Beth_Bride of Massachusetts

by Ashley Merrick

  “We’re so excited to go to the park again!” Harriet exclaimed.

  “Thank you so much for taking us.” Genevieve sounded almost as excited as her sister.

  “We can climb trees again, right? Uncle George said it was all right!” Harriet was jumping up and down.

  Beth laughed. “Yes, we can climb again. We just have to go slow and be really careful. You can both do that, right?”

  “Yes!” they both said at once.

  “Is Mandy coming with us?” Beth’s mother asked.

  “Yes, I’ll go get her!” Harriet ran back inside and returned minutes later with Mandy beside her.

  “It’s a lovely day to walk in the park. Thank you for inviting me,” Mandy said as she reached them.

  “Of course. I enjoyed our conversation last time we went there,” Beth’s mother said with a smile.

  They set off walking to the park and twenty or so minutes later, they were there and the girls ran to find the tree they’d climbed before.

  “I’d better hurry to catch up with them,” Beth said.

  “We’ll be in our usual spot, honey, by the water’s edge,” her mother said.

  Beth picked up her pace and quickly caught up with the girls who were standing at the base of the tree they’d climbed before. Beth decided to stay on the ground this time, so that if either of them fell, she’d be able to catch them. The girls scrambled up, and this time were old pros at it and Beth suspected they were also being much more cautious. Slipping last time had scared the both of them into being more careful.

  They climbed that tree and then one other before growing tired enough to head over to the bench where her mother and Mandy were sitting in the sun.

  When they reached them, Beth saw that two older gentlemen were sitting with them, and recognized them as Rodney and Elvin, two retired mill workers who lived a few doors down from the Brown Textile mill. She had often chatted with them on her lunch break as they were always sitting outside, weather permitting, to watch people go by and chat with anyone who stopped to say hello. They both smiled at her when she and the girls walked up.

  “Beth, we miss our lunchtime chats,” Rodney said. She liked both men, but had a soft spot for Rodney. He was the elder of the two and had snow white hair and a permanent smile. He was always in a cheerful, upbeat mood.

  “I miss talking to the both of you, too. How are you?”

  “We’re fine. It’s a little too quiet for our liking, though, since the mill closed. We might have to find a new spot to sit and take in the world,” Elvin said.

  A thought occurred to Beth. “Did either of you see anything unusual the day the mill burned down? Anything at all?’

  The two men exchanged glances, then Rodney spoke. “Sort of. We did see a dark-haired man come around the far corner of the mill. It looked like he dropped something as he was turning the corner, but we couldn’t see that far very clearly.”

  “We did see him throw a rock at an upper window, though, and then run off,” Elvin said.

  “We didn’t think much of it at the time. At first we thought it was a teenager. You know they will do things like that, throw rocks and break windows. Hooligans,” Rodney said.

  “We never saw the person’s face, or got a good enough look to even describe him well,” Elvin said with regret.

  “Have you told anyone this?” Beth asked with a growing sense of excitement. This could be the break they were hoping for. Even if it didn’t prove who set the fire, surely it could prove that the fire wasn’t an accident.

  “No, we haven’t said anything to anyone. We didn’t think we had enough information for it to be helpful. Should we tell someone?” Rodney looked eager to help.

  “Yes, I do. I think the police would be very interested to hear this and I know they have an active investigation going.”

  “All right, then. We have to walk past the police station on our way home. We’ll stop in and share what we saw. Maybe it will help. I hope so.”

  “So do I,” Beth said.

  Later that afternoon when they walked back to George’s home, Beth borrowed a pen and paper and wrote a note for George to let him know about her conversation with Rodney and Elvin and the good news that they would be sharing what they saw with the police to aid in their investigation.

  Chapter Thirteen

  George stopped into the bank the following afternoon to make a deposit and to have a conversation with Philip Eldridge, the senior banker who handled mortgages and commercial loans. He had Beth’s note in his coat pocket. He had been pleased with the information she had discovered and impressed that she’d managed to convince the two men to visit the police station on their way home. He had a feeling that the process might go quickly now and he wanted to make sure he had all of his finances ready. He was a bit surprised that he hadn’t heard anything further from Bob Brown. He rather thought he would have been anxiously trying to track him down to close the deal on the mill.

  George wasn’t in a rush, though. He knew that the longer he waited, the better the price would be, especially now that he knew that the other main contenders, the men he’d chatted with in the bar, were not interested.

  Philip saw George walk into the bank and waved him over to his office. He rose from his desk and shook George’s hand.

  “Please have a seat. What brings you in today? How can we help?”

  George settled into the seat across from Philip’s desk.

  “I have a deposit to make, but I also wanted to talk with you about some possible financing.”

  “Of course. First let’s deal with your deposit.”

  George handed him the stack of bills, and Philip quickly counted out the money, set it aside and wrote out a receipt for George with the account number and amount of the deposit.

  “What kind of financing are you considering?” Philip asked with interest.

  “I am looking to expand the business here. My factory is bursting at the seams and business is strong and growing. I may want to take over Bob Brown’s mill, if I can get it at the right price. It will require restoration, which I estimate will take about six months, possibly a bit less.”

