Langcaster House - Chapter 8

Second Honey Moon

 

I heard that Lord Blears had the misfortune of meeting “The Man,” and had a terrible accident, seems he fell from the fifth floor of his hotel room.

This helped Charlie to finally put the Blears episode behind him and he went on a second honeymoon with Barbra.

Jeanie was in charge of the children and I was in charge of the company which didn’t sit too well with some of the older higher ups. I didn’t pay any attention to their grumblings and did my job.

Charlie extended their vacation after checking on each department and discovered everything was going well.

One guy tried to give me some trouble, but I threaten to fire him and he quickly straightened up.  I probably couldn’t have made it stick for Charlie wouldn’t have backed me up on that one but he didn’t want Charlie to find out he had been a problem while he was gone so it worked out.

When Charlie returned everything seemed normal and Lady Barbra was happier than she had ever been. I teased Charlie about that but stopped short of making him mad. All in all I hoped Barbra didn’t have any more old boyfriends that would come to visit for she had a weakness for that English sophistication as phony as it was.

I wasn’t in on it but Charlie had strong words for the Wynn’s and I believe they got the message. They were partly responsible for what happened and Charlie didn’t want them involved in such a matter again.

Linda and I are doing very well.  She spends a lot of time with the children. After she got her business degree she decided not to go to work for we didn’t need the money and I was glad she made that decision.

I came to believe that these Wynn gals were alright once you got them straightened out.  They all are a little too lively and it can lead them into trouble.

Linda thinks that “The Man” is always following her around which is only partly true. He does watch over her and the babies a lot of the time. He loves my babies almost as much as I do.

I never asked Charlie about him for I figured he would tell me what he wanted me to know so I left it at that. There was one thing I knew and that was I didn’t want to tangle with him for I have seen how guys he taught a lesson to looked and it wasn’t pretty.

I have seen him with my kids and he truly is a “Gentle Giant” with them.  Linda hasn’t ever seen him playing with them but has the feeling they are safe from anyone harming them. I had the feeling that our next problem was just around the corner and I was right about that.

Lonnie

Lonnie is what you might call the less intelligent one in the family. She was dating a low life guy that Charlie had told her to stay away from and to drop him for he was no good.  She ignored Charley and continued spending time with him. It wasn’t long before she was involved in drugs and alcohol.

Charlie was for letting it play out but the Wynn’s were upset about their daughter’s behavior. Charlie called the family together and wanted to discuss the matter with them.

There were varying opinions as to what could be done and there was no consensus as to what to actually do.

Charlie finally said, Lonnie will be out of money soon and that means her boyfriend will become her pimp and put her on the street.  He outlined several things that could be done but all except one (which was to do nothing) meant having her picked up and put into some kind of institution.

He also said he could deal with her boyfriend but she would gravitate toward another just as bad or worse than him.

After some time, it was decided by the family to have her committed to a Psychiatric ward.  Charlie had her picked up and signed her in for treatment. He wasn’t of the opinion that it would help her but agreed something must be done before she was found dead.

After a couple of weeks Linda and I went to see her and had a long conversation with her doctor. He went through all of her problems he had discovered so far. Some of her dilemma started during childhood, and her first love affair with the gardener and finally her slipping into drugs.

The Doctor was convinced that there was a difficulty in treating a drug problem with more drugs. He said her loss of self-esteem also loomed largely. He said the prescribed treatment would take a year or longer for she would need to discover a new “her” for the old one was a failure and needed to be discarded.

We felt a little better after understanding his approach for it was obvious she needed a lot of help.  The Doctor wanted the family to stay away for the next year for he felt seeing them could cause her to regress back into the melancholy state she was in at this current stage of her life.

Mason and Elsa

Due to Mason’s being promiscuous he had become sterile and unable to sire a child. Rumor has it that he had several illegitimates running about in the bush country from his travels in the Dark Continent.

Elsa was discontent having heard of the other heathen women with their children and she wanted Mason to do something about it.

He finally said she could visit a Sperm Donor Bank and check out the process. If she wanted to be impregnated this way he agreed not to object.

It didn’t take her long to decide to submit to the process and after a couple of months she announced she was with child.

She never told anyone how it came about for everyone thought Mason finally got it right.  

I only found out by accident when a bill for the process came in and accounting brought the bill to me.  Once I figured out what happened I told him to pay it and never mention it to anyone.

I decided to do the same and never mention it to anyone not even Charlie. This is the only thing I ever kept from him.  I just figured that Elsa had the right to a little privacy and the child to be accepted as being true blood kin.

