by Jerri Hines
Frustration weighed upon Kathleen until Andrew Montgomery returned from Charleston. Her father had always held Andrew in high esteem, his prize pupil. Although she had always been aware of Andrew’s attraction toward her, she had given him little thought. He had nothing more than a son of a Southern planter, stating more than once that he was seeking his own way in the world.
Her interest flared when Andrew lamented his fate was tied to an unwanted fiancée, an heiress who was giving him the whole of his family estate, an heiress who was in love with another—Cullen.
Her interest piqued, but it had been Elizabeth who had brought her what she had been looking for. The piece she had missed in her quest for vengeance.
“For the life of me, I don’t know why he demands you meet him here. It is not safe. I tell you, you should be wary of him. I wish I had never introduced you to him. I don’t know what you hope to accomplish.”
Kathleen smiled as her hand lay on the door handle. She knew exactly what she had in mind. She had found Cullen’s Achilles heel and intended to use it to her full advantage.
“Hush, my dear. There is another blanket behind you to keep you warm. I promise I will be out shortly. I need only to ensure he understands exactly what he needs to do. We are close…so close.”
She exited quickly; she didn’t give Elizabeth a chance to protest. Grasping tight to her cloak, it was so cold she could see her breath. But he was there at the back door, waiting.
In the shadows, a tall, lean figure walked toward her with a swagger that came from confidence. His hat tilted low and made it difficult to see his eyes. His lips curved upward into a wide grin.
“Miss Halcoyne, I wondered whether you would brave the weather tonight,” he said with an exaggerated gallantry and offered his arm.
Walking beside him, she smelled liquor on his breath, mingled with his musky odor she had come to know so well. He led her up the dim back stairs, and stopped at the first room on the third floor.
“You need to have better accommodations.”
He laughed and opened the door, to allow her entrance. “You know well why I do not. If I’m at a reputable place of business, Wright would surely find me. I told you he has eyes and ears everywhere. I haven’t had a good night sleep since I’ve been on the run.”
“Do not attempt to tell me the man scares you, Harry Lee. Are you not the same man who came north to redeem his family’s honor by killing poor little Andrew?” She took off her cloak to reveal a low-cut gown. It had its desired effect.
His bold eyes raked over her body, from the tip of her slippers up to up her cleavage. A savvy smile emerged on his lips.
“I’m still not convinced it is not the best course of action to take.”
“What? Are you planning on killing all the Montgomery men? I tell you once more you will obtain all that you want and more if you stay true to the plan.”
She looked at him defiantly, daring him to question her scheme. It had taken all her wiles to convince him not to outright kill Andrew like he wanted to when she first met him. Why, he and his brother had the nerve to show up knocking at her house, knowing that her father was his mentor.
Thank goodness it had only been Elizabeth and herself at home at the time. If not for Elizabeth recognizing the men from one of her visits to Charleston, this opportunity would have been lost, along with it a plan that would work to both their best interests.
“You see, my love, I have been thinking about it. It would be so simple to slit his throat. Then the bastard Wright’s desire to see his darling daughter the belle of Charleston would be foiled.”
“And where would you be then? No better than you are now. Exiled from your home without a cent to your name. The Groves would still be lost to you forever. I tell you, Harry Lee Haynes, you do not think a foot in front of you…”
He laughed and took her into his arms. “I am jesting. Have I told you I like it when you get all riled up?” He untied the laces on the bodice of her dress.
She glanced around the room. Anticipation surged through her veins. In a breathless voice, she asked, “Where is Buck?”
“Out,” he answered bluntly.
What a deliciously wicked thrill to have him take her here. She felt his hands hoist up her skirt. He was the most satisfying lover she had ever had. Rough and violent, he brought her to a climax in a bellow of cries.
She halted his progressive briefly. She had almost forgotten the reason she had come.
“She’s coming,” Kathleen whispered. “Andrew received her letter earlier today announcing her intention. Josephine Buchanan Wright is coming to Philadelphia.”
