by Jerri Hines
He did not argue, which worried her more. Rosa appeared in the doorway.
“Get me his medicine and send for Miss Hazel,” she instructed. Then she turned her attention back to her papa.
Papa slept while Miss Hazel sat with him. He seemed to have calmed, but Jo was worried. She had never seen Papa in such a state. He had always been a man in control, confident and assured. Today, he showed his apprehension.
“Call for my attorney, Jo. I need him here today.”
“Papa, I will send a note but I don’t know how soon…”
“Do not delay,” Papa rasped. Lying down on his bed, he reached up and gripped her hand so tight it hurt. “Morgan will come. He will know what will happen if he does not. Send the note requesting his immediate presence…”
“I will. Rest. Please, Papa. For me.”
Jo eased out of his room. Confused, she retired back to her room and took Papa’s note that had greatly disturbed him out of her skirt pocket. It was from Andrew.
Her eyes flitted over the written words. Thunderstruck, she sank into the chair by the window as understanding suffused within her.
Dear Mr. Brantley Wright,
Due to unfortunate circumstances, it is with the utmost regret that I must postpone my journey home at this time. My mentor, Dr. Halcoyne has fallen ill. He has asked me to cover for his surgical practice until his recovery, which forces me to cancel my travel plans. It is a deep regret. I want you to convey my sincere apology personally to you. While it may delay my wedding plans with your lovely daughter, it will not keep our nuptials from being undertaken at a future time. I understand you want the ceremony to commence in short order and have committed myself to making this happen as soon as possible.
As a show of my intentions, I had thought of inviting Josephine and yourself up to Philadelphia for the ceremony to be held here. Then I understood it would be selfish of me to cause Josephine the distress of not having our wedding surrounded by family and friends.
The air of turmoil is brewing around us. In Charleston, the air breaths for secession; here in Philadelphia the tension holds against us. I do not want to subject Josephine unduly to the hostility. It hurts me to delay the wedding once more. I know the pain it will cause, but it will only be temporary. I believe because of the atmosphere here in Philadelphia, it is my belief that is best to postpone the wedding. I will immediately return the moment Dr. Halcoyne recovers. At that time, the marriage can commence. I will leave the details in your hands.
With heartfelt regret,
Dr. Andrew Montgomery
Jo rose with the utmost feeling of helplessness and stared blankly out the window. She had long since lost track of time. She had stared disbelieving at the letter until the words held no more meaning to her. She let the letter slip from her hand.
Leave the details in your hands! Empty words! She had nothing in her hands, only a bitter void. Even in her naivety, the excuse sounded lame. She clutched her stomach. Oh, how she ached!
Now Papa’s concern became clear. “Do they suppose I bluff?”
She may not have understood the arrangement fully, but she knew that her father wasn’t bluffing. Far from it! She knew Papa was deathly serious in his intent and feared it would kill him.
Anger surged forth. Andrew understood the precarious health Papa was in! Had not the doctor in Charleston given him only until the end of the year? Stubbornly, Papa clung to life to see his promise fulfilled.
Deep in thought, she did not hear the door creak open and shut or the footsteps walking toward her, but she felt the arm that encircled her from behind. Startled, she turned. Wade!
Glancing around the room to ensure no one else was witnessing this breach of propriety, she pushed him back and hissed, “Whatever are you doing in here?”
“I was worried about you. How is your papa?”
Jo met his questioning stare. “Papa is resting, but his health, as you well know, is waning.” A prolonged silence passed, widening a gulf between them before she found the voice to speak. “I suppose Andrew wrote to you also that he has been delayed in Philadelphia.”
“Unfortunate,” Wade said, but he did not have the look of one distraught over the fact. His eyes never wavered from hers as he once more stepped towards her. “I know that it has distressed your Papa.”
She gazed up into his warm blue eyes, sensing his intentions. It was easy to become mesmerized. Leaning down, he pressed his lips on hers. She gasped at his boldness and yet they felt so warm and tender. Open-mouthed, the kiss vividly revealed his desire, weakening her resolve.
