A Lady of Hidden Intent

by Tracie Peterson

  “I’ll see to it,” Mrs. Arlington announced, “but only if you save your news until I return, Carter. I’ll let Lee know that you’re here as well. He had gone upstairs to change for supper.” She paused at the door. “You will join us—won’t you?”

  “I had only meant to stop long enough to speak with Leander, but I would love to join you for supper,” Carter admitted.

  A meal with the Arlingtons was always a delight. He enjoyed the laughter and obvious love shared between husband and wife—a far cry from what he experienced in his own home.

  “Wonderful. I’ll tell Marta and Luppy right away. They love to cook for company. Supper won’t be long; perhaps you can save your talk for the table.”

  Carter smiled. “I would be happy to do so.”

  It was only a few minutes before Lee bounded in, bearing a mug. “Mother told me to give you this. I heard you’re staying for supper. You’ve made her quite happy.”

  “Your mother loves to have Carter join us. She misses the days when your brothers and sister were still at home,” the judge added.

  Carter took the mug and sampled the liquid. It was sweet with a hint of smoky flavor. “Thank you. This is quite good.”

  “Luppy made it just a week ago. I prefer it age a bit longer but found this quite acceptable. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Judge Arlington announced, “I must take care of something before we break bread.”

  Carter stood again as the older man got to his feet. “No,” the judge said, waving Carter back down. “Sit. Your words and deeds prove your respect for me more so than any chair–bobbing could.” He smiled broadly and added, “I shall see you both at the table.”

  Once he was gone, Lee took his father’s chair. “You have made their evening complete. I have never seen two more delighted people.”

  “I’m sure to be the delighted one, for the company and food will be considerably more appetizing than that which I might find at home.” He leaned forward. “Your note said you had news.

  I was beginning to despair. It’s been weeks.” He sampled the cider again and cherished the flavor and warmth.

  “Yes. I couldn’t get away, so I had to send my clerk. Sorry for that.”

  “No bother. What have you learned?”

  Lee smiled. “Not as much as I would have liked, but more than we knew. Catherine lives at the sewing house with her parents, Selma and Dugan Shay. Although, I will say that through various means of reaping information, it was told to me that Catherine often refers to them by their first names, rather than call them Mother or Father. Yet their relationship seems quite close.”

  “Hmmm, an additional intrigue. And where are they from?”

  Lee shrugged. “That I haven’t yet learned. I do know that they came to the sewing house in 1851.”

  “Four years ago,” Carter said, trying hard to place where he might have first seen her in those years. He took a long drink from the mug.

  “Prior to that, they were in New York City, apparently newly arrived from England. They lived for a time at a boardinghouse owned by a man and woman named Samuelson. Other than that, I’ve not been able to learn anything.”

  “New York, eh? We could make a trip together.” He grinned, seeing the approval in Leander’s expression. “Perhaps the boardinghouse is still in business, and we could speak to the owners.”

  “I must admit I was hoping you might say as much.”

  “Come, boys, it’s time for supper,” Mrs. Arlington called from the doorway.

  Carter put the mug aside and got to his feet quickly. “The aroma alone would have soon sent me in search of the kitchen, but the company shall entice me to sit civilly at the table and mind my manners.”

  Mrs. Arlington laughed. “You are quite a welcome addition, my dear. Carter, I am positively beside myself to hear about the Montgomery house.” She reached for his arm as he came to join her at the door. “The ladies all over town are talking about it. Between your houses and that Miss Shay’s dress designs, I scarcely hear any other news.”

  Carter found it quite interesting to be lumped into the same reference as Miss Shay. He liked the idea but thought it rather strange, nevertheless. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come.

  He smiled at that thought.

  Carter escorted Mrs. Arlington to the dining room and helped her to one of the cabriole chairs. Although at least eighty years old, the mahogany chairs maintained their luster against the gold upholstery. Next to this, a table of the same wood had been set in casual elegance with the family silver and china. Carter knew the pieces, along with the furniture, had been passed down through multiple generations and cherished. Unlike his mother, who preferred new pieces, Zilla Arlington took great delight in the things her family had shared for so many years.

