The Lightkeeper's Ball

by Colleen Coble

  Harrison folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not agreeing to anything like that again, Father. I’m tired of being auctioned off like a cow. I’ll find my own wife, thank you. And I can assure you it will not be a Stewart. I’d rather be single than marry Olivia.”

  His father studied his face. “What has gotten into you, boy? This is important for your future.”

  “Eleanor betrayed me. I wouldn’t trust a Stewart woman again.”

  “I’m sure your mother will be distressed to hear this.”

  Harrison wasn’t about to let his father leverage the usual excuse of upsetting his mother, not when the older man cared not a whit about her feelings. He had all but abandoned her. “Mother wants me to be happy.”

  “She tells me you’ve been keeping company with a woman from New York. A Lady Devonworth.”

  “I’d hardly call it ‘keeping company.’ She’s merely an acquaintance.”

  “Your mother says she believes her family is one of the Four Hundred.”

  The Four Hundred were the most elite families in America. They were the ones invited to the upper echelon of society balls, the ones who were invited to the best homes and the most elite clubs.

  “Why do you do this, Father?” he asked. “Why do you care what a bunch of nobs think? To them we’ll always be swells who are getting too big for our britches. We’re doing all right. Making money, gaining a reputation. We don’t need to be part of that set.”

  His father’s jaw hardened. “Let me explain something to you, boy. General Marshall invited me to attend a luncheon at the Vanderbilt’s. I arrived to find the invitation had been rescinded. I will not tolerate a humiliation such as that again. I will be accepted!”

  There was no more to be said. It would do no good to point out how prideful it was to insist on being accepted by the nobs.

  “What of this Lady Devonworth? She is unmarried, is she not?” his father asked.

  “She is unmarried and I like her.”

  His father scowled. “I’ve never heard of the Devonworths. I doubt the woman carries the social clout of a Stewart, and I’m determined for you to marry a woman of quality who will allow you to walk in the highest levels of society. Most couples live separate lives anyway. Look at your mother and me.”

  “I’d like more from my marriage than what you two have.” He knew it was the wrong thing to say the second the words left his lips.

  His father drew himself up and huffed. “I don’t know where you’ve gotten these romantic notions, boy. From that riffraff you hang out with, I presume. A lightkeeper and his wife. What kind of example is that for you to follow?”

  “The best kind,” Harrison said. “And what of that agreement with the Stewarts about the mine?”

  His father’s eyes glittered. “I shall continue to own controlling interest in the diamond mine. That was the agreement.”

  “But that would leave Mrs. Stewart and her daughter in desperate straits.”

  His father shrugged. “That’s hardly my problem.”

  “You sound as though you hate her.”

  “She could champion me, introduce me to her set.”

  “She has tried that. She’s had you to their dinners. It’s hardly her fault the others don’t include you on their guest lists.”

  “Whose side are you on, boy? You just told me you wouldn’t marry Olivia if she were the last woman on Earth.”

  “That doesn’t mean I want them punished for Eleanor’s failures. Besides, I didn’t know there was a side.”

  “There is, and you’d better stand with me.”

  “I don’t think so, Father. I want nothing to do with something this dastardly. The marriage arrangement should stand. You shame me. I want you to give her the share of the mine that you promised. Then we’ll be done with the Stewarts for good. We’ll owe them nothing.”

  His father’s mouth gaped and he stared. “I’ll do no such thing.”

  Claude Bennett had never in his life done anything out of the goodness of his heart. When he came back from Africa with an agreement to turn over controlling shares in the diamond mine to Mrs. Stewart only if the two families were joined, Harrison was flummoxed. He had agreed to the engagement because he suspected his father had seized on Stewart’s death as a means to gain complete possession of the mine. Harrison hadn’t wanted the Stewart women left with no source of income. And the fact that the match would have benefited him too played a part. That engagement had been such a disaster that the mere suggestion of marrying Olivia in Eleanor’s place was loathsome. He’d find another way to help the women if need be. Or manage to talk his father into it.

