by Linda Tillis
“So, how does this affect our plans?” she asked hesitantly.
“Truth be told, it has no effect at all. It just means instead of trying to run a new business of my own, I will become the overseer of Mae’s inheritance. This is the first of November, so we have almost two months before we get married. This cottage is adequate for our needs. Being here in town would keep you closer to your work, but if you would prefer, we can live at the manor. Patrick would have the run of the farm, but then you would have to travel to and from town for your work. The only important matter for me is that you and I will soon be together every night, no matter where we call home.” Garth took her hand and waited.
Eleanor took a long time to consider. Then she smiled at Garth. “Well, if Cyrus and Samuel are going to be at the manor, then I know where Patrick will want to be. Will there be much of an added expense, for the burden another family would put on Mae’s servants?” she asked hesitantly.
Garth laughed aloud. “I know what you mean. I’ve never been in the position of not having to worry about how much something would cost. I did have a long afternoon meeting with Mr. Finch, and while he is not privy to every one of the business ventures the Wellington estate is involved in, he did assure me it could support a fair salary for myself, as Mae’s overseer. So whatever expense is incurred by our presence, I will be able to cover it. I have another even more important reason for wanting all the people I love close to me. Langford Hardwick was not a happy man. He fully believed he was going to inherit all of Lady Wellington’s estate. He as much as threatened to make trouble, and I didn’t care for the way he looked at Mae, as if he actually knew her.”
****
Mae sat in bed, her arms wrapped round her knees, staring up at the night sky. Good heavens, this was the first time today her mind had slowed down enough for her to make sense of anything. Who would have believed this turn of events? As her breathing slowed and she could feel herself calming, she lowered her forehead to her knees and began to pray. “Dear Lord, help me to always remember You are my strength and through You I can do all things. Lord, help me keep my feet on the ground. Don’t allow me to get caught up in the idea of wealth, but completely in the idea of sharing what You have given me with others less fortunate than I. And thank you, Lord, for my wonderful family, who will stand by me and help me to achieve my dreams through You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
As Mae slipped lower in the bed, the excitement of the day eased from her body, and she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
****
Samuel was restless. He hadn’t been able to sleep. So here he was, sitting on the back porch of the Finches’ home, using the full-moon light to work on a small piece of ivory. He had not been able to put Langford Hardwick out of his mind. There was something about the man that worried him, something about the way he looked at Mae, as if he knew something the rest of them didn’t.
Well, Mr. Hardwick might have reason to be upset over losing so much money, but he had no grounds to be threatening Mae. If he knew what was good for him, he would take his money, leave town, and start a life somewhere else, because it didn’t sit well with Samuel when someone threatened his family.
****
Across town, in his rented room, Langford Hardwick was halfway through an imported bottle of Walker’s Old Highland, a truly fine whiskey. He had gone straight to the bank and determined he had, in fact, been credited with two million dollars.
Then he’d stopped at the first attorney’s office he could find. He spilled his story, punctuated with profanity and hate. The attorney listened and then assured him that if all the criteria he named had, in truth, been met, the will was legal and binding. Hardwick had stormed out of the office, still cursing.
As he nursed the glass of imported whiskey, he dreamed of all the painful things he would like to do to the little whore who had his money. He laughed drunkenly. He, of all people, could profess she was not a whore, but all he could think about was what he would have to do to get his money, and how to do it so it could never be traced to him.
****
Mae was amazed at how different the drive to the manor looked today. She was seeing it all through different eyes. It was no longer just a beautiful drive, with fallen leaves scattered along the roadside and fall wildflowers dotting the fields. It was the road to her home.
Papa was going back to Trenton tomorrow to start shutting things down there. He was leaving Samuel with her at the manor. Today they would have the first of many meetings with Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Patrick. They would begin to forge Mae’s dream.
At the suggestion of Mr. Finch, she had spent the past couple of days creating an outline for her plans. She’d never expected to be moving so quickly and had not been prepared. That was going to change. She was going to start putting things together. She had almost filled a notebook with ideas already.
