A Question of Class

by Julia Tagan

  The memory of holding her in his arms came swimming to the surface. “Perhaps I was a quick learner.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “The truth. Don’t you think we’ve been through enough?”

  Benjamin stared at the long road ahead of them. He could lie, but she was right. She deserved the truth.

  “When I was twenty, I landed in France and traveled around a bit. I liked the country, and the people. A vintner named Pierre Renard took me under his care when I was in Bordeaux. His only son had run off and I managed his estate for some time.”

  “It sounds divine.”

  “It was. The vineyard wasn’t large, but I could see what Pierre wanted it to become. The land was arid and the soil was perfect. I loved the work. And Pierre taught me everything about wine, not to mention good food.”

  “And he taught you to dance?”

  Benjamin laughed. “He insisted I accompany him to the balls at the chateaus nearby as his guest. He refined me, you might say, in many ways. I’d had a hardscrabble education before then, and I was bitter about what had happened to my family in Haiti, but Pierre could see I had possibility.”

  “Both of us seem to have been diamonds in the rough, I suppose. Why did you ever leave?”

  “Pierre’s son had been off in Italy, gambling away his annuity. When he ran out of money last year, he returned and I had to leave. There was no room for me there, although Pierre was ill and weak and I hated to go. But his son made it obvious I was no longer of use.”

  “And that’s when you decided to come to New York and find Mr. Delcour?”

  “Yes. I followed him to New York.”

  Catherine was silent for a time.

  “We’re both in a terrible bind, aren’t we?” she said finally.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “But that explains a lot,” she said. “You’re not good at being a commoner.”

  “Nor were you, from the looks of it.”

  She laughed, and at that moment Sophie opened her eyes.

  “Cathy.” Sophie leaned over and put her head in Catherine’s bosom. “Thank you for saving me.”

  “You’re safe now,” said Catherine. “I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Benjamin Thomas.”

  Sophie glanced shyly up at Benjamin. He smiled at her.

  “Are you Cathy’s husband?”

  Benjamin shook his head. “No, my dear.”

  “It’s quite a long story,” said Catherine. “But Benjamin is a family friend, I suppose you could say. Let me see your face, dear girl.”

  Benjamin smiled as the two stared into each other’s eyes. Sophie was a doll-like, younger version of Catherine. She had the same vivid chestnut-colored hair, with smaller features and cherubic skin.

  “Are we going back to your house in New York?” she asked. “If you like I’ll clean and cook and take care of the household. I can polish silver and make fires. I promise I’ll be quite useful.”

  Benjamin caught Catherine’s eye. She looked as if she was about to cry.

  “I don’t know what we’ll be doing or where we’ll be staying yet, Sophie,” she said. “But I promise you won’t have to work so hard and I’ll find a school for you to go to. Or I’ll teach you myself. Would you like that?”

  “I’d love that,” Sophie answered.

  “You’ve already made yourself quite useful.” Catherine recounted to Benjamin how Sophie helped her disarm Mr. Allen.

  They passed a tavern, and Benjamin suggested they take a break. From the way Sophie nodded a vigorous assent, he realized she must be famished.

  The sun had broken through the clouds, so they sat at a wooden table outside and finished the rest of their rations. Benjamin brought out a couple of mugs of ale for himself and Catherine, and some lemonade for Sophie. He paused for a moment outside the inn, awed by the sight of the sisters sitting together in the last light of the day. A cool breeze whipped their hair around their faces, and the sun setting behind them made them look like a pair of goddesses, surrounded by light and fire. He’d never seen anything so beautiful, and had a surprising desire to shield them from the harsh world around them. It was what he wished he’d done for his sister, but had been unable to do.

