Placing the coins back in her pouch, she tucked it into the dresser drawer and snuggled under the covers. The sound of Spencer’s even, quiet breathing lulled her to sleep without further thought of the Acre.
A hand clasped around her arm, shaking her. She was half awake, not certain what she’d been dreaming, when her eyes fluttered open and she realized Bradley’s face was directly above her own. He licked his thin lips, like an animal ready to devour his prey. ‘‘Go upstairs,’’ he commanded.
‘‘Nay! I will na go anywhere with ya. I want ya to leave me alone. Ya’ve done nothin’ but threaten and harm me since the day ya laid eyes on me. I’ve done nothin’ to deserve such treatment. I love Jasmine, and I will na permit ya to continue hurtin’ her in this way. She’s given you a beautiful son, and she’s a gracious lady.
Better than ya deserve! I’ll na be part of this any longer.’’
‘‘I ought to flog you for your insolent behavior. You’ll do as you’re told! You need not put on a pretense of virtue; I saw you in the Acre hanging on to the neck of that filthy Irishman. I know you enjoy being with men,’’ he hissed, leaning close to her ear.
His utterance spewed at her like venom from a poisonous snake.
Suddenly she understood why his threats had resurfaced. He had followed her the night she’d gone to the Acre, seen her with Rogan, and now planned to punish her by sending Paddy to Mississippi. This was her fault. If only she’d remained at home that evening.
He yanked on her arm. ‘‘I said get upstairs.’’
‘‘I will na go,’’ she shot back. Before she could argue any further, Spencer began to whimper and then burst forth with a lusty cry. ‘‘It’s time for the babe to eat. If I do na take him to the mistress, she’ll come to fetch him.’’
Bradley stalked to the door and then turned back to face her.
His eyes were filled with a mixture of lust and hatred. ‘‘Don’t think this matter’s been concluded,’’ he warned before leaving the room.
Kiara hurried to the door and turned the key before tending to the crying infant. ‘‘There, there,’’ she cooed. ‘‘Just let me change yar wet nappie and I’ll take ya to yar mother.’’ The baby quickly settled, and once he was dry, she wrapped him in a warm blanket. ‘‘Thar ya are. Snug as a bug,’’ she whispered. ‘‘Now let’s go see yar mother.’’
Jasmine met her in the doorway that joined her bedroom and the nursery. ‘‘I’m sorry ya had to get out of yar bed, ma’am. It took me a wee bit longer to change his nappie.’’
‘‘No need to apologize, Kiara. You’ve done nothing wrong.’’
She reached for the infant. ‘‘Go back to bed. I’ll keep Spencer with me after he’s finished nursing,’’ she said. ‘‘I’m sure you need some sleep. I can rest tomorrow while Father and Bradley are gone to Boston.’’
‘‘The gentlemen are off on a short trip, are they?’’
‘‘Only for the day. Father told me this evening he’s going to have Bradley join him, but say nothing, as Bradley doesn’t know yet.’’
Kiara nodded her head. ‘‘A surprise, is it? Well, ya can trust me not to be sayin’ anything to Mr. Houston.’’ She returned to her room, her heart dancing with delight. She’d try to get word to Rogan tomorrow.
Bradley joined Malcolm at the breakfast table and signaled Sarah to pour his coffee. ‘‘I see no reason for you to travel to
Boston, Malcolm. I’m certain I can handle any matters needing attention if you’ll merely take me into your confidence.’’
‘‘I’ve already made arrangements for the meeting. No need to change them now.’’
‘‘But it seems a shame to cut into the little time you have with Jasmine in order to conduct business outside of Lowell.’’
Malcolm forked a piece of sausage onto his plate and helped himself to a steaming bowl of scrambled eggs. ‘‘No grits?’’ he asked, looking in Sarah’s direction.
‘‘No, sir. Would you care for some fried potatoes instead?’’
‘‘If that’s my only choice,’’ he replied, helping himself. ‘‘You Northerners should begin serving grits. I’m surprised neither Jasmine nor Alice has begun the practice.’’
Sarah smiled at Malcolm. ‘‘They tell me they’re not fond of grits.’’
