Understanding Mercy

by Janelle Ashley

  ****

  Mercy looked out the window and watched the wind push the wispy clouds across the moon as she waited for the clock to strike eleven. The last few nights when she waited for Ian, he never came, but for some reason she had a feeling he would be there tonight.

  Sure enough, as soon as she walked into the gazebo, he reached out and grabbed her with even more force than usual. “You are late.”

  “No I’m not. I left when I heard the eleven chimes like I always do.”

  With disgust, he asked, “Why do you always have to argue with me?”

  “You are in a bad mood again tonight. Maybe you should just leave.”

  “Maybe I should.” He actually walked out the gazebo, but within seconds he came back inside and leaned heavily against a post as if he didn’t have the strength to stand on his own.

  With concern, she asked, “Are you ill?”

  “No. I had a hard day.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “Did you know Mr. Berkeley is back in town?”

  “Yes, I did. I saw him at Priscilla’s wedding yesterday.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “When would I have told you? Did you forget you didn’t show up last night?”

  “I don’t need your sarcasm right now, Mercy?”

  “Well, what do you need?”

  “A break.”

  “A break from what?”

  “From life.”

  She shrugged as she leaned against a post. “Yes, well unfortunately life isn’t like a coach you can just get in to and out of whenever you please.”

  “Well, I wish I could get out of it until Mr. Berkeley is gone.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He hung his head as if the weight of the whole world rested upon his shoulders. “The aggravating man spent the entire day at the office with your father and he distracted me horribly. I couldn’t get any work done.”

  “Mr. Berkeley was at the office with my father? Why?”

  “I thought maybe you would know?”

  She shook her head. “Neither of them said anything to me.”

  “I hate that man,” he spit out harshly.

  “Mr. Berkeley?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I hate him because he thinks he owns the world. He cares about no one but himself and tries to make everyone around him feel like they are nothing. I’m not nothing.” His speech began to slur, as he continued, “I don’t care how high and mighty he is, walking around like he is king, he is the one who is nothing.”

  Mercy stepped forward and grabbed his arm and asked with worry, “Ian, why are you talking so slow? You act like you are half asleep?”

  “I’m tired, Mercy.”

  He reached out to pull her against him, and she placed her face against his chest as he rubbed her back in slow circles. But after several moments, she pulled back and asked, “Ian, what is that smell?”

  “What smell?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve smelled it on you lately. It’s a sticky, sweet smell. It makes me feel sick.”

  He pushed her away and went and sat on the bench. “Then stay over there where you don’t have to smell me.”

  “What is wrong, Ian? You have been acting so strange lately.”

  “I didn’t come here to be insulted by you all night.”

  She started to just leave since nothing she could say would help when he got like this, but she glanced back to see his shoulders shaking and she heard him crying. A wave of pity washed over her and she rushed to his side and soothed, “Ian, why are you crying?”

  Through sobs, he managed, “I just know you are going to leave me.”

  “No, I’m not, Ian. I made a commitment to you long ago, and I keep my commitments. I’m not going to leave you, but you are making it more and more difficult for me to want to stay.”

  “I’m just under so much pressure. I need you. I don’t know what I would do if you left me.”

  “I said I won’t.”

  He straightened and took a deep, shaky breath while wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “I should leave town. I need to leave town. I am sick of Boston. But I can’t leave without you. Just come with me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Just come with me. Go pack your things and come with me now.”

  “Now? You know I can’t leave now.”

  “Why do you always have to be so proper?” He asked with disgust, “Do you think you will earn a medal if you do everything right all the time?”

  “Ian, my parents have been through so much. You don’t know what it did to them when my brother died. I am all they have left. I cannot just leave with you. I would be ruined. That would destroy my parents and I cannot do that to them.”

  He placed his head in his hands and spoke through his fingers. “So you love your parents more than me?”

  “That question is unfair and you know it. I love my parents, but I love you too. I love you deeply Ian and we will be together someday, but I cannot just run away with you.” She placed her hand reassuringly on his back. “You know how much I love you, don’t you?”

  He lifted his head and nodded. “Mercy, I know you think I smell bad, but could I hold you anyway? I need to know you are mine.” Without saying a word, she let him hold her and tried to breathe through her mouth. That sticky, sweet smell clinging to his clothes literally made her feel sick. It reminded her of something. What was it? It almost came to her, but then slipped away.

  ****

  For the fifth day in a row, Addison sat in a back room of Mr. Creed’s office pouring over paperwork. Five days before, he had a series of questions facing him concerning the man’s floundering shipping business. The first being what caused Mr. Creed’s business to suffer, and it didn’t take long to figure out someone had been embezzling from him for about three years.

