A Rose by Any Other Name (Haiku)

 

A white man named Black

And then a black man named White

A name means nothing 

Character Sketch of Charles Waring for Mystery by the Sea (The Dark Veil Mystery)

 

As told by an all-knowing acquaintance, who intimately knows him and the family.

Charles was born into a family of moderate means in Newport, Rhode Island on December 24, 1840.  Raised and schooled there in the Presbyterian faith, he was a normal boy who enjoyed sowing his wild oats even beyond the age usually associated with same.  A favorite of the girls but not taken seriously by any except Alys Asquith. 

He was a frequent visitor to the Asquith home, she always denying him what other girls gave freely.  This, perhaps, was the allure.  

The Asquith household consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Asquith, Alys, and her younger, by six years sister, Agnes (b. 1860).   At the time of their wedding in 1872, Alys was (b. 1850) 22, Charles (b.1840) 32.  It was common knowledge that Charles married into "money" and brought little besides his personality, which was extremely extroverted and egocentric, to the family. 

Younger sister Agnes was an impressionable adolescent when Charles came into the picture.  It was commonly known, but of not spoken, that she had a "thing" for Charles. It was evident by the facts that she was always near him, and she had to get away, to India, for a year, from where she returned only recently with an infant.  Charles may be the father, but it isn’t an established fact.     

  Charles and Alys had two daughters, Chesney (b. 1874) and Melinda (b.1880).  Charles was a good husband, faithful and true, for duration of the marriage which ended with Alys' death, in 1892, from a sickness.  He was then 52 and continued to be a proper father to the two girls.  

After mourning the death of his wife, he was known to make his way into the bedrooms of some of the nicer homes in Providence and New Hartford.  Yet he was discrete and so were his partners in amour. 

During their time together, Alys and Charles were given charge of a young nephew who was orphaned after his parents were accidentally killed.  The boy was not manageable and went missing; unfortunately, no one seriously sought after him and he was, more or less, forgotten. 

More currently, Melinda is engaged to Lance Blair and the wedding date is tomorrow.  Unfortunately, Melinda has been having some difficulty sleeping due to bad dreams.  She called Dr. MacCrimmon and invited him to the house because he "specializes in finding answers to difficult questions." He has had conversations with Melinda and Chesney at the time Charles enters the room. Agnes has already entered the room.