  “We’ll speak of this later.” He turned toward the door. “I must call on Lady Devonworth. She suffered a sprained wrist a few days ago, and I wish to check on her.”

  “Tell her that I’d like to be introduced,” his father called after him.

  “Over my dead body,” Harrison muttered under his breath. He stalked to the motorcar and climbed in. He started the engine and pulled away before he said anything more his father would try to make him regret. Having the man show up was going to be difficult. He’d push to be invited to the ball Lady Devonworth was planning. He’d play matchmaker at every turn and probably get Mother in on the efforts as well.

  Harrison wished he could climb into his plane and fly off into the sunset. Never come back. See the world and see what else God had for him. Vistas beyond this small town and the climb to the top that his father wanted for him. When would he get to pursue his own dreams?

  Olivia’s eyes were blurry from the hours of correspondence she’d done all morning. Her invitations to the Lightkeeper’s Ball had gone out in the afternoon’s mail. All that was left were the local people Addie had suggested. The florist had just left with an order for flowers, and Olivia had several people to interview for employment for the week leading up to the event.

  Goldia stepped into the doorway. “Miss Olivia, Mr. Harrison is here.”

  Olivia put down her pen. “Very well, Goldia. Show him in.”

  “But, miss,” Goldia hissed. “Your father’s letter said to avoid him.”

  “I can hardly refuse to see him. He aided me when I was injured.” Her pulse pounded in her throat. She’d thought of nothing but Harrison in the days since she’d seen him. She hadn’t wanted to remember the strength of his arms or the scent of his skin, but the sensations had plagued her sleep. In spite of her father’s warning, she wanted to see him.

  The dinner party at his mother’s had been postponed due to Mrs. Bennett’s illness. Olivia sat on the love seat and arranged her skirts around her. Pinching her cheeks, she wished for a mirror to check her hair. She had no reason to feel so nervous. He wouldn’t harm her with all the servants here. Besides, he didn’t know who she was. She told herself her jitters were only because of the danger and had nothing to do with the way she’d thought about him.

  She heard his steps on the redwood floors and lifted her head to paste a welcoming smile on her face. When he appeared in the doorway, she swallowed hard. “Good afternoon, Mr. Bennett.”

  He bowed. “Lady Devonworth. How is your wrist? I trust you are recovered?”

  “Completely, yes. The doctor called this morning and gave me free rein to do what I’d like.”

  “Any chance I could talk you into a flying lesson?”

  Flying? Aware her mouth was agape, Olivia shut it. “You’re serious?” His grin told her he knew how difficult she would find a refusal.

  “Completely. I’m taking the plane up when I leave here.”

  She shouldn’t be alone with him, but she was so tempted. The thought of soaring in the clouds mesmerized her. Perhaps she could find out more about his relationship with Eleanor. And hadn’t she promised her mother that she would be open-minded to the thought of a match with Harrison? Without marrying money, the Stewarts’ lives would change drastically. It was all riding on her. Besides, so far she’d found no evidence to link him to Eleanor’s death.
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  But was that only because she no longer wanted him to be guilty? Her internal rationale fell flat when she remembered her father’s warning. “Perhaps not just yet,” she said, throwing away every contrary argument. “But might I watch?”

  His white teeth flashed in his tanned face. “Of course. But I suspect you’ll be sitting in the cockpit within fifteen minutes.” He flicked a finger at the magazine that showed a Kewpie doll in a car. “I believe you’re capable of more than mere wheels.”

  What was she made of? Sometimes she felt her only worth was in the prestige she could bring to a marriage. She didn’t even know if she had any true gifts. She’d been trained to manage a household, be a complement to her husband, raise children, and be a wonderful hostess. The perfect Kewpie doll. Did life consist of more than that? Did anyone ever look below the surface? She was almost afraid to find out. It might make her discontented with her life. But with her mother’s future riding on her choices, she was even more trapped.

  “What time should I be ready for you to call?” she asked.