  The second question was who was capable of doing such a thing. The obvious answer was his young accountant, but something didn’t seem right. Whoever the embezzler was had a brilliant and devious mind and went to elaborate extremes to hide the stolen money. The end of the twisted and complicated paper trail led to gambling halls and brothels. Addison looked at Ian Magregor several times, but could not imagine his large, brown eyes hid such wickedness.

  The last two days Addison discreetly did some investigating and discovered some alarming facts about Magregor. This morning, the final piece of the puzzle fit together and there was absolutely no doubt that Mr. Creed’s accountant was a depraved man. Addison wondered how it was possible for a human being to exist in the world with absolutely no conscience.

  The quest of solving the mystery had consumed Addison, but it was finally over. As soon as he turned his findings in to Mr. Creed, he was going to devote himself to another mystery—Mercy. But, first things first. After stuffing all the evidence into his bag, he stood and made his way to Mr. Creed’s office. He glanced at Mr. Magregor who gathered his things as he prepared to leave. Trying not to raise any suspicion, he smiled and said in a friendly voice, “So are you leaving, Mr. Magregor?”

  He glanced at his pocket watch and replied, “Yes, it’s time for me to leave.”

  “Well, you have a nice evening then.”

  With a wary nod, he turned to leave and then came back to stand before Addison. “Mr. Berkeley, I’m sure it’s none of my business, but why have you been spending so much time in Mr. Creed’s office?”

  “I thought I already told you that Mr. Creed and I are working on a shipping venture together.”

  “Yes, but why?”

  “Mr. Creed was kind to me when I was a child, and I wanted to do something kind for him in return. I’ve been doing all the work necessary for a profitable venture and I’m finally finished.”

  He narrowed his eyes as he gave a quick nod. “That is good of you.”

  Addison wondered if the young man was calculating how he would steal more of this new batch of money. He had not told Ma
gregor a lie, since he was preparing to include Mr. Creed on a profitable shipping venture bringing silks from India. The money should soon start pouring in for him. Good thing the devious thief would be out of the picture and unable to get his grubby little fingers on any of it. For soon Ian Magregor would stand trial for a number of crimes that went far beyond embezzlement.

  Addison itched to wrap his hands around Magregor’s neck, but instead forced himself to grip his leather bag tighter that held the evidence which would make sure Magregor paid for his crimes. He forced himself to give a friendly nod. “Mr. Magregor, I hope you have a pleasant evening.” He wanted to say, For it will probably be one of the last pleasant evenings you will ever have. But he bit his tongue and headed for Mr. Creed’s office.

  When he knocked and opened the door, he again felt a wave of despair at the look of Mr. Creed’s tired, haggard face. The poor man. He had worked hard his whole life only to have everything nearly destroyed. And to think what Mercy and her mother had been forced to endure because of this selfish thief. The thought of it made him want to chase after Magregor and strangle him after all. With a heavy breath, he sat and spread the papers across the desk and spent the next three hours explaining the twisted and complicated way that Ian Magregor had used to bilk Mr. Creed out of an absolute fortune.

  Mr. Creed removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes as he muttered, “I feel like such a fool. I allowed myself to be deceived so treacherously.”

  “No, don’t say that. You are a good and trusting man and it’s difficult for you to understand that a human being could be this despicable. The boy is brilliant and it’s a horrible shame he would use his astonishing brain for such wickedness. If he’d applied himself to good, there is no telling what he could have accomplished. And believe me, as the trial will show, you aren’t the only one he has deceived. He is a master at deception. No one can believe someone as boyishly handsome and charming as Magregor could be so evil.”

  “He is clever. Sometimes I just knew the accounting figures didn’t make sense, but he explained everything away with such authority that I didn’t question him.” He let out a long, breath of frustration. “So the money has been spent in gambling halls and brothels. Is there any of it left? Can any of it be recovered?”

  He shook his head. “It has all been squandered. But don’t worry. We’ll start this shipping venture together in India and soon you will have more money than you know what to do with.”

  “Mr. Berkeley. You understand I have no money to invest. This would not be a fair deal for you.”

  “I’m going to use your ships and crews. Believe me, it’s not a bad deal for me. I cannot imagine what else I would rather do with my money than help you. I don’t think you will ever understand how much your kindness meant to me when I was a child.” Choking with emotion, he managed, “And to think you bought me that toy horse. I just…” He couldn’t say anymore, and with embarrassment he wiped a tear that slipped from his eye.

  Mr. Creed leaned over and placed a hand on his arm. “You are a good man, Addison Berkeley.”

