A New Beginning (8 page)

“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 inch 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.

Elizabeth had been willing to believe that the first shot was an accident or the work of a hunter who didn’t realize how close he was to the road, but the second shot told her this was deliberate. Her heart pounded in her chest as she jounced along, completely at Cleophas’s mercy—he wouldn’t obey any of her commands.

As they reached the small stand of trees along the way, two men stepped out of the shadows and held up their arms as if to slow down the horse. Was it any wonder that these were the same two men who had been pestering her? Any fear she might have felt was chased away and replaced by nothing but pure anger. Cleophas didn’t pay them any heed, but raced right past them, and she didn’t try to stop him that time.

A short distance down the road, Cleophas threw a shoe, and came to a halt. Elizabeth slid out of the saddle, gathered up the reins, and began to lead him, glancing over her shoulder the whole way. Thankfully, the edge of town was in sight, and she had no idea where the men had gone.

“What on earth?” Tom met her in the yard as she led Cleophas through the back gate.

“He threw a shoe,” she said, a little winded from walking so quickly.

“He threw a shoe?” Tom echoed. “I reshod him just two days ago.”

“What’s the matter?”

Elizabeth turned at the sound of Mr. Brody’s voice. She immediately became aware of her dusty dress, her disheveled hair, her ragged breathing. She must look a sight.

“Miss Caldwell here says that Cleophas threw a shoe.” Tom bent down, took the horse’s foot in his hands, and inspected it. “Well, I’ll be.”

“What is it, Tom?” Mr. Brody bent over to see where Tom was pointing.

“I’d be willing to wager quite a lot of money that the horseshoe nails were loosened. I have a rather particular way of driving the nails, one I picked up from a fellow along the road, and if you look here, you’ll see that the nails were wiggled back and forth a bit. I know full well what these hooves looked like two days ago, and I know full well that these shoes were not loose.”

Mr. Brody straightened and met Elizabeth’s eye. She looked at him for a moment, and then down at the ground. Her heart had calmed down from her fright, but now it pounded again because of the depth of intensity in his gaze.

“Miss Caldwell, why don’t you get a drink of water and refresh yourself, and I’ll see you in my office in ten minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, bobbing a quick curtsy before scurrying off. Once out of his sight, she pulled out her handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She had a terrible feeling about this, a sense that things were about to become much more dangerous.

Chapter Eleven

Adam was incensed. Why would someone sabotage one of his animals? Did they wish to see his hotel fail? Or was this a more personal attack—one on Miss Caldwell herself? He ran his hand through his hair, clenching his fist and tugging on the hair at the roots. Why would anyone seek to harm her? She was such a kind, gentle soul—she couldn’t have an enemy in the world.

At the soft rapping he heard on the door, he called out, “Come in,” and took a seat behind his desk. He could keep pacing his room like a caged tiger, but he didn’t imagine that would do any good.

Miss Caldwell entered, her hair now smoothed, her demeanor less ruffled. “I’m here,” she said needlessly.

“So I see. Please sit down.”

She glanced at the chair he indicated. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather stay standing.”

“But if you remain standing, then I shall have to stand, and quite frankly, I’m a bit worn out.”

A faint smile brushed across her lips. “Very well, then.” She took a seat, but didn’t look at all more relaxed.

“I’ve been going over and over it in my mind,” Adam said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his desk. “Why would someone loosen my horse’s shoe? The answer isn’t coming to me, and so I must turn to you, Miss Caldwell. I think you know more about this than you’ve said.”

She studied her hands. He couldn’t read the expression on her face at all.

“Miss Caldwell, we need to discuss this. I don’t know why you’re refusing to be more forthcoming—unless you loosened that shoe yourself.”

At that, her eyes came up and met his, which was precisely what he’d hoped. “I did no such thing, Mr. Brody, I assure you. There are two men who loiter around town, mostly outside the saloon, who enjoy . . . speaking to me as I walk past. Lately, they’ve been waiting for me on the road to my house.”

Adam’s fists clenched. “Waiting for you? Do you mean to say that they know where you live?”

She nodded. “I suspected that they did, but today confirms it. I believe they crept into the yard while I was inside, and loosened the shoe for my ride back. Then they shot their guns—or rather, had someone else shoot their guns—behind me to make the horse run.”