Wildfire Love

by Rue Allyn

  “Oh, I am not at liberty to say. I value my privacy as well.” Mae didn’t like the agent’s curiosity, though she could not say why. After her experiences with Mr. Carver, she worried that if Mr. Green knew she intended to establish a school for working-class children, he would advise the owner not to sell to her.

  “Well, your employees will have no problem moving heavy loads about with this machine.”

  “That is excellent. I see you have stoves for heat in every room and there are plenty of windows. If the work yard is in as good repair, this building will suit my needs very well.”

  The work yard was acceptable for a building that had stood empty for a year. Mae could easily picture children running about, playing ball and tag. The rooms were large without being cavernous. Plenty of windows could be opened for fresh air, and the stoves would provide heat in the colder months. Yes, the building was perfect.

  “I saw a table in the entry hall. If you can find chairs, we might sit there and discuss terms.”

  Mr. Green smiled. “Certainly, Miss Alden. I’ll send for chairs immediately. Perhaps you’d like to tour the cellars while we wait.”

  Later, seated across from the agent, Mae began negotiations. “I understand that the owner is asking several thousand dollars for the property.”

  “Yes, I’m afraid that figure is firm. The location of this property near the Charles and close to so many other businesses is excellent and in much demand.”

  “Yet the building has stood empty for a year she pointed out.

  “Sadly, no other offers have been acceptable to the owner.”

  “I am willing to pay his asking price.” The price was outrageous, but she had a plan. “However, I wish to pay in installments.”

  “That’s not the way things are done.”

  “Perhaps not. However, the owner gains nothing if the building sits empty.”

  “True. I might persuade him to agree to installments. How much do you have in mind?”

  She would not ask James to give money from the estate, so all she had was her small stipend. She could not give all of it, or she’d have nothing to live on. “Twenty-five dollars a month.”

  Mr. Green began to laugh, then turned his humor to a cough. “You insult me and the owner. I’m certain he would not take less than one hundred a month.”

  Mae held tightly to the gloves in her lap to avoid showing her dismay. “Then the building will have to remain empty, and the owner will have nothing. I couldn’t possibly afford more than fifty dollars.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “That’s a shame. A building of this size, with all its amenities and such a prime location would be a steal at seventy-five dollars a month.”

  Could she live on twenty-five dollars? Her daily expenses were few. She didn’t need new clothes, much as she longed for softer, more flattering materials. If she ate less and practiced the strictest economies, she could afford the price. In addition, she had Lydia Collins-Morton sponsoring the charitable fundraising efforts that would pay for equipment, staff and supplies. Mae stood. “Then seventy-five dollars a month is what I shall pay. Please draw up the documents and have them delivered to my home.”

  • • •

  James, with John on his left and Mr. Carver opposite, settled at the mill manager’s desk, the account books resting between them, when a knock sounded and the assistant manager entered. “Mr. Collins, you asked me to let you know if Miss Alden arrived at the mill today. She’s just gone into the building across the street.”

  “Thank you, Fitzwalter, that will be all.” James smiled to himself. He wouldn’t have to wait long to see Mae. More and more he found himself wishing to share his work with her and listen to what progress she’d made with her own projects. The day would come when they could partake of all the pleasures of marriage. Mae would see the benefits, she was too practical not to. He simply needed to be patient, a skill he practiced frequently in the courtroom yet he found difficult where Mae was concerned.

  “I’d like to get as much done in the next hour as possible. Then I must leave to meet with Miss Alden. John has agreed to remain and go over the accounts until everything is reviewed. You will allow him complete access to every record, Carver.”

  The man’s irritation was patent. Nonetheless he knew where his salary came from. “Of course, Mr. Collins.”

  An hour later, James skirted around Mae’s waiting carriage and crossed the street. He was mounting the steps to the old Eldstein Brewery building when Tolley escorted Mae out the door with Alvin behind. As the door closed James heard a loud bang and saw blood well through a hole in Tolley’s trousers just before the man crumpled to the steps.

