A Bride So Fair, page 18
part #3 of A Fair to Remember Series
A well of joy sprang up within her, and her heart cried, Yes! This was the way a kiss was supposed to be, everything she had dreamed about and more. She melted into his arms, feeling as though her soul had somehow joined with his.
Gulls sent out their keening cries as they swooped overhead. Emily’s heart soared with them as she lost herself in the wonder of Stephen’s kiss.
Emily made a final notation on her report and slid it into its folder, then placed the folder neatly at the corner of her desk. The great fair seemed to move more slowly every day as it neared its end, like a clock winding down. In the middle of the week, attendance tended to slump a bit. Today the spate of parents bringing and collecting children had dwindled down to a bare trickle.
She looked around at her tidy workspace. The reports were finished, and the ledger was up-to-date. Nothing remained to claim her attention. She linked her fingers and stretched her arms out in front of her. It wasn’t often she had time on her hands, but it would be nice to have a chance to catch her breath and relax a bit.
The door swung open. Emily wrinkled her nose and hurried to resume her businesslike demeanor.
A lone man approached her desk. Well dressed and neatly groomed, he crossed the reception area with an air of authority.
He stood before her desk, commanding her attention without a word. Emily looked up at him, startled by the intensity of his clear, blue eyes. She tilted her head and studied him from under her lashes, observing the square face, the uncompromising jaw, and the russet hair that lay smooth against his head. A hint of a wave in his hair made her suspect that if it didn’t receive frequent trimming, it would soon become an unruly mass. Johnny Meacham’s hair had been like that.
The man wasn’t as tall as Stephen, but his shoulders were broader. He had a stocky frame, but she saw no sign of a paunch or any other hint of softness about him. Before he spoke a word, Emily felt sure that this was a man who knew exactly what he wanted and was sure of getting it. Perhaps he was one of the fair officials.
She lifted her chin and gave him her most pleasant smile. “How may I help you?”
“Good afternoon, Miss Ralston.” His voice held a rolling lilt. “What a pleasure to see you in the daylight.”
Emily held her smile in place, trying to give no hint of the sudden tension that gripped her. Should she know this man? He knew her name. What was he talking about?
“The last time we were together, I had to leave so abruptly that we didn’t have time for a civil greeting.”
Emily’s thoughts bounced around like a child’s rubber ball. She didn’t have any recollection of meeting this man before. Was he demented? She cast a surreptitious glance over her shoulder, hoping to see Lucy or one of the other workers in the hall. No one was there. She was quite alone with her strange visitor. She turned back around and saw that he’d noticed her unease. The corners of his mouth tilted up slightly.
Needing something to do with her hands, she slid the ledger closer to her. “Did you come to pick up a child?”
His smile widened. “No, I’m not ready to lay claim to my son… just yet.”
A horrible suspicion started forming in the back of Emily’s mind. At the same time, the man inclined his head and said, “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ian McGinty.”
Emily shot up from her chair, sending it toppling over to clatter against the floor. She whirled, but before she could take more than two steps, he moved around the desk with the speed of a cat and blocked her way.
Fear engulfed her. The man was a killer. What was he going to do to her?
He pinned her with his gaze as he bent to pick up her chair and gently set it upright. He put it back in its place behind her desk and gestured for her to resume her seat.
Emily complied, knowing her legs were too tottery to carry her any distance. She clasped her hands tightly together on top of the desk, hoping he couldn’t see the tremors that rippled through her body. “What do you want?”
His deep chuckle rolled around the reception area. “Ah, Miss Ralston, I want so many things. Sadly, only a few of them pertain to you.”
Emily lifted her chin, attempting a bravado she was far from feeling. “Adam isn’t here.”
“I know that. He’s at home with your Mrs. Purvis, just as he is every day. But as I said, I’m not here to take him with me. I have other matters to deal with first. One day, perhaps soon…”
He dropped his easy manner, and his tone became brisk and businesslike. “I’m here to make you a proposition.”
Emily gripped the edge of the desk with both hands.
“The fair is ending in just a few weeks,” he went on. “You’ll need to find new employment. Since you have appointed yourself as my son’s caretaker, I’m offering to let you keep that position on a permanent basis.”
Emily made no outward move, although her mind raced madly, trying to discern his meaning.
“On the day I’m ready to reclaim my son, I would like you to come with him. You would make a lovely addition to my household.”
Emily gasped and shook her head from side to side so rapidly that the room seemed to spin.
Adam’s father tilted his head to one side in a gesture she might have found appealing in anyone else. “You may have heard stories about me, but I am primarily a businessman. I’d like you to look at this as a business proposition.”
Emily finally found her voice. “I couldn’t possibly—”
He held up his hand, cutting her off. “I can see refusal in your eyes. I’ll give you awhile to ponder my offer before you give your answer.” He planted his palms on her desk and leaned forward until his face was only inches from hers.
“You want to do what’s best,” he said. “For yourself, for Adam… and for your friends. Think about it. If you come with me, I’ll see that you are well paid. You’ll never want for anything.” The keen blue gaze bored into hers until Emily felt like a bird being hypnotized by a snake. “I’ve heard how fond you are of my son and heir. I believe having to say goodbye to him would cause you some distress, am I right?”