A sudden urge wrestled through her conflicting emotions. She wanted to be loved, not to be used as some pawn in a game she no control, but this would never do. No matter their past, it would never, ever do. Not now.
Fighting desperately against her own growing desire, she twisted away. Shaken and shocked by her wanton act, she staggered back a step. “Oh, why do you hate me so much you would blatantly disgrace me? It will certainly be the end for Papa or is that your intent? Your brother has done his best!”
Wade scowled. “You don’t know what you are saying. I would never harm you or your papa.’
“Then why are you here? You must know Papa is beside himself. It will kill him. It will certainly kill him.”
“It is not my intent to do any harm. This is the only room in the house where we will not be overheard,” he said bluntly. “But you should well realize what I want. What I have always wanted—you.”
Her eyes widened and snapped with a sudden ire. “You know that is impossible,” she uttered under her breathe. “That decision was made long ago. You made your choice. I made mine. It cannot be undone without harsh consequences. Have you forgotten you are a widower of less than a year, or I am engaged to your brother?”
“What if I don’t want to proper? If I wait the allotted time, I will lose you. I refuse to lose you again.”
For a brief moment, she wanted to believe him; wanted to believe she did not have to live her life in a loveless marriage. But Papa’s words echoed within her. They are playing us for fools, Jo.
Oh, what a mess her life had become! Society had a set of rules to follow she could not ignore. She had skimmed along the edge of society for so long; lived in fear that she would disgrace Papa. Already the matrons of Charleston eyed her suspiciously. The old ladies were sharp. They would never forgive her selfish actions if she gave in to the man before her. Entrapping a man in mourning while engaged to his brother! She would be labeled a Jezebel.
Shunned! No, they would not blame Wade. He would not feel their wrath, but she held no doubt she would for the rest of her life.
A resolve emerged within her. She would never allow that to happen. She was no simpleton. Her life had become a charade, but no more. She had fallen into a dark abyss, allowing others to dictate her needs, but had not the last few months taught her she could trust no one?
Lest she forget her own grandfather betrayed her!
Beneath his critical gaze, she summoned her courage, “You are not trying to manipulate me, are you, Wade? Playing on my emotions to get what you really desire—Magnolia Bluff.”
Wade flung his hand back derisively. “Have you forgotten you once said you loved me? I thought, perhaps now, I would be the better choice than Andrew. I cherish you.”
“At one time, I would have believed every word you said. It is not the case now.”
She left her words hang in the air. Wade, too, had betrayed her. He lied to her, telling her they could share a life together. Then it all fell apart. So much had happened. She didn’t even know if she believed in love anymore.
Only Papa had her best interest at heart. He wanted her to have what had been lost to her momma. There had been Cullen, but it had been her to walk away from him. Taken in account the arrangement that Papa had laid out, the terms had not been met, only constantly postponed. To what purpose?
There was only one answer. Clayton Montgomery was playing a game of his own. H
e had already made clear he had no desire for her to marry Wade. He had forced Clarissa upon his grandson. Had he now employed Wade into his ploy? To delay a union until the time when he could challenge Papa without fear of repercussions? Could she trust Wade or anyone?
They believe I bluff?
Wade’s frown was fierce. “Can you deny what we feel for each other? The last couple of weeks we have only grown closer.”
From perplexity, he changed swiftly to a decisive lover. Suddenly, he caught her by the shoulders and forced her gaze up to his. Jo found herself captured in his arms. His mouth found hers, and for a moment, she forgot everything except being in his arms. Her breath caught in her throat…she fought against the rising passion.
“Let me love you as I yearn to do,” he whispered against her lips. “We can marry quietly with your Papa beside you.”
Her mind rebelled. If she allowed this, she would be lost forever. “Wade, no,” she gasped, turning her face from him. “We can’t do this. I can’t allow you to lose everything.”
“I will gain the world if you marry me.”