  “He’s been shot!” shouted James. He rushed to the man’s side, head swiveling to locate Mae. He saw Alvin step between her and the street as he pushed her back up the stairs toward the shelter of the building.

  Shouts and screams sounded from all directions.

  Familiar and nauseating, fear coiled in James’s stomach. Had she been hurt, too? Only Alvin stood between her and the gunman.

  Frantic with worry, James bent to staunch the blood dripping from Tolley’s leg. He used his neck cloth to bind the wound, wondering as he worked if more shots would follow and perhaps steal from him the chance to see Mae once more.

  He wouldn’t let it happen. Gunman or no, he would live a long life with Mae.

  The wound bandaged, he gathered Tolley up and ran for the top of the stairs.

  A second shot rang out.

  “James!”

  He heard Mae scream.

  Heart racing, he hurtled through the doorway to see Alvin kneeling on the floor with Mae pale and unconscious in his arms.

  James’s breath stopped, but he forced himself to move. He lay Tolley on the floor, strode over to the Alvin, and took Mae from him. He felt her chest rise and fall against him. Dread receded before a flood of relief. She wasn’t dead. “Where is she hurt?”

  Alvin shook his head. “Not hurt, sir. She fainted when she realized you were still out in the street with a gunman on the loose. Before I could grab her, her head hit the floor.”

  Anger swamped relief and the dregs of fear. She should never have been subjected to such trauma. This is what came of letting a woman have her way. Well, no more. He would put a stop to this gallivanting about the streets. He would keep her safe.

  “I’ll get her to Kerry. You help Tolley. He’s got a leg wound that could be serious.” Moving as he spoke, James clutched Mae to his chest.

  “Shouldn’t we wait until we’re certain the gunman is gone?”

  “A man is injured, and so is Mae. I’m not waiting to get them the help they need.”

  “Right with you, sir.”

  Alvin shouldered his fallen colleague. They rushed down the steps, across the street, and into the yard, where they battled their way through a milling crowd of workers all jabbering about audacious gunmen and women who didn’t know their place. James and Alvin came to a halt in front of the dispensary. Dr. Kerry directed them where to put Tolley.

  “Alvin, clear that crowd out of the yard,” James ordered. He stood just inside the dispensary waiting for Hugh to finish with Tolley.

  The wait was short. Dr. Kerry stepped from the other room. He held a towel and was busy wiping his hands dry. Blood covered his shirt and arms.

  James checked. Mae lay unconscious in his clasp.

  “Is she injured?” asked Kerry.

  James shook his head. “I don’t think so. Alvin said she fainted and hit her head, but she’s been unconscious too long for a faint.”

  “I’ll take a look, but we need to lay her down first. The only cot in the dispensary is already occupied.”

  “The settee in Mr. Carver’s outer office.” Calling for Alvin to follow, James did an about face, marched across the still crowded yard, and strode up the stairs.

  Kerry moved before him, clearing a path and opening the door.

&nb
sp; James laid Mae on the settee, draping her feet over one armrest and arranging her skirts to preserve her modesty.

  John and Alvin stood off to one side. Carver, with Fitzwalter behind, stared from the doorway of the inner office.

  Kerry knelt at her head, removed her hat and hair pins, probed her skull, and then lifted her eyelids. “She has a small bump near her forehead, but I suspect she’ll be all right. Can one of you find some smelling salts? We have some in the dispensary.”

  “Here, doctor.” Fitzwalter pushed passed James and handed over a small vial. “I keep sal volatile with me. Comes in handy for clearing the sinuses of cotton dust.”

  Kerry opened the vial and waved it beneath Mae’s nose.

  Within seconds, she jerked upright, coughing and wheezing.

  “Lie back, Miss Alden.”

  She shook her head. Her face reddened. “Water,” she croaked.

  Once again, the assistant manager leaped to action and thrust a cup over the doctor’s shoulder. “Here, miss.”

