for you. No guarantees, only our best efforts.”
She nodded. Glancing sideways, he saw her damp lashes and those lovely blue eyes brimming with tears. Feeling terrible that he had contributed to them, he stopped and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. Handing it to her, he said, “There, there. Let’s talk of other things, shall we? Now tell me what it is that you came to discuss.”
Lanie took the folded handkerchief gladly. The monogram JSB was stitched in flowing script on the white linen. “Thank you.” She dabbed under her eyes and, folding the wet corner inward, handed it back.
Rightly guessing her pending refusal, he closed her fingers around it. They were so small in his. “Keep that.”
She nodded and tucked it into her sleeve.
They found a redheaded young man trimming the hedge with great shears. “Patrick, take a moment and go to the gazebo for Miss O’Keefe’s bags, if you will.”
The young man smiled thinking the black-haired woman was very pretty. “Right away, Doctor.”
She thanked the teenage boy with a smile of her own, and he stood there thunderstruck until Jason cleared his throat. Flushing from head to toe, the young man said, “Right away.” And he ran off.
Jason led her through the foyer. Rushing forward, the housekeeper took her black bag and bonnet and set them on the hall tree.
“Addy, please see to Miss O’Keefe’s comfort while I change for dinner.” To Lanie, Jason added, “I’ll see you shortly.” With that he climbed the stairs two at a time.
“Yes, Doctor. Please come with me, miss, perhaps you’d like to wash up before dinner?”
“Yes, I’d like that very much, thank you.”
Addy took them from Patrick. “I’ll take those, Paddy. You’re tracking dirt inside with those shoes of yours.”
He looked at his feet. “Oh, I’m dreadful sorry, Mrs. Fairfax. I’ll clean that up right away.” He went to his knee to sweep the hedge clippings and dirt into a small pile.
Addy gave Lanie a smile. “We’ll get you settled in before dinner, Miss, just follow me. Two flights up, the housekeeper opened a door to a comfortable room and set the valise on the trunk at the foot of the bed. “I’ll return in a moment.” With that, the housekeeper closed the door behind her.
Unbuttoning her cuffs, Lanie went to the opened window to stand in the rose-scented breeze. Sure enough, the room overlooked the garden.
One floor below, Jason took a clean shirt from his étagère, marveling at the incredibly accurate detail of Lanie’s dream. An annoyed feminine voice came from the doorway. “You presume too much, Jason.”
He turned to his wife and tucking in his shirttails, asked, “How’s that, Cathy?”
“I told you we were having guests tonight, my cousin Bertha…”
“And cousin Richard, how could I forget.” Jason knew the brother and sister Cathy referred to as her cousins were distantly related to his wife through the second marriage of her father. There wasn’t a drop of shared blood between them. He found it a struggle to keep calm. He clearly remembered this first meeting of his murderers.
Cathy looked at him trying to find the right words. Born and raised in the south, it was Cathy’s opinion that Southern manners far surpassed the vulgar attitudes of the north regardless of the South’s defeat and subsequent thrust into poverty. Southerners would always be a class above. Her voice a harsh whisper, she said, “Well then, why did you invite that stranger to our table?”
“Miss O’Keefe is the daughter of my father’s business partner. Her father passed away recently, and she needs to speak with me about my investments. Good manners prompted me to extend the dinner invitation, Cathy, that and wanting to know just how her father’s passing affects my interest in the textile factory.”
“I wasn’t aware you also held interests in northern textile mills.”
Anticipating it now, he didn’t miss the excited edge to her voice. “Not only
She nodded. Glancing sideways, he saw her damp lashes and those lovely blue eyes brimming with tears. Feeling terrible that he had contributed to them, he stopped and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. Handing it to her, he said, “There, there. Let’s talk of other things, shall we? Now tell me what it is that you came to discuss.”
Lanie took the folded handkerchief gladly. The monogram JSB was stitched in flowing script on the white linen. “Thank you.” She dabbed under her eyes and, folding the wet corner inward, handed it back.
Rightly guessing her pending refusal, he closed her fingers around it. They were so small in his. “Keep that.”
She nodded and tucked it into her sleeve.
They found a redheaded young man trimming the hedge with great shears. “Patrick, take a moment and go to the gazebo for Miss O’Keefe’s bags, if you will.”
The young man smiled thinking the black-haired woman was very pretty. “Right away, Doctor.”
She thanked the teenage boy with a smile of her own, and he stood there thunderstruck until Jason cleared his throat. Flushing from head to toe, the young man said, “Right away.” And he ran off.
Jason led her through the foyer. Rushing forward, the housekeeper took her black bag and bonnet and set them on the hall tree.
“Addy, please see to Miss O’Keefe’s comfort while I change for dinner.” To Lanie, Jason added, “I’ll see you shortly.” With that he climbed the stairs two at a time.
“Yes, Doctor. Please come with me, miss, perhaps you’d like to wash up before dinner?”
“Yes, I’d like that very much, thank you.”
Addy took them from Patrick. “I’ll take those, Paddy. You’re tracking dirt inside with those shoes of yours.”
He looked at his feet. “Oh, I’m dreadful sorry, Mrs. Fairfax. I’ll clean that up right away.” He went to his knee to sweep the hedge clippings and dirt into a small pile.
Addy gave Lanie a smile. “We’ll get you settled in before dinner, Miss, just follow me. Two flights up, the housekeeper opened a door to a comfortable room and set the valise on the trunk at the foot of the bed. “I’ll return in a moment.” With that, the housekeeper closed the door behind her.
Unbuttoning her cuffs, Lanie went to the opened window to stand in the rose-scented breeze. Sure enough, the room overlooked the garden.
One floor below, Jason took a clean shirt from his étagère, marveling at the incredibly accurate detail of Lanie’s dream. An annoyed feminine voice came from the doorway. “You presume too much, Jason.”
He turned to his wife and tucking in his shirttails, asked, “How’s that, Cathy?”
“I told you we were having guests tonight, my cousin Bertha…”
“And cousin Richard, how could I forget.” Jason knew the brother and sister Cathy referred to as her cousins were distantly related to his wife through the second marriage of her father. There wasn’t a drop of shared blood between them. He found it a struggle to keep calm. He clearly remembered this first meeting of his murderers.
Cathy looked at him trying to find the right words. Born and raised in the south, it was Cathy’s opinion that Southern manners far surpassed the vulgar attitudes of the north regardless of the South’s defeat and subsequent thrust into poverty. Southerners would always be a class above. Her voice a harsh whisper, she said, “Well then, why did you invite that stranger to our table?”
“Miss O’Keefe is the daughter of my father’s business partner. Her father passed away recently, and she needs to speak with me about my investments. Good manners prompted me to extend the dinner invitation, Cathy, that and wanting to know just how her father’s passing affects my interest in the textile factory.”
“I wasn’t aware you also held interests in northern textile mills.”
Anticipating it now, he didn’t miss the excited edge to her voice. “Not only
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