“Two women in administrative positions?” James Moore asked, his incredulity evident in the tone of his voice. “That’s really pushing things.”
“Don’t worry,” Carolina said with a soft laugh. “I’m not interested in taking on more work. Mr. Davis gave me a job when no one else would, and I’ve tried to repay his consideration with loyal service. But I’ve reached the age where I’d like fewer responsibilities rather than more.”
Etta smiled at Carolina. When this matter was resolved, she’d speak to Carolina about changing her job requirements. After all, Uncle Carl’s position would soon be vacant.
“Very well,” Judge Thompson said. “If Etta will speak to Mr. Lewis and ask him if he’s interested in the position, we’ll put it on the agenda for our regularly scheduled board meeting.”
A knock postponed Etta’s response.
Carolina rose and opened the door.
Carl stood at the threshold, his straw boater in his hand and a broad smile on his face. “Good afternoon, everyone,” Carl said as he entered the room. “I hope you’re all enjoying this beautiful spring weather. There’s no better time to be in Texas, that’s what I always say.” Carl pulled out the only empty chair and settled into it. “I was delighted to receive a note asking me to attend today’s meeting. May I assume you’ve reached a decision about Etta’s place at the bank?”
William stood. “Carl, would you please tell us how long you’ve been an employee of the Davis Bank and Trust?”
“It will be two years in November. If Henry could talk, I’m sure he’d tell you what a great job I’ve done.”
“What areas of the bank are your responsibility?”
“Personnel. I interview and hire tellers, bookkeepers, and secretaries. I also make sure they’re doing their jobs and handle any problems that arise. Henry’s in charge of the management level, and I do everything else.”
“Do you have any day-to-day responsibilities that involve cash?”
“Not usually, but I’ve always been willing to fulfill any duty assigned to me.”
“Is that why you collected payments from farmers and ranchers who have loans with the bank?”
Carl’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Why, yes it is. I know it’s difficult for those clients to get into town, so I took it on myself to collect the payments and to issue receipts.”
“Were these payments made in cash?”
Carl adjusted his purple-striped tie as though he felt the noose tightening around his neck. “Why, yes they were. Clients with checking accounts are mostly our business owners. Almost everyone else operates on a cash basis.”
“What did you do with the cash once you’d collected it?”
Carl crossed his legs, uncrossed them, and shifted in his chair. “Well, I entered the payments in the general ledger and added the cash to a teller’s drawer. That’s the way we always do it.”
“I’d like you to examine this ledger.” William placed Arthur Lewis’s record of payments in front of Carl. “Do you recognize it?”
Carl turned the pages as he frowned over the small, black book. “No, can’t say I do. It’s too small to be one of the ledgers we keep at the bank.”
“This is a separate ledger kept by Arthur Lewis. You know Mr. Lewis, correct?”
“Of course. Arthur’s office is only a few feet away from mine.”
“Were you aware that Mr. Lewis kept a separate ledger of loan payments?”
Carl pulled his collar away from his neck. “No, can’t say I did. If I had, I would have reported the collections I made. If my minor oversight has caused a problem, it can easily be rectified by checking the general ledger.”
“Are you acquainted with Miss Florence Edwards of Austin?”
Carl removed a white handkerchief from the inside pocket of his jacket and wiped his upper lip. “Yes, I know Miss Edwards. In fact, I introduced her to Etta a few weeks ago. Do you remember, Etta?”
Despite his duplicity, a twinge of sympathy touched Etta’s heart. Carl was walking farther and farther into the trap. “Yes,” she answered. “I remember meeting her.”
William continued drilling Carl with questions. “Miss Edwards told me that she sometimes accompanied you when you made your collections.”
“Only once. Flo loves fast automobiles, and my car was built for speed.”
“Miss Edwards also told me that you opened a bank account in Austin under her name.”
Carl’s gaze dropped. “Oh, well, gentlemen…this is rather a delicate matter and definitely not one to be discussed in front of the ladies.”
