by Julia Tagan
“And if I don’t?”
“Mr. Carpenter is not far from here. All I have to do is fetch him and tell him I found you searching through his private papers.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“I’m a desperate woman. You don’t know what I would or would not do.”
Benjamin considered his options. If he had more time, it was possible he’d find proof Carpenter and Delcour were committing fraud. But Catherine was on to him. She could easily get in the way. On the other hand, perhaps he could take advantage of Catherine’s dislike of her husband and her precarious situation.
“You can tell me,” she said in a softer tone. “Perhaps I can help.”
He faced her. This would only work if he never let down his guard. “I think your husband and Carpenter are not being honest about the quality of the wines they're importing. I'm trying to find proof.”
She smiled. “I have an idea of what you’re looking for.”
“And what is that?”
“I’m not going to tell you, but Mr. Delcour has something hidden away, and he doesn’t know I know about it. Is that good enough?”
“It may be.” Either Catherine was an excellent actress, or she was speaking the truth. He turned away from her and sat behind the desk. “First let’s see if you’re right about the Yquem.”
“Theodosia said it’s in the bottom drawer.”
Benjamin gave it a tug. “It’s locked.”
“If I tell you how to get into the drawer, will you promise me we’ll split the proceeds between us?”
“Perhaps.” He did a quick calculation. If they sold the Yquem, there’d be more than enough money for the two of them.
“And there’s one more thing,” she said.
He shot her a look. “Make it quick. We need to get out of this room.”
“I will tell you where to find your proof and help you get it, but first, you must take me to Bridgeport.”
He sat back and shook his head in amazement at her. “Bridgeport? Connecticut? Why on earth do you need to go to Bridgeport?”
“My circumstances have changed. That’s all I’ll tell you for now.”
“That’s impossible. We can’t leave New York right now.”
“We can leave tonight. It won’t take long, only a couple of days. Once we’ve returned, I can get you what you need, and we can go our separate ways.”
He laughed. “Are you kidding? What is it about you and your preference for running away in the middle of the night?”
“You may laugh all you want, but that is my offer.”
The sound of voices drifted in from the hallway. Catherine picked up a letter opener. She knelt down at the bottom drawer and jammed it into the lock.
“It won’t open,” she said, frustrated.
Benjamin took the letter opener from Catherine’s hand and crouched down beside her. He gently probed the keyhole, and gave it a quick flick of his wrist. With a click, the lock released.
He pulled open the drawer. Inside, on top of some papers, was a bottle. Benjamin lifted it out and held it up to the light of the sconces.
“Whiskey,” he said.
“Let me see.”
Benjamin showed it to her and then put it back in the drawer. Her face fell.
“I’m afraid so,” he said. “Now tell me, why do you need to go to Bridgeport?”
She had tears in her eyes. “It’s my sister. You have to help me rescue my sister.”
10
A shuffling noise just outside the room stopped Benjamin cold. As the door opened, he grabbed Catherine, threw her over the desk and kissed her passionately.
“Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Delcour. How strange to find you here.”
It was Carpenter.
Benjamin straightened up and awkwardly tugged at his frockcoat. “We’re sorry to be intruding.”
Catherine pointed her finger and glowered at Benjamin. “Don’t you ever touch me like that again.” He gave her a slight nod of encouragement and she turned to face Carpenter. “This is no gentleman. He drew me in here and tried to take advantage of me.”
Carpenter entered the room. “And how can you blame him, Mrs. Delcour? I must admit, I don’t know if I’d be able to help myself either.”
Benjamin remembered the look in Carpenter’s eyes in the receiving line, and the way he’d salivated over Catherine. The smirk on his face made Benjamin want to hit him. Instead, he turned back to Catherine.
“You may go back to the party, Mrs. Delcour,” he said.
She gave him one more glare, and then trounced out.
Benjamin watched her go. “I do hope you’ll keep this from Mr. Delcour, Mr. Carpenter.”
