Lucky Creek Lady

by Shirley Kennedy

  Only once during the day had something other than Darcy captured her complete attention. Again, she noticed the ledgers didn’t look right. The records Hugh kept simply didn’t match the figures Father had entered in his ledger. Of course, she was at fault for not understanding. She would ask Hugh to explain the discrepancy when she got home.

  At the end of the shift, she stood at the entrance to the mine, time ledger in hand, quite sure of herself now, and pleased she knew what she was doing. Like always, the miners filed out in high spirits, happy their shift had ended. Each day, they were digging the shaft deeper, following the newly found vein. After that first astounding find, the vein had provided barely enough rich ore to keep them going, but both Darcy and Tom remained optimistic. It was just a matter of time before they’d hit pay dirt again. After she’d recorded their hours, and the last man had filed by, she noticed Kenvern Trenowden had remained behind. “Can I help you, Kenvern?”

  The Cornishman stood twisting his cap in his hands. “Yes, Miss Sinclair. I…uh…”

  The poor man. She already had a good idea what he was going to say, and she’d better help him out. “I certainly appreciate your taking my message to my family the other night. It was such a terrible night, as you know, and I really appreciate it.”

  Kenvern smiled and stopped twisting his cap. “I was happy to do it.”

  She would help him out even further. “My sister especially appreciated it. I hear she served you tea and enjoyed your conversation.”

  To her surprise, Kenvern’s face fell. “I don’t see how she could have when I know I don’t talk right.”

  She quickly sought something kind to say. “There’s nothing wrong with the way you talk. Of course, one can easily tell you’re from Cornwall, but I find your manner of speaking rather charming.”

  Kenvern thrust out his jaw. “I don’t want to sound charming. I want to learn proper English.”

  Before she could think of an answer, he spoke again. “I really want to learn, Miss Sinclair. Could you maybe tell me how I can? You see”—he was struggling for words—“I like your sister, but the way your mother be looking at me, she wouldn’t want me cleaning out her stable, let alone courting her daughter. Not placing any blame, mind you. I know me place.”

  So Ada had a suitor? Laurie loved the idea, but Kenvern was right. Mother had already expressed her displeasure over “that ignorant Cornishman.” Before Laurie could find an answer that wouldn’t hurt his feelings, he blushed, uttered a quick, “Sorry I troubled you,” and hurried away.

  Tom and Darcy were still in the office when she returned. After she checked the time sheets and was about to leave, Darcy inquired, “How did things go today?”

  “Just fine,” she replied with the kind of detachment she’d use on a mere acquaintance. He was only being polite, but because Kenvern Trenowden was very much on her mind, she added, “It appears one of your Cornish miners has an interest in my sister.”

  Darcy smiled. “I’d wager you mean Kenvern Trenowden. He’s asked me about her. Think she’s interested?”

  Not wanting to give any of her sister’s confidences away, Laurie formed a careful answer. “Possibly she might be, and that would be fine if we were planning on staying in Lucky Creek. Manners and morals don’t count here. The problem is, even if Ada was interested, Mother would never approve. She desperately wants to return to Philadelphia and so does my sister. Unfortunately, Kenvern would never be accepted there. For one thing, he doesn’t speak proper English. He’d be out of his depth and considered totally unsuitable for a refined young lady like Ada.”

  Darcy’s dark brows lifted with irritation. “You’re right, this isn’t Philadelphia, where the streets are paved, and you won’t find a crazed mob ready to lynch some innocent victim. But I’ll tell you one thing that your fine Philadelphia doesn’t have, and that’s equality.”

  “I don’t quite grasp your meaning.” Actually, she hadn’t the faintest notion what he was talking about.

  “What I mean is, in Lucky Creek—all the West—a man is judged by the work he does, not by how prominent his family is, or how he talks, or how much money he has. I’ve seen miners who were lawyers, merchants, college professors, all grades, shades, and classes when they lived back east. Out here what they did before doesn’t mean a damn thing.” Darcy spoke with an unusual spark of passion in his eyes. “The best thing I ever did was head west.”

  Harry Peske, Darcy’s top employee at the Atlas, happened to be in the office and had overheard. “He’s right, Miss Sinclair. You’d never guess by looking, but back in Boston I worked as a lowly clerk in an attorney’s office. Twelve hours a day, I sat on a high stool copying documents. Same thing—over and over again—the most boring job in the world. No chance of promotion. I had no future, other than to work till I died. Now look at me. I’m a supervisor at the Atlas, by God. I don’t have to stay if I don’t want. There’s opportunities everywhere, and I’ll tell you something. There’s not enough money in the world that could bring me back to Boston, or Philadelphia, or any place east of the Mississippi. Maybe Lucky Creek isn’t perfect, but a man has a chance here to do what he wants.”

  Harry Peske’s fervent words left her momentarily speechless and searching for answers. Both he and Darcy had caught her off guard. “I never thought of it that way, but I see what you mean. There’s no such thing as high society in Lucky Creek, and I find I like it that way.”

  “You do?” Darcy searched her face, reaching for her thoughts. “You see Philadelphia as the center of your universe. From what I’ve seen, nothing will change that.”