He did not have to tell her that the news excited him. Wild with passion, he slammed her against the wall and had his way with her.
* * * *
The falling snow glittered in the new morning light. Josephine leaned against the forward railing of the upper deck of the steamer, fascinated by the frozen precipitation. She had never experienced this weather. Strange how the sparkling white gave a façade of tranquility and calm. She wished she had some semblance of serenity. She had none.
Her stomach turned in anxious turmoil. Informed that her destination lay less than an hour ahead, she suppressed her growing panic. The confidence she exhibited to her papa faded as quickly as the warmth of the Southern breeze.
When she departed Magnolia Bluff, she ached inside. She had no desire to leave Papa, but she saw the glimmer of hope in Papa’s eyes.
“You have made your papa proud, my dear.” He kissed her cheek, and she was gone.
She held back her tears with a face of anticipation and excitement, and concealed the truth from all eyes upon her. No one would see the hurt that lived within her. She swore she would give him the peace of knowing he had fulfilled his promise to Momma.
The night had been spent in a restless sleep, tossing and turning. The closer she came to her destination the closer she came to being exposed for the fraud she was. In Charleston, she had been successful in her ruse. She had convinced Papa and the Montgomerys that Andrew had sent for her. Why even Mother Montgomery and the girls, Jenna and Amy, accompanied her north!
She came boldly to Philadelphia with a façade of happily looking forward to her marriage. Rosa had packed her Paris gown for the ceremony, which she had tried on twice to show the girls. She chatted endlessly about seeing Andrew and the thought of having them for sisters.
Now, she couldn’t contain her nervousness. The snow had begun to fall harder as they neared the shore. Through the flurry, clusters of buildings came into view. The city of Philadelphia lay before her.
The captain came out of the pilot house and shouted instructions to the deckhands, and then to the helmsman. Jo felt a jolt as the steamer docked against the wharf. A single, sharp piercing whistle blew; the paddle ceased, and movement halted.
Her eyes skimmed the docks for any sign of Andrew. He had to be here. Had she not pushed him into a corner? He would not dare leave his own mother, sisters and fiancée to fend for themselves in an unfamiliar city! She did not see him!
Alarmed, his absence threatened her mission. This was her biggest fear—her bluff was about to be called.
“Josephine, whatever are you doing on deck? It’s freezing!” Jenna cried, as she gestured Jo toward the stairs. “I declare we haven’t come prepared. Why I don’t even have a muff! Momma is frantic we will get frostbite.”
A sudden gust of snow swept across the deck. Jo turned and allowed the wind to die back before she walked to the stairwell. With her arm wrapped around Jenna, the two huddled close and descended the steps.
“Momma and Amy are waiting for us.”
Josephine clutched her cloak tighter. She swore the temperature must have dropped ten degrees. On the lower deck, they were joined by Mother Montgomery and Amy.
“I’ll be happy to get to a nice warm place with a fire. I hope the hotel is not far away,” Mother Montgomery said. The older woman walked in front of the girls while their trunks w
ere being unloaded. She looked around the docks and suddenly waved back at a large figure of a man; apparently she had been expecting the man.
It certainly wasn’t Andrew, but there was something familiar about him. As she neared the man, she had a moment of relief. It came to her. She knew him a long time ago when she was a child. Back then, the brawny Irish man seemed larger than life. A friend of her papa…Joshua Finn.
Josephine’s attention was drawn to Finn. Memories flooded back of the time before Charleston. Traveling city to city, night after night, Papa attended to his business with Finn by his side. She remembered his kindness to the shy child of his employer.
“I trust you had a comfortable journey,” Finn said in his thick Irish brogue. He flashed Jo a brilliant smile with a twinkle in his eye.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Finn. Josephine’s papa spoke highly of you.” Mother Montgomery glanced around and grimaced. “Andrew isn’t here? I thought he would greet us.”