  James stood watching others tend to Mae’s needs. Helplessness and worry clogged his throat. I should be helping, holding her, doing something. Don’t be a fool. Kerry is an excellent physician. Let him do his job. I’ll take over when he’s done. So James clenched his hands at his sides and willed himself to wait.

  • • •

  She took the drink with shaking hands. Hugh helped her to steady the cup as she sipped. Without taking his eyes from hers, He took the cup and shoved it in Fitzwalter’s direction. “Better now?”

  She nodded.

  “Excellent. I want you to rest for the next two days.”

  “Don’t be silly, Hugh. I only fainted.”

  “Nonetheless, you hit your head when you fell and to be confident that you are safe from any lasting ill effects, you should rest.”

  There was that word again, safe. Mae was heartily sick of safe and its restrictions on her life.

  James moved in, taking Mae’s hand. “I’ll see that she follows orders.”

  “Good. Now I’ve another patient to attend to.”

  “Tolley, is he…?” Worry sat tight in Mae’s voice.

  “His knee is shattered. He will recover but will always suffer a limp. I shall call on you in two days to check on your health. Good day, Mae, gentlemen.”

  “Thank heaven.” She closed her eyes then opened them again and struggled to rise. “Tolley has family, James. His wife must be told and provision made.”

  James pressed her back by the shoulders. “I will see to it. Now I want you to rest as Dr. Kerry instructed.”

  “But…”

  His fierce glare warned her not to protest.

  “No buts,” he ordered. “You will rest until your carriage can be brought and I can transport you to it. Then you will rest on the ride to your home, and once there you will continue to rest until Hugh Kerry permits you to move about.”

  She held his gaze, but tried to pull her hand from his. “Yes, James.”

  “I see you understand me.” Her hand still in his grip, he turned to the other men in the room. “Fitzwalter, have Miss Alden’s carriage brought into the yard, then find some cushions and a lap rug. I want her to rest comfortably.”

  “Yes, sir.” The assistant manager dashed from the room.

  “John, please remain here and continue reviewing the account books with Mr. Carver.”

  “Oh, I don’t think that will be possible,” interjected Carver. “I have appointments with cotton suppliers that must not be delayed.”

  James raised both brows and bared his teeth in a wolfish grin.

  Mae fought the urge to shrink back into the cushions. She’d never seen him so angry. He was a commanding, passionate man. Her cheeks heated at the thought, but this fury was unexpected. Would he turn violent? Could she trust him not to harm her? She gave her head a slow shake. Of course she could. He seemed to want nothing more than her safety. Even his proposal stemmed from his desire to shelter her.

  “Delay them anyway,” he growled at Carver. “I’m certain the suppliers will understand an emergency at the mill is a higher priority. Unless you’d rather my cousin review the books alone?”

  The manager’s face paled. “I’ll send a message as soon as Mr. Fitzwalter returns.”

  “Excellent. John, you and Mr. Carver may leave Mae to my care.” The manager returned to his office.

  John gave his cousin a protracted stare then looked at Mae. “Will you be comfortable with that arrangement, Miss Alden?”

  “John.” James’s tone held a wealth of warning.

  “Thank you, I will be perfectly safe with James.”

  “Very well. Cousin, I will see you at your office tomorrow.”

  James nodded, but was looking at Mae. Tender concern had removed all trace of the threatening wolf but did the beast still lurked behind the civilized façade.

  • • •

  “You owe me, cousin.”

  The next morning, James looked up from the letter he was reviewing and put down his pen. “Hello, John. I suppose you got in unannounced because Harry is napping once more?”

  John nodded.

  James signed the letter, shoved it aside and thrust a hand through his hair. “I’ve already asked Harry to advertise for two new clerks and told him I’m promoting him to senior clerk. I’ve done everything I know to preserve his pride. I suppose I’ll have to place the advertisement myself. Now explain why I am in your debt.”

