“What other way is there?”
“We’ll hold a raffle at dinner with the honor of being your escort to the bonfire as the prize.”
What was wrong with her and Alex just pairing off? Aunt Mandy’s flare for the dramatic sometimes got out of hand. “Isn’t that rather coarse. It’s almost as bad as being given to the highest bidder.”
“Not at all. Tickets won’t be purchased. It’ll just be a way to spark interest, and no one can claim you’re singling Alex out when he wins. You know I’ve invited the top Southern Democrat social leaders together with the top carpetbaggers and scallywags, Governor Bullock and General Terry among them. We don’t want to show the army any favoritism.”
Gillian nodded. Even she, with her limited knowledge of politics, could understand that the Democrats would be annoyed if they played favorites with the enemy. “But how will you know Alex will be chosen?”
Aunt Mandy gave her one of those don’t-be-silly looks. “I will be drawing the name.” She smiled as if satisfied with her plans and turned to Purity. “Be sure to schedule each event, Purity, and we’ll have to contact the band and caterers and other workers and tell them the new date.”
“What date?”
“Friday. It will be a long night, so it’s best not to hold it on Saturday and interfere with church the next morning.”
“But that’s only four days away,” Purity lamented.
“It is, and I’m sorry to say we won’t have time to order a new gown for Gillian as I’d hoped, but she has plenty to choose from. You, too, must choose one for yourself.”
Purity’s unusual, silver eyes widened. “I’m to attend? Is that wise?”
Gillian glanced from one to the other. She understood Purity’s hesitation, but she agreed it was time for the girl to come out.
***
Alex couldn’t keep the smile off his face, even after returning to his office. Gillian had stood up to Amanda Brown. Not many had the nerve to do that. Still, it had him wondering if Gillian announced their wedding just to defy her aunt—or because she really wanted people to know she was married to him.
That she preferred him to Reuben Dabney was nothing to crow about, but he flattered himself it went further than that. He couldn’t push her. Gillian didn’t take kindly to being pushed. After associating with coy women in both North and South for so long, Gillian was a breath of fresh air. And a lot more. She might not realize it yet, but their marriage would never be annulled, and he felt the Lord was on his side in that.
How would she like living on a farm? It wasn’t much different than living on a plantation. He laughed to himself. On a much smaller scale. Not much time to get her used to that, but somehow, he’d convince her to leave with him when he left the army.
That sent a wrecking ball into his daydreams. First he had to submit his new plans to his commanding officer and General Terry. Better to wait until after the cotillion, however. Alex agreed with Amanda that all should appear normal until after that event. No reason to complicate the situation any more than it already was.
And here he was musing over Gillian when he should be working. He’d always prided himself he could keep his personal affairs separate from work. Besides, so much hung in the air. First was Gilbert Carey and what was going on back in Macon.
As if in answer to his unspoken prayer, Cal Duncan poked his head in the doorway. “Got a minute.”
“Didn’t know you were in Atlanta, but glad to see you, come in.”
Cal would give him a witness account of the situation in Macon and could be trusted too. It seemed to Alex the longer he stayed in his current assignment, the less he trusted anyone. He’d been foolish enough to think he was using Amanda Brown to get to the bottom of the politics, but she’d let her guard down, showing him and Gillian, it was she, Amanda, who was using him. And maybe Gillian too.
The young lieutenant carried an attaché case. He set it on the edge of Alex’s desk, unlatched it, and set a written report in the middle of the desk.
Alex read the report twice. Gilbert Carey had received a written demand for payment with a threat. This was the first real evidence the man was being blackmailed for money.
Cal had pulled up a chair and was seated in front of the desk, across from Alex. He smiled as Alex dropped the paper and raised his eyes to meet those of his friend. “There’s a lot more it doesn’t say,” Cal said.
Alex inclined his head. “That’s always the case. Do you know what’s left out?”
“Exactly. I’m the one who intercepted the message to Carey.”