Samuel rode along, deep in his own thoughts, none of which had to do with Mae’s plans. They all had to do with the conversation he’d had with his pa. He’d still been on the back porch when Pa came in from visiting with Eleanor. The two of them talked for over an hour. Pa explained he’d been considering the sale of the mill for some time. He believed the manor would be a perfect place for Cyrus to learn veterinarian skills. Being closer to the growth of the city would help Samuel’s sales. And then they spoke about the most critical business: the business of keeping Mae safe.
It was clear the part of the will about Mae meeting her death before she reached the age of twenty-one placed her in grave danger, but of course that would never occur to Mae. She would never believe someone would hurt her for money. So Samuel would be living at the manor with Mae. When he’d packed his bag this morning, he had included a loaded Colt .45, on loan from Mr. Finch, until Pa could get back with Samuel’s own guns.
Garth’s mind was going over a list of “things to do” as he drove. First, there was the meeting today with Arthur Bennett and Mrs. Patrick. The two of them had been given sufficient time to decide whether to stay or go. Frankly, Garth was hoping they would stay. They were both hard workers, had tremendous knowledge of the manor and its workings, and would be hard to replace.
The next item on Garth’s mental list was the most important. There were to be no new hires until he was back up here to stay. It would make it too difficult to keep Mae safe if they started adding unknown persons to the mix.
He would have this conversation with Mr. Bennett prior to leaving this evening. He and Samuel had discussed it at great length. They were in agreement: Hardwick was not to be trusted. Samuel had told Garth he had a bad feeling about Hardwick.
Ever since Ruth had passed away, Samuel had been given to “feelings.” The family had learned to respect them and not question Samuel. In fact, the day of Mae’s event, he had come to Garth and said they should go home early. Garth had stopped what he was doing, looked at the boy for a long moment, and finally agreed. Samuel had never put a name to it, but Garth often wondered if it was Ruth’s spirit, keeping watch over them all through Samuel.
Mrs. Patrick met them at the door. She turned to Garth. “Sir, Mr. Bennett is in the library. We’ll join you as soon as I show these two young ones where their rooms are.”
At the top of the stairs, she directed Samuel to a room on the left of the hallway and pointed Mae to the one directly across the hall.
Mae gave a small gasp as she entered the room. It was the loveliest bedroom she had ever been in. First, it was huge. A small sitting room opened off to the left, with a private bath area to the right. There was a large, overstuffed armchair covered in dark rose-colored brocade, with matching cushions lining the window seat. The tall windows opened inward and had been fitted with screens, allowing fresh air to waft through the room without giving entrance to insects. The large, four-poster bed was white, with a coverlet matching the chair and seat cushions. There were vases filled with dark pink roses atop small, white tables around the room. The room reminded her of her mother’s roses.
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Mae turned to Mrs. Patrick and smiled. “Thank you. This room is perfect, and I’ll be very happy here.”
“I’m so glad you like it, dear. Lady Wellington had it redesigned right after she first met you, and now I understand why.”
Mae had to fight to hold back the tears. She just smiled a watery smile and nodded.
Samuel stepped in the doorway and said, “We ought to get down to the library. Pa has a lot to cover today before he leaves for home.”
****
Hardwick had a headache to top all headaches. He’d had good reason to celebrate, though, so it was worth it. He had resolved his problem.
After weeks of hanging out in some scurrilous places, he had found the man for the job. He’d been sitting in the back room of Bailey’s Pub when he recognized a familiar face. He waved the man over to his table.
“Well, well, if it ain’t the Dandy,” the man growled. “Ain’t seen you in a ’coon’s age.”
Hardwick allowed a cold smile to cross his face. “Yes, Frank, isn’t it? That’s right, your traveling companions called you Frank. It’s been what, a couple of years?”
