Ticket to Tomorrow, page 5
part #1 of A Fair to Remember Series
One more thing to straighten out. Annie drew a deep breath and wondered who she should talk to about relocating.
No. All her energy had been spent just getting them there and setting up the display. As it was, they had arrived after the fair's opening, due to Silas's insistence on performing a series of last-minute adjustments until he was satisfied the carriage was as perfect as he could make it. The thought of having to start all over again... I just can't do it, Lord. They would stay where they were—misplaced or not—and trust that God would bring the right people their way.
As if in response to her decision, a swell of people moved toward them and clustered near the carriage. Annie stepped to the rear of the booth to allow them a better view.
"Booth" was an appropriate term, she mused. They certainly didn't have a display to compare to some of the more lavish entries. But if the interest this group showed was any indication, maybe that wouldn't matter.
The crowd stirred, and a distinguished-looking man stepped forward. People murmured and moved aside to let him through.
Annie's heart quickened, and she focused her attention on the newcomer, obviously a person of some note. She had heard rumors of Chicago's mayor spending a considerable amount of time at the fair. Could that be him? And would it help their cause if he paid special attention to the carriage? She watched the man closely and held her breath.
He cupped his chin in one hand and studied the carriage from end to end. His deep-set eyes seemed to take in every detail. He turned to Silas and appeared to size him up in a single glance. "You're the creator of this vehicle?" he asked in a soft voice.
Silas nodded happily. "I am indeed. Designer and builder... along with my late partner."
"I thought so. You have the look of a man who sees things in a way others don't." Their visitor glanced at the placard. "Are you Crockett or Trenton?"
Silas's chest swelled. "Silas Crockett, at your service. Is there anything you'd like to know about the machine?"
The man leaned closer, bending so he could peer at the engine beneath the seat. "I see you have two cylinders, modeled along Daimler's pattern. Are you using the same type of valve design as well?"
"In principle." Silas beamed, recognizing a kindred spirit. "I've made some modifications to both the valves and the pistons, though. It gives a better compression ratio. Let me show you." The two knelt while Silas pointed under the carriage and were soon deep in a discussion about pistons and magnetos.
Annie couldn't help but smile. She hadn't seen Silas so animated since he and Will first fired up the engine and made their successful maiden run.
A stripling stepped to the front of the rapt onlookers and called out, "Hey, Mr. Edison! Do you think this is the coming thing? Are you giving up on the kinetoscope?"
Chuckles rippled through the crowd. The quiet man turned his head long enough to smile acknowledgment of the question, but he didn't interrupt his conversation with Silas.
Annie's lips parted. Thomas Edison, founder of the General Electric Company? It must be. And here he was, in their booth, talking to Silas as an equal.
She felt the sting of tears. Who would have guessed? But here in this city of marvels, it seemed anything could happen.
"Make way!" called a loud voice behind her.
Annie whirled around and spotted a group of people moving at a stately pace a short distance down the broad avenue. What now?
A blond woman who looked to be only a few years older than Annie walked in the center of the group. The careful distance maintained by her entourage proclaimed her status as a person of note. The crowds in the aisle stood like frozen statues, gaping at the sight.
Annie watched the woman, mesmerized by her regal bearing and imperious demeanor. She had a walk like no one Annie had ever seen before, proud and with purpose, as though she expected the way to clear before her.
When the group drew even with the booth, the woman looked Annie's way. Her cool blue gaze swept past as if Annie were invisible, then she came to an abrupt halt. She pointed and raised her voice. "What is that thing?"
A slender, dark-haired man with a neatly trimmed mustache detached himself from the group and studied the placard. "It appears to be a motorized conveyance of some sort, Your Highness."
"Move aside," the woman commanded. "I wish to see for myself."
The crowd parted like the Red Sea before Moses, and the woman strode into the booth, moving with the same determined gait even within its narrow confines.
Annie glanced at Silas, still talking to Mr. Edison and utterly unaware of the commotion behind him. She stepped toward the visitor and put on her most gracious smile.
"Good morning. I am Annie Trenton, and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have."
"Are you the inventor?" The woman's haughty tone made it clear she already knew the answer.
Annie took a step backward. "No, my husband—"
"Is that him over there?"
Annie's smile slipped. "No, that is Silas Crockett. He and my husband are the inventors of—"
"Then he is the one I wish to speak to."
Annie shot a quick glance over her shoulder. "I believe he is almost finished talking with Mr. Edison. Perhaps while we're waiting, I could tell you a bit about it."
The blond woman looked her up and down. "Why would I waste my time talking to a mere shop girl? I will speak to Señor Crockett. Now."
Annie looked toward the men again and saw the great inventor stand and shake Silas's hand.
"I've toyed with the idea of an electric carriage, but I believe gasoline will be the motive force for the vehicles of the future." Edison gave the carriage a look filled with admiration. "I think you're on to something, Crockett. The best of luck to you."
Annie gritted her teeth. "It appears Mr. Crockett is free now." She waved him over. "Silas, this is—" She trailed off and flinched at the woman's stony stare.
