Marblestone Mansion, Book 3

by Marti Talbott

  Convinced he was alone, he put his gun away, carried the bag to his horse, pulled his saddlebags off his horse and began to fill them. When he was finished, he stuffed the sack back in the tree stump and replaced the leaves. He laid his saddlebags across the back of his horse, mounted and walked his horse back toward the railroad tracks.

  Just inside the forest, he stopped. Where could he go? Now that two of his gang had been caught, he was probably not safe anywhere in Colorado. For a time, he was overwhelmed by the pain he felt over the loss of the Caroline he thought he married. Then he remembered – six other husbands were missing her too…except the one who had the good sense to die.

  Determined, Jedediah lightly kicked the side of his horse and headed back to Denver. Perhaps it was time to go home and see what remained of his family.

  CHAPTER 13

  A celebration was in order. When everyone reached Marblestone Mansion and gathered in the parlor, none of them could wait to tell Hannish and Leesil what happened. Shepard fetched wine from the cellar and as soon as each had a glass, the real celebration began.

  “A toast,” said Hannish holding up his glass. “May we never see or hear from her again!”

  “Here, here,” everyone agreed.

  “And a toast to Old Mrs. Forthright, who this very day sits in an English prison,” Cameron said, raising his glass.

  Leesil’s eyes widened. “Truly?”

  “Truly. The judge sentenced her to six years hard labor. I suspect she is doing laundry these days.”

  “Laundry?” Cathleen shouted. “She hates laundry!” First, she threw her arms around Leesil, then James and was about to hug Cameron when she abruptly stopped. “You’d not be tellin’ lies, now would you?”

  “Never!” Cameron swore. “Leastwise not about that!” He put an arm around Cathleen’s shoulders, drank half his glassful, released her and held his glass out to Shepard for a refill.

  “I can scarce believe it,” said Leesil. “Is the duchess truly gone?”

  “She is,” said Keith. “I saw her get on the train with my own two eyes and stayed until the train pulled out.”

  With his back to the marble foyer, Hannish raised his glass again. “And here’s to Charles Whitfield, who was kind enough not to be here.” Those who had no idea why that mattered drank to it anyway. They would have happily drunk a toast to anything.

  Alistair was the only one who noticed and cleared his throat to get Hannish’s attention, but he was too late.

  “Why?” Abigail asked standing in the marble foyer behind Hannish.

  McKenna caught her breath, Leesil’s eyes widened and Hannish slowly turned around. Just as he feared, Abigail and Claymore had come in unannounced.

  “Why is it a good thing Charles is not here?” Abigail asked again.

  McKenna smiled. “We did not hear you come in.”

  “Apparently,” said Claymore.

  Leesil went to stand next to Abigail. “Good news. Cameron just told us Old Mrs. Forthright is in prison.”

  “Good for her!” Abigail said. She smiled, but it was plain to see she had not forgotten her original question.

  “Have you any more wine?” Claymore asked. “I’ve something to add to this celebration.”

  Shepard quickly poured two more glasses and served them.

  “What is it, Claymore?” Hannish asked.

  “A Mr. Swinton has just this very day, agreed to buy the mines,” Claymore answered.

  “The same Mr. Swinton who bought the house in Palmer Lake?” McKenna asked.

  “The very same. As soon as the papers are all drawn up, I shall be free as a bird. No more cave-ins to worry about, no more traveling to Cripple Creek each week, and no more unions.”

  Abigail happily wrapped an arm around Leesil. “At last, I have my husband back.”

  “I am very happy for you,” Leesil said, returning her hug.

  “What do you intend to do then?” Alistair asked.

  “You have not told them?” Claymore asked Hannish.

  “I thought to wait until all was settled.” Hannish raised his glass. “Another toast – to the new house building company Mr. Whitfield and I intend to start.”

  “Seriously?” Prescot asked. “Are you hiring?”

  Hannish laughed. “A good many, I suspect. Are you interested?”

  Prescot downed the remainder of his drink. “Of course. I love to build as much as you do.”

