A Hearth in Candlewood (18 page)

If indeed Mr. Sewell’s belief that a railroad system would one day replace the canal system was correct, Candlewood should fare well. Although the canal ran north and east, the better route for a railroad would be north.

Due north.

Directly through Bounty, like the canal.

Directly along the toll road on the Leonard property.

Still deep in thought, she refolded the map and stored it away again. Long before the canal had become a reality, a number of local businessmen had formed committees that made joint investments and reaped huge profits. She was not aware of any committees formed to do the same in anticipation of a railroad. That did not mean they did not exist; only that, as a woman, she had not been included. Again.

If indeed there might be a railroad in Candlewood’s future, the value of land in and around the town of Candlewood would soar even higher, especially land suitable for business development. A wise investor would hold on to what land he or she already owned. If the legal owner of Hill House was wise, he might very well keep Hill House as an investment or raise the selling price substantially above the sum she had already paid.

Other investors, working quietly and efficiently, would acquire as much open land as possible for as little cost as possible. Land such as the parcel of land she had sold to Mother Garrett, which had disappointed one very determined investor: Mr. Langhorne.

Suddenly the man’s dogged interest in Emma’s land made sense. Her stipulation to protect that land from development for the next twenty years may have been prompted by her desire to hold on to a piece of Candlewood’s past yet also appeared to have been very wise in light of its potential value, particularly if she had to actually ask Mother Garrett to sell her parcel of land so Emma could buy Hill House again.

Connecting Mr. Langhorne’s interests to the Leonard brothers’ property containing a portion of the toll road also made sense. Given Mr. Langhorne’s very vocal desire to be part of Candlewood’s future, it was not as much of a stretch as it might have been only yesterday to think he was pursuing a new venture or that he might actually be the buyer pushing Andrew Leonard to sell.

From experience, she knew how persistent Mr. Langhorne could be, which might explain why Andrew Leonard appeared to be so anxious to sell the land, even if it meant forfeiting his relationship with his brother. She also knew that Mr. Langhorne would let nothing stand in his way. Should he discover that Emma did not own legal title to Hill House, she should be prepared to expect him to use that as leverage, if only to force her to stop intervening in the Leonards’ squabble. Buying Hill House out from under her might also be a very sweet prize of revenge.

If she was right that there was a railroad in Candlewood’s future, the property at the center of the dissension within the Leonard family was potentially far more valuable than either brother assumed. Reaping a significant profit, however, was many years in the future.

If she was wrong, she might very well stir up a hornet’s nest of problems—and being stung by embarrassment would be the very least of them, especially if Zachary Breckenwith had anything to say about it.

She rubbed her forehead to ease away a dull headache. Today was turning out no better than yesterday, and she had not even had breakfast yet.

19

T
HE
S
EWELLS DEPARTED FOR A RIDE
in the countryside, although with the girls’ bickering, Emma was not sure how pleasant the trip would be. Ditty was upstairs preparing rooms for guests arriving on tomorrow’s afternoon packet. Liesel was in the kitchen helping Mother Garrett with preparations for dinner. Aunt Frances was upstairs busy finishing some sort of parting gift for the Sewell family. Reverend Glenn was on the side porch with Butter doing the same, although Emma had been given strict orders not to venture outside and spoil his surprise.

With everyone else accounted for, Emma popped into the kitchen to let Mother Garrett know her plans. To her surprise, Mother Garrett was alone at the table snapping beans. ‘‘Where’s Liesel?’’

‘‘Down rooting in the cellar again. I know I have more beans, but the girl’s been gone so long, either she can’t find them, I’ve misjudged what I had, or she’s planted some beans and decided to wait for them to grow.’’

Emma burst out laughing, but she sobered when her mother-in-law gave her a dark look. ‘‘I just wanted to let you know I’m going out to do some errands.’’

‘‘Would that include a stop at the General Store?’’

‘‘Yes, I have my correspondence to post. Why? Did you need something?’’

Mother Garrett stopped to wipe her hands, went to the larder, and took out a small tin and a large covered dish. ‘‘You can save me some steps and take something with you for Mr. Atkins. It’s not much. Just a few pretzels.’’ She held out the tin to Emma, who took it with the same hand holding her reticule. ‘‘We made a double batch yesterday. Even with sending some with the Sewells to enjoy for their journey home and setting some aside for the guests who are arriving tomorrow, there’s more than enough left to send him a few,’’ she explained.