‘‘Hurrumph! They never told me such a thing.’’
Bradley found Malcolm’s preoccupation annoying. Who really cared what was served for breakfast so long as there was good strong coffee? ‘‘Getting back to the topic at hand, Malcolm, wouldn’t you prefer to spend your time with Jasmine?’’
Malcolm looked up from his plate. ‘‘Why don’t you come with me? Jasmine doesn’t mind in the least that I’m going to be gone to Boston. She learned long ago that men require time to conduct their business if they are going to properly support their families.
We’d have time to visit on the train, and you can give me a tour of your shipping business.’’
Bradley didn’t want to show Malcolm his shipping business or anything else for that matter, but if he was going to find out what this meeting was about, he had little alternative. He needed to retain control. Of course, the best way to do that was to keep Malcolm in Lowell, but since that wasn’t going to be possible, he’d attend the meeting and hope to bypass a visit to the shipping office. Hopefully Malcolm would decide to make an early departure for Mississippi.
‘‘Thank you, Malcolm. If you insist on attending the meeting, I’d be pleased to accompany you.’’
Kiara watched from an upstairs window until the carriage pulled away from the house before entering Jasmine’s room. ‘‘Sarah was needin’ some things from town, ma’am. Would ya be mindin’ if I took care of that burden fer her?’’
‘‘That would be fine. Grandmother’s here to help me. Besides, you need to get away from the house more frequently. Be sure you go early in the day so you’re home before the men return. I expect them on the last train this evening.’’
‘‘I’ll be goin’ this mornin’ and will be back afore noon.’’ She dashed down the stairs, retrieved the list from Sarah, and scurried down the road. When she reached the mercantile, she approached Mrs. Paxton. ‘‘I have another errand to attend to. Would ya mind if I left my list to be filled and picked it up in a short while?’’
‘‘That’s fine, Kiara. I’ll have it ready when you return.’’
She ran down the street with her skirt flying in the breeze and her pounding shoes leaving tiny clouds of dust in her wake. She knocked on the door and waited, dancing from foot to foot.
‘‘Where is she? Where is she?’’ she muttered into the morning air.
Finally she heard footsteps nearing the door. ‘‘Granna Murphy!’’ she exclaimed when the door opened. ‘‘Can I come in?’’
The old woman gave her a cordial smile. ‘‘You need na ask, lass. Ya’re always welcome in our home. What brings ya out at this time o’ day? There’s no one to visit but your old Granna Murphy.’’
‘‘I need ya to give Rogan a message.’’
‘‘Sure, and what would yar message be?’’ she asked with a crooked grin.
‘‘It’s urgent I speak to him. Could ya tell him to come to the Houstons’ house and wait at the front of the house near the big tree at eight o’clock? He’ll know which one I mean. Tell him to be sure and stay hidden until I call to him. Please do na ferget, Granna. It’s important.’’
‘‘How could I ferget? I’ll tell him the moment he walks through that door.’’
Kiara leaned down and placed a kiss on the weathered old cheek. ‘‘I wish I could stay and visit, but I must be gettin’ back to the house. Don’t ferget to give him me message.’’
‘‘Off with ya, lass. I’ll na be fergetting, so set yar mind to ease.’’
Bradley forced himself to remain amicable, smiling and nodding at the proper occasions while his level of irritation swelled.
Before they departed from Lowell, Malcolm said they would discuss business on the train
. However, it now seemed he was more content discussing his sons and their capable management techniques at The Willows. ‘‘I’m proud of every one of them. They’ve taken hold, and all three are excited about remaining in the cotton business.’’
‘‘Even Samuel? I don’t recall him having strong leadership qualities. Has he made some improvement?’’
Malcolm bristled at the remark. ‘‘There was never anything wrong with Samuel’s abilities. You wanted him to whip the slaves into producing more cotton, but he didn’t feel that was an appropriate measure—nor did I, for that matter. Our success hasn’t depended upon such tactics. In fact, Samuel’s duties will be expanding, and David will be taking over his previous duties.’’
