Playing the Part

by Jen Turano

  “Did he touch you?” Bram asked, so quietly Lucetta had to lean closer to him to catch his every word.

  “Goodness, no, it wasn’t that type of meeting at all. He simply asked me to join him in a friendly game of faro.”

  Susannah let out a snort. “That’s what you’ve been so upset about? Nigel asked you to play faro?”

  “He had an ulterior motive for asking me to play, Mother—that motive being proof of what he’d begun to suspect about me. By the time we were finished, Nigel knew without a doubt that I was capable of remembering every card played out on the table, and could predict the cards that were still left in the deck with remarkable accuracy.”

  “Her father had that same ability,” Susannah said before her lips thinned. “I always found it to be incredibly disconcerting—unnatural, if you will.”

  Bram looked at Susannah for a long moment, his gaze causing her to fidget before he returned his attention to Lucetta. “It’s little wonder you ran away.”

  “Quite, especially since I didn’t see that I had any choice in the matter. Nigel was ecstatic about my gift as he’d taken to calling it, and had even gone so far as to pull out maps and circle where the best gambling establishments were throughout the country.” She shot a glance Nigel’s way. “He saw absolutely nothing wrong with me helping him out, even though I was rather vocal about not wanting to do it since I really didn’t believe cheating at cards was right.”

  “She told me that God would be disappointed in her,” Nigel said, speaking up even as he kept a wary eye on Mr. Skukman.

  “And you told me that God would be disappointed in me for not helping my stepfather provide for the family,” Lucetta countered.

  Nigel waved that away with a flick of his hand. “We could have made a fortune.”

  “We could have made a fortune if you would have stopped gambling and allowed me to invest my father’s money.”

  “You were sixteen,” Nigel reminded her.

  “And I’d made a tidy fortune for myself by the time I was twenty-one.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, Lucetta wanted to call them back. She’d never talked about the money she’d made through her investments with her family before, not wanting to allow Nigel information he could use against her. But before she could think of a way to distract Nigel from her blunder, her mother took to tsking under her breath before she suddenly took to pacing around the room.

  “I have no idea where I went wrong with you, Lucetta,” Susannah said as she stopped pacing and shook a finger Lucetta’s way. “You’ve turned into a nasty little liar over the years. Clearly, I did not do a very good job raising you.”

  “You never had anything to do with raising me—my nurse and nanny did. Father was the only one in the family who spent any time with me. But, you put an end to that quickly enough when you insisted on sending me off to boarding school, which made my time with Father almost nonexistent.”

  “Then I suppose we can blame your father, your nanny, and your nurse, along with that school for turning you into a liar.”

  “I’m not lying about anything. In fact, the only person who seems to be doing that is Nigel.” Lucetta drew in a breath of air. “Why you’ve always chosen to believe him over me, always chosen him over me, is beyond my comprehension.”

  “I love him, and always have, ever since we grew up together on adjacent plantations.”

  Of all the things Lucetta had expected her mother to say, that had never entered her mind. Lifting her chin, she caught Susannah’s eye. “Then why, pray tell, did you marry my father?”

  Susannah gave a delicate shrug. “It was an arranged marriage. My mother knew your father, and believed Bertram was destined to become a man of consequence. He was wealthy, somewhat attractive, intelligent—although far too intelligent for my taste—and he was ambitious. Add in the fact that he became smitten with me the moment he laid eyes on me, and it was a match my mother and father were more than pleased with.”

  “But you were in love with Nigel.”

  Susannah’s eyes softened as she glanced Nigel’s way. “I must admit that I was deeply in love with Nigel, but my parents didn’t approve. He was not the eldest son, nor did he possess any great wealth of his own, and . . . well, even I must admit that Nigel has never been overly ambitious.” She gave a sad shake of her head. “His only hope of a bright future was to marry a wealthy lady, and since my mother flatly refused to give me a dowry if I chose to marry Nigel, he was forced to marry Miss Delia Davidson, and I was left with no choice but to marry Bertram.”