William pursued the question. “I believe Miss Davis and Mrs. Swanson will survive any shocking revelation. Would you like to explain why you are making deposits under Miss Edward’s name?”
“Well…” Carl cleared his throat. “Flo is a special friend. I…uh…help her financially in exchange for her…uh…friendship.”
“Miss Edwards is a kept woman?” William asked.
“That’s a harsh way to describe my friendship with Flo. She has a job at a dry goods store on Congress Avenue, but as I’m sure you can imagine, her salary provides only for the most basic necessities of life. It is my pleasure to provide her with the occasional treat such as a new hat or a small item of jewelry. She is most grateful for whatever favor I show her.”
William placed three sheets of paper in front of Carl. “The paper on the left is a list of shortfalls the bank has experienced during the last fourteen months. There is a regularly occurring discrepancy between the cash in the tellers’ drawers and the amounts recorded in the general ledger.”
Carl shook his head and pointed to the sheet of paper. “This is what I was talking about, gentlemen. I know little Etta tried her hardest, but an error like this could end up costing the bank a lot of money.”
“Indeed,” William said. “The second paper is a record of the payments you collected. Most of the clients had receipts signed by you.”
Carl rubbed his chin. “I’d have to look at the general ledger to make sure this is correct. There have been too many for me to remember.”
“Miss Edwards turned over her bank book to my office. The deposits equal the amounts you collected minus approximately two thousand dollars.”
Carl squirmed in his chair. “Hmm…that is a coincidence.”
“According to Miss Davis, your salary is seven hundred fifty dollars a year. How is it possible you deposited close to five thousand dollars in Miss Edwards’s account?”
“Me? Oh, no. Flo must have made these deposits.” Carl scooted his chair away from the table and glanced at the door.
“Miss Edwards and the tellers at Texas Trust disagree. Miss Edwards says you made the deposits and the tellers describe a well-dressed, sandy-haired man in his forties. They also report that he drives a yellow Hudson.”
Carl’s chair screeched on the wooden floor as he stood. “What is this? Are you accusing me of stealing payments and falsifying ledgers?”
“In my role as county prosecutor, I am prepared to file charges of embezzlement against you.”
Carl’s face turned crimson. “That’s ridiculous! I tried to help out the bank’s customers and I get accused of a crime? If Etta’s lost the bank’s money, you need to lay the blame on her. I refuse to stay here and let you besmirch my good name.” Carl grabbed his hat and strode toward the door. But when he opened it, the sheriff and a deputy blocked his exit.
William nodded to the sheriff and the two officers grasped Carl’s arms. “You’re going to spend the night in jail, Carl. I’ll be by to file charges.”
“This is madness!” Carl yelled. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I can produce every dollar I collected.”
William signaled with his hand for the sheriff to take Carl away. Through the open doorway, Etta could hear Carl angrily protesting his arrest.
As the sound of Carl’s furious voice subsided, everyone around the conference table sat back in their chairs and sighed heavily.
> “I never would have thought…” James Moore muttered.
Judge Thompson placed his palms on the table. “Mrs. Swanson, please note that the board will meet again in two weeks. That should be enough time for Mr. Clark to bring us up-to-date on the case against Carl and the prospect of recovering the stolen funds.”
“Do you need more time, William?” asked the mayor.
William stacked his papers and returned his watch to his vest pocket. “No, two weeks should be plenty.”
“Very well, then,” Judge Thompson said. “As chairman of the Board of Directors, I hereby call this meeting closed.”
After the men had shaken hands with each other and filed out of the room, Etta folded her arms on the table and rested her head on top of them. Her neck and shoulders ached as though she’d been carrying the weight of the world.
Carolina touched Etta’s shoulder. “Your father would be so proud.”
Carolina’s kindness moved Etta to tears. She’d successfully controlled her emotions during the meeting, but now that it was over, everything she’d held back rushed to escape her self-imposed blockade.
“Do you want a few moments alone?” Carolina asked.