“Oh, no, Wade, do you not know? The contract. It is not only Andrew that has to hold to it. I do also. If he refuses me, then everything will revert to my dowry for me to marry one of my choosing, but if it is I that breaks the terms, I get nothing.”
He stiffened. Then he released his hold. “Why do I not know of this?”
“Why would you? You were married when it was drawn up,” she said. Her voice quivered. It was harder than she imagined. “When you came into the room, I was preparing to go wake Papa. He was upset with his letter from Andrew, but it is not all for naught. In my letter, Andrew pleaded with me to come to him. We will marry in Philadelphia. He did not press Papa to allow me, not wanting to force upon me a decision I did not want to make if my one desire was to marry here in Charleston. So you see, I have no choice.”
The look of desolation crossed his face. It tore at her soul.
“I beg your pardon, Jo. I will not force myself upon you again.”
Jo watched him ease out the door. She followed and latched it, barring anyone from entering. Reaching into her skirt pocket, she pulled her letter from Andrew…his letter to her. It had not been opened.
She stared at the closed door. A feeling of wretchedness engulfed her. The Montgomerys would learn they were not the only ones to run a bluff.
Chapter Four
The relatively mild winter had taken a turn in Philadelphia. The new year had brought with it brutal freezing winds and intermittent snow squalls. This evening, the bitter cold kept most within their warm homes.
Dark and dreary, one lone carriage trudged through the back streets of Georgetown. It rolled through a section notorious for its connection to the underworld. But the occupants rode through without a thought to their safety, not with their armed footmen. Kathleen Halcoyne had selected the footmen herself for this specific purpose.
“You don’t need to say anymore,” Kathleen assured Elizabeth, thankful the carriage was dark and her friend could not see her eyes rolling at the question. The woman had more than played upon her nerves this evening. It took all her will not to scream at her.
But it would never do, she reminded herself. She needed Elizabeth for her scheme to work. Never in her life had Kathleen found it this difficult to keep up this façade with this poor pathetic creature sitting beside her in the carriage. Moreover, she had done it for years. It had been a necessity.
Elizabeth had been her only link to the society she so desperately wanted to be a part. That was until Andrew fell into her hands. There again she had need of Elizabeth.
“I do not like this part of town at night. Moreover, the weather is bitter. Are you certain you want to go in alone? Suppose we come back in the morning light?”
Granted, she understood Elizabeth’s nervousness. The back alley behind the shady hotel would put most gentle born women on the edge. It excited Kathleen.
“He is expecting me now.”
“But am I to sit out here in the dark and cold and wait. It has begun to snow.”
“For heaven’s sake, Lizzy, I cannot go back home alone. It will be brief.”
“It is never brief.”
Kathleen ignored the last statement. Elizabeth would do nothing. She would sit and wait no matter how long it took Kathleen. Elizabeth was loyal to a fault. Kathleen would not even need to remind Elizabeth that not long ago it was she who had waited on her.
Of course, that too had been of her invention, Jeremy Lowney. It had been quite cruel to poor Elizabeth, but quite necessary. Kathleen would have her revenge. She would make Cullen Smythe rue the day he refused and humiliated her.
Kathleen had never been a patient person, but this scheme she had hatched years ago, since the first time she laid eyes upon Elizabeth’s stepbrother. How smitten she had been with the tall, broodingly handsome young man from the Deep South! More importantly to her—rich.
The deception had been perfect. No one suspected her sinister motive for befriending poor little Elizabeth.
She had dreams, unfulfilled dreams. She would be damned if anyone stood in her way. It was close. She could taste it. Finally after all this time, she would have what she had always wanted but was denied.
Kathleen had grown up the spoilt daughter of one of the leading surgeons in Philadelphia, Dr. Nathaniel Halcoyne. Unfortunately, his skill with the knife did not extend to his finances. Her father indulged his only child, but he also extended his generosity to any misfortunate soul he encountered, which frustrated his ambitious daughter to no end.
