John could hear from his table the lack of sincerity in the man's voice. Both men in his opinion were nothing more than snakes in the ground. Slithering slimy creatures, with no moral compass.
"I am not sure why you would want to discuss my son's fiancée," Mrs. Chesterfield interrupted, waving her fan in front of her face.
"First, she is from Chicago, not New York."
"How do you know that?" Charles asked.
"Because I know her. She is a thief and I aim to bring her to justice."
"Surely, you speak of someone else. My son's fiancée is a reputable young woman from a reputable family."
From where he sat, John could see the signature sour look plastered on Mrs. Chesterfield’s face. He wondered if the woman had practiced that look in front of mirror until she had it perfected?
"Your son's fiancée is the bastard child born to a whore in a whorehouse. I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but she is not who she says she is."
John watched as Mrs. Chesterfield stood and took a couple of steps from the table before she fainted. Charles barely managed to catch his mother and fell backward under her weight. William moved from the table to assist Charles. John took that moment to slip out of the restaurant. He entered the foyer and saw Mr. Magill coming into the hotel with the sheriff. When investigating Ms. Woods to determine where she had run off too, he learned she had a lawyer. But what was he doing here? Tired of all the questions and no answers surrounding the mystery of Ester Woods, he headed straight for the duo.
"Mr. Magill, I am John O'Brian. I am a Pinkerton agent."
"Mr. O'Brian, we are here on very urgent business. If you need a lawyer, I would suggest finding a local one," Mr. Magill said.
"Mr. Magill, I am not in need of a lawyer, I assure you. I do feel, however, that we have a common interest—a Ms. Ester Woods." He watched as Mr. Magill realized that the Pinkerton agent was here also because of Ms. Woods.
"Is Ester alright?"
"Yes, she is fine."
"Good, good. I have the sheriff here. A warrant was sent for her half-brother’s arrest."
"If you are arresting my client, I feel I have a need to know why." He stood between the two men and the restaurant where William Warner was busy tending to the elderly Mrs. Chesterfield.
"He is wanted for the murder of Ester Woods' mother and grandparents," the sheriff informed him.
Nodding his head, he stepped aside and allowed the two men to enter the restaurant. From where he stood in the lobby, he could hear William screaming. A bunch of useless peacocking about who he was and how they were going to regret this. He knew from the beginning that the man was arrogant, but he didn't realize he was a killer. He watched the sheriff drag a handcuffed, screaming William from the restaurant. Hatred radiated from him, and his eyes could only be described as wild and crazed. A shiver ran through John as he felt the evil coming off the other man.
"Mr. O'Brian, would you please accompany us back to the station? We have some questions for you," the sheriff said as he led William out of the hotel. Nodding, he followed them out into the street. At the station, John spent several hours answering questions and going over what he knew about his client and Ms. Woods. When he was finished at the station, he went in search of Mr. Magill. He didn't have to look far and found the man standing outside.
"Have you been to see Ester since you have arrived in Boston?" John asked as he walked up to the older man.
"No, I have not been to see her yet. Once the warrant was signed, I came here to let the local sheriff know that Mr. Warner was here in Boston." He took out his pipe and struck a match. Taking a deep inhale of the smoke, he let it blow out into a cloud around him. "I feared what he might have done to her if he was not arrested in time. He is a dangerous man, Mr. O'Brian."
"I regret leading him to her," John said. He had learned from the sheriff that Ms. Woods had not stolen the shares, as his client had claimed. Instead, he had gambled them away after his father's death. With his mother demanding to know about the shares, he concocted the whole thief scenario. Turns out, gambling and lying were not his only sins. Upon learning about Ester's mother and his father, he had murdered the woman and both her parents. So many things were starting to make sense, while other things remained a mystery.
"I am heading to see her now. Care to join me?" Mr. Magill asked. When John nodded, the older man led him toward a waiting black carriage. Neither spoke once settled in the carriage. John figured the older man was lost in his thoughts as well and welcomed the silence. Once outside the Woods Academy for Proper Young Ladies, they exited the carriage and made their way to the wooden doors. Mr. Magill did not knock but walked right into the school and headed for Ester's private quarters with John right on his heels.
Magill rapped hard on the door. The sound vibrating through the empty hallway. Within moments, the door was yanked open and Mary stood there with red eyes. Instantly, she launched herself into her uncle's arms and began to sob. From within the confines of Ester's private quarters, he could hear crying. Pushing past Magill and his niece, he marched into the sitting room. Ester sat on the settee sobbing. He wasn't sure what to do so he just stood there staring at her.
"Charles broke off the engagement,” she wailed looking up at him. Her face was pale, and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Something inside him broke at the sight of her in such distress. Charles was a social-climbing weasel, surely, she could see that she could do much better than him.
“Ester, surely you realize what a good thing that is. The man was abusive. Or did you forget about the bruise he left on your cheek?” John moved a bit closer to where she sat.
