The Lightkeeper's Bride

by Colleen Coble

Will glanced at his brother. “I’ll be all right.”

  Her sunburned skin turned even pinker as she glanced back and forth between the brothers. “We can’t let this situation continue.

  That poor child deserves better. We need to get her settled.”

  “I thought once we found her mother we’d ferret out the truth,”

  Philip said. “Finding her mother’s killer is the goal now. That may be the only way we figure out Eliza’s involvement in all of this and who fathered Jennie. But I can’t do it alone.” Philip shot a quick glance Will’s way.

  Will sighed and lifted a hand up to his head. It was aching. “I’ll do what I can, but remember, I have another job as well. I must perform the duties I’m being paid for.”

  Katie glanced from Philip to Will and back again. “Surely you two don’t still suspect my father.”

  Will opened his mouth to mention the pocket watch at home on his dresser then closed it again. No sense stirring up a painful subject.

  The truth would come out sooner or later.

  “His suicide attempt indicates guilt,” Philip said, jerking on the tack so hard the boat veered toward the shore. He righted course.

  Will smothered a sigh. While he didn’t believe Philip had anything to do with Miss Bulmer’s death, he hated to think what Katie’s father’s potential guilt might do to her.

  She turned to him. “I’m going to help you get to the bottom of this. My father had nothing to do with Eliza’s murder, and I’m going to prove it!”

  “You’re not an investigator.”

  “Neither are you.” Her eyes glowed. “And I know everyone in town. And nearly everything that has gone on in this community for years.”

  Katie’s face felt tight and dry. She stared at the apparition in the mirror. A red-faced horror stared back at her. If her mother could see her now, she’d be tsking and shaking her head as she exclaimed about the fact that Katie had gone out without a hat or parasol. Whatever had she been thinking yesterday? Bart was coming to take her to lunch at his home this morning. She could only imagine what his parents would think when they saw her.

  She touched her red, roughened cheeks. There was no way to hide the damage. She finished her hair, but no adjusting of her hat covered the sunburn on her face. Sighing, she removed her glasses and tucked them away, then closed the bedroom door behind her and proceeded down the steps. Bart would be here any moment. She should have telephoned him this morning and canceled the plans. When she reached the foyer, Will was exiting the parlor with Jennie in his arms. He was still pale and his head was bandaged.

  The baby smiled and reached for her. Her small teeth gleamed in her smile. Katie took the baby then had to rescue a feather the child grabbed from her hat. “Has she eaten lunch?”

  “I fed her.” His gaze probed under her hat at her sunburn. “Does it hurt?”

  “A little.” She nuzzled the baby’s soft cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’ll live.” He paused and studied her face as she adjusted her hat to shade it better. “You could wear your glasses. They would hide part of your face.” His voice was full of amusement.

  “I think not,” she said.

  “You look quite fetching in them. Rather intelligent. I like intelligence in a woman.”

  Her hot face flamed still hotter. Was he mocking her? She couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. She heard steps on the front porch then saw Bart’s familiar bowler through the door window. “I must go.”

  She handed the baby to him and turned toward the door, but not so fast that she missed the frown that gathered in his forehead. There was a skip in her pulse. He couldn’t be jealous, could he? A smile lit her face when she opened the door. The delight faded when she saw Bart’s eyes widen at his first glimpse of her.

  “Is that a sunburn?” he asked.

  She opened the door and stepped out onto the porch to escape Will’s amusement. “It is, indeed. I got a little too much sun yesterday.”

  He couldn’t seem to look away from her face. “You lost your chapeau?”

  She turned her face away and took his arm. “I went boating yesterday.”

  “Ah, the wind blew it off.” He picked up her gloved hand and patted it. “Most unfortunate.”

  Some perverse impulse made her tell him the truth. “Not really. I quite forgot to take it.”

  He stumbled on the grass. “It is of no matter. You look lovely.”

  His gallant words made her wince. A woman never forgot her hat.

