Ainslee reached forward and gently assisted the older woman to her feet. “Coming to see Ewan may be a mistake, but we’re here and he’s waiting. We must disembark the train.” Ainslee turned sideways in the narrow aisle and maintained a hold on Margaret’s arm. Otherwise, she feared the woman would drop into an unoccupied seat before they could exit.
When Ainslee stepped onto the platform, Ewan was already taking long strides toward her. Along with the help of the conductor, she assisted Margaret down the final step. Margaret straightened her shoulders, and when she looked up, Ewan stopped short. He squinted and his mouth dropped open.
Margaret hastily attempted to take a backward step, but Ainslee tugged her forward. “No turning back now. If you’re going to do something to save the brickworks, you must do this.” She tipped her head closer to the woman’s ear. “And I suggest you maintain a careful tone and a repentant spirit. Much will depend upon this meeting.”
Ewan stepped toward them with a measured gait. He nodded at Margaret and then cocked an eyebrow at his sister. “Odd it is that the two of you would be on the same train.” He glanced at Margaret. “Changing trains here in Grafton?”
“Aunt Margaret traveled to Weston for a visit with me. I suggested we come to Grafton for a meeting with you.” Ainslee flashed a smile at Ewan and prayed it would soften his now-hardened features. “I think it might be best if Margaret gets settled in the hotel, and then we can have a talk once we’re rested.” She glanced at the elderly lady. “Perhaps tomorrow?”
There was no doubt she was testing her brother’s good nature, but she had little choice. The tightness around Ewan’s lips relaxed a modicum and the tension eased in Ainslee’s shoulders.
“If I decide to meet with you, I’ll send word to the hotel, Margaret.” There was little warmth to Ewan’s voice. “If you’re staying at the depot hotel, the baggage handler will deliver your trunks to the lobby, and the hotel clerk will see that your belongings are sent up to your room.” Ewan signaled to the baggage handler.
The man stepped closer. “How can I help?”
“Mrs. Crothers will be taking a room at the hotel.” Ewan turned to Margaret. “Why don’t you point out your belongings, Margaret? Ainslee and I will go with you and make certain you get registered before we depart for home.”
After indicating which baggage was hers, Margaret hesitated. “What about supper? Is there a restaurant in the hotel?” Her lower lip protruded a bit. “I do dislike sitting at a table by myself.”
“When I travel, I find that being alone provides time for personal reflection.” Ewan’s tone was not unkind, but Margaret flinched at the remark. If he noticed her reaction, he didn’t let on. “The restaurant serves plain food, but it’s tasty. Much better than the meager fare we scratched out in Ireland.”
Ainslee didn’t miss the disappointment in Margaret’s eyes. She’d obviously been angling for a dinner invitation. Ewan had made it clear there would be none.
Once Margaret had received a key to her room, she grasped Ainslee’s arm. “You’ll send word about when and where we’ll meet?”
Ewan stepped between the two women. “If we’re to meet, I’ll send word of the time.” He gestured toward the hotel dining room. “I think the restaurant would be the best place.”
Margaret opened her mouth as if to object, but Ainslee pinned her with a warning look. If Margaret wanted to meet with Ewan, she needed to hold her tongue and do whatever he requested. There was little doubt Margaret had hoped to prompt an invitation to the McKay home. Ainslee thought Margaret might hope to meet Tessa. Neither of those things would occur. Ewan had taken a defensive stance, and he would do everything in his power to protect his family from Margaret’s meddling and her sharp tongue.
Margaret jiggled the key to her room. “If I can’t entice either of you to join me for supper this evening, I’ll bid you both good day.” She turned, but rather than look into Ewan’s brooding eyes, she settled her gaze on the carpeted staircase. “I hope to hear from you first thing in the morning.”
“Whether it be an aye or a nay, you’ll receive word tomorrow.” Ewan lightly grasped Ainslee’s elbow and directed her toward the door.
Once they had neared the hotel door, he lowered his head close to her. “You’ve a powerful mite of explaining to do, lass. I’m trying to control my temper, but you’re putting me to quite a test.” He nodded toward the street. “The carriage is waiting.”
