Petals on the River (101 page)

colonial."

"How I've longed to see her dead." Edith sighed wearily.
 
"If I could

only find the right person to carry out such a deed, I'd give them a

fortune."

Morrisa chewed her fingertip thoughtfully for a moment, wondering if she

could trust the woman.
 
If the elder was seeking to entrap her, then

she'd be a fool to suggest that she could arrange for something terrible

to happen to Shemaine.
 
Still, why would Edith du Mercer travel all the

way from England just to lure a harlot into a trap?
 
The idea was so

farfetched it was ludicrous.

From the very first moment of their meeting downstairs, it had been

evident to Morrisa that this grand lady was tenacious and had a direct

purpose in mind.
 
And the more they talked, the more she became

convinced that this was no lily-white angel she was keeping company

with.
 
"Right off, I can tell ye that this here Potts is just itchin' ta

slice Sh'maine's throat."

"If you can get him to do away with Shemaine, there'll be a substantial

reward in it for you.
 
If you came here on the London Pride, then I

would assume your papers of indenture are being held .
 
. ."

"By Freida .
 
.
 
.
 
the madam."

"With the funds I'm willing to give you, Morrisa, you'd be able to buy

your freedom and set up your own company of girls anywhere you have a

desire to go.
 
If you're caught, of course, you must not say anything

about me encouraging you to do the deed.
 
Tis doubtful that anyone would

believe you, but if you were to incriminate me, I'd i certainly repay

you in kind and send someone to get rid of you.
 
There would, however,

be an even greater reward for keeping silent, and since you wouldn't be

directly involved, I could probably arrange for your freedom."

''I knows when ta hold me tongue, m'liedy.
 
Ye needn't worry bout me."

"The moment I saw you I thought we'd be able to understand each other."

" Tain't hard ta get Potts ta kill Sh'maine with just meself doin' the

talkin'.
 
He'll do anythin' I ask him.
 
He'll have ta kill Mr. Thornton

though, ta protect both our skins after he kills Sh'maine. Afterwards,

Potts'll be needin' some coins ta tide him over while he hides out.
 
His

own is down ta nubbins."

"I'm willing to pay him, a little beforehand to encourage him and a

greater reward afterwards, if he does the deed."

"Just in case he don't, I'm thinkin' there's nother one what might do

the deed for her own pleasure.
 
She aren't gots no idea o' what I seen or

what I figgered out bout her an' a certain pipsqueak what gots hisself

killed cause o' her.
 
She's too high an' mighty ta talk ta me, but if'n

ye're willin', m'liedy, she might be o' a mind ta talk ta ye. I'm also

a-thinkin' she wants outa this here place real bad an' will be needin' a

fat purse ta break free."

"Do you think we need to have Potts and this other woman trying to kill

Shemaine at the same time?" Edith remembered how trim and petite the

girl had seemedastanding before her after rejecting an offer of wealth

beyond the shores of England.
 
It didn't seem likely that two assailants

were needed.

Morrisa was of a different mind.
 
"Potts bungled his attacks too many

times for me likin' an' aren't gained nothin' from em ceptin' a hole in

his side.
 
Mr.
 
Thornton'll likely shoot him on sight if'n Potts don't

kill him first.
 
That's the main one I'm skeered o' cause he'll chase me

down clear ta the end o' the earth ta get his revenge for us killin' his

darling'.
 
But even if Roxanne Corbin is seen, she could at least get

close enough ta Sh'maine ta do her some real harm, an' I'm thinkin' she'd

be happy ta have a chance ta get a weighty purse sides."

"And this Roxanne Corbin is the one to whom you wish me to speak?"

"Aye, she'd be wantin' ta do the deed, alright, seein's as how Sh'maine

stole the man what she was plannin' on marryin'.
 
From what I heared

from that li'l pipsqueak after the two o' them got into a squabble,

Roxanne was real taken on Mr.
 
Thornton maybe as far back l as ten

years.
 
Some say she was servicin' his needs, but ol' Sam said not,

cause she's too ugly an' Mr.
 
Thornton's gots an eye for the pretty

ones.
 
Right after Thornton married his first wife, Roxanne went sorta

crazy.
 
Then his missus was kilt, an' first thing ye know, she's

a-keepin' the Thornton house an' a-makin' plans ta wed him.

"Then Sh'maine come along, an' this Thornton fella up an' marries the

bogtrotter.
 
That left Roxanne a-stewin' an' a-frettin' like she was

bout ta bust open with envy.
 
