The Housekeeper's Proposal

by Barbara Goss

  “All right. Can you cover for me at lunchtime? Kate’s making my favorite: chicken salad.”

  “Only if you bring me some,” Freddie said and went out the door.

  Griff sat down before a large loaf of homemade bread and a bowl of chicken salad. As he ate, Kate sat down at the table with him.

  “How about if I were a deputy in secret?” she asked.

  “How does that work?” Griff asked between bites.

  “I could help you solve the Walker case, and no one needs to know I’m a deputy.”

  Griff shook his head. “I’ve been over and over that case and I know Jeremy Walker killed his wife, but I don’t have enough proof to arrest him. What could you possibly do to solve it that I can’t?”

  “I can accept the job offer I heard about,” Kate said. “He’s looking for a new housekeeper.”

  Griff nearly choked on his salad. “You?”

  “Why not? It would put me inside the household. I’ve kept house for you for two years now, so I’m experienced,” she said.

  “Okay, let’s just say I agree. Who’s going to be my housekeeper?”

  “Aunt Bertha has been hinting she’d like to come out for a month or so to visit. I’ve been avoiding inviting her since she always wants things her way, even though it’s our house. She rearranges everything and makes me feel like a stranger in my own home,” Kate said. “But I’d send her a stagecoach ticket if you agree to let me take the position.”

  “I don’t know,” Griff said. “If he’s a killer I’d be worried about you living in the same house with him. I doubt anyone else will apply for the job since everyone in town is gossiping about him being a murderer.”

  “I can take care of myself,” Kate said. “Jeremy Walker’s at his lumberyard during the day, and he has two maids living in, so it would be quite proper and I wouldn’t be alone. I’ll also pack my guns.”

  “Have you forgotten Jeremy Walker’s father ruined our father’s business and brought on his heart seizure? You might say old man Walker killed our father.”

  “I haven’t forgotten. It’s one of the reasons I want him arrested,” Kate said.

  Griff’s mind went back to after he’d just turned sixteen and his father had collapsed and died on the sitting room floor. His father’d had a large sheep farm, and when Amos Walker had bought the property next to it, he’d refused to let his father’s sheep graze on his land as the previous owner had. Without the water on the Walker property, his sheep would've died. His father had tried everything to get Amos Walker to allow his sheep onto his land, even if it was just far enough to drink from the creek, but he’d refused. Amos had been as nasty as they come. His father and Amos fought constantly about it until his father succumbed to a heart seizure and died.

  Shortly after that, the bank foreclosed on the house. He’d had to care for his sister, Kate, who’d just turned twelve. They'd moved into town and secured a flat upstairs, over a barbershop. Griff had hired himself out on different ranches until he'd finally become sheriff of Hays and bought them the house in which they currently resided. The Hammonds lived in a modest home, just a quarter-mile from town.

  Maybe that’s why Griff couldn’t let go of the case. He wanted to arrest Walker so he'd feel somewhat vindicated. Old Amos had died just before his son, Jeremy, had married Helen Finch.

  Griff looked up at Kate’s expectant face. “I’ll agree on one condition: you have to promise me that if you ever feel even the least bit threatened, you’ll come right home.”

  “I promise.” Kate sprung up and danced around the room. “We’ll get him, Griff. We’ll finally even the score with the Walkers.”

  Kate approached the front door of Jeremy Walker’s lumberyard. She’d never met the man as he lived a good five miles from town, near the house where she’d grown up. Griff claimed he went to church every Sunday, but she’d never seen him. According to Griff, Jeremy had become somewhat of a loner and sat in the back, seldom socializing with anyone. She’d done a bit of research on him and was prepared for the job of uncovering his secret.

  His father, Amos, had made his living on the five hundred acres of land by breeding cattle. He’d helped Jeremy buy the lumberyard, though he wasn’t happy about his not carrying on with the cattle breeding.