  “But Nigel got to benefit from your dowry in the end when he married you,” Lucetta pointed out. “Although . . . what happened to Delia?”

  “I didn’t do away with her, if that’s what you’re going to suggest next,” Nigel said, finally speaking up. “Consumption took Delia, and I suppose I did mourn the loss, but I’ve never been one to dwell on the disappointing aspects of life.”

  Lucetta narrowed her eyes. “Forgive me if I find it difficult to believe you were disappointed by a death that allowed you to marry my mother.”

  “One matter of disappointment that I have dwelled on,” Nigel continued, as if Lucetta hadn’t spoken, “is the whereabouts of Grandmother Plum’s jewelry.” He tilted his head and considered Lucetta for a moment. “You wouldn’t know what happened to that, would you, especially since it disappeared right around the time you did?”

  Lucetta rose to her feet, resisting the urge to throttle her stepfather. “You know very well that Grandmother Plum left me her jewels, Nigel, and because of that, they were mine to take with me when I left Plum Hill. Besides, you of all people should be thankful that I did take the jewels, because if I hadn’t, I would not have had the funds to make my initial investments. But because I was successful with those initial investments, I had the money to save Plum Hill after you used it as leverage in one ill-fated card game after another.”

  “I was going to pay you back. You didn’t need to demand that I sign over the deed to Plum Hill the last time I got myself in a spot of trouble,” Nigel said, his voice decidedly sulky.

  Susannah walked across the room and stopped directly beside Nigel. “Darling, surely you didn’t truly sign over the deed to Plum Hill to Lucetta, did you? I mean, that would . . .” She raised a hand to her chest. “Well, that would mean she does own the plantation.”

  Nigel once again retreated into stony silence.

  Lucetta said softly, “I told you years ago, Mother, that Nigel was gambling Father’s money away, and yet you wouldn’t listen to me, but I wasn’t lying. He did gamble Father’s fortune away, and the only way you’ve been able to stay at Plum Hill is because I made that possible—me, your daughter, not Nigel.” She drew in a shaky breath. “You’ve behaved badly, Mother, and it started when you took up with Nigel not long after Father died.”

  “I didn’t marry Nigel until two years after Bertram died, a completely proper mourning period.”

  “But Nigel showed up only a few months after Father died, and I knew full well he was living in the guesthouse. You risked bringing shame to Father’s good name by associating with and then marrying a drunk with a gambling problem.”

  Susannah’s face began to mottle. “If anyone brought shame on the family, it was you, Lucetta. You chose to keep your real name when you took to the stage in New York, having to know that actresses are considered little better than, well, ladies of ill-repute.”

  “I kept my name because I was the last of the Plums.”

  Susannah released a laugh that was less than pleasant. “You kept the Plum name because you knew it would embarrass me if any of my friends traveled to New York and just happened to take in a show that you were performing in. And you also decided to use your real name as a way to get back at a father who left you all alone in the world—except for me, his beautiful wife whom he didn’t believe had an intelligent thought in her head.”

  Lucetta stepped toward her mother, but before she could even b
egin to argue that point an unwelcome thought flashed to mind, one that left her reeling.

  Her mother had just spoken nothing less than the truth.

  She had kept her name to embarrass her mother—there was no question about that—but . . . she had also kept it as a way to leave a black mark on the family name because . . . she’d been furious with her father for years, furious that he’d had the audacity to leave her—to leave her with a neurotic mother. His leaving had forced Lucetta to abandon the dreams she’d had for her life—his death allowing Susannah the opportunity to marry Nigel.

  Truth flowed through Lucetta as she finally accepted the fact that, while she’d loved her father with all her heart, loved his kindness and generosity, she’d hated that on his deathbed he’d made her promise to take care of her mother. He should have known that promise was far too heavy a burden to place on the slim shoulders of a girl not yet out of the schoolroom. He should have known that the promise would set Lucetta up for failure, because Susannah was willful, spoiled, and not easily managed.