  The judge offered grace, and soon the servants were offering a bevy of succulent dishes.

  Carter settled on the roasted pork and glazed almond carrots before turning to Mrs. Arlington. “The Montgomery house has been a great challenge. Mr. Montgomery has a strong opinion on how and where he wants each room, each piece of molding and window. However, I found that the more he came to realize my abilities, the less he worried about imposing details and instead listened to suggestions.”

  “That in and of itself must have been a miracle,” Judge Arlington declared. “I’ve known the man for many years now, and he has never been one to listen.”

  “Perhaps Carter’s impressive talent won him over,” his wife replied. “Tell me truly, Carter. Is it to have a bell tower? I heard just yesterday that it will.”

  Carter laughed. “Not unless the old man has gone behind my back to add one. There is a cupola with a dome, and perhaps it is this which has inspired such unfounded gossip. The dome will have windows all around, which will allow for light in the stairway.”

  They conversed easily, with Carter sharing details of his efforts to secure talented workmen for the project and Zilla Arlington asking about the number of rooms and fireplaces. Carter took great pleasure in sharing the details. No one at home had even cared to ask, save Winifred.

  “I heard many of the materials are to be imported. Is that true?” Leander’s mother asked.

  “The marble is to be imported from Italy, of course. Nothing but the best. There is to be no blemish in any piece.”

  “My, but that will be a worry to keep looking its best,” she said, shaking her head.

  “And what of you, son?” the judge asked, turning to Leander.

  Leander shared of his day and the work he was doing to help a local farmer in a battle against the state. The judge weighed in with his thoughts, as did Lee’s mother. Carter couldn’t imagine his mother taking interest for one minute in the details of his work. By the time dessert had been served and eaten, Carter felt a deep sense of longing. Longing for a table where he might converse with someone who truly cared about his daily tasks.

  Longing for a love that equaled what was found in the Arlington family. The realization that should Winifred marry Lee, they would truly be family offered little comfort. No, he wanted it for himself. He wanted to share a home where it mattered not in the least that the furnishings were old and no one dressed in the height of fashion.

  After supper Lee and Carter discussed plans for the New York trip. They each agreed now was a good time to get away. They would go immediately, lest the month slip completely away.

  “I can make arrangements and leave on the twenty-fourth,”

  Lee stated. “Will that work for you?”

  Carter nodded. “Indeed it will. I’ll get word to Montgomery that I will secure some of his additional building supplies while I’m there. That should keep him from being overly worried about my absence.”

  “Wonderful. Shall we take the train?”

  “I believe that would be in our best interest. The weather is far too unpredictable at this time of year.” Carter checked his pocket watch. “I must go. I’ll have Joseph drive us to the station.

  I’ll pick you up
at eight.”

  “I shall be ready. How long do you suppose we should plan to be gone?”

  Carter shook his head. “There’s no way of telling. Since you don’t have an address for the Samuelsons, we shall need time to hunt them down. I’d like to say we’d need no more than a week, but I would plan for two.”

  Leander nodded. “Very well. I will direct anyone with questions to see my father. He’s good to step in when I need to be away.”

  Winifred was in the foyer to greet him when Carter entered the house. “I missed you at dinner,” she told him.

  Carter put his arm around her. “I shared supper with the Arlingtons.”

  Her cheeks grew red as she asked, “Was Leander there?”

  “Indeed he was. He asked after you. I told him you were well.”

  She looked up and smiled. “He is very kind to ask.”

  Carter laughed. “I think it has little to do with kindness. I believe the man is quite charmed by you.”

  “What else did you discuss?” She looked away, as if to hide her embarrassment.

  “Well, we’re to make a trip. We’re leaving day after tomorrow and going to New York.”

  “Did I hear you say that you’re going to New York?” his mother asked as they entered the sitting room.

