Miss Hampton nodded in Mr. Brody’s direction. “Adam gave me a pistol for Christmas a few years back and told me I should learn to use it. He said no woman should be without a means to defend herself. Now, Miss Martin, do you suppose we can put this behind us for one night? Mr. Brody’s bedroom furniture should be here on tomorrow’s train, and then we’ll send Mr. White back out to the barn.” The tone in her voice said that she found the whole conversation silly. Harriet nodded and went back to gathering up the lunch things.
Elizabeth’s eyes strayed over to Mr. Brody again, as if they’d ever really left him since he walked into the hotel that day. He’d taken off his coat and draped it over the back of his chair, and now he stood in his shirtsleeves, a sandwich in one hand, talking to Tom about something or another. She would definitely stop paying so much attention to him—just as soon as she could figure out how.
“Miss Caldwell.”
Elizabeth startled. Had Miss Hampton read her mind and figured out what she was thinking? “Yes?”
“How is your mother? I overheard Adam asking you, but I didn’t catch your answer.”
Elizabeth was relieved that was all Miss Hampton wanted. “She’s been feeling a little tired of late, but overall, I believe she is better.”
“There are some sandwiches leftover from lunch. I invite you to take them home to your mother, if you would. Otherwise, they’ll go to waste.”
Elizabeth doubted they would, but she was touched by the generosity. “I’m sure she’d appreciate that. Thank you.” It was rare that she was able to bring home a surprise to her mother—she’d do it gladly.
Chapter Nine
Adam scowled as he read the letter that had been delivered to Mrs. Dempsey’s that afternoon. It was dusk and he would soon be helping Caroline and Miss Martin carry their things over to the hotel, but he’d taken just a moment to read his mail, and now he was perturbed. He didn’t like being perturbed.
“Aunt Caroline, did you run into Olivia Markham while you were shopping for me in New York?”
Caroline nodded. “I did. We talked about your exciting new venture.”
Adam waved the letter, the paper crinkling in the air. “She’s just written to ask if there’s anything she can do to help. She said she noticed that you only ordered a minimum of linen napkins and wonders if we need more.”
Caroline raised an eyebrow. “Odd that she wouldn’t mention it to me while we were both right there, and I could have done something about it.”
“I don’t find it odd at all. I think she was hoping for something to write me about. She’s always been interested in my inheritance.”
Caroline tsked. “Isn’t it possible that she’s interested in you?”
“I rather doubt that. She never looked my way until word leaked out that I would be wealthy after Father’s death.” Adam looked at the letter again. “I wonder if she would have been so quick to write if she knew I’d put all the money into this place, with no guarantee of ever turning a profit.”
“Tell me about the napkins,” Caroline said, her voice becoming a bit more pointed. “What other grievous mistakes did I make while shopping?”
“She didn’t mention any. She just said that if we discovered we needed anything else, we should be sure to let her know, and she’d be more than happy to see to it for us.”
Caroline nodded. “I suppose that sounds reasonable. And I suppose I must be reasonable as well and admit that I’ve been making a list of things we still need.”
“But we don’t have to ask for Olivia’s help with them, do we? You just said that you wish she’d mentioned the napkins to you at the time. Doesn’t that just annoy you?” He purposely made his voice more dramatic.
Caroline laughed. “You’d love it if I gave you a reason to ignore her letter, wouldn’t you?”
“The thought has crossed my mind.” Adam put the letter back in the envelope and tossed it onto his bed. “Olivia Markham always has a plot brewing in that pretty little head of hers. She did everything she could think of to ruin my relationship with Vivian—not that I was ever able to prove it, but it was most definitely her. I don’t trust this offer, and I can’t help but wonder what she means by it.”
“Let’s get these things taken over to the hotel, and we’ll discuss it tomorrow,” Caroline said. “It will be full dark soon, and I’d rather not be traipsing up and down the street by moonlight.”
Adam took the handles of one bag of his aunt’s and another of Miss Martin’s and carried them down the stairs. “Off we go, then,” he said, and they made their way toward his new establishment.
