The Governor's Daughter

The Trouble with Easedropping

  A/N 97 years ago today Devil Anse Hatfield left this world. As a tribute I'm writing this and I encourage you all to watch or read something about him. We can all learn a lot from him. The way he put his family above all should be inspirational to us. I'm aware some people believe he was just a murder but he was more. I don't know him personally but I've done A LOT of research and I believe the good out weighs the bad in Devil Anse. R.I.P Mr. Hatfield. January 6, 2018.  

The next morning Lydia woke up early and packed her bag. She packed a few more dresses since she would be staying a lot longer than she originally intended. Winter was coming on strong so Lydia packed plenty of warm clothes. When she was finished, she went downstairs to help her Mother with breakfast.

"Morning Mother."
"Good morning Lydia. Sleep well?"
"Yes ma'am. Need help?"
"You can set the table." Henrietta instructed. Lydia obliged and set the table. 

When breakfast was ready, Lydia helped Henrietta carry food to the table.
"Mama." Lydia sighed.
"Yes dear?"
"We're going home after breakfast."
"Home huh?"
"You know what I mean."
"I know Jeanie. I just didn't think you'd leave early."
"There's so much to do. I'm scared if I was waste time more people will die." Lydia admitted.
"I understand. Go fetch your Father from his study."
"Yes Mama."

Lydia went to her Father's study. She was about to knock but heard voices and stopped. She knew it was not proper to easedrop but she could not help it. She admits to being very nosey. She instantly recognized the two voices on the other side of the door. Her Father and Cap. She was going to go ahead and open the door but what her Father said next stopped her.
"Cap, I want you to promise me something." Emanuel said seriously
"Yes?" Cap asked curiously. 
"Don't have children till after marriage. Even then wait a while. I don't need anotha Evan and Emily."
"What do you mean?"
"Emily was with child when she disappeared. Most people believe Evan murdered her. I don't believe any of it for a second. I know Evan didn't murder Andy or his wife and unborn child. We're still searchin' for Emily and the baby. We haven't told Lyddie. She was heartbroken enough."
"I promise that won't happen ta us sir. But you should tell Lyddie the truth."
"Do you want ta tell 'er and break 'er heart all over again?" Emanuel asked with a sad tone in his voice. Cap thought about it for a moment. He knew it would break her heart even if she had not killed Emily. It would tear her apart now.
"No sir. Maybe it's best she don't know." Cap agreed.

Lydia was mortified. She killed an innocent baby. There is a possibility it was not Evan's but that does not matter. It is still a baby. She held herself together and knocked.

"Come in." Her Father called. She walked in with a smile on her face.
"Hello darlin'." Emanuel beamed like nothing happened.
"Breakfast is ready."
"Excellent! 'Mon son." He patted Cap's back. Cap studied Lydia. At first glance she looked fine but Cap knew better than that. He saw the way she twiddled her fingers. The way she shuffled her feet. Her smile did not reach her eyes and her eyes were dull. He knew that she knew. Cap decided to talk about it on the way home when they were alone on the stagecoach. Still, he pulled her a little closer and squeezed her a little tighter in hopes of comforting her. This would be a long process.

At breakfast, Lydia tried to act normal. She smiled and attempted to make conversation. She would not have be able to do it if Cap did not keep his hand on her knee. 
"The sheriff here is a friend a mine. Owes me a favor. He's gonna ride with ya ta Logan county." Emanuel said.
"He shouldn't have to. No one will know it's us in the stagecoach." Cap said.
"Y'all ain't ridin' in a stagecoach."
"Why not?"
"You'll take your wagon." Emanuel said matter-of-factly.
"Sir, I ain't gotta wagon."
"You do now. She's ready ta go and your horse is tied up behind 'er." Emanuel explained.
"I can't keep taking stuff from ya." Cap sighed.
"It's an early engagement present. I expect the next time I see ya you'll have a question ta ask me." Emanuel grinned.
"Thank you." Cap replied.

After breakfast, Lydia hugged her Mother and Father bye while Cap loaded the wagon with the help of the hired hand.

