“Do you do business with the government often, Mr. Thornton?”
“I’ve dealt with the State of New York a time or two, but this will be my first experience dealing with the federal government, Miss Miles.” His eyes glittered like broken glass. He was probably remembering his threats, too.
“I suppose it’s pretty much the same.”
“Yes, except for the size of the sale.”
“Indeed, that’s true, Thornton,” the general said, breaking protocol to address Thornton across the width and length of the table. “I can purchase as many cases of rifles as you can lay your hands on.”
“I’ve got a hundred ready and waiting for you, General.”
The general’s smile faded to nothing. “Only a hundred?” He turned to David. “You told me this sale would be worth my time.”
“But, General, that’s two thousand rifles,” David protested.
“Which wouldn’t outfit even one brigade. I’ve got a whole army to equip, son. It’ll take me years to do it if I have to deal with every mother’s son who has just two thousand rifles to sell me.”
Elizabeth hazarded a glance at Thornton, and he looked thunderstruck.
“Please, General,” Mrs. Vanderslice said gently. “We’re trying to enjoy a pleasant dinner, and we ladies have no interest in armies or rifles and certainly not in wars.”
“I beg your pardon, dear Mrs. Vanderslice. I’m afraid I’ve been too long out of genteel company, and I’ve forgotten my manners. Can you forgive me if I promise not to discuss this matter again in your company?”
“Certainly,” she said with her sweetest smile. “You’re very understanding, General.”
“But we will discuss this when the ladies have left us, won’t we?” Thornton said.
“Of course, of course,” the general said, waving away Thornton’s concerns with a flick of his hand. “I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping in the first place. I will now return my attentions to the lovely Miss Vanderslice.”
Anna seemed a little disconcerted, but she recovered quickly. Society girls were taught to make conversation under even the most adverse circumstances. She quickly asked the general to tell her which, of all the places he had lived, was his favorite place on earth.
Elizabeth turned back to Thornton, who was now an unbecoming shade of scarlet. His eyes were like hot coals in his ruddy face. “He better not change his mind,” he said softly, so as not to be overheard.
“He’ll buy your rifles. David will make sure of it,” she promised rashly, keeping her voice low, too.
“And if he doesn’t?”
“He will! You heard him; he actually wants more rifles than you have to sell him. A lot more! Why don’t you just buy more so you’ll have more to sell him?”
“It’s not that easy,” he said through gritted teeth.
“But you have contacts,” she reminded him. “You got that first batch of rifles, didn’t you? Maybe you can get more.”
“Since when are you an expert in firearms, Miss Miles?”
She didn’t miss the quiet menace in the question, but she smiled the way she’d taught herself to smile no matter what the situation. “I’m not, of course. I’m just a silly woman who knows nothing about rifles or armies or war, but I’m sure David will help you with whatever needs to be done.”
Thornton’s gaze slid past her to where David was watching the exchange. “Yes. He’d better.”
Elizabeth glanced over to see Gideon watching them with a slight frown. Did he have any idea what they’d been discussing? She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
After that, Thornton practically ignored her. She was left to chatter on about the weather and the museums David had taken her to visit, so the others would assume they were conversing. She almost wept with relief when Mrs. Vanderslice rose, which was the signal for the ladies to retire so the gentlemen could smoke their cigars and drink their brandy and discuss whatever men discussed when women left the room. She gave the general a big, hopeful smile and followed Anna and her mother out of the room.
• • •
Gideon watched the women go, or so he told himself. Really, he just watched Elizabeth go. She’d done yeoman’s service in trying to engage Thornton. The man was an impossible bore and rude into the bargain. He’d known other men suspected of murder who could still manage to conduct themselves properly in society, but Thornton apparently didn’t consider proper behavior necessary. Which he proved the next time he opened his mouth.
“Did you mean you won’t buy my rifles at all, General?” he asked as David filled the brandy snifters.
The general waited until David had handed him his before responding. “Of course I’ll buy them, Thornton. I’ve got to buy every weapon I can get my hands on. It’s just less trouble for me to buy them all from one man, or at least as many as I can.”
Gideon accepted a glass of brandy. “So you’d suggest Thornton increase the number of rifles he has to sell?”
The general selected a cigar from the humidor David had set on the table, slid it beneath his nose and inhaled rapturously. “You lawyers have such a nice way of saying things, but yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”
“How many rifles will you need, General?” David asked.
The general pulled out his pocketknife and cut the end off his cigar. “We’ll probably put a million men in the field before this war is over, gentlemen. The French and the English have made a hash of things so far, and it’s going to take some time to sort it out. So you see, I’ll probably be buying supplies for years to come, but I want to get as much as I can up front so we make a good showing when we get over there.” He leaned in with his cigar and puffed as David held a match for him.
“And how am I supposed to pay for a million rifles?” Thornton asked. Even though the room wasn’t particularly warm, he’d begun to sweat.