  It just wasn’t done. He was bound to wonder what could have caused her to behave in such an unseemly way. And now to show up to his house with a sunburn. She blinked her eyes as they blurred. It was most uncharacteristic of her. Her mother would be appalled too.

  She said nothing more as Bart helped her into the carriage then climbed in after her. The coachman urged the matched horses away from the sea toward town. She stayed on her side of the seat. If she’d been at home instead of the lighthouse, she might have dared to purchase a bit of powder to cover the evidence on her cheeks.

  “Mother is delighted you’re coming,” Bart said. He reached over to take her hand again.

  She checked the impulse to pull away, but she smiled at him and left her fingers clasped in his. With Florence demanding money, it was even more imperative that Katie marry. It was growing more difficult to fight her attraction to Will, but now she had Florence to contend with. She could not allow things to spin out of control.

  The carriage stopped at the grand porch attached to the three-story stone manor. She’d skated past it many times and had longed to see inside. Now she would have the opportunity. Bart helped her down and escorted her up the wide steps. A doorman opened the double doors for her, and she stepped into a foyer so elegant she nearly gasped. The walls were papered in silk and the wood floors gleamed. Though her own home was beautiful, this was in the very latest style and lavish beyond comprehension. She needed to act as though she were used to this kind of luxury.

  Holding her head high, she stepped onto a thick, plush runner. Bart led her into a grand drawing room with so many expensive items it was all she could do not to stare. Though the curtains were held back with ties, the room was a bit dark, which suited Katie fine. It would make it more difficult to see her sunburn.

  Mrs. Foster smiled from her seat on a pink velvet sofa. “Katie, my dear, I’m so pleased you could join us. You sit right here by me.” She patted the space beside her.

  Katie dropped her hand from Bart’s arm and went to join his mother. “I’m honored at your invitation, Mrs. Foster. You have a lovely home.” Bart’s mother was lovely too. Though she had to be in her fifties, her skin was still smooth and unlined. Long black lashes fringed her brown eyes.

  Mrs. Foster beamed. “I picked out everything myself. Mr. Foster wanted me to hire a designer from the city, but I wanted our home to reflect my tastes, not someone else’s. If you like, take off your chapeau, dear. Make yourself comfortable. We want to be like family.”

  Katie untied the strings of her bonnet. If she kept a bright smile on her face, perhaps the other woman wouldn’t notice. She removed her hat and smoothed her hair a bit. “Luncheon smells delicious.”

  “Cook is preparing lamb,” Mrs. Foster said. Her eyes widened when she glanced at Katie, but she quickly recovered. “Are you too warm?”

  “No, I—I got a bit too much sun yesterday.”

  “She went boating,” Bart said. He dropped into a chair across from them and crossed one leg over the other. “And the wind took her hat.”

  Katie started to frown at his lie but forced herself not to react. He had every right to be ashamed of her appearance.

  “The sun can be quite brutal,” his mother said, her gaze still lingering on Katie’s cheeks. “I have something that might bleach those freckles out again. Let me fetch it for you.” She rose and hurried from the room.

  Katie kept her smile fixed in place though she wanted to burst into tears.

 
; TWENTY

  WHEN WILL SAW the constable dismount in front of the lighthouse, he knew what he’d come for. It was the last thing Will needed. He’d already been muttering under his breath and throwing things ever since Katie had gone off with her dandy.

  When Will had gotten back last night, the constable had been there but Will hadn’t been up to answering questions. He had hoped to have longer than overnight before the constable returned, demanding answers. The man was bound to order them to get out of his investigation.

  He put down the polishing cloth and climbed down the ladder from his perch atop the lighthouse. His muscles screamed at the indignity after the beating they’d endured yesterday in the sea.

  “Constable Brown,” he said in greeting when the men met outside the front door of the lighthouse.