  “Yes. I have some business there. Leander Arlington and I might be gone as long as two weeks.”

  “Oh, you must see to purchasing new crystal while you are there,” his mother began. “We need at least another four dozen cups for the punch bowl, and perhaps two dozen wine glasses. There is so much to consider for the party.” She pressed her fingertips against her forehead. “I’m quite worried that I will forget something important. The party is only weeks away.”

  “You always do a wonderful job, Mama,” Winifred said, leaving Carter’s side to take a chair on the settee beside their mother.

  She patted her mother’s hand. “You will not forget anything important.”

  “I am glad that at least my children can appreciate my efforts,” she said with a sigh. “Your father never knows the lengths I go to in order to keep his name at the top of every social agenda in town.”

  Carter wasn’t entirely sure that was something his father would appreciate or that it truly kept them in Philadelphia’s social graces, but he said nothing on the matter. “If you prepare a list for me, I will be happy to see to it while I’m in New York.”

  “I shall go right to it,” she declared, getting to her feet. “I’m sure there are other things. I will check with Cook as well. When do you leave?”

  “The day after tomorrow.”

  “Mercy me. I shall have to work hard to figure it all out in that time.” She hurried from the room, calling for Mrs. Colfax, the housekeeper and his mother’s lifelong companion. The two had been together since Mrs. Colfax’s second birthday, when her mother came to work for Lillian Danby’s parents. Carter knew his mother trusted the woman implicitly.

  “Must you really be gone two weeks?” Winifred asked.

  “I don’t know for sure. I plan to return home as soon as

  possible. Why?”

  Winifred shrugged. “I’ll miss you. That’s all.”

  He cocked his head to one side as he studied her. “You’ll miss me? Or do you really mean that you’ll miss having me throw you and Lee together?”

  Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Of course I shall miss you both.”

  “Well, you shan’t get too lonely. I’ve made some arrangements for you to have Miss Shay’s company when you desire.”

  “But I thought she was much too busy. Mrs. Clarkson needs her to sew the Christmas gowns.”

  Carter grinned. “Mrs. Clarkson needs her designing talents more than her sewing. A hundred other women can put needle and thread to material. I have given Mrs. Clarkson a sum to hire additional help in Miss Shay’s absence.”

  “You bought me a friend! Oh, Carter, please say it isn’t true.

  I am not so desperate as all of that.”

  He saw the worry in her expression and shook his head. “My motives were purely selfish. When I return, I shall desire for the four of us to spend a good deal of time together. To put it quite honestly, I would like you to spend time with Miss Shay and learn what you can of her. I find myself completely intrigued—in fact, smitten—by the woman.”

  Winifred smiled and came to where he stood. “I see how it is with you now. This was no selfless act of love but rather the part of a desperately enamored would-be suitor.”

  Carter laughed. “Do not mention this to Miss Shay. I wouldn’t want her to think so lowly of me as you do.”

  Winifred took his hand and squeezed it. “I could never think anything but good of you, Carter. You have given me hope for my own future. I will happily help you to secure yours.”

  He sobered. “It’s funny, but thinking of Catherine as a part of my future gives me quite a feeling of contentment. We scarcely know each other, yet I feel as if we’ve been somehow purposed for each other. Does that sound completely daft?”

  Winifred shook her head. “Not at all. It sounds very romantic. I believe Catherine would make a wonderful wife for you.

  While it’s true that we know very little of her past, her kindness and gentle spirit cannot be hidden. She has borne great sorrow, of this I’m certain, yet she endeavors to continue her life in a positive way.”

  “And it does not put you off that she is a seamstress?” he asked with a smile.

  “Not at all, for I am sure to have her first efforts before any of the women in Philadelphia should she marry my brother.”

  Laughing, Carter put his arm around her. “Then I shall endeavor to do what I can. I would not have it said that I was less than considerate of my sister’s needs.”

