Albert wanted to argue that not only had he not done anything wrong, but he was a victim, too. He’d been framed, and by a Parkie. But perhaps that was part of the problem. They wouldn’t want to admit that one of their own could act in such a way. They’d rather ignore the situation altogether and let it die from lack of attention.
So, instead of arguing, Albert responded in the only way he knew how. “Thank you for coming to tell me in person, Mr. Kane. I appreciate your kindness.”
Mr. Kane slapped him on the back. “It’s the least I can do, young man.”
Then the man walked away, taking a good portion of Albert’s dreams with him.
* * *
“Gwen! Are you out here?”
Hunkered down behind a tree, Gwen wondered what would happen if she just didn’t answer. It was highly unlikely Matilda would venture off the path. Still, her sister always had the capacity to surprise her. And given the unwanted excitement they’d had lately, it probably wasn’t a good idea to hide from her.
“I’m over here.”
Gwen rose slowly and looked down the path.
“There you are.” Matilda stomped over to her, holding up her skirts to keep the hem out of the dirt. “Mother has been going out of her mind.”
Gwen blew out an exasperated sigh. “I told her I was going for a walk, just like I’ve done every other day this week. What is she worried about?”
“That’s just it. You’ve been in the same area every day. Haven’t you run out of stuff to put in your journal?”
“That’s the great thing about nature. You can go to the same spot over and over again, and you’ll always find something different.” She opened her journal. “See, I drew this yesterday, but today—”
“Stop. No more.” Matilda was having none of it. “Why have you stopped taking archery lessons?”
Gwen shrugged. “Because I’ve learned all I need to. There aren’t that many different ways to nock an arrow and pull back on the bowstring.”
“So it has nothing to do with Albert?”
“No.”
“You’re not trying to punish him?”
“Punish him?” It was a ridiculous thought. “Why would I want to punish him?”
Matilda raised a hand and pulled back one finger. “Because he lied to you.” She pulled back another. “Because he hurt your feelings.” And another. “Because you’re in love with him and that scares you to death.”
“Enough.” Gwen stopped her before she could go any further. “I’m not trying to punish him. But yes, I am hurt. And I can’t get over the way he treated his sister.”
“What did he do to her? From what I can see he took care of her and made sure she had everything she needed.”
“He hid her away, Tilda. He kept her a secret.”
“But he did that for her own good. To protect her.”
“Because of her illness. Because she doesn’t always act the right way around people, and she could have a seizure.” Gwen’s throat felt thick and she could barely get the words out. “He’s afraid of how she’ll look in public.”
“Gwenie, that’s not the same as you.” Matilda put a gentle hand on her arm. “How many times have you been in public with Albert? For goodness’ sakes, the man wouldn’t leave you alone until you danced with him. That’s not how a man acts if he’s embarrassed to be seen with you.”
“Maybe Charles was right. Maybe he just did all that to enhance his social status.”
“Charles? You’d take the words of that worm over the facts told to you by your loving sister?” Matilda clucked her tongue. “That blow to your head must have done more damage than we thought.”
Gwen laughed out loud. Matilda was right. She was being ridiculous, overreacting and not giving Albert a chance to defend himself. Perhaps she was punishing him, or she was simply working extremely hard to spin a protective cocoon around herself. Either way, it was time to stop.
“When did you become so smart, little sister?”
Matilda shrugged. “When you weren’t looking, I suppose. Does this mean you’re ready to face the world again?”
Gwen pulled her shoulders back. “Yes. What would you say to the Banks girls making a visit to the clubhouse?”
“I’d say it’s about time.” Matilda giggled and held out her arm. “Shall we?”
Gwen threaded her arm through Matilda’s “Absolutely.”
* * *
If Gwen had felt on display before, this visit to the clubhouse made her feel like a spectacle. She could barely walk five feet without someone asking her how she felt, telling her they were at the Ashfords’ that night or expressing their disdain at the spate of robberies that had finally been made common knowledge.
Mrs. Fitzsimmons was particularly vocal. “What’s the world coming to when good people can’t open their homes without some villager slipping in to rob them blind?”
Gwen would have none of it. “I’m sure you’re mistaken. Albert Taylor was exonerated of all wrongdoing and the charges dropped. In fact, it’s come to light that suspicion was thrown his way by the prime suspect, who is a member of the upper class.”
Before the woman could reply, Gwen and Matilda moved along.
“Oh, dear.” Matilda held her side as she tried not to laugh out loud. “Did you see how her mouth hung open like a codfish? I believe you set the record straight, Gwenie.”
“I just hope she spreads the facts as ably as she spreads gossip.”
They continued to the archery range. It was full of people aiming at targets, some on their own and some accompanied by instructors. Gwen looked from one end of the line to the other, then looked again.
“I don’t see Albert.”
“Maybe he wasn’t scheduled to work today,” Matilda suggested.
“No, this is one of his normal days.” Gwen spotted another instructor that had seemed to be a friend of Albert’s. “Come on. Let’s find out where he is.”
They approached the man, standing back as he gave instructions to a lovely woman with golden hair and, Gwen noted, a perfect stance.
