“I’ll certainly do my best.” He pushed to his feet. “I’m off to meet her now. We’re headed to the state law library.”
“Ah, a research trip with a pretty lady.”
“We will be working,” Lincoln assured him.
“Well, I certainly hope it won’t be all work, or I’ll have to admit failure as a mentor.”
Lincoln bid Pete goodbye and headed for the courthouse. After delivering the affidavit he needed filed, he hurried down the marble steps toward the door. He glanced toward his right and paused. The door to the building’s switchboard was open, and Josephina Beecher, the operator, sat inside. He’d never given her much thought before, but could she be the answer to his prayers?
Charlotte thrust pancakes in Hannah’s direction. “It’s not fair. You think it’s fine for Lincoln to bring you home in the middle of the night, and yet you won’t let me see George without Rosie’s mother hovering over us.”
Using the edge of her fork, Hannah cut off a bite of pancake. How could she make Charlotte understand? “I explained to you what happened with Lincoln that first night, and since then, he’s sent a hansom cab to pick me up instead of coming himself. Besides, Lincoln and I are much older than you and George.”
Tessa bounced into the room. “Morning glories.”
“Good morning, Tessa.” Hannah patted the chair next to her. “Come tell me your plans for the day.”
Tessa slid into place and drenched her pancakes with syrup.
“Don’t you dare change the subject.” Charlotte sat down in her chair and glared at Hannah. “What do George and I have to do in order for you to trust us?”
“I trust you. It’s George I don’t trust.”
“You don’t even know him.”
Hannah bit back the words forming in her mind and prayed for wisdom. She took a sip of hot coffee and let it help settle her. “You’re right, Charlotte. We don’t know him. Why don’t you invite him over next Sunday? I’ll invite Lincoln too, so George doesn’t feel surrounded by women.”
Charlotte grinned. “Really? You’ll give him a chance?”
Hannah nodded.
“Well, that’s proof.” Tessa waved a forked bite of pancake in the air.
“Proof of what?” Hannah took a sip of coffee.
“That love makes you stupid.” Tessa shook her head. “First Charlotte, and now you.”
Hannah sputtered coffee across the table. “I’m not in—we’re not in—”
Tessa rolled her eyes and stood up. “Like I said, love makes you stupid.”
By the time Tessa and Charlotte left for the local girls’ club, Hannah needed a second cup of coffee. She hastily downed it and washed the grounds out of the bottom of the cup.
Lincoln arrived on time and greeted her with a smile at the door. “Ready?”
“I am.” She pulled the door shut behind her. “I was just praying we’d find something we can use on Walt’s defense.”
“If we can’t find something at the state law library, then we won’t find it anywhere.”
The drive to the Iowa State Capitol seemed much shorter than Hannah expected. She caught the glint of the morning sun off the gold-leaf dome when they turned the corner, and her pulse quickened. Of course she’d seen the exterior of the ornate capitol building often, but she’d never ventured beyond the doors.
“I can’t wait to show you the law library.” Lincoln pulled his car to the side of the street and parked. “And even though we’re here to work, I think we can take a peek into the other wings as well. I want to show you where my dad once worked.”
After Lincoln helped her from the Reo, Hannah fell in step beside him. They mounted the numerous steps leading to the front door and finally entered. Hannah stepped inside the rotunda and gasped. A plethora of marble, wood, tile, and stencil patterns greeted her. “It’s stunning.”
“Most of the artwork in here is new, and some is still being added.” He took her hand. “Come on. Let me show you my favorite.”
They climbed the grand staircase, and he pointed to a mural depicting settlers on the third floor. “It’s called Westward. The mosaics above are from Italy, and they’re made of glass tiles.”
Hannah itched to touch the lifelike figures.
He led her to the circular railing and held her shoulders. “Look up.”
Gilded trim work surrounded fluffy clouds painted on a blue sky. “Is that the inside of the dome?”
“Sort of. It’s the dome inside the dome.”
She turned to face him. “Where did your father work?”
“The senate. It’s in the south wing.”
Several minutes later, Lincoln eased open heavy doors. Hannah put her hand on his arm to stop him. “What if we’re interrupting?”
“The session concluded in April.”
They stepped inside the enormous chamber, and instantly Hannah felt small. A couple of workers looked up, smiled, and continued to polish the marble wainscot.
Brass chandeliers sparkled overhead, and Lincoln told her each weighed over five hundred pounds. She touched a rose-colored marble pillar. “I’ve never seen marble like this.”
“My father told me it’s scagliola, an imitation marble made of finely ground gypsum and glue.”
“Remarkable.” She approached the mahogany desks and pressed her hand to the leather blotter. “You can almost feel the history made here in the last twenty years. I can understand why you want to be in politics.”
“It’s what I’ve thought about for years, but it’ll be a while before I can run for a senate seat.”
“But you’re twenty-five. Isn’t that old enough?”
“Legally, yes.” He grinned. “But most senators are a bit more mature. Let me show you where my father sat.”