  Kate walked into the main building and looked around. The smell of fresh cut wood filled her nostrils, a sweet, welcoming aroma. No one sat behind the large desk, but a bell had rung when she’d entered, so she hoped someone would come to greet her.

  A small man with spectacles came through the door at the rear of the office. When he opened the door, she heard the sound of saws and other loud, hammering sounds. When he closed the door, the sounds were almost undetectable.

  “Can I help you?” he asked.

  Kate wondered if this man could be Jeremy Walker. He looked rather sly and capable of killing someone. He frowned when she hesitated.

  “I’m here to apply for the housekeeping job for Jeremy Walker,” she said.

  “He doesn’t hire servants here at the lumberyard, miss. You’ll have to see his attorney across the street, Horace Monroe. He does all the hiring,” the man said.

  Kate thanked him and walked across the street. She had no idea applying for the job would be so formal. After all, no one in town wanted the job, so you’d think he’d grab the first person to come along.

  The friendly lawyer’s clerk asked her to wait and even offered her tea. She politely refused but sat on a chair by the window and waited. Soon after, a man walked out of the inner office and the clerk called her. She approached his desk.

  “Can I have your name so I can announce you?” he asked.

  “Kate Hammond,” she replied.

  “Miss or missus?” he asked.

  “Miss.”

  The clerk asked her to follow him as he led her to the lawyer’s office, “Miss Kate Hammond,” he announced and backed out of the office, closing the door behind him.

  Horace Monroe stood, “Well, Miss Hammond, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Horace Monroe, at your service.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Monroe.”

  “You wouldn’t, by any chance, be related to our sheriff, Griffin Hammond, would you?” he asked.

  “He’s my brother,” she said, then quickly changed the subject. “I’m here to apply for the job as Jeremy Walker’s housekeeper.”

  The lawyer looked surprised.

  “Really?” he said, resuming his seat. “Won’t you sit down, Miss Hammond?”

  “Thank you,” she said, taking the seat in front of his desk.

  “Why would you want that job? You’re the sheriff’s sister. Surely he makes enough to support you.”

  “I’m an independent woman, Mr. Monroe. I don’t want to be taken care of. I want to work and make my own money,” she said. “My brother tried to talk me out of it, but I insisted that I make my own way in the world.”

  “You’re very young for the housekeeping job,” Monroe said, rubbing his forehead.

  “I just turned twenty,” she replied. “I’ve been keeping house for my brother for two years now. I have a reference from him if you’d like to see it,” she offered, opening her reticule.

  “No, no,” he said. “I’m sure he gave you a complimentary reference.” He leaned back in his chair as if in deep thought. “I’ll talk to Mr. Walker about this and get back to you. Could you stop back tomorrow about this time?”

  Kate stood. “I can do that.” She turned and walked to the door.

  “You do know about the rumors going around about Mr. Walker, don’t you?” Monroe asked.

  “I’ve heard them, but I can take care of myself. I’m not sure I believe the gossip, anyway,” she said.

  He nodded. “See you tomorrow, then.”

  Chapter 3

  When Kate walked into the lawyer’s office the next day, another man sat with him behind the desk, which surprised her. Mr. Monroe signaled for her to have a seat in front of the desk.

>   While the lawyer shuffled papers, she studied the man beside him—a strikingly handsome and powerfully formed man. She watched the muscles of his biceps strain against the sleeves of his shirt. He had dark, wavy hair and a clean-shaven face, but his facial hair was vaguely noticeable beneath his clean shave. He hadn’t yet looked at her, since his interest remained focused on the paperwork Monroe was paging through. Monroe held up a paper and the man nodded. Could he be Monroe’s assistant or trainee? He wore a shirt with a string tie and she could see he’d worn a jacket because it hung on the back of his chair.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Hammond. We were just finishing up some other business. Let me introduce you to Mr. Jeremy Walker. Mr. Walker, please make the acquaintance of Miss Kate Hammond.”

  Jeremy Walker stood and nodded, “How do you do, Miss Hammond?” He folded the paper Monroe had just handed him, placed it into his pocket, and resumed his seat.