The dark-haired man stepped into the breach. "Her Highness, the Infanta Eulalia of Spain. She has expressed an interest in your horseless carriage and is desires to speak to you."
Silas all but snapped to attention, then bowed in a courtly fashion. "I would be most pleased to discuss the carriage with Your Highness." The two of them walked toward the back of the booth, leaving Annie standing alone and ignored.
The dark-haired man came up to her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Miguel Díaz, Her Highness's chief of security. You must understand the princess. She is used to royal treatment at home. It will take some time for her to become accustomed to your American ideas of equal status for all." He smiled in an engaging manner.
Annie pressed her lips together and nodded. She saw no point in taking out her frustration on him. Maybe he was only an inconsequential minion.
Like herself.
* * *
"I know it doesn't look like much, Mr. Frost, but it's the best I could come up with." The tall man fidgeted in the doorway.
John James Frost stepped inside the small building and surveyed the dimly lit interior. A small desk, several wooden chairs, and a set of shelves nearly filled the available space.
The flat-nosed man at his side snickered. "How hard did you look, Burns?"
The tall man grimaced and shuffled his feet. "They set it up as an office at first, then decided to use another building instead. My friend—the one who let us use the place—says no one ever comes here."
Frost pursed his lips and counted five slow beats before nodding his approval. Burns relaxed visibly, and Frost smiled to himself. It always paid to let subordinates worry a little before putting them at ease. Never let them forget who was boss—that was his motto.
He set the leather satchel on the scarred desk top and unbuckled the straps. Reaching inside, he pulled out a shirt and a pair of socks. He looked deeper inside the bag and frowned.
"What's the matter, Mr. Frost?" The flat-nosed man stepped over to him.
Frost didn't answer, but continued to empty the satchel. His shaving kit, the file of correspondence...
He felt a tic begin in his left eyelid. "Where is it?" Hearing the frustration in his tone, he lowered his voice. "Where is it?" he repeated, under his breath.
He rummaged through the remaining items, pulling them out faster and faster. An envelope. A cufflink and its mate.
Frost turned the satchel upside down and shook it. The straps flapped, and the buckles rattled against the desk top. A piece of lint fluttered out and drifted down to land atop his socks.
He pulled the top open wide and peered inside, then ran his hand around the interior. Nothing. He gripped the satchel in both hands, then slammed it down on the desk and stared at it blankly. "It isn't there."
The two other men shifted uneasily. "Maybe it just fell out somewhere, Boss," Burns said.
"That's right," the other chimed in. "No one has to connect it with you."
Frost sent them a withering glance that shut them up quickly. He hadn't come this far by settling for easy assumptions and not attending to every last detail.
Think, now. Think. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. The satchel had been strapped shut. Nothing could have fallen out on its own. It must have happened when that old fool started to unpack, then realized he had the wrong satchel.
Either that, or it had been removed and kept deliberately. If they have it, they know it belongs to me. The thought chilled him. This could mean the end of everything.
He wiped his hand over his face. No, things had come too far. He had put in too much effort. Nothing could keep his plans from coming to fruition.
He wouldn't allow it.
7
Nick spotted Annie while he was still some distance. from the booth. He shifted the bags of sandwiches in his arms and slowed his pace, enjoying the opportunity to watch her unobserved.
She stood near one of the explanatory posters, talking to a lantern-jawed woman wearing a hat bedecked with flowers and birds' wings. Listening, rather. Even from a distance, it was obvious the other woman dominated the conversation. Nick drew near enough to eavesdrop, keeping himself out of Annie's line of sight.
"On the sixth round, you double crochet twice, then chain two, then double crochet twice more. All in the same opening, you understand." The woman nodded to emphasize her point. From where Nick stood, he could see her chins wobble. "Then you continue as before until you reach the next corner."
Annie nodded politely. From the glazed look in her eyes, Nick suspected the conversation had been going on for some time. Long enough, anyway, for her to deserve a break.
He edged to his right so Annie could see him over the other woman's shoulder, and was rewarded by a smile as radiant as the sun rising over Lake Michigan.
Her companion glanced back at Nick and clucked her tongue. "It appears my husband is ready to leave now, Mrs. Trenton. I enjoyed our discussion. I'm sure we both found it far more interesting than discussing engines and whatnot."
She collected her husband and steered him toward the Star & Crescent Mills Co. booth and their display of Turkish towels and cloakings. Annie sighed, and her eyes lost their hunted expression.
"I didn't mean to interrupt," Nick teased. "I could call her back, if you'd like."
"Don't you dare." Annie emitted a gurgle of laughter that sent a tingle along his nerve endings. "I've been listening to her describe her crochet expertise for half an hour. Far more interesting, of course, than that boring discussion the men were carrying on," she added in a parody of her recent visitor.
"Wouldn't she be surprised if she knew the woman she was talking to drew up some of the plans for that boring engine?"
The look of amusement lingered in Annie's eyes. "I suppose she would." Her gaze lit on the paper bags in his hands and she looked up at him questioningly.
"I figured you and Uncle Silas wouldn't have had time to get your bearings yet, so I took the liberty of picking up some sandwiches from one of the lunch counters."