  “Morning, Mr. Jesperson.” The constable took out his cigar and struck a match. He puffed and a curl of smoke drifted Will’s way. “You look a tad better than last night. I trust a good night’s sleep has cleared your mind enough to answer some questions.” He gestured to a bench overlooking the crashing waves.

  Will nodded. The men settled on the bench. Gulls cawed overhead and swooped low to snatch crabs on the rocks below the lighthouse.

  Brown gestured with his pipe at the bandage on Will’s forehead. “Ready to tell me the full story now?”

  “I fell off a cliff.”

  “I know there is more to it than that.” Brown puffed on his pipe.

  “Care to explain why you were investigating instead of getting a message to me? I’ve found nothing to indicate that our pirates are still in the area.

  If there’s evidence to the contrary, I should be the first to know of it.”

  “Sorry, Constable. I was hardly out for a leisurely sail,” he said, gesturing toward his head. “One of our pirates threw me off that cliff.” Will launched into what had happened the day before as the constable’s cigar smoke curled around his head.

  Brown lifted a brow. “Sounds like a tall tale to me. Are you pulling my leg? Pirates hiding a chest in a cave. Care to show me the spot?”

  “Maybe in a day or two. A two-hour hike along the shore is a bit beyond me today. There’s more though, Constable. I heard them mention they planned to take another ship due here in two days. That would be tomorrow.”

  Brown’s gaze sharpened on Will’s face. “Is this a ploy to distract me from my real questions?”

  “And what would those questions be?”

  Brown puffed on his cigar for a long moment. “Miss Eliza’s disappearance. I find it an odd coincidence that her wedding gown was found right below this lighthouse.” He pointed his cigar at the rocks below. “Don’t you think it strange too?”

  Will kept his expression impassive. “I arrived a few hours after her disappearance. I have never met the woman.”

  “Yet you were at her home when I arrived. And you took charge of her child. There is much more that you’re not saying. Where might I find your brother?”

  “He went for a walk on the beach.” Will caught a movement down by the pier and tensed when he recognized Philip.

  Brown turned his head and saw the figure as well. “Is that your brother?”

  “Yes.”

  “Excellent. I shall wait and speak with him.” He puffed contentedly on his cigar as Philip drew nearer.

  Philip’s confident stride soon had him within hailing distance. Brown rose and motioned for Philip to join them. The wary expression on his brother’s face made Will tense again. Though he believed his brother had nothing to do with Eliza’s disappearance, if Philip were cocky or his answers failed to satisfy, he could find himself behind bars.

  “Constable Brown. I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Philip said when he reached them.

  Brown puffed on his cigar before answering. “Mr. Jesperson. What do you know about Miss Eliza Bulmer’s disappearance? I suspect your involvement in solving the Paradox’s disappearance is merely a ploy to dispose of your former mistress.”

  Will flinched. “That’s ridiculous, Constable. Philip was legitimately hired by the shipping company. Telephone them and check for yourself.”

  The constable didn’t look at Will. “Shall we let your brother answer for himself?”

  “Look, I know nothing about Eliza’s death,” Philip said, splaying his hands outward. “Our relationship was over two years ago.”

  “You say she’s dead. How would you know that when we’ve found no body?”

  Philip flushed. “It certainly appears she’s dead. Her dress was found right here, and Miss Russell said she was wearing it the day she disappeared.”

  “I would like to know the details of your relationship,” the constable said. “How did you meet her?”

  “Through a mutual friend.”

  “And that friend’s name?”

  “I’d rather not say.”

  Brown puffed his cigar again. “I’m afraid I must insist.”

  Will had to admire the constable’s tenacity. Some would have done a perfunctory investigation and gone on. “You’d better tell him, Philip,” he said.

  Philip thrust his hands in his pockets. “Mr. Russell.”

  Will straightened. “Katie’s father?” When his brother nodded, he wanted to strangle him. “Why have you said nothing about this?”

  “It had nothing to do with me.”

  “You told me to talk to Miss Bulmer about Albert Russell, yet you already knew him.”