“There really is a good explanation, Ewan.”
“I’m guessin’ that having Margaret along is why yer telegram said to come to the station alone?” The latent Irish brogue came out as tempers ran high.
Ainslee stepped alongside the carriage. “I feared ya might bring Tessa, and I didna want Margaret to see her without yer consent.”
“Aye, and ’tis a good thing I didna bring her, even though she begged and thought me an unkind father. What if I would have ignored yer request, Ainslee? Did ya give any thought to that possibility?”
“Ya know how much I love Tessa and that I wouldna asked you to come alone if there wasn’t an important reason.” She stepped up into the carriage. When he’d settled beside her, she leaned close to him. “Do ya want me to tell ya why Margaret is with me?”
“Nay. I think I’d like you to wait until after you’ve enjoyed a short time with Tessa. I want Laura with us when you give your reasons. Besides, I’m not thinkin’ I’ll want to hear this story of yours twice in one day.”
Ainslee had expected Ewan’s stony reaction toward Margaret, but she hadn’t expected him to remain so distant once they were alone.
She prayed her decision to help Margaret wouldn’t fracture her relationship with Ewan and Laura. The wound between Adaira and her had only begun to heal. Her heart could not bear the thought of another chasm within her family.
Chapter 23
While Ainslee had longed to spend time with Tessa, their visit had been marred by the looming discussion that lay before her. Her ability to concentrate had been nonexistent, and Tessa had become increasingly bothered when Ainslee asked the same questions several times. Conversation during supper had been as stilted as Ewan’s earlier meeting with Aunt Margaret. Though Laura made every attempt at convivial dinner conversation, the effort proved futile. Margaret wasn’t a guest at the table, but her presence loomed large in the room.
When they finally gathered in the sitting room after Tessa had gone to her room, Laura retrieved her knitting. Her lips curved in a warm smile. “Ewan has told me of Margaret’s arrival in Grafton. As I’m sure you know, we are uncomfortable having her nearby, but I’m certain there is a good reason you’ve brought her to our doorstep.”
Ainslee winced, yet she also felt a need to defend herself. “I didn’t bring Margaret to your home, nor was it my intention to do so. I brought her to Grafton to discuss a matter with Ewan—and you, if you so choose, Laura. Since the day we moved from Bartlett, Margaret has known we were living in Grafton. If she had wanted to find the McKay home, it wouldn’t have been difficult.”
“Aye, but she’s too sneaky for that. She had others do her spying for her. Remember how she used Beatrice to get every scrap of news about our family?” Ewan’s eyes flashed with anger.
“I remember all of it, and I’m not saying Margaret’s a saint, but she came to the office at the tile factory and was filled with remorse for her actions. Do I know if she’s genuinely repentant? Nay. There isn’t any way for me to be sure, but this I do know: Without your help, the C&M Brickyard is going to go out of business.”
Ewan’s eyes opened wide, and he sat straight in his chair. “How can that be? The brickyard should be making a great deal of money for Margaret.”
Ainslee nodded. “It should, but it seems Aunt Margaret trusted the wrong man. Andrew Culligan has bested her. Not only has he ruined the reputation of the company by producing inferior bricks, but he also was pocketing the profits made while selling those low-grade bricks. Naturally, he didn’t tell Margaret about
the complaints the company received, and soon orders quit coming in.”
Ewan raked his fingers through his hair. “I told her she shouldn’t trust a stranger to keep the books, but she was so intent upon forcing me out of the brickyard that she didn’t heed my warnings. I wish I would have forced her to change the company name before I left Bartlett.”
Laura gently shook her head. “Nothing can be gained by lamenting the past. What’s important is how we act in the present.” She cleared her throat. “I’m still unclear why Margaret would come to see you, Ainslee. How did she think you could help her solve the problems with Mr. Culligan and the brickyard?”
“There’s nothing to be done about Mr. Culligan. He’s disappeared. She has no idea where he’s gone, but she hopes to bid on the brick contract for the museum in Wheeling and wants me to put in a good word with Mr. Harrington.”