  “Very well, thank you,” she said, finding it hard to get the words out after discovering the man’s identity. So, that was the murderer. She’d envisioned him as a man with a bulldog face. What a shame he had to be so handsome. “So,” Walker said, “you’re applying for the housekeeper position?”

  “I would love the opportunity, Mr. Walker.”

  “You’re very young. Do you have any housekeeping experience?” Walker asked.

  “I’ve been my brother’s housekeeper for two years,” she said.

  “Interesting,” Walker said. “How many servants did you manage?”

  Kate looked down at the reticule in her lap. “Just one.”

  “What type of servant, if I might ask?” Walker said.

  Kate squirmed in her chair and replied, “A woman comes in once a week to do the heavy cleaning.”

  “A cleaner, hmm?” He looked at Monroe and whispered loud enough for her to hear. “It’s not as if I have a line of applicants awaiting the job.”

  “That was my thought, as well,” Monroe whispered back.

  Mr. Walker turned back to her. “I have a large three-story home with two maids, two hired hands, and a gardener. Would you be able to manage so large a household?”

  “I’m sure I could,” she said with confidence.

  “My former housekeeper did the cooking, as well—can you cook?”

  “I’m a very good cook.”

  “Mr. Monroe tells me your brother is the sheriff. Are you aware that working for me might cause a bit of a conflict since your brother and I aren’t on the best of terms right now?” Walker asked.

  Kate felt perspiration running down her spine. This wasn’t going well at all. Now that Walker knew her brother was the sheriff, it wouldn’t help her to get the job, especially if he had something to hide.

  “I don’t butt into his business, and he doesn’t butt into mine,” Kate said. “I also disagree with him on many subjects.”

  “Hiring you doesn’t worry me at all, but I’m thinking that your brother may object…” Walker lowered his eyes, “due to the rumors and all.”

  “He did voice some concerns, but I reminded him I’m twenty-years-old and it's about time I became independent,” Kate said. “And I pay no mind to gossip.”

  Walker and Horace Monroe exchanged glances and Monroe nodded. She had a feeling he was going to give her the job, and she felt relieved.

  “You have the job, Miss Hammond…on trial,” Walker said. “That is, if I see you're handling the job well after two weeks, the job is yours. I do, however, have a few concerns and stipulations.”

  “Thank you, sir,” she said, trying not to show too much excitement, but she felt victorious. She’d passed her first test as a detective—or rather, as secret deputy.

  “It’s a live-in position that will have you on the job from early dawn to late at night sometimes. The housekeeper is the first in the household to get things going in the morning.”

  Walker continued, “You’re young, and I imagine, at some point, you’d like to be courted a by young man. This is something I’ve not had to deal with before, but I’m sure we can work something out so that you can still have somewhat of a social life. No one works on Sunday, and you can leave for the whole day, if you’d like. Should any other occasion come up, I’m sure we can work things out. The downstairs maid, Geraldine, could easily take over for you, should you have an outing with a young man. She knows the job and is handling it now, but,” Walker grimaced, “she doesn’t cook well. I hope I’m not being too explicit; this is my first experience hiring someone under the age of forty as a housekeeper or a maid.

  “I don’t allow fraternizing with members of the male staff. You must realize you’re an attractive young woman, and I do have two young men working for me.” He must have seen the indignant look on her face, because he added, “Not that I think you’d do something like that, but it’s them I don’t fully trust. Like I said, having a young housekeeper is going to be a new experience for me, but I’m willing to give you that chance.” He actually smiled at her then.

  “You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Walker,” she said, stiffening her back. “I’ve no plans to be courted or flirt with your male staff. You see I’ve made up my mind to remain unmarried. I don’t wish to ever be someone else’s property. I’m a very independent woman.”

