Fate's Intervention

by Barbara Woster

  “Good morning, Ma’am. Is the man of the house home, by chance?” Walker Chisolm had been waiting for this day for a very long time. He deliberately kept his features neutral, but his insides were jumping with glee.

  “May I inquire as to your business with my husband?” Elizabeth asked, nearly choking on the word ‘husband’. She still had not come to terms with her new role, but she was certain that the man would not reveal the purpose for his visit unless she confirmed her relation to Mark. By the man’s expression, he was surprised to hear that Mark had married.

  “Well, Ma’am,” Walker cleared his throat, and pulled opened his coat, revealing his sheriff’s star, “The name’s Walker Chisolm, Ma’am, and I have a warrant for your husband’s arrest. Is he here?”

  “Mark hasn’t been in residence since yesterday morning. What’s he done to be arrested for?” Elizabeth said, her heart suddenly light. If Mark went to prison for whatever reason, then she would be able to live a life of grandeur and not ever have to worry about his touching her again. She didn’t really care when the sheriff didn’t answer her question, nor did she persist in finding the answer. She simply didn’t care.

  “Mind if we search the premises, Ma’am. Not that we don’t trust your word or anything. It’s just best if we ascertain his absence on our own.”

  “Certainly. Do come in,” Elizabeth said cordially, stepping aside. “Can I get you gentlemen a glass of tea?”

  “No, thank you, Ma’am,” Walker said, tipping his hat. “We’ll just make our search and be out of your hair as quickly as possible.”

  “As you wish.”

  “Thank you, Ma’am.”

  Matthew sat in the back of the wagon and watched the sheriff and his deputies disappear inside. The next thing he wanted to see was one of them leading Mark from the house in handcuffs, but it wasn’t to be. When Chisolm stepped outside fifteen minutes later, he was minus Mark.

  “Where is he?” Matthew asked, the moment Chisolm entered the wagon and shut the door.

  “He ain’t here,” Walker answered, disappointment obvious in the timbre of his voice.

  “Damn!”

  “My sentiments exactly,” Walker said with a sigh.

  “So, what’s the next step?” Matthew asked.

  “We go by the office and take down your statement. Then we’ll issue a warrant and send out an all-points-bulletin, to the neighboring cities. It’s only a matter of time before we get him, and when we do, we’ll need you and your mother to come back to New York and testify. Will you be able to do that?”

  “We’ll do whatever it takes.”

  “Mind if I ask you a question?”

  “Sure,” Matthew said.

  “We’ve been after your brother for the last fourteen years, and your family has been covering up for him and bailing him out for fourteen years. Mind telling me why the sudden change of heart?”

  “Actually, it’s my father that’s been covering for him all these years, and now my father’s dead and Mark’s decided to come after me,” Matthew said. “We don’t see eye-to-eye on the family business, you see.”

  “Not really,” Chisolm said, nodding his head sadly. “Family disputes make up a large portion of our business, and it’s always a disturbing thing to witness; but I’m glad, and I mean no offense by this, that your daddy died, because that brother of yours needs to be punished for all the misery he’s caused to some mighty fine people throughout the years.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more, Sheriff, or I wouldn’t be in your office swearing out that complaint,” Matthew said, signing his name to the document that was going to send his brother away for the rest of his life – and not a minute too soon by Matthew’s estimation. That is, if they could find him.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  “Uh, boss?” Pablo stuck his head around the doorjamb and peered into the dimly lit hotel room.

  “Don’t just stand there, bring him in?” Mark snapped, turning away from the window.

  Pablo ducked back out the doorway and turned to Deke. “You go in first,” he whispered harshly, peering over his shoulder. “I don’t want him to shoot me as the messenger.”

  “What are you two doing out there?” Mark yelled from inside the room.

  “Let’s just get it over with, Pablo,” Deke said, and stepped into the room. “Mr. Daragh, sir?”

  “What in hell is she doing here!?” Mark screeched, pointing behind Deke. Pablo ducked behind Lilith and pushed her further into the room.

  “Untie my mother at once, you imbeciles!” Mark shouted.