  “Shut up, Will,” Philip said through gritted teeth.

  Too late, Will realized how incriminating his words were. Was Philip trying to frame Albert for Eliza’s disappearance? Nausea roiled in his belly. He wouldn’t believe his brother might be capable of such a thing and yet it certainly looked suspicious.

  “I only met Russell one time, at the gentlemen’s club in San Francisco,” Philip said. “Eliza was with him and another man. Russell introduced us and asked me to take her back to her hotel. He had a meeting he was late for. I never heard the name again until I was told she’d said he was involved in the disappearance of Dalton’s Fortune.” “Who was the other man? Can he corroborate your story?” Brown asked.

  “Mitchell is his last name. The club could tell you how to get hold of him.” Philip glanced at Will.

  Will thought of the watch on his dresser. It was his duty to tell the constable about it.

  Brown frowned at Philip. “Why did you send your brother to speak with Miss Eliza? Did you intend to offer her money for the child?”

  “Of course not! She had contacted my employer and indicated she had information that might help me find the pirates. But you know all this. Her correspondence with the owner of the ship indicated she could tell me who masterminded the theft. She asked for a fee in return.”

  Brown puffed on his cigar before answering. “So she wanted to be paid for the information.”

  “She did,” Philip said.

  It was a common demand. Philip probably was used to forking over money for the clues he needed to solve cases.

  “Did my brother tell you about Russell’s watch?” Philip asked.

  Brown glanced at Will. “What watch?”

  “I found a pocket watch on the island out there.” Will gestured offshore. “Engraved with the name Albert Russell.”

  The constable’s eyes widened, and he took another puff of his cigar. “You tell Miss Katie?”

  “I did.”

  “Bet that went over big.” He puffed in silence for a moment. “It appears Mr. Russell may be involved in this even deeper than I thought. He might have disposed of Miss Eliza then tried to kill himself rather than get caught. If he recovers consciousness, he can explain much of this.”

  “Unless the pirates took care of both of them. Miss Russell believes her father was attacked.”

  Brown shook his head. “I’m still not convinced the pirates are around here. Makes no sense to me. Why not take their loot and get out?”

  “How? There is no way in or out of
here without going through Mercy Falls or down the coast and risk a blockade. It makes sense to wait until the furor dies down then get the gold out.”

  “Maybe.” He put out his cigar, then nodded at the men and headed back to his horse.

  Will glanced at his brother and caught an expression of relief flitting across his face. He didn’t want to believe Philip had anything to do with this mess, but he wasn’t entirely certain.

  The luncheon had been an ordeal. It was clear by the quick, darting glances Mrs. Foster sent her way that the sunburn horrified her. By the time Bart escorted Katie outside, her eyes burned from holding back tears, and her throat was sore and tight. She longed to go to her own house.

  “Are you all right?” Bart asked when the carriage pulled away from the manor. “You’re very quiet.”

  “Were you ashamed of me, Bart?” She touched a gloved finger to her cheek. “About my face?”

  “Of course not.” He shifted on the seat, glanced at her, then looked away.

  “But you lied to your mother. I told you I forgot it.”

  “There is nothing wrong with my attempt to help you put your best foot forward with my mother,” he said, still staring out the window.

  “There is if you feel you have to lie.”

  His gaze swung back to her. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you staying out at the lighthouse. This isn’t like you. What kind of influences are you under that you’d go out unprotected? A lady just doesn’t do that.”

  She bit back the hot words trembling on her tongue. If this man were to be her future husband, then of course he would be concerned about her reputation. “Lady Carrington is there,” she reminded him.

  “There is no cause for worry.”

  His scowl turned darker. “I heard that the lightkeeper’s brother is there too. It’s not seemly, Katie. I think you should stay here, at the house. If we’re to be married, no one would think anything about it.”

  “I didn’t know we were to be married,” she said. She chewed on her lip and wished she could recall the words. She was hardly ready to push him into a declaration when she was full of such indecision.