Right now she's tryin' ta tell everybody

Thornton kilt his first missus.
 
But I knows she wants him back.
 
I can

sees it in her eyes when he prances his handsome self down the street

with that bold stride o' his.
 
O' course, she don't knows I'm a-watchin'

her.
 
Roxanne's so anxious ta get him neath her petticoats, all he'd

have ta do is snap his fingers an' she'd snatch em up high just ta speed

their couplin'.
 
Truth be, Mr.
 
Thornton's so caught on Sh'maine, he

aren't wantin' nothin' atall from ol' horse-face or nobody else.
 
I even

tried ta talk him inta comin' upstairs with me, but he wouldn't have any

o' what I could've given him.
 
Roxanne has ta know she aren't gots a

mule's chance with Sh'maine a-livin' .
 
.
 
.
 
so's twould seem ta me

she'd be awfully willin' ta consider snuffin' out the bogtrotter's life.

If'n she's o' a mind ta do the killin', a purse'd push her forward,

cause then she could skedaddle from her pa."

"You seem to know a lot about the people of this town, Morrisa."

The harlot shrugged.
 
"Some o' me customers are real talkative at times.

But then, I sees a lot while tryin' ta drum up business."

"You said you saw something that Roxanne did to this pipsqueak, as you

call him?"

"Aye, I was in his house the night he was killed.
 
She caused it, all

right.
 
Not that she laid a hand ta him, ye understand, but she's guilty

just the same."

"If she's not willing to murder Shemaine for a purse, perhaps I'll be

able to convince her that it will be to her advantage to comply unless

she wants to be arrested for a man's murder."

"Like I said, m'liedy.
 
Roxanne didn't do it exactly," Morrisa

maintained, stressing the point.

"Well, if she laid a snare for the man, she's just as guilty, isn't

she?"

Morrisa set her jaw slightly askew as she debated the danger of

threatening the smithy's daughter.
 
"She'll set her hound ta chewin' me

hide if'n ye mention me name, m'liedy.
 
I'll be as good as dead if'n

they catch me."

"Is that why you wish me to speak to her?
 
Because you're afraid of

her?"

"I aren't fraid o' many, m'liedy, but what I seen that night sure sceered

me a-plenty."

"Very well, Morrisa.
 
I'll try to convince Roxanne to do what I want

without using any threats.
 
I'll give you a missive to send over to her

this very afternoon.
 
If at all possible, I'd like to see this venture

accomplished before dusk on the morrow.
 
I would prefer it if my

grandson remains incognizant of both my arrival and my departure. So the

sooner Shemaine dies, the better my chances will be to make good my

escape."

"Ye don't think word will get around, m'liedy?
 
This be a mighty

talkative town."

"I'm willing to take that chance.
 
Besides, if I'm gone by the time the

townspeople start chattering, I can always say that I was searching for

Maurice and was told he had gone up north or some such tale."

Morrisa smirked.
 
" Twould seem I aren't the only liar in this here

room."

Edith raised a lofty brow.

% ..> ./' CHAPTER 24

A contract for the sale of the brigantine had been drawn up between Gage

Thornton and Nathanial Beauchamp, designating the latter as the future

owner of the vessel upon its completion.
 
It had been a fair and

equitable agreement for both men, but now that Gage faced the difficult

choice of closing down his cabinet shop and building ships full-time, he

realized he would be terminating what had become a very lucrative

enterprise.
 
There was also the fact that Ramsey Tate, Sly Tucker, and

the two younger apprentices depended on the furniture-making business

for their livelihood.
 
Unless he continued to supply them with his

designs and his expertise at matching grains and seams, the men would be

at a considerable disadvantage.
 
They were hard workers and skilled at

what they did, but not necessarily creative, certainly not enough to

compensate for the lack of his close direction and talent.

Gage had never hidden his aspirations from his men, and after the

Beauchamps' departure, he had gone down to the cabinet shop and, with

understandable jubilation, announced that he had sold his ship.
 
It soon

became apparent from the forced smiles of the cabinetmakers that they

had been dreading what was in the offing.
 
Their subdued congratulations

made him wonder if they hadn't recognized their own limitations and were

reluctant to argue in their own behalf.
 
Perhaps they had even thought

it was futile to try to persuade him to give up his long-held dream of

becoming a major shipbuilder.
 
He had found it immensely enlightening to

see their sudden elation when he informed them that, after further

consideration, he had decided it would be foolish for him to cease the

production of furniture.
 
He would therefore confine his shipbuilding