Days passed, no improvements. Hannah felt scared, alone, isolated, no one to talk to. The servants were quiet, worried. Everyone moved as if in slow motion. The days were rainy, windy and chilly. Fall had set in.
Every night by candlelight Hannah retrieved Talbot's letter to her and read it again and again. The tears flowed. Her heart broke again and again. She could not stop herself though from reading it and touching the writing with gentle fingers.
The postman arrived. Betzy brought up a small silver tray with the mail on it for her. Hannah warmed herself by the roaring fire in her room.
"Thank you Betzy."
"Miss." And she left.
Hannah was downhearted as she leafed through the envelopes. All of a sudden she gasped and threw the other letters on the floor along with the tray.
A letter from Talbot!
She was overjoyed by it this time.
September 26th, 1854
Cuba
Oh Sweet Darling Hannah,
How I long for you.
I received your letter dated August 31, 1854. It made me laugh. I know you so well Darling Hannah. You are trying to push me away from you. Impossible my Love, impossible. The waves and the sea and the storm and the sinking ship could not keep me away from you. Not even a raging river. How could pieces of paper with words, keep me from you?
My love burns like a blazing fire for you Hannah my beloved. Nothing will ever quench my thirst for you but, you. I miss you terribly. As you can see I am stationed for the moment in Cuba. So close to our island home. You did make it a home as best you could with all the items you found in the trunks. How I admire you. How I admire your courage and your strength. I respect you. I adore you. You are a strong woman and yet beautiful and feminine. You could make any man's head turn. You turned mine, along with my heart, my thoughts, my everything.
I love you, my dear one. Send me words of courage. Send me words to strengthen me. I cannot go on without you. I must have a photo of you Hannah. I enclosed a photo of myself. Do not forget me, my love.... for one day we will be together. I can feel it.
I have joined another sea going vessel. This time a larger passenger ship. I sail for Jamaica soon, then return to Cuba again, some time in October. I want to hear from you. Please. It is all that we have. It is important to me. Please allow me that much. I want to know how you are and how you fill your days.
Do you remember eating sticky meat under the stars, with only a fire blazing? Truth be told a fire was blazing in my heart for you. Do you remember wading into the sea to wash our hands and mouths. How I wanted to kiss you then. The stars were a blanket of diamonds over our heads.
Most of all Hannah my most beloved one, I respect you. I respected you the whole time we were on the island. Did I want you? Yes, of course I did. But control the better part of valor, I controlled myself because I love you more than myself. I love your honor. I love how much you respect God, the bond that you have and the vow that you made. Yes, I understand it all and I still respect it all. But please take pity on me because I cannot live without knowing that you are doing fine. Please fill the pages with the things that you do each day. Let me know about you and your thoughts. All of it. It would bring me great joy.
My beautiful, beautiful Hannah, how I long for you. How I long to hear from you. Please make my life happy. Please fill my heart with your words, whatever they are.
Do not shun me.
Your humble servant,
Talbot
There was a photo of Talbot in the envelope. She held it to her heart. And drew it forward again and again looking at it and then holding it to her heart again. She did love him. She felt lighter for reading his letter. She thought to herself, 'What harm could there be to have a friend? To write him and let him know what is going on in my life. I need him right now.'