  “I was supposed to be a belle,” she whispered as the drawing room turned completely silent. “I was supposed to go to assemblies, dance cotillion dances I’d spent hours rehearsing, and then be presented at White Sulphur Springs, where I’d officially accept the honor of having the title of belle bestowed on me. Gentlemen would flock to win my favor and sign their names on my dance cards.

  “But I didn’t get to do any of that. I had to make my way to New York on my own, go to work at sixteen years old because the prices the jewelers offered me for Grandmother’s jewelry were far too low, and . . . I lived in a slum, in a boardinghouse that . . .” Tears clogged her throat as another thought entered her head, but before she could speak it out loud, Bram was at her side, drawing her close to him, his warmth seeping through the coldness that seemed to have taken root in her very soul.

  “You need to remember that your father was a dying man, Lucetta, a dying man who’d never intended to die so early, and . . . he was scared,” Bram murmured into her ear.

  “I was barely thirteen when he died,” Lucetta whispered into Bram’s chest.

  “But he knew you were extraordinary, knew you were capable, and I have to imagine that he was trying to protect you as much as he was trying to protect your mother. He knew that you could manage Plum Hill, even as I’m sure he knew it was a very great burden to give a young girl.”

  Lucetta felt a light hand rubbing her back and pulled away from Bram to find Millie had joined them. Her friend’s eyes were wet with tears, and . . .

  Lucetta brought her hand up to cover her heart. “Good heavens, Millie, I must apologize to you. I sounded like a complete shrew just now, complaining about living in the slum and the boardinghouse, when you must realize that living with you and Harriet has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.”

  Millie dismissed that with a sniff. “Please, I’m not so delicate that I’d get upset about something like that. Besides, as you were speaking, something struck me, something wonderful.”

  Lucetta tilted her head. “What?”

  “If you’d stayed here, if you hadn’t run away, you’d have gotten your wish and you would have become a belle, but . . . you would have never been happy leading that life, my dear friend. You would have never been content to be some gentleman’s pretty wife, worrying about what dress you were going to wear next or what social function you needed to plan or attend.” Millie tossed a nod Susannah’s way. “No offense, Mrs. Wolfe.”

  Susannah frowned. “I’m perfectly content with my life.”

  “I don’t know how you could be, what with your husband obviously lying about pretty much everything to you . . . but we’re not going to dwell on that at the moment.” Millie turned back to Lucetta. “You’ve experienced things that most people will never experience. And while you might not realize it, your involvement with Wall Street has opened a door ever so slightly for women to follow in your footsteps.” She shook her head. “That’s something you’d never have accomplished living down here in the South with gentlemen flocking to add their names to your dance card.”

  Lucetta blinked through eyes that had turned a bit misty. “I do enjoy playing the market.”

  “Of course you do.”

  Her lips curved at the corners. “And I really enjoy investing money for others and seeing their nest eggs grow.”

  Millie narrowed her eyes. “Do you now?”

  Lucetta smiled. “Indeed. Take for instance that money Harriet left us before she departed for England with Oliver.”

  “What about it?”

  “Well, if you’ll recall, you told me to keep an eye on your share since you were rather distracted throughout the summer with Everett and the children.”

  “Quite.”

  “And, well, I’m not comfortable with money simply lying about, not earning any interest or gain, so . . . I invested all the money in the Erie Railroad Company.” Her smile turned into a grin. “You’ll be pleased to learn that our investment has grown substantially.”

  “What investments have you made for your mother and me?” Nigel suddenly demanded.

  Lucetta lifted her chin. “How is it possible you can even think I owe you anything after that debacle you put me through with Silas Ruff?”

  “I certainly couldn’t have known that he was deliberately seeking me out in order to get to you.”