  She instantly bristled. How could he think her so inflexible? “As you know, I have certain interests in Philadelphia, but it’s definitely not the center of my universe.” Or was it? Maybe he spoke the truth, and she just couldn’t face it.

  Harry burst into easy laughter, as if to smooth the slight friction in the air. “Well, California’s the center of Kenvern’s universe. He’s a hard worker and a fine man.”

  Darcy nodded in agreement. “He might not speak proper English, but Ada would be lucky to have him. His future is here, and I plan to help him all I can.”

  Laurie said no more. Darcy had set her to thinking about a lot of things, and so had Harry Peske.

  Chapter 14

  Did she really see Philadelphia as the center of her universe? The question hung heavy on Laurie’s mind as she drove the curricle home. One thing for certain, along with everything else she liked about Darcy, she admired him all the more for his passionate defense of the West. Clearly, his feelings on the subject ran deep. For once, he’d opened up and spoken from his heart. She’d give it more thought later. Right now, she had a plan for Ada and could hardly wait to present it.

  Arriving home, Laurie was pleased to find Mei Ling had returned as promised. Not only had she given the house a good cleaning, they all enjoyed the beef stew she fixed for their dinner. Laurie waited until the children had been put to bed and both Mother and Hugh had retired to their rooms before she sat down with Ada in the parlor. She wasted no time presenting her plan. “Kenvern spoke to me today. I’ll be blunt. He likes you very much, but he thinks he’s not worthy of you.”

  “But that’s not so,” Ada answered with a touch of righteous indignation. “Mother’s the one who thinks that way, but I certainly don’t.”

  “I know you don’t, but since she does, we need a plan, and I have one.”

  “Tell me.” Ada’s eyes sparked with interest.

  “Kenvern wants to learn how to read and speak ‘proper,’ as he says. I suspect he’d like to write proper, too, so why don’t you teach him?”

  “What do you mean? I’m not a teacher.”

  “He already knows how to read and write. You don’t have to be a trained teacher to help him polish his English. All you need is a McGuffey Reader, maybe the one for fourth grade. Kenvern could come over af
ter work once, maybe twice a week. You could sit at the kitchen table and give him a lesson. I’d be there to help, too.”

  “But what of Mother? She’d never approve.”

  “Mother doesn’t have to approve. We’re not children anymore. We’re both grown women with minds of our own, and we don’t need a mother to tell us what to do. You need to be firm with her, in the kindest way, of course. In other words, you’re not going ask her. You’re going to inform her, firmly but pleasantly, that Kenvern Trenowden will be dropping over once or twice a week, maybe more, for a reading lesson. He won’t get in her way. You’ll sit at the kitchen table for an hour or two, maybe twice a week. Surely she can’t object to that.”

  “Dare I?” Ada took a few seconds to ponder, then smiled. “You’re right. I’m twenty-three years old, and I don’t have to do everything Mother says anymore. I wouldn’t hurt her feelings for the world, though.”

  “You’ll find a way. There’s no one more tactful than you, Ada. The best part is, you’ll be doing a great kindness, helping a man who’s yearning to learn. Not only that—”

  “We’ll get to know each other better. I love your plan, Laurie. How soon do we start?”

  “I’ll have to ask him first.”

  Ada’s face lit in a smile, the brightest Laurie had ever seen on her face. “He’ll say yes, I know he will.”

  * * * *

  Later, Laurie went up to Hugh’s room and knocked on his door. He was sitting up in bed writing a letter when she walked in. “You’re looking better.” She sat on a chair beside his bed.

  With a derisive sniff, he tossed his pen down. “I’m sick of being an invalid. I am feeling better, though. The ribs are healing. I can take a breath now without feeling like I’ve been stabbed in the chest. The doctor says I can get the cast off my arm tomorrow. Looks like I’ll be back to work before you know it.”

  She should have been overjoyed at his news. The sooner he came back to work, the sooner she could leave. But oddly enough, she didn’t feel overjoyed like she should. “You don’t need to rush.”

  “Why shouldn’t I? Aren’t you dying to get back to Philadelphia and your beloved Brandon?”

  She couldn’t blame him for the mockery in his voice. She’d be in a bad mood, too, if she were confined to the house as long as Hugh had been. “Of course, I want to leave, but we must make sure you’re feeling up to it.” She wasn’t exactly lying, although she had to admit her concern for her brother’s health wasn’t foremost in her mind. The truth of it was, the thought of leaving Lucky Creek didn’t fill her heart with joy, not like it would have a few weeks ago.

  Hugh eyed her suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you enjoy working in that dirty office, dealing with those grubby miners. Or is it something else? I know. You’ve forgotten all about Brandon. Instead, you’ve fallen madly in love with Darcy McKenna.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Her brother had hit an area so sensitive she hastened to change the subject. Recalling the problem with the ledgers, she would distract him. “Speaking of work, I’ve been comparing yours and Father’s ledgers, and there’s something I’m not clear on.” She went on to explain the discrepancies she’d found. When she finished, Hugh regarded her with amusement.

