Yule at the Myrtles

Yule at the Myrtles

We arrived at the beautiful plantation at eight in the morning. It figures the counselors would select a haunted plantation to host a Yule celebration. It was said to be haunted by a young black woman who had been a slave at the plantation. She, according to legend, was the mistress to the master and when she thought she was losing favor with him, she planned to poison his wife and children and bring them back to health. The wife and children died and she was killed on the spot. I was excited as I got out of my car. I had dressed in jeans and my Tru:Blood tee shirt and tennis shoes to travel in, but I had packed nicer clothes to wear to supper and party clothes for the little all girl outing the lady counselors had arranged for the second night. I assumed that the male counselors had planned something similar for the men.

Eric Lover got out of the passenger side and stretched, her fall of wine colored hair swinging over her shoulders. Vi and Minnie climbed out of the back seat of my car and stretched themselves, feeling every mile of the road on their bodies. Liz and Mel and Iluvtheviking and Renee pulled up. I walked up to the dusty car.

“Well, we made it,” said Liz. I opened her door and she climbed out, sliding her sunglasses over her forehead and settling them on her head. Mel got out next, shading her eyes with her hand, looking at the gracious elegance of the plantation.
“Are we all staying in the main house?” she asked.

“No, but we have to check in to find out where we belong,” I said. “My counselor said that everything was ready for us, that we are the only ones here.”

“Just how much money do they have?” asked Vi.

“I haven’t the foggiest notion,” I said. “Enough to treat us to three days at the plantation."

“God Speed should be showing up pretty soon,” said Liz.

“Yeah, if he hasn’t stopped alongside the road to get rid of the body,” said Eric Lover. We laughed. We had dubious feelings about the possibility that GS could travel in the same car as Hoyt. We were prepared to thank Jesus, Hare Krishna, and Santa Claus if they all made it in one piece.

“I wonder if they are here yet?” asked Renee. I nodded.

“Yeah, they are here, the lead counselor said they would join us when the sun went down,” I said. “They arrived last night.”

About that time, GS, Dude, Hoyt and Mrs. GS arrived. We all gave Hoyt the hairy eyeball to see if he had a fat lip or black eyes or if he walked funny and were relieved to see he was unmarked. I knew who to thank in this instance: The Missus. Dude was all smiles. He came over and hugged me.

“Hey Gorgeous,” he said
“Hey Handsome,” I said back. “Everything calm in there with the two combatants?”
“They hissed and spat a bit but not much,” he said. I watched the two being stiffly friendly to one another.
“Ashes and switches to the both of them if they don’t behave,” I said. “Shall we wait for the others?”
“Yeah, we better,” said God Speed. I went and opened the trunk of my car. Inside were suit cases, gift bags and hanging suit bags lying carefully on top.

“Gee whiz, Aslinn, did you think of moving in?” said Hoyt.
“What did you pack? A pair of socks and your toothbrush?” I asked. The rest were opening their trucks and hatches to reveal bags and luggage. We had all agreed to forego gifts for each other to buy gifts for the counselors. Some of us were planning an excursion for the little town of St. Francisville for that afternoon to finish off any shopping we might need to do in the charming shops I had discovered in the quaint little parish website. Linzy, Burke, Lina and Nia finally pulled in and got out to join us. Westexan pulled up right behind them.

“Well, let’s go check in so we can unload and go to town,” said Liz.
We all filed in, the seventeen of us, and stood around the counter to check in. It is a beautiful and fascinating place. Over 200 years old, it was built by General David Bradford. Like all southern homes, there was the long veranda in front festooned with flowers and graced with rocking chairs and tea tables ready for iced tea and mint juleps in the afternoon. There were eleven guestrooms open to the public (though I wondered about our counselor’s accommodations) and two guest houses.

“We are sorry honey,” said a pleasant looking woman. “We are all booked up,”
“Yes, we are your guests,” I said.
“Ah, the Shreveport Yule party,” she said. “Of course,” she opened her registration book for all of us to sign.
“Are our hosts here?” asked GS.
“Yes, they are resting in our special accommodations rooms in the upstairs portion of the gift shop, what used to be the carriage house. Those are rooms we usually reserve for dignitaries, it is a suite apartment,” she explained.
“And their special needs?” I asked, looking at GS.
“All of their special requirements are cared for,” she assured me. “Okay, we have the downstairs suite reserved for Ms. Westexan, as she is in a delicate condition. “ “Thank the Lord,” she said. “The kid is busy today.” She rubbed the lump I nicknamed the Kaiser roll.