  He realized, listening to the giddy laughter of the sisters as they packed up, that the fire inside him, the one that had so desperately wanted to crush Delcour, had been replaced instead with a driving need to make love to the man’s wife. And not only that. I love her. It had crept up on him, Catherine’s guileless way of being, her passionate need to learn everything she could about the world around her, her devotion to her sister, everything about her being spoke to Benjamin and mirrored his own views and life experiences. I love Catherine. But his situation was hopeless. He had spent all his money on the passage from France. At the moment, he could barely support himself, never mind two other people, particularly in the manner to which Catherine had become accustomed.

  Benjamin sat and listened as the two exchanged details of their lives. For the most part, Sophie had not been badly mistreated, only neglected and worked to the bone. She had a lively mind, and Benjamin was sure she would overcome her difficult childhood, as Catherine had done. Catherine explained to Sophie her circumstances had changed and they would have to go away.

  “Go away? To where?” Sophie furrowed her brow.

  “I thought maybe we could go to France together, would you like that?” replied Catherine.

  “Yes, I certainly would,” said Sophie in her serious little voice. “Will I be able to learn French?”

  “I see no reason why not. I did, so why shouldn’t you?”

  “How lovely,” exclaimed Sophie. “We’ll start tomorrow, all right? You’ll teach me and I promise I’ll learn quickly. Mr. Allen always said I was a quick learner.”

  “I’m sure he did,” said Catherine. “First, though, Mr. Thomas and I have some business to attend to in town. Once that’s taken care of, we’ll figure out how to get passage on a ship. It’ll be quite exciting, I assure you.”

  Sophie glanced up at Benjamin, checking in with him. He nodded, reassuring the girl.

  “And will you come with us, Mr. Thomas?” she asked.

  Benjamin was at a loss for words. The thought of leaving Catherine, and not ever seeing her beautiful body or feeling her touch on his skin, made him ache inside. He wanted more of her, no matter how much he tried to put it out of his mind.

  “I have to stay in New York, I’m afraid.”

  “Yes,” said Catherine. “Mr. Thomas has begun something, and it’s important to see things through.”

  “I see,” said Sophie.

  Catherine kissed the girl on the top of her head and drew her close, and Benjamin turned away.

  * * * *

  Sophie, sated with food, fell asleep again as soon as the carriage began moving. Catherine glanced up at Benjamin to see if he noticed, but his eyes were on the road.

  She took a deep breath. “Look, Benjamin, I know I’m in a terrible bind, and you can’t help me out of it. I’ve drawn you into this mess I’ve created. But once we’re back in New York, I’ll find the ledgers and you’ll be free to go.”

  “That’s kind of you.”

  She thought he’d be relieved, but for some reason he seemed upset by her statement. As usual, the look on his face was impenetrable.

  “And what will you do?” he asked.

  “I’ve already thought of that,” she answered. “I’ll leave Sophie with Theodosia while I search for the Yquem, and then we’ll escape to France.”

  What makes you so sure you’ll be able to find the Yquem? You’ve come up empty-handed so far.”

  “I have to find it, it’s the only way.”

  She hated to think about the precariousness of her situation, and now she’d drawn her sister into an uncertain future. It was overwhelming. “Maybe I’ve made a terrible mistake.”

  “What kind of mistake?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure I’ll be able to take
care of Sophie properly. Maybe she would’ve been better off with the preacher. Maybe it wouldn’t have been like Mr. Delcour, what they did to me.”

  “There’s no way she’d be better off,” he said gently. “She would’ve been miserable with that man. Didn’t you hear a word of his sermon?”

  She laughed. “You’re right, of course. I’m worried, that’s all.” His face had softened. “When I said I’d made a mistake earlier, did you think...?” She trailed off, at a loss for the right words.

  “I don’t know what I think,” he answered, too quickly.

  She couldn’t forget what it was like to have him inside her, and feel the roughness of his hands and the smoothness of his hips and stomach under her fingertips. She had never been so stimulated by another person. But perhaps Benjamin, with his worldly travels, had done all that and more with the ladies he’d met. Catherine pressed her hands to her eyes. She needed to manage her thoughts better, and not get sidetracked.