  “Have you made an offer on the mill?” Philip asked.

  “Not yet, no.”

  “You may want to wait a bit longer. We’ve foreclosed on the mill and Bob has until the end of this week to pay off the loan. After that, you’ll be dealing directly with us, unless he manages to come up with the money.”

  “Oh, that is an interesting update. I would much prefer to deal with you than with Bob Brown.”

  Philip chuckled at that. “I don’t blame you. Why don’t you stop by end of the day on Friday and we can discuss?”

  “I will do that.”

  George was in a wonderful mood when he arrived home. He had a very good feeling that the Brown Textile Mill would soon be his, and was looking forward to sharing his good news with the Mitchells on Sunday. The girls came running to greet him when he walked through the front door and Mandy was right behind them with a worried look upon her face.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked her.

  “I just found this, stuck behind your desk when I was dusting earlier this afternoon. I remember we both saw this invitation when it arrived and that you responded that you would be going, but we never added it to your calendar. The event is this Saturday evening, a fundraiser to benefit the new hospital wing. It’s dinner and dancing at the mayor’s mansion.”

  George frowned. “That invitation arrived weeks ago, I believe, while we were still in Montana?”

  “Yes, that is correct. I left a pile of correspondence on your office desk. As soon as you replied letting me know you were going to attend, I mailed off your reply and moved the invitation to the back of your desk. It must have fallen behind and I forgot to remind you. I’m sorry.” She looked so worried that George tried to put her at ease.

  “It’s not a worry at all. I’ll plan to go,” he assured her.

  “But we replied that
you’d be bringing your new wife to be,” she reminded him.

  “Oh, that’s right, I do remember that. Hopefully she can accompany me. I know that it’s short notice, but I will stop by tomorrow on my way into the mill and ask her.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  When there was a knock on the door of their apartment at eleven in the morning, the girls looked at each other in confusion.

  “Are you expecting anyone?” Beth asked Alice and Judith. They were all sitting around their small kitchen table drinking tea.

  “Not a soul,” Alice said.

  “No, I’m not expecting anyone. I’ll go see who it is, though.” Judith walked over, opened the door and they were all surprised to see George Montgomery standing there.

  “Good morning. I’m sorry to stop by unexpectedly, but I was wondering if I could have a word with Beth?”

  “Of course.” Judith stepped back to let George walk in. She returned to the kitchen table as Beth walked over to George.”

  “Good morning. This is a nice surprise.”

  “I wouldn’t have stopped by like this if it wasn’t necessary. You see, there’s been a bit of a mix-up. I accepted an invitation to a formal event Saturday night and forgot to put it on my calendar, so I didn’t mention this sooner. I know it’s short notice, but I would be honored if you would accompany me to the mayor’s mansion. It’s a charity event, to support the new hospital wing.”

  “Oh my, the mayor’s mansion. Of course, I’ll go. I’d be happy to.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll be by Saturday at six to collect you.” George turned to leave and then stopped and smiled. “Oh, and I almost forgot to thank you for leaving me that note. I think that will definitely help with the investigation.”

  “I hope so. It seems quite obvious to me that the fire was no accident.”

  Beth shut the door after George left and turned back to the girls. “What do I do now? I’m going to a fancy event on Saturday and I have no idea what to wear. I don’t think that I have anything nearly nice enough.”

  Alice looked deep in thought for a moment. “I may have something. We’re about the same size. It should fit. Come and take a look.”

  Beth followed Alice into her small room and watched as Alice rummaged in her closet, almost disappearing at one point as she squeezed herself in to reach something that was in the very back corner of it. Beth’s jaw dropped when she saw what Alice had found. She was holding a stunning, copper-colored ball gown that shimmered as the sunlight streaming through the window landed on it. The bodice was covered in delicate cream lace and the neckline was a pretty scoop that was modest and beautiful.

  “I haven’t worn it, of course, since I arrived in Lawrence, but I did go to events like this on occasion, so I brought this one dress along, just in case. Do you like it?”

  “It’s beautiful. I’ve never worn a dress so lovely. I’m almost afraid to touch it.”

  “Don’t be silly. It’s not doing anyone any good just hanging in my closet.” Alice handed her the dress and Beth lightly touched the fabric. It was smooth and silky and she could tell by looking at the cut that it would fit.

  “Try it on,” Alice insisted.

  Beth slipped her simple, blue cotton dress off and stepped into Alice’s gown. As suspected, it fit her like a glove and felt wonderful against her skin. She sighed as she caught a glimpse of the dress in the mirror.

  “What do you think?” Alice asked eagerly.

  “I feel like a princess,” Beth said.

  “You look like one,” Judith said with a chuckle.

  Alice studied her carefully. “You need one more thing.” She opened a small jewelry box on her dresser and pulled out an exquisite string of pearls. Beth caught her breath at the sight of them. She’d never seen anything so lovely.

  “I couldn’t possibly wear those. They’re much too nice.”