Ewan slapped his knee. “Sure and it all becomes clear now.” He wagged his finger at Ainslee. “You cannot do this.” He hesitated an instant. “Tell me you haven’t promised to help her, that you haven’t contacted Mr. Harrington.”
Ainslee met her brother’s intense stare. “The only thing I’ve done is tell her that it’s your help she needs, not mine.” She then detailed her suggestion that Margaret seek Ewan’s help with the brickyard. “I didn’t know what else to tell her. I believe she’s sorry for what she did to you, and she needs to restore the reputation of the company.”
Ewan’s eyes blazed with conviction. “She needs to restore the quality of the bricks. The bricks will restore the reputation of the company, but only if she can gain another contract. Given what you’ve told me, I do na think that will happen anytime soon, especially not soon enough to bid on Mr. Harrington’s museum.”
“Even with your help? I thought if you told Mr. Harrington you’d take responsibility for the product, he might consider the bid to be sound.”
“Ainslee! Surely you didn’t expect Ewan to give his word that Margaret would furnish quality bricks when she has no idea how to produce them. Even if she knew what to do, you told us that most of the skilled workers have left for other jobs. Ewan can’t perform the impossible.”
Ainslee shrugged. “It was only a thought. Maybe if you meet with Margaret, the three of you could develop a plan.”
Laura shuddered and shook her head. “I don’t think I want to be present for a meeting with Margaret.” She looked at Ewan. “I have no objection if you want to meet and discuss the brickyard with her, but I truly do not see how there’s any easy answer. She may have to reap what she’s sown, though it will break my heart to have that brickyard lay idle. My father worked so hard to make it prosperous, and you did the same, Ewan. What has happened is tragic for both the Woodfields and the McKays.”
“Aye, that it is.” Ewan’s brow creased into narrow folds. “I’m wonderin’ how it is that your mother has not written to tell us this piece of news. With so many men quitting, she’s sure to have heard some talk among her friends.”
“Mother’s friends don’t discuss brickyards and lost jobs among the working class, Ewan. They may talk about ways to feed the poor, but anything beyond charitable work wouldn’t be mentioned at their gatherings. While Mother has always been forward-thinking, most of her friends are not. And I’m sure they wouldn’t mention Margaret or the brickyard to Mother. They’d fear it would be a painful subject for her.”
“Aye, I’m sure they would not want to discuss any matter that would cause her distress.”
Ainslee had hoped Laura and Ewan would agree to speak with Margaret, but instead they seemed more interested in discussing what Grandmother Woodfield might know about the brickyard. She waited for a short lull in the conversation before she interrupted. “While I understand your concerns about Grandmother Woodfield, I wonder if we should decide if you will agree to meet with Margaret.” If Ainslee didn’t redirect the conversation, she feared Laura and Ewan were going to decline Margaret’s request.
“I do na have any answers for her, but since she’s come here, hat in hand, I suppose it’s the right thing to do.” Ewan turned to his wife. “I want you to go with me, Laura. If Margaret is offering apologies, she owes one to you as well as to me. It is clear she wants my help, but I want to see if she’s truly repentant for her misdeeds. I can use your help making that judgment. Besides, the brickyard belonged to your family for many years, and I’ll value your opinion before I make any decisions.”
“I don’t know, Ewan. If we open a door to Margaret, we may never again be able to close it. We must consider Tessa in all of this, too—and Kathleen. What will she think?”
Ainslee leaned forward. “But Tessa knows she’s adopted. You’ve told her Kathleen lives in New York and that she has other relatives she may want to meet someday. I don’t see how Margaret can cause a problem where Tessa is concerned.”
Ewan shook his head. “Margaret can create problems where no one else could imagine. I think you’ve forgotten her wily ways. Laura may be right: Meeting with her is probably a mistake.”
Panic took hold in the pit of Ainslee’s stomach and surged with such force that it spread through her body like a crashing wave. She tightened her fingers around the armrests of her chair. This need to heal the rift in their families had taken hold, and she couldn’t turn loose. If she was going to meet with even a degree of success, she needed to begin anew.
