A Lady of High Regard

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A Lady of High Regard Page 24

by Tracie Peterson


  “Good-bye, Papa,” Bliss said softly. She leaned down from Garrett’s hold and placed her head upon her father’s chest. “I hear his heart,” she said, rising up to meet Garrett’s eyes. “He told me it beats just for us—his ladies. Mama and Agnes and Lenore and me.”

  Garrett felt tears come to his eyes. “Your papa loves you a great deal.” He kissed her on the forehead and pulled her close.

  Agnes viewed her father with a tentative, almost fearful, expression. The last few weeks she had seemed terrified to go anywhere near her father’s sickroom.

  “Papa, I wish you wouldn’t go to heaven just yet.” Agnes’s voice broke as she began to cry. “I’m afraid.”

  Mercy put her arms around Agnes and held her close. “Do not be afraid. Your papa will be happy in heaven. Death is nothing to be afraid of—it’s just the start of a new journey.”

  “But we will be alone. What will happen to us without a papa?”

  “I will always be nearby to help you,” Garrett declared, knowing his place was here in Philadelphia. He only hoped Mia might feel the same. He couldn’t leave his sisters to face the world unprotected.

  “And we have our heavenly Father,” Mercy said softly. “He will always watch over us. Remember what Papa told us—God loves us even more than any human being could ever love us. And God’s love never ends.”

  Garrett suddenly realized his father was no longer breathing. He put his hand out to feel the man’s chest and realized it was still. “He’s gone.”

  “But he’s right there,” Bliss said, frowning.

  “His spirit is in heaven now,” Mercy whispered. “Remember how I told you that his body would stay here but his spirit would go to be with Jesus?”

  “I forgot,” Bliss admitted. She extended her hand and put it atop Garrett’s arm, patting him gently. “I won’t forget again.”

  Agnes wept against her mother’s breast while Mercy lifted her gaze to Garrett. “I have never loved any man as I have loved this man. And I will never love another . . . although I promised your father I would try.”

  Garrett helped Mercy get the children to bed, then accompanied her downstairs. “I need to go next door and let the Stanleys know what’s happened. Mia was going to tell them the end was near, but I feel I should tell them myself that he has passed.”

  “Of course.” She brushed back several loose strands of brown hair.

  He took hold of her hands. “Mercy, you have been a good wife to my father. I want you to know too that I meant what I said. I will be close by for you and my sisters. You will not need to fear for your future. I will see to it that you lack for nothing. I promise you.”

  Mercy squeezed his hand. “I do not expect you to sacrifice your life for ours. You should find a wife and settle down—have children of your own.”

  He smiled. “I promise you that I will seek a family of my own, but remember too that you are my family.” He paused and studied her for a moment. “You said something about father asking you to love again.”

  She looked away. “He made me promise to remarry if the opportunity presented itself. He said your mother had made him promise the same thing, and he’d never regretted it.”

  Garrett took hold of her shoulders. “I know he never did. Maybe one day it will be right for you to love again. God will lead you.”

  She suddenly seemed decades older. “Thank you, Garrett. You are very dear to me. I know you’ve been planning to buy a place of your own, but please know that you are welcome here for as long as you like.”

  “That may be straining the bounds of propriety,” Garrett said with a sigh. “Society might question the living arrangements with us so close in age. Besides, I already have in mind who I’d like to take as my wife.” He grinned. “And she’ll probably want a house of her own.”

  “Mia?” Mercy asked with a smile.

  “Mia.”

  “She’ll make you a good wife. I know your father would be pleased.”

  “I know he would be too. I wish he could have known.” Garrett gave her a quick embrace. “I should go now and let the Stanleys know what has happened. I’ll also arrange for the undertaker to come.”

  “Mia said nothing to you?”Garrett asked after giving Lyman the news about his father and accepting the man’s condolences.

