“I’m glad to hear that. Lies come in all different forms, though. Such as half-truths. Telling someone you are something you are not, for instance. It could make them wonder what else you are being untruthful about.”
Beth took a deep breath. She actually agreed with him, and it wasn’t in her nature to lie. But, she needed this marriage to work. And the damage was already done. She couldn’t take back what she had said. But she could make sure she didn’t do it again. There was no reason to, anyway. Or she could come clean, but that was risky. George could decide not to go forward with the marriage. As much as she wanted to tell him that she’d fibbed just a little and why, she couldn’t do that to her mother. She was depending on her, and Beth was out of other options.
“You can be assured that I will never lie to you,” she said sincerely.
He paused and for a moment looked disappointed, as if he’d been expecting her to admit to something. She just couldn’t take that chance, though.
“So, I’d like to learn more about you, too. Tell me about your family. Are they local? Or in Montana.”
“They were local. My uncle lived right here in Lawrence, and lived in the house I am staying in. The mill was his. There’s no one left but me. My parents died several years ago and as you know, my sister and brother-in-law died this past year. You’re lucky to have your mother.”
“I’m so sorry. And yes, I am very fortunate indeed to have both my mother, and sister India.”
“What is she like, your sister?” George asked.
Beth smiled at the thought of India. “She’s wonderful, a best friend as well as a sister. India is more reserved, but has a good sense of humor. She likes to play practical jokes. We look nothing alike, though. She resembles my father more than my mother. He passed several years ago. We all still miss him.”
“I hope to meet her soon.”
“She is eager to meet you, too,” Beth said as the waiter returned with their food.
Their conversation slowed as they both started to eat. Beth’s sandwich was delicious and George seemed happy with his steak. She ate slowly, savoring every bite. Maybe she would be so full that she could pass up the cabbage soup for dinner. Just the thought of eating it yet again made her stomach do a flip.
“My business should finish up here within the next few weeks. After that, I’d like to head back to Montana as soon as possible. I don’t want to keep the girls away too long.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Beth said slowly. He hadn’t said that he definitely wanted her and her mother to join them, though.
“If you’re still interested, I would like to invite you and your mother to accompany us. We’ll marry a week after we arrive. There’s no need for a big wedding. A simple small service will do. Is that all right with you?” He looked at her directly, waiting for a response.
For a moment, Beth was struck speechless, which was a rare occurrence. Quickly, she found her voice. “Yes, that’s fine. Thank you very much.” A sense of relief washed over her. Could she finally relax a little?
“I’m still not convinced that you’ve been one hundred percent honest with me, but I like to think I am a good judge of people and my instinct is telling me to move forward.”
“They say you should always follow your instincts,” Beth said immediately and then bit her tongue. She had to remember not to speak without thinking. Her mother never would have blurted that out.
But George just chuckled. “You’re not quite what I expected, but you are keeping me on my toes, and that is not a bad thing.”
When the waiter cleared their plates and George suggested apple pie for dessert, Beth eagerly agreed. She had a sweet tooth and if she had pie, she definitely could skip soup for dinner. Soon, once they were settled in Montana, perhaps she could make apple pie whenever she wanted. While her cooking skills were limited, she did know how to bake delicious cakes and pies.
After lunch, George drove her back to her apartment and helped her out of the buggy.
“Thank you very much for lunch. It was wonderful,” Beth said.
“You’re very welcome. Perhaps you and your mother might like to join us for an early dinner Sunday after church?”
“That would be very nice. I’m sure my mother would love it. I look forward to seeing the girls again as well.”
“Oh, and please bring your sister, too, if she’s available. We can all meet at church and ride home together after the service.”
Beth smiled to herself as she watched George drive off. She couldn’t wait to tell her mother and sister the good news.
Chapter Ten
George went back to the mill for a bit after dropping Beth off and then later, when he left for the day at half past five, he decided to stop by the pub that Bob Brown had recommended. If that was where he often stopped in, perhaps he might find others who knew Bob and might add to his insight on what really happened. George still found it hard to believe that the man would have tried to burn down his own mill, but stranger things had happened. If there were concerns about overcrowding of machines and the mill wasn’t doing well, maybe a fire seemed like a good solution to Bob, especially if he was well insured.
And if he was insured, was his plan to just pocket the money and then sell the mill anyway? It didn’t sound like he had any plans to rebuild, either for himself or to resell. He wondered if Bob held a mortgage on the property. He would have his attorney look into that as soon as possible.
George found the pub easily. It was doing a brisk business. He made his way toward the bar and as he looked around, he was glad to see that Bob Brown was not there. He was hoping to see what he might be able to learn about him and that would be more difficult if he was there wanting to share a drink.
