The Lightkeeper's Ball
Page 4
“It was an arranged marriage?”
His brows lowered and his lips thinned. “I’m sure you know it was, Lady Devonworth. If you’re such a close friend of the family, you would be quite aware of these things.”
“I beg your pardon. I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said. When his glower didn’t diminish, she turned up the wattage on her smile until his lips twitched. She moved toward the door with him.
So, Eleanor had seen little of him, yet she died four days after his arrival from Africa. What did it all mean? And how could Olivia get the truth out of him?
Harrison guided the young woman past the manicured lawns to the sweeping portico of Stewart Hall. The high surf from the approaching storm pounded on the rocks below. The woman’s pointed questions about Eleanor left him on edge. He quite detested high-society women who were only interested in gossip.
“The front door is open,” Lady Devonworth said.
A man carrying rugs emerged from the open door. Harrison recognized him as footman Jerry Bagley. The young man didn’t see them and carried the rugs to the line at the side of the house. A rug beater lay on the ground. He draped the rugs over the line and picked up the beater.
“Jerry, if you have a moment,” Harrison called.
Jerry whirled with the beater held up like a weapon. His pug-nosed face relaxed in a smile when he saw them. He struck a pose and dropped the tool. “A woman drove me to drink and I never had the courtesy to thank her for it,” he said in a snide drawl.
“W. C. Fields,” Harrison said. “Good job.”
The young man grinned and picked up the beater again. “He’s easy to do. I’ve got a part in a vaudeville that debuts in two weeks. I hope you can come.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
Jerry glanced at Lady Devonworth and his eyes widened. Harrison knew he was taking in the luxury of her silk gown. “This is Lady Devonworth. I assume the house has been prepared for her visit.”
“Yes, sir. Mrs. Stewart called several days ago. Mama has been cracking the whip over all of us.” He glanced at Lady Devonworth. “She told us to expect—”
“I’m so glad she called to let you know to expect me,” Lady Devonworth said. “I’m at the lighthouse right now, but I wanted to make sure you were ready for my arrival.”
Harrison stepped past Jerry. “I’ll introduce Lady Devonworth to your mother.” He guided Lady Devonworth toward the door. “This is your first visit, correct?”
“Yes. Mr. Stewart had the place built four years ago. Or so I was told,” she said. “Mrs. Stewart has not seen the manor.” Ever since she’d stepped from the car, she’d been aloof. She also hadn’t looked at him.
“It’s quite large,” he said, mounting the steps. He noticed her eyes widen as they stepped into the grand hall. Silk papered the walls. The redwood floors gleamed. A sweeping staircase six feet wide rose to their left. The ceiling in the foyer was fifteen feet high. “The parlor is this way,” he said, touching his fingers to her elbow again. She flinched at his touch, and he frowned. He guided her to the large parlor on the right, where they found the housekeeper furiously dusting the items in the china cupboard.
“Mrs. Bagley,” he said. She whirled to face him. Her face hardened when she saw him. He pretended not to notice. “This is Lady Devonworth. She had a bit of an adventure yesterday, but she’s quite all right.”
The older woman wiped her hands on her apron and studied the young lady. Thora’s faded blue eyes brightened, and she gave a slight nod as if she approved. “As soon as that lazy son of mine brings in the rugs, the house is ready. Your room has been prepared, Lady Devonworth.” She didn’t look at Harrison again and did not address him.
Her dislike was nothing new to Harrison. “I’ll be pleased to fetch your belongings, Lady Devonworth. You can rest in the parlor and I’ll be back with them.”
She flushed and shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. I can hardly vacate the lighthouse without thanking Will and Katie for their hospitality. If you’ll run me back to their home, I’ll spend a final evening with them and come tomorrow. If that’s all right,” she said, directing her question to Thora.
“Of course, your ladyship,” Thora said. “If you’d like, I can show you around before you go.”
“I should like that.” The young woman fell into step beside the housekeeper. Neither looked back at him.