She had long lived on the edge of proper society. Her father’s practice catered to the wealthy, but she had only been allowed a glimpse of their lifestyle. What she saw she liked and wanted! Oh, how she hated the snobbish looks bestowed upon her by his clientele. As if she was no better than a lowly servant, merely the daughter of their doctor, nothing more. She vowed one day she would reign over Philadelphia high society.
Long ago, she had come to the conclusion she would never be considered a classic beauty, but she had other attributes she used to her full advantage. Wit, charm, and a low cut dress gained the attention of more than one wealthy beau.
When Cullen stifled her attempt to trick him into marriage, she swore she would make him regret the day he turned her down in such a humiliating fashion. She had learned from her mistake. She had been young and naïve. But no more.
She had come close once with dear Maynard. The fool. Maynard Richards had come to Philadelphia in search of a cure. Her father had been highly recommended, and the sickly young man sought out his help. A thin, gangly man, he walked with a limp. His face tinted with a pale yellowish color; his fingernails dry and brittle: his health was fragile at best.
Her father diagnosed his sickness, finding the cause of his illness to be a large tumor in his stomach that caused excruciating pain, lack of appetite and constant vomiting. Surgery was risky. There had been no guarantee Maynard would survive, but her father performed a brilliant operation.
Along with a successful surgery, her father insisted the young man recover at their home. Soon, Maynard became enamored of Kathleen. She, in turn, encouraged his feelings. Why would she not? His family was one of the wealthiest in Boston. Maynard professed his undying love to Kathleen, and she was thrilled when he proposed. She would have the wealth she had dreamed about! That was until his parents interfered.
The scene those dreadful people made! Threatening to disinherit him…then promptly kept their word. It was a ploy for Maynard to withdraw his offer and the weak bastard wavered. He caved. Oh, how he cried. Telling how he could never live with himself, knowing he disappointed his parents so! It was then a plot took hold. How dare he put his parent's needs before hers!
Why her father had only just spent a fortune on the engagement party. Maynard had not even considered how he had imposed upon her father’s hospitality. If she allowed Maynard to leave her, she would have become the laughingstock o
f Philadelphia. She would never allow that to happen. If he could never live with himself if he married her, then she would see to it he would not live.
She pleaded with him to give her time to find a way to tell her father, knowing how bitterly disappointed her father would be. Maynard agreed. It had been his doom!
It was easy, much easier than it should have been. As the daughter of a physician, she had learned a few things about certain drugs and poisons. It had been so simple. Two weeks of adding arsenic into his morning coffee, and Maynard died. Not even her father could save him.
She became the grieving fiancée. Sympathetic to society. It was then she discovered she enjoyed the power it gave her. The thrill of getting away with the unthinkable. There was no remorse, only exhilaration!
Soon, a list formed within her mind and Cullen Smythe was at the top of it. She wanted him destroyed and everyone associated with him. She had got bored waiting for him to return from the Navy. So her attention turned to Elizabeth. Public disgrace of Cullen’s stepsister, his family, would suffice until his return.
Introducing Jeremy Lowney to Elizabeth had been a stroke of genius! She enjoyed leading her lovesick friend around in a circle. How desperate Elizabeth had been for love. Her game changed when Cullen returned.
Elizabeth’s insufferable stepfather, Jonathan, and Cullen Smythe had cut Jeremy Lowney off from the troubled woman without the public embarrassment. It left Elizabeth with heartbreak and, unbeknownst to anyone but Kathleen, in the family way.
With her focus redirected back at Cullen, she encouraged Elizabeth to handle the problem in the back alley. Kathleen had gone with the distraught woman and held her hand while she aborted Lowney’s spawn.
The emotionally disturbed Elizabeth hadn’t wanted to abort the baby, but Kathleen couldn’t have it. Not with Lowney running away like a dog with his tail between his legs. Kathleen couldn’t trust Elizabeth wouldn’t give her up about her association with Lowney. Moreover, the abortion was leverage against Elizabeth if Kathleen ever needed it.