by Erica Vetsch
His lips twitched. “I assure you I don’t wish to see any other of your siblings. I have need of your expertise.”
His words shot through her like a bolt. “My expertise?” Had Geoffrey spilled the beans about her math abilities?
“I find myself in the unfamiliar position of purchasing an engagement ring. I had hoped you would go to the jeweler’s and assist me in choosing one your sister would like.” He shook his head. “Grandfather suggested I ask your mother to help me, but I’d much prefer your aid. Surely you know your sister’s tastes and could advise me.”
Josie instantly knew the meaning of the word bleak. Was God testing her resolve?
At her hesitation, his gaze sharpened. “Have I stepped out of line? I suppose I assumed now would be all right. The jeweler is expecting me in about half an hour.”
“No, not at all.” Josie clamped down on her emotions and strove to be polite. “I’ll just get my hat and gloves.”
Josie practiced rigid self-control on the ride. She answered Eli politely when he commented about the weather and the ship lying at anchor just outside the harbor awaiting entrance to load tons of iron at the ore docks. She remembered to thank him again for taking her and her sisters to the circus.
He seemed to swallow up all the air in the carriage, though he sat across from her and didn’t crowd her legs. “I hope it wasn’t too stimulating for Giselle. I’ve never seen anyone sleep so soundly as she did on the ride home.”
“She’s talked of nothing else since.” Josie smiled fondly, remembering how Giselle had clasped her hands round the bedpost and swung back and forth as she talked. “You made quite an impression on Giselle and Antoinette. I suspect both girls are nursing a bit of puppy love now.” Not to mention herself and the silly infatuation she cherished for him that refused to die no matter how often she tried to strangle it.
He laughed. “Only Giselle and Antoinette? And here I thought I’d cast my net wider. And where did all those French names come from? Zahn’s not French.”
“No, Zahn is actually German.” She grimaced. “The French names were Mama’s idea, one that Papa regrets intensely. She thought it made us sound more aristocratic.”
Eli shrugged in sympathy. “I’m told my mother insisted on Bible names for her sons. Jonathan and Noah are all right names, but Eli? Who wants to be named after a man who was such a dismal failure as a priest and as a father?”
“You shouldn’t look at it that way. Look at his good qualities. He recognized the call of God on Samuel’s life, and he raised Samuel right. Eli’s a fine name.” Josie didn’t know why she felt the need to defend his name. It shouldn’t matter to her if he liked his mother’s choice or not.
The carriage rocked to a stop. Eli hopped out and helped her down before the coachman could. “Thank you for coming with me today. I confess I don’t have the faintest idea what your sister might like.”
Regret, jealousy, a bit of disgruntlement? Josie couldn’t identify the emotions bouncing around inside her. This excursion would be so different if he was buying a ring for her. A hush descended the moment her foot touched the plush carpeting. Bright gaslights shone powerful beams down on display cases of dazzling jewels. Lighted alcoves of gleaming silver service and flatware marched down the walls of the shop.
“Mr. Kennebrae? I’m Marlow Pearson, the proprietor.” A corpulent man with a jolly face came toward them. His quiet voice seemed in contrast to the smile he directed. Short arms barely reached across his middle, and his neck and several chins spilled out over the top of his collar. “And this is your young lady? Splendid.”
Josie looked quickly at Eli’s face then dropped her gaze to her hemline.
Eli shook the fat fingers offered to him and said, “This is Miss Zahn. She’s come to help me choose just the right ring.”
Josie looked up again. Why hadn’t he bothered to correct the jeweler? And why did it feel nice to be considered his young lady?
“Right this way. I’ve laid out a selection for you, but if they don’t suffice, let me know.” Mr. Pearson’s short legs rolled under his bulk, but his feet made no sound as he led them toward the back of the shop. A door that at first glance seemed part of the rich walnut paneling opened at his touch, revealing a small conference room.
“Please, have a seat.” Mr. Pearson opened a heavy felt cloth and spread it on the gleaming tabletop. From a cart along the wall, he produced a tray of black velvet, studded with rings. “I’ll just turn up the lights a bit, so you can see them better.” He turned the key on the overhead lamp to increase the flame.