  Pablo quickly pulled his knife free of its sheath and sawed though the ropes that bound Lilith’s hands. When they were free, Lilith reached up and yanked the tape that covered her mouth, wincing as it pulled at her tender flesh. She rubbed the skin around her mouth and then stomped toward Mark and slapped him so hard across the face that his head snapped sideways.

  “How dare you send these two uncouth barbarians to abduct me from my hotel room!” Lilith said, her anger barely contained.

  “Mother, sit down,” Mark said, rubbing the sting from his cheek.

  “I will not!” Lilith continued, stomping her foot. “I demand that you release me immediately! How dare you treat your mother like this?”

  Mark sighed impatiently then turned toward Deke and Pablo, “Where is Matthew?” He asked through clenched teeth. “I told you not to kill him until I had a chance to. . . .”

  “Uh, that’s what we were going to tell you,” Pablo interrupted, rubbing his hands nervously down the front of his pant legs. “We were just about to make our move, when he suddenly stopped his horse, turned around, and galloped back toward New York City.”

  “The only thing we could figure to do was to bring your mother here so that maybe she could tell you why your brother up and left her, and what his intentions was,” Deke added.

  “I see,” Mark said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully, and then he turned back toward his mother. “So, where did your eldest boy go, Mother dear?”

  Lilith raised her chin a notch higher and debated whether to tell Mark anything. If she did, he would run and the sheriff may never catch him. If she didn’t, the look in his eyes promised swift retribution, mother or not. She felt a shudder of revulsion run down her spine. A mother shouldn’t fear her own child, but she did, and that made her angrier than she’d ever been in her life.

  “Matthew has gone to swear out a warrant for your arrest, Mark,” Lilith said, and smiled at the look of horror that swept across his face. The look quickly faded when he saw his mother’s triumphant visage. His eyes narrowed angrily and his nostrils flared, “I see.”

  “Do you?” Lilith taunted. “Do you really see that Matthew intends to make certain that your reign of terror comes to an end? I only wish that I’d had the courage long ago to stand up to your father and throw both of you in jail. . . .” A stinging blow across her cheek, cut Lilith’s tirade short. She stared at her son in shock. He’d never raised a hand to her before, but now she’d pushed him too far.

  “Well, now,” Mark said calmly, emotionlessly, “it would seem that my plans are going to have to be altered somewhat.” He turned back to Deke and Pablo, “You may escort my mother back to Daragh Manor.”

  “What do you want us to do after we get there?” Pablo asked, hoping that he wasn’t going to have to kill anyone.

  “Nothing. Your work will be done,” Mark said, then reached into the desk drawer and pulled out two pouches full of coins. “Here’s payment for services rendered – half payment, since you didn’t complete the task given you.”

  “We could always go back and get Matthew, boss,” Deke said eagerly, wanting to earn the remainder of his pay. He wasn’t happy that he was only going to get half for all the work he’d put into this job.

  Pablo, on the other hand, couldn’t hide the grin that crept across his face. Half was all he needed to pay off his debt and get out from under his cousin’s thumb. There wouldn’t be any more ill
egal jobs for him, he thought with glee. He was going to walk the straight and narrow for the remainder of his life.

  “So, how you gonna get your brother without our help?” Deke persisted.

  “I’ve just come up with a plan B,” he smiled grimly.

  Lilith saw the look that crossed his face and shuddered again. He was letting her go. Wasn’t he concerned that she would warn Matthew to keep vigil? His next words answered that question.

  “Tell Matthew, Mother, to watch his back,” Mark said softly, escorting her to the door. “The sheriff isn’t going to be able to catch me before I’m able to finish this.”

  Before Lilith could say anything further, Mark slammed the door in her face. A very irate Deke and a very happy Pablo, escorted her away.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  “What do you think became of Mark, Matthew?” Lilith asked several days later as their train sped towards Wisconsin. They were in the dining car enjoying a light repast, neither having spoken for more than half an hour, each so lost in their own little world, that Matthew didn’t hear his mother’s question until she’d repeated it twice.