“You’ve both pointed to Margaret’s past misdeeds, and I agree that the things she’s done have been dreadful. Her actions have forever changed us, but she hasn’t caused our ruination. We’ve become stronger in spite of her. That doesn’t mean I excuse or disregard her behavior. In the past, both of you have talked with me about forgiveness. Particularly about my need to forgive Adaira.”
Ewan held up his hand. “There’s no comparison between Adaira’s actions and—”
“Please let me finish, Ewan.” Ainslee frowned at her brother. “Adaira’s decision to elope and leave me in the lurch didn’t affect the entire family, but if you consider what it did to me, I believe there are similarities. Adaira forever changed my life in order to seek her own happiness. I was forced to leave Grafton and fulfill what had been her dream. I also lost my twin sister and closest friend. For me, Adaira’s betrayal cut even deeper than Margaret’s deceit toward you because it was emotional rather than financial.” She glanced back and forth between Ewan and Laura. “Both of you told me that I needed to forgive Adaira. Shouldn’t you heed that advice as it pertains to Margaret?”
Ewan frowned, and he settled deeper into the cushioned divan, but Laura leaned toward Ainslee. “There is truth in what you’ve said, Ainslee. Without forgiveness, bitterness takes hold and affects everything we do, as well as our character. I want you to know that I forgave Margaret long ago. That doesn’t mean that I’ve forgotten, or that I want her to become involved in our lives once again.”
Ainslee scooted forward in her chair. “Can it hurt at least to talk to her? I promise I won’t ask you to do anything more than go to the hotel and hear her out. See for yourselves if you believe she is repentant and worthy of a second chance.”
Laura reached to her side and grasped Ewan’s arm. “Ainslee is right. Meeting with Margaret doesn’t commit us in any way. If she inquires about matters we don’t wish to discuss, we aren’t required to give her answers. What harm can it do?”
Ewan rubbed his temples. “Agreed. We’ll see what she has to say. I’ll see that a message is delivered to her. When would the two of you like to meet? I say the sooner the better, but I’ll leave it to you to decide.”
“She said she dislikes dining alone. Why not tomorrow for the noonday meal? If she doesn’t want to remain another night, she can depart on the late-afternoon train.” Ainslee shifted in her chair. “Is that agreeable with both of you?”
“Aye, ’tis fine with me. I can leave the pottery and bring the carriage for the two of you.” Ewan looked at his wife. “Laura, shall I send a message to the hotel?”
“Yes,
I think that’s a good plan.”
Ainslee exhaled a deep sigh. This hadn’t been easy. She hoped Aunt Margaret wouldn’t muddy the waters with any bad behavior.
Shortly before noon the following day, Ewan arrived as promised. After their initial greetings, the three of them rode to the hotel in silence. Ainslee laced her fingers together in a tight hold. She’d prayed after she’d gone upstairs for the night, she’d prayed until Ewan arrived, and she prayed on the buggy ride to the hotel. Perhaps today could be the beginning of restoration for the family as well as the brickyard.
Once they arrived at the hotel, Ewan escorted them into the dining room and requested a table for four. “I’ll check at the desk to make sure Margaret didn’t leave a message, and then I’ll join you. We’re a wee bit on the early side of noon.” Moments later, he returned and sat down. “No message, so I’m thinkin’ she’ll be coming down anytime now.” A waiter stepped to their table, and Ewan glanced at the two ladies. “Would you like to order coffee or a cup of tea while we wait?”
“Tea,” they replied in unison and then smiled at each other.
Ewan looked up at the waiter. “And I’ll have coffee. We’re expecting another person, so we’ll wait until she arrives to order our meal.”
The waiter scurried off and later returned with their tea and coffee. The clock in the lobby chimed noon, and while other diners came and went, the three of them waited. The minutes continued to tick by and still there was no sign of Margaret.
Ainslee suffered a cramp in her neck after a half hour of twisting to watch the hotel staircase. Where was Margaret? She dipped her head low for one final look and then turned to Ewan. “Do you think she checked out of the hotel and boarded the morning train?”
He withdrew his timepiece from his vest. “She’s forty minutes late.” He pushed away from the table. “I’ll make certain she’s still registered. If so, I’ll go up to her room and knock on the door.”
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