“Charles, did not hit me. You made a grave mistake, Mr. O’Brian,” Ester said before burying her face back into her hands and sobbing.
"There, there," Mary crooned as she came back into the room and sat on the settee. She took Ester in her arms. "You will find a way to make all of this work.”
"He told everyone, Mary. Everyone knows." Her sobs grew louder.
"Take a deep breath," Mr. Magill told her. "Now, start from the beginning. What happened?" He took a seat in the high-backed chair near the settee.
"Charles came and called off the wedding. He also told everyone about my birth. How did he find out? I was so careful . . ..” She buried her face in her hands again and continued to sob.
"The parents are pulling their daughters out of the school. They have already arrived and retrieved their daughters. They called her such horrible names, Uncle.” Mary got up and poured a cup of tea from the serving tray sitting on the sideboard table. Returning to the settee, she coaxed Ester into taking it.
John's heart broke hearing what Ester had endured today. He knew he had started this doing his job. In the end, though, he had not brought a thief to justice, he had helped ruin a good woman. He wanted to storm out and return to the police station and drag William out of the jail and beat that snake with his bare fists. That weasel, Charles, deserved the same treatment.
"I have lost everything. The school is shutting down and with the wedding called off, I will have nothing."
"You deserve better than that weasel. Seriously, did you really love that man?" John stared at her.
"It is not that simple, Mr. O'Brian. I am on a deadline and there is no time left to find a husband."
"What deadline are you on, Ms. Woods?" A deadline to find a husband? Usually, women with deadlines such as that were early with child? Was it possible that Ester was with child? Had she succumbed to the advances of her fiancé to only find herself a soiled dove? The thought that Charles would seduce her then ruin her made his blood boil.
"My grandfather's inheritance stated that I must be wed by Christmas Eve or I lose the inheritance. With Charles calling off the wedding, I don't have time to find another husband."
Inheritance? She had to find a husband to obtain her inheritance? John found himself relaxing at the news. While he was not a man who always viewed things the way society viewed them,
he was a man of honor. That honor made it hard for him to not want to pound any man who ruined a woman. Charles was lucky that he had not ruined Ester by leaving her with child and unwed.
"Ms. Woods, it will work itself out. I am sure a lovely young woman like yourself will have no problem finding a husband," Mr. Magill injected.
"I could marry you and help you gain your inheritance." Once the words were out of John’s mouth, he couldn't believe he had offered such a thing. He watched as her eyes grew wide as she stared at him. Twice she opened her mouth to say something, only to close her lips again. He was just as stunned as she was by his offer. When he thought about it, though, it made sense. He was the reason she was in this situation. "It would be a paper marriage only, of course," he quickly added.
"Why would you marry me? Exactly why are you here, Mr. O'Brian?" She looked between him and Mr. Magill, and John realized she suspected there was more going on that she had first believed.
He took a deep breath and steeled his nerves. “I am a Pinkerton detective. I came to Boston on a new assignment.” This was so much harder than it had been inside his head.
Ever the proper lady she sat quietly, waiting for him to continue. The look on her face said that she knew where he was going with this but wanted him to say the words. To fully confess his sins.
“I was hired by a man named William Warner to find the woman that stole shares to an iron conglomerate that had belonged to his father.” His palms began to sweat. Rubbing them on his pants, he watched the tears continue to fall silently down her cheeks. “I am sorry Ester. I want to say that I was doing my job. Truth be told, I had figured out that there was more to his claims than he was saying. I could have walked away from this assignment.”
“Yes, you could have walked away. Your actions have ruined everything I worked so hard for,” she said. Standing she walked up to him and looked him in the eyes. “However, I also had a job to do and in doing so I fear I ruined a good girl’s life as well.”
“If we marry as I suggested we could at least ensure you get your inheritance.” He reached out and took her hands in his. “It is one way in which to make right what I did.”
“He has a point, Ester.” Mr. Magill said.
“I agree with Uncle. It wouldn’t be such a hardship being married to man such as Mr. O’Brian, now would it?”
John found himself turning a bit red at the way Mary assessed him. He leaned in and whispered in Ester’s ear. “If you don’t say yes, I fear the look in your friend’s eyes says she will devour me.”
“Mr. O’Brian if I agree to allow you right your mistake, you must promise to help me right a mistake of my own.”
John stood and listened to Ester and Mary as they told him what had happened to the poor girl Sophia. He had a plan but it would take some time to put it in action. “I have an idea that might work. You have to be patient though as something this delicate won’t happen overnight.”
“I can agree to be patient, so long as you keep me abreast of what is happening.” Ester pulled her hands back from his and went and sat back down next to Mary.
John realized that he oddly felt empty with her removing herself from him. No other woman had ever made him feel this way. There was that one very charming and devious woman. He had found himself falling for her like a schoolboy. Still though he never felt alone if he was not touching her. Ester though was different. She brought out feelings he never even knew he had. A marriage on paper only at least had the perks of her company during his waking hours.