  “I’m sorry, Mother,” Matthew said, patting his mother’s hand. “Forgive my inattentiveness. My mind is elsewhere.”

  “I understand,” Lilith smiled. “Did you wire Marcelle and her father to let them know when we’d be arriving?”

  “Yes,” Matthew smiled, “and admittedly this train is moving far too slow for my liking. Do you think she’ll like the engagement gift I bought for her?”

  “Considering that I helped you choose it, I’d say so,” Lilith teased lightly. “Nervous about asking her to marry you?”

  “Actually, yes,” Matthew said, his brow creasing with worry, “but more worried that she might turn me down.”

  “If she’s half the woman you’ve described to me, she’ll accept your proposal, and then berate you for taking so long to ask.”

  “Think so?”

  “I wouldn’t be the intuitive woman that I am if I didn’t know so,” Lilith said. “Now, back to your brother. I can’t fathom to where he has run off. He couldn’t have simply fallen off the face of the earth, yet it appears that he’s done just that.”

  “Wherever he is, the sheriff will find him. Chisolm’s a good man surrounded by good men. Elizabeth has promised to inform Chisolm the moment Mark darkens their doorstep. The little twit can’t wait to be rid of Mark so she can take over his money without having him as part of the bargain,” Matthew added.

  “Perhaps he’ll remain gone and then the poor girl can file for divorce on the grounds of desertion.”

  “Make no mistake, Mother,” Matthew said, “That ‘girl’ is far from poor or helpless. She’s a conniving little witch, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if she didn’t do away with Mark herself so she wouldn’t have to suffer his aggressive attentions any longer. Maybe that’s why the sheriff can’t find him. Maybe Elizabeth’s already killed him and buried him in their back yard,” Matthew said dramatically.

  “You don’t really believe that, Matthew.”

  “Good evening, Matthew. Mrs. Daragh. May I join you?” Stanharbor asked, interrupting their conversation, and then settled himself across from Matthew without further ado. Lilith slid closer to the window in order to escape his hulking frame, but she still felt suffocated beside his enormous bulk.

  “Clifford. How are you this morning?” Matthew asked solicitously, but couldn’t hide the perturbed tone that slid into his voice. Clifford, however, paid it no heed.

  “Could be better,” Stanharbor admitted, running a hand over his unshaven face. “Admittedly, I was a little worried at the prospect of leaving my little girl behind without her husband in attendance,” he said. “Had the attorney not assured me that she would be well cared for, I would have dragged her back to Wisconsin with me. Nasty business, all this. If I had known your brother was a criminal, I may have thought twice about wedding my Elizabeth to him.”

  Matthew doubted that seriously, but held his tongue.

  “Well,” Stanharbor continued, “no harm, no foul. As I said, no matter the outcome of all this, at least I know my dear Elizabeth will be well cared for. You don’t happen to know where your brother has gone off to, do you Matthew?”

  “Of course Matthew doesn’t know where Mark is,” Lilith said indignantly. “If he did, then the sheriff would have him in custody. In fact, Matthew and I were discussing that very issue when you came.”

  “Do you think he took off because the sheriff’s on his trail, or is it his habit to disappear for large periods without telling anyone?” Stanharbor asked Lilith, “After all, it would do Elizabeth good to know if her husband has a penchant for disappearing acts, wouldn’t it?”

  “Mark’s running from the police, no doubt,” Lilith said. “If he thought he could escape their grasp and still make the social rounds, he probably would. I mean, just the thought of missing his round of parties would probably send him into a fit of apoplexy.”

  “You forget, Mother,” Matthew interjected, “that not only has news of his pending arrest surely circulated, but also the sale of Daragh Steel has put a crimp in his lifestyle, so he knows that he will, in all likelihood, be ousted by the very society that once embraced him because of his position within the company. The thought of society shunning him may have been too much, and he fled into self-imposed exile”.

  “But if he hid himself away, he wouldn’t be able to seek retribution against you as he seems so determined to do,” Lilith added, worry creeping into her voice. “Remember, he did threaten you the day he released me, so I hardly think he’s just going to run away somewhere and hide.”