"Please come back." Henrietta pleaded as she held her daughter.
"I will Mama. I hope and pray this is all over next month."
"I'm sure it will be." Henrietta assured her.
"It will be." Emanuel confirmed confidently.
"Well sir, thank ya for havin' me." Cap came up to them after everything was loaded.
"Anytime son." Emanuel hugged him too.
"It's the least we could do. You've done so much for us." Henrietta told him.
"Ma'am I haven't done a thing for y'all." Cap said.
"You make our Lyddie happy. That's more than we could ask for." She replied.
"We better leave so we can be there before dark." The Charleston County sheriff said.
"Safe travels!" Emanuel bidded them. Lydia gave them one last hug and then Cap helped her board their new wagon.

They have been on the road for a couple hours now. Most of the ride was full of peaceful silence. The sheriff rode a ways ahead, out of earshot. 
"I heard everything." Lydia mumbled.
"I figured."
"I killed a baby."
"You didn't know Lyddie."
"It doesn't matter. None of it matters. The only thing that matters is the fact that I murdered an innocent baby. My niece or nephew didn't even have a chance." Tears leaked from her eyes and rapidly made their way down her cheeks.
"Lyddie, you can't beat yourself up over this. There's no way ya could of known. You're not a killer. The way you're actin' proves that." Cap tried to comfort her.
"I don't deserve to be a Mother."
"Lydia stop. Of course you do. You'd be a great Mama. People have done way worse than you. I have. If I had the chance ta take all those damn McCoys I would in a heartbeat. You didn't know about the baby. She couldn't of been far a long."
"The McCoy's are different. They have tried to kill you. And it doesn't matter how far a long she was. A baby is a baby the second it's made."
"Not all the McCoy's have tried ta kill me or my family. Innocent lives are lost everyday."
"What if that was our baby Cap? I keep playing the scene over and over in my head. I picture the baby inside her slowly dying. Then I think about my brother and how much he hates me. I took everything from him. What if someone did that to us? What if someone kills our baby because of what I did. God punishes everyone in someway." 
"No one will hurt our baby." 
"You can't guarantee that. I'm sure Evan promised to protect Emily and their family. Now they're all dead because of me. I thought I was helping Evan. He deserved so much better. At least someone faithful. But instead I made everything ten times worse."
"Ya know what ya gotta do now?" Cap said.
"Wallow in self pity."
"No. Now you have to do good to out weigh the bad. So ya gotta be a great Mother to make up for the baby. And ya gotta help other people and their children."
"Oh so I can forget I killed my brother's child by helping others?" She scoffed.
"No but it's all ya can do now."

"I'll help every child I can but I don't think it's fair I get to have children and Evan didn't."
"Evan is probably with his baby now. You'll want kids one day Lyddie. We both will. I know it's gonna be a while and maybe longer now."
"You deserve a family. A family I can't give you now. I can't marry you."
"Yes you can. If you don't want children we won't have none. But you can't punish yourself like this."
"I'm sorry Cap. I don't know what to do."
"Stay with me and I'll help ya. Just don't talk about leavin' me."
"I'm sorry." She rested her head on his shoulder and looked out to the forest around her.

Her heart ached. Everytime she closed her eyes she could hear Evan cursing her for what she did. She mentally begged him for forgiveness. She could not stop the tears that kept flowing down.All her life she dreamed of her future. A loving husband and a yard full of children. A happy life full of laughter and smiles. She was so close to that and she ruined it for herself. Lydia knew she could still have that life with Cap but everytime she would hold her baby she would think of the awful deed she committed and she cannot live like that.

 It killed Cap when he saw the tears glistening on her face but he did not know what to do. He kept her close to his side and told her words of comfort. That is all he could do. Maybe if he gives her a child later on it will help. Levicy always said having children was the best thing a woman could do and it always made her happier. For now all he could do was love and support her and help her get through it. He wished she did not hear about this. She did deserve to know the truth but sometimes the truth hurts too much.