Carpenter gave him a toothy smile and slapped him on the back. “Of course. You can’t be blamed. Half the town has had her, from what I hear. I’m sorry I got in the way.”
“I admit Delcour’s given me a devil of a job to do.”
“You have your work cut out for you, I’m afraid,” Carpenter said. “Shall we return to the ball before Mrs. Delcour gets into more trouble?”
The two men left the study and headed back to the ballroom.
“So you liked the wine I served earlier?” asked Carpenter.
“Very much so. Like I said, I don’t know much about wine, but my guess is you’ll sell a number of cases after tonight.”
“I certainly hope so. Delcour and I need to make some headway. We’re doing well, but the cost of shipping is high. Our profit is lower than I had predicted.”
“I imagine the politics of the situation don’t help matters, with Congress threatening to suspend relations with France.”
Carpenter gave him a sideways glance. “Very true. Where did you say you came from?”
“Nowhere, really. I’ve traveled around the world. Never settled anywhere.”
Before Carpenter could take his line of questioning further, several guests interrupted them. Benjamin excused himself and wove through the crowd. He was certain his expression after drinking the fake Margaux had given him away. Carpenter had been watching him closely, and he should have been more careful.
Benjamin wondered if he’d made the right decision by telling Catherine the truth. If her sister were indeed in trouble, it would explain the mysterious letter she’d received at the townhouse today. He needed to speak with her further, find out what the devil had happened, and make a decision. If she did have proof of what Delcour and Carpenter were doing, it might be worth the trouble of getting her to Bridgeport and back.
He caught sight of her from across the room. She nodded to him, and they found each other again on the dance floor.
“You might have warned me before you took advantage of me like that.”
“There was no time. And you seemed to enjoy it.”
She raised her eyebrows at him but didn’t deny it. “Have you given my offer any thought?”
“No, I haven’t agreed to your odd request. Tell me, why do you have to dash off to rescue your sister? If I remember, you haven’t seen her in years.”
“I haven’t. My sister sent me a letter this afternoon. I can’t explain it right now. But you need to help me. I know I’m asking a lot.”
Catherine’s forehead was etched with worry, and she gripped his hands tightly. Her concern was palpable, and he couldn’t help but feel for her helplessness, as he’d once felt the same way when it came to Dolly.
“You seem to forget one important item,” he said.
“What is that?”
“You have no money. I have no money. Unless you do a repeat of your first escape and steal one of Delcour’s carriages, you can’t go anywhere.”
The panic in her eyes upset him. Somehow he’d gone from enemy to confidante with this woman, and he wasn’t sure he was standing on solid ground either way. She unnerved him.
Before she could reply, Percy Bonneville broke in on them. His hair was mussed and his breath smelled of alcohol.
“May I please have this dance?” he aske
d Catherine. He was drunk and unsteady.
Benjamin stepped forward. “I think you need to take some air.”
“I want one dance with Catherine,” whined Bonneville. “And who do you think you are? You can’t speak to me in that tone.”
Catherine took Benjamin’s arm and spoke quietly. “We can’t afford to make a scene. I’ll dance one dance with him and then we’ll go.”
Without waiting for his reply, she pulled Bonneville away with her. Benjamin watched the two of them closely. Catherine moved onto the dance floor, smiling and nodding at Bonneville as if she hadn’t a care in the world. He’d thought she was done with the man, but perhaps not.
Maybe he had underestimated her, and now she was turning to Bonneville and begging him to help find her sister. The ballroom was crowded and suffocating and Benjamin had had enough of this nonsense. He turned on his heels and left. Catherine could run off with Bonneville, and Benjamin would tell Delcour he’d done his best. Delcour wouldn’t be happy to know his wife was at large, but he most likely wouldn’t be surprised. At the least she’d be out of Benjamin’s hands.
Outside, he breathed in the night air then called for Delcour’s coach. Bonneville would probably drive Catherine home. The thought of the two of them alone in a carriage brought back memories of his own ride with Catherine yesterday. He hated how furious the image made him.