Chapter 21
Ester took out a dress and inspected it, then threw it on the growing pile on the bed. Nothing she had seemed to fit her idea of a wedding dress. There was no time to acquire a real wedding dress on such short notice. After accepting John’s proposal yesterday, it was agreed that they would be married in two days. She had only today to put a wedding together for tomorrow morning.
“There you are.” A lady’s voice called behind her. “Mary said I would find you in here.”
Turning Ester saw Lady Wellington standing just inside the door of her bedroom. What was Lady Wellington doing here? Surely, she had heard the scandalous news about Ester by now. Did the Baroness come to shame her the way the parents of her students had done? Speechless she stood and simply stared at the other woman.
“I came early but Mary informed me that there was to be a wedding tomorrow, so I took the liberty of going and gathering a few things.” Lady Wellington half turned towards the door. “They are in here,” she said with a gesture of her hand.
Ester followed behind her into the sitting room. Upon two of the chairs lay various fabrics of all colors. Lady Wellington faced her with a huge smile on her face. “I do apologize my dear but even I could not obtain a wedding dress on this short of notice. But surely there is something in all these dresses that would be fitting.” She moved to one of the chairs and held up a light blue silk dress trimmed in delicate navy-blue lace.
“Why are you doing this?” The bottom of her stomach fell out and unshed tears stung her eyes.
“I thought we were friends. Friends help each other.” Lady Wellington gave the dress a slight shake. “So what do you think of this one?”
“I don’t mean to be rude. Truly I don’t but you must have heard by now what is being said.” Squeezing her eyes shut she refused to cry. She would not give society the pleasure of seeing her cry. Of knowing how deeply she was wounded.
“I have heard, and I honestly have to say that I don’t care what is said. Polite society has a way of not being so polite when it comes to hurtful rumors.”
“They are not rumors. It is true I am the daughter of a whorehouse madam.” Ester gave a low growl of frustration. How many times in her life must she say or hear those words? She wanted to run away. Run so far that know one would know who she was or of her unreputable past. She had run when she came to Boston. Not far enough though.
“Well I am known for my scandalous tongue and you for your scandalous birth. I think we make a fine pair of friends.” She put the light blue dress down and grabbed up a green silk dress. “I don’t think the blue one would work for you. Try this one.” She moved to stand in front of Ester and held the dress up against her. “Ah yes, the color is perfect on you. What do you think?”
“I think it is beautiful. Much to beautiful for me.” Tears slid down her cheeks. With the palm of her hand she swiped them away. “It isn’t even a real marriage.”
“Go ahead my dear and have yourself a good cry. Real or not, I saw the way that man looked at you during Mr. Wright’s ball. The man is quite smitten with you Ms. Woods.” She sat the dress down and led Ester to the settee. “I am just grateful something happened to get you away from that dreadful Charles. Although I must say that I never saw this coming.”
Ester wiped at her eyes with her white lace trimmed handkerchief. Until this moment the only true female friend she had was Mary. Mary knew all Ester’s secrets and loved and accepted her unconditionally. Now it seemed that Lady Wellington knew her scandalous secrets and accepted her as well. It felt so good but left her overwhelmed. She had spent so long hiding her past, always afraid of rejection. More often than not, rejection came with cruel words that cut away at who she was as a person.
Mary entered the room carrying a vase brimming with white and blue flowers. Trailing behind her, Mr. Wong was also carrying a couple matching vases. Eyeing the two she watched as they sat the vases on a side table, then silently exit the room. Cocking her head to the side, she gave Lady Wellington a quizzical look.
A soft musical laugh escaped the other woman. “What? You can’t have a wedding without flowers.”
Before she could respond, Mary and Mr. Wong returned carrying more vases identical to the others. She gave a slight shake of her head and smiled at the woman sitting next to her. She couldn’t argue that flowers were a part of a normal wedding. This wasn’t a normal wedding though.
***
John spent the day finalizing the
preparations for his wedding. His wedding. Despite the fact that it was a name only marriage, it still struck him hard that he was getting married the next day. He had went to the court house and secured them a marriage license. Now setting in the carriage outside the church, he hesitated. He was Catholic, and divorce was not an acceptable option. Yet he had offered her the opportunity to end the marriage at a later date. No way could they have a priest perform the ceremony.
Leaning out the carriage window, he inquired from the driver if there was a Protestant church nearby. After telling the driver to take him there, he settled back in his seat. He would simple secure a preacher to marry them at the school and not report to the Church that he was married. Arriving at the church, John exited the carriage and headed inside. He found the preacher without much difficulty. After explaining that he needed someone to officiate the wedding on short notice, the preacher agreed. Shaking the man’s hand, John agreed upon a time and left through the same door he entered.
The Christmas Will (O'Brian Brothers Book 1) Page 11