‘‘I see. What else have you got there?’’

Mother Garrett handed her the covered dish. ‘‘Just a bit left from this and that. Some slices of ham. The sausages and potatoes left from breakfast. I guess I made too much. Then there’s two slices of pound cake from yesterday, some apple butter . . .’’

‘‘You’re in charge of the kitchen. You don’t have to account for every morsel,’’ Emma insisted. Suddenly she realized why the larder had recently been so bare and where Mother Garrett’s recent errands had taken her. She also suspected her mother-in-law would be sending foodstuffs to each of her three grandsons if they lived nearby. ‘‘I’m just surprised you’ve taken such an interest in Mr. Atkins.’’

Blushing, her mother-in-law shrugged. ‘‘Somebody needs to look out for him. He’s mended just fine, but the poor man still can’t cook for himself and operate the store. I’ve been stopping in every now and then to take him what’s been left behind at meals after our guests have had their fill. He’s very grateful for all the help you gave him,’’ she said, then turned to retrieve the canvas bag she used when she went shopping.

‘‘I didn’t do all that much,’’ Emma countered.

Mother Garrett took the items Emma was holding, stored them in the bag, and handed it to Emma. ‘‘There. I think you’ll find it easier going if you borrow my bag.’’

‘‘That’s much better. Thank you,’’ Emma said, adding her correspondence, as well. She pecked the older woman’s cheek. ‘‘Just limit yourself to feeding the man. I’m certain he’s quite capable of finding a wife on his own.’’

This time, Mother Garrett’s cheeks flamed scarlet. ‘‘I’m certain I have not the slightest inkling—’’

‘‘Yes, you do, and I wouldn’t doubt for a moment that you’ve recruited Aunt Frances to help you. Not that I’m suggesting you shouldn’t help him, even if your last attempt at matchmaking was a disaster,’’ she teased and held up one hand to silence her mother-in-law’s objections. ‘‘I’m not going to remind you about what happened when you tried to match Mark up with the Olsen girl when Catherine was much more suitable, which she’s proven ten times over since they married.’’

‘‘Good. A woman’s entitled to an honest mistake now and then. How was I supposed to know the girl was sensitive to strawberries? Silly twit. She should have said something or turned down eating my dessert instead. She was covered with hives before she even left the table. Catherine has better sense all around.’’

Emma grinned. ‘‘Yes, she does. And as far as Mr. Atkins is concerned, right now I’m only asking for you and Aunt Frances to keep one thing in mind, and I’ll not interfere. Agreed?’’

‘‘I suppose that depends on what it is.’’

Emma cocked a brow.

‘‘Well then, agreed. What is it you want?’’

‘‘Liesel and Ditty are not, I repeat, not to be part of your plans. Aside from the fact that they’re only sixteen and far too young, Liesel is irreplaceable—’’

‘‘Agreed.’’

Emma paused and looked around to make sure they were still alone, then lowered her voice to guarantee she was not overheard. ‘‘And until Ditty ‘grows into her feet,’ as you put it, even thinking about having her work alongside Mr. Atkins in the store would be like . . . like not storing your foodstuffs in the larder—’’

‘‘And not expecting trouble? Even I know Butter better than to do that,’’ Mother Garrett teased.

Reminded of her blunder yesterday, Emma bristled. ‘‘H-how did you know?’’

‘‘I was watching Ditty sort the laundry earlier this morning. I’m not surprised to see most anything staining our aprons, but I couldn’t imagine how mulberry jam stained your skirts. Once I recalled the way the Sewells raved over the snack you’d prepared for them while I was out taking Mr. Atkins a bit to eat, and remembered seeing the empty butter crock Liesel had filled just that morning, I knew something had happened.’’

She smiled, sat back down, and started snapping beans again. ‘‘I’d give you back that land you sold me, just to hear the real tale.’’

‘‘Land you haven’t paid for,’’ Emma countered. ‘‘You still owe me fifty cents.’’

‘‘I put that amount on your account at the General Store just the other day. My offer stands,’’ Mother Garrett teased.