Harrison started to go after them, then decided against it. He didn’t care to force his presence on them. “I’ll wait here,” he said.
He stepped to the window and watched Jerry beat the dirt from the rugs with vigor. The last time he’d been here was the day Eleanor disappeared. He’d come to take her to lunch, and she was pale and quiet. She said hardly anything to him over the meal and had been quick to ask to return home. Now he knew she had to have been planning her suicide.
He was lost in thought for so long he barely registered the women’s return. When Lady Devonworth stepped back into the parlor, he was struck with her beauty. Her hair was so dark it was almost black. Her eyes were large and brown, shining with curiosity and a zest for life he found quite appealing. The warm tones of her skin paired with her eyes gave her a stunning beauty that was accentuated by her high cheekbones.
She must have noticed him staring, because faint color tinged her cheeks. “Is everything all right?” she asked.
He liked her voice too, husky and vibrant. It was too bad she made little pretense of hiding her distaste of him. He was unsure what he’d done to displease her. “Is everything to your liking?”
“It’s an exquisite home. The ballroom on the third floor is the largest I’ve ever seen. It would hold nearly the whole town. I don’t believe Mrs. Stewart realizes how lovely this place is.”
He had no interest in the ballroom. “I’ll take you back to the lighthouse if you’re ready.”
“Of course. I’ll return tomorrow,” she told Thora. Lady Devonworth put her hand on his arm and allowed him to escort her to the motorcar.
The driver started the Cadillac. Harrison climbed into the backseat with her. “Are you angry about something, Lady Devonworth? Your eyes have been spitting fire at me.”
She turned those magnificent eyes on him. “I’ve been wondering why your fiancée would choose to drown herself,” she said.
He stiffened at the rudeness of her comment. “You’re very outspoken,” he said. “And you don’t know me, certainly not well enough to ask such pointed questions about something that is none of your concern. Your set may enjoy gossiping about such a horrific tragedy, but I do not. I’ll take you home now and I’ll thank you to keep your questions about my personal life to yourself.”
FIVE
OLIVIA’S CHEEKS WERE still burning when Harrison stopped the motorcar on the road at the bottom of the hill to the lighthouse. He couldn’t let her out fast enough. The surf roared off to their left. Her questions must seem to be extremely rude to him, but she refused to let his opinion matter to her. Not until she was sure of his innocence or guilt. An apology was necessary to smooth things over, but it would pain her to make it.
“Thank you for the day,” she said when he opened the door for her. “I beg your pardon for my rudeness. It was quite unconscionable. I can only plead fatigue has addled my brain.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched, and pain twisted his mouth. “I accept your apology, Lady Devonworth.” He escorted her up the steep steps to the lighthouse. “I’ll leave you here, if I may?”
“Of course,” she said. She watched him retreat to his auto. He got in front with Thurman. Something like remorse stirred in her, but she ignored it. He deserved every bit of discomfort she might bring him. She would not regret anything she said. She pushed open the door.
She met Will in the yard. He wore a distracted expression. “Is there something wrong?” she asked.
“I fear we have a major gale heading our way.”
She glanced at the sky, clearing now. “How can you tell? It looks fine.”
“The calm before the storm. The barometric pressure is very low. I must prepare. You’ll find Katie inside.” He hurried toward the foghorn.
Olivia stepped into the foyer. “Hello?” she called.
“In here, Olivia.” Katie’s voice floated down the hall. She stepped into view through the doorway and met Olivia before she reached it. “My best friend, Addie, is here.”
“You told her about me?”
Katie shook her head. “I’ve told her nothing, though it pained me to be secretive with her. I assure you anything you wish to discuss is safe with her though. She is most trustworthy.”
“Thank you for keeping my secret.” Olivia followed Katie into the parlor, where she saw another young woman seated on the sofa. The woman’s dark auburn hair was on top of her head, and she wore the latest style of hobble skirt. Olivia hated the style. It was difficult to walk with the hem so tight around the ankles.