“When Mr. Wright telegrammed me to oversee the necessary arrangements for his precious daughter, I agreed without hesitation. I will handle all the necessary details. I met briefly with the good doctor yesterday. Sadly, Dr. Montgomery has agreed to consult with a Dr. Levine in New York City on a patient who needs immediate surgery. He left late last night. I assured Dr. Montgomery I would see that you are settled at the hotel. I would assume he will present himself later in the week.”
The answer seemed to satisfy Mother Montgomery. Finn gestured for the ladies to follow him to a brougham. A frigid gust of the wind took Jo’s breath away. Gasping, she quickly accepted Finn’s hand for assistance into the carriage.
Jenna and Amy followed, with Mother Montgomery climbing in beside Jo. The women slid in beneath a warm fur throw.
“I will see to your trunks and follow behind you,” Finn offered. “The driver will take you to the Girard House. I will meet you there. The rooms are already set. A representative from Gimbel Brothers will meet with you ladies this afternoon to supply you with the necessary garments for this weather.”
“It is much appreciated, Mr. Finn. I’m certain my father-in-law will—”
Finn grinned. “Beg your pardon, ma’am. Mr. Wright has seen to all of your needs.”
“But there are so many of us,” Mother Montgomery protested.
“Mr. Wright gave me clear instructions, Mrs. Montgomery. It is his daughter’s wedding. He feels it his obligation to see to your welfare while you are in Philadelphia.”
Mother Montgomery said nothing more but settled in beside Jo. Soon, the brougham moved, rolling through the newly fallen snow. Jo could hear the driver shouting at the traffic the weather had caused. With a whistle and a crack of the whip, the pace steadied for a time. It halted before a sandstone building on Chestnut Street. A sign on the corner labeled it the Girard House.
As she stepped out of the carriage, Jo immediately recognized this hotel was a spacious and lavish establishment. Papa had spared no expense. Glancing back over her shoulder, she was relieved to see that Finn was right behind them.
Whisked into the richly ornamented interior, Finn paused Jo for a moment.
“Your father asked me to look after you in his absence. We need to talk.”
His words were crisp and direct. She understood his meaning. “But of course.”
“Your father wrote me in great length of your situation. There are immediate concerns.”
“I am aware there may be a few obstacles.”
“He’s gone,” Finn stated flatly, not letting her say another word. “Your fiancé has gone missing.”
Chapter Five
The bitter cold had broken. The snow had melted into a slushy mess making it challenging to negotiate the streets. Jo glanced out the curtained window as the carriage approached a line of private houses. The brick buildings held numerous apartments with the only distinguished features being the different colored doors and shutters.
For the last two days, Jo had been kept busy. She hadn’t the energy to contemplate her absentee fiancée. At least on the surface, she fended belief in Andrew. On his part, Andrew had sent notes to both Jo and Mother Montgomery, assuring them both that he would be back in the city in a few days. The message sent with his deepest and most sincere apology for not being able to postpone his trip to New York.
Finn had been true to his word. He had seen to their immediate needs. The chambers were large and accommodating, made up of two bedrooms in each suite. Jo shared her suite with Mother Montgomery; the girls adjoined theirs. Moreover, appropriate garments had been delivered promptly for the harsh weather; fur line cloaks, boots, muffs, and scarves.
Last evening, the Smythe family joined the women for dinner. It had been pleasant enough Jo supposed. Upon entrance, into the dining room, she immediately recognized the tall, handsome older gentleman, Jonathan Smythe, as Cullen’s father. There was no denying he had the same eyes. To his side was a striking lady with dark streaked hair. Cullen’s step-mother, Monica Smythe, had the grace and poise of one used to wealth and status.
To her surprise, she found Cullen’s father quite charming. It was his sister, Elizabeth that Jo sensed, held animosity towards her, but Jo expected nothing less…not after what had occurred. After all, Cullen was her brother. Thankfully, Cullen was not among the group. She could not have dealt with seeing him.