Leaning forward with elbows propped on the desktop, Alex lifted his brow. “You’re getting good at this—intercepting messages, I mean. I suppose you turned the note over to Major Turley. How did you get it?”
“I was in the yard helping the O’Grady sisters pick bugs off their roses when this little colored boy ran up and said, ‘Mister soldier, would you take this to Mister Carey.’” Cal laughed. “He knew soldiers would give him a tip, whereas the ladies wouldn’t have any money on them. I was so excited to get my hands on the envelope, I gave him a whole nickel.”
“Did you ask him who sent the message? To describe the sender?”
Cal shook his head. “I didn’t want to get the boy in trouble. For all I knew, the sender could have been watching us. And I didn’t want the ladies involved. They’re even nosier than we are, though I will say they bring what little levity you can find around the place. After that shooting, everyone, including the servants, walk around like they expect something bad to happen.”
“I know what you mean, the household was about as glum as a prison except for Gillian and the sisters.”
“The sisters keep asking me when you and Gillian are coming home. Funny how they always put you two together.”
And they probably weren’t the only ones wondering why he was spending time with Gillian. “The message itself didn’t indicate who it came from?”
“No, not that I’d have expected it to. I put it in my pocket and finished helping the ladies, then went to my room before opening it. It was wax-sealed, so that wasn’t any problem.”
“So what did it say, can you recall the exact wording?”
“I remember it word for word.” Cal leaned in. “’Your payment is overdue. My man will pick it up by Friday. No excuses or your daughter may have another accident.’”
Alex wasn’t surprised, but the words sent fear inching up his spine. “Another accident? I don’t know, Cal. It sounds so much like a set-up. They made it too easy for you.”
“Naturally, I thought of that train wreck.”
What else could it refer to? And whoever sent the message, making sure Cal would see it, expected them to think that. “I assume you’ve watched the men who paid Carey a visit.”
“No, actually, when I reported to Major Turley, he said he’d take over and sent me up here to report to you and General Terry.”
Cal’s brows pulled together as his jaw clenched. “It might just be a ruse to give Major Turley an excuse to call on the Careys.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Well, I might be imagining things, but Major Turley seems to find any excuse possible to get himself into the Carey’s house. I think he’s sweet on Mrs. Carey. The O’Grady sisters are suspicious too.”
Alex rubbed his neck. Turley was a bachelor, but Julia Carey was a married woman. The major might fall into a position to be blackmailed himself. “That’s a complication we don’t need. You mention this to the general?”
“No, I haven’t seen the general personally, and anyway, I thought I’d let you do that—if you think it’s necessary.”
Alex wasn’t really concerned with Major Turley’s love life. He couldn’t focus on anything but Gillian and the danger she might be in. He grunted and rose to pace around the desk aimlessly. “I think it’s time to evaluate this whole case. I keep thinking there’s something we’re missing that’s right before us. Let’s go over everything we know. I
f I miss something, let me know.”
This was an exercise he and Cal had played often during their time in army intelligence. Cal stretched out in the chair with his arms folded across his chest--his thinking position. Alex, on the other hand, thought more clearly on his feet. He continued to pace.
“What do we really know about Gilbert Carey? Let’s go back to his father, a man who immigrated from England when Gilbert was still in college. Carey, Senior, was an abolitionist and wanted to do what he could to convince the southern planters they could switch from slave labor to crop sharing. He obviously had money, since he built the large house in Macon and became active in local politics.”
“He was known as a great orator and gained a great deal of respect from the moderates until he set up his house to help runaway slaves,” Cal said. “Even then, most of the politicians tried to look the other way.”
“Either that or the men whose campaigns he financed owed him. In the meantime, Gilbert finished college and came to America. He married a wealthy planter’s daughter, an heiress to Lynwood. They had four children, Gillian being the youngest, and as far as we know, the only one still living.”