  “No, you couldn’t have, but you shouldn’t have been gambling, and you certainly shouldn’t have thrown the promise of Plum Hill, and then me, into the pot.” Lucetta blew out a breath. “Of course I’ve made investments for my mother, but those will always be managed by me, and you will never be given access to them, Nigel. All of your needs will be taken care of, within reason, of course, but I will not allow you an opportunity to get your hands on the money that’s set aside for my mother.”

  “It’s disrespectful, you treating me, your own stepfather, like this.”

  Deciding that remark didn’t deserve a response, Lucetta turned to her mother. “While there is plenty more I could probably say regarding your finances, the mention of Silas has reminded me why I’m here. Silas is probably on his way to Virginia as we speak, deciding that since he was unsuccessful gaining my cooperation, he’d hurt me by coming after you.”

  Susannah raised a hand to her chest. “Has no one bothered to let this man know that you and I hardly share a cordial relationship?”

  “Probably not, but even though we don’t share a close relationship, you are still my mother, and I did still promise Father I’d look after you. So this is me, honoring that promise. You and Nigel should go away for a few weeks— perhaps take a trip to White Sulphur Springs. It might be a little chilly this time of year, but the hot springs would still be nice to visit.”

  With her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, Susannah stepped closer to Lucetta, but before she had an opportunity to say another word, Mr. Skukman was charging across the receiving room with his pistol already drawn. “Get down. It’s Silas,” he yelled before he vanished from sight and the sound of gunfire split the air.

  Bram shoved Lucetta to the ground before she had the presence of mind to move, did the same to Millie, and then whipped a pistol out from underneath his jacket and caught Lucetta’s eye. “Stay here, stay away from the windows, and don’t even think about coming outside.” With that, he rushed after Mr. Skukman.

  No one spoke a word as time ticked by until Lucetta finally lifted her head and looked around, finding Nigel and Susannah hiding under a table. “And this is where gambling and drinking leads a person,” she said with a nod to Nigel before she began edging her way inch by inch toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” Millie whispered, although why she was whispering was a bit of a mystery since the sound of yelling, along with a lot of cursing, was flowing into the house.

  “I’m not just going to sit here while everyone else is fighting my battle.”

  She made it all the way to the door, crawlin
g on her stomach, no less, before she was forced to stop when she encountered a pair of shoes. They were nice shoes, a little dusty, and unfortunately, they belonged to none other than Bram.

  “You weren’t trying to sneak out to help, were you?” he asked, squatting down next to her.

  “I might have been.”

  “There’s no need. Silas has been secured.”

  Lucetta frowned. “He came down here on his own?”

  Holding out a hand, Bram helped her to her feet before he smiled. “Apparently, yes. I imagine those women he hired weren’t too keen to travel the country with him. Aiding and abetting men on the run usually results in a stint behind bars, and they must have decided he wasn’t worth that.”

  “I need to speak with Silas,” Lucetta said quietly.

  Instead of arguing with her, Bram nodded and took her arm. With Millie trailing after them, they left Nigel and Susannah cowering underneath the table and walked outside.

  The first thing to capture Lucetta’s attention was Silas standing on the lawn with his hands tied behind his back. Even captured and secured, the rage pouring out of his eyes and turned her way had the hair standing up on the back of her neck.

  “This isn’t the end, you know,” Silas said as he tried to twist away from Mr. Skukman, who appeared to have a death grip on his arm.

  Lucetta lifted her chin. “I’m afraid it is, Silas, because—”

  Whatever else she’d been about to say was forgotten when—powered by what could only be described as insanity—Silas let out a howl of fury, broke free of Mr. Skukman’s hold, and lunged for her. Bram pushed her out of the way, and as she stumbled and caught her balance by grabbing hold of one of the white pillars that graced the front of the portico, she heard a pistol go off, and then there was silence.

  With her heart feeling as if it would beat straight out of her chest, her gaze went immediately to Bram, who was standing still as a statue on the bottom step leading to the cobblestone path, staring at Silas. That man was lying on his stomach, completely motionless as a trickle of blood began seeping out from underneath him.