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Updated: May 27, 2025
I know, it belonged to that French lady who married our pirate ancestor." "The first Lady Richanda!" Ricky touched the chest lovingly. "Then this is mine, Rupert. Can't it be mine?" she coaxed. "Of course. But it's locked, and as we don't have any keys which would fit the lock, you'll have to wait until we can get a locksmith out to work on it before you will know what's inside." "I don't care.
"I've rented your old overseer's house and am using it for my studio. By the way, introductions are in order, I believe. I am Charity Biglow, from Boston as you might guess. Only beans and the Bunker Hill Monument are more Boston than the Biglows." "I'm Richanda Ralestone and this is my brother Valerius." Miss Biglow grinned cheerfully at Val. "That won't do, you know; too romantic by far.
Turned pirate with the approval of the French and took to lifting the cargoes of other pirates." "I'll bet that most of his success was due to the Lady Richanda," observed Ricky. "She sailed with him dressed in man's clothes. Remember that miniature of her that we saw in New York, the one in the museum? All the 'Black' Ralestones are supposed to look like her. Hear that, Val?"
"At least it was the Lady Richanda who persuaded her husband to settle ashore," said Rupert. "She was personally acquainted with Bienville and Iberville who were proposing to rule the Mississippi valley for France by building a city near the mouth of the river. And 'Black Dick, the pirate, obtained a grant of land lying along Lake Borgne and this bayou.
"Ricky," her brother said, "this is Jeems. My sister Richanda." "Yo' one of the folks up at the big house?" he asked her directly. "Why, yes," she answered simply. "Yo' don' act like yo' was." He stabbed his finger at both of them. "Yo' don't walk with youah noses in the air looking down at us " "Of course we don't!" interrupted Ricky.
"Swamp oak and baby alligator," burst out Charity. "Aren't they beauties?" "But who " began Ricky. Val picked up a scrap of paper which had fluttered to the floor. It was cheap stuff, ruled with faint blue lines, but the writing was bold and clear: "Miss Richanda Ralestone." "It's yours all right." He handed her the paper. "I know." She tucked the note away with the gifts. "It was Jeems." "Jeems?
And what does that make you?" "Lady Richanda, of course, silly. Can't you remember the wording of the old charter? And you're Viscount " "Wrong there," Val corrected her. "I'm only a lord, by courtesy, unless we can bash Rupert on the head some dark night and chuck him into the bayou." "Lord Valerius." She rolled it upon her tongue. "Marquess, Lady, and Lord Val, out to seek their fortunes.
Rick and Miles, the first Rupert and Richard and " "That spitfire, the Lady Richanda?" Rupert smiled. "Perhaps they do. No, leave the bags here, Val. Let's see the house first." Together the Ralestones crossed the terrace and came to stand by the front door which still bore faint scars left by Indian hatchets. But Rupert stooped to insert a very modern key into a very modern lock.
Rupert and Ricky or to give her her very formal name in full Richanda Anne, were "Red" Ralestones, possessing the thin, three-cornered faces, the dark mahogany hair, the sharply defined cheek-bones which had been the mark of the family as far back in history as portraits or written descriptions existed. The "Red" Ralestones were marked also by height and a suppleness of body and movement.
"Not by well-known painters, but they're historically interesting. There's one of the first Lady Richanda, and one of the missing Rick. That's the best of the lot, according to LeFleur. I saw a photograph of it once. Come to think about it, Val looks a lot like the boy in the picture. He might have sat for it." They all turned to eye Val. He arose and bowed.
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