  “I haven’t seen Mia all day,” Lyman said. Ruth passed by just then with a stack of linens. “Ruth,” Mr. Stanley called to her, “have you seen Mia?”

  “No, sir. Jason said she came home some time ago, but she’s not up in her room and I haven’t seen her anywhere else in the house.”

  “Well, let us give it a thorough search,” Mr. Stanley ordered. “I’ll go upstairs. Garrett, you search the grounds. Ruth, have Jason search the carriage house, then come back here to search the servants’ quarters.”

  Everyone went their separate ways. Garrett took a lantern from the kitchen and wandered the garden to see if there was any sign of Mia. Perhaps she’d fallen ill and fainted. He checked near the bench where they’d first talked. Nothing.

  Moving back toward the house, however, he spotted her shawl on the ground. Garrett picked it up and searched around him, almost expecting her to materialize. The shawl was cold. It was obvious it had been on the ground for some time.

  “Where are you, Mia?”

  He hurried his search and met up with Jason, who was headed toward the house. “Did you find her?” Garrett asked.

  “No, sir. She’s not in the carriage house. We looked everywhere.”

  “I’ll let Mr. Stanley know. Thank you.”

  Garrett hurried to find Lyman Stanley. He held up the shawl as Mr. Stanley descended the stairs. “I found this, but nothing else.”

  “I don’t understand where she would be.”

  “We were speaking in the garden when Cook came to fetch me,” Garrett told him. “She was planning to come tell you of my father’s situation.”

  “You don’t suppose she got another message from the women at the docks?” Mr. Stanley questioned.

  Garrett felt his chest tighten. “Surely she wouldn’t head there again. Not this late and not after everything you’ve said to her. She knows things are going to be better now with Barrill safely in jail.”

  “Perhaps she felt she needed to see to the matter herself. She might have gone to see that Mrs. Smith.”

  “I’ll leave immediately.” Garrett knew he sounded angry and tried to contain his emotion. If Mia had put herself in harm’s way once again, Garrett didn’t know what he would do.

  “I’ll come back as soon as I know something,” he promised.

  He went to the carriage house and began to harness a horse to the small buggy. Anger coursed through him. How could she do this? How could she be so heartless when she knew his father was dying?

  “I can do that, sir,” his groomsman stated as he took up the strapping. Garrett stood back, feeling rather helpless as the man took over the task.

  Mia would never be so thoughtless. She was going to tell her family about my father. Even if she had plans to leave again, she would have fulfilled at least that one duty.

  That thought caused Garrett to fear even more for her safety. The shawl on the ground made it look as though she’d been in a hurry and had dropped it. Either that . . . or been forced to leave it behind.

  “Would you like a driver, sir?” the groom asked as he lit the buggy lanterns as a final measure.

  “No. I’ll take myself. And please send word to my stepmother. Tell her I had to take care of something important. Then please go fetch the undertaker.”

  “Yes, sir.” The man started to leave, then turned back. “Mr. Wilson, I’m very sorry about your father. He was a good man.”

  “Thank you.”

  Garrett mounted the buggy and snapped the reins. The horse seemed to sense his urgency and whinnied softly as they headed out.

  Garrett’s thoughts clung to the simple prayer on his lips:

  “Lord, help me find, Mia. Please help me f
ind her safe and unharmed.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Mia awoke flat on her back, her mouth gagged and her hands and feet tied. The room was dark, so she couldn’t be sure of her surroundings, but she heard water and sounds of activity outside. Inside, the room smelled damp and musty.

  He must have brought me to the docks. Panic flooded her reasoning. I have to get out of here. I have to get away. She pulled at the ropes that bound her in place. It seemed that Barrill had tied her to a rickety bed. Every movement Mia made caused the entire thing to shift in a rather precarious manner.

  She stilled and tried to push back the terror that rose in her heart. What did Barrill plan to do? Her father said he was accused of killing his own mother. There would be no hope for a stranger given that knowledge. There would also be no reasoning with or promising this man anything. Mia knew that from her previous encounters.

  If I’d been obedient and listened to those who loved me, I might never have brought myself to this end.

  She tried to move her legs but the rope held fast. There was no hope of freeing herself. She couldn’t move her hands or feet, and she couldn’t call for help.

  To her surprise the door opened and Barrill stood in the opening with a lantern. Mia raised her head up just enough to see his frightening expression. He seemed quite pleased with himself—almost excited.

  “I hope you find the accommodations to your liking,” he said in a sarcastic tone. He entered the room and placed the light on a small wooden table. “It’s not as lovely as your home, of course, but it’s all I have right now. My own delightful home is no doubt being watched by the police—thanks to you.”

  He checked her feet to make sure they were tied securely. Mia tried to speak, tried to tell him what a hideous monster he was and that somehow she would make him pay for this. But of course, the words came out in garbled noises that made no sense.

  “You can fight all you want. No one is going to find you here—not that you’ll be here all that long. I have contacted friends who are going to come and take you away. Take us both away. We’ll go south—perhaps to the islands, where we will sell you as a slave to some grateful plantation owner.”

  He leaned over Mia, his face only inches from hers. “You are a very beautiful woman. No doubt men will pay me good money for a bit of fun with you. You’re a quality piece—not like the hags here on the docks. Were it not so profitable to sell untainted merchandise to the highest bidder, I might have a bit of fun with you myself.”

  Mia fought against the ropes to move away from Barrill as he ran his hands over her body. He laughed as she struggled. “A few well placed touches does no harm.”

  Screaming at him, Mia thought she might well be sick. She could only imagine the plans this man had for her future. Oh, God, help me. Take me from this wretched creature.

  Barrill suddenly straightened and cocked his head to the side. “That could be my friends now. I’ll have to leave you, but we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves later.” He licked his lips in a most disgusting fashion. “I will enjoy myself just thinking about it. You can think too, although I’m sure you won’t enjoy yourself nearly as much.” He laughed, then turned to go. “I’ll leave the lantern in case you’re afraid of the dark. No sense in having you too frightened. After all, I’m not a completely unreasonable man. I have my softer side, and if you’re nice to me you might benefit from it.”

  He closed the door behind him and Mia strained her head up to look around. The room was empty except for the bed and table. The room was no bigger than six by eight, and the walls were a weathered wood that had never been painted or papered.

  Falling back against the smelly mattress, Mia turned her attention to her hands. Barrill had bound her wrists together, then criss-crossed the rope and tied it off tightly at the side of the bed. There was no head or footboard to tie her to, so no doubt Barrill had used the frame.

  Mia pulled at the rope, trying to force her small hands through the loops. The rough hemp cut into her wrist. Barrill had done an excellent job of securing her. No doubt his experience in stealing children and keeping them captive had taught him a thing or two. This might be the same room where some of the children had been forced to stay.

  Despair settled over her like a heavy wet blanket. Mia shook off the hideous thoughts that came to mind. Someone will come for me, she told herself. Garrett . . . always seems to know where I am. He’ll find me. But then she remembered that Garrett’s father was dying that very night. Garrett would hardly be concerned about her or where she had gone. No one would know she was missing until her parents questioned her whereabouts. The hopelessness of the situation hit Mia hard. No one would come—because no one would even know where she’d gone.

  Garrett returned home in complete frustration. The Smith woman and her son weren’t at home when he’d arrived. He’d asked around the area as to whether anyone knew where she’d gone or if anyone had seen Mia, but no one had any news for him. The people seemed hesitant to even speak to him, which left Garrett even more aggravated and angry than when he’d first arrived.

  Where had she gone? How could she just so completely disappear?

  He stepped from the buggy and shook his head as the groomsman came forward. “Do not unhitch the buggy just yet. I may need to go out again.”