“Lady Devonworth, this is Addie North, my best friend,” Katie said. “Addie, L-Lady Devonworth from New York.” Her bright smile faded as she stumbled over Olivia’s title.
Olivia exchanged a glance with Katie. She didn’t want her to feel constrained by the lack of candor. “I appreciate the way Katie has helped me, Addie. If I may call you Addie?”
“Of course,” the young woman said, glancing at Katie with a question in her eyes. Katie looked away.
Olivia liked the looks of this young woman, and she needed friends right now. She felt so alone. And frightened. She glanced at Katie and gave a slight nod before seating herself in the armchair by the fireplace. “Katie has quickly become a friend when I was in dire need of one,” she said. “She assures me you are trustworthy.”
“Any friend of Katie’s is someone I would defend with my last breath,” Addie said. “I hope you will rest in the care we can give you. Katie told me of your near drowning. I hope you’re feeling quite recovered.”
“I am, thank you.” Olivia studied the woman’s earnest expression. “My name is Olivia Stewart,” she said. “Lady Devonworth is a title I seldom use, but I would plead for your discretion. Let me tell you what has happened.” She plunged into the fearful circumstances that had ended with her arrival at the lighthouse. “Someone did his best to ensure I never reached these shores, so I must keep my survival quiet for now.”
The color had leached from Addie’s cheeks. She smoothed her silk skirt. “My lips are sealed,” she said. “This is horrible.”
“I gave Katie permission to tell Will. I would not want to come between you and your husband, so you may tell him. I need some allies.”
“You can trust my Will and Addie’s John,” Katie said. She handed Jennie her dolly.
“Do you have any idea who might have done this?” Addie asked. “Did your sister have any enemies?”
Olivia exhaled. “I suspect Mr. Bennett.”
Katie’s worn boots hit the ground and she stood. “I must disagree most vehemently, Olivia. We have often had Harrison in our home. I don’t believe he has one evil bone in his body. Will thinks most highly of him, and Jennie quite adores him.”
“Don’t you find it most peculiar that someone threw me overboard, and Harrison was on the ship with ample motive and opportunity?”
“But he saved you!”
“It might have been a ruse. Some men are good at hiding their true character. Something happened to my sister, and I mean to find out the truth.”
Addie’s hand went to her throat. “You fear foul play?”
“She was terrified of water.”
Addie’s eyes widened. “Ah. So she wouldn’t have been out swimming. The attack on your own person bolsters your belief as well,” Addie said. “But I agree with Katie. Harrison is an honorable man. He would never have hurt Eleanor. Nor you.”
“Harrison was in Africa when she arrived,” Katie said. “She came to tea with us a few times at Addie’s house. I liked her very much.”
“What about . . . suicide?” Addie asked.
Olivia swallowed hard. “She was full of laughter. Marrying Mr. Bennett was all she talked about before she left. I’ve never seen Eleanor despondent. Never once in her twenty-three years.”
Katie took a bite of her cookie. “Perhaps she heard lies about him. I believe you’re quite wrong about Harrison. We’ll help you get to the bottom of it though. Harrison is one of the most eligible bachelors in town. The unmarried girls were downcast when Eleanor showed up.”
Olivia could well believe it. His dark good looks drew attention. “Did Eleanor say anything to either of you about him?” she asked.
Addie paused. “We last saw her two days before she died. She was more quiet than usual. She said something about a letter she’d received from her father.”
Olivia’s jaw dropped. “From our father? He died six months ago.”
“That’s what she said, from her father.”
The blood rushed from Olivia’s head and she felt faint. “I don’t understand. That was all my sister said?”
Katie bit her lip and glanced at Addie. “Didn’t she say something about asking Harrison to explain?” She rubbed her head. “I can’t quite remember.”
“That’s right!” Addie said. “I’d forgotten too. She said Harrison would be able to explain it all, and that she couldn’t wait for him to get home.”
“I must find that letter,” Olivia said slowly.