Emily willed herself not to answer but realized her head was nodding in mute agreement.
“This way, you won’t have to. You’ll be able to have him with you every day with my blessing. Adam will be well cared for, you will be happy to be with him, and your friends will be able to go about their business as usual. I’m sure you want Mrs. Purvis and Miss Welch to remain safe and well, don’t you?”
Emily stared into the piercing gaze that seemed to speak volumes without words. A whimper rose from her throat, and she bit back a cry, hating the show of weakness.
McGinty straightened and smiled as though her anguish pleased him. “Think it over. I’ll be back for your answer later, when these other matters have been dealt with.” Without further comment, he turned on his heel and strode out of the building as jauntily as if he were out for a Sunday stroll.
Emily struggled to draw air into her lungs. So that was the infamous Ian McGinty. She wasn’t surprised he had the reputation he did. The man exuded a sense of power like no one she had ever met.
“Are you all right?” Lucy’s concerned voice broke into her thoughts. Lucy bent down to peer into Emily’s face. “Answer me, Emily. You’re as white as a sheet. What’s wrong?”
“Where were you?” The cry burst forth from Emily’s lips.
Lucy’s frown deepened. “I was right down the hall. Did you need me for something?”
Emily seized both of Lucy’s arms. “He was here. Adam’s father.” She loosened her hold, taking some satisfaction from Lucy’s look of utter astonishment.
“Have you called the Columbian Guards? Where’s Stephen?”
“It’s too late. He’s already gone. There was nothing I could do to call for help while he was here.”
Lucy crouched down in front of Emily and gripped her hands tightly. “What did he want?”
“Me.”
“You can’t be serious.” The look of shock on Lucy’s face would have been amusing had the situation not been so dire.
“He said he’s willing to leave Adam in my care until he finishes some other business. But then he plans to take Adam back, and he wants me to come with him.”
Lucy looked around wildly, as though McGinty stood right there, threatening to drag Emily from the building at that very moment. “What are we going to do? We can’t let that happen.”
“I don’t know. If I don’t, he implied he’d do something to hurt you or Mrs. Purvis. I don’t know how to refuse a man like that.” The trembling took hold of her again as his words replayed in her mind. She spoke her thoughts aloud, “Villain or not, the man has a right to his own son. But how can I bear turning Adam over to him, knowing what he’s like?”
Tears thickened her voice. “It’s one thing to pretend things will go along as they have been, but he made it clear that his son is in our care only because he allows it. We’ll never be able to stop him from taking Adam whenever he chooses.”
Lucy looked at her as though she thought Emily had lost her mind. “But that doesn’t mean you have to go with him.”
The tears spurted from her eyes, and Emily dashed them away with the back of her hand. How could she explain to Lucy the feelings she had developed for Adam? She couldn’t love him more if he had been born of her own flesh.
Lucy folded her arms. “You can’t imagine he only wants you there to care for his son. You’re an attractive woman. Think where that will lead. This is not just about Adam—it’s about your own safety, as well.”
Emily eyed her steadily. “And yours.”
“Miss Welch!” Miss Strickland’s voice echoed down the hallway.
“I’m coming,” Lucy called. Turning back to Emily, she said, “You’re not thinking straight after meeting that evil man face-to-face. Don’t give up hope. There’s always a way. Haven’t you told me that God always has a plan for us?” She sniffled and gave Emily a watery smile. “You can’t tell me this is His plan for you.”
Miss Strickland called again. With a quick parting hug, Lucy hurried off to find the supervisor.
Emily wrapped her arms across her chest and rocked back and forth. Lucy was right—she couldn’t think of agreeing to go along with such an outrageous scheme.
Or could she? If she refused, he had all but promised to bring harm to the people she loved most. She could bear the thought of something bad happening to her more easily than she could contemplate some terrible fate befalling one of them.
She suspected McGinty was well aware of that.
And if the unthinkable happened, the fault would lie at her door. Could she live with herself, then?
She rested her elbows on her desk and cradled her head in her hands. Was there any bright spot in this nightmare? If she did agree to go with McGinty when he came for Adam, she could at least be sure the little boy stayed safe and well and hopefully steer him away from following in his father’s footsteps. That in itself would be worth a good deal of self-sacrifice.
But the price would be high in other respects. She remembered McGinty’s compelling gaze, and her mind flew back to that demanding kiss taken without her consent. Whatever her official title might be, she had no doubt he would consider her his property to do with as he willed. She shuddered.
But God worked in mysterious ways. Miss Pierce, the matron at the Collier Home, had quoted those words often enough to sear them in Emily’s mind forever. Could this be one of those ways? She found it hard to see how God could have anything to do with a man as depraved as this one.
“For God so loved the world…” Surely that included Ian McGinty. God had reached down at a low moment in her own life to accept her, to save her, and to make her His child. According to the Bible, He wanted to do the same thing for everyone, even for this man. But would He ask Emily to play some role in that?