  Walker nodded with a slight smile that led her to think he didn’t believe her. She’d seen several marriages first-hand, how the women were essentially owned and not allowed to be themselves or have a say in anything. Her father had owned her mother, and though he’d been a good father, he’d dominated her mother completely until she’d become just a shell of a woman who'd simply nodded and did whatever he'd demanded. It was probably why she'd died before she'd reached the age of fifty; she’d become a defeated woman.

  “I’m surprised you haven’t asked about the pay,” Jeremy said.

  Kate knew she’d made a mistake by not asking, which might make it look like she'd applied for the job for reasons other than making a living. She thought fast for an answer. “I’ve heard that you pay your servants well,” she said. “Since this is my first job, I trust you’ll pay me according to my performance.”

  “When can you start?” Jeremy Walker asked as he stood and gathered some papers from Monroe’s desk.

  “Is tomorrow morning too soon?” Kate asked. Taking the cue that the interview had come to an end, she stood as well.

  “No, it’s perfect. How early can I expect you tomorrow?”

  “I can be at your place by ten. It’s too far from my home to get there any earlier,” she said. “I need to pack a valise, and with the baggage, I’ll have to drive a buggy, which will slow me down.”

  “Do you need directions to my home?” he asked.

  “No, I know exactly where you live.”

  “You do?”

  “I once lived down the road a piece,” Kate said.

  He nodded. “I’ll be at the lumberyard, but I’ll let Geraldine know to expect you and to show you around.”

  Kate stood, thanked both of the men, and left the office feeling victorious.

  “I got the job,” Kate told Griff as she began folding clothes into a valise. “I start tomorrow.”

  “Did you talk with him or his lawyer?” Griff asked, leaning on her bedroom doorframe.

  “They both interviewed me.”

  “What did you think of Walker?” Griff asked, keeping a close eye on her reaction.

  “He doesn’t look like a killer, but John Wilkes Booth didn’t either,” she said, not looking up from her packing.

  “Where’d you see a picture of John Wilkes Booth?”

  “At the library in Independence when I visited Aunt Bertha last summer,” she said.

  “Since you’re packing, I’m guessing it’s a live-in position?”

  Kate noticed his frown as he spoke. “It’s fine. There are two other maids in the house.”

  “I’m surprised he’d hire you,” Griff said. “He must have heard you’re my sister, didn’t that raise his suspicion
s?”

  “It did slightly, but I assured him that we don’t agree on most things.”

  “Well, that’s true enough. I don’t agree this is a smart move, Kate.”

  Kate turned to him and stood with her hands on her hips. “If he killed his wife, I’m sure he had a reason—what reason would he have to kill me?”

  “Maybe because you know too much. If you snoop around, be very careful, sis.”

  “I aim to show you once and for all that I’m capable of taking care of myself,” Kate said. She snapped the valise shut and unpinned her auburn hair. “I have to get up early tomorrow, so I’m going to call it a night.”

  Griff didn’t move from his position in the doorway. “How do you plan to get to his place tomorrow?”

  “I’m taking the buggy,” she said as she braided her hair for bed. “You won’t need it.”

  “Not unless I want to take Anna Samuels for a buggy ride after church,” he said.

  “I have Sunday off so I’ll bring it back for you,” she said. “Or I’ll simply rent a buggy from the livery.”

  “How about I drive you tomorrow?” he said.

  “No. I want to do this myself.”

  “It’s a long, lonely road and at least five miles.”

  “I know.”

  “At least promise me you won’t leave until daylight, Kate.”

  “I promise. I told him I’d arrive around ten.”

  “Listen to me carefully, Kate. The gardener, Jake Haskell, is a friend of mine. Should you need me for anything, send him with a message, all right?”

  “Jake Haskell is the gardener? Do I know him?” Kate asked.

  “I don’t think so,” Griff said. “He was a childhood playmate of mine.”

  “I’ll be sure to get a message to him should I need you,” Kate said.

  He approached her, holding out his arms. “Goodnight, then, Kate. Be careful.”

  Griff gave her a brotherly hug, and Kate gave him a peck on his cheek. “Goodnight, Griff.”