I looked around at the reception area. It was obvious that we were standing in the grand foyer but I could see into the main and side parlors and see them decorated with Christmas trees and poinsettia plants and fresh roses and lilies. There were comfortable couches and chairs all around and fire places in both parlors. There were lovely aubusson rugs on the floors and bright tapestries and portraits I supposed were pictures of the former owners. Some were oil paintings but others were deurrograph pictures. The main parlor was dressed in light colors but the side parlor was dressed in darker colors.

Behind the reception area was a beautiful dining room with round tables around the room and a huge fire place topped with a painting of the man who built the house. The tables were covered in red and green and gold linen and the place setting were exquisite Dresden china and Waterford crystal goblets and heavy silver flatware.

“Here you are. Miz Aslinn, you and your friend will be staying together in the Judge Clark Woodruff suite, it is on the second floor and opens to the main staircase,” she said, handing us keys to the suite. “You and your wife will be in the John W. Suite,” she said to the God Speeds, handing them keys to the suite.
“Mr. Hoyt, you and your friend will be staying in the William Winters Suite,” she said, handing them keys. “Miz Liz, you and your friend will be in the Fanny Williams Suite,” she continued. “Miz Vi, you and your companion will be sharing the Ruffin Sterling Suite.”

She looked over her roster and an email. Apparently our counselors had chosen our rooms for us. “Miz Renee, you and your friend will be staying in the Oleander Garden Room, “she said. “And finally, Miz Linzy, you and your three friends will be put up in the Caretaker’s Cottage,” she said. Keys having been distributed, she picked up the house phone and ordered up what sounded like help to come and help us unload our cars. Three big fellahs came, each pulling a luggage cart and followed us out to our cars. The notion that the counselors would spring for such a lovely trip for us was beyond me.

“Where abouts are you’uns from?” asked one the men helping us.
“We’re from all over,” I said.
“Are you all like family?” he asked. We looked nothing like one another but I could not imagine being closer to any other group of people.
“Yeah, we are family in a way, we certainly have a true blood link among us,” I said. GS stifled a snicker and I grinned at Eric Lover. “How far away is town?” I asked.
“Not far,” said one of the men, hefting out my suit case. “About twenty minutes from downtown.”
“Great,” I said. “We were hoping to get in a bit of shopping.”
“Oh they got some nice things in town. You ever been to Louisiana before?” he asked.
I smiled a smile that spoke silently of secrets and places we have been only we knew of and people that could only be imagined.
“We have, many times,” I said. “Mostly to Shreveport and environs.” This time God Speed laughed out loud.
“Good one Aslinn,” he said.

When we each opened the doors of our suites, we were greeted by fresh flowers and a note from the lead counselor.

Our Friends,
I am so happy you have all arrived safely. Please help yourself to all of the amenities. Do not hesitate to ask for anything by the way of creature comforts. I understand an afternoon of shopping is planned. I have taken the liberty of making reservations for you at the Wine Parlor for lunch. Please go there and leave your money in your pockets. Everything has been taken care of. Enjoy the wine and food they will have waiting for you.

Be back at the plantation in time for supper, at 7:00 pm. We will meet you then.

E.

Enclosed was a map of the town and a large X marking the place he spoke of. Eric Lover was looking over my shoulder.

“My goodness,” said Eric Lover. “They are pulling out the stops.”
“Who knew they would be so excited about Yule?” I said.

After a quick mulling over, I decided to change into a light sweater the color of my counselor’s eyes and Eric Lover did the same, a pale grey silk blouse. We grabbed our jackets and went downstairs where the others were waiting for us. They had changed as well too and the drivers were holding their maps in their hands. After a short conference, we departed for our cars and headed out to town.

St. Francisville, located near Baton Rouge, was a town in the midst of renewal. The streets were neat and clean and the shops had a fresh look about them. Garlands of evergreens were strung between the ornamental lamp posts with large wreaths hanging from the poles themselves, graced with large red velvet bows. It was cool, just cool enough for jackets and the town, while not bustling, was busy enough to add to the excitement. The wide main street was a mcadams road, paved with heavy red bricks. We parked in a parking lot situated behind town hall on Ferdinand Street and stepped out into the town. We looked at our street maps and saw likely places we would want to visit and made our meeting place the Wine Parlor at twelve noon.

