Louisa nodded silently to her mother, thankful for her discreet exit. She turned to Talbot and smiled nervously.
“This is such a surprise,” she said, leading him to the settee and patting the seat beside her.
“Apparently.” Talbot sat down beside her and took her hand gently. “Was that bloke a brother of yours in the yard there, on the horse with you? I don’t recall there being one named Luc, though there are so many I could be wrong.”
“No, no. He’s just a local fellow.” Louisa looked into his blue eyes. “Talbot, what on earth are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in New York figuring out how to set up our publishing company.”
“Aren’t you pleased to see me?” Talbot looked crestfallen.
“Yes, of course I am glad to see you. I’m surprised, but I’m very happy to see you.”
He smiled, visibly relieved.
Louisa reached up and touched his smooth cheek. It was the truth. She was glad to see him, if a bit shocked.
“I missed you terribly,” he said. “I suppose I could have sent a wire or something but I was so excited I wanted to tell you face to face. I met with Mr. Widener as we had planned and he told me of a publishing company that was for sale. The current owner was getting on in years and wanted to retire. He had no heirs and, well, I just up and purchased it from him lock, stock and barrel. It’s perfect for us, Louisa. As soon as your book is finished we can go right to print.” He kissed her hand and looked into her eyes. “There was no longer any need for me to stay behind in New York and I wanted very much to tell you in person.”
It was thrilling news and Louisa was touched by his gesture. He had to have driven straight through for hours to share it with her and be at her side. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek excitedly. Talbot beamed.
“Now I can help you do your research. In any way you like. We can do this together, Louisa. We are going to make our dreams come true, as a team, you and I,” he said.
“We are, Talbot. We really are.” She looked into his amazing blue eyes and smiled in her excitement. The vision they had planned was very much within reach.
“I love you, Louisa. You are a remarkable woman. You have such class, such savoir-faire. I’m a very, very lucky man.”
Louisa was suddenly torn by her emotions. The incredible look of love in Talbot’s eyes completely overwhelmed her. Just hours earlier she had ridden in the rain with her arms wrapped around Luc’s waist, discovering feelings she had never known. Now Talbot was here professing his love for her and she suddenly felt obligated to him. All her reservations about being in love were now more confusing than ever. She searched Talbot’s eyes, unsure of herself and what she wanted.
“Let’s have some lunch,” she said, and stood up. Talbot stood beside her and pulled her to him, capturing her in his embrace. When his lips met hers she felt her knees nearly buckle beneath her. His fervor was completely unexpected. Had he kissed her this way in New York, she may never have come home.
“I should never have let you leave without me. I’ll never let you go again.” He held up his elbow, offering her his arm and she took it. He patted her hand.
“Never again.”
Seventeen
Lunch was served immediately as soon as Louisa and Talbot entered the big dining room. Every wall was paneled in warm woods and the large windows overlooked the lawns of the estate. Liv served platters of freshly cut roast beef and boats of rich gravy alongside thick slices of freshly baked bread, and bowls of steaming greens. Louisa knew that every meal served at Stavewood was hearty and generous. The kitchen’s larders were stocked daily and Louisa’s father took great pride in the natural goodness of the fare of the household.
“This is quite a spread you have here, Mr. Elgerson.” Talbot took a thick slice of beef from the platter as it was passed around the table. Louisa looked around nervously. Talbot was very different from the local boys and she knew he would not appreciate the rare state of the meat.
“This is a fine bit of beef here,” he said cheerfully. “I know exactly what it needs!” He stood up suddenly and hurried from the room.
Timothy scowled. “I don’t believe I heard him excuse himself,” he muttered.
“He’s nervous, Daddy,” Louisa said boldly to her father, “and so am I. Please, Daddy. He’s a wonderful man, and he has very fine manners. I’m sure he’ll be right back.” Louisa thought of her childhood with her family around the table. None of the children left without first asking to be excused at any time.
Timothy looked at his daughter curiously. He could not imagine why she should be nervous in her own home.
“There he is.” Rebecca smiled sweetly. “Where did you run off to?”
“I brought this,” Talbot announced. “I wouldn’t eat a piece of beef without it. It comes from New York. Rochester, I believe. It’s quite astonishing.” Talbot sat down and cheerfully plunked a jar of prepared mustard onto the table.
Timothy reached across and picked up the jar. “Cream Salad Mustard,” he read aloud. “What’s in it?”
“I haven’t the foggiest,” Talbot laughed. “It tastes quite good though, so I suppose it doesn’t matter.”
Louisa looked down at her plate.
“Your father doesn’t care for me.” Talbot walked along the lane leading to the mills, Louisa’s hand tucked firmly into the crook of his arm.
“Give him time,” Louisa assured him. “He’s a good man. He’s just protective. He wants me to be happy. Once he sees how I feel about you he’ll warm up to you. I’m sure of it.”
“What will you tell him about your feelings towards me?” Talbot stopped their stroll, turned and faced her.
“I feel as I always have. I’m glad to see you and excited to start our publishing business, of course,” she said.
Talbot reached up and touched Louisa’s chin with his fingertip, lifting her face until she looked into his eyes.