  “You owe me favors for leaving me to endure that mushroom, Carver, on my own for an entire day and for managing not to beat him senseless for embezzling from Miss Alden’s cloth mill.”

  “It isn’t hers.”

  John’s brows rose, then fell. “Ah, yes, I’d forgotten that damnable will.”

  “Now that you’ve remembered, tell me you didn’t accuse Carver to his face.”

  “Not until after a constable arrived to take the cur into custody.”

  “Are you certain of your accusations?”

  “I’ve locked the proof, the accounting books, in the small safe I keep in my flat.”

  “Excellent. I’ll take them off your hands.”

  “I also put Fitzwalter in charge at the mill temporarily, pending your approval of his promotion to the manager’s position. Sadly, it appears that someone—I cannot discover who—has paid Carver’s bail.”

  “I may not give final approval to that appointment.”

  “Why?”

  “Whether he knew of Carver’s activities or not, Fitzwalter’s loyalties are in question, since Carver hired him.”

  John studied his nails. “It’s a shame for the man to lose his job just because you don’t know if he can be trusted or not.”

  “I agree, but with Mae insisting on her dispensary, I cannot risk any disloyalty among the mill employees. If I can’t determine the extent of Fitzwalter’s involvement, I’ll provide him with a carefully worded reference.”

  “Don’t bother. I’ll offer the man a position as my personal secretary, if he’ll accompany me to New Orleans. I should be able to determine his character during that journey. If I’m not satisfied that he’s honest, I’ll let him go.”

  “Thank you. That will relieve me of at least one worry. Now if I could just manage to limit Mae’s activities, I’d be able to attend to my backlog of cases without worry for her safety.”

  John’s brows rose again. “Mae? Just exactly how close are you to Miss Alden?”

  “You need not concern yourself,” was James’s only reply.

  John nodded. “As you wish. Speaking of Miss Alden, that’s something else you owe me favors for. I took your sister to visit at the manse before coming here.”

  “Lalie went out?”

  John nodded. “Insisted I escort her in case Miss Alden was not well enough to receive guests. I got them settled and excused myself as quickly as possible. Promised Lalie that either you or I would return for her after lunch.”

  “I’ll see to it. I’d like so
me time to talk with Lalie. She’s been avoiding me ever since I suggested she give up mourning. Two years is too long.”

  “She lost more than a husband.”

  “I know. However, she’s my sister, and I suffer when she suffers. I would give much to see her smile again.”

  “Then you do indeed owe me more favors, for I left her laughing with Miss Alden.”

  James stood and strode to his coat tree. “This I’ve got to see. Come with me. I may very well suffer a shock and need support.”

  John grinned and joined James at the door. “Not I. I’m promised to a very lovely chorus girl.”

  “What about Miss Damato?”

  “A diversionary tactic to pacify my mother. Miss Damato and I understand each other.”

  James rolled his eyes. “Your amorous adventures will catch up with you one of these days.”

  “Not if I keep moving fast enough. Never linger with a woman, cousin. That’s where you made your first mistake with Miss Alden.”

  As they passed through the outer office, James paused to place the lap rug over a lightly snoring Harry. “I don’t agree.”

  “Disagree all you like. My money says you’ll be leg-shackled within the year.”

  James doubted that prediction would come true. It was becoming apparent that he had a decided predilection for a young lioness, one who expressed no interest in marriage to any man, let alone the lawyer who must play the villain and oppose her heroic efforts to help others above and beyond herself.

  • • •

  Frowning, James paid the hansom driver and strolled into the dispensary. He’d thought to join the women for lunch, but Mae and Lalie hadn’t been at the manse. Henries believed the ladies had gone to the dispensary.

  Furious at Mae for ignoring Kerry’s orders to rest, James hurried after them. During the ride to the manufactory, he’d managed to rein in his temper. Miss Mae Alden would learn that until he could be certain of her well-being and security, she no longer had the freedom she assumed was hers.

  A quick glance around the small space showed him Dr. Kerry tending a gash in a woman’s arm.