  “As soon as you’ve changed.”

  She rose from her seat. “You mean now?”

  His smile came and he nodded. “My mother was most disappointed to have to cancel tonight’s dinner. She’d hoped to introduce you to my father.” His tone turned ironic as she moved toward the stairs. “He wishes you to introduce us to your friends in New York. Expect a call from him. I tried to ward him off when he arrived today, but I’m not sure I was successful.”

  She froze with her hand on the banister. “Y-Your father is home?”

  “He is indeed. He arrived this afternoon.” He turned away from her. “You change, and I’ll borrow some gear from Jerry.”

  No, no! Mr. Bennett would spoil everything. He would reveal that she was really Olivia Stewart. She fled up the stairs without a word.

  SIXTEEN

  THE STREETS OF Mercy Falls teemed with people. Men and women milled around the town square. Harrison frowned at the aura of unrest.

  A red scarf around her hair and throat, Lady Devonworth leaned forward beside him in the motorcar. “Is something wrong?”

  “I’m not sure.” He guided the Cadillac to the sidewalk and hailed Mrs. Silvers, who worked at Oscar’s Mercantile. “Mrs. Silvers, is there a problem?”

  The woman wrung her hands. “Haven’t you heard, Mr. Bennett? The news says we are definitely going to pass through the tail of Halley’s Comet. We’re all going to die in its poisonous gasses!”

  The tail. Harrison’s dream was about to come true. There had been some doubt about how close the tail would actually come. “I’m certain we’ll all be fine,” he said.

  “We’re all gathering at our churches to pray for God’s mercy,” she said, her voice rising. “You should join us.”

  “I’m sure God has this all under control,” he said.

  “It’s just like the Revelation,” she said. “This is the end of the world.” She turned away and rushed down the street toward the brick church whose bell was tolling.

  Lady Devonworth’s eyes were wide. “Do you fear there is any truth to this rumor?” she asked.

  He accelerated away from the sidewalk. “Most scientists believe we shall be fine,” he said. “But I do know nothing about it will surprise God at all. That’s enough.”

  She twisted her blue-and-white hanky in her hand. “You say that almost as though you know his thoughts.”

  “Isn’t that what the Bible is for? So we know his thoughts and plans for us?”

  Several blocks of tree-lined street went by before she answered. “In New York, church is the place where we meet our friends and show off our newest gowns. I have little experience with a God who cares what we do.”

  “He sees everything we do. And cares about it.” He saw her eyes shutter. Did she not want God to see her?

  “I try to do good to others,” she said. “It makes me happy.”

  The society she moved in was foreign to him. An alien place where people thought their power and money would buy happiness. “Glad you can do what you like,” he said, uncertain of how to respond.

  Her large dark eyes caught his with their intensity. “What makes you think I can do what I like?”

  “You just said . . .”

  Her gloved hand waved in the air as though to brush off a fly. “I’ve been brought up to set the perfect table, to organize a party that’s talked about for years, to take one look at a gown and know its worth.”

  He didn’t glance away from the sorrow he saw in her eyes. “And this isn’t what you want?”

  “Would you be content with that?”

  “There is more opportunity available to women now. Do something you long to try. You’re going flying today. That’s a start. God sees the woman inside. You can become that woman if you dare.”

  She laughed. “I hardly think my friends would understand. Their sole aim is pleasure and amusement. It didn’t used to be that way. Mrs. Caroline Astor and others like her wanted to elevate art and American life for the good of the nation. The current set who have come behind her wish to use all the money at their disposal to impress others. They have no thought beyond the latest Newport party.”

  “Yet they are your friends.”

  She inclined her head. “They are. And Mrs. Alva Astor has been very kind to me, so it smacks of disrespect to speak like this. But there is a greed for power and status now in New York that is quite distressing. So many are self-serving in our culture.”

  “Are you seeing it only now that you’re out of it?”

  She turned toward him, her expression open. “Why yes, now that you mention it, I am. I’d like more from life.”

