by Zina Abbott
“I’ll be catching the train back to Denver in the morning, Mr. Nighy, but I must take a look at this furniture my daughter sings such high praises about before I go.”
“Are you staying in the best room River Valley Inn has to offer?”
“Of course.”
“Then look closely at the headboard and the rest of the furnishings. Except for the upholstered pieces, it’s all mine.”
“Bennett has just started offering upholstered furnishings, Father, although he will hire that particular task out.”
Franklin smiled at his daughter. “I have no doubt who made that business decision. And it’s a good one. It will allow him to offer a broader line.”
Franklin grew serious as he addressed his daughter. “I’m sorry about what happened, Delly. I never should have allowed your mother to continue her plan to bring you to heel. I should have put a stop to it sooner. You may have inherited your business acumen from me, but I’m afraid you inherited your stubbornness from your mother. In spite of her misguided efforts, she does love you. It has always distressed her that after waiting years to get a daughter, instead of you enjoying fashions and parties like she does, you are the one who ended up having a better head for investing and finances than either of your brothers. I hope you will forgive her soon—both of us.”
Delphinia swallowed as she looked at her father. “I’m sure I will. After all, what happened pushed me to take the drastic steps I did. It led me to something far better than what I had to choose from in New York. Tell me, Father, how did you find me?”
Franklin offered her a grudging smile and shook his head. “I’ll admit, Delly, you lead me on a merry chase. I had my men check all the rail lines. They picked up on the train you left New York on, but lost you in Lexington. I ordered them to spread out and travel to all rail junctions where you would have been able to make a transfer and investigate each one thoroughly. Meanwhile I had my private rail coach prepared and arranged for all the priority clearances I would need from Lexington so once they located you, I could follow, no matter the direction you took. Then I received that telephone call at my home early Sunday morning from the senior Mr. Wardell. He claimed to have read about your disappearance the week before in the newspaper. He wished to know if you did not return and the wedding needed to be delayed, if I would still be forwarding the money to young Sopworth that week. He was concerned about a loan that was due. He hinted at his relief the younger Sopworth would soon have funds to meet his obligations to the bank, too.”
“What did you tell him, Father?”
“I put him off. There are five banking days, Delly, and Saturday may be considered a work day when needed. I was quite annoyed the man called me at home on Sunday regarding a business matter, but didn’t think too much about it until later. I found another visitor waiting on my doorstep when your mother and I arrived home from church. He identified himself as a detective hired to give me a message regarding you. He refused to tell me who hired his company, claiming he was not privy to that information. All he knew was a person who wished to remain anonymous wanted to assure me my daughter was safe and well. Sunday or not, I called in Mr. Garland and a few others. We soon ascertained the man who delivered the message worked for an investigative agency sometimes used by the Wardells. A few more inquiries, and I learned young Mr. Wardell, was no longer working in his father’s bank, but was employed by the Arkansas Valley Bank here in Jubilee Springs. Then I remembered you were writing to some men in the same mining town.” Franklin stopped and gave his daughter a pointed look. “I am not obtuse, Delphinia.”
Bennett tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. Obtuse seemed to be a favorite Blakewell word. He had heard his wife use it more than once.
Franklin continued. “Too many coincidences. Like basic math, I put all the information together and it added up to you being in Jubilee Springs. I knew the warning about the Sopworths’ pending insolvency plus the assurance you were well came from Graham Wardell. I was in my private rail coach and on my way before the night was over. Confounded inconvenient the Denver and Rio Grande rails are narrow gauge. I had to leave my private car behind in Denver and travel up in a public coach.”
Delphinia fixed her glare on Graham Wardell. “My father may wish to do business with you, Mr. Wardell, but I may stay with Mr. Shumaker. You gave your word you would not tell my father or anyone where I was.”
“And I kept my word, Mrs. Nighy. However, as a son, I have a duty to my father to look out for the interests of his bank. I had to warn him that the money he expected from Andrew upon his marriage to you might not be forthcoming, and suggested he contact your father immediately to verify the status. And, although you didn’t think it important, I felt your family needed to know that nothing disastrous had happened to you in the course of your flight. More than one beautiful young woman traveling alone has met an unfortunate end. I felt your family should be assured that had not been the case with you. I contacted the most discreet agency I knew my father occasionally used to send someone to deliver the message. I should have guessed your father would discover the connection.”
“I see. You’re forgiven, then.”
Franklin turned to Delphinia, his words intended for his daughter alone. “Delly, I need to leave first thing in the morning and return to New York. I will have the china, silver and everything else your mother bought for you and wishes you to have sent to you. I’ll have the funds transferred to the bank. When it arrives, Mr. Wardell can contact you and your husband to make an appointment to discuss how you want it managed. I want to know, Delly, since you won’t be making your home in New York, is there anything in particular you wish as a wedding gift?”
“The china and all the other should be enough, Father. Although…” Delphinia hesitated and bit the side of her lip. “What I would truly like, Father, is for you to contact my former lady’s maid, Annie. Mother probably has let her go by now, but I’m sure you can find who she is working for now.”