Etta retrieved a handkerchief from her jacket pocket and nodded.
Carolina patted Etta’s shoulder, refilled her water glass, and left without saying another word.
Etta’s breaths came in ragged sobs. Her father wouldn’t be proud if he saw her now. Women weren’t considered suitable for business because of their emotional natures, and wasn’t she fulfilling that opinion? Gabriel had told her she needed to be more of a man, but how in the world could she be something she wasn’t? Etta sipped her water and took several deep breaths. She had to tell her father about Carl and the impending trial, but at least she could tell him the problem had almost been resolved.
****
The sun was setting by the time Etta turned onto the drive that led to her house. Wisps of pale yellow and pink clouds stretched along the sky, and the first stars blinked to life. She hesitated outside the kitchen door to gather her thoughts and to put on her best face.
If Rosa got a hint that Etta was troubled, Rosa would also be upset.
After several deep breaths and a few practice smiles, Etta climbed the steps and walked through the back door. “Evening, Rosa. How was everything today?”
Rosa was at the counter, chopping onions. “Good day today. Your papa walked to the stable and back without Charlie’s help. Charlie said the horses were so happy to see him, they sang and danced.”
“I wish I’d seen that,” Etta said with a laugh. “I’ll go up and see Papa now.”
“No, mija. He’s sleeping right now. I just checked on him.”
“Where’s Mr. Simpson?”
“He went into town with my brother.”
“Oh? Is Mr. Simpson making friends with your family?”
A shy smile lit Rosa’s face. “You could say that.”
Etta nudged Rosa with her shoulder. “Is there something I need to know?”
Rosa’s cheeks grew a charming shade of pink. “Well…maybe…”
This time, Etta’s smile was genuine. “Is Mr. Simpson going to be asking for long-term employment soon?”
Rosa ducked her head. “Well, mija, you know, your papa is going to need help for a very long time. Somebody to take care of the little things he needs. Plus, Charlie could help around the place with the horses and the garden after Benito goes to college.”
“I see. I think that’s a very good idea.”
Rosa’s dark eyes glistened with excitement. “Really, mija? You don’t mind if me and Charlie…well…he asked me if I would marry him and…”
“And?”
“I said maybe.”
“Maybe? What are your reservations?”
Rosa wiped her hands on her apron. “I can’t leave you and your papa all alone. You need me now more than ever. But Charlie, he said that as long as he could find work, we would stay in Burnet.”
Etta would gladly find work for Mr. Simpson if it made Rosa happy. “Do you think your brother will give his permission?”
Rosa’s voice took on a serious tone. “He will if he knows what’s good for him.”
Etta laughed with Rosa. It had been a long time since Etta had something to celebrate. “Are you happy, Rosa?”
Rosa scooped the chopped vegetables into a black skillet. “I think so. My husband, he died a long time ago and…well it might be nice to have somebody special again.”
Etta put her arm around Rosa’s shoulders. “If you’re happy, I’m happy. Mr. Simpson will have a job in Burnet for as long as he wants it. If not here at the house, then I’ll find something for him to do at the bank.”
Rosa embraced Etta. “Gracias, mija. I’ll tell Charlie when I see him.”
“Now, what can I do to help with dinner?”
Rosa touched her forehead with her palm. “Oh, I almost forgot. Miss Sara called a few minutes before you got home. She wants you to come see her.”
“Now?”
“That’s what she said. You go on, and I’ll finish the dinner. When Charlie comes home, he’ll wake up Mr. Davis, and we’ll eat.”
Etta headed toward the kitchen door. “Just think, Rosa. You’re going to be a bride. We’ll have to find you a new dress.”
“Nothing too fancy. I’m too old for those dresses that look like clouds of lace. Besides, I already had a big wedding when I was nineteen.”
“As soon as you have the date, we’ll go shopping. I haven’t shopped for new clothes in a long time.”
The image of Rosa’s shining eyes and smiling face stayed with Etta as she walked the short distance to the Bensons’ house.
