First Son
Published by Carol Smiles at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 Carol Smiles
Smashwords Edition
“Thank you for reading.”
Prologue
Lady Thanusy died with a smile on her lips. She was happy that she had finally produced a son and that her husband’s heir would be their own child and not that of his obnoxious cousin, or, God forbid, that cousin himself. She and Randolph Thanusy had five daughters and had despaired of ever having a son. After ten years it finally happened. She would not live to see the child grow, but hopefully Randolph would. He was on active duty on the continent and she had prayed every day for his safety. She had conceived their last child just prior to him sailing for France He had not known how hard the confinement was on her.
When her pains had started, Old Doctor Wynett had been called. He arrived drunk, as he was so often these last few years. “Giving it one more try, eh,” he had said to her then slept while her contractions came closer and closer together. Her screams had wakened him from a deep slumber. He staggered over to catch the baby as it was born in a gush of blood. “Well, my Lady,” he said with a slur. “Looks like you finally have your boy.” He dipped the child in a basin of tepid water and wrapped it in a towel. Then laying it aside, tried to stem the bleeding that accompanied the afterbirth. He packed towels between her legs and tucked a blanket tightly around her thighs to hold them together. She saw him scribble on the birth certificate and knew from experience that he was noting the date and time of birth as well as the sex of the child. That done he wrote his own name in a flowing slash and sprinkled sand on the paper to keep the ink from smearing.
Her life ebbed away with the flow of her blood as she clutched the certificate that said she had a son. Notice of the birth had been sent to Randolph within minutes of the housekeeper hearing the news through the half opened bedroom door. The fact that Lady Thanusy had given her life in the endeavor wasn’t forwarded to the battle fields until several days later.
Chapter One
Martha Ethel Bertsyzmor had, since early childhood, been called MEBS. When she met and married Randolph Thanusy it became a habit of friends to introduce her at social functions by her whole name. It was always such fun for them to say it loudly. They would say with a grin, “Lady Meb sees more than you see,” and then all would laugh uproariously. It was a great way to get the party off to a happy start. Mebs didn’t mind the joke and neither did her husband. They knew it was all in fun. Randolph had had jokes made of his last name for years. Some of his relatives had their noses out of joint because of it, but not him.
When Bonaparte gathered his troops and war was declared once again, Randolph got his estate in order and left to fight. His valet, Jameson, had gone as Batman, but shortly after the enemy was engaged, he was wounded. During the engagement, a sword flipped up from out of the ashes of a campfire. It was hot from the coals and as it sliced off a bit of flesh on his knee and shinbone and descended to embed itself in his shoe, it seared the flesh. There was little bleeding because the wounds sealed as the metal cut. The heat from the blade partially melted through the sole of his boot, but left the front part of the boot covering the severed toes as it lingering where it had parted his heel from his arch. From that day forward, Jameson would stuff lamb’s wool in the toe of any boot he wore., so that, what was left of his foot, did not slide forward. He had a limp, but felt lucky that his was not a more serious wound. Many did not return from that war. Jameson had been shipped home and Lord Thanusy got another man to assist him until he was killed a month later.
George Augustus Thanusy, Randolph’s cousin and potential heir for so many years, had been livid upon hearing that he would no longer inherit the title and property. His gambling habits kept him constantly hovering at debt’s door. He had counted on the inheritance to keep him solvent. He rejoiced each time Mebs presented Randolph with another daughter. Five times he laughed and rejoiced. Then, for ten years he had felt increasingly more and more secure in his position Who would have imagined a disaster like this would ever happen after ten years. Why, did the man have no respect for his wife. What could have possessed the man to bed her after she had given him five children already. And her, one would think she would want to avoid that sort of thing at her age. It was disgusting. It was unheard of, it was, it was George’s undoing, was what it was.