Bradley said no more. He’d once again offended Malcolm Wainwright with his attempts to discredit his eldest son. The remainder of their journey was in silence. Once they arrived in Boston, Bradley hailed a carriage.
‘‘Brackman Hotel on Beacon Street,’’ Malcolm told the driver.
‘‘You’re meeting at the Brackman?’’
‘‘Yes. Nathan told me he’d arrange for us to use a small meeting room at the hotel since I don’t plan to remain overnight.’’
‘‘You’re meeting with Nathan?’’
‘‘Nathan, Josiah Baines, Henry Thorne, and several others. I believe Matthew Cheever was going to come in from Lowell.
Shame about Tracy Jackson. I didn’t realize he’d passed away until Nathan mentioned it in his latest missive.’’
‘‘Yes. Jackson’s passing is a huge loss to the Associates. I didn’t realize you and Nathan were on such an intimate basis.’’
‘‘We’ve only recently corresponded. I find him an engaging man. Quite knowledgeable and an astute businessman.’’
Bradley could feel beads of perspiration beginning to form along his upper lip. What was going on? Why had Malcolm begun corresponding with Nathan Appleton? And more importantly, what were they corresponding about?
Nathan greeted them in the hotel foyer. ‘‘I’m surprised to see you, Bradley. Malcolm didn’t tell me you’d be attending the meeting.’’ Bradley watched the two men exchange glances.
‘‘I thought it might be best if Bradley was present. I find it more difficult hearing things after the fact. Secondhand explanations seem to lose something in the translation.’’
Nathan nodded. ‘‘Whatever makes you most comfortable, Malcolm.’’
Bradley watched Nathan pat his father-in-law on the back as though they were old friends as they entered the meeting room. Something had gone amiss. He didn’t know what, but he was certain he was not going to like the tenor of this meeting.
‘‘Why don’t you take over the helm, Malcolm? After all, it was you who suggested this gathering,’’ Nathan said.
‘‘Of course. I’m certain you gentlemen have read my letter and are aware of my growing concerns, both for my cotton shipments as well as my son-in-law’s health and well-being.’’
Bradley stiffened. My health? My well-being? What was happening here?
Malcolm continued. ‘‘As I told you in my letter, I want to present my proposal for using my son Samuel as the new buyer of cotton from Southern plantation owners. Samuel already has a working relationship with many of the cotton growers that you hope to entice into contracts. I believe you would see positive results from this. Samuel would take over those duties from Bradley, giving him more time for other duties with the Corporation.
My hope is that you can assign Bradley to duties in Lowell to allow him to spend more time with his wife and new son.’’
Bradley barely stifled his rage. He shifted in his chair and reached for Malcolm’s elbow. ‘‘What are you doing?’’ he asked between clenched teeth. ‘‘I don’t want to be released from my duties as buyer for the Corporation,’’ he whispered forcefully.
Malcolm ignored the plea and maintained his focus upon the other men gathered in the room. ‘‘With Samuel in Mississippi, I envision his role as a buyer who can travel among the plantations, keep track of inventory, arrange for shipments, and handle any other unforeseen circumstances that may occur with the growers.
Additionally, as I stated earlier, with our many contacts in the South, I feel certain Samuel can further expand the number of suppliers as needed. You must realize Southerners are notoriously cautious where Yankees are concerned.’’
The men chuckled as if completely understanding his point.
But Bradley felt like screaming. He was losing control and that was something he didn’t brook well.
Malcolm spoke again. ‘‘And, of course, should the need arise for someone to accompany a shipment for any reason, I have two other sons who could make themselves available for such an assignment. Overall, I believe this will be a much improved method.’’
‘‘I couldn’t agree more,’’ Nathan replied.
‘‘Nor I,’’ concurred Josiah while the other members murmured their assent. ‘‘To be honest, we’ve been very concerned. I don’t know if Nathan informed you, but there have been grave concerns of late regarding the cotton shipments. I, for one, feel much more confident knowing there will be someone in charge who can follow the process and give it his complete devotion. No offense, Bradley, but you’ve certainly not been yourself recently, and by your own admission you feel the need to be closer to home.’’
