The Tryst

The Tryst:



The affair of Ruth DeWitt and Samuel Bukater



Ruth Creedon awoke that morning to find her husband, Peter gone for the day. Being the generals' wife, she knew what to expect, and often she slept in. This lifestyle was different than what she was used to. Back home, she had maids waiting on her, her parents made sure she was taken care of while they raised the younger children. Here however, she often had to do things herself, such as put her corset on and lace it up herself. While her marriage was not perfect by any means, she was happy, but at the same time, she wanted more. Nantucket was not an easy place to live in. The islands social circle often looked down upon her. Often the other women would insult her behind her back, saying things like "The general didn't look for a schoolgirl, but I guess he found one" and "He doesn't know what he's gotten himself into." The island had changed her in many ways; when she arrived she was a girl of seventeen, and she still had the attitude of a schoolgirl. Peter had met her in Brattleboro, Vermont at a house party hosted by the Morrow's, who were friends with Ruth's family; the DeWitt's. She had tripped in the foyer, and he rushed over to pick her up. From there, it was as if they were inseparable.



Their wedding on January 8, 1888 was a widely publicized affair, he was dressed in his full military uniform; she in her white wedding dress, complete with tightly laced corset and bustle, as was popular at the time. His best man, Admiral Samuel A. Bukater was in his officer's uniform, complete with saber and decorative hat. His Van Dyke beard was neatly trimmed, and his hair neatly combed, Samuel was quite the gentleman, but at the same time was quite the party animal like Peter. During the late 70's and early 80's the two were on every guest list, and had women sometimes four deep on their arms. To be these two, was quite something. Today however, Peter was in serious mode. He was after all getting married, he was happy, and no one could take it away from him. Ruth stood there at the altar looking into Peter's eyes; they were a shade of blue that she had never seen before. Her emerald green eyes sparkled and she smiled. To Ruth, this was the moment she had waited for all of her seventeen years; to her this is what heaven must be like.



This marriage however was not liked by everyone. Peter's father had told him two weeks before the wedding that he should watch out for this girl, for he had done some digging on her past. He told him that when she was thirteen she had been committed to Broadacres Psychiatric Institute for a month, but still that couldn't deter him from marrying her. Ruth's father, John had given both of them the go ahead to marry, however he stipulated that Ruth must remain faithful to her husband, no matter what the circumstances were. Edith, Ruth's stepmother had also given Ruth advice on what to expect, and gave her a stern warning that if she were ever to leave Peter, she would be forbidden to seek help from her parents. Ruth brushed this aside, and told them that she wouldn't leave him in any way. Her sister, Elisabeth however had the last word on the matter. She told Ruth that Peter truly was her salvation, but to also look to the admiral in case the marriage hadn't worked out between her and Peter. Most social sets had accepted the marriage with open arms.



The ceremony went off without a hitch and soon, the two were in bliss. There was one person however who eyed Ruth like a dog eyes a prized table scrap; Samuel Bukater. When they were at the altar, she looked into his eyes and began to fall in love with him. To Samuel, Ruth was a delicious morsel that he would've liked to have on his arm wherever he went. He was jealous, and there was no stopping him in his jealousy. He had to have her! Three months into their marriage, they threw a massive party, all the usual people showed up, and then some. While Peter entertained guests, Sam sat down next to Ruth at the dining room table. "Hello there lucky one, you look beautiful tonight in that tight corset and gown, you most certainly do." He told her in a rather inebriated voice. All she did was giggle. Then she said "Why don't you sail your navy to my island admiral? I've been a bad girl, you need to suppress my desires." Both were relatively intoxicated. Peter was totally oblivious to the goings on in the crowd.



By late summer, Samuel had become quite attached to Ruth. He wrote letters, often they were replied to, one such letter made Ruth blush deeply, but she still replied to it. Another told her that he could give her anything she desired. Ruth felt no emotion as she wrote to him. Peter never questioned her, or any of the letters she wrote, he just assumed that she was writing to her parents saying all is well. Things however, were not all that well, with Ruth however. Ruth began to question whether or not she was in the right marriage. Her mind said she was, but her heart told her different. Finally, matters became quite different when Sam wrote her that he was coming to Nantucket to visit friends and her of course. Ruth was delighted. She was formulating a plan, one that if found out could mean the end of her marriage, and the destruction of a friendship. The plan had to work, for both their sakes. She loved them both, but she needed security and she could see it in Sam, whereas Peter lived almost like a bachelor, then of course it all came down to one thing: money. Peter, while a Creedon wasn't extraordinarily rich. Sam on the other hand was flowing with money, his father was an adventurer, and the Bukater family was one of the original twelve that arrived to establish the republic.



Christmas of 1888 was a period of relative joy in the Creedon household. Ruth kept writing to Sam, and he kept writing to her. It wasn't until January 1889 that he became suspicious. She kept telling him that she was writing to her parents, he wanted to believe it. He told her to keep writing to them. Down in his heart however he realized something was up. He wanted to pursue it, but couldn't. He didn't wish to violate his wife's writing habit. He had an apartment in town where he would go to do paperwork and just to relax. Sometimes Ruth would go there, but often she stayed at home. By June, 1889 however Sam was on Nantucket more than he hoped to be. He lived in Fall River, and often commuted down to Newport, where he oversaw the navy. Ruth also found herself in the apartment more and more. Sam and Ruth were in danger of being discovered however. They had several close calls, and one of those came on July 4th, 1889. Sam was pulling his small yacht Turbinia into the mooring basin, and Ruth was there waiting for him. Peter had turned his back when Ruth and Sam shared a kiss.



The Thanksgiving holiday was a snowy one for Nantucket. While eating dinner, Peter had to report what he saw, for he also oversaw the weather bureau. The admiral was also visiting for Thanksgiving. Ruth announced that the next day that she was going to the mainland to visit her parents. Peter thought nothing of this. He told her that he would be using the apartment on Friday. Late in the afternoon, Peter drove downtown, and parked. He got out of his jeep, and walked up Main Street. He was looking forward to an evening of paperwork and port wine. As he turned up Orange Street, he saw two familiar people walking out of his apartment: Sam and Ruth. "What the hell?" he thought. She had told him that she was going to be on the mainland. Suddenly, Ruth caught his eye. Before he wanted to say anything, he turned away and walked back down Orange Street. The whole way home he thought to himself; "Why didn't I see the signs? How long has this been going on? Why did I marry her in the first place?" For the first time in his life, he cried over a woman. "My father was right, I shouldn't have married her. Now she's gone." He said to himself