As he was stepping into the carriage, he heard his name called out.
“Benjamin, wait, where are you going?” Catherine almost fell into him in her haste.
“I figured you’d be busy with Bonneville.”
She gave him a look. “Are you crazy? Did you see him? He’s drunk.”
“You seemed quite pleased to be dancing with him, from what I could tell.” He turned his back on her and climbed into the carriage. A tug on his sleeve stopped him.
“I didn’t want to dance with him, he sickens me.”
“I have no idea anymore what you want or don’t want to do, Mrs. Delcour.”
“Believe me, I have no interest in Percy Bonneville.”
“Then why agree to dance with him at all?”
“Two reasons. One, I was afraid he’d make a scene, and two, I realized he could be helpful to our cause.”
“Our cause? We don’t have a cause.”
She reached into her reticule and pulled out a timepiece.
Benjamin took it in his hand. It was heavy, of excellent quality. “He gave this to you?”
“Not exactly.”
A movement by the front door caught his eye. It was Bonneville.
“Why did you run away from me, my lovely?” His face was flushed from the effects of too many drinks and he slurred his words. Benjamin deftly pocketed the watch before Bonneville’s gaze settled on him.
“I’d like to have a moment with your man, there,” Bonneville said.
“Don’t be silly,” responded Catherine. “And he’s not my man.”
“You said you’d meet me in the garden in the back, Catherine, but I knew you were up to something.” He swayed slightly on his heels. “I followed you, you see, and now I know you had other plans. Is this man forcing you to leave?”
“I am,” said Benjamin. “Mr. Delcour has put me in charge of his wife, and I’m taking her home.”
“Not if I have anything to do with it,” said Bonneville. “It’s time I had her to myself, finally. It’s what everyone thinks, anyway.”
He hurled down the stairs toward Catherine but Benjamin stepped forward and caught him before he reached her.
Benjamin gripped him by the lapels of his coat. “You’re drunk, and you need to turn around and go inside now.”
Bonneville spat in his face.
Catherine gasped. He wiped his face with his coat sleeve without letting go of Bonneville and glanced around. There were a few footmen looking their way, but the doorway to the mansion was empty. Inside, Benjamin could hear the sounds of cheers in response to a toast.
Bonneville had everything Benjamin resented in the world: an easy life, full of luxuries. He balled his hand into a fist and cocked his arm.
“Don’t do it,” said Catherine.
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because it will only lead to trouble for you. Put him down and let’s go.”
“Listen to the girl,” snarled Bonneville. “I’ll have you arrested.”
Benjamin gave him a shove and watched as he stumbled back and fell. “Stay away from her.”
He helped Catherine into the carriage and followed her, shooting Bonneville a warning glance as he did.
The carriage moved off and Benjamin glanced out the window. Bonneville was sprawled on the steps, surrounded by footmen.
“No wonder Delcour wants to be rid of you. You’re an awful lot of trouble, as far as I can tell.”
She smiled over at him. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for insulting you?”
“No, thank you for saving me from that brute. Not to mention saving me from the fire at the Mount. I’m sorry I didn’t say this sooner.”
“Tell me what happened with your sister. I deserve that.”
She glanced out the window and back at him. “The letter I received today was one of several she’d sent. Mrs. Daggett kept them from me, on orders of Mr. Delcour. My sister was begging me for help.”
“What kind of help?”
“When I was thirteen, Mr. Allen, the man who took us in after our parents died, became overly fond of me. Once Mrs. Allen realized his interest, she arranged for me to work for Mr. Delcour, as he was sailing off to France and wanted to bring a girl along as his servant.” She gave him a rueful look. “I knew what was going on. I was a smart girl.”
“And how old were you at the time?”
“I was fifteen. Unfortunately, my sister’s now being pulled into the same trap.”
“What kind of trap?”
“I found her previous letters, the ones my husband had hidden away. She’s being handed over to a traveling preacher, and is begging me to come and rescue her. I have two days to get to my sister before she’s gone.”