“No one expects you to get them all,” David said. “Just as many as you can find.”
“I think Thornton understands that,” Gideon said quickly, before Thornton had a chance to explode. “But he’s already got a small fortune tied up in the rifles he just bought. He’s justifiably concerned, I think.”
The general puffed on his cigar for a long moment. “I can’t tell you how to run your business, Thornton, but the government is paying more than anyone else for all sorts of weapons now, double or triple their real value, and that was last week’s prices. Next week it’ll be even more. If it was me, I’d beg, borrow or steal every penny I could get my hands on and use it to buy anything that shoots. I’ll buy it all from you in a few days at a tidy profit, and you’ll pay off your debts and walk away a much richer man.”
“And, of course, you’ll buy the rifles he originally offered you and be glad to get them,” David said quickly, his gaze on Thornton’s sweaty face, “if that’s all he has to offer.”
“Of course.” The general puffed his cigar and blew a rather excellent smoke ring that floated lazily up to the ceiling. “If that’s all he has to offer. But, Thornton, you strike me as a shrewd businessman. Whenever there’s a war, there’s money to be made if you’re willing to do whatever it takes.”
Thornton pulled out his handkerchief and mopped his brow. Only then did he take a taste of his brandy. “Whatever it takes,” he murmured, setting down his snifter.
But the general wasn’t listening. The excellent cigars and even better brandy had reminded him of a time he’d dined with an old Spanish family in the Philippines and how they’d tried to arrange for him to compromise their daughter so he’d be forced to marry her.
Gideon enjoyed the story, although he didn’t believe a word of it, and he also enjoyed watching Thornton, who wasn’t even pretending to listen. Plainly, the general had inspired all sorts of ambitions in Thornton. Gideon had no idea how much cash the man might have access to, but he was willing t
o bet Thornton would be investing it all in guns of whatever type he could find for sale. How much would he have to pay for those guns, now that everyone knew the army wanted them? And how much would General Sterling pay for them to make it worth Thornton’s while? Gideon saw his plans to prevent Thornton from profiting too much evaporating.
He’d have to stand by and see him become a millionaire instead.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The general didn’t wait long after the men joined the ladies in the parlor to claim a prior commitment and make his excuses to leave. He’d accomplished his goal for this evening, whatever it may have been, and Gideon suspected it was far more than getting to know Thornton better. Before he left, the general made his rounds, addressing each of the ladies in turn and spouting more lavish compliments.
“You must come and see us again, General,” Mrs. Vanderslice said.
“I expect to be spending a lot of time in the city for the next few months, so I will happily accept your invitation, my dear lady.”
He left Anna blushing from hints that her great beauty must be a grave concern to her brother. Finally, he approached Elizabeth, who had wandered away from the rest of them as if trying to avoid him. Gideon couldn’t imagine why she would want to, especially when he saw her expression when she looked up at the great man and allowed him to take her hand in both of his.
He’d never seen her eyes shine quite so brightly, which seemed odd, considering the nonsense he was spouting about how he’d give David some competition if he were only twenty years younger. Could she really be flattered? Or even attracted to such an old man? For some reason, Gideon found himself drawing closer to them. He wasn’t jealous. How could he be? No, he just felt some natural urge to protect her, although he could not have said from what.
Elizabeth gave a little trill of laughter at the general’s parting remark, and as it died, he whispered something that transformed her whole expression for just one second. That one second told Gideon something alarmingly important, however.
Something he hadn’t allowed himself to realize until this moment, and something that changed everything.
• • •
Fortunately, Elizabeth saw Gideon approaching out of the corner of her eye before she replied to the general’s whispered words. Had he heard? She couldn’t tell from Gideon’s face, but he was good at concealing his feelings. And had she given anything away with her own face? Surely not, but she schooled her expression to one of polite interest just in case. “I hope we’ll see a lot of you while you’re in the city, General.”
He’d obviously seen her gaze shift ever so slightly to Gideon, and he followed her lead, releasing her hand and bowing slightly. “You can be sure of it, my dear girl.” He turned then and, seeing Gideon, stuck out his hand. “Bates, I’m looking forward to our next encounter.”
“So am I, General.” Did he sound different? Was his enthusiasm forced?
Then the general moved on to speak to Thornton, and Gideon turned to her. What was he thinking? Why did he look so somber? Why didn’t he say something?
But she was being ridiculous. He couldn’t have heard anything or seen anything or sensed anything. He was just being his normal, aggravating self. She said, “I’m afraid I didn’t have an opportunity to speak to the general about being profligate with our taxes.”
He blinked, and for a second she thought . . . But then he said, “Sadly, neither did I. But I’ll have other opportunities. Perhaps you will, too.”
What did that mean? “I will if the general is as good as his word about visiting us again.”
“Yes, that, too.”
She wasn’t imagining it. Gideon was behaving strangely. But even if he’d heard something, she could convince him he was wrong. She knew how to play a mark. He wasn’t exactly a mark, but she could play him just the same. She had to.
