The Gilded Curse: Will the young heiress be the next victim of her family's curse? (12 page)

“Are you Alexandra Smithfield?” One of the ladies addressed her.

“Yes, I am.”

Russell stepped forward. “Allow me to introduce Mrs. Jenkins. Mrs. Jenkins is president of our ladies’ auxiliary. And this is Mrs. Lee.”

“Very nice to meet you.” Lexie extended her hand.

“Sweetheart, you met me many years ago, but I’m sure you don’t remember. May I extend my condolences on the recent loss of your mother and your brother?”

Lexie nodded. “Thank you.” No doubt Mrs. Appleton had been gossiping about her to everyone at the club.

The woman continued. “We’d love for you to join us at our meetings. We gather in the ladies’ parlor once a week. Unfortunately, you just
missed this week’s meeting.” She smiled warmly.

“Yes, please. We need some of you younger women to participate.” Mrs. Lee nodded.

“Perhaps I will. That is, if I’m still here.”

Mrs. Jenkins’ eyebrows lifted. “Still here? Surely you’re staying for the season?”

Russell could tell Lexie didn’t feel like explaining herself again, so he jumped in. “Miss Smithfield has some business to take care of back home, so we might not have the pleasure of her company for long. If you ladies would please excuse us …”

The women exchanged curious glances, but before they could press her further, Russell placed his hand on Lexie’s lower back and pushed her on through the doorway.

“Let’s get rid of these coats and dry off.” He helped Lexie out of hers. “Now, for that hot tea. Or would you prefer coffee?”

Lexie glanced toward the dining room but seemed reluctant to move. He sensed her need for privacy. “Say, I’ve got an idea. Let’s go to my office. We can get warm and have a conversation without other guests hanging around.”

She nodded and smiled. “Sounds great. And I’ll take tea. Honey and extra lemon slices on the side.”

“Yes, ma’am. At your service.” Russell escorted her up the stairs to the fourth floor. They turned right at the top of the staircase and followed the hall around to the end, where he threw open the door to the tower room.

“I didn’t realize your office was up here.”

He took her coat and hung it along with his coat and hat on the Bentwood rack beside the door.

“Oh yes. I inherited the tower office. One of the perks of the job.” He winked and waved his arm across the room. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Russell picked up the phone on his desk and called the kitchen, ordering their tea and coffee.

Lexie eyed the large corner room with windows on two sides and a door leading to the balcony that wound around the clubhouse turret. From her vantage point, she could see the rooftops of all the cottages through the trees. She scanned the panorama before her, taking in the grand lawn in front of the clubhouse, the driveway, the wharf, and glimpsed the river beyond. If it wasn’t so chilly, she’d go out on the
balcony. As she turned around, she noted the tall ladder that led up into the turret. She’d love to see the view from up there. But not today.

“Excuse me. I’ll be back in a jif.” Russell strode to the door and pointed to a large leather sofa. “Have a seat.”

As he left the room, she made her way to the sofa, taking off her hat and placing it on the coffee table in front. She rubbed her hands together, then her arms, to get some warmth. Her eyes scanned the comfortable office with its bookshelves on one wall, its generous mahogany desk, and executive chair. Russell had done all right for himself. A diploma hung on the wall behind the desk with a picture of his graduating class, she assumed. Guess he hadn’t always stayed on the island.

She shuddered at the sight of the animal heads hanging on the opposite wall—deer and boar. She never had liked hunting, preferring the animals alive with their heads attached. Of course, she wouldn’t want to cross paths with that hideous boar whose head was displayed. But after losing her father to hunting, she’d lost any inclination to take up the sport, even skeet-shooting.

Russell rushed in, closed the door behind him, and clapped his hands together.

“Now, our beverages should be here any moment. A nice, hot cup of coffee sounds good right now.” His face broadened into a warm smile. “I take it you didn’t want to go to the dining room and chance running into Floyd today.”