He settled into a seat at the bar and ordered a beer from the bartender, a tall, portly man who introduced himself as Tom. George took a sip of his beer and looked around the bar. He didn’t recognize any familiar faces, but he didn’t know many people in town yet. The bar served food and alcohol and there were a few small tables near the door that were filled with patrons eating dinner. It didn’t appear to be anything fancy, soup and grilled sandwiches mostly. The bar itself was more crowded and George was lucky to have gotten one of the few open seats. As he sipped his beer, he looked towards the window while listening to the conversations going on around him.
The customers were a mix of factory workers and businessmen. To his right, two men were discussing the price of cotton, while to his left, three men were talking about a construction site they were working on. When there was a lull in the conversation, one of the businessman looked his way and then a look of recognition came across his face. “Are you Henry Montgomery’s son? The resemblance is so strong.”
George nodded and the man held out his hand. “Brian MacNamee. Good to meet you, and this is Frank Connors. We own the other two mills down the road from you.”
“George Montgomery. Pleasure to meet you both.” He liked the looks of both men and from the bits of conversation he’d overheard, he liked the way they approached the work, too.
“Looks like you’re doing a good job keeping your uncle’s business going,” Frank said. “You ever think of selling?”
George chuckled. “When I first came here I was sure that was what I was going to do. But I thought it would be a good idea to spend some time in the business first and get to know it before putting a price on it. The more I learned, the more interesting I found it. So I decided to keep it going instead.”
Brian nodded. “It’s a good business, that’s for sure.”
“Shame what happened to the Brown Textile Mile. All those women out of work,” George said.
“It’s a damn shame,” Frank agreed. “We’re both full to capacity with a wait list for any openings or we’d be first in line to help.”
“And neither of us is in a position to expand, unfortunately,” Brian added. “We both invested in more machinery and hired extra staff this past year.”
“Someone could pick that up for a good deal. It will need some work, but still, the building itself is solid enough. You might want to think about that, if you’re in a position to invest,” Frank advised him.
“That’s a great idea. Maybe I will look into it,” George said, as if the idea was new to him. “Though that sounds like a big project and I split my time between here and my place in Montana. I’m not sure if I’d want to take that on.”
“Well, you might want to give it some serious consideration. Rumor is that the fire was no accident. If that turns out to be the case, you could get it even cheaper, because there won’t be an insurance payment coming,” Brian said.
“He’ll be more desperate,” Frank added.
The bartender returned then and set a bill in front of the two men. They took the last sips of their beers and Frank pulled out his wallet. “I believe it’s my turn this time?”
“Next time it’s on me,” Brian confirmed. Frank put a few bills down on the counter and stood up.
“It was nice talking with you, George. Look forward to talking again.” George finished his beer as the two men walked out and nodded ‘yes’ when the bartender asked if he’d like another.
He’d just taken his first sip when the man next to him leaned his way and said, “I couldn’t help but overhear a bit. We three agree with your new friends. That fire was no accident.”
“Oh, what makes you say so? I’m George, by the way.” He held out his hand and each of the three men shook it and introduced themselves. The man immediately to his left was David. Next to him were Mark and then Joe. All three worked as builders and their firm had built several of the factories in town.
“We built Bob Brown’s mill, ten years ago. It’s a perfectly fine building but he pushed it too far, loading all those heavy machines on every floor. It wasn’t designed to support that much weight. You’d think he would have learned from the disaster of the Pemberton Mill.”
“Aren’t they inspected, though?” George asked.
“Sure. When he first opened, they were and he was in compliance then. But I know some of the women who worked there and each year, he’s added more machines. He’s way over the limit now. It’s a young building still, and strong, but eventually those support beams and floors are going to give way and history would have repeated itself.”
“They recently planned to introduce yearly inspections. Bob never would have passed. He’s been steadily selling the looms since the fire happened. I understand he’s unloaded quite a few of them. Probably just enough so that whoever he manages to sell to will just squeak through the inspection.”
“Do you think that Bob started the fire himself?” George asked, fascinated by what he was learning.
“No, I don’t think he would be that foolish. He wouldn’t risk someone seeing him. After all, it happened in the middle of the day. In broad daylight.”
“He’s been seen talking to Phinneas Gulch. That man is a nasty piece of work!” Joe said.
When George showed no sign of recognition at the name, David explained what made Phinneas so despicable.
“He is a truly vile man. He’d steal from his own mother, I think, just for the thrill of it. Rumor is he swindled an acquaintance of his mother’s, a lovely older woman, someone’s grandmother for goodness sake out of a unique corset she’d designed. He sold the details of it to the highest bidder and the buyer went on to make a fortune from it. It could never be proven, of course. He’s too slippery for that.”
“He stole from his own cousin, too! Some herbal remedy for arthritis or some such thing. Made the concoction and sold it himself. He’s always looking to cheat someone or make an easy dollar. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s involved in this. He’s the type who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work.”
“He sounds like quite a character,” George said, and tried not to seem too excited to hear it.
“He’s bad news. I’d steer clear of him, to be honest. He drifts in and out of town and more than once, people that he has had dealings with have disappeared, never to be heard from again.