Lincoln led her to the spot, and she didn’t miss the way he trailed his hand along the back of the chair as if he could sense his father’s presence.
“When I’m here,” Lincoln said, “it doesn’t feel like he’s been gone so long.”
“How often did he bring you to the capitol with him?”
“At least once a week starting when I was ten or so.” He approached the front of the room and turned to face her. “I’d sit in the gallery and watch him speak to the other senators. When he spoke, everyone listened. He just had a way about him.”
“And you do too.” Her chest warmed at the sight of him, so poised and comfortable in this austere room. How easily Lincoln could slip into this world. It was a second home to him, and if she allowed this relationship to continue, she needed to understand she was possibly agreeing to life as a politician’s wife.
He returned to her and offered his elbow. “Ready to see the law library?”
She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. “If it’s as beautiful as this, I might faint.”
“Then I guess I’ll simply have to enjoy catching you.”
28
Covering Hannah’s hand, Lincoln squeezed gently as they approached the library. It covered the entire second and third floors of the west wing, and even though he’d been there dozens of times, the library never failed to rob him of his breath.
She touched her lips with her hand, and tears filled her eyes. “I feel like I’ve stepped into a fairy tale.”
“That makes me the handsome prince, right?”
Still under the library’s spell, she didn’t answer.
Lincoln tried to imagine what she was thinking. While most libraries were dark, enclosed places, the Iowa law library was bright and open. From its tiled floor to its skylight, everything about the area begged a visitor to step inside. Five levels of books, guarded by white filigree iron railings, rose to the height of the hall, and the same type of scagliola columns gracing the senate stood sentry here too.
“Look at the stairs!” Hannah pulled him toward the nearest of two matching spiral staircases. She leaned close to him and whispered, “Do you think anyone’s ever tried riding down the banister?”
“L
eave it to you to think of something dangerous in the library.” He chuckled. “You go ahead and look around while I get started.”
“No, I want to help. Show me what to do.”
As they gathered the law books he wanted to examine, he explained the case. “The prosecution must prove three things. First, they have to prove the fire was not an accident of any kind. Second, they must prove Walt was the man responsible for the fire. And third, they must prove it was a willful act. So far, every case I’ve found that ended with a conviction was based on circumstantial evidence—like they have on Walt.”
“But they can’t prove it’s him.”
“That’s their greatest weakness so far, but we need a previous case on which to build our defense.” He handed her a large volume. “And we’re going to find it.”
A short time later, Lincoln sat beside her at one of the library tables with tomes piled high before them. Given her law school experience, he hadn’t been surprised she took to the research so easily, but he had been amazed at how absorbed she’d become in the cases she studied.
“There are a lot of arson cases.” He sighed. “So we need to focus on cases where the circumstantial evidence was ruled inadmissible or insufficient to use in building our defense.”
“Lincoln, do you think I should come forward?”
“It wouldn’t be enough to clear him. He might have been at your house the afternoon of that second fire, but there still would have been time to set it.” He squeezed her hand. “We’ll find something. Trust me.”
As they worked side by side, an odd sense of satisfaction washed over him. Would a life with Hannah include days like this—both focused on a case but in tune with each other?
For over an hour he heard only the occasional whispered voices of other patrons and the gentle swish of turning pages. Then Hannah placed her hand on his arm. “Lincoln, I think I found something.”
Lincoln read the area Hannah’s slender finger indicated. In the arson case of Decatur v. Long, the court stated that facts, rather than suspicions or speculations, must be substantial enough to support a verdict.
“This is perfect!” He kissed her cheek. “We’re going to do this, Hannah. Together.”
Hannah jotted the reference down on the tablet Lincoln had brought. “How many more do we need?”
“As many as we can get. It will all help when I prepare the brief.”
An hour later, he reached for the cover of Hannah’s book and closed it. “Let’s call it quits for the day.”
She frowned. “But it’s not even lunchtime.”
“I know, but there’s something I want to show you.” He stood and pulled out her chair. “Trust me. I think you’ll like it.”
“But—”
“The books will be here tomorrow too.” He pressed his hand to the small of her back and urged her toward the rotunda.
“Can I come back without you, or is this only open to attorneys?”
He grabbed his heart, feigning a fatal wound. “Without me? I thought we were partners.”
“Partners.” Her warm hazel eyes lit with teasing. “Not Siamese twins.”
He chuckled. “To answer your question, yes, you can come without me. This is a public library. It’s open to all.”
“Then I shall arrive early and not stop until I have to go to work.”
“Don’t forget you need to eat.” They weaved through the hallways, and he stopped in front of a door. “Or maybe I will have to come whisk you away for lunch.”
She tipped her face up toward his. “And if you’re lucky, I might even let you.”
When Lincoln opened the door in the third-story hall, Hannah expected to find an office or another room. Instead, he pointed to a steep, spiral staircase.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Up.”
Curiosity pulled her forward. She grasped the wooden banister and began her ascent. Lincoln followed behind. Her breathing became heavier the higher they climbed.
“We’re almost to the first stop. We can take a breather there.” Lincoln sounded a bit winded as well.