She rolled her eyes. “Too late. I already have.”

Russell took a seat at the other end of the sofa and turned to face her with a big grin, his arm resting along the back. “Yes? And what did dear Floyd have to say today? He was with his mum, I assume.”

“Of course, until I left the table. But he followed me out, said he needed to talk to me about Destiny. He was very interested in what I was going to do with the cottage, and when I said I was planning to sell it, he intimated we might get married and keep it! Can you imagine?”

Russell roared with laughter. “His mother’s always liked Destiny. I think she was jealous of your family for having it. You know, they don’t have a cottage of their own. They’ve always stayed in the clubhouse. So I guess she thought she could marry you and Floyd off and get the cottage in return.”

“Well, she thought wrong. I wouldn’t marry Floyd Appleton if he was the last man on earth!”

“Ha. Poor Floyd. Maybe his mother will find some other woman
for him.”

“Seriously, Russell. I thought they might be behind the telegram, but it just doesn’t seem like their style. Of course, they were very interested in the cottage…”

“Lexie, about today. Hey, I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you. Business, you know.”

“Of course. I got there fine. Mr. Sullivan, the concierge, took me.”

“Yes, I know, but I was surprised he didn’t stay and wait for you.”

“He offered, but I told him not to.”

“Bet you wish he had.”

She sighed, then sat upright. “So someone knew I was going to the cottage or followed me. Wonder why?”

He shook his head. “Well, I guess they want to know what you’re doing or going to do.”

“Do you think it’s the same person who got into the house and tore up the desk?”

A knock on the door and Russell answered. “Come in.”

A young man entered carrying a silver tray with two silver pitchers, a sugar bowl, creamer, and china cups for each of them. A plate of lemon slices and a bowl of honey rested on a small plate alongside another plate of scones. The waiter placed the tray on the coffee table in front of them and handed them each a linen napkin. He poured hot tea from the small pitcher into one cup and handed it to Lexie.

Lexie took two lemon slices from the saucer the waiter held out to her. The young man’s broad smile overtook his face as he beamed at Lexie. He offered her the honey and she helped herself, feeling the waiter’s stare. Her face grew warm, and she avoided his eyes, wishing he’d look elsewhere or leave.

Lexie smiled at Russell over the plate of pastries on the tray. “Scones too?”

“A little bird told me you liked them.” He gave her a wink and took the cup of coffee from the waiter. Turning his attention to the waiter, he said, “Walter, I hear you’ll soon be leaving us for the army.”

“Yes, sir. I’m reporting for duty in two weeks.” The waiter snapped to attention and saluted.

Lexie did a double-take. Could this young man be old enough for the military? He looked so boyish.

“We’ll miss you here, but wish you the best. We’ll keep you in our prayers.”

Did he say “prayers”? Lexie didn’t realize Russell was so spiritual.

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. But we’ll be back soon as we beat those Krauts!”

Russell stood and shook the waiter’s hand. “You do that, Walter.”

The young man gave Lexie another admiring glance before turning back to Russell. “Will that be all, sir?”

“Yes, that’ll be all for now, Walter. Thank you.”

The waiter bowed and left the room. Lexie stared after him for a few moments.

“He seems so young to be in the army.”

“I’m sure he joined as soon as he was seventeen.”

Lexie shook her head, then took a bite of a scone. “These are as delicious as ever.”

“Good to hear that. We’ve tried to keep our specialties consistent, even with the changes in kitchen staff.” Russell grabbed a scone and bit off a piece.

“I noticed that most of the staff isn’t the same as it was when I was a little girl. But I do remember that waiter, Mr. Mason. He’s always been here, hasn’t he?”

“About twenty-five years. Thank God for the older employees, or we’d really be short-staffed.”

Lexie raised her eyebrows. “This seems to be a desirable place to work.”