“Thank you for the warning. I will make sure to avoid him.”
“Well, we’re about to head out now. It was nice talking to you,” David said as he and the other two men put money in for their bill and left. George finished his beer and followed them a few minutes later. He wanted to get home to see the girls and have dinner with them, and he was more than pleased with what he’d managed to learn in a short period of time.
Chapter Eleven
“I’m so thrilled and relieved for the both of you,” India said soon after Beth arrived at their mother’s house to walk to church with them.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” their mother agreed. “George Montgomery seems like a very nice man. He adores those nieces of his.”
“And he doesn’t seem to mind that you’re not exactly as you described yourself?” India teased her sister.
Beth frowned. “I’ve tried to be on my best behavior with him. It’s not easy, though.”
“He’s had a glimpse of the real you, my dear, and he doesn’t seem to mind. You climbed trees, remember?” her mother reminded her.
“Yes, that’s true. And I didn’t hold back with my opinion on Bob Brown. I think he actually appreciated that.”
“You’re a smart girl. Let him appreciate the real you.” Her mother hugged her close and then they continued walking.
Beth thought about what her mother said. She still thought it was wise to try and act more reserved, and ladylike. To be as close to what George Montgomery requested as possible and to make sure he didn’t change his mind about marrying her. It made her a bit nervous that they weren’t going to be married for several more weeks still.
The church was nearly full when they arrived and slipped into their usual pew in the back. Once they were settled, Beth looked around to see if she could find George and the girls. She spotted them on the opposite side of the church, when she realized that Harriet had seen her and was waving furiously. She smiled and waved back, then settled back into her seat. It was a lovely service and when it was over, they made their way outside to where George and the girls were waiting for them.
“George, I’d like to introduce you to my sister, India,” Beth said once they reached them.
“It’s great to meet you, India. I’m glad that you are joining us today. Shall we get going?” George led them to his buggy and helped their mother into the passenger seat. India and Beth climbed into the back seat, and settled Harriet and Genevieve between the two of them.
When they reached the house, George put the horses into the barn while the girls led the others inside. Mandy came out to greet them from the kitchen. Once again, the house smelled amazing.
“I have a ham cooking. It should be ready shortly. Make yourselves comfortable.”
“It’s lovely to see you again, Mandy. I’m sorry you had to miss the service,” Beth’s mother said to her new friend.
“Oh, I went to the early service. That got me home in plenty of time to cook Sunday dinner. I prefer the early service. It’s not usually as crowded.” Mandy smiled as she turned to head back into the kitchen.
George came through the front door a few minutes later and walked their way. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to wash up and then I’ll be right back.”
“Of course,” Beth said.
“If you’d all like to gather around the dining room table, everything is just about ready,” Mandy called from the kitchen.
George joined them just as they were all sitting down and Mandy set a platter of sliced ham in the center of the table. Mrs. Mitchell said grace, and then everyone filled their plates and chatted easily as they ate. Once dinner was over, George suggested that they move to the living room for their coffee or tea.
“Could we be excused?” Genevieve asked politely.
“Of course. I didn’t expect that the two of you would be wanting to join us,” George said with a chuckle. The two girls bolted f
or the table and ran off to play.
Once they were settled and the girls were well out of earshot, George filled them in on what he’d learned at the pub.
“So, it sounds like this Phinneas Gulch is the key to catching Bob. But, how do we do that?” Beth asked.
“That’s the challenge,” George agreed. “He’s obviously not going to confess, and Bob can’t point the finger at him without implicating himself.”
“Would it make sense to share your suspicions with the police?” India asked.
“Yes, I did that the next morning. My attorney also discovered over the past few days that Bob Brown has a sizable mortgage on that property and the business has been underwater for the past two years. He thought all those machines would cover their costs much sooner. His financials are a bit of a mess.”
“So he wants the insurance money to bail him out,” Beth said.
“It seems to be that way, yes.”
“Things will work out the way that they should,” Mrs. Mitchell said serenely.
George looked her way and smiled. “I certainly hope you are right.”
When they finished their coffee, they said good-bye to the girls, who were happily playing with dominos in the kitchen while Mandy finished cleaning up.
“I hope that you’ll join us again next Sunday?” George asked as they left.
“Of course we will,” their mother answered for them.
“Maybe the girls would like to visit the park again? I’d be happy to take them there mid-week,” Beth offered.
George hesitated for just a moment and then grinned. “That sounds like a splendid idea. I know they would love it. I’ll tell them you’ll be by on Wednesday? Be careful with those trees.”
“We will,” Beth promised.
Chapter Twelve
Beth and her mother set out just after lunch on Wednesday to walk to George’s home. It was a warmer than usual, sunny fall day and there was no wind at all, so the walk was quite enjoyable. When they arrived at the house, Genevieve and Harriet were waiting for them on the front steps and as soon as they saw Beth and her mother, they ran to greet them.
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