  “There you have it, Hannish old fellow, our first employee.” Claymore put his arm around McKenna and smiled at her. “Now, my dear MacGreagors, I wish to hear the truth about the duchess and how you got rid of her. I suspect she is the Mrs. Tanner I met this afternoon.”

  McKenna’s eyes grew wide. “You heard us?”

  “You celebrate quite loudly, I am afraid.”

  “And what has it to do with our Charles?” Abigail asked again.

  “Oh dear,” McKenna moaned. For the life of her, she could not remember what was said, so how was she to make up more lies?

  “Come now, my MacGreagors,” said Claymore looking at Hannish. “We’ll have no more secrets between us. Spit it out, all of it.”

  The room grew quiet and no one moved. McKenna looked at her brother, but Hannish was staring at the floor rubbing the back of his neck. “Perhaps we should speak in private.” Hannish said finally. He motioned for them to follow, grabbed the bottle off the table and led the way to the sitting room.

  One of the larger rooms in the house, the sitting room was decorated in soft oranges and browns, with a touch of green for accent. Tall windows let in plenty of western sunlight, at least until it disappeared behind Pikes Peak each evening.

  Hannish waited for the Whitfields to sit and then refilled their glasses with wine, while McKenna and Nicholas settled for sitting on a brown couch with carved wooden lion’s feet. Cameron and Cathleen stayed near the door, he noticed. “I hardly know where to begin,” Hannish said.

  Leesil sunk into a chair opposite Abigail. “We meant no harm, I assure you.”

  Cathleen glanced around, but no one seemed able to say anything more, “‘Twas the duchess’ doing. The harm brought to us must be laid at her door and hers alone.”

  “How could she possibly harm us? We do not even know her,” a confused Claymore asked. “Out with it, someone…please.”

  “Your Charles got taken in by the duchess,” Cathleen said.

  “‘Tis not our business, Cathleen,” Cameron reminded her.

  “Of course it is,” she argued. “A lie is a lie, even if it is just not telling the whole truth. My sister, Hannish and McKenna lied to the Whitfields and therefore you and I are forced to lie with them.”

  That was something Hannish had not considered before. “She is right,” he said to Cameron.

  “Splendid, I am glad that is out of the way,” said Claymore. “Now, how was Charles taken in by the duchess?”

  “He married my brother-in-law’s wife,” Cathleen answered.

  Abigail’s eyes grew exceedingly large. “He married the duchess?”

  McKenna bowed her head. “Abigail, we dinna want you embarrassed.”

  “That perfume reeking woman, the one who ran off in St. Louis…was the duchess?” Abigail interrupted.

  “I paid her to run off,” Hannish admitted.

  Abigail put her hand on her chest and took two very deep breaths.

  “Dearest, Abigail, we…” Leesil tried.

  “She was after my gold mines.” Claymore muttered. “I knew it, I knew it all along.”

  “I can think of no other reason,” Hannish admitted.

  “What shall they say of us in town?” Abigail finally managed to ask.

  “They’ll hear it from none of us,” McKenna quickly put in.

  Claymore wrinkled his brow. “If she is married to you and to Charles, then how is it she married Tanner without divorces?”

  Hannish finally sat down beside his wife and leaned forward. “I dinna divorce her either. There was
no need, once I learned about the others.”

  “How many others?” Claymore asked.

  “Seven,” Cathleen announced, “that we know of.”

  Abigail put her hand over her heart again. “Seven?” She nearly shouted.

  “She married a Mr. Nelson in San Francisco after she ran off in St. Louis,” Hannish added, “and four in England before me.”

  “That we know of,” Cathleen happily added. She felt Cameron’s elbow in her side, but she was not about to heed his warning. This was more fun than she had had in a long time. The look on Abigail’s face was priceless.

  “Whatever will they think of us in town?” Abigail softly asked again.

  “Who cares, Abigail?” Claymore said.

  “I care,” she answered. “We are ruined. They will think Charles is addlebrained.”

  “He is in good company,” Cathleen couldn’t help but say. This time, Cameron set his drink down, put one hand on the back of her head and clamped his other hand over her mouth.

  “Unfortunately,” Hannish said, “my dear sister-in-law is right. Charles simply had less chance of resisting her than the rest of us.”