Charlie would have never come into their lives if her father hadn’t needed him, and now Charlie would change Rosa’s life as well. One person’s life touched many others, sometimes by accident, sometimes by fate.
Like Gabriel. Even though Etta had been acquainted with Gabriel all her life, she hadn’t known him until recently. The time she’d spent with him had been powerful and life-changing. He’d encouraged her to prove herself, and he’d trusted her with his secret. Unlike George Owens, Gabriel hadn’t befriended her as a way to gain control over the bank, and unlike William Clark, Gabriel didn’t expect her to resign from the bank in order to stand by his side while he climbed the ladder of success.
However, Gabriel had returned from his travels a different person. Where he’d once been good-humored and friendly, he was now cold and surly. She’d stayed away from Gabriel since he’d tended Mira’s hoof and she’d told herself that dreams of loving him were foolish.
How peculiar life was. She’d rebuffed George’s interest; she’d probably decline William’s offer, and the one man she cared for didn’t return her feelings. How did other women maneuver the complicated world of love?
As she neared Sara’s house, Etta saw that Mr. Benson’s truck was not parked in its usual spot. Hopefully, that meant Gabriel wasn’t at home. As much as Etta wanted to see him, dealing with his churlish disposition would be too much after everything that had happened at the board meeting.
In keeping with the warm spring weather, Sara’s front door and windows were open. Etta knocked on the doorframe and called, “Sara? You wanted to see me?”
Sara’s voice sounded from within the house. “Come on in, Etta.”
Etta walked through the doorway. “Where are you?”
“In the kitchen. Come on back.”
Etta checked the house as she passed through the parlor and hallway. Gabriel was not in sight. “Rosa told me you wanted to see me.”
Sara placed a lid on a blue metal roasting pan and slid it into the oven. “You’ve been so busy lately we haven’t had a chance to talk.”
“Where’s your family?”
“Gabriel went with his dad to unload some lumber. I’m not sure how long they’ll be.”
Etta breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to see Gabriel. Really
, she did, but another round of poorly-veiled insults might reduce her to tears.
Sara closed the oven door and washed her hands. “Come sit down. I want you to taste the rice pudding I made this morning. I got a new recipe from a magazine.” Sara spooned the pudding into a bowl.
Etta had always loved coming to Sara’s house. From the outside it was a simple white-frame house with tall windows to catch every available breeze, but inside the warmth of love suffused every room. Faded forget-me-nots embellished the kitchen wallpaper and the shelves held mismatched plates, but Etta thought it was the nicest room in the house.
The kitchen was where Sara cared for her family. She concocted home remedies to treat everything from the sniffles to skinned knees, and although company was shown into the parlor, those close to her were entertained at the well-used kitchen table.
“Now then,” said Sara, setting a bowl of pudding and a spoon in front of Etta, “catch me up on everything that’s been going on.”
Etta tasted a spoonful of the sweet, creamy pudding. Sara had always been a good and loyal friend, but Etta couldn’t talk to her about Gabriel. “The pudding’s delicious. Very smooth.”
“Good. First, tell me what happened when you went to Austin. Did Nora chaperone you?”
It seemed as though years had passed since her weekend with Nora. “Oh, yes. And she gave me quite a talking to about my inability to refuse George Owens’s attentions.”
“That’s an important skill for every woman to know. Did you set him straight?”
“I tried. Turns out he was more interested in taking control of the bank than he was in romancing me.”
“He said that?”
“He sure did. Nora couldn’t believe it either.”
“Good riddance, I say. What’s this I hear about you and William Clark? His mother has been spouting off about her son proposing to you. Does she know what she’s talking about?”
Etta tilted her head from one side to the other. “Sort of. William did ask permission to talk to Papa about marrying me, and at first, I thought it might work. I mean, William’s always been very kind. He always compliments me in one way or another, and the Clarks have been friends of the family for years and years.”
A Thousand Little Blessings Page 22