  “I don’t need the ledgers anymore,” he said.

  She regarded him, confused. “Why not?”

  He didn’t answer for a moment. “You don’t have to go back to New York. It’s too dangerous.”

  “But what about your plans? What about doing Mr. Delcour in?”

  “I’m not interested in that anymore.”

  Her throat burned and she swallowed hard. He couldn’t wait to be done with her. She’d been too vulnerable at the inn in Bridgeport, and had shown a side of herself a man like Benjamin disdained. He’d seen her at her most raw. Not only in bed, but also in terms of her history, her upbringing. He’d seen the shack she’d been raised in, and the truth had hit him hard. Like Morris, Benjamin believed she was unworthy and low, and now he wanted to get rid of her and Sophie as fast as possible.

  Her eyes prickled with tears. The rejection was too painful. “No, we had a deal, Benjamin. Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll drop Sophie off at the Mount. No one will be there, as Mr. Delcour prohibited any work being done until he returned. It’ll be locked up, but I know a way in and Sophie will be fine there for a few hours. We can head into town and I’ll get your ledgers, and then you can return me to the Mount and you’ll be done. You have to promise me one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You must wait to expose Mr. Delcour until I’m out of town.

  “And how will you get out of town?”

  “I’ll be able to take care of myself. You don’t have to worry about that.”

  He shifted uneasily. “If Delcour or Carpenter find you, you’ll be at their mercy.”

  Catherine considered her answer. She wanted Benjamin out of her life, as soon as possible. Having Morris treat her with disdain was one thing, but for Benjamin to do so was agonizing. She’d have to lie. As most of the town believed she’d had multiple lovers, Catherine would invent a paramour. It would confirm Benjamin’s low opinion of her and she could be done with him forever.

  “I have a friend, one I haven’t told you about,” she said. “He’ll take care of me and Sophie.”

  “Who?” The sharp tone of his voice startled her.

  “A friend. We’ll be fine, but you’ll need to give us some time.”

  “You have a friend,” repeated Benjamin. “I see. Is that what you truly want?”

  She wanted to kiss him, tell him she wanted nothing more than to leave with him and Sophie and go anywhere, as long as they were together. But he didn’t want that at all. It broke her heart. If only he’d look at her, he’d see it in her eyes. But he didn’t turn his gaze from the road.

  “Yes, I’ll be fine,” she said.

  “But why didn’t you tell me about this fellow before? Why did you say you had no other recourse?”

  “I didn’t want you to know my true nature, I guess.”

  His fingers tightened around the reins, the only outward sign of his reaction to her words. He was angry. “I see.”

  Benjamin finally looked at her. She hardened her features as best she could against his questioning glance, and he didn’t say another word, instead turned and focused ahead.

  Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her. She’d figure out a plan for her and Sophie after she’d had a good night’s rest and secured the ledgers for Benjamin. At the least, she’d have the satisfaction of knowing Morris would be held accountable for his shady business practices. And Benjamin would be free to go off to wherever he liked.

  Catherine gazed over at her sleeping sister and vowed she would take care of her, no matter what it took.

  15

  “I thought you said you’d be able to get into the Mount,” said Benjamin in exasperation. He’d tried almost every window and door since they’d arrived, exhausted and cranky, at the grand house long after the sun had gone down, but it was as impenetrable as any jail.

  “They must be stuck from the humidity, that’s all,” said Catherine.

  “Hold the lamp closer so I can see what I’m doing.”

  Even with the lamplight, it was no use. Benjamin stepped back from the window he’d been attempting to pry open and glanced up at the house. The journey back had taken much longer than he’d expected, including an interminable wait for the ferry across the river. After they’d made it to the Mount, he’d put the horses in the barn to rest, and Catherine had told Sophie to wait at the front door while she and Benjamin stomped around the house looking for a way in.

  “What made you think you’d be able to get inside?” he asked.

  “We never locked the windows, only the doors. I didn’t think Mrs. Daggett would be so thorough.”