‘‘I’m still not interested,’’ Emma huffed and left by the back door. She rounded the house with the very uncomfortable notion she might indeed need that parcel of land back and quickened her steps. The thought of entertaining Mother Garrett with the details of that disastrous experience was one step toward humility Emma would seek to avoid at all costs. If the heir decided to keep Hill House for himself and she was forced to leave here, however, she would very well be humbled beyond all measure.

————

Emma sat across from Zachary Breckenwith and gazed about his office, which ran front to back along the side of the house he shared with his widowed Aunt Elizabeth. Though spacious, it was nevertheless cramped with hundreds of books left by his predecessor. Journals, newspapers, and legal papers sat in piles that zigzagged the floor and littered the top of his desk; it offered visible evidence of the differences between the two lawyers, since Alexander Breckenwith had been neat and organized to a fault.

Though surrounded by the clutter Zachary Breckenwith called ‘‘the organized chaos of an overburdened attorney,’’ Emma was focused only on the one concern she needed to address with him. ‘‘I stopped by to see if you had had time to register the sale of land to Mother Garrett, amended as we discussed,’’ she began.

Framed by a pair of elaborate but dusty sconces on the wall behind him, he smiled and started rooting through the papers on the floor next to his chair. ‘‘For that, I needed the final signatures. Yes, here’s the paper work,’’ he murmured.

He sat back in his chair, skimmed the paper he held in his hand, and frowned. ‘‘There seems to have been a misunderstanding. I apologize. Jeremy?’’ he bellowed.

The young man charged into the room, skillfully avoided disturbing any of the papers on the floor, and stopped at the side of his mentor’s desk. Emma was far too taken with the color of the man’s bright red hair to notice any other of his features.

‘‘Widow Garrett has come for the paper work you prepared. As I recall, we were going to merely draw up an amendment to the original bill of sale; instead, this is an entirely new agreement.’’

‘‘Yes, sir. I thought that’s what you wanted.’’

Mr. Breckenwith’s frown deepened. ‘‘Where’s the original bill of sale?’’

Jeremy’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. ‘‘I . . . I . . . that is, I believe I destroyed it. You’ve been quite adamant about not accumulating any more paper work than necessary lately. There didn’t seem much sense to keep it.’’

Her lawyer glowered at the younger man. ‘‘Not unless one understood that by destroying the paper before a new bill of sale has yet to be executed, the ownership of the land remains in one name instead of another, thereby negating the sale entirely,’’ he countered and tossed the paper onto his desk.

Jeremy blushed. Even the tips of his earlobes turned nearly the same color as his hair.

‘‘Oh, please don’t be upset. This is good news. At least, I think it is,’’ Emma quickly said. ‘‘Tell me if I understood correctly. Because there is no longer an existing bill of sale, the land is still mine. In order for me to sell the land in question, I’ll have to sign the new agreement.’’

‘‘And so will your mother-in-law,’’ Jeremy added. When he received another glower from his mentor, he stepped back in silent surrender.

‘‘I’m afraid he’s right,’’ her lawyer said and promptly dismissed his nephew.

Gladdened by the news she would have the land back without having to tell Mother Garrett the details of her kitchen disaster, if not by the opportunity to witness her lawyer being less than supremely competent and efficient, she smiled. ‘‘I was right. This is good news.’’

‘‘Good?’’ he asked, and his brows knitted together into a single line of frustration. ‘‘Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about selling the land?’’

‘‘Perhaps.’’

‘‘It’s not in your nature to equivocate, especially in your business affairs,’’ he commented. ‘‘Nevertheless, I’m at your complete disposal. I will personally draw up the papers for whatever you decide to do, but there’ll be no charge. Not after the way this matter has been bungled. If there’s anything I can do to make amends . . .’’

Relishing her superior position in their relationship for once, she smiled. ‘‘I was wondering if I might ask a question.’’

He leaned back in his chair. ‘‘Proceed.’’

‘‘Once a person dies and the heirs receive their inheritances, I believe the will becomes part of the public record. Anyone interested in the will can read it.’’

‘‘Correct. Although if it’s Hughes’s will you want to see, I can save you the trouble. I’ve already read it and confirmed that not only was Spencer the duly named executor, which gave him the legal right to sell Hill House to you, but also that there is indeed only one heir who now has a legal claim to Hill House.’’

‘‘Actually, I have two favors to ask of you, neither of which concerns that particular will. First, I’d like you to hold on to that paper work until I decide whether or not to sell that land.’’