Jo had worn a mask, never betraying her true feelings. She had downplayed Andrew’s actions. She smiled and talked about the preparations for the wedding she held doubts would ever take place. Never letting down the wall she had erected around her heart…
This afternoon, she had arranged to talk to Finn freely. She was to meet with him over lunch once she had called upon an old friend. The only bright spot to her visit—Gillie. She would be reunited with her dear friend, one she had missed so terribly. It warmed her heart.
The driver pulled to a stop in front of Gillie’s address. Disembarking from his seat, he opened the door for Jo and her companion, Rosa.
“I’ll wait right here,” he said.
Jo held no doubt Finn had given firm instructions that she was not to be left alone. She accepted the man’s hand and stepped down into the mud and slush the sidewalks had become. Lifting her skirt, she walked over to where planks had been placed.
Outside the door, Jo smelled the aroma of freshly baked goods. Smiling, she knocked ever so gently. The door opened, and she faced her beloved friend.
“Gillie!” Jo exclaimed. “Oh, Gillie!”
“Come in, Miss Jo. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”
Smiling broadly, Jo walked in and waited only until the door closed behind Rosa before she embraced Gillie warmly. Jo broke from Gillie and held her at arm’s length.
The girl, Jo had known, had blossomed into a lovely woman, prim and ever so proper. She wore a long sleeve blue calico print dress with a white collar. The sleeves widened at the wrist, and the waist was long and narrow. It looked as though it was an older gown which had been altered to accommodate the changing styles.
Jo wondered briefly why Gillie had not worn one of the gowns she had made for her back in Charleston, but it mattered little. Gillie’s eyes shone with a light that only happiness brought.
A lovely cameo was pinned to the neck of the collar and matching earring dangled from her ear lobes. Jo reached over and touched the cameo.
“How lovely.”
“It was Heyward’s wedding gift to me, Miss Jo. It is my treasure.”
“Indeed it should be,” Jo said and released her hold. “I do wish I could have been there for the wedding. Was it as wonderful as I imagined?”
“Miss Jo, it was the best day of my life. It is legal and binding, Heyward says. None of that jumping over a broom. We were married in a church all proper. Why Dr. Montgomery served as one of the witnesses!”
The mention of Andrew took Jo back a moment. She was glad he at least had seen to Gillie’s welfare.
“Why whatever kind of hoste
ss am I? Come into the parlor. I have a nice fire and have prepared some tea and biscuits.”
Gillie took Jo’s coat and gloves and left him on the hall table, then led Jo into a small quaint room. Jo glanced around curiously. The furniture had been well worn; the curtains faded, but it was tidy and warm. A brilliant fire burned in the hearth.
“I hope you don’t mind I brought along a companion. Mrs. Montgomery would have frowned upon me if I had not. You remember Rosa.”
“I do,” Gillie said, glancing over at the woman who had taken her place. “Please, make yourself comfortable as well.”
Jo sat down on the chair in front of the fire. “Gillie, it is so good to see you. You are content? Oh! I can tell you are!”
“Ever so, Miss Jo,” Gillie answered, untying her apron. “Let me go get the tea.”
Everything seemed in order, Jo thought, surveying the room. A far cry from the lifestyle she had lived within Charleston, but there was no mistaken her friend’s happiness.
Gillie returned bearing a tray and set it down on the table. She seated herself, poured a cup and added sugar and cream. Handing the cup to Jo, she said, “The way you enjoy it, Miss Jo.”
Jo accepted the cup. “Is Heyward still employed by the Smythe’s?”
“Yes, except now he’s down at Mr. Smythe’s office. Mr. Smythe is training him to be a clerk. I’m right proud of him. He’s going to be a business man. Wants to start a business himself. Mr. Smythe says he’ll help him.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Now, Miss Jo, tell me why you are here. I’m happy to see you, but it is quite unexpected. In your note, you said you have come here to wed Dr. Montgomery. I would have thought your papa would have demanded the ceremony be held at home.”
“It is a matter of contention,” Jo confessed. “But at least it permitted me to visit you.”
Jo sipped her tea. A strange uneasiness emerged; a sudden reluctance to admit her purpose. The mantel clock chimed half-past ten. Jo placed her cup down.