* * *
“And here comes the train.” Adam craned his neck to see as the steam locomotive chugged into the station and let out a long hiss. He could hardly wait to unpack their order and begin putting the hotel to rights. With all the shredded and faded linens and bedding they’d had to discard, the hotel looked virtually naked, and he looked forward to dressing it up again.
Tom stood at his elbow, ready to carry whatever was needed, and Caroline was with them as well. Adam nodded to the conductor as the man stepped off the train, and then he strode across the platform to shake his hand.
“I’m Adam Brody. I understand you have a rather large shipment for me today.”
“I do indeed, sir. My name is Wallace Dupree, and I’ve been keeping an eye on your packages since they were loaded on. Let me show you where they are.” Mr. Dupree’s eyes flicked to Caroline as he spoke, but he brought his attention right back to Adam. His ears turned a shade of pink which reached the very tips. Curious, Adam thought.
The conductor led them a few cars down the length of the train and opened the sliding door on a cargo car. “Here you go,” he said. “Nearly this whole thing belongs to you.”
Adam nodded in satisfaction when his gaze landed on the bedframes. One of those was his, and he’d move into the hotel that very day and put Miss Martin’s fears to rest. Nothing had happened the night before, but according to Caroline, Miss Martin felt that was entirely thanks to Mr. Samuel Colt’s invention.
“I’ve got a list here of everything,” Mr. Dupree said, handing it over. Adam scanned down the left-hand column, taking note of the linens, the carpeting, the dishes, and remembering that he’d neglected to order new drapes. Caroline had taken him to task for that, and now he felt foolish. These were the sorts of things that were liable to happen when he didn’t consult with his aunt before acting. How could she have known from New York the condition of the drapes in Kansas? She’d been relying entirely on him to know what to choose.
“This all looks good,” Adam told the conductor. “I’ll be placing another order shortly, but it won’t be this large.”
Mr. Dupree chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Tom brought the wagon around, and the men began making the transfer of goods. Caroline stood off to the side, her parasol blocking the harsh rays of the morning sun. Adam thought she made a rather fetching picture up against the wood of the train station, and then noticed that he wasn’t the only one who thought so. Mr. Dupree’s eyes kept wandering over there, even when his task was clearly right in front of them. Adam hid a smile. He wouldn’t mind seeing his aunt attract a gentleman caller.
“All right, let’s get this over to the hotel,” Adam called out after they’d moved the last bedframe. Each one made of brass, each one designed to attract a tired traveler . . . they’d better make a go of this hotel or he would be left with an entire wagonload of expensive bedding as his only legacy.
* * *
Adam scooted his bedframe over one inch and then stood back, nodding in satisfaction. That would do nicely. With the small dresser in the corner and the washbasin next to it, he had everything he needed. He’d once dreamed of having a larger bedroom to share with his bride, one with two big windows covered in lace curtains and a large wardrobe in the corner to hold all her dresses—Vivian had many dresses, and it would be his privilege to buy her more. With her passing, that dream h
ad also vanished, and this quiet corner would suit him well.
“Let me make up your bed,” Caroline said, standing in the doorway with her arms loaded with linens.
“I can do it.” He took her bundle from her and smiled when he saw the shocked look on her face. “I do know how to make a bed, Aunt Caroline.”
“I supposed that you would—my sister taught you well. It’s just a nice change.” She leaned against the doorframe and watched with a bemused smile while he flipped out the sheets and tucked them in. “I’m not ready to hire you on as a chambermaid, but you’re doing a respectable job.”
“I would be a terrible chambermaid. I don’t have the patience for it.” Adam spread the blanket over the top, fluffed the pillow and placed it near the headboard, and stood back. “There. I’m officially on the premises, and we can tell Miss Martin that Tom will be moving back out to his loft.”
“I’m sure she’ll be very pleased to hear that.” Caroline nodded. “Good night, Adam.”
“Good night.”