Renee, Eric Lover, Nia and I went down the street to St. Francis Arts and Antiques. The shop was straight out of a story of the south, with its red brick façade and oak double doors with brass fixtures, dressed up properly for the season. We stepped in and was met with a “Why hello there,” as friendly a greeting by a little man who could well have passed for the jolly old elf himself.

“Hello,” we chimed. “How are you?” I said.
“Oh, I can’t complain too terrible much,” he said in a pleasantly thick southern accent. “You folks visitin’?” he asked.
“Yeah, we are at the Myrtles for the three day weekend,” I said.
“Well, Emma Jean did mention that she was havin’ Cox’s army out at her place for the weekend. Would you ladies mind to sign our guest book?” he asked. We nodded our assent and walked to the small podium where there was a book and ornate feathered pen in a holder. We all took turns signing the book.
“Well, now, are you ladies shopping for anything in particular or are you just lookin’ around?” I had bought the gifts I had planned to give to the counselors, but I had an open enough mind to keep an eye out for any other little thing I might spy that would appeal to the counselors. It was really difficult to find things for them, they were all so different, especially the lead counselor with his long history. How does one shop for a man who seemed to have lived millennia? I tell you, it can be done, but you have to be inventive.

“Ooo, Aslinn, what do you think of this?” said Nia, showing me a set of ivory and coral bracelets.
“Those are lovely,” I said, nodding at the set. “And if you had to you could split them up, give the ivory bracelets to one and the coral to the other.”
“I could, couldn’t I?” she said, happily. She put the items in the little wicker basket she had picked up at the door to hold her purchases. I spied something I thought the lady counselor would enjoy, with her eccentric tastes.
“May I see that?” I asked, pointing at the leopard skin pill box hat. St. Nick smiled and grabbed an oak hand pole and carefully hooked the hat and handed it to me. I carefully examined it, holding it up to the light to see if there were any thin spots which would indicate dry rot. The silk lining was in good shape as well. “You don’t happen to have a pretty hat box for it do you?”
“I do indeed,” he said.

Renee and Nia and Eric Lover had all made purchases. Eric Lover showed me a lovely item made of ivory she bought for the lead counselor and I nodded my approval. Renee was busily looking into her bag, as she had chosen quite a few small treasures for the counselors. She brooded over them a last time before I locked them in the trunk of my car.

Hoyt’s group had been to Classic Cars. I peeked at the gift Hoyt and Dude had gone in together to buy, a model of a blood red Corvette. I smiled at the unique gift, and quite costly. Liz and Mel and the rest had gone to Birdman’s Café and Books and had racked up, but half their large group had stopped off at the St Francis Art and Antiques. They loaded their goodies in Liz’s car and we all waited for Burke and the other girls to come out to the cars.

Swag secured, we ended up heading for the Wine Parlor together. The proprietor came around the counter. “Excuse me, are you the Shreveport party?”
“Yes we are,” said Dude in his wonderfully smooth “radio” voice.
“We have been expecting you. Won’t you come into our private parlor? Your buffet is ready and we have some lovely wines for you to try,” she said.
After the wine and light lunch we headed back to the Myrtles for a rest and to get ready for supper.

We got back around two o’clock and we all decided to have a nap. Eric Lover and I were on our backs in the dim light of the room. I could tell she was thinking about something, but I waited for her to say something. Finally I heard a sigh and then she began.

“Aslinn, do you ever think about what it must be like to be one of them?” she asked. “You know, a “counselor”?”
“I have,” I said. “Sometimes I think it must be the loneliest thing to be. They get along okay, but they don’t really seem to be friends, know what I mean?”
“I think that is why they like us so much,” she said. “They can be around their own kind, but they don’t have to mix with one another unless they want to and they have us to interact with.”
“But there are some days that I wonder what it would be like,” I said. “The freedom, the strength, the immortality, I mean, unless someone stops them, they will go on for…. a very long time.”
“But everyone you know would go on and finally…” she said.
“Yes, there is that,” I said.

