Inherited

by Gabrielle Meyer

  She had finalized the plan that morning, but she’d been putting off a visit with Jude all day, knowing he wouldn’t like her suggestions. If the hotel was going to support all of them, there would have to be sacrifices made.

  Elizabeth knocked on the door and waited for Jude to answer. She hadn’t seen him since breakfast, which was odd because he usually mingled with the guests during mealtimes.

  After a moment, he pulled the door open and, for the first time since she’d met him, his appearance wasn’t in perfect order. His hair looked as if he’d been running his hands through it, giving him a tousled look, and his cravat was untied. He had taken off his suit coat and rolled his shirtsleeves up his muscular forearms. He looked disheveled and extremely attractive.

  She dropped her gaze, hoping her cheeks didn’t look as red as they felt.

  “Do you need something, Elizabeth?”

  She couldn’t find her voice, so she extended the ledger and tried to gather her thoughts. “I-I’ve finished going over the books. Do you have a moment to discuss some things?”

  He glanced over his shoulder at the mess on his desk. “I am a little busy right now.”

  She pulled the ledger back to her chest and finally met his gaze. “When might you have a chance? Tonight?”

  “Not tonight. I’ve invited Ben and Roald for supper. I was hoping you and Grace would join us.”

  She would enjoy seeing Ben again, and Mr. Hall would be a nice distraction for Grace, who had been preoccupied with less-desirable men this past week. “Tomorrow, then?”

  “I don’t know when I’ll have a free moment. Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and we’ll be busy all day. I am planning to leave town directly after church on Sunday.”

  “You’re leaving?”

  “The day after tomorrow.”

  “Are you traveling for business? If you are, I’ll need to take account of your expenses and adjust the budget accordingly.”

  He hesitated and then said, “I’m traveling for personal reasons. I’ll use my own money.”

  “How long will you be away?”

  “Hopefully I’ll return by the end of this week. If you need anything, Martha and Pascal will be here to help.” He paused and looked like he was trying to decide if he should tell her more. “I might be hiring another maid next week.”

  Another maid? What was he thinking? “The hotel can’t afford another maid—besides, that’s one thing I wanted to talk to you about. We already have too many employees. I was going to suggest that you let two of them go. Now that Grace and I are here, we can replace the cook and the maid, or even the night watchman.”

  He frowned. “I won’t let anyone go. They’re like family to me.”

  “But they’re not family and this is a business. If you want it to succeed, you must cut some costs.”

  “I won’t turn them out. Martha is like a mother to me and Pascal is invaluable for security and all the odd jobs he does about the place—not to mention working in the cornfield.”

  “What about Violet?”

  “I can’t fire Violet.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I brought her here and it would be disastrous if I let her go now. She might return to her former employer and that wouldn’t be good for anyone.”

  Elizabeth was confused. “Who is her former employer?”

  Jude became still and didn’t answer Elizabeth for a moment. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll find Violet another job when she’s ready.”

  What was he hiding from her? “Fine, but the sooner the better. I looked over the ledger from the past two years and the numbers are falling steadily. If things don’t turn around soon, I don’t know how we’ll make the mortgage payments through the winter—even with the income from the corn.”

  “We’ll find a way.”

  “Only if you listen to me and follow the plan I’ve created.” She hoped he understood how serious she was. “I insist you do not hire another maid. Grace and I are more than enough help.”

  “I need to return to my correspondence. Is there anything else you need?”

  Was his correspondence anything like the letter she’d buried at the bottom of her trunk? She looked over his shoulder and tried to see what he was working on, but it was impossible—especially when he stepped into her line of sight.

  “There is one more thing.” She pulled a piece of paper out of her apron pocket. “After our tour the other day, I created a list of repairs from the most important down to the least.”

  He took the paper and glanced at it briefly. “It looks very thorough.”

  “I’ve also budgeted for some of the repairs. You’ll see a little star by the ones that we can afford to do now. I put dates beside the others when I foresee we’ll have enough cash to afford those.”

  He studied her with fascination. “I’m impressed.”

  Her cheeks grew warm again and she took a step back. “I’ll see you at supper.” Before he could say another word, she walked down the hall toward her room.

  His door closed a few moments later and she paused in the hall. Why was he acting so strange today? He was clearly distressed. Did it have something to do with his travel plans?

  It was time she did a little investigating and spoke to Martha and Violet about their employer. If he was hiding something from her, maybe they could help shed light on what it might be.

  Elizabeth returned the ledger to her room and then walked down the back stairs to go to the kitchen. Martha had asked Rose to help make biscuits for supper, and no doubt Grace and Violet were helping in some way, too.

  She passed by the back door and saw Violet sitting on the stoop with her back to the hotel. The young lady had managed to avoid Elizabeth at every turn—but there was nowhere for her to go now.

  Elizabeth pushed open the screen door. It squeaked on its hinges, causing Violet to look up from her work. She sat with a large bowl of peas in her lap.

  “May I join you?” Elizabeth asked.