David was escorting the general out, leaving Thornton as their only guest. Mrs. Vanderslice moved to attend to him, inviting him to join the rest of them for cards. The thought of socializing with Thornton over a card table made Elizabeth want to scream, but to her relief, she heard him say he also had another engagement and wouldn’t be able to stay.
Her relief lasted only a moment, however, since Thornton decided he needed to speak to her one more time before he left. For once, she was thankful for Gideon’s presence.
“What a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Miles,” Thornton said with his phony smile. How could a smile make someone look more evil?
“You are too kind, and thank you again for your assistance, Mr. Thornton.”
“This deal with the general will more than repay me, if it goes through.”
She heard the warning. She only hoped Gideon did not.
“It will go through,” Gideon said. “I think the general is as eager as you are.”
“Then why was he so disappointed?” Thornton made no attempt to hide his anger now that the general was gone.
“Because he wants you to sell him even more rifles so he can pay you even more money.” And Gideon made no attempt to hide his impatience. “Most men would be thrilled.”
“I’ll be thrilled when the deal is closed.”
David was back, and he came straight over to them. “The general seemed very pleased. He said he looks forward to doing business with us.”
“Don’t spend your fee just yet, Vanderslice,” Thornton said.
David refused to be discouraged. “I understand your concern, Thornton, but I’m sure we’ll find more rifles for the general.”
“You mean I will,” Thornton said. “And don’t bother to offer your help. I wouldn’t trust you not to bypass me and sell directly to the general.”
“I can see why you’ve been so successful in your business dealings, Thornton,” Gideon said.
Thornton obviously missed the sarcasm in Gideon’s tone. “You’d do well to follow my example, Bates. Your family fortune could use some fattening up, couldn’t it?”
His smirk told Elizabeth he thought he’d insulted Gideon, but he’d underestimated his victim.
“I prefer to get by on less and maintain my belief in my fellow man.”
“More fool you, then.”
“Thornton, really,” David said in exasperation. As host, he couldn’t stand by while his guests insulted one another, but he couldn’t afford to alienate Thornton, either. “We can work this out. I have contacts, and—”
“And if you hear of anyone selling rifles, I’m sure you’ll let me know. Meanwhile, I’ll be taking care of my own business.”
“And you’ll let me know when you’re ready to close the deal?” David said a little anxiously.
This time Thornton’s smile was pure evil. “Only because the general would probably insist on involving you, but don’t worry, you’ll get everything you have coming to you.”
With that, Thornton turned and walked out.
“I warned you about him,” Gideon told David.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, my dear,” David said to Elizabeth.
“So am I,” she said quite honestly.
“Elizabeth, are you all right?” Anna exclaimed, hurrying to her side. “You’re white as a sheet.”
“Am I?” Elizabeth asked, hoping it wasn’t true. Thornton’s little tantrum shouldn’t have disturbed her so much. With any luck, she wouldn’t have to see him again, but luck wasn’t something she counted on. “I’m just a little tired. Did your mother say we were going to play cards?”
“Yes, but I don’t know what we can play with five players. Happy Families perhaps?”
They all laughed at the prospect of playing the silliest of card games, breaking the tension Thornton had left behind.
“If Elizabeth isn’t feeling well, perhaps she would like to go home,” Gideon said.
Why was he suddenly so concerned about her? Elizabeth stared
at him, trying to judge his mood, and by that his intention, but he only stared back, his face innocent of expression. No, she wasn’t going home with him just now, and not alone with him at all if she could help it. She would have to avoid being alone with him until the deal with Thornton was done, too. That shouldn’t be too hard, should it?
“Now that you mention it, maybe I will go along,” she said, turning to David. “Darling, would you see me home? I don’t want to ruin Gideon’s evening.”
“Of course, my dear,” David said, glowing because she’d called him darling in front of everyone.
Was Gideon frowning? Of course he was. He didn’t like being outmaneuvered, but that was too bad.
And so she escaped for one night. How many more did she have ahead of her?
• • •
The next morning, Elizabeth stayed in bed until she was sure Gideon had left for his office. She would have to plan her days carefully to avoid him. Mrs. Bates was just finishing her breakfast when Elizabeth went down.
“How was your evening?” she asked as Elizabeth served herself from the buffet.
“Very nice. David’s client is a retired general. He was quite impressive. I think Mrs. Vanderslice is smitten.”
“Poor Clarissa would love to remarry.” Obviously, Mrs. Bates thought such a notion foolish. “Oh, did I tell you that you’ve been invited to the National Woman’s Party conference?”
“They’re having a conference?”
“Well, it’s not exactly a conference, but the officers and the National Advisory Council are having a meeting, and they are apparently inviting everyone who was jailed to attend as well. I suspect they have some sort of honor for us. The meeting is this weekend, though, so it’s very short notice, but I’m thinking they just decided to invite us.”
City of Lies Page 24