  Catherine was waiting, in what had become known as the planning room, for Winifred Danby to dress and return. The gown was coming along nicely, and although Catherine had done very little of the actual sewing, she had been happy with the work done by Dolley and Beatrix.

  “I am so pleased with the gown,” Winifred declared as she entered the room. “I feel just like a princess in it.”

  “And it accentuates your assets so nicely,” Catherine replied in a teasing tone.

  “Yes. Mother likes it very much, but not as much as her own gown. She’s still in there fawning over her appearance.” Winifred motioned toward the fitting room.

  “It gives us a few moments to talk about the final details,”

  Catherine said. “Have you decided about having real flowers sewn into the bodice and sleeves?”

  “I think that would be wonderful. It would be like wearing a garden,” Winifred said rather wistfully.

  Catherine nodded. It was a rather poetic way to express it, but quite accurate. “We shall need to add those at the very last moment. Probably the morning of the ball.” She jotted a note to herself regarding the operation.

  Just then Mrs. Danby and Mrs. Clarkson appeared. Mrs.

  Danby rambled on and on about the quality of the work and the appearance of her gown.

  “And you are certain no other gown will be made of this material?”

  Mrs. Clarkson looked to Catherine, then back to her customer.

  “There are no other known bolts of this material in Philadelphia.

  Now, if someone journeyed, say, to New York City, well, I could not vouch for whether the fabric could be purchased there.”

  “New York City?” Mrs. Danby asked, then nodded. “I feel confident, then. I know of no one, save my son, who has traveled there of late.”

  “I suppose he has gone on business,” Mrs. Clarkson said as a means of small talk.

  “Carter left for New York this morning. He had business there and the dear man is going to procure a great many things for my party. I should have given him a piece of my material so that he could search out any other bolts of cloth.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it, Mrs. Danby. The cloth is quite expensive, as you know.
There would be few who could afford it, and even if they did, the design would definitely be different.

  Now if you’ll excuse me, I must see to my other customers.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Clarkson, there is just one more thing,” Winifred said boldly. Catherine found it a pleasant change to see the young woman be more outspoken. “I wondered if Miss Shay might accompany me tomorrow as I shop for shoes and jewelry to wear with my gown. My mother is quite busy with plans for the party, and I would cherish the assistance.”

  “I couldn’t possibly,” Catherine replied before Mrs. Clarkson could speak.

  “Nonsense,” the older woman interjected. “You can have the afternoon to help Miss Danby. What time should she expect you?”

  Catherine felt stunned as the entire matter was taken out of her hands. Winifred suggested coming in the carriage around one-thirty, and Mrs. Clarkson agreed. It wasn’t until mother and daughter had exited the establishment that Catherine sought out Mrs. Clarkson for an answer.

  “I don’t understand,” she said, finding the older woman in the finishing room. She was showing Martha some pieces of lace they needed for a particular gown. “We have a great deal of work to complete before Christmas. How is it that you would have me go off with Miss Danby?”

  Mrs. Clarkson looked up rather surprised. “It’s really quite simple. I’ve been consulted and paid quite well to allow you to accompany Miss Danby whenever possible. The Danbys feel she is quite shy and would benefit greatly from your company. I thought surely they had spoken to you about it first.”

  “No one mentioned anything to me,” Catherine said, feeling even more confused.

  Martha went about her business as Mrs. Clarkson came to Catherine. “You needn’t look so upset. This will be a wonderful time for you. Mr. Danby said that—”

  “Mr. Danby? You mean Carter Danby?” Catherine asked, knowing that Mrs. Danby’s husband had never graced their doorstep.

  “Yes. Miss Danby’s brother. He approached me on their last visit while you were busy with his sister. He told me of her great shyness and how much she enjoyed your company. He felt you had a calming effect, as well as a genuineness that she felt lacking in her other friends. He said that she was hopefully soon to be engaged and if we would cooperate in allowing you to accompany her on various outings, not only would he pay us to hire additional help to fill in for you, but he was certain her trousseau would be ordered from our house.”