He waited until he heard the click of his bedroom door before he pulled off his clothes and washed up. After dressing for bed, he pulled out his small wooden box and stared at it. Although he had opened it every night since Vivian’s death, tonight he didn’t feel inclined to do so. Instead, he placed it in his top drawer, climbed under his blanket, and fell fast into a dreamless sleep. It was a little early yet, but he was worn to his very bones.
Chapter Ten
“The last bed in the last room is now made up,” Elizabeth reported to Miss Hampton that evening. She and the three other girls had been busy all day long, fluffing and plumping mattresses and stretching sheets, making up the beds as fast as Tom and Mr. Brody assembled the frames. The rooms were nearly done—all that remained were the drapes, and while they’d be a nice finishing touch, their absence wouldn’t keep the hotel from opening. Each window bore a light sheer, which would give privacy in the meantime.
“I’m very glad to hear that.” Miss Hampton untied her apron strings and wadded the fabric into a ball. “It’s certainly been a long day. I don’t even want to think about unpacking the kitchen crates tomorrow, but it’s a nice weight off my shoulders that the rooms are so close to being ready. We’ll be able to open earlier than my nephew hoped.”
“Oh, that will be nice,” Elizabeth said. It was a testament to how hard she and the others had worked.
“Let’s all get a good night’s sleep and start fresh tomorrow. Good night, Miss Caldwell. Please take home some of the tea in the pantry to your mother. It’s in a small bag to the right of the stove.”
“Thank you, Miss Hampton. I believe she’d enjoy that. Good night.”
Elizabeth walked home with a light heart. She was more tired than she’d ever been in her life, but she felt like she was contributing to something important, and that alone cheered her when she didn’t want to leave her most important thing in the world—Rose.
It wasn’t even dusk yet, so she felt no hesitancy about going past the small forest along the road. But when she reached the halfway mark, she heard voices behind her.
“Well, there she goes, walking along all pert.”
“You know she won’t even give you the time of day,” said a second voice.
“It’s true that she might need a little convincing, but that’s my specialty,” said the first.
It was them again—she didn’t know why she bothered to be surprised. But this was the closest they’d ever come to hinting at a threat, and her heart rate sped up. She didn’t glance over her shoulder or give any other sign that she’d heard them. Perhaps if she ignored them—no, that was hardly a plan. Their footsteps began to come faster, closing the gap.
She was about to break into a run to try to reach the cabin before they caught up to her when the most welcome sound entered her ears. A wagon and horses clip-clopped along the road—surely these men wouldn’t attempt anything in front of witnesses. She kept walking, her pace nearly more of a trot. The wagon went just slowly enough that she reached her front stoop before it was out of sight. She didn’t know if guardian angels drove wagons, but she wouldn’t be surprised.
After she closed the door behind her, she bolted it, put a chair under the knob, and scooped up her baby, holding her close. She didn’t lay Rose down in her cradle that night, but instead, slept in the rocking chair with her child asleep on her chest, needing the warmth and the comfort. Agatha didn’t question her at all. That was just as well. She couldn’t tell her mother what had happened.
* * *
“And six dozen linen napkins,” Caroline said, and Adam added them to the list.
“I believe you’re trying to spend my entire inheritance within the first three weeks,” he said good-naturedly.
“This was entirely your idea, you know. You could be living a life of utter luxury, smoking cigars and reading novels in your parlor.”
“Where would be the fun in that?” Adam glanced over the sheet of paper in front of him, hoping that they would now have everything to run the hotel properly. He disliked the idea of asking Olivia Markham for help, but truth be told, it was needed. He would much rather ask her to choose the goods for him than to trust that the shopkeeper would know what he would like. “I’ll send this telegram off right away, and with luck, we’ll have our goods soon. Now, you said we can open right away?”
Caroline reached out and arranged a flower in the vase that stood in the center of the table, making it stand straight when it wanted to droop. “I don’t recall saying ‘right away.’ But yes, if we made do with the napkins we already have, and if the guests didn’t mind the lack of proper drapes, I imagine we could open in three days’ time.”