‘‘If I could have a moment alone with you, Malcolm,’’ Bradley urged. If he didn’t say something soon, he would explode.
‘‘We can talk during our return to Lowell,’’ Malcolm replied.
‘‘Well, gentlemen, if we’re all in agreement, I’ll have Samuel begin his duties as soon as I return to Mississippi.’’
The meeting was adjourned before Bradley had time to drink his second glass of port. He walked out of the hotel in stunned silence, and it wasn’t until they were settled on the train that he once again voiced his objection to his father-in-law.
‘‘If you had a problem with me, I wish you would have brought it to my attention. I truly do not understand why you think this change is necessary. It’s not as though Samuel doesn’t have many duties to perform on the plantation already.’’
‘‘This has nothing to do with the plantation, Bradley. This has to do with the proper handling of the cotton shipments and payments. There needs to be a line of communication between buyers and sellers, an awareness of potential problems or delays. You’ve not handled matters well, my boy. You didn’t even inform your business partners I had written to explain our first harvest would be smaller due to excessive rains and subsequent boll rot.
‘‘After talking with Jasmine and my mother, I’m aware you are suffering under a burden of undue stress. Believe me, you need not feel inadequate. There are few men who could have coped with the magnitude of details and duties you were attempting to handle.’’
Bradley rubbed his forehead, certain he’d heard incorrectly.
‘‘Jasmine and Grandmother Wainwright told you I’ve been unable to cope with my business interests? They spoke against me?’’
‘‘They spoke no ill word against you at all. However, they were gravely concerned about you, my boy. I applaud their efforts on your behalf, and I’m certain that once you’ve begun your new duties in Lowell, you’ll be delighted they took your best interests to heart.’’
Bradley seethed. How dare those two interfering women go over his head and contact Malcolm? Because of them, he was going to lose all of the income he’d come to depend upon. With Samuel managing the shipments and books, there would be no opportunity for Bradley to underhandedly increase his income.
Worse yet, Malcolm was going to find out the percentages were higher than what Bradley had previously divulged. His anger neared a boiling rage, yet he knew he must remain calm.
‘‘When are you planning to return to The Willows?’’ he inquired.
Malcolm appeared puzzled. ‘‘I’ve booked passage for the end of the week, which means we’ve much to accomplish prior to my depa
rture.’’
Bradley arched his eyebrows. ‘‘Such as?’’
‘‘We’ll need at least two to three days to go over the book-work. I’ll want to take the ledgers and accounts with me as well as the contracts and any other papers relating to each buyer’s position. I want Samuel to have opportunity to review all of the paper work so he’ll have a firm footing to begin his new duties. In fact, I gave serious consideration to bringing him with me, but I wasn’t positive the Associates would agree to this change.’’
Bradley grimaced at the thought of Samuel being present for this embarrassment and was thankful Malcolm had thought better of the idea. ‘‘Perhaps it would be best if you spent the remainder of your time visiting with Jasmine. I can have the paper work shipped to you.’’
‘‘I will certainly visit with my daughter, but I want to go over the ledgers with you in order to gain a better understanding of the methods you’ve utilized so that I can explain them to Samuel.
Besides, if I have questions, you can immediately answer them instead of my waiting for weeks to hear from you by mail—and you’re not the best correspondent,’’ Malcolm added.
Bradley turned his attention away from Malcolm and stared out the window. A sick feeling churned in the pit of his stomach.
In the short time remaining, how could he possibly rework the ledgers before revealing them to Malcolm?
Kiara listened at the top of the stairway as the two men returned home later that night. Bradley stormed into the house and went directly to his library, although Kiara thought Mr.Wainwright appeared to be in a rather pleasant mood. She’d need to keep her distance from Bradley. She wanted nothing to interfere with her meeting this evening.
The baby was fast asleep, and Jasmine and GrandmotherWain-wright were busy with their sewing as Kiara entered the room. ‘‘I was wonderin’ if I might go for a little walk, ma’am. I won’t be outside fer long. I’d just like a breath o’ fresh air.’’
Tracie Peterson & Judith Miller - [Lights of Lowell 01] Page 31