“Gilbert had already gained a State Senate seat when the elder Carey opened his house to run-away slaves and fell out of favor with the planters. Then died accidentally.”
“But Gilbert gained favor, probably because of his wife’s family. He used hired labor at the plantation, but he didn’t speak out against slavery like his father. What’s your overall opinion of him before the war?”
“Weak, always wanting to take the easy way out. Traveled a lot, maybe to get away from his domineering wife.”
“That was my thought. He refused to fight for the Confederacy, but his sons were of the same mind as their mother. That might have been because Gilbert was away from home much of the time. He had little influence in his children’s lives. Gillian said her mother decided she should go to England, possibly to get rid of her.
She was a handful as a child, but in fairness to her mother, Gillian has a beautiful voice. It’s reasonable to assume she was sent to London only for singing lessons.”
For whatever reason, Gillian had grown up without much affection from either mother or father. “Why would these blackmailers think Gilbert cares enough for his daughter to save her?”
His question caught Cal by surprise. “I suppose you’d naturally expect a father to want to protect his daughter.”
Alex continued his pacing, running his fingers through his hair as if to loosen the brain underneath. “Wait a minute. She was in England.” Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. “That’s it. That’s what we’ve been missing.”
“What?”
“The only thing we’ve uncovered so far as to what this gang holds over Gilbert Carey is his daughter. But we now know they started blackmailing Gilbert while Gillian was still in England. In fact, that’s why he didn’t want her to return.”
“They changed their tactics. Criminals do that, you know.”
“And we’ll have to change our tactics.” Alex swung around the desk and slid into his chair. “Whatever leverage they’ve used, it’s something Gilbert Carey doesn’t want to divulge. He refuses to cooperate with the army or the local authorities.” He shook his head. “No, there’s something else they have on him.”
“What? That message he just got threatened his daughter.”
“That might be the only thing they have left, but I believe there’s something else Gilbert Carey is hiding. How do blackmailers usually extort money or other things of value from their victims? What’s the normal leverage?”
Cal rubbed his forehead, then slapped the desktop. “A secret—something the victim can’t afford to have known.”
“Right, and Gillian certainly isn’t a secret. So we have to dig further into Gilbert Carey’s past and see what secrets he doesn’t want exposed.”
Alex stretched back in his chair. Did he have time to discover Gilbert Carey’s secrets? And if he did, what affect would that have on his daughter?
Cal got up to leave, but Alex had another thought. “Can you stay through the weekend? I’d like your help going through our files here. If you can, I’ll arrange for you to attend the social event of the season Friday night, escorting a beautiful young lady.”
The lieutenant sat back down. “You have my interest. Who’s the young lady? I wasn’t aware you knew any except Gillian.”
“Amanda Brown’s houseguest, Purity Drayton. Raven curls, creamy complexion, and the most beautiful, gray eyes you’ll ever look into.”
Cal answered with a toothy grin. “I don’t have to report back to Major Turley until Monday. I’d love to go to the social event of the year.”
“Good. And you should know Purity was at Lynwood after the war. She, better than anyone, could tell you what was going on.”
Cal’s eyes narrowed. “I should have known there was an ulterior motive.”
Alex leaned back, threading his fingers behind his head. “Not ulterior at all. I want you and Purity to enjoy the ball, but you’re the most subtle spy I’ve ever known. I’d have questioned Purity myself, but I’m too close to Amanda and Gillian to be subtle.”
Chapter 19
Purity edged through the doorway of the dressing room like she feared disturbing Gillian. “Amanda says it’s time for us to come down.”
Gillian observed her through the vanity’s mirror and waved her hand. “Come in here and let me see your dress.” She whirled around on the stool, gesturing the shy girl forward.
Blushing, Purity lifted the sides of her evening gown of pale yellow with lace insets. Gillian had lent it to her, and Aunt Mandy’s maid had made the alterations. As Purity dipped her head, sapphire studded combs sparkled in her black curls.
“I really shouldn’t go at all.”