Frank Young didn’t like the fact the Dandy knew his name, but it couldn’t be helped. Those idiots he’d been running with two years ago didn’t know how to keep their mouths shut. He turned a chair around, straddled it, and smiled back at Hardwick.
“So, Dandy, whatcha’ been up to? Your old bird finally kick off and leave you flush?”
Hardwick just looked at Frank. He must not have been quite as drunk as he had appeared during their three days of traveling together. “Funny you should mention that. As a matter of fact, she did. However, there was an unforeseen complication.”
Frank Young laughed. “Yeah, she wasn’t as flush as you figured, huh?”
“No. A friend of yours has come forward to claim a very large part of my money.”
Young sat straighter. “What the hell you talkin’ about, Dandy? I ain’t got any friends.”
Hardwick watched Frank’s eyes. The man was wary. He might be stupid, but he was wily. He was no doubt already trying to figure out what this conversation might yield him. Hardwick took a long draw from the tankard he was clutching. He set the tankard down and smiled at Young.
“You do remember the young thing we met somewhere near Trenton?” He waited, as Young searched his memory. He could tell the moment remembrance came to the man.
“You mean the little she-cat that almost ruined my manhood?” he growled.
Hardwick nodded. “Yes, the one you laid out with a right hook.”
Frank Young raised one eyebrow. “Well, seein’ as how we was never properly introduced, I ain’t so sure she would consider me a friend, but what the hell does she have to do with your money?”
“Well, it seems she was a friend of the old bird, and she is now in possession of my money.”
Frank looked at him a long moment, then burst out laughing. Hardwick lowered his face until Frank stopped laughing. He didn’t want to be remembered as being seen with this man, because already a plan was developing in his mind.
“Well, well.” Young chuckled. “It looks like you paid for that little piece after all.”
Hardwick raised his face to Young and said, “How would you like to tangle with the little cat again? She has grown more beautiful over the years and thinks she is on top of the world now. It so happens, the old bird did leave me a goodly amount of money, but of course I would like to have all of it. Now, if a man was willing to take care of a certain problem for me, I would be willing to share my newfound wealth, generously, of course.”
Frank Young didn’t trust the Dandy any farther than he could throw him, but it would be nice to be flush for a while. “So you’d like this little she-cat to disappear?” Young smiled a wicked smile.
Hardwick could have been making a pact with the devil himself, but he could see no other alternative. After all, Young had just strolled in here after all this time as if he were the pre-ordained answer to the problem. “Yes,” he answered, “I think we could come to some sort of arrangement.”
Hardwick explained how the “deal” would have to go down. He would make a big show of leaving town. Then, after a couple of days, Young would take care of the problem. They would meet in Pensacola for the payment of services. Then they would part forever.
After a few more beers, Hardwick had given him all the details—where the girl worked, what time the store opened, where all her friends were located, and how she traveled. Of course, it had been necessary to give Young two thousand dollars up front, with the promise of eighteen more after the fact.
Now all Hardwick had to do was rid himself of this headache and make a big show of leaving town. Then wait.
Two hours later, Hardwick stood at the front desk of his hotel. “Yes, I will be out of town for a couple of weeks, leaving on the train this afternoon. I will, however, want you to hold my room for me. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks and will want the same room.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Hardwick. We will be happy to hold the room for you. If you will notify us prior to your return, we will have it aired and cleaned for you. And may you have a good trip. I’ll have one of the boys place your bags in a taxi for you.” The desk clerk smiled as he pocketed the large tip.
Chapter Eighteen
Eleanor dropped her keys. She was juggling her reticule, two new magazines, and a bag of books for Mae. As she stooped to retrieve her keys, she saw a man’s reflection in the window. She stood there a moment. Yes, that is the same man I saw yesterday. She glanced down to fit the key in the lock, and when she looked up again, the man was gone. She would be so busy today that she would forget she’d ever seen him.