“How old is your sister?” he asked.
“She’ll be turning ten. I assume Mr. Allen has already made his intentions known toward her, and Mrs. Allen has realized she must be removed from the household.”
He thought of his own sister. Dolly had cried and begged when their parents had told her of her match with Delcour. Benjamin had been young at the time, but he couldn’t help but fear for his sister, as he’d taken an immediate dislike toward Delcour when he’d been courting Dolly. Delcour had displayed great interest in young Benjamin when another family member was present, but ignored him otherwise. Dolly had put forward a brave face, and had been badly mistreated once she’d married and moved to Delcour’s plantation.
“I am sorry about your sister.”
“Sophie,” she said softly. “Her name is Sophie.”
Benjamin reached into his pocket and took out Bonneville’s watch. It was heavy and well made. Catherine gave him a proud grin.
“I don’t think he will miss it, and if he does, he’s so drunk he’ll have a hard time remembering what happened,” she said.
“Is this why you were so eager to dance with the man?”
She laughed. “Yes, it’s worth a mint, don’t you think?”
“It’s no bottle of 1780 Yquem, but it will do for now.” The sound of her laughter made him smile. He didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. They were going to Bridgeport.
11
Catherine was surprised when Benjamin instructed the coachman to stop the carriage.
“What are we doing?”
“We have to leave at once if we’re going to make it to Bridgeport by tomorrow,” he said. “For now, I’d like you to do your best imitation of Bonneville.”
“What?”
Benjamin told the coachman she wasn’t feeling well, and they’d be returning by foot to the Carpenter’s so she could spend the night
there, recovering.
“Be sure to let Mrs. Daggett know.” He gave her a nudge in the ribs. She responded by letting her head fall back onto his shoulder, and giving out a low moan.
“I wouldn’t want her getting ill in the carriage,” Benjamin told the coachman, as he helped her down the steps. “I’ll walk her back myself.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Catherine saw the coachman give a relieved nod to Benjamin and urge the horses to trot off.
“Nicely done,” said Benjamin. He led her down a small street lined with brightly lit taverns, the quiet jarred by the sound of men singing and a woman’s harsh laughter. Nearby stood a seedy pawnshop. The proprietor was unhappy to be called out of bed and eyed them suspiciously, but his doubts disappeared when he saw the gleaming timepiece. Catherine tucked the tidy sum they received into her reticule and a half-hour later they were heading out of town in a rented chaise with two horses.
“We should make it there by mid-morning,” said Benjamin.
“Will we be safe traveling through the night?”
“We don’t have much time. Mrs. Daggett will become suspicious when we haven’t turned up by tomorrow afternoon. She’ll get word to Carpenter and Delcour.”
“Perhaps I can take the reins for part of the journey?” she offered. The daring of their undertaking invigorated her.
“Perhaps not, as your last foray didn’t turn out so well.”
She shot him a look.
Their journey was aided by a cloudless sky and a bright full moon. As the carriage passed the turnoff to the Mount, Catherine glanced down the driveway.
“It was a lovely home,” she said. “I wish things had turned out differently and I could take my sister there to live.”
“Your sister would be amazed at how far you’ve come.”
“Yes, from servant girl to a rich man’s wife. And now, most likely back to servant girl.”
“I don’t understand how you can allow Delcour to push you aside like this.” Benjamin flicked the reins with his wrist. “You are his wife, after all.”
Benjamin was the last person Catherine expected to help her, yet here he was. She was grateful to him, but she didn’t want him to know the truth. After years of struggling to prove herself a cultured wife, she was, in fact, neither cultured nor a wife. The crude comments Percy had made as they were dancing together at the ball confirmed it, and Catherine could imagine the look on Benjamin’s face once he found out. She was no better than the sad women she’d spotted standing outside the taverns they’d passed earlier this evening. And Benjamin was only interested in locating her sister in order to seek revenge for his own.