Eli held Josie’s chair then sat beside her.
Josie couldn’t take her eyes off those rings. Diamonds in every shape and arrangement, some big as gravel. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and more diamonds. They must be worth a king’s ransom.
“See anything you like?” Eli leaned back as if he had no interest in the proceedings.
Pearson hovered, rubbing his fingertips with his thumbs. Probably already counting the profits to be made from her choice. So many rings to choose from. Not a single space on the tray remained empty. Having the proprietor looming like a gargoyle on a cornice didn’t help. He seemed to sense her hesitation. “Let me get you some coffee or tea. It’s a big decision, picking out a ring. Take your time.”
As soon as the door closed silently behind the round little man, Josie turned to Eli. “These stones are huge. Are you sure?”
“You think she won’t like one of them? Grandfather seemed to think the bigger the better when it came to precious stones.”
“Clarice does like diamonds, and I know Mama would love for her to have a real showpiece to brag about.”
“But you don’t?” His attention focused on her face.
She shrugged. “This isn’t about what I want. This is about Clarice.” She wasn’t sure if she said it to remind him or to remind herself.
“Well, suppose it was about what you wanted. What would you choose, and how would it differ from what Clarice would like?” He sat up and leaned on his crossed arms on the edge of the table.
She surveyed the engagement rings again. “I suppose I’d choose this one, if it was for me.” An oval stone that shot rainbows of turquoise and magenta in tiny sparkles mingled with gold. An opal. The smallest, plainest ring in the collection.
His eyebrows shot up. “Not a diamond?” He seemed puzzled by her choice but not displeased.
“Diamonds always seem so cold to me. Opals seem alive. Look at how it shimmers in the light. At first glance, unimpressive, but when you get to know it, when you bother to take a closer look, the real beauty comes through. Diamonds all look alike. No two opals are ever the same.”
Mr. Pearson elbowed the door open, holding a tray of coffee. When he saw her holding the opal ring, he set the tray down and held out his hand. “I see you found the ring I included to gauge size. That really isn’t an engagement ring, certainly not one suitable for the bride of Eli Kennebrae.”
Josie’s fingers closed over the ring, reluctant to let it go. Eli took her hand and opened her chilly fingers. “Try it on. Might as well see what size would be best, right?”
Her mouth went dry as an attic floor. He slid the ring over her finger. She couldn’t meet his eyes. The opal shimmered, a perfect fit. Her voice deserted her. Perhaps it was the enormous lump lodged in her throat.
“An excellent omen.” Mr. Pearson beamed. “Now that we know the size, perhaps you’d like to try on one of the engagement rings.”
Tears smarted Josie’s eyes, and she had to force herself to remove the ring and concentrate on her real task for being there. When she could trust herself to speak, she swallowed hard and pointed to an emerald-cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds. “This one, I think. And the size is close enough.”
At the broad smile that wreathed Mr. Pearson’s face, she supposed her choice must’ve been among the most expensive rings on offer. She couldn’t stand it anymore and pushed her chair away from the table. “I be
lieve I’ll wait out in the showroom.”
Once in the serenity of the showroom, she paused beside a case of gold and silver watches to catch her breath. She hoped Clarice would like her choice. It wasn’t Clarice’s fault. And Mama would definitely approve the ring.
A shop assistant watched her but didn’t approach.
Eli and Mr. Pearson emerged from the back room, shook hands, and parted.
“Thank you, Mr. Kennebrae. A pleasure doing business with you. And don’t forget, we have wedding rings and pearl necklaces as well. Pearls would make an excellent wedding gift for your bride.”
Josie slipped out the door before she had to hear anymore.
Ten
Eli pored over the calculations, his first installment from Professor Josephson. He had to admit the mathematics looked sound. Page after page of neat drawings in a legible hand. Suggestions for improvements to his original designs that stirred Eli’s imagination and caused new ideas to mushroom in his mind.
“Sir?”