She thought about the way the man’s blue eyes, so like Adam’s, softened when he spoke of his son. Maybe at the core, he wasn’t completely evil. There might still be hope for him. Did that mean she was expected to help bring it about? Had she, like Esther, been placed in her situation for such a time as this?
The thought chilled her.
But would God ask her to go against His other teachings to try to redeem this man? Would He ever ask her to disobey Him in one area in order to bring about a good result in another? Did the end ever justify the means?
Deep in her soul, she knew the answer. “Thank You, Lord,” she whispered. “I couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t.”
18
“We’re going to ride the train!” Adam danced from one foot to the other, his eyes bright with excitement.
Emily knelt in front of him while Mrs. Purvis and Lucy laughed at his antics. “We won’t be able to leave until I can fasten your shoe, so you’d better hold still.”
Stephen corralled the youngster and dropped to one knee, seating Adam on the other. “Let’s help Miss Emily so we can get going. What do you say?”
Adam contented himself with bouncing gently on Stephen’s knee while Emily worked on his shoe. With a sweet smile, he began singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know…”
A lump formed in Emily’s throat. This was not the same child they’d brought home from the fairgrounds. Adam had lost his haunted look and was now an exuberant, playful little boy, to all appearances quite happy in his new setting.
As always, Emily marveled at the way he trusted her. When she gave him her word, he had no doubt she would follow through. She wondered how many promises to him had been broken in his young life.
She finished fastening the shoe, and he hopped down off Stephen’s knee. “Ready! Let’s ride the train!”
Stephen reached out a hand to help her to her feet. Emily stood and smoothed her skirt. “All right, young man. Let’s go.”
“Don’t you think you’d better wear a coat?” Mrs. Purvis urged. “I was out sweeping the front stoop earlier, and the air is turning quite nippy. Cold weather will be upon us before we know it.”
“I’ll get Adam’s,” Lucy volunteered. “I remember where we put it the first day we brought him home.”
Stephen pulled Emily’s dark blue cape from its hook on the hall tree and placed it over her shoulders, while Lucy clattered back down the stairs and helped Adam into his coat. Emily smiled when she saw Lucy stoop to smooth the stubborn collar into place. Then she saw a frown cross her friend’s face. “What is it?”
“I can’t make it stay down,” Lucy responded. “There’s something crinkly in his collar. See for yourself.”
Puzzled, Emily went over to check and felt the back of Adam’s collar. Sure enough, there was something between the layers of heavy fabric. “What is it? Do you supposed it’s a stiffener of some sort?”
“If it is, it isn’t doing a very good job of it.” Lucy tried to turn the collar down in the back, but it sprang straight up again. “See?”
Emily pressed her fingers along the rest of the collar, expecting to find more of the peculiar stiffener all down its length, but she felt nothing.
She turned to Stephen. “Would you mind waiting a few minutes? I can’t take him out in public like this. I’ll go fetch my scissors, snip the seam open, and take out that ridiculous lump, whatever it is.”
Stephen nodded and helped Adam out of the coat while Emily ran to her room for her sewing basket. When she returned, she sat on the bottom tread of the stairs and carefully snipped the stitches holding that part of the collar together. When the opening was wide enough, she pulled the layers of fabric apart, slipped her fingers inside, and drew out a small packet of folded papers.
“What on earth?” She held it up for the others to see.
“How very odd!” Lucy said. “Do you suppose it was put in there by mistake?”
“How could it have been?” Emily countered. “Somebody had to put it there intentionally, but for the life of me, I don’t know why.”
She turned to Stephen and Mrs. Purvis for help, but the landlady shook her head. “I can’t imagine a seamstress or tailor putting a wad of paper in a collar like that.”
Emily fumbled with the papers until she could tease the edges apart. Several thin sheets lay bundled together. She smoothed them open on her lap and looked at the top page. She frowned as she moved that page to the bottom of the stack and picked up the second sheet. She sucked in her breath.
“What is it?” Stephen asked.
Emily put her finger to her lips and gestured toward Adam.
Lucy picked up on her signal. “Come on, Adam. Do you want to play with blocks?”
The little boy shook his head so hard his hair formed a blond cloud around his head. “No. I want to ride the train.”
Emily looked up helplessly, and Mrs. Purvis went into action. “I think Miss Emily and Mister Stephen need to talk privately for a moment. Why don’t you come back to the kitchen with me and help me stir up some of those oatmeal cookies you love so much?”
Adam looked at her dubiously but allowed the landlady to lead him toward the back of the house.
“I’ll give you a hand,” Lucy called and followed them.
“Can you tell me now?” Stephen knelt in front of Emily and put his hand on her arm.
For a long moment, she couldn’t move. Finally she met his eyes. “You’re not going to believe this.”
She pulled the first page from the bottom of the stack and read it aloud:
“If anyone is reading this, it means that I have failed in my effort to dispose of these papers myself. In that case, I beg whoever is in possession of them now to turn them over to Mr. Gerald Cavender of the district attorney’s office. He will know what to do with them.”
“What?” Stephen’s eyes grew wide.
“That’s not all.” Emily indicated the rest of the pages, filled with writing in a small, neat hand. “I’ve only seen the first few lines, but I think we should both hear this.” She licked her lips and began:
