The Christmas Will (O'Brian Brothers Book 1)

by A. S. McGowan

  © 2018 A.S. McGowan. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the author.

  Cover Design: Charlene Raddon @ (silversagebookcovers.com/)

  Editor: Silvia Curry @ (silviasreading.webs.com)

  Chapter 1

  Chicago, December 31, 1859

  Ester Woods stepped off the train and onto the platform. Setting her carpetbag down, she glanced around. Her mother promised to meet her as soon as she arrived in Chicago. Maybe her mother decided to avoid the cold by waiting in the carriage. She picked up her carpet bag and headed toward the street.

  Instead of her mother's carriage and driver, Ester saw her mother's lawyer, Timothy Magill. She watched as a smile spread across the middle-aged man's craggy face. She gripped her carpet bag and headed toward him. Why was he here and not her mother?

  "Ester, darling, it is so good to have you back home," he said as soon as she reached him. Leaning in, he kissed the air next to her cheek.

  "Mr. Magill, it is good to see you as well.” She set her carpet bag down and glanced up and down the street. Shivering, she pulled her wool coat tighter.

  "Ester, would you mind coming with me to my office? There are some things we need to discuss." He reached down and picked up her carpet bag without waiting for a response.

  "Mr. Magill, my mother is meeting me here. She is running late, and she will be much aggravated if I am not here when she arrives."

  "Ester, that is one of the things I need to talk to you about." He turned and began to walk down the street, as if he expected she would follow him.

  Realizing he was not going to stop walking, she hurried up behind him. "Mr. Magill, would you please tell me what is going on?"

  She reached out a gloved hand and gripped his shoulder. When he stopped walking and turned back to her, she tried to keep her temper in check. “What of my trunks? What if mother arrives and finds me missing? You know she detests having to wait on people.”

  "Ester, trust me, this is better discussed in private. Come along, lassie." He turned and continued back down the street.

  Mr. Magill's office was three blocks from the train station. Not the kind of office Ester would expect of a lawyer—small and cramped, full of worn-out furniture, and papers littered the desk. When he sat her carpet bag down next to the chair, he went around his desk opposite of her. She sat in the worn chair he indicated and waited for him to sit. Why would her mother's lawyer need to talk to her? None of this made any sense. Three years past since she last saw her mother. The past three years were spent at the prestigious school for governesses in New York, compliments of grandparents she never knew.

  One night they showed up and from her bedroom, she heard her mother argue with them. She couldn’t make out all the words from behind the door, but she heard

  enough to know that what they wanted upset her mother. They came back the next day and she was forced to leave with them. The carriage ride to the train station was done in silence. The older couple sat ramrod straight, hands in their laps as they stared at her. The train ride to New York was no different—they spoke to her only when necessary. When they arrived in New York she was escorted to the school and handed over. Simply abandoned.

  Her mother’s letters though, kept her abreast of what was going on with the people back home here in Chicago. Those letters were the only thing she had in her new world that reminded her that she was loved at least by one person. In fact, a letter from her mother reached her last week and spoke of how excited she was for Ester to graduate and be home in time to celebrate New Year's Eve together. She had spent the last hour on a train daydreaming about all the festivities she would enjoy with her mother tonight.

  "Ester, there are several legal matters that we need to clear up—" he began.

  "Mr. Magill, I am not sure what you need to talk to me about, but I am very anxious to see my mother," Ester interrupted him. Her training screamed at her to not be rude and to speak politely. Ladylike manners at all times. However, this man’s vagueness grated on her nerves.

  "Ester, that is what I need to talk to you about.” He paused for a moment. “I am sorry, I forgot to offer to take your coat and gloves.”

  “Thank you, but I assure you I am fine. Now please, what is all this about?” She would allow him to believe that she wished to not put him out. She wanted nothing more than to know why she was here, and she didn’t want to tell him that his office was cold, thus distracting him further.

  “Your mother and grandparents were murdered on Christmas Eve."

  "Pardon me?" Did she hear him correctly? Her mother and grandparents could not have been murdered. He was mistaken. Christmas Eve was seven days ago. She tried to recall the date written on her mother’s last letter. If she could remember the date and it was later than Christmas Eve, then that would prove he was wrong. Her mother was still alive.

  "I am sorry, child. Truly, I am. Time is of the essence when it comes to their wills, though. Your mother's states that you must sell the Peacock Club and use the money to start a more reputable business."

  "Sell the Peacock Club? My mother loves that place. She would never want it sold," Ester protested. A shiver ran down her spine and spread through her body. This time it had nothing to do with the cold. “I assure you, Mr. Magill, you are mistaken. My mother is still very much alive.”

  "She did love it. But, she loved her daughter more. She wanted more for you than being a Madam of a whorehouse." He shuffled a couple of papers, then held one up. "The club is to be sold, and the money used to start a respectable business as we just discussed. Your grandfather left you his entire estate and control of his garment factory. All of his investments will also be transferred to you upon completion of the other terms of his will. All in all, you will live a comfortable life if you can handle the money properly."

  "Handle it properly? You say that as if I am some feather-brained female that would spend it all on frivolous things." Tears burned her eyes and made her vision blur. Straightening her spine even more, she willed the tears not to fall. “You are not listening to me. I said my mother is still alive!” Her voice came out snapping and very unladylike. She didn’t care though. Not at this point where her mother’s trusted lawyer refused to listen to her.

  "Here," Mr. Magill said as he passed a white handkerchief across the desk. “I know the news comes as a shock, but I assure you there is no mistake. The detectives are working to find the person responsible.”

  "Thank you." She dabbed the cloth against the corner of her eyes. Even though her heart was breaking, she knew she must remain the proper lady like her training demanded. Later, alone, she would allow herself that luxury of a full-on cry. “You must know that my mother’s profession means no one will look too hard to find her killer.”

  “Your mother’s killer, I am sad to say, no one would look to hard to find. You are correct. But your grandparents’ wealth and prestige will spur them into finding the killer.”

  After discussing the situation further, she decided to allow Mr. Magill the task of finding a buyer for the Peacock Club. It seemed easier for her to be done with it quickly and truth be told, she had no clue how much a whorehouse would be worth. Would anyone with money really want to own one? To her, it was home—a home where all of her childhood memories centered. While it was home, it was a home she ran from as soon as the opportunity presented itself. She was grateful Mr. Magill thought ahead to se
t her up with a room at the hotel down the street. With her mother gone, she did not want to spend any time at the Peacock Club. With all the unpleasant business out of the way, Ester stood and turned toward the door. Just as she opened it, Mr. Magill called her name.

  "Yes?" She turned back to face him.

  "I almost forgot. Your grandfather's will also stipulates that you must be married within one year of his passing. You have until Christmas Eve of next year to have a husband."

  Did he just say that she had to be married? Her world spun, and a dull ache started behind her eyes when she walked out of the office. How could one find a husband on such short notice? Why would her grandfather ask such a thing of her? Even as she asked herself the question, the answer hit her. He didn’t want her to end up like her mother. Just a few steps away from the office, she walked right into a solid wall.

  Stepping back, she looked up and realized the solid wall was a man. She looked into his dark eyes and a shiver ran down her spine.

  "Pardon me, ma’am." His voice deep penetrated her brain and she nodded an acknowledgment just as he stepped around her. Something about him unsettled her. She had come across a few men that made her feel that way at the Peacock Club. Normally, she was kept well away from the men who came there. Her mother’s strict policy kept her hidden away most of the time, though occasionally, she would be wandering around when a man would come in. Most were normal friendly sorts, such as Mr. Magill. Some, though, were just like this man, where evil seemed to radiate from them.

  Chapter 2

  It had taken only two weeks to settle her mother’s estate. With the money from the sell of the Peacock Club, Mr. Magill had helped her purchase a nice building in Boston. Everything was set, and she would be opening the door’s soon to a few students. She made her way down the platform followed by Mr. Magill’s niece Mary Magill who would be accompanying her to Boston as her lady companion and chaperone. Once on the train she led the way to their seats.

  “One of those fancy sleeper cars would have been nice,” Mary grumbled as she settled on the bench seat next to Ester.

  “Yes, but these tickets were cheaper. We need to conserve as much money as possible until I receive my inheritance.” Ester adjusted her skirt as she got comfortable on the bench. Removing her gloves, she placed them in her lap. It did not take long before the train departed the station and she was on her way to a new life. This was not the first time she had boarded a train leaving Chicago. It was though the first time she was leaving without anything or anyone to come back to though.

  “Ester,” her mother’s voice said her name.

  Turning she looked at her mother, trying hard not to cry. Why did she have to leave? When the man and woman had come, Ester was so sure her mother would send them away. Yet here she stood at the train station being forced to leave her mother and head to New York. Fear bubbled up inside her and she want to run out of the station. Run so far that the man and woman couldn’t find her. She stepped into her mother’s embrace and clung to her. The tears no longer held in check flowed freely down her face.

  “I don’t want to go mother. Why can’t I stay here?”

  “Your grandparents have secured you a nice spot in a very nice school. Ester this is your chance to get an education that will allow you a nice life.” Her mother kissed the top of her head.

  “Why do you call them my grandparents? They threw you away and in all these years never wanted to know me. Why now?” She continued to cling to her mother, her tears soaking through the woman’s blouse.

  “Ester, it does not matter what they did in the past. What matters is that they are paying for you to have a life. Now it is time to go.” Her mother released her and taking her by the arm walked her over to where the couple stood waiting.

  “Ester, dear you look frightful. A lady does not cry in public.” Her grandmother said. Handing her a handkerchief, she looked at Ester with what could only be described as shame. “Now wipe your face before people notice.”

  Ester took the handkerchief and looked at her mother before wiping her face. These people who called themselves her grandparents were not the loving grandparents she had dreamed of as a small child. They were very rigid and cold. Not once since the night they came to see her mother had either of them shown her a smidgen of affection.

  The abrupt stop of the train pulled her from her memory. She strained to see what was going on towards the front of the train car, but her view was blocked by a woman’s rather large hat. Boots stomped against the floor. She turned to Mary with a quizzical look and was greeted with an equally confused look on the other woman’s face.

  “Toss your guns down now!” A male voice shouted. “Put your hands in the air. Do what we say, and no one gets hurt.”

  Thuds sounded as guns began to hit the aisle. A man in a dirty white shirt with a dirty red bandana covering the lower half of his face came into view. He made his way down the aisle collected the discarded guns.

  His eyes darted from person to person. Ester knew that when a man like that was nervous things could turn deadly quickly. She seen nervous drunk men inside the Peacock Club. On more than one occasion a gun fight had ensued.

  Another man appeared behind the first man. He was dressed equally as poor as his partner and just as dirty. From where she sat, Ester could see the large sweat stain on the front of the man’s blue shirt. His eyes were steadier than his partner’s as he stood at the front of the aisle pointing a pistol at the passengers. Two more men came into the aisle carry gunnysacks held open.

  “Turn over all your possessions and no one has to get hurt.” The man holding the gun announced.

  The two men with the gunnysacks made their way down the aisle collecting the passengers’ possessions.

  Fear pricked Ester as she sat staring straight ahead. A frenzy of rebellious anger made her tremble. How dare these men point guns at them and make demands. The sheer audacity of their thievery made every fiber of her being object.

  A man seated across from her began to pull out his coin purse. Then removed his silver pocket watch. She couldn’t believe the man was so willing to surrender these possessions. By the looks of the man she had pegged him as someone who would try and stop the robbers. She looked him in the eyes, silently pleading with him to do something. The man simple blinked his green eyes and said nothing. So much for him being the one to protect them.

  The masked man made his way to them and held out the gunnysack to the man across from her. He dutifully dropped the coin purse and pocket watch into the sack. Beside her, Mary reached out and dropped her meager possessions into the sack.

  The man turned towards her and her sensibilities flared. Fear though had her heart beating frantically in her chest. She wanted to take this man to task but she didn’t want anyone on the train to get hurt because of her. Silently she dropped her coin purse into the sack. Reaching up she pulled the sapphire and diamond earrings her grandmother had given her the day they dropped her at the school into the bag. While they held monetary value, they were of no sentimental value to her.

  She thought the gun man would walk away. When he continued to stand there, her heart beat faster. Why wasn’t he moving on? She gave him what he wanted.

  He stared at her neck and jerked his head at her.

  “The chain ma’am,” the masked man said.

  Her hand flew to her neck and clutched protectively over the thin gold chain. Her mother’s fingers were slender in contrast to Ester’s thick fingers. There was no way that the one piece of jewelry she kept of her mothers, would fit on her finger. Instead Ester had placed it on a thin chain and wore it around her neck.

  “Please it is my mother’s ring.”

  “Hand it over!”

  “You don’t understand, it was my mother’s ring. It is all I have left.” She pleaded.

  “Just give it to him,” the green-eyed man said in a calm that infuriated her more than the robbers.

  She could hear the muttering of the other passengers.
She knew that nothing was worth someone getting hurt over, yet she couldn’t bring herself to hand over the only thing she had left of her mother. Her hand stayed protectively clutching the chain.

  Defiantly she glared up at the robber. His eyes were small and black. Mean eyes. The eyes of a killer.

  She caught the glint of the pistol as he raised it, pointing it directly at her face. She hadn’t planned to die today. The victim of a train robbery. The logical part of her brain told her to give it up as it wasn’t worth dying over. Yet the child in her clung to the chain that held the only thing she had left of her mother. She could hear Mary next to her pleading with her to hand it over.

  She heard the click of the hammer. Panic clawed for release, but Ester refused to give into the emotion. She pressed her eyes tightly shut and sent up a silent frantic prayer.

  “We ain’t got all day. Hurry up down there!” one of the other thieves shouted from the front of the train car.

  Ester opened her eyes just as he leaned in towards her. She could smell the stench of whiskey and sweat. She flinched back away from him. He raised the pistol as if to strike her with it.