  “You shouldn’t bother your pretty little head about ledgers. I’ll make a note of it and get it all straightened out when I get back. Fair enough?”

  “Fair enough.”

  She said nothing more on the subject and left soon after, relieved Hugh had made no further mention of her being in love with Darcy. He’d only been teasing, a wild stab in the dark, and so untrue, but she found his accusation highly annoying. She’d made allowances because he wasn’t well, but even so, she especially resented his condescending attitude when she mentioned the ledgers, implying she didn’t know what she was talking about. She would let it go, though. Hugh was simply being Hugh, and besides, surely there had to be a reasonable explanation.

  * * * *

  Next day at the office, Laurie waited until Darcy had left, and she was alone with Tom. She got out the ledgers she was curious about and carried them to Tom’s desk. “Would you take a look at these?” She laid them out in front of him. “There’s a few things I don’t understand that perhaps you can explain.”

  Together they went through the ledgers, Laurie pointing out the discrepancies as they went along. Other than a grunt and an interested nod now and then, Tom kept silent until she finished, then shook his head and frowned. “I’ve only had a quick look, so I really can’t say. Tell you what. I’ll take these home with me tonight and look them over. Like as not, they contain nothing more than minor mistakes.”

  Laurie felt relieved already. “Of course, they must be mistakes, but I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to bother Darcy about it.”

  Tom smiled with understanding. “Of course, you didn’t. He’s got enough on his mind, what with running two gold mines.”

  “That’s it exactly.” No, it wasn’t, but of course she couldn’t explain what really bothered her. If the figures in the ledgers didn’t match, then either Hugh had made false entries, or her father had. Either way, she didn’t know which would be more disheartening, to discover her father was a crook, or her brother.

  In the afternoon, when the shift ended, she stood in her usual place outside the mine entrance, doing her job with the time sheets. When Kenvern emerged, she asked him to wait because she’d like to talk to him. He stood by patiently until the last miner had gone, and they were alone. “You wanted to speak to me, ma’am?”

  What an imposing figure he was, towering over her, gleaming with sweat, his face smudged with dirt, a pick resting on his powerful shoulder. “Yes, Kenvern. You had mentioned you wished you could talk better English and improve your reading and writing skills. I talked to my sister, and we have a plan. We’d be happy to assist you, if you’re still so inclined.”

  A smile wreathed Kenvern’s broad face. “I’m still so inclined, ma’am. Just tell me what to do.”

  “Come to our house after dinner tomorrow night. Say, around seven o’clock. I have in mind a few reading lessons would be helpful, as well as some writing and spelling lessons, too. We’ll discuss it further then.”

  She could see he wanted to throw his arms around her and was about to burst with excitement, but knowing his place, he settled for emitting an elated, “Allycumpooster.”

  The sight of his enthusiasm warmed her heart. She had done the right thing, even though Mother wouldn’t agree. “Yes, indeed, Mr. Trenowden, allycum…cum…what you said. My sister and I shall look forward to tomorrow night.”

  * * * *

  Next day in the office, Tom waited until Darcy had left on an errand before he drew Laurie aside. “I took a close look at the books last night, and you were right. There’s a discrepancy, and a big one. Someone altered the books, not in a small way, but in a big, criminal kind of way. Thousands of dollars aren’t accounted for.”

  Just what she was afraid of. She dreaded to ask, but no turning back now. “So, who do you think is responsible?”

  “Only two people had access to those ledgers, your brother and your father.”

  “But which?”

  “I don’t even have to think about it,” Tom answered, his voice strong and sure. “I was friends with your father. Maybe he made some bad decisions, but Sam Sinclair was one of the most honest and trustworthy men I ever knew. He would never have done a thing so sneaky and underhanded as to alter the books. I remember right before he died, he was complaining about the high-graders. Weren’t you there that day? He was talking about how he was being robbed blind, how they were stealing the ore every night, and he had no way to stop it, even with a guard. And wasn’t Hugh in charge of seeing to it the sluice boxes were guarded? It all makes sense. Hugh was the biggest high-grader of all, stealing that ore behind his father’s back. I always suspected. Now I know.”


  “Then it was my brother.” She could hardly get the words out.

  “Looks that way, although I suppose you’ll want to talk to him, see what he has to say for himself. I’ll have to tell Darcy.” Tom thoughtfully scratched his forehead. “There’s going to be a lot of consequences from this. If Hugh doesn’t come back, I don’t know as how Darcy will want you to leave anytime soon, being as you’ve made yourself pretty much indispensable around here. He was telling me just the other day how much he admires the way you’ve caught on to the job.”

  At any other time, Laurie would have been pleased at the compliment, but not now. Her brother was a crook. She could hardly think straight. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. “I’ll talk to Hugh. Perhaps he has a reasonable explanation.”

  “You can try, but don’t get your hopes up.”

  The compassion in Tom’s voice clearly told her she was grasping at straws and had better face the truth.

  Darcy returned. Seeing Laurie talking to Tom, he inquired, “Why the long faces?”

  Tom replied, “Looks like we’ve got some bad news for you.”