  Garrett started for the Stanley house when his stepmother called to him from the back door. “Garrett, come quickly. The police are here.”

  The police? Garrett wondered at this for a moment, but presumed that Mr. Stanley had sent for them. “What do they want?” he asked Mercy as he joined her in the kitchen.

  “You need to talk to them. They’re waiting for you at the front door. I’m afraid it’s very bad news.”

  Garrett rushed through the house. What had happened? Had they found Mia? Was she injured? He went to the two uniformed officers and quickly asked, “I’m Mr. Wilson—what has happened?”

  “Jasper Barrill escaped custody.”

  “How?”

  “He overpowered the men who were taking him to a different location,” the taller and older of the two men announced. “We came here to let you know, because the man made serious threats against your household.”

  “Such as?”

  “He said he knew where the Wilsons and Stanleys lived. He intended to see you all dead. Especially, as he put it, ‘that crazy Stanley woman.’ ”

  Garrett felt the truth wash over him. “Have you talked to the Stanleys yet? Their daughter—the crazy Stanley woman—is missing.”

  “No, sir. We only arrived here a moment ago and planned to go there next. How long has she been gone?”

  “Only a couple of hours. I was speaking with her in their garden when word came that my father was about to die. I came here, leaving her to go speak with her father. She never was seen again. I found her shawl discarded on the ground in the garden. Barrill must have taken her.”

  “We should go next door to speak to the Stanleys,” the officer declared.

  “I want a guard posted to this house,” Garrett demanded. “I’ll get additional men here to watch over the place, but my stepmother and sisters should not be without help.”

  “Merryman here can stay,” the older officer replied. “He can remain until you have your additional men.”

  Garrett nodded. “Let me speak to the butler, then I’ll accompany you next door. News like this should not be given without a friend in company.”

  Garrett went quickly to the butler and explained the situation. “Speak to the groomsmen and drivers. Oh, and Cook too—she has four sons. Get as many men as possible here to guard the perimeter and house. I don’t want my stepmother worried for any reason.”

  “You have my word. I’ll see to it personally.”

  Garrett went back to the foyer and found Mercy. “I have additional men coming to offer protection,” he explained to her. “In the meanwhile, this officer will stand guard here in the foyer. If anyone tries to get into the house he will surely hear
it. You stay upstairs with the girls. Keep everyone together—understand?”

  Mercy nodded, the worry registered in her expression. “What of you?”

  “I’ll be fine. I have to find Mia. Barrill most likely has her.”

  “Will he . . . hurt her?”

  “God help him if he does, for I most certainly will see him dead.”

  Lyman Stanley took the news as well as a father could be expected to. He had ushered Garrett and Officer Ambley into the library.

  “What are we to do?” he asked, looking to Garrett for answers.

  “We’ll put more men on the job. We’ll go to the docks. Mrs. Smith is bound to have returned to her house. It’s quite late and she’ll need to see her child to bed, if nothing else.”

  “I’ll return to the station house and get additional men to help us search,” Officer Ambley stated. “Barrill could not have gotten far. My men are already looking for him in all the obvious places.”

  “Barrill is very smart,” Garrett said as he considered the man and his methods. “He knows he can’t go home. He knows he can’t go to his office. Those are the first places anyone would look for him. We need to find his cronies and see if there aren’t other places where he owns or rents property.”

  “Do you know any of his conspirators?” the officer asked.

  “I have a couple of names,” Garrett admitted. “I’ve been pursuing this man’s history and operations for some time. Hopefully one of these men will be able to shed some light on Barrill’s hideouts.”

  The officer soon departed, leaving Lyman and Garrett to consider what else should be done. “I think,” Garrett began, “that we should take Mrs. Stanley to be with Mercy. I have additional men coming to guard the house, and it would be easier to protect one house rather than two.”

  “That’s a good idea. I have to break the news to her, however.” Mr. Stanley rubbed his temples. “It won’t be easy.”

 

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