They stepped onto a brightly tiled floor, and Hannah scanned the area. When she looked up, she could again see the gilded woodwork, small windows, and painted clouds, but they were much clearer than before. “We’re just below the dome.” She leaned over the railing and saw the circular railings marking the rotunda of each floor all the way down to the first floor below. “And we’re up very high.”
“We’re below the interior dome, and we’re about a third of the way to the top.”
Excitement bubbled inside her. “Are we going all the way up?”
“Thought you’d like that.” He flashed her a roguish grin. “Stay here.”
Lincoln rounded the circle and stood opposite her, over sixty feet away on the other side of the dome. “Can you hear me?” he asked in a whisper.
She blinked. Why did it sound like he was next to her?
“Yes, I can hear you.”
“I have something important to tell you.” He leaned against a rose-colored scagliola column. “Hannah Gregory, I think I’m falling in love with you.”
Her heart drummed against her chest as his words took seed. Vulnerability, fresh and raw, fought with delight for control of her heart. This man—this wonderful man—loved her, but could she let go and love him in return?
The truth hit her hard. She already did.
Taking a deep breath, she whispered, “I think I’m falling in love with you too.”
Had Lincoln truly heard Hannah, or had he just imagined she’d responded to his words?
Warmth spread through him. He’d not planned on falling for someone like Hannah—vivacious, honest, devoted, and stubborn—but he certainly had. Did she have any idea what she’d done to him?
Because of the sound tricks played by the dome, it seemed as if she’d whispered the words into his ear. Maybe he’d simply wanted to hear them.
He looked across the expanse separating them. She smiled and dropped her gaze. His Hannah—shy? If only he could capture the demure expression on her face and save it for a time when she was riding down banisters or walking home in the dark.
Wasting no time, he hurried to reconnect with her. He extended his hand and waited until she clasped it before leading her to the next set of stairs.
“Careful.” He watched her climb, enjoying his view from behind more than he ought.
“Lincoln, this spiral staircase is so tight, I feel like I’m inside a conch shell. How many more steps are there?”
He chuckled. “About two hundred.”
“Honestly?” She stared at him. “For once I’m glad I’ll be sitting at a switchboard all evening.”
“That’s the spirit.”
They didn’t rest until they had climbed into the windowed cupola. He entered first and offered her his hand. It was a long way down if one of them slipped.
Hannah sucked in a breath of the stale, dusty air. “We’re above the gold dome!”
He chuckled. When he was about twelve, one of the groundskeepers had shown him the staircases that led up here. He still recalled the first time he’d stepped into the cupola and looked out over the city. He’d been gobsmacked.
She pressed her hands to the glass windows. “We’re on top of the world.”
“Well, at least Iowa.”
“You can see for miles.” She moved around the circular area. “There’s downtown, and I think that’s the state fairgrounds. How high are we?”
“One of the groundskeepers once told me this is about 260 feet up.”
“Lincoln, look! There’s a door so you can go outside. Can we go?”
“I don’t know about that, Hannah.”
“Why not? There’s a railing out there to keep us from falling.” She tried the door and it opened. “See? It’s not locked.”
“But Hannah, we don’t know if the railing is secure.”
Before he could stop her, she stepped onto the ledge.
29
Having no choice, Lincoln followed Hannah outside the cupola. The wind immediately whipped at his face. He barely caught his hat before it went swooping down to the ground like a plummeting kite. He tossed the hat inside the cupola and noticed Hannah, too, had her hat in hand. He took it from her and set it inside with his own.
When he turned back, his stomach somersaulted. Heights had never bothered him before, but then again, he’d never been outside the protection of the cupola. As many times as he’d snuck up here over the years, he’d never considered venturing beyond the protective windows. Of course, it had taken Hannah less than five minutes to breach that barrier.
“There’s your Reo. Look how small it is!” Hannah leaned over the railing and pointed.
“Whoa!” His chest squeezed at the sight of her so close to the edge. Placing his hands on her waist, he pulled her back. “Let’s not give me heart failure.”
She leaned against his chest. “I’m sorry. I’m simply overwhelmed. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Her hair broke loose from its pins and flew about her head. He smoothed it down and sighed. It was even silkier than he’d imagined.
“Oh, Lincoln.” She pulled away and spun to face him, arms outstretched. “From up here, I can almost imagine what it’s like to fly.”
“Well, I hope the birds are warmer than we are.”
She folded her arms across her chest and rubbed them. “It is a bit chilly.”
When he suggested they go in, she pleaded for a few more minutes. She tipped her face to the sky, and the sun seemed to kiss her cheeks.
Lincoln rubbed her arms. Could anyone look more beautiful?
The clock on “Old Fed,” the Federal Courthouse, chimed one o’clock faintly, and she turned to him. “I guess you need to be getting back to the office.”
He took her hand. “After I take you to lunch.”
They slipped back inside, and she started to rearrange her hair. He stilled her hands. “Not yet. Please.”
Lorna Seilstad Page 20