“Very good, Gladys. I think this new bow will work even better for you. Give it a try.”
As the woman proceeded, he moved to Gwen and Matilda. “Very nice to see you again, Miss Banks.”
So he remembered her. If only she could recall his name. “Likewise. This is my sister, Matilda.”
He bowed slightly. “A pleasure. I’m Jonah Walker.” Matilda nodded in response. Once the pleasantries were done, Jonah got to the point. “How can I help you ladies?”
“We’re looking for Albert Taylor,” Gwen said.
His well-practiced look of pleasant respect was slightly marred by a wrinkling of his forehead. “I’m afraid Albert is no longer employed here.”
“Did he quit?”
“No, ma’am. He was informed his services were no longer required.”
Gwen was struck speechless. Matilda, however, had more than enough words for both of them.
“How could they do that? Albert had nothing to do with the assault, or the robbery. He was cleared of all those charges. This is a travesty!”
“Matilda, please.” Gwen grabbed her sister’s wrist. “Making a scene won’t help anyone.”
Jonah looked around quickly, then leaned closer. “The one thing that might help is proving who really committed the crimes.” He kept his voice low.
“But the police have a suspect,” Gwen answered.
“Yes, but they’re short on hard evidence.” At her questioning look, he gave a shrug. “I have a friend in the police department.”
“Thank you, Mr. Walker. I appreciate your candor.”
“In that case—” Jonah glanced around again before continuing “—most of the Parkies treat us like we’re not worth their time, unless they need us for something. But you’ve never been that way. And I know Albert respects you. He’s my friend, and I think he deserves something good in his life. I think you do, too.”
Yes, that was ind
eed a candid response. “Thank you again. We should really be going now.”
“This is terrible,” Matilda said as they walked away. “What are we going to do?”
“You heard him. The only way to help Albert is to find proof that leads to the arrest of the real criminal.” Gwen was positive she knew who that person was. If only there was a way to prove it.
From the corner of her eye, Gwen saw someone moving quickly toward them. She braced herself for another inane comment by someone who didn’t care about facts, but was relieved to see a friendly face.
“Mr. Adler, it’s so good to see you.” Gwen reached out and squeezed his wrist. “I haven’t had the opportunity to thank you for all your help the other day.”
A faint blush crept up from under Jason’s shirt collar. “Don’t mention it, miss. I was happy to do it.”
“No, it was the act of a true friend. And my father sends his thanks, as well.”
Now Jason smiled. “I received a message from Mr. Banks in that regard. Something about how I saved him the trouble of having the statue removed. He even offered to pay for the repairs to my automobile.”
“That’s wonderful,” Matilda said.
“Yes, quite. But I wanted to talk to you both about something else.” His voice dropped into a conspiratorial tone. “Drexler is here.”
“Charles?” Gwen scanned the grounds but didn’t see the man. “Where?”
“I saw him over there.” He pointed in the direction of the tennis courts. “And he was with Odette Pettibone.”
Matilda gaped at the discovery. “Why would he be with Odette?”
“I don’t know,” Jason said with a shrug. “It makes no sense.”
Gwen gave her head a hard shake. “No, it makes perfect sense.”
Matilda nudged her arm. “Would you care to explain it to us?”
Oh, she really didn’t want to. There was no way to explain it without sounding like she was passing judgment on others, but they had to get to the bottom of the situation.
“Tilda, you told me once how Charles loved meeting new people. And at the balls, remember how he always danced with the other girls? The ones that usually don’t spend much time dancing?”
Matilda nodded. “Yes. He made a point of it. He even said to me once that even the wallflowers deserved some attention.”
Gwen cringed thinking of how Charles may have used those women. “I think his purpose was to get close to the women in order to steal from them.”
“Wait a minute. Drexler?” Jason’s voice grew louder. “We think Drexler is the robber?”
“Shh!” Both the sisters hissed at him at the same time.
Matilda swatted his arm. “You already know that. He’s the one who set up Albert.”
“Yes, I know that.” Jason waggled his head from side to side. “But you think he committed all those other robberies, too?”
“Yes,” they spoke together again.
Jason let out a long, low whistle. “This just gets worse and worse.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Charles talked his way into the Pettibone home, and he’s staying with them now,” Gwen continued.
“This is dreadful,” Matilda said. “How are we ever to prove what he’s up to?”
“I’m not sure, but first things first.”
Gwen had to get a message to Albert. She had to apologize for refusing to see him after all he’d gone through. After that, they could work together to expose Charles for the criminal he was. And then hopefully Gwen and Albert could discover if there was any future for them beyond the archery range.
Chapter 12
For the first time since they’d begun summering in Tuxedo Park, the Banks family was holding a ball. It had never seemed practical before, given Gwen’s aversion to crowds and dancing, but now, everything was different. Now they had more than just a social reason for holding such a gala event.
Gwen and Matilda had formulated the plan as they returned home from the clubhouse. They’d shared it with their father, who gave his blessing. The only member of the family who didn’t know was Mrs. Banks, who would surely put an end to it if she learned the true purpose of the ball. Instead she’d spent the past two days happily preparing for guests.