Mae’s plate was full to running over. She still had to put the layout for the village on paper. She needed to have this ready for Mr. Bennett by Friday. Papa, Cyrus, and Hansu would be here next week. She also still needed to study for her exams. Oh, yes, she remembered, Eleanor would be getting her books for review today. She had to remind herself: one thing at a time; and with that in mind, Mae hurried to the kitchen.
Mrs. Patrick was speaking with the housemaids about new linens when Mae rushed through the door. “What can I do for you, dear?” The housekeeper smiled. “Did you need a cup of tea?”
“Oh, tea would be nice, but I was wondering if I could borrow one of these dear ladies to run an errand for me? I have so much to get done, and I don’t have time to run into town. I need the books Eleanor was getting for me today. I was hoping one of the housemaids might not mind taking the car into town to fetch some things for me.” The three young ladies in question all smiled.
Mrs. Patrick looked at them and said, “Well, I’m not sending all three of you off to town, so quit your grinnin’. You, Margaret, you can pick up whatever Miss Mae needs. You can get those new linens we were speaking of at the same time. While you’re at it, you can get with Cook to see if we need anything from the market.”
Margaret was a tall, dark Irish woman, with the pale skin and blue eyes that accompanied the claim. She had trained in London for a few years and had lost most of her Irish brogue. She smiled now. “Thank you, miss. I would love a ride to town. You can be sure I’ll take care of whatever errands you need handled.”
Margaret enjoyed the ride to town. It was a mild fall day with bright sunshine, making her glad she had put up her hair and worn her best bonnet.
She’d been to Taylor’s and picked up Miss Mae’s books. The driver had waited patiently outside Carters Dry Goods Store while she picked up new linens, and now they were headed to the open market on the edge of town. She had a list of things Cook had requested. As she stepped out of the motorcar, Margaret smiled at Henry, the driver. “I’ll be a while, Henry, so if you’d like a nap, you might park the car under that old oak.”
Henry smiled his thanks, and Margaret took off with her baskets.
Some time later, Margaret stood in the late afternoon sun and looked for the motorcar. She could
just see the rear bumper sticking out from behind the huge old oak. She smiled to herself; Henry must have really needed that nap. As Margaret approached the car with her assortment of baskets, she realized the door was standing open, and she could not see Henry. She placed her baskets on the back seat through the open door and stepped to the front of the motorcar—and gasped as her eyes found Henry, sprawled face down on the ground.
She ran and knelt beside the old man. He had a large wound, surrounded with dried blood, on the back of his head. Margaret rolled Henry onto his back and tapped his face. “Henry, can you hear me? Please, Henry, wake up!”
Henry moaned, and his eyelids fluttered. He could hear the fear in Margaret’s voice but couldn’t quite manage to open his eyes or speak.
Margaret turned to run for help and found herself face to face with a strange man.
Before she could register his rough appearance, he had smashed his fist into her face. He caught her as she collapsed and dragged her away.
Henry was trying so hard to understand what was happening. Just as he was dropping back into a deep, dark hole, a man’s voice floated over him. He would later swear the man was talking to a cat.
****
It was late, and Mrs. Patrick didn’t want to bother Miss Mae or Samuel, but she was worried. Margaret and Henry were very late. Margaret was not a silly goose. She could be depended on to behave correctly, so it was very unusual for her to be so late. Mrs. Patrick looked out the wide kitchen window one last time and was rewarded with the sight of a motorcar coming down the lane. With a sigh of relief, she stepped out the side door of the kitchen to meet them.
Samuel was just coming in from the barn. He’d been working all day with the two men who lived near the manor. The horses had been moved to a covered paddock, and the barn was being refitted as his work place. They’d made pretty good progress. He was thinking he had better hurry and get cleaned up before supper or Mrs. Patrick would have his hide. He was surprised to see two motorcars pulling into the curved drive in front of the manor. He watched as Mrs. Patrick came out to the drive, and thought maybe she needed help carrying some things inside.