He looked up, tugging his mind away from his designs. His foreman stood in the doorway of the shack Eli had purloined at the shipyard for his on-site office. “Yes, Gates?”
“Sir, the steel that came in for the bulkhead supports. . .” Gates rubbed his hands along his sides and looked anywhere but at Eli.
Dread settled into his heart. What could go wrong now? One thing after another had delayed the project.
“The steel is four inches too long. We’ll have to cut it down before we can install it.”
Relief trickled through Eli’s chest. “Too long is better than too short. How long will it take to trim it to fit?”
“A day at least.”
“Our launch date is getting later and later. At this rate, the harbor will be iced in before we’re finished.”
“Yes, sir.” Gates hovered, mangling his hat brim with his gnarled fingers. “And, sir?”
“What is it now?” Eli tucked his papers into his attaché case. He’d get no more work done here today.
“The men, sir. They’ve heard that Keystone Steel is hiring shipbuilders and paying a dollar a day more than Kennebrae’s.”
“A dollar more a day?”
Gates nodded and scratched the hair over his left ear. “A dollar more a day for general labor. Welders and crane operators get two dollars more per day.”
Eli had the distinct feeling Gates wasn’t finished. “And what about yard foremen? Is Gervase Fox looking for one of those, too?”
Gates studied the rafters of the lean-to. “Yes, sir, he is. One of his men met me on my way out of the shipyard last night. Said he could offer me double wages and a fifty-dollar bonus just for signing on with Keystone.”
“How many have jumped ship so far?” Without workers, he’d never get this ship finished. How like Fox. Couldn’t buy the plans, couldn’t buy Eli, so he tried to buy Eli’s workers.
“Nobody so far, but the men are talking. They sent me in here to negotiate for them.”
A heavy weight pressed on Eli’s shoulders. The last thing he needed was a workforce problem. But would Grandfather turn loose enough money to increase the payroll by that much? He’d have to risk it.
“Tell the men I’ll match the offer from Keystone. And for you, too. But tell them I expect value for my money. This ship will be completed by the original deadline and according to the specifications I’ve laid out.” Eli stared hard at Gates. “I’ll expect you to handle the men. Do whatever it takes to keep them on task. At that kind of money, they should meet the deadlines I set for them.”
Gates nodded, smiling. “I’ll tell them, sir. They’ll be glad to hear it.”
Eli picked up his case and followed his foreman into the sunshine. He wished he thought Grandfather would be glad to hear it. At least the sun was shining. Four days of heavy rain and lightning had kept the crews off the refit. Iron clanked, sparks flew, and men shouted. The dank, muddy smell of the harbor mingled with the odor of smoke and oil.
Before he could leave the shipyard, three more small problems arose. It seemed for each step he made forward on the project, the details and irritants dragged him back five. If he wasn’t dealing with personnel issues, it was supply or weather or finances. Were all projects as fraught with setbacks as this one?
The carriage ride to the shipping office barely gave him time to marshal his thoughts. He was still juggling papers and ideas as he mounted the marble steps to the second-floor conference room. He’d come to dread these weekly reports to Grandfather and Jonathan. If he had good news about the ship, they dogged him about his engagement. When he had some good news to report on that front—though he had to admit that hadn’t happened often—they grilled him about progress on the Bethany.
They were waiting when he arrived five minutes late. He took his customary seat where he wouldn’t have to look at Grandfather’s portrait and he wouldn’t have to look directly at Grandfather himself.
“Glad you could make it. Are you sure we’re not imposing on your schedule?” Grandfather rapped the edge of the table.
Eli blew out his breath and reached for his papers. He could practically see the purse strings tightening.
Jonathan rolled a pencil between his palms, the soft clicking as it rolled over his wedding band rhythmic and somehow comforting. Jonathan had a way with Grandfather. Of course, he’d been the number-one grandson for years, and not just because he was the eldest but because he loved Kennebrae Shipping with a passion that rivaled Grandfather’s. The fact that Jonathan’s wife had produced an heir to the Kennebrae dynasty had further put him in Grandfather’s good graces.