  “Where do you think she’s got off to this time?” Claymore asked. “We should have her arrested.”

  That brought Abigail to her feet. “Mercy no! A trial, a statewide scandal – a story the whole country might hear? How would we ever survive it?”

  “I’d not prefer it either,” Hannish admitted.

  “Nor would the poor lads in England,” Cameron put in, specifically looking at his brother. He slowly took his hand off Cathleen’s mouth, hoping she got the message.

  “Such as who?” Abigail asked.

  “‘Tis another reason we keep it a secret,” Cameron answered. “The scandal would hurt far more in England than here.”

  “And the duchess knows it,” Leesil added. “She blackmails the others.”

  Claymore urged Abigail to sit back down and finally took her hand in his. “So when my son’s wife was arrested in England for bigamy, the charges were true.”

  “Aye, but by then, she had already married Charles in Paris. She was between husbands, so to speak, and it was just bad luck she managed to come across Charles.”

  “Charles quite likes to brag about the wealth that is not yet his,” Claymore admitted. “He was easy prey for a clever woman, one with her looks. I can understand how he got taken in.”

  “As did the others,” Cathleen said. She glanced at the frown on Cameron’s face “Well, ‘tis true. Did I not say her kind of beauty is a curse? It dinna look to me she was happily married this time either. In fact, she looked quite miserable.”

  McKenna shook her head. “They married only two days ago. Margaret Ann says it was Mr. Tanner’s idea to come here. The poor lad had no idea who he married.”

  Claymore thoughtfully scratched his eyebrow. “As long as she is in this country, Charles cannot possibly find her. At least that much is good news. If he finds her and she begs his forgiveness, he’ll likely take her back. The boy has not one ounce of good sense.”

  “We must warn him, Claymore,” Abigail said.

  “And have him ignore us once again? I say we let him be. If she comes back into our lives, then we shall tell him, and face-to-face in front of her.”

  “God help us if she comes into any of our lives again,” said Leesil.

  “Indeed,” Nicholas agreed.

  “If she dinna mean to come here, ‘tis not likely she will come back,” said McKenna.

  “I hope you are right,” Claymore said. “What do we do now? Continue to keep it a secret?”

  “As I said,” Cameron answered, “there are those in England who would suffer if society finds out what she has done. I’d not like seeing that happen.”

  “Then we shall keep it a secret too…although I am not the best at keeping secrets,” Abigail muttered.

  “Abigail, you will keep silent for my sake,” Claymore said, “and for Gloria. It is hard enough being Charles’ little sister without a scandal of this magnitude.”

  She leaned her head against her husband’s shoulder. “Please remind me of that from time to time.”

  Claymore smiled finally. “You are a good woman, my dearest Abigail.”

  *

  Cameron nudged Cathleen with his elbow again. “You best tell them.”

  “Tell us what?” Hannish asked.

  “I dinna mean to, but I somehow invited company to tea on Saturday,” Cathleen answered.

  “And games,” Cameron added.

  “How much company?” Leesil asked.

  “Mr. Douglas Swinton, for one,” Cameron answered.

  Cathleen turned to stare at him, “Beggin’ your pardon, Your Grace, but you invited Mr. Swinton. I only invited Pearl, Loretta and the Whitfields.”

  Leesil paused to think for a moment. “We should invite the Goodwins.”

  “And Keith?” Hannish asked.

  “Of course Keith,” Leesil answered. “Perhaps we might play a round or two of croquet.”

  “A splendid idea,” Hannish agreed.

  Leesil frowned. “‘Tis short notice, but should we not invite other unmarried lads and lasses?”

  Soon the married couples had forgotten all about the duchess and were happily planning the Saturday activities. Cameron quietly opened the door and followed Cathleen out. “They took that well,” he said.

  “Aye, they did.” Cathleen hurried off to warn the staff while Cameron went to find Blair.

  *

  The men were happy to leave the ladies in the sitting room, planning the Saturday festivities, and they too slipped out the door. In the parlor, Hannish nodded for Prescot to come, and then opened the door to his study. “I have gathered some drawings.”

