of the coach.  Rachel introduced Charles to Mrs. Miller, and Ann gave her a hug.  Charles told her, “We'll have your daughter back in short order, safe and sound, Mrs. Miller.  I'm just very glad she is going with us.”  

Rachel hugged her mother and with tears in her eyes climbed into the coach.  As Lewey put her bags in back of the coach, Rachel waved goodbye to her mother.  

“Let's go, Lewey,” said Charles.   

Ann grabbed Rachel's hands.  “We'll be back soon,” she promised.

 

CHAPTER 2

 

The ride started off quietly.  Charles knew this was hard for Rachel, so for quite a distance he didn't say anything allowing Rachel time to calm down.  After what seemed like an endless amount of time, Charles began describing the journey that lay ahead.  “We will travel farther and farther into the countryside, and we'll see beautiful mountains and small towns.”

Charles knew that Ann was familiar with traveling, but he didn‘t know what Rachel's experience was.   In an effort to get Rachel's thoughts away from home, Charles inquired, “Rachel, have you done any traveling?”

“The only traveling I've done was in Philadelphia,” Rachel admitted sheepishly.

Ann decided this was the perfect time to ask her father about Mary Lentz.

“You've talked about the housekeeper, but I've never met her.  Is she still there?”

“Why, yes.  Her name is Mary Lentz.”  Charles' eyes seemed to drift away as if he were looking at the woman he was describing.  “She's an excellent cook.”

“Is she pretty?” Ann asked, hoping to see her father's reaction.

“Uh, well, yes, I…” Charles blinked.  “You'll just have to judge for yourself.”   A flush of red had crept up his neck and was threatening his cheeks.

Ann and Rachel looked at each other.

Ann wisely changed the subject.

“So, Father, tell us about the lodge.”  Ann suggested.

“Yes, of course.”  Charles silently thanked his daughter for rescuing him.  “I came to the area 18 or 19 years ago on a hunting trip with a friend and just fell in love with the mountains.  I decided soon after that I wanted a hunting lodge there and on a return trip purchased the land where the lodge now sits.  Then I went back to Philadelphia and hired a draftsman, a good friend, who drew up the plans for the lodge.  I spent two months at the site during which time construction was well underway.  When I left, I had all the confidence that the builders would complete the work as I had specified.  When I returned to Philadelphia, your mother gave me the most wonderful news; she was pregnant, and here you are asking me how it all came about.”