“It is, or was. Before we got into the war. Now every able-bodied man like Walter is signing up for active duty. I heard they were lined up at the recruiting center in Atlanta.”

Lexie nodded. “They were everywhere, from what I’ve read in the papers. Have you considered joining too?”

A pained expression crossed his face. He pointed to his foot. “They won’t take me.”

Her heart squeezed, and she regretted asking the question. “Oh, I’m sorry. What happened?”

“Stupid hunting accident. I tripped and the gun went off, taking a piece of my foot with it.”

Lexie’s stomach turned. “Oh. I didn’t realize. Thank God, it wasn’t worse.”

“Yes, thank God indeed.”

Her face warmed and she grasped for a change in topic.

“Russell, you said Abner Jones was placed in a mental hospital after
the first war. How did he get out?”

“Your grandfather. He vouched for him, said the war did strange things to people.”

“Really? No wonder he’s so indebted to Grandfather.”

Russell slapped his knee. “You know, I just realized why Abner went inside the cottage.”

“Why?”

“Thunder. Abner hates loud noises—they call it ‘shell-shock’. I bet he went inside to get away from the thunder.”

“Oh dear. Poor man.” Lexie studied her hands in her lap, suddenly feeling sorry for him. “I saw people like that in the hospital.”

Russell’s forehead creased with concern. “It’s a shame about your mother, Lexie. She was always a beautiful woman.”

“Yes, she was—used to be. But she was never the same after Father died.”

“I remember how hard she took it when your little brother died.”

Lexie’s heart wrenched. He was right. Mother never recovered from Kenneth’s drowning, then Father’s accident. Tears filled her eyes, and she wiped them with her napkin.

“Hey, why don’t we do something fun?”

Lexie glanced up, amazed at how fast the man could regain his cheerful attitude. Wouldn’t it be nice to have that ability?

“How’d you like to take on the club billiard champion?” Russell stuck his chest out like a proud peacock.

“You?” Lexie laughed, covering her mouth. “That shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Oh yeah? You don’t know what you’re up against.”

“All right. You’re on!”

As she stood from the couch, Lexie smoothed her skirt. Maybe her pants were ready now. She’d stop by the laundry and get them first. She scanned the room, nodding at the animal heads.

“Did you kill all those?”

“Not all of them. Actually, Robert got the buck.”

Lexie gazed up at the massive deer head with its large rack of antlers. “Why did he leave it here, in your office?”

“Your mother wouldn’t allow it at the cottage, so he told me to keep it to remind me what a good shot he was.” Russell crossed his arms, smiling.

“Who shot the boar?” She pointed at the creature and grimaced.

“I did. Ugly, isn’t it?”

She nodded. There was a variety of other animals—pheasant, wild turkeys, even a large fish mounted on the wall. She stared at them while Russell got her coat. Some pictures of groups of men with their trophies accompanied the animals on the wall. One of them caught her attention, and she drew closer to study it.

“Russell, that’s you, Robert, and Father, isn’t it?”

Russell joined her to look at the picture. “Yes, that’s right.”

The men posed with their rifles beside them, a couple of deer lying on the ground in front.

She studied the picture. “Who are the other men?”

“That’s Edwin and Frank Gould.” He jabbed his finger at each of the men standing to the left of her father.

“Who’s that man?” Lexie pointed to another man standing in the background.

“Oh, that’s Jack Barnes.”

“The boat captain?” She faced Russell frowning. “I wasn’t aware that he was a friend of yours and Robert’s.”

“His father was the game warden, so he assisted us on a lot of hunts. Now that hunting’s not popular, he drives the launch for us.”

“He sure has changed. I thought he was much older than you and Robert. He’s certainly aged since this photograph was taken.”

“Life has been pretty rough for him.” He held up her coat for her to put on. “Are you ready for some billiards?”

She took the coat and draped it over her arm. “I want to change clothes first. Meet you in the billiards room in thirty minutes. It’s in the annex, isn’t it?”