"What a lovely thing to do!" Annie took the bags from him and set them on the small table at the rear of the booth. "That way it will be ready whenever Silas decides he's hungry."
Nick frowned. "Aren't you going to eat? I brought plenty for both of you."
"I couldn't eat a thing right now." Annie laughed. "I'm too excited, I guess. It's hard to believe we're really here at last. I can't wait to explore it all."
"You haven't had much chance to see any of the rest of it. Would you like to walk around a bit and satisfy your curiosity?"
"Oh, I couldn't."
Nick tilted his head. "Why not?"
"I couldn't just go off and leave your uncle."
Nick glanced over at Uncle Silas. "Look at him. He's perfectly happy here, talking to all and sundry about his grand invention. He probably won't even notice you're gone."
Annie bit her lip in a way that made her look like a little girl fighting temptation. "I really do want to see more than just this booth. And I'd probably feel safer if I had someone with me." She paused again then smiled. "All right, I'll take you up on your invitation."
Nick fought down an urge to let out a whoop. "Where would you like to start?"
She didn't even hesitate. "The Tiffany pavilion." She pointed south along Columbia Avenue. "Down by the clock tower."
Nick chuckled. "In that case, I'll let you lead the way."
They strolled companionably along the concourse, with Annie drinking in all the sights and sounds, and Nick's attention focused on only one sight: Annie. He studied the way she closed her eyes and inhaled the heady scents wafting from the Lundborg perfumery exhibit, and watched a tiny dimple form in her right cheek when a whimsical wooden toy caught her fancy.
"There it is," she breathed.
A lavish pavilion stood before them, an impressive structure in its own right, though dwarfed by the sheer size of the Manufactures Building. Groups of columns marked each corner, leading the eye upward to the low dome that capped the palatial edifice.
"Are we going to stand here looking at it all day, or would you like to go inside?" Nick's gentle teasing brought Annie out of her trance, and she moved eagerly toward the main entrance.
Inside, she walked among the array of gold and silver ware with the enchanted air of a child in a toy store. Nick tagged along behind, equally entranced by the lovely woman in front of him.
He chuckled when she recoiled from a piece in the form of a coiled rattlesnake, but he had to agree with her reaction. Even the serpent's emerald eyes and pearl rattles couldn't make its appearance a pleasant one.
She settled instead on a tiered display of silver cups and vases. Reaching out, she traced the lines of a delicate silver vase shaped like a woven basket.
A thin-faced attendant stepped toward them, seeming to share neither Annie's delight nor Nick's amusement. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Just seeing the sights," Nick told him. "This is quite a place you have here."
His response seemed to mollify the man. He gave a satisfied nod and swept his arm out in a circle that took in the extravagant display. "The pavilion itself cost one hundred thousand dollars. The display items are valued at more than two million."
Annie drew her hand back as though she'd been burned and gave Nick a startled look. "I had no idea," she whispered. "Maybe we'd better leave."
They retreated from the pavilion and ambled along the avenue that crossed the building from east to west. One of the exhibitors called out, "Hey, mister, buy your wife a souvenir."
Annie's steps faltered and she tightened her grip on Nick's arm. Her lips stretched in a taut smile, but he could see tears pooling in her eyes.
He cupped his hand under her elbow. "Let's go outside. I think we could both use some fresh air." She nodded and let him lead her to the east door.
"I'm sorry about that," Nick told her after they exited the building and stood on the promenade separating the Manufactures Building from the lake shore. "Are you all right?"
Annie stepped across the walkway and leaned against a lamp post. She gulped in a deep breath and nodded. "It just caught me off guard, that's all." She glanced up at Nick, a shadow in her eyes. "I hope you weren't offended."
"Not at all." Nick moved closer beside her, searching for the right words. "Uncle Silas told me about your husband. I'm very sorry."
Crystal droplets sparkled on her lower lids. "It was all so sudden."
Curiosity overcame Nick's reluctance to intrude. "Was it an illness?"
Annie shook her head. "No. That would have provided some warning, at least." She clasped her hands around the lamp post and stared out at the teal waters of the lake. "He and Silas had finished testing the first working model of the carriage and were ready to go into production, but we needed a backer.
"Someone Will met put him in touch with a prospective investor. They set up a meeting in Indianapolis." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "From what we gathered later, Will was crossing a busy street on his way to the meeting place, hurrying to get across ahead of a streetcar. A woman with several children was walking on the opposite side of the road. One of the little ones darted toward the street. She picked that one up, but another little boy ducked past her and ran out into the path of the streetcar."
She traced the filigree pattern on the lamp post. "Will saw what was happening. He scooped up the little boy and tossed him out of harm's way, but he wasn't able to get clear himself."
Her fingers gripped the post until her knuckles whitened. "By the time we heard about it, everything was all over. The little boy was safe, but Will was gone."
"I'm sorry," Nick said again, wishing he had more to offer than empty words.
Silence settled over them once more, but this time of a comfortable sort, as though no words needed to be spoken between them.
Finally Annie pushed away from the lamp post and turned to him. "I must apologize. I'm afraid I'm not very pleasant company right now."
"Not at all. I'm glad you felt you could tell me. So the investor...?"