The meeting went far worse than Eli had imagined. Grandfather stormed at the delays, raged at the increase in wages, and scoffed at Eli’s reasoning. Eli should’ve known better than to mention Professor Josephson.
“You’ve never met the man? You didn’t review his credentials?” Grandfather smacked the arm of his chair. “Yet you’re willing to hang the entire project on his so-called expertise. And not only this project but the reputation of Kennebrae Shipping.”
Eli’s temper raised its head. “Yes. Yes, I am. The calculations are sound, and your reputation is in no danger. The only smear on your good name would be if word got out that Gervase Fox had stolen your workforce through higher wages.”
“Fox? Fox is the one behind this wage hike?”
“That’s right. He offered substantial raises to any Kennebrae shipyard worker willing to leave us and go to work for him.”
Grandfather’s eyes glittered with an emotion Eli feared was hate. Certainly animosity. “We’ll see about that. I’ll authorize the wage increase, and I’ll see about Fox.”
“Now, don’t go off half-cocked.” Jonathan looked up from his notes. “You might not like Fox—I can’t say that I do either—but don’t let him goad you into doing something foolish because you can’t separate business from personal feelings.”
Grandfather’s lips twitched, and he fingered the blanket in his lap. “Don’t patronize me. I was dealing with varmints like Gervase Fox when you were still in short pants.” He turned his attention back to Eli. “What else do you have to report?”
“That’s all.”
“That’s all? What about Clarice? Did she like the ring?”
Rocking back in his chair, Eli winced. “I haven’t given it to her yet.”
“I have had it with your delays. Do I have to do everything? You get that ring on her finger before dinnertime or you can kiss this project good-bye. In fact, I’ll go along with you, just to make sure you do the thing up right. I’d like a word with Radcliffe anyway.”
“Can’t you trust me to get the job done by myself? I’m not a child, you know.”
“There have been enough delays. I want this union signed and sealed and the Zahn lumber shipping contracts firmly in our pockets.”
Eli winced at the mercenary gleam in Grandfather’s eye.
Jonathan frowned at his papers. “You don’t have to do this, Eli.�
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“Jonathan”—Grandfather held up his hand—“don’t horn in here.”
“I have to. Did you learn nothing from what you did to me and what you did to Noah? I can’t stand by and let you shove Eli into a marriage he doesn’t want to a girl he doesn’t know, all for profit of a company that doesn’t need the help. Kennebrae Shipping is bursting at the seams with orders and contracts. The Zahn lumber, though it would be nice, shouldn’t be bought at the expense of Eli’s freedom. I have a feeling you’re more interested in keeping the contract away from Gervase Fox than you are about getting it for yourself.”
“Your marriage and Noah’s are the best things to ever happen to you boys, and you know it. Who’s to say it won’t be the same for Eli? I’m not a fool. Do you think I don’t know my own grandsons? Did you think I didn’t have these girls checked out thoroughly? I made wise choices for you all. It isn’t my fault you both took the long way around to finding happiness. I intend for Eli to take a direct course. Get the ring on her finger and get her to the altar. He’ll thank me later.”
“I can’t tell you how enjoyable it is to be discussed as if I wasn’t sitting right here.” Eli stared at his brother and grandfather, twisting his mouth wryly. “Jonathan, I appreciate the effort, but I have to see this through. As Grandfather’s so proud of saying, once a Kennebrae gives his word, he follows through.”
Grandfather almost purred in satisfaction on the way to the elevator.
Eli pushed Grandfather’s chair through the lobby and toward the brass and glass front doors. When they were seated in Grandfather’s carriage, Eli patted the ring in his pocket. In a long day of nothing going right, he hoped that this at least would be done to Grandfather’s satisfaction. Eli certainly found no satisfaction in the idea, and from the skittish way Clarice behaved around him, he thought she might not either.
❧
Mama’s wails could shatter glass. Josie sat in shock beside Grandma Bess, who flipped pages in the latest Saturday Evening Post, occasionally looking up to consider her daughter-in-law’s hysterics.