Franklin kept his voice soft. “Unfortunately, your mother took her grief and anger over your disappearance out on the girl. She did let her go. Once your mother discovered she had obtained a new position using a reference letter penned by you, she went to the girl’s new employer and repudiated the reference. The girl is back with her family, still looking for work.”
“Father, before you send the funds out here, from it I wish you pull enough money to give a generous amount to Annie as severance pay. Her family depends on her wages, and I’m sure Mother’s decisions have made things difficult for all of them, not just Annie. I also wish you to ask Annie to come out here to work for me. You’ll need to provide her the train tickets and travel money, of course.”
Bennett leaned towards Delphinia, a question on his expression. “We need a maid?”
Delphinia slowly turned to him with a pointed look. “We do if you wish for someone to teach me how to cook and clean house. That was one of your terms to our agreement, was it not?”
“Where will she stay? You know I don’t have a spare bedroom.”
“I’ll pay for her to take a room at Howard Boarding House. She can walk to work for as long as she works for me. However, I’m not obtuse. With the shortage of women in this region, it won’t take long for one of the local men to recognize in Annie the makings of an exceptional wife and I’ll lose her.”
Franklin spoke quietly. “She may not wish to come, Delly. She’d be leaving all her family behind.”
Delphinia smiled a secretive smile. Her father had not discovered the advertisement for the Colorado Bridal Agency she had left for Annie to give to her sister. If Kate came to Jubilee Springs to marry one of the miners, Annie probably would want to be here for her sister.
She turned back to her father. “All I request is for you ask her, Father. Don’t pressure her to come. Assure her if she chooses to, and later decides she doesn’t like it here, I will pay for her return along with a new reference letter and a generous severance bonus.”
&n
bsp; “I’ll take care of it as soon as I get home. Best wishes, Delphinia. It appears you have found what you want and will do well here. If not, you know where to contact me. Perhaps things will settle down between you and your mother in time, and we can come to visit when you have a grandchild to show off to us,”
“Perhaps, Father.” Delphinia pushed down a pang of regret. With hers and Ben’s marriage of convenience, there would be no grandchildren.
Franklin stood, as did the other men. He shook Graham Wardell’s hand, and then Bennett’s. “My best wishes to you, Mr. Nighy. You have married a difficult woman, but if you keep her happy, it will be worth it. I should know.”
“I plan to keep her happy, Mr. Blakewell. I hope you aren’t disappointed in the man she chose to marry.”
The twinkle in Franklin’s eyes reflected the wide grin on his face. “You had me at taking my daughter fishing, Ben. Call me Franklin.”
.
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CHAPTER 28
~o0o~
Assured it would be difficult to get completely lost in Jubilee Springs, Franklin drove the three home so they did not need to walk in the cold and dark. They first dropped off Graham Wardell at his big Queen Anne style house that backed up to the Arkansas River. After they dropped Graham off at the front porch of the house previously lit by the black maid Bennett knew he had brought from New York, Franklin commented as they were leaving. “That is the kind of house I would like to see you living in someday, Delphinia. No offense, Ben.”
“None taken. We may need to start smaller, but I hope to have your daughter into a house by next year. With all the plans we have, we will need the current living space upstairs for the business.”
With a smile he suspected his new son-in-law could not see, Franklin turned back towards Bennett who sat in the second seat with his wife. “You have no concept of how much money will be coming to you, do you? You will be able to buy for my daughter one of the nicest homes in Jubilee Springs.”
“Unless we decide to invest it in the business first, Father.”
At the Nighy Furniture Store, Franklin exited with the couple and entered long enough for Bennett to turn on the gas lights so he could inspect some of the furniture. He raised an eye at the space still containing two saw horses that had served as a temporary viewing room for Hester Smith. On his way out, he ran his finger across the table of the dark walnut dining set Delphinia had shown the Shumakers. “Your mother has been asking about a new dining set. I’ll have to ask her about this. Give me a price for the whole thing along with shipping, Delly, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Here, Father, take this with you.” Delphinia walked to the corner of the dining set and picked up the narrow plant stand barely wide enough in circumference to hold a small potted fern. “This will show her the wood finish and design style on the set. You can let us know your decision after we send you the financial details.”
Armed with the plant table and directions on how to return the surrey to the livery, then walk the half block down and across the street to the hotel that would still be well-lit this time of night, Franklin kissed his daughter’s cheek and once again shook Bennett’s hand before he left the newlyweds.
Bennett locked the front door and began turning off the gas lights downstairs until the couple arrived at the stairs. “Wait here, Delly, until I turn on the lights upstairs.” Delphinia was almost all the way up the stairs when Bennett returned to collect her. “Now, how am I to carry my wife across the threshold and up the stairs to our new home if you’ve already come up here yourself?”
“You don’t need to carry me over a threshold, Ben. It’s not that kind of marriage, remember?”
“As I recall, we didn’t make any final decisions on what kind of marriage this is going to be. We’ll try the entry to the bedroom instead.” As soon as Delphinia reached the top stairs, Bennett swept her up into his arms.
Delphinia clutched his shoulders to keep from falling. “Put me down, Ben. I’m taller than you and not someone you want to carry too far.”