The Babe looked
Just Like Mason

The child was born on time and strange as it seems it looks just like Mason. She named the boy Mason Jr. Having this child had a profound effect on Elsa, she was a genuine mother.

It didn’t matter if Mason wasn’t the father she was one hundred percent the child’s mother. She could nurse it and care for all its needs just like any other mother. Mason was somewhat awed by the whole process. Here he had a child that was both his and not his.

Mason had numerous kids he left in Africa, never seeing or knowing them.  Here was a boy that he was going to live with till the  child grew up and left home.

The one thing Mason dreaded was if one or more of his children from Africa came looking for him. He decided to prepare for such an event just in case it happened. He had never hid who he was and where he was from.

He couldn’t remember how many African women he married but it was several. They were all marriages according to local custom but it still bothered him for he didn’t know if the marriages were registered with the State. If they were then they would be entitled to part of his estate should he die.  Further he might be responsible for debts they might incur.

Moving forward a couple of years; a white woman in nurses uniform, named Lindsey showed up at the door of the estate and asked for Mason.  Two young black girls were in tow with her, who appeared to be around fourteen years old.

As it happened Mason was off on a fishing trip and Elsa and the baby was visiting her mother.

James the butler called Linda over as she walked by and told her the woman insisted she see Mason. Linda invited the woman and the two girls in and ordered some refreshments for they appeared tired and warm.

While the girls were refreshing themselves the woman told Linda the story. These two girls had been brought to the mission where she was stationed and she had cared for them almost since their birth.  She saw to their care and education up till now.  

 Due to war and threats to the workers, the mission it had to be closed and she was sent home to the USA.  She managed to get these two girls out with her and had brought them here to their father.  

The nurse showed Linda what papers she had and a DNA report. She said it could be compared to Mason’s DNA if she wished but she was sure they were Mason’s girls.

She said, "If he didn’t want them they would need to be placed in an orphanage for she had no means to care for them.  During the years she worked at the mission she received almost no salary and was virtually broke and in need of medical care."

Linda called the girls in and had a long conversation with them. She found them to be polite and very well spoken.  

She then said, “We will have to see what we can do about this situation.”  In her mind was the thought that these might be my nieces so I need to care for them.

She called me and asked to meet her at the nicest hotel in town. I thought she might have had a romantic spell come over her and wanted to do something different but I soon found out that wasn’t the case.

By the time she got the three of them situated in some rooms, I arrived and she told me the whole story as far as she knew it.

I laughed at the irony of the situation and just had to say it; “The chickens have come home to roost.”

That remark didn’t go over very well with Linda even though she couldn’t help but crack a smile.  “This is serious so be serious,” she said.

I sobered up my attitude and said, “Let’s go up and meet these ladies.”

Immediately to me it was evident that the White missionary nurse wasn’t well and I made an appointment for her to go to a clinic where she would be given the best of care.

I said, “The girls will be able to stay with you while being treated for they don’t need to be with strangers.

We will have the doctor give them check up while they are there.”

This will be the first order of business and then we will go on from there. I finally got around to asking the girls’ names and one was Ashe and the younger Baba.

I told them those were pretty names but after they have lived here for a while they could change them if they wished or just keep them. So far the girls had said very little but I expect that will change very soon.

Lonnie, after Rehab

After eighteen months I noticed a big change in Lonnie. Linda and I were the only ones who felt up to seeing her. In the back of the family’s minds was the image of her at her worse. I couldn’t really blame them but she had changed.

She had a new young doctor who was having success with her treatments and also his personal touch.

The doctor called Charlie and told him he was of a mind to release Lonnie but had some concerns about her going back into the family. He suggested a half way type of house where she could live in.

Charlie hesitated but agreed it might be a first step. The doctor confessed that he had become attracted to her but he couldn’t express himself until she was completely well and on her own. He said, “I could have kept this to myself but felt that would be dishonest.”  He continued, “Once she is completely well and the board of doctors agrees, then with the family’s permission I wish to begin to court her.”

Charlie said, “That would be alright with me unless there is some reason not to.”

He had the halfway house checked out and had someone to follow up regularly. It was six months later that Linda and I received an invitation to their wedding and we were glad to go.

Some years later Linda was asked to come to a baby shower being thrown for her. It was a little late in life but the baby is doing fine and they are very happy.

Ellen and Mary (the two Ex-scullery maids)

Updating Ellen and Mary’s status they finished their schooling and now work for Charlie. They have their own apartment and are enjoying being part of the dating scene.

Charlie couldn’t help but having anyone the girls dated more than once, “checked out.”

To Be Continued