Adam’s mind began to spin. Could it really be possible? “Do you think we should?”
Caroline shrugged. “It’s your choice. However, if it were my hotel, I’d hate to see it standing unused just for lack of some drapes.”
Adam grinned. “I say let’s do it. I’ll arrange for the groceries to be delivered.”
Caroline bobbed her head once. “And I’ll make sure the girls are trained in how to wait tables.” She paused. “This is rather exciting, don’t you think?”
Adam rose from his desk, wrapped his arms around his aunt’s waist, and twirled her around three times. “It’s more than exciting! It’s incredible!”
“Gracious,” she said when he set her back down. Her cheeks were flushed, but her smile was wide. “All right, then. Let’s get to work and make this incredible thing happen.”
Adam whistled as he walked up the street to send his telegram. Three days hence, he really would be a businessman.
* * *
Mr. Brody had certainly appeared to be in a good mood when he left the hotel that afternoon. Elizabeth had been glancing out through the kitchen window when he left, and that glance had become something more of a stare. She brought herself back to reality and finished polishing the spoon she held just as Miss Hampton came into the kitchen.
“Would you like to take your break now, Miss Caldwell? It seems like a good time for it,” Miss Hampton suggested.
“I’d like that very much. Thank you.” Elizabeth hung up her apron, went outside to where Cleophas stood waiting, and mounted. “Thank you, Tom,” she called out, and was on her way.
As she rode, Elizabeth’s thoughts wandered to her mother. Agatha had coughed several times throughout the night, and Elizabeth wasn’t sure if it was caused by the dust being kicked up on the road, or if her mother was getting sick again. Her lungs had been weakened the previous winter, and Elizabeth didn’t know if she could withstand another illness.
When she arrived at the house, though, she found that everything was just fine.
“Please thank Miss Hampton for the tea she sent home with you last night,” Agatha said. “I’ve been sipping on it all day, and I do believe it’s helping.”
“I’ll be sure to let her know.” Elizabeth bent and picked up Rose, who surely must have grown an i
nch since that morning. “Miss Hampton has a good heart, and she said she hoped you were well.”
“Has Mr. Brody said anything to you about when you would receive your wages?” Agatha lowered herself onto a kitchen chair. “We’re nearly out of flour.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Yes, in fact. He said he would pay us all tomorrow, and he’s including a bonus because we were able to get the hotel ready so much more quickly than he thought. He’s very pleased.”
“Oh, that will be nice.”
“I think we should celebrate. How should we celebrate, Mother? Maybe with one of your delicious cakes?”
Agatha shook her head in disbelief. “It’s been so long since I’ve made one—I’m sure I’ve forgotten how.”
“I doubt that. I doubt that very much.” Elizabeth lifted Rose to her shoulder and burped her. “I’ll go to the store on my way home tomorrow, and I’ll buy all the ingredients. And tea, and coffee, and everything else we need.”
Agatha’s eyes lit up. “That will be wonderful.”
Content with the knowledge that her mother and daughter would be cared for, Elizabeth rocked back and forth, her eyes growing heavy. She was awfully tired—the long days at the hotel were wearing her out. She blinked and sat up straight when her mother said, “It’s about time you headed back, isn’t it?”
“You’re right. I think I dozed off for a minute.”
Elizabeth changed Rose and laid her in the cradle, then gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”
With just a few minutes to spare before she was supposed to be back at the hotel, Elizabeth mounted Cleophas and turned him toward the road. They started out at a nice canter, but suddenly, a gunshot rang out behind them, and Cleophas reared up on his hind legs. Elizabeth barely kept her seat, scrambling to grab the saddle horn and leaning as far forward as she could. Her hands trembled so badly, she almost couldn’t maintain her grip.
As soon as all four of his hooves were on the ground again, Cleophas took off, galloping up the road. She bent down and grasped the reins close to the bit, pulling back and speaking in his ear, and he did slow down a little. But then another gunshot sounded, and he was off again.
A New Beginning Page 6