Bennett carried her into the bedroom and set her back on her feet. His eyes sought hers. “You are not taller than I am, Delly, and I can carry you just fine. I haul heavy pieces of wood and furniture around. I certainly can lift you.”
Trying to not appear too obvious, Delphinia furtively looked at the furniture pieces in Bennett’s bedroom. The headboard, especially, truly was beautiful. However, other than to use it as a changing room, she would not be spending much time in the bedroom.
“Do you like what you see, Delly?”
“It’s very nice, but please show me the settee, where I’ll be sleeping, Ben. I hope it is big enough you can stretch out on it. If not, it certainly will be short for me.”
“It’s big enough, especially if you bend your knees and don’t plan to roll over. You’d fit as well as I do because you are not taller than I am. It’s those boots with their infernal two inch heels and the way you wear your hair piled up high on your head that make you appear taller.”
“They do not make me appear taller; I am taller. I’m sorry you feel uncomfortable because I have the height advantage, Mr. Nighy.”
We are back to Mr. Nighy again? Enough is enough.
No, you are not taller than I am, Bennett reached down and pulled his left boot off his foot and tossed it in the far corner of the room. “We are going to resolve this once and for all, Mrs. Nighy. Off with your boots and stockings.”
Open-mouthed, Delphinia responded with a choke of surprise. “Take my boots and stockings off? This isn’t that kind of marriage, Mr. Nighy. Just what do you have in mind?”
“If you don’t do it, Delly, I’ll do it for you.”
Delphinia stepped towards the bed as it to sit on its edge.
Bennett reached over and pulled her away. “Oh, no you don’t. I told you if you make use of that bed, it comes with the man who already sleeps in it. You haven’t yet said you wish to sleep in it with me, Mrs. Nighy.”
Delphinia huffed with annoyance, but moved to the chair next to the dressing table. She bent over and began to undo the buttons on her boot. She soon realized Bennett stood before her sans both his boots and socks. The sight of his bare feet momentarily distracted her. She shook it off. After all, as a young girl she had seen her brothers’ bare feet numerous times as they played in the streams and lakes of the Catskills. Her fingers slowed again as once again she looked at Bennett’s feet. Somehow, seeing his feet was different. The sight of her brothers’ feet didn’t affect her the way she felt now viewing his.
Bennett’s voice snapped her back to the present. “Are you stalling, Mrs. Nighy? I’m not letting you get out of this, so you might as well get on with it.”
“This is nonsense, Mr. Nighy. The wood stove is in the other room, it does not appear you kept it going throughout the day which means it not only is cold in your main room this time of year, but also in here. I see no area rug beside the bed. The floorboards are bound to be cold under my feet.”
“This won’t take long. You’ll hardly notice the cold.”
Although she took care to keep her lower legs covered as much as possible as she took of her stocking, she felt Bennett’s eyes on her as he stood in front of her, his hands on his hips as he waited. Even though this man was now her husband—granted, a husband of convenience, but still a husband—Delphinia felt like she was on exhibit. She felt it a touch risqué, perhaps even wicked, allowing a man to see so much exposed skin. With a start, she realized it was not an unpleasant feeling. She felt something else she couldn’t identify and define, but she had felt it the previous Sunday afternoon on the riverbank when Bennett had kissed her.
The feel of hairpins being pulled from her coif while she was bent over removing her second shoe prompted Delphinia to quickly jerk upright in her chair. “Mr. Nighy, whatever are you doing?”
“I’m taking down your hair. I’m not allowing you to try to gain any advantage by h
aving layers of hair piled up high. Now hold still so I don’t drop your pins.”
“This is the third time you have removed all my combs and hairpins and left me unfit to be seen in public.”
“You have never been in public any time I have removed your hairpins and combs, Mrs. Nighy. You were only with me, as you are now. You don’t plan on anyone stopping by to visit tonight, do you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It is far too late for people to come calling.” Delphinia sniffed with annoyance, but held still long enough for Bennett to pull out her pins. She leaned forward once more to work on removing her stocking. She leaned away from his hands as he continued to remove the combs at the side of her braided chignon. “Honestly, Mr. Nighy, I don’t know why you find fault with my hair tonight. I would have thought you noticed I made a point to wear my hair towards the back rather than have it piled on top. It was no easy task without a lady’s maid, either. I’m not accustomed to working with a double set of mirrors. If Clara Howard had not taken pity on me and helped me, I would have come to the wedding looking a fright.”
In spite of Delphinia’s resistance, Bennett ran his fingers through her hair several times, undoing the loose braid and spreading her locks across her shoulders. “Your hair will never look a fright, Mrs. Nighy, and I will never find fault with it. However, it looks its prettiest worn down like it is now. In addition, this way better suits my current purposes.”
Delphinia quickly glanced up, then away, unnerved by the look of longing she witnessed in his eyes. She once again focused on tugging at the tube of silk covering her foot and calf. “And what purpose is that, Mr. Nighy? I hardly see a connection between you requiring me to remove my boots and stockings and taking out my hairpins.”