Louisa caught her breath. His blue eyes always disarmed her and she smiled shyly.
“We are the perfect pair, you and I,” he said. “You’re quite right, he’ll see it. It’s clear he has fond feelings for you, and your mother as well. She is very much the lady and you are very much like her, aren’t you?”
She smiled nervously. No one had ever seen more than a physical likeness between Louisa and her mother. Their coloring was identical and she had her mother’s fine features but where Rebecca possessed a natural, elegant grace, Louisa thought of herself as lanky and awkward.
“My mother is the perfect lady,” she said. “I have often envied that about her.”
“You shouldn’t,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “You are the perfect woman, don’t you know that? You are just what I need, Louisa. That’s precisely why I could not stay away.”
Louisa touched his hand and leaned her head against his shoulder affectionately. The woodland along the path echoed with the sounds of birds chattering in the distance and the rustle of leaves in the gentle spring breeze. Louisa closed her eyes. She could smell Talbot’s cologne mingling with the scent of the pines. She felt trapped between two different worlds. Here, beside her, was a wonderful, elegant man who loved her deeply. He was refined and well-mannered and she wanted to be all of the things he saw in her. But then there was Fawn Lake in the morning mist with the raindrops rippling on the water’s surface and Luc’s long legs stretched out on the grassy bank as he whittled a tiny wooden fish. Louisa felt a lump in her throat and her heart felt heavy.
Eighteen
Timothy Elgerson peered under the hood of the touring car, inspecting the Duesenberg engine.
“That’s quite a car,” he said to Talbot who stood proudly beside him. “You wouldn’t mind putting it up with the other cars near the mills when you and Loo come back from dinner, right?”
“Not at all, sir,” Talbot replied. “Your home is quite beautiful.”
Timothy looked up at the big Victorian. “I always had it in my mind to keep it safe and tucked
away from the world. I have to say, not everyone has always understood why I wanted it that way.”
“It really is very peaceful here. I suppose I didn’t understand when Louisa explained she came from Minnesota. I figured she was a farm girl, but with impeccable manners and a refined upbringing. Now I understand much more clearly.”
Timothy walked around the sporty car, inspecting the leather upholstery carefully. “Loo says you are her business partner and that you will be publishing her next novel.”
“Yes, sir. I will. We’re quite excited in fact. While we are out this evening we’ll be going over the research she has collected thus far. She is always talking about her mother, and you. I suspect she even gets a bit homesick on occasion.”
Louisa stepped out from the kitchen door dressed smartly in a tailored, woolen suit, her skirt pencil thin and the jacket buttoned at the waist. Her hair was waved neatly and her lipstick a deep red.
“There she is!” Talbot exclaimed. “How fashionable you look, darling!”
Timothy looked at his daughter with mild surprise. The nearby city of Billington had grown quickly over the past few years. Now there were cars in the streets and fewer carriages and buggies sat in front of the large shops. Yet, even with the recent modernization, he knew that Talbot and Louisa would clearly stand out with their flashy sports car. In their expensive couturier suits and Louisa’s noticeable lipstick they plainly looked like city folks, the likes of which Billington was not yet accustomed to seeing. He found it difficult to imagine his daughter ever leaving behind the home and history she once loved. Maybe he was just old fashioned, he thought, and wanted to mold her to his own ways. Maybe this fellow was what she really wanted and would bring her happiness. Or maybe, like Mark, there was something out there in the world she needed to find first.
Talbot opened the car door and Louisa stepped into the vehicle. As they drove away she waved happily.
Timothy took notice that Talbot pulled away from the house slowly, the engine percolating in a low rumble. Then, in the distance, the motor revved loudly as he pulled out onto the roadway. Timothy Elgerson shook his head. He wanted the best for his only daughter and he had hoped that when she found happiness it would be at home, at Stavewood.
“We’ll have dinner at the hotel and I want to hear about the work you have done so far,” Talbot called out over the roar of the engine. “Did you bring your notes?”
Louisa nodded enthusiastically. Later, as they drove into Billington, she looked around. Now, she was not just the daughter of Timothy Elgerson. Louisa was her own person. She was a famous author and a well-known mystery writer. She wasn’t living in her family’s shadow. She was successful entirely on her own. She was an independent woman with a fine bred gentleman on her arm.
Talbot pulled the car up in front of Billington’s finest restaurant. He walked around and held open Louisa’s door. She stepped out, her head held high and recognized a young mother she had known from school. Louisa nodded to her and the woman looked up from her toddler. She nodded back but there was no recognition in her eyes.
Louisa frowned. If she had been wearing one of the feminine, calico dresses her mother had made and had waved openly, the woman would have known her immediately. The name Louisa Elgerson meant something entirely different in Minnesota.
“Before we eat,” Talbot said as he took her elbow and led her down the alley alongside the building, “I’d like to make a stop.” They walked quietly up to an inconspicuous metal door. He knocked three times, paused and then knocked twice more. The din of loud music, booming drums and raucous voices spilled into the alleyway as the door was opened from the inside. Talbot and Louisa quickly entered.
The music and boisterous sounds of celebration in the speakeasy were deafening and Louisa held her breath. She knew the type of business that went on in the private club. They had visited several in New York City. But she never imagined that any existed here in Billington.
