The Lightkeeper's Ball (16 page)

Cradling the kitten, Olivia fell back against the pillow. Her eyes burned, and she gulped back the sob building in her throat. Eleanor had decorated this room for her and she hadn’t known it. She glanced around the lavishly appointed bedroom. The silk, blue and white with touches of palest yellow, had spoken to her the moment she’d taken stock of her surroundings. No wonder. Eleanor had known exactly what Olivia would like.

Goldia touched her hand. “Miss Olivia?”

Olivia didn’t have the heart to remind her to call her Lady Devonworth. “I’m all right, Goldia. Just shaken up. Could you fetch me some tea?”

“Yes, ma’am, but I wanted to tell you I found this while you were out.” Her hand went to her pocket and she held up a letter addressed to Eleanor. “I recognized your daddy’s handwriting. I think this is what we’ve been searching for.”

Olivia stared at the thin envelope in her maid’s hand. Even from here, the familiar loop of the letter
J
made her pulse leap. Her hand shook as she reached for it. The paper felt fragile in her fingers. She slipped the letter from the envelope. It wasn’t her father’s usual thick vellum but a cheap, coarse paper. No monogram, just plain paper. She unfolded it and began to read.

Dear Eleanor,

I know this letter will come as a distinct shock to your sensibilities, as you have believed me dead for six months. Through no fault of Bennett’s, I’m very much alive. Take every precaution against him. Avoid him at all costs. His son as well. You must break off the engagement immediately and return home. But take care, daughter! Surround yourself with those you can trust. Make sure you are on guard every moment. I fear for your life. I am nearby and I shall be in touch. In the meantime, depart from Mercy Falls immediately!

Your Loving Father

Olivia stared at the date at the top of the letter. A mere month before Eleanor died. Eleanor hadn’t run from town soon enough. She must have been reeling from the shock of realizing her father was alive.
Or had been, a month ago
. Where was he? According to the letter, he was nearby. But where?

“Miss Olivia?” Goldia said. “You’re scaring me. What’s the letter say?”

“You didn’t read it?”

“Of course not, miss. Weren’t my place to read it. Besides, it’s hard for me.”

Olivia studied her maid’s face. Did she dare tell Goldia the contents of the letter? Goldia had been with her since Olivia was twelve. If she wasn’t trustworthy, who was? “It’s from my father,” she said.

“I was right!” Goldia smiled and clapped her hands.

“He’s alive. He warned Eleanor to leave town. He said that Mr. Bennett had something to do with the circumstances and is dangerous.”

Goldia’s smile faded. “What about Mr. Harrison?”

Olivia hadn’t wanted to think about Harrison. “Father says he’s dangerous as well.”

Goldia shuddered. “Handsome men sometime are.”

“Father told Eleanor to avoid him and to break off her engagement. He must have had a good reason for such a drastic order.”

An inner warning sounded at her father’s lack of clear explanation, and she realized she didn’t
want
to believe Harrison could be guilty of any devious behavior. Something in her rebelled at her father’s autocratic orders as well. She’d spent her whole life trying to make up for the fact that she wasn’t the son he wanted, and she realized she was tired of being treated as a lesser human being.

Goldia clasped her hands together. “Maybe he was mistaken. Did the letter say why he hasn’t let your mama and you know that he was alive?”

Olivia inhaled as if that would stop the pain that swept over her. “He didn’t mention me or my mother.” What possible reason could he have for cutting them off so completely? Hadn’t he realized how devastated they were by the news of his death? Her memories of her father were conflicted. She adored him, but he seldom noticed her.

She had to notify her mother at once. “I need to place a telephone call,” she said.

“The only telephone on this floor is in the big bedroom at the end of the hall. Where your sister stayed.”

Olivia swung her legs to the side of the bed, dislodging the kitten, who gave a protesting yowl. Her wrist throbbed at the movement, and she held it in the air with her other hand as she followed Goldia to their destination. She collapsed into a chair by the bed next to the stand that held the telephone.

“I could use that tea now, Goldia,” she said. In truth, she wanted to be alone for this conversation. Once her maid nodded and scurried down the hall, Olivia lifted the receiver and rang for central. She gave the number to the friendly-sounding woman on the other end and waited. A transcontinental call took longer than local connections.

“Ringing now, Lady Devonworth,” the operator said.

Olivia’s fingers tightened on the earpiece, and she pressed it tightly against her head. Her mother was bound to be overcome by the news. When the operator didn’t answer, she relaxed. And what if the operator listened in? “Hello?” she asked cautiously.

“Stewart residence,” the housekeeper said.

“Iola, it’s Olivia. I’d like to speak to my mother, please.”

“Oh, Miss Olivia! I’m so relieved to hear your voice. I will fetch your mother straightaway.”

Olivia waited through a clunk and much fumbling on the other end of the line. Even after several years of answering the phone, Iola was still uncomfortable with the instrument.

Her mother came on the line. “Olivia, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“I expected you to call before now. Have you met with Harrison?”

Olivia suppressed a sigh. All her mother cared about was marrying Olivia off to money. “Yes, but he doesn’t know I’m Olivia Stewart.”

“What?”

“I’m using my proper title of Lady Devonworth. I wanted time to get to know him with no expectations.”

Her mother tut-tutted. “You’re behaving in a ridiculous manner. How will he know if you suit if he’s not thinking of a future alliance?”