  “Of course you can. I’ve thought about selling them once or twice as I could really use the money, but I just can’t bear to part with them. They were a gift from my grandmother, who once received them from her grandmother. We’re estranged at the moment, but still, I can’t bring myself to sell them.” She clasped the pearls around Beth’s neck and then stepped back to evaluate the look.

  “Perfect. You must wear that. It’s settled,” she declared.

  Beth leaned over, looked in the mirror again, and sighed. The pearls were perfect with the dress. Alice was right. She had to wear them.

  “You’re going to have a wonderful time,” Judith said wistfully. “Imagine going to the mayor’s mansion wearing that outfit? And George will be your prince!”

  “I don’t know about that,” Beth said wryly.

  “I know you’re thinking this is just a marriage of convenience, but what if it could be more? George is a handsome man, and a successful one. You could do much worse,” Alice said.

  Beth was quiet as she carefully took the dress off, hung it back up and then handed Alice the pearls. She climbed into her own dress again and then sat on the edge of Alice’s small bed.

  “I don’t think that George is looking for that either. I wouldn’t want to get my hopes up for something that could never happen.”

  “Just have fun, then, and see how things develop,” Alice advised her.

  “I will.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Beth was a nervous wreck at a quarter to six that Saturday evening. George would be arriving any moment and she’d never been such a bundle of nerves before.

  “Try to relax. You look beautiful,” Alice assured her. Beth checked her hair in the mirror one last time and tilted her head slightly to get a better look at the glamorous hair style Alice had created by twisting her hair into a pretty bun and curling a few strands of hair to frame her face in soft tendrils.

  She was dressed and ready to go. Her sister India had come over earlier to help her get ready too and brought a pair of shoes that were a perfect match. Her hand went to her neck, to make sure the pearls were where they should be. They were. She took a deep breath and tried to relax, then jumped at the sound of a knock at the door.

  Alice went to it and opened it wide to let George in. Beth felt even more nervous when her eyes fell up on George in his black suit and silver tie. He looked elegant and handsome. His dark hair had a dashing wave to it as it fell across his forehead and when he smiled, she noticed that he had a dimple in his left cheek. How had she not noticed that before?

  “Good evening, Beth. You look lovely.” Was she imagining it, or did he sound the tiniest bit nervous, too? That relaxed her enough to find her voice and to smile.

  “Thank you. I’m looking forward to tonight.”

  “Shall we go, then? Good night, ladies?”

  “Good night, have fun!” Alice said.

  “Bye!” Judith added.

  George took hold of Beth’s arm and kept her steady as she made her way down the stairs and to his buggy. Once they climbed in and started to drive off, George turned to her and sounded excited.

  “I have some great news. I met with the bank yesterday, just before closing. Philip Eldridge, the senior bank manager suggested that I come by then as he thought he might have a positive update for me.”

  “About the mill?” Beth wasn’t entirely sure what he was referring to.

  “Yes. I was there earlier in the week, to talk about possible financing for the rebuilding I have in mind and he shared that I may want to hold off on making an offer to Bob because they were in foreclosure on the mill. He had until yesterday to pay off his loan. They never heard from him. Oddly enough, I never did either. I was sure I would by now.”

  “Really? So what does that mean?”

  “It means that the bank owns the mill now and I can negotiate directly with them. We agreed on a price before I left, so it’s as good as done. The mill is going to be mine. Ours, actually.”

  “That’s wonderful news! I can’t imagine that Bob will be very happy about it. So strange that he never did get back to you.”
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  “His loss is my gain. Everything will be finalized next week and then I’ll go about lining up contractors to get the restoration started. Everything should be in place before we head west, and if all goes well, I anticipate that happening two weeks from today.”

  “So soon! That’s great news.” Beth was a bit surprised as it seemed sudden, but she realized that no matter what date he settled on, it was going to come fast for her and her mother. If she was being truthful, too, part of her was a little bit excited at the thought of moving clear across the country. It was sure to be an adventure.

  About fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to the mayor’s mansion. George hopped out of the buggy to tie up the horses and then came around to the other side to help Beth climb down. Once she was out, they joined the crowd of elegantly dressed people that were streaming in.

  Beth looked all around as they walked into the building. She’d never been to such a fancy occasion or house before. An attendant took their coats when they reached the foyer and George led the way into a grand ballroom, something that Beth had never seen in someone’s home before. Cocktail tables lined the room and bars were set up on either end. George laughed at what Beth guessed must have been a look of surprise on her face.

  “It’s not a typical home. The mayor does a lot of entertaining and fundraising for various causes. It’s expected with the position. Would you like something to drink?”

  “I’d like lemonade, if they have it.” Beth didn’t care much for the taste of alcohol.

  “I’ll be right back.” George walked off, and Beth stood admiring the room and all the beautiful people in it. She’d never seen so many gorgeous dresses before. A server strolled by with a plate of stuffed mushrooms. She carefully took one and popped it in her mouth.

  George returned with their drinks and set them on one of the cocktail tables. Beth took a sip of her drink and then another. It was delicious lemonade.