Gillian fluffed the gossamer overskirt. “You’re beautiful, Purity. Of course you should join the party. I’m so glad Alex arranged for his friend to be your escort.” Gillian leaned in to whisper. “He’s only a soldier. They leave as fast as they come.” She hoped that wouldn’t prove true for Alex, but logic forced her to consider it a real possibility.
“I know, but I feel like a fraud.”
“Nonsense. You don’t have to tell him anything about your heritage. It’s not like you have to marry him. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t get a few proposals tonight.”
Purity looked even more distressed, so Gillian quickly added, “Is my neckline too low?” She blew a stray tendril from her eyes. Her red-gold tresses were swept back in a cluster of curls that cascaded down the back, but wispy tendrils framed her face.
“Lovely. The captain will be blown over the moon.”
Gillian laughed. This was certainly an improvement on her “wedding dress.” Her ball gown of watered, blue silk complemented her eyes. The bodice swept across her shoulders and culminated in short, puff sleeves at the arms while a pearl embroidered panel molded her young, full bosom. The bodice tapered to clench her corseted waist.
She swirled, and the skirt, embroidered along the hem and draped into a slight bustle in back with a large, soft bow, swayed. Instead of hoops and crinolines, the petticoat fell into a straight line in front. It was the height of Paris fashion.
Both she and Purity twirled in a circle, and Gillian appreciated the light, cool feel of her gown. The night would hold the warmth of the August night.
“We’d better go. Some of the guests have already arrived,” Purity said.
Gillian knew Aunt Mandy wanted her to make a grand entrance, and she hoped Alex and Cal had arrived. Unexpectedly, she felt her stomach flutter. Ridiculous. She’d been to countless parties. She’d made the grand entrance before.
But this was different. She’d be trying to impress her “husband.” Time grew short. He’d want to end their strange marriage before he went home to Missouri. And Aunt Mandy had forbidden any conversation with Alex until he took her to the bonfire. She wanted it to appear Gillia
n was shunning Alex, until forced to give him her attention because he’d “win” the drawing.
She supposed Aunt Mandy knew what was best.
The music grew louder as they moved from the staircase leading to the ball room, the drone of voices mingling pleasantly with the music. Purity gripped Gillian’s gloved hand as they descended the wide steps, and Gillian gave her an encouraging smile. “Everything will be fine. Just let the gentlemen talk about themselves. Believe me, they won’t burden you with having to reply. All you have to do is look up in rapt attention.”
Purity’s laughter held a nervous tinge.
The room was already crowded with men in tailored suits with tails, while women flittered about like colorful butterflies in fashionable gowns, boasting elaborate skirts, trains, and daring necklines. Glittering jewels twinkled under the chandelier light. You’d never guess how much poverty still existed in war-devastated Georgia from this gathering.
Unfortunately, the two men Gillian sought couldn’t be seen.
Aunt Mandy separated from the crowd. “They haven’t arrived yet. Purity, dear, would you give this sheet music to the orchestra?” She handed Purity a large folder.
“Yes, of course.” The girl darted a frightened glance to Gillian before moving into the ballroom.
“She’s nervous, Aunt Mandy.”
“She’ll be fine, dear. Before I introduce you to the assembly, I’d like for you to show Mr. Parker the side garden. Horticulture is a hobby with him, and the garden is lovely this time of day.”
Gillian pulled her mouth to one side, though she shouldn’t have been surprised Aunt Mandy would want her to talk to James Parker, her fellow conspirator, the reporter who kept political talk at a boiling point. She couldn’t think of anyone she’d like to converse with less, knowing anything she said might appear in the morning paper.
But one didn’t cause a scene at her own cotillion, so she forced a smile as a stranger appeared at her side. “Gillian, this is James Parker, editor of the Sentinel.” Aunt Mandy said. “James, my niece, Miss Carey.”
The Captain's Challenge (The Wolf Deceivers Series Book 3) Page 19