The lighthouse accommodations were more rustic than Olivia was used to. A handmade quilt covered the mattress on the iron bedstead in her room. Matching curtains hung in the windows. There was no closet, only a chifforobe against one wall. A bowl and pitcher of water rested atop the dresser.
But the room held a warmth she’d never experienced in the elegant mansion on Fifth Avenue. These people were different too. Accepting of who she was. They didn’t know she knew the Astors or that she hailed from one of New York’s most prominent families. Olivia suspected they wouldn’t care if they did know.
She jotted down in her journal her impressions of Mercy Falls, then put down her pen when a knock came at the door. “Come in,” she called, knowing it had to be Katie.
But it was little Jennie who popped through the door. “I came for a good-night kiss,” she said. She ran to Olivia and tried to climb into her lap.
Olivia lifted the little girl onto her knees. Jennie wrapped her arms around Olivia’s neck and turned her cheek up for a kiss. The feel of the warm little body in her arms was quite delightful. She hadn’t been around children much, and hugging Jennie, she wished it had been different. The child’s trusting expression and round cheeks touched her heart in a way she’d never experienced.
Olivia brushed her lips over the soft cheek smelling of talcum. “Good night, darling.” She glanced up to see Katie in the door.
“I hope she didn’t disturb you.” Katie stepped into the room and held out her arms to her daughter.
Olivia handed Jennie up to Katie. “I loved it.”
The wind picked up outside and rattled the windowpanes. Katie frowned when the first spatters of rain struck the glass. “Will says we’re in for a bad gale, not just a rainstorm.”
“How does he know?”
“He’s a weatherman. Always playing with his weather balloons and instruments. He calls in his findings to the weather bureau.” She smiled. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Olivia turned out the light when the other woman shut the door. She tried to settle in for sleep, but her thoughts churned. Could she be wrong about Harrison, or was he just very good at charming his way into women’s graces?
She realized the wind had increased in velocity. The gale howled, and she sat up and watched the rain sheeting down the glass. The window rattled, then the glass broke. Rain came in a straight line through the opening. She leaped from the bed and called for the Jespersons. She wrenched open the door and in the hall met Katie, who had Jennie in her arms.
Katie thrust her daughter to Olivia. “Get downstairs! I’ll try to cover this hole.”
She rushed down the steps with the child. When she reached the parlor, sparks were flying onto the floor from the wind churning down the chimney. Olivia set the little girl on a chair and grabbed a rug. She beat out the embers, then took the poker and separated the logs so the fire could die down. Sparks flew out and burned her dress, but she quickly extinguished them. The windows all over the house rattled, and the howling of the wind made her want to cover her ears.
She scooped up the sobbing child. “It’s okay, Jennie. The fire is out.” Olivia ran to the steps. “Katie, are you all right?”
Katie rushed down the steps. “I couldn’t get it covered. I’ve never seen a storm like this. I wish Will were inside.” She plucked her daughter from Olivia’s arms.
“Where is he?” Olivia asked.
“In the light tower. I’d insist he come down, but it would do no good. He’ll stay up there until the ship that crosses this time of night has passed safely.” She paced the floor, humming to Jennie as the wind intensified.
Olivia grabbed an afghan from the back of the sofa as the chill seeped into the room. The storm continued to beat against the building. In spite of the storm’s fury, the little girl put her head on her mother’s shoulder and slept.
A horrendous crash came from somewhere above them. Katie turned wide eyes on Olivia, then thrust her wailing daughter at her. “I have to check on Will!”
Before she ran up the stairs, more crashes came, then a door banged. Footsteps ran toward them and Will took the final three steps in a leap.
“Get out! The whole thing is coming down.” He grabbed Jennie from Olivia, then herded them all to the door.
Olivia paused, not wanting to go out into the storm. How bad could it be?
Katie plucked at her sleeve. “We must get out, Olivia. Come now.”
Olivia allowed her friend to lead her out of the lighthouse.