  “Well, he had three whole days the strike at us while we were at Daragh Manor and he didn’t, so maybe he’s decided to give it up.”

  “You really think so, Matthew?” Stanharbor asked.

  “It’s more of a hope, I guess, but no, I don’t think so. I just wish I knew where he was and what his intentions were so that I could get on with my life.”

  The sound of screeching brakes brought conversations of Mark to a temporary halt.

  “I do wish that we could make this trip without so many delays,” Matthew griped, looking out the window as a small depot came into view.

  “Eager to be back in Wisconsin, Matthew?” Stanharbor smiled knowingly.

  “More or less.”

  “It wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with a certain chestnut-haired female, would it?” Stanharbor teased.

  “Actually, Clifford, that’s exactly what it has to do with,” Matthew answered, glancing at his pocket watch.

  “Are you sure you want to attach yourself to someone that mentally unstable?” Clifford asked, and Matthew’s gaze snapped back to his. His gaze bore into Clifford’s, looking for signs that the old man was baiting him, but he only saw genuine interest.

  “I think I can handle it,” Matthew finally replied. “What about you, Clifford,” Matthew said, steering the conversation away from Marcelle, “were you able to locate a woman in New York?”

  Stanharbor’s face tinted pink, “Not one that was willing to return to Wisconsin,” he hedged vaguely.

  “Perhaps you should uproot and move to the city,” Matthew said. “It would be easier for you to find wives for your sons when they all come of age, and you would be closer to Elizabeth, should she ever need you. Plus, it might make it easier for those ladies who are interested in you to accept your proposal.”

  “Trying to get rid of the competition, Matthew?” Stanharbor said.

  “Why ever would you think that, Clifford?” Matthew grinned.

  “I heard about them highbred horses you purchased,” Clifford said. “Do you really think you can make it by selling high-priced animals to people who are only interested in cheap, hardworking nags?”

  “Perhaps,” Matthew hedged.

  “Well, good luck to you then,” Clifford said with a wry grin. “You won’t have to worry about me none, since I�
�ll be moving my family to New York before the winter snows set in.”

  “Really?” Lilith asked, astonished.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Clifford smiled, “and no, you didn’t influence my decision in the least, Matthew,” he added. “I’d already made up my mind before I boarded this train.”

  “You think you’ll be able to find enough land available in New York City?” Matthew hedged conversationally.

  “Why would I need a lot of land? I’m not that obese,” Stanharbor said, laughing at his own wit.

  “Well, aren’t you going to require a large enough tract of land for a burial plot?” Matthew asked over the rim of his wine glass, his face purposefully neutral. As his employee, Matthew would never have had the audacity to question the deaths of Stanharbor’s wives, but he wasn’t his employee any longer, he was his peer, and after everything they’d been though together . . . well, he wanted to know what had really happened. Stanharbor, however, didn’t seem to agree – if his countenance was any indication. His eyes narrowed and his skin turned a mottled red. Obviously, he wasn’t used to someone questioning him about those unfortunate events.

  “I don’t owe you an explanation,” Stanharbor whispered angrily. “You know that, don’t you?”

  “I didn’t ask for one,” Matthew said, leaning back in his chair.

  “Yeah, you did,” Stanharbor muttered, wiping a beefy hand across a suddenly beefy brow. “In your own way, you did, and even though I don’t own you a damn thing, I’m going to tell you.” Stanharbor said. “I’m going to tell you because I have a great deal of respect for you.”

  “That’s good,” Matthew grinned. “I’d hate to think it was because I was a Daragh.”

  “Daragh name or no,” Stanharbor insisted, “if I didn’t think I could trust you to keep your mouth shut about it, then this conversation would not even be taking place. I’ll have to trust you as well, Ma’am,” Stanharbor said, turning his head to address Lilith.

  “You have my word as Matthew’s mother,” Lilith said, her curiosity peaked.

  “Very well, then,” Stanharbor sighed. “As well you know, I’ve been married nine times, and the death of those wives have been the fuel for the rumor mill for a really long time.”