  Hearing such genuine praise from a man he greatly admired touched him. “You are the good man. I just hope I can be half the man you are.”

  He smiled weakly and leaned back in his chair. “Addison, how can I repay you? What can I do?”

  He leaned back as well. “Just one thing. Can you answer a few questions I have about Mercy?”

  “Mercy? I will try.”

  “Your daughter is a sweet, smart, beautiful young lady. Has she ever been courted by anyone?”

  Shaking his head with a frown, he mumbled, “No, and it’s the strangest thing.”

  “Do you have any idea why?”

  “No idea at all. It makes no sense to me. She has scores of young men interested in her, but she keeps them all at arm’s length.”

  “She has never shown an interest in anyone?”

  “None at all. I could tell she cared for you. I could see it in her eyes. I thought you cared for her too, and I wondered why nothing ever came of it. I thought you were courting her, but the next thing I knew you had taken off for France.”

  “I thought I was courting her too, but she rejected me and told me I was not the one for her. My feelings for your daughter run deep and I believe she cares for me too. But something is holding her back. I just don’t know what. Sometimes I wonder if she is in love with someone else, but you say that is not the case?”

  “No. There has been no one else. I can assure you of that. Mercy rarely leaves the house and when she does, she is either accompanied by my wife or by my footman Barry. I watch her when we go to dinners and parties, and while many young men try to get her attention, none succeed. A few brave men have actually called on her, but they never come back. I am not sure what she says to them, but apparently she makes it clear she is not interested.”

  Addison shook his head in confusion. “Your daughter is a mystery to me.”

  “I wish I could help you. In many ways Mercy is a mystery to me also. She and I were always close, but when Noah died, a big part of me died too, and I think I have not been there for her like I should.”

  “Maybe your wife would understand more?”

  “No. In fact, we had a discussion about this a few days ago that was brought about by you. When we saw you at the wedding we both noticed that Mercy spent a considerable amount of time watching you out of the corner of her eye. Her mother thinks you are the perfect man for Mercy, and she cannot understand what is keeping you apart.”

  Addison steepled his fingers in front of his face. “Perhaps her friend Priscilla knows, but she is on her honeymoon.”

  “No, Priscilla doesn’t know either. She approached Elizabeth and me at her wedding reception and commented that she hoped whatever was coming between you and Mercy would get worked out so the two of you could be together. She said if Mercy let you slip through her fingers again, she would regret it for the rest of her life.” He paused and then added, “Priscilla did comment that Mercy said you would never choose her over a sophisticated, beautiful, French countess.”

  “Mercy knows all I want is her. I told her.”

  He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You did?”

  “I told her the last time I saw her.”

  “What did she say?”

  “Nothing. It’s terribly frustrating.”

  “Addison, please know we are all hoping you and Mercy can work this out with each other.”

  Addison glanced over and watched as the flame consumed the log in the fireplace, and then he looked back at Mr. Creed’s tired face. “So you, her mother, and her best friend all think the two of us belong together, but Mercy cannot see that?”

  “I don’t know what Mercy sees. I wish I knew.” He let out a deep, weary breath. “You have helped me tremendously, but I seem to be of no help to you.”

  “I suppose this is just a mystery I’ll have to solve on my own. But I’ll figure it out this time and I’m not leaving Boston until I do.”

  “Good.” Mr. Creed slowly arose and assembled the papers strewn about his desk. “Let’s take these to the justice of the peace.”

  Addison took the papers from him and put them back in his bag. “I think it will only be a matter of days before the arrest is made. Please try to act as normal as possible around Mr. Magregor. We don’t want him to get suspicious and run.”

  “I’ll try. But I hope to God I don’t see him before the arrest is made.”

  “I understand.”

  “I cannot even explain the anger. It’s one thing to destroy me even when I’ve been good to him, but what he has done to my wife and Mercy. He has reduced us to a state of living in poverty. I had to sell everything, even Mercy’s beloved pianoforte. I’ve not been able to buy either my wife or daughter a new hat in almost three years. And neither one of them complains, which almost makes it worse. How could that wicked boy look in the mirror?”

  “Somehow he justifies it.”

  “How could
he possibly justify it?”

  “It’s amazing what people can justify.”

  The two of them continued talking as they made their way to the home of the justice of the peace. After some explanations, they handed over the paperwork, and Addison said, “My coach is back at the stables by my office. Let me give you a lift.”

  “I would appreciate it. Thank you.” When they got in the coach, Mr. Creed glanced at his pocket watch and sighed. “Would you look at that? It’s almost eleven o’clock. What a long night. I’m usually fast asleep by ten o’clock. I cannot remember the last time I was up this late.”