  The idyllic afternoon outside the tavern was long forgotten, as they were both hungry, unwashed and in need of sleep. Catherine had been quiet after her strange declaration in the carriage, but at this point Benjamin had no desire to analyze the situation any further. He wanted to get some rest. And he didn’t want to think about the next man Catherine would be calling upon, as it made him jealous and angry.

  “Let’s try the cellar doors. If this doesn’t work, we’ll all end up sleeping in the hayloft.” The idea made Benjamin itch all over.

  He pulled on the handles of the cellar doors. They gave a little, but something prevented him from pulling any further.

  “Wait here, I’ll be right back,” he said.

  Benjamin headed to the barn to find a hacksaw. He wondered about Catherine’s friend, whether he was married, what he did for a living. Maybe she was going to take up Bonneville’s offer. This time Benjamin wouldn’t be in her way.

  He located the saw and returned to the cellar doors. “Hold the doors open as far as you can, and I’ll saw through the piece of wood that’s jammed through the handles on the other side.”

  Catherine did as he commanded and he reached beneath her. They were pressed together, Catherine holding the doors while Benjamin sawed, and it took every ounce of concentration on his part to not get distracted by their proximity. Finally, the barricade clattered to the ground. He opened the doors and stepped inside.

  The house stilled smelled of smoke, particularly down in the kitchen. They found their way upstairs and let Sophie in the front door. The girl handed Catherine a folded piece of paper.

  “I found this outside the door,” she said.

  Catherine recognized Theodosia’s neat handwriting. Benjamin held the lantern so she could read it.

  “How strange,” she said. “It goes on and on about the most mundane things, yet she mentions she wrote both here and at the townhouse to make sure I received her note.” Catherine read out loud. “I was visiting Mr. Carpenter at his business office the other day and was happy to see he keeps the same sweets my brother and I enjoyed as small children in his office. It brought back so many memories.”

  Catherine clutched the letter to her chest. “It’s the Yquem.”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Benjamin.

  “Theodosia’s found the Yquem. When we were at the ball, she told me to look for the bottle in her father’s old desk, in
the drawer where he used to keep candy. She’s telling me the Yquem is in Carpenter’s office.”

  “You think the bottle is at Delcour & Carpenter?”

  “I do. I definitely do.” She smiled.

  “It smells funny in here,” declared Sophie.

  Catherine reached down and gave her sister a hug. “Yes, there was a fire. But I’m afraid it’ll have to do. We can’t afford anything fancier than this right now.”

  Benjamin held up the lantern and gazed around. The smoke damage wasn’t as bad as he’d feared. “If we open some of the windows, particularly in the bedchambers, the fresh air will help.”

  Halfway up the stairs to the second floor, he froze. “Did you hear that?”

  The three of them listened intently. A floorboard groaned somewhere in the upstairs hallway.

  “Yes,” whispered Sophie. “I heard that.”

  “It’s only the usual creaks and groans,” said Catherine. “It’s an old house.”

  “I don’t think so.” Benjamin gestured for the sisters to stay where they were. He crept his way up to the top of the stairway and peeked around the corner.

  “Be careful,” whispered Catherine.

  He walked down the hallway, staying in the middle of the runner in order to remain as soundless as possible. He stopped in front of a door about midway down. A familiar smell hit his nostrils, stronger than the odor already permeating the house. Benjamin put his hand on the doorknob, counted to three and pushed the door open.

  He vaulted into the center of the room, ready to fight. He was in a bedroom, grander than any other in the house, most likely Delcour’s room. Moonlight streamed through the window, and Benjamin’s gaze was first drawn to a bureau, where the moon’s bright reflection shone off the surface of a small hand-held mirror.

  He twirled around and saw the tip of a cigarette glowing in the dark.

  “Ow! I burned myself,” said a high-pitched voice.

  Benjamin moved closer and noticed a shock of straw-colored hair.

  “Freddie. What the hell are you doing in here?”