  Hannish grabbed a rolled up blueprint off his table and began to spread it out. In the upper right-hand corner was a picture taken from a Denver Newspaper. “Once we have the land, we can alternate between three or four different house plans in the same block…more if we choose.”

  “You have given this considerable thought already?” Prescot asked.

  “I have. In Denver, they build them just alike, but if we alternate, then they will sell better.”

  “I agree,” said Claymore.

  “This is called a foursquare,” Hannish continued, “with two bedrooms fit for newlyweds, and if we do not overspend on materials, we can make it very affordable. The designs vary, some having gabled roofs, but most with large front porches where a man and wife can sit comfortably outside when it gets hot. This one,” he excitedly went on, spreading the next blueprint out on top, “is a more expensive house for those who desire more space and bedrooms. To change the exterior, we can add Georgian columns, porch lighting, balconies, corner towers, larger front windows, arched entryways and larger yards.”

  “Very impressive,” said Claymore. “How much do you think we can make on each house.”

  “I was hoping you could help me figure that out. In Denver, the least of these sells for $700.00 and the more expensive for $1000.00 to $1,200.00. I am thinking we should first build a storehouse. If we can buy what we need in large quantities, we will save money.”

  “A storehouse with an office for me?” Claymore asked.

  “And a secretary, if you like,” Hannish answered.

  Quiet until now, Nicholas frowned. “I like you, brother-in-law, but if you come within a mile of my secretary, I’ll shoot you. Glen is the best there is and I had to beg him to come.”

  Claymore chuckled and slapped Nicholas on the back, “He’d do it too. There are few men who can put up with a judge and good secretaries are harder to find than good doctors. Nevertheless, we shall find one somewhere. When can we get started?”

  “I say we go look at land tomorrow,” Hannish answered.

  Claymore playfully slapped Hannish on the back. “Say the time and I shall come fetch you.”

  *

  As the guest list grew, so did the menu and the nu
mber of games, which kept everyone in the household busy. Even so, Cathleen and James found time to play with Blair. More often than not, James pushed the swing while Cathleen stood in front ready to catch Blair should she lose her grip on the ropes. When little William wanted to swing, Cathleen sat in the swing and put him on her lap.

  At other times, Cathleen taught Blair how to sing or recite children’s poems, and of course, there were books to read to Blair, who could not get enough of the stories. Cathleen often spotted Cameron in a window, watching when they were outside, or walking past their door when they were reading. That is, when he wasn’t off with the men, buying land and making plans to build houses.

  Twice, she invited Cameron to join them, but he declined. She supposed he liked watching them instead. Lately, he didn’t look nearly as downcast as he had when he first arrived. That, she knew, was a very good thing.

  James was content to challenge Stockton to an occasional game of billiards and was becoming quite good at it. When Leesil could get away for a few moments, she and James went for walks in the front yard together. Two days before the guests were scheduled to arrive, Nicholas and Cameron took McKenna to see Colorado City. There wasn’t that much to see in the day time, unless they visited the saloons, and one look inside one of those satisfied all of McKenna’s curiosity.

  At last, the day of the festivities arrived. The guests included the Whitfields, the Mitchels, and the Goodwins, who happily brought Keith with them. They arrived just as Margaret Ann finished pinning the last curl in Cathleen’s hair. Both young ladies checked their appearance in the mirror and then went downstairs to greet the guests. For this occasion, Margaret Ann was to be treated as a guest instead of a maid, and she was thrilled. She wore a ruffled, lace trimmed white blouse and her favorite blue Gibson Girl skirt. Cathleen had on a white blouse as well, and wore a skirt that closely matched the color of her auburn hair. The skirt had stylish wide pleats and an extra two feet of length in the back.

  Shepard brought out his violin and softly played while the guests were welcomed. Pearl and Loretta were especially giddy and went immediately to monopolize all of Cameron’s time. He glanced at Cathleen a time or two, but she seemed unwilling to rescue him. That was before the dapper Mr. Douglas Swinton arrived. He was very well dressed, removed his hat and handed it to Alistair as soon as he entered the foyer. In his hand, he held a walking cane with the carved head of a bulldog on top.