  Violet shrugged.

  Elizabeth sat on the wooden step beside her. “May I help with the peas?”

  “Suit yourself.” Violet’s speech was much like Pascal’s, uneducated and filled with a strange lilt Elizabeth didn’t recognize.

  Elizabeth took a handful of the crisp pods and put them on the apron covering her lap. “I’ve always loved shelling peas. It’s such a mundane job, but it’s so relaxing.”

  “It’s a job, same as the others,” Violet said in an even tone.

  Elizabeth popped open a pod and reached over the bowl to scrape the little green peas out. “Do you enjoy working at the Northern?”

  Violet readjusted the bowl on her lap. “It’s just fine.”

  “Have you worked in many hotels before?”

  Her hands stilled over the bowl. “No.”

  “Where did you work before here?”

  The peapod she’d been shelling was still in her hand and Violet didn’t move. “Lots of places.”

  Elizabeth shelled a few peas, trying to think of a different approach. “My parents always wanted to own a hotel, but I dare say I don’t know much about running this kind of business. I appreciate Jude’s experience, though I know very little about him and the work he did before starting the hotel.” She paused. “How did you come to work for Mr. Allen?”

  This time Violet gripped the bowl and stood. Peas rolled over the lip of the bowl and bounced down the stairs. “I’ll see if Martha needs my help.”

  “You sit yourself down.” Martha stood just inside the screen door. “I don’t need help and you don’t need to be running off.”

  Violet obeyed Martha’s orders and resumed her spot on the steps.

  Martha opened the door and took a seat between them. There was just enough room for all three.

  The older lady grabbed a
handful of pods and placed them on her own lap.

  “Now,” Martha said. “What would you like to know, lovey? I’m sure you’re full of lots of questions about the hotel and the people who work here.” She chuckled. “I imagine you’d like to know more about Jude, too.”

  The way she said the last sentence made heat rise in Elizabeth’s cheeks. “I’d like to know about all of you.”

  “All right, then.” Martha worked with expert fingers, popping the pods open, running her thumbnail down the inside and dumping the peas into her apron. Her bun drooped and her clothes were a bit rumpled, but she was a kindhearted woman. “First, I’ll tell you a little about me. I was raised in Rhode Island, in a large family. I married young and moved west with my husband, Ernest. We went to St. Louis and started a restaurant and hotel, much like this one. We couldn’t have babies of our own, so I took in whatever stragglers I came across and over the years I ended up raising a passel of kids in one way or another.”

  She opened a pod with much more care as she continued. “My Ernest died suddenly. The doctor said it was his heart. So I was left alone in the world. All the little ones I’d raised had gone off on their own. Some still wrote or checked in, but most got on with their lives.” She ran her thumb along the pod and tossed it away. “I was lonely and had no interest in running the hotel by myself, so I sold it and started to look for a way to be useful.” She laughed, but it wasn’t a humorous sound; rather, it was full of pain. She looked at Elizabeth. “When you ask God to show you the hungry, the hurting and the oppressed, He does, with startling clarity.”

  Elizabeth looked down at her paltry pile of peas. She was humbled by this woman and what she had asked God to do with her life. All of Elizabeth’s own dreams and goals seemed to pale in comparison.

  “After some time, I found Jude’s establishment. He was in need of a cook, so I went to work for him.”

  “In St. Louis?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Yes.”

  “So he’d been in the hotel business in St. Louis, too?”

  “I’ll let Jude tell you about himself when he’s ready,” Martha said. “I could never do his story justice.”

  What did that mean? Elizabeth frowned as she studied Martha. Though she was being open and honest, Elizabeth still felt she was hiding something.

  “When Jude decided to come to Minnesota Territory and open a hotel, I came with him.” Martha smiled and patted Violet on the knee. “Jude heard Violet was in need of a job, so she came to us about six weeks ago. She’s quick and smart, and has been an asset to the hotel.”

  Violet didn’t look up. “Martha’s been teaching me my letters and numbers.”

  “You’ve caught on faster than most.” Martha was quiet for a moment and then she said, “Violet, could you run inside and start the coffee? It’s Friday night, so we’ll probably need more than usual.”

  Violet didn’t hesitate, but handed the bowl of peas to Martha and went back into the hotel.

  Martha waited for the sound of Violet’s steps to disappear, then she looked at Elizabeth. “Violet has withstood much pain in her life and Jude brought her here to learn some skills to make a better way for herself. Not only is she learning to read and write and do her sums, she’s also learning how to cook and sew. It’s our hope that she’ll find a good job or maybe a good husband.”

  Elizabeth had more questions now than ever before. “Have there been others?”

  Martha’s smile held joy, but also grief. “There have been others—but not nearly as many as we want to help.”

  “Where do you find them? How did you start—?”

  “I simply asked God to show me where I could be the most useful and He led me to Jude’s door. The rest is Jude’s tale to tell.”

  Elizabeth’s respect for Jude continued to grow, and his desire to help was honorable, but they were running a business and they couldn’t afford to take on more employees—no matter how desperate those women were.