Around 5:00, there was a scurrying around as we showered and got ready for dinner. Eric Lover and I were the first down stairs, with our gift bags. We placed them under the tree and stood before the fire. It was a bit chilly as darkness settled and wondered what the counselors were doing. Were they getting ready, too? God Speed and Mrs. GS came down together. They may be fascinated with a couple of the counselors, but they were in the spring of love. They too set their gift bags down under the tree.

Westexan came out from her downstairs suite in a pair of soft dove colored pants and a matching silk blouse. She had her gift bag with her. I helped her set down her bag under the tree with Hoyt’s and Dude’s bags.

“The counselors are raking it all in,” she said.
“They are indeed, “ I said. Lina and Linzy and Nia and Burke came in and Liz and Mel came down with Vi and Minnie.
“We look so wonderful, “ I gushed.

“Yes,” said our counselor. “You are a very attractive group.” We turned and saw them, looking at us, we looking at them. The lead counselor was wearing grey pants with a wine colored sweater, making his fair skin nearly blushed. My counselor was dressed in dark brown slacks and a matching sweater. The lady counselor was wearing suede pants and a matching lamb’s wool sweater of sky blue, which made her even paler, but very lovely, like a snow queen. The young counselor had opted for a brown leather skirt and a jade green silk blouse.

“And you look lovely as well,” I said.
“Tell me you did not go through the trouble and expense of all those lovely gifts,” said my counselor, in his soft southern drawl.
“They are just a few things,” I said, looking at the haul.
“We have gifts as well, but they will be brought in while you have your supper,” said the lead counselor. He took Eric Lovers hand and placed in the crook of his elbow and Lina on the other arm. My counselor took my arm and Violet’s and we walked in together. Dude made a courtly bow and offered his arm to the smiling lady counselor and Liz and Hoyt, with a sly smile at GS as he offered his arm to the young lady counselor and to Minnie. God Speed was not amused.

The room was lit with candles and the chandelier in the ceiling was lit low. The flattering light made the room festive and kept the counselors in light shadow, where I liked them….well, where I liked one of them.
“Did you have an easy trip?” asked my counselor to the both of us.
“Yes, and yourself?” I asked.
“Very easy, and you had lunch where we arranged for you?” he asked.
“It was really nice and the wine was lovely,” I said. We were seated at our tables and the maitre d’ came around and gave us the card menus. My counselor took a wine list and indicated the Château Haut Beausejour, St. Estephe to begin with.
“I hope you don’t mind, the lead counselor suggested it before we came down that we should order this bottle for all the tables so we could toast together,” explained the Southern gentleman at my right.

As we examined the menu, appetizers began to arrive to the tables and finally the wine and a warmed carafe of what we assumed was TB was set on the tables near each of the counselors, wrapped in a thick terry cloth towel to keep it warm. The southern counselor poured himself a glass as the waitresses poured our wine. We waited for the lead counselor to stand and give us his toast.

“I want to thank all of you for coming to share this weekend with us. You are all such wonderful friends and we thank you all for your affections and your adventurous spirits. May we continue to enjoy one another’s companionship,” said the handsome blonde counselor, raising his glass to us all. We touched our glasses and drank the wine, which tasted sweet and woody at the same time.

I ordered the Cajun shrimp and wild rice and mixed vegetables. If the counselors were uncomfortable with us eating in front of them, they did not show it. If we were discomfited by their diet, we certainly did not give them a clue. The wait staff seemed indifferent to our counselors and their special meals, and went about their work, filling the carafes when empty along with the bread baskets and wine glasses.

After supper and rich desserts, during which Vi and I shared a thick slice of red velvet cake with icing so creamy and deep on the cake that it looked like sugared silk, the lead counselor stood again. We gave him our attention.

“After coffee, we will be going outside. It was a tradition among my people to burn a Yule log. If the wait staff would please pass out the pens and pieces of paper, I would like for you to write down your wishes and dreams for the New Year to place with our Yule log to send to the heavens,” he said. With our coffee, the waiters brought pens and paper to the tables and we took a few minutes to write down our wishes. I looked up from my paper to see the endlessly blue eyes of my counselor looking at me. I folded the paper and slid it into my pocket. He smiled shyly at me.