“I’m trying to find out what happened to Eleanor.”

“She drowned, Olivia. That’s it. You can’t bring her back. I miss her too, but we must look to the future. I suspected you would need my assistance. I’m making arrangements for a train now. I should be there by week’s end.”

“I thought you were going to spend the season with Mrs. Astor.”

“So did I, but in spite of my hints, I never received an invitation. I suspect she’s heard whispers of our financial situation. Which is why it is all the more imperative that you make a suitable marriage. I suspect she is no longer willing to introduce you to her friend either. This may be your last chance, Olivia.”

“Have you seen Mr. Bennett? Is he still in town?”

“I have neither seen nor heard from him. I assume he’s not in New York at the present time.”

“If you see him, remember not to tell him that I’m in Mercy Falls.”

Her mother let out a sigh of exasperation. “It’s a good thing I’m coming out. You need a firm hand and guidance.”

“I shall be happy to see you.” As long as she could convince her mother not to divulge her identity. “I could use your help in planning a charity ball as well.”

“Ah, I should love that. What’s it for?”

Olivia told her about the destroyed lighthouse. “But there is much happening here you don’t know, Mother. I’m not quite sure how to tell you this.”

“What is it?”

Olivia drew in a breath. “I have most astounding news, Mother. Father is still alive.”

F
IFTEEN

T
HE NEXT DAY
Harrison made a courtesy call to Lady Devonworth to inquire about her wrist. Her maid told him she was resting and couldn’t be disturbed, but he couldn’t help but wonder if the lady was avoiding him. He set to work on his aeroplane.

On Friday he finished reviewing a signed contract for a new acquisition for Bennett and Bennett. He knew the contract was fair, but his father would say he should have been harder on the buyout. Harrison knew God had given him the talent to work with numbers and money. Why then did he yearn for something more than creating this? Why did his spirit long to be in his machine soaring above the clouds? His mother said he was throwing away God’s gift by not tending to his talent in the boardroom. Did God always expect a man to use a gift? What about his own desires?

Frowning, he pushed away the ledger. A movement caught his eye and he looked up to see his father standing in the doorway.

Harrison pasted on a welcoming smile and rose with his hand outstretched. “Father, when did you arrive?”

“An hour ago.” The elder Bennett shook Harrison’s hand. “What are you working on, son?”

“Just filing the purchase papers of Riley Hardware.”

“Excellent! May I see them?” He settled in the chair on the other side of the desk and pulled the papers toward him. His smile faded as he looked them over. “You paid them more than I specified.”

“I wanted to be fair.”

His father sighed. “They agreed to the price.”

“Only because they were in financial straits with a sick child. We can afford it.”

“That’s not the point! The sale affects our bottom line. I want you to redo this.”

“No. I’ve already spoken with Mr. Riley, and he’s most appreciative. The papers are signed. This deal will allow him to take his daughter to New York for treatment. And I’ve already authorized the money to be transferred to his account.”

His father’s face reddened and his lips tightened. “We’ve spoken about this before, Harrison. You have got to quit this kind of behavior or you will pauper us.”

“Not much chance of that. Do you even
know
how much we have in the bank? It’s astronomical. Almost obscene.”

His father smiled thinly. “There is no such thing as too much money. Even with all our wealth, we still are not accepted in the highest echelon of society.
That
is my goal. With Eleanor dead, we have to find another woman in that set. Mrs. Stewart is trying to convince Olivia to take Eleanor’s place.”

Harrison folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not agreeing to anything like that again, Father. I’m tired of being auctioned off like a cow. I’ll find my own wife, thank you. And I can assure you it will
not
be a Stewart. I’d rather be single than marry Olivia.”

His father studied his face. “What has gotten into you, boy? This is important for your future.”

“Eleanor betrayed me. I wouldn’t trust a Stewart woman again.”

“I’m sure your mother will be distressed to hear this.”

Harrison wasn’t about to let his father leverage the usual excuse of upsetting his mother, not when the older man cared not a whit about her feelings. He had all but abandoned her. “Mother wants me to be happy.”

“She tells me you’ve been keeping company with a woman from New York. A Lady Devonworth.”

“I’d hardly call it ‘keeping company.’ She’s merely an acquaintance.”

“Your mother says she believes her family is one of the Four Hundred.”

The Four Hundred were the most elite families in America. They were the ones invited to the upper echelon of society balls, the ones who were invited to the best homes and the most elite clubs.

“Why do you do this, Father?” he asked. “Why do you care what a bunch of nobs think? To them we’ll always be swells who are getting too big for our britches. We’re doing all right. Making money, gaining a reputation. We don’t need to be part of that set.”

His father’s jaw hardened. “Let me explain something to you, boy. General Marshall invited me to attend a luncheon at the Vanderbilt’s. I arrived to find the invitation had been rescinded. I will not tolerate a humiliation such as that again. I
will
be accepted!”

There was no more to be said. It would do no good to point out how prideful it was to insist on being accepted by the nobs.

“What of this Lady Devonworth? She is unmarried, is she not?” his father asked.

“She is unmarried and I like her.”

His father scowled. “I’ve never heard of the Devonworths. I doubt the woman carries the social clout of a Stewart, and I’m determined for you to marry a woman of quality who will allow you to walk in the highest levels of society. Most couples live separate lives anyway. Look at your mother and me.”