  * * *

  Jude paced in his small room at the top of the stairs as the scents from supper wafted up to meet him. His stomach growled, but he had no interest in eating. If he hadn’t invited Ben and Roald to supper, he wouldn’t even bother going down.

  Both ends of his cravat lay untied over his shoulders and he tugged on them as he walked over to the small desk to look at the note one more time.

  Sally. Reed’s. Duluth.

  A woman named Sally was in need of rescuing at Reed’s brothel in Duluth. Jude had been there twice before to investigate and let the women know there was help if they needed it. Not all the women accepted or trusted him. They had been enslaved in their trade for so long, they didn’t believe there was hope—or they simply didn’t feel worthy of his help.

  But now a woman named Sally was reaching out. Jude’s informants were all over the territory. Some were women he had already helped to escape, some were the husbands of rescued women and others were people like Ben who cared deeply about helping those in need. There was no way of knowing who had sent this particular message, but that was part of their plan for anonymity. He didn’t want anyone hurt or placed in danger helping him.

  He’d already told Elizabeth he was leaving. Now all he needed was to figure out where to take Sally. It would be too hard to explain Sally’s presence at the hotel so soon after Elizabeth told him they needed to let the others go.

  A knock at his door was soon followed by Martha’s voice. “Jude?”

  Jude opened the door, a little surprised to find her there. She rarely came to his room unless it was an emergency. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing too serious.” She glanced down the hall and lowered her voice. “Elizabeth was asking Violet questions today.”

  His senses became alert. “What did Violet say?”

  “Nothing, but that was the problem. She was skittish, so I answered Elizabeth as best as I could without divulging too much information. I told her we bring women here to teach them and help them find other positions. I didn’t tell her where they came from, though.” She leaned in. “She asked me about you.”

  Jude gripped the doorknob, more concerned about Elizabeth’s response than he should be. “What did you say?”

  “I said you’d tell her in your own time.”

  Jude turned away from Martha and ran his hand through his hair. “That probably made her more curious than ever.”

  Martha smiled. “Don’t worry, lovey. I could see her admiration for you had grown considerably after she learned what you’re doing for Violet.”

  Jude stopped pacing. Her admiration had grown? Just as soon as the hope emerged, it dwindled. What would happen when she learned the truth, that he was a prostitute’s son and that he’d owned a brothel before coming to Little Falls?

  “I know you’re going to Duluth in a couple of days. If you need to bring the lady back here, it will be a little easier to explain to Elizabeth now.”

  It might be a little easier, but it still wouldn’t be easy, especially because he’d put her in charge of the finances. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll see you at supper.” Martha left the room and closed the door.

  His mind wandered back to his previous conversation with Elizabeth. He should have taken the time to meet with her and go over the books. He could have justified his need to bring on another maid.

  The other slip of paper he’d received that day caught his eye: Elizabeth’s repairs list. Many of the things she’d listed were things he’d overlooked, which told him she was perceptive and detailed. It wouldn’t take her long to put all the pieces together and start asking the right questions.

  Could he marry her off before that happened?

  The ticking clock brought him out of his thoughts and he faced his reflection in the mirror. Ben and Roald would soon arrive and he’d need to play host.


  He tied his cravat with nimble fingers and combed back his hair. Not for the first time, he wondered if he resembled his father. The man he never knew.

  The vivid memories of his mother had faded long ago and all that remained were shadowed recollections. He did recall her sky blue eyes and her blond hair, though. He imagined she’d been lovely when she was young, but age and melancholy had dimmed her beauty. She had died before he could ask her how she’d ended up in such a horrible profession, but after hearing the sad stories of so many others, he’d decided he’d rather not know.

  Looking at his dark hair and eyes, he assumed he resembled his father, but would he recognize him if he saw him on the street? And if he did, could he look him in the eyes, knowing he was the kind of man Jude was trying to protect other women from now?

  What was his name? Was he married? Did Jude have brothers and sisters? Was he even alive?

  The questions had taunted him for years, but he shoved them back where they had come from. He’d learned long ago not to dwell on questions he could never answer.

  Jude finished dressing and left his room. He walked down the steps to the front lobby, where Ben and Roald were already waiting. His two friends stood near the sofa talking in serious tones, no doubt about the latest break-in that had happened at the livery.

  Jude approached and heard Roald’s comments. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep my door open. I can’t afford to live on my paltry income, especially if I want to take on a wife.”

  “Why do you think your business is struggling?” Ben asked.

  “No one is spending money right now. My biggest client is the Little Falls Company and they’re not doing well, either.”

  Ben noticed Jude’s arrival and his smile turned to a look of concern. Could he tell Jude was troubled this evening? “Looks like you’ve got a few burdens tonight, as well,” Ben said.

  “Nothing that won’t resolve itself in time.” He shook Ben’s hand and then Roald’s. “For now, let’s forget our troubles and enjoy a nice meal with friends.”