  “What would you do if you could?”

  One dark brow lifted. He could watch her expressions forever. She was as complex as his aeroplane. More, really. He doubted he could ever fathom what went on behind that beautiful face.

  Fiddling with her scarf, she stared out the windshield. “I would like to do something—worthy,” she said, her voice a whisper. “My life seems so pointless. No one is my friend just because they like me.”

  Now was the time to ask her for money to back his dream of a seaplane. He could name it after her, and she’d leave a legacy of something worthwhile. But hearing the pathos in her final statement, he couldn’t force the words past his lips. He liked her for who she was. He could almost wish she were penniless so he could woo her for herself alone.

  He opened his mouth, then shut it again. The airfield came into sight. “We’re here,” he said.

  Her shoulders straightened and she leaned forward. “It hardly looks able to fly. It’s all cables and wires. Is it safe?”

  He stared at it with fresh eyes. The thing looked like it was made of balsa wood and string. But it was strong, a good machine. “I’ve had it up several times.”

  She frowned. “What are those skis for?” She pointed at a pair of skis leaning against the building.

  “They’re for landing on the water. I’m going to attach them to the flying machine and try to land on a lake once I get the plane perfected.”

  “Planes can barely land on the ground. I must see it!” She was out of the car the moment it stopped. Her ribbons and lace fluttered in the air as she rushed to the skis. “These will allow it to land on water?” She glanced at the aeroplane.

  The contraption had to appear strange to her. He ran a hand along a wire on the wing. “They will.”

  “But not today?” she asked, her voice tentative.

  “The plane isn’t ready for that yet. I haven’t figured out how to attach the skis. I’ll just take it up for a few minutes. I have to be back for dinner with my father.”

  Lady Devonworth’s eyes lowered at his statement. She seemed to have little to say as Harrison pointed out the instruments and how the plane worked. Though she watched his every move, something changed. She became pale and withdrawn. Maybe her wrist still pained her. If so, this wasn’t a good idea.


  He got into the cockpit and started the engine. In minutes, the wind was rushing through his hair and he could see her waving her handkerchief far below. He kept it up for a few minutes, then made a flawless landing.

  She rushed to the plane when it stopped rolling. Her cheeks were pink. “That was splendid!”

  He grinned. “Ready to go up yourself?”

  Her eyes sparkled and she nodded. “You’re sure it’s safe?”

  “I wouldn’t go up in it myself if it wasn’t.” He assisted her into the backseat of the aeroplane. “I think you’d better take off that scarf and put on this one.” He held up a birdman’s leather hat.

  Her eyes widened and a genuine smile lifted her lips. “Oh, may I?” She reached for it.

  “I don’t think you can get it on with your hair up.”

  She nodded. Her slender fingers plucked the scarf from her head. When she pulled the pins from her hair, the dark tresses tumbled to her waist, and he had to shut his gaping mouth. He’d never seen such beautiful hair. Shot through with red and gold, it shone in the sun and held him mesmerized. Even when she jammed the leather hat over her head and down over her ears, her hair kept his attention.

  He cleared his throat. “Your hair is going to tangle in the wind. Let’s pull it back with this.” Holding aloft a handkerchief, he approached her. “Allow me.” Once he touched the softness of her hair, he wanted to plunge his fingers into those tresses. He wound the kerchief around as much of her hair as he could and tied it in a knot.

  She’d fallen still the moment he approached. It was too much to hope that she felt the same attraction he did. She was difficult to read. He stepped back. “I think we’re ready now.”

  The sunlight lit her face, revealing the curve of her cheeks and lips. He looked away and reminded himself to keep his attention on flying.

  The flimsy contraption that seemed more wires than anything substantial began to move. Olivia’s stomach did a cartwheel, but she wasn’t sure if it was the fact she was about to leave terra firma or if it was because she was still digesting the news that Mr. Bennett was in town. The outing today only delayed the inevitable chore of facing the man—and revealing her identity to Harrison.