Now those guests were arriving.
Matilda and Gwen stood together near the entrance of the ballroom, watching each person who came in. So far, the people they most wanted to see hadn’t arrived.
“They’re not coming,” Matilda whispered. “Neither one will come, and this will be a huge waste of time.”
Gwen put a calming hand on her sister’s back. “They will come. I’m sure of it.”
Ten minutes later, Gwen accepted a glass of punch from one of the servers and began to doubt her earlier conviction. Neither man really had a concrete reason to show up, save the ones that Gwen had conjured in her own imagination.
Then, she turned her head and there he was. The first unknowing participant in their plan.
Just as Gwen expected, Charles entered the room with Odette Pettibone on his arm. The girl’s eyes were huge as she looked around. Gwen couldn’t recall seeing her escorted to any of the other parties. This was surely a new and heady experience for Odette. The idea that it was all a sham, that Charles was using her as a means to an end, made Gwen ache for her.
Gwen leaned over and whispered, “Charles is here. Remember, we invited him and we’re glad to see him.”
“I remember.” Matilda moved away from Gwen, gliding across the floor to meet the couple. “Charles! Odette! I’m so glad you both could come. And, Odette, your dress is stunning.” Matilda took her hands and gave them a squeeze.
Her dress truly was beautiful. And the smile that lit Odette’s face at the compliment almost made her beautiful, too.
“Thank you so much for the invitation,” Odette said.
“Yes, it was gladly received, although a bit unexpected,” Charles said. “Odette, would you be a dear and fetch me a glass of punch?”
Odette almost jumped up and down at the prospect of doing something for him. “Oh yes, of course.” And she scurried off.
Gwen now stood beside Matilda. “Good evening, Charles.” She held out her hand.
“Gwen.” He took her hand in his, bowing slightly over her fingers, then immediately let go. “I hope this means there are no hard feelings between us.”
“It means that the past holds little interest for me. All I want to concentrate on now is the future.”
“A very healthy attitude.” He grinned in a way that reminded her of a garden snake just before it swallowed up a cricket.
“Oh, dear!” Matilda gasped and clutched at the front of her dress.
“What happened?” Gwen asked.
“I almost lost this.” She held out her hand, revealing a beautiful diamond-and-sapphire necklace. “The clasp must have broken.”
“I told you not to wear that tonight. Mother would be apoplectic if you lost it. Come on, let’s put it in Father’s office safe.”
“We don’t know the combination.”
“Fine, then we’ll just put it in his desk.” Gwen turned back to Charles. “Please excuse us.”
“Of course.”
It wasn’t until the sisters reached the office and shut the door that they allowed themselves to breathe freely.
Matilda gasped and fell into the chair behind Father’s desk. “Do you think he believed us?”
“I’m not sure. At any rate, we’ve baited the trap the best we can.” Now to see if the rat would bite.
* * *
Albert held his head high as he walked into the Banks home. He no longer wore a fine tuxedo; he had returned that to Mr. Kane, not feeling right about keeping it. Instead, he wore the best—and only—suit he owned. It was at least several seasons out of fashion, but it was dark and clean. He was determined that from here on out, people would have to see him for who he was. If that wasn’t good enough for them, then so be it.
“Albert, my good man.” M
r. Banks strode up to him and welcomed him with a hearty handshake. “So glad you could make it.”
“Thank you for the invitation, sir.” Albert tried to casually look beyond Mr. Banks, but the man caught on right away.
“Yes, Gwen is here,” he said with a chuckle. “And yes, she knows you’ve been invited. Now go and enjoy the party.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Mr. Banks walked on to converse with more guests, while Albert moved deeper into the throng. The ballroom at the Bankses’ home was modest in comparison to some of the others he’d seen, but it struck him as a perfect representation of the family. Well-appointed, yes, but not flaunting itself.
A small orchestra was playing, several couples were dancing, but Albert didn’t see Gwen anywhere. Then a thought occurred to him. He made his way across the room to a set of tall French doors that led outside. The garden was beautiful in the moonlight, as was the woman who stood a few feet away, looking up at a tree.
“Gwen.”
She turned so quickly that her foot caught in the train of her dress, causing her to wobble. Albert reached out for her elbow to steady her.
Gwen flushed, her lashes dipping slightly. “It seems you’re always coming to my rescue.”
“And now you’re coming to mine.” He appreciated that she didn’t deny the fact. “You’re trying to help me regain a place in society. I’m not sure how important that is anymore, but I thank you for the thought.”
Gwen shook her head. “It’s not that simple. This is also about clearing your good name once and for all.”
“You’d think being found innocent of all charges would have done that.”
“Yes, well, the only way to stop the speculation about you is to prove who really did it.”
Albert was confused. “How will attending a party do that?”
“We have a plan.”
“We?”
“Matilda, Jason and I.”
“Jason? Jason Adler? The young man who can’t keep his automobile on the road?”
“Well, yes,” Gwen said, narrowing her eyes a bit. “But he does have attributes other than that. He helped us find Rachel, you know.”
“Actually, no, I didn’t realize that. I’ll have to thank him.”
A Worthy Suitor Page 12