“How did you know about this place?” she shouted, close to Talbot’s ear.
“It’s my business to know.” He flashed a mischievous smile, winked knowingly, and led her up a set of metal stairs. In the loft was a long, smoke-filled bar vibrating with the sound of a live band. Talbot ordered two tall drinks from the bartender, laying down a large bill as payment.
The jazz ensemble played piercingly loud in the close nightclub and Louisa looked around curiously. As a child she had known all of Billington, the shops and the shopkeepers, the residents that lived on the side streets, the well-to-do and the poorer places in town. There had been a pub and of course, Rival’s Saloon. The madam there had closed her doors long ago and had become a mail-order-bride herself. She left Billington hoping to find a better, more respectable life. No establishment in Billington ever came close to the bawdy place she was standing inside now. Talbot kissed her cheek and Louisa forced a smile.
Afterwards, in the alleyway, Louisa giggled. “I think I may have had a bit too much to drink.” She touched her fingers to her lips, hiccupping softly.
Talbot smiled at her affectionately. “You’ll feel better after we’ve eaten. I’ve reserved a private table for us.”
They entered the stately hotel restaurant and Louisa tried to maintain her balance as she followed the maître d’ to their table.
Louisa ate heartily, but Talbot barely touched his food, which was not unusual. Her appetite had returned as soon as she was home and the delicious steak quickly helped her to feel better. As soon as the plates were cleared, Talbot asked that she set out her notes.
Nineteen
Talbot studied the papers on the table, reading each one thoughtfully. “Is this everything?” he asked.
“No, not exactly.” Louisa looked up into his blue eyes. “This is just an overview of what I’ve put together so far.”
Talbot rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I would much prefer to see your original notes and the manner in which you are putting together your story. Still, this will do for now.” He pulled out one particular sheet, set it on the table between them and studied it for a moment.
“This says your mother was kidnapped and nearly killed. That is really quite dreadful, she’s so delicate and refined.” He picked up another sheet. “This woman here, this Diana Weintraub,” he said, pointing to the name on the page. “Not only was she the woman who did the kidnapping, but, according to this, she was robbing the local trains as well.”
“Yes.” Louisa pointed to the list she had made of all Diana’s activities that she had uncovered so far.
“With this fellow?” Talbot held up the page entitled Jude Thomas and Louisa nodded. “He was a train robber, you say, and he was your father’s enemy as well. How was he involved with this woman? Were they lovers?”
Louisa rubbed her temples. “No, no. Jude Thomas and Diana were related. I believe he was her nephew.”
“Did he live at the Weintraub ranch? I wonder how well he knew the area and the surrounding properties. Maybe even Stavewood.”
Louisa looked up at Talbot and considered his question. “I don’t know,” she replied honestly. “I was really young. I could find out though. My brother, Mark, would know. He would definitely know.” Louisa suppressed a yawn and Talbot smiled at her.
“Have you lost your enthusiasm for the nightlife, my dear?”
“Oh, Talbot. I’m sorry. I am simply exhausted. I didn’t sleep well at all on the trip, and then I was up quite late again last night putting my notes together. I’m having such trouble concentrating.”
“Understandable,” he said. “Let’s do this. I’ll take you home and we’ll work tomorrow. There’s quite a lot to do but I’ll help you every step of the way. With the two of us working together you’ll have your story in no time. We can work at Stavewood, where I’m sure you will be more comfortable, or in my room here if you prefer.”
Louisa nodded and suppressed another yawn. Talbot settled the bill and led her out to the car.
In the stillness of the night the
headlights flashed along the countryside and several, terrified deer darted across the road. She sighed with relief as she directed Talbot onto the drive that ran behind the estate to the family mills. The night watchman stepped out onto the mill platform and she waved a greeting as Talbot cut the engine.
The couple walked arm in arm along the edge of a nearby, flat meadow in the bright moonlight. Within a few feet of the path to Stavewood, Talbot stopped and turned to face her.
“I have missed you terribly,” he said, his voice low in the darkness.
He pulled her to him and she felt his kisses warm and hungry against her lips. He cupped his hand behind her head and she leaned into him as he pressed into her. Despite her meal she still felt the effects of the strong alcohol. She felt drained and surreal.
She wanted him. Her body ached for a man to be close to her. She felt her pulse rising and her skin tingling. She had waited all her life to be in the arms of the right man, the man she was sure would make her feel all the things she longed to feel.
“Talbot…” She whispered his name, her breath soft against his neck as his face brushed against her shoulder. He pushed aside her jacket and blouse and Louisa felt a hungry chill run over her body. He kissed her along her collarbone and unfastened a button. Louisa caught her breath.
Talbot’s lips pressed against the rise of her breast and she moved into him. Louisa let her eyes close, surrendering to her passions. She felt his eagerness as he pressed his thigh into her own.
Louisa wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her head fall back into his arms. His kisses moved deeper along her neckline and she opened her eyes to watch him kissing her there.
Louisa gasped.
Talbot looked up suddenly. “What is it, my love?”
The Secret of Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 4) Page 7