We went up and got our jackets. It was not as cold as in the north, but Baton Rouge was cool and the leather jacket was welcome. I came back down stairs and met the other Truebies in the foyer. We went outside and found our counselors around an open fire pit with a single large pine log surrounded by kindling. I could smell the unmistakable scent of slowly roasting pig about ten yards away. When we were all assembled, the lead counselor brought out a heavy rattan chair for Westexan. He helped her sit in the chair and seemed to hover there around her for a second and then she handed him her slip of paper and he slid it under the log. One by one, we came forward and slipped our papers under the log.

The Big Viking took a long stemmed fire lighter and lit the kindling in several places. As we chatted, the wait staff brought us some warm cider. I was standing there watching the fire and watching the lead counselor. He was squatted from his considerable height in front of Westexan. She was looking at him intently as he spoke to her. She made a come on motion with her fingers and he seemed to resist her a moment and she took his hand and pressed his fingers onto her belly, moving it to the right side of her belly where she seemed to have the most activity. He then lay his ear to her belly and even from a distance I could see his eyes close as he listened presumably to the second heart beating under her own. The lead counselor’s face was strangely amazed and beautiful almost content.

“Those of our kind who have been as we are for a long time do not know how to feel about pregnant people. We would never willingly harm a pregnant woman, but we are extremely aware of her and the life inside her and all life intrigues us,” explained my counselor.

“You may be as you are, but you are still men. Some men find pregnant women very beautiful, very sexually appealing,” I said, watching the intimate scene between Westexan and the lead counselor. “I suspect the lead counselor is one of those men.”

I could see Hoyt and the young counselor and Dude standing there talking. They were making the young counselor laugh aloud and she put her hand up to cover her mouth and what I suspected was a fairly toothy grin. The Lady counselor was chatting with Liz and Mel and Linzy. The others were in little groups around the fire.

“Would you like to take a walk with me?” asked my counselor.
“Sure,” I said. I slid my hand into his elbow and walked with him, heading around the annexed buildings, what would have been slave quarters and workshops were now gift shops and cabins. “So, why did you all select a haunted plantation for our Yule get away?” I asked.
“Well, we like it here, and we have special accommodations, and we don’t have to explain ourselves because a friend of ours actually has a small interest in the plantation,” he said. “You aren’t afraid of ghosts are you Aslinn?”
“No, not really,” I said. “I just wondered about that.” We walked on down further past the buildings and we saw an enclosed gazebo. He gently guided me to the gazebo. We stepped into it and I let go of my counselor’s arm and went around the inside of the perimeter.

“So, what did you wish for Aslinn,” asked the lovely southern counselor.
“Oh, I wished for the well being of my family and friends. I wished for a great summer of adventure and love,” I said. He smiled and walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders, drawing me close to him. He bent close to me, his lips almost brushing mine.

“Is that all you wished for?” he whispered. “Was there nothing for yourself?”
“Well, there was this one wish,” I said.

By the time we returned to the fire, there were the sounds of Cajun fiddle music and laughter and frolic. I could see the lead counselor leaving the fire with someone who looked suspiciously like Iluvtheviking, his arm slid around her waist. I sat down next to Westexan and took the offered mug of warm cider. I could see the southern counselor, taking Violet in his arms and spinning with her into the circle of dancing people which included Hoyt and the young counselor and GS and the Missus and Dude and the lady counselor. Eric Lover came and sat down next me and we lit a cigarette and passed it between us.

“So what was the lead counselor doing all squatted down in front of you?” asked Eric Lover to Westexan who was sporting the lead counselor’s leather jacket on her lap and belly.
“He was just asking after my condition, and then he took his jacket off and gave it to me. I asked him if he would get cold and he just smiled at me,” she said.
“Well, the weather doesn’t affect them like us. Did he like feeling your stomach?” I asked.
“That was so weird..most people are like so pushy about rubbing the bump but he hesitated. He wanted to but he hesitated so I put his hand on my belly and the Kaiser decided to kick a goal around my right kidney so I moved his hand,” she said. “He had the strangest look on his face.”
“Well, there are a lot of things he hasn’t experienced in a very long time, and that I am sure is one of them,” I said. About that time, I saw Violet walking away from the party with our counselor. He is going to be a busy man tonight with all his little junkies floating around vying for his attention.

As the night wore on, I noticed all the counselors pairing off with a group member to have a little private time with them. Suddenly, without warning it seemed, the dawn was close upon us and we imitated our counselors and went to our daytime rest.

To be continued