Read Online Murder in Murray Hill (Gaslight Mystery) by Victoria Thompson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Victoria Thompson
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guess what’s best for her is for you two to get married, isn’t it?”
This was Sarah’s part, so Frank sat back with a sigh and gratefully let her do it. “Mr. Malloy has done me the honor of asking me to be his wife, and I have accepted. We’re looking forward to making a home for Catherine and for Brian.”
His mother closed her eyes for a moment as a shudder ran through her, but Sarah continued before she could reply.
“We’re very concerned about Brian, because you’ve taken care of him since he was born. His life will change when we get married, but we don’t want to upset him anymore than necessary, so we are hoping that you will come to live with us, too.”
Frank didn’t know what he expected, but he hadn’t expected his mother to sit there like a stone, staring at Sarah as if she’d suddenly sprouted horns. After a very long, awkward silence, she said, “Live with you?” Her voice was so faint, he could hardly make out the words.
Sarah, of course, pretended not to notice anything untoward. How on earth did she manage it? “Well, not at my house, of course. Neither one of us has a place big enough for our new family. There’s the three of you and the three of us, and we’d want you to have your own rooms so you could have your privacy when you needed it. And Maeve—that’s Catherine’s nursemaid—will need her own room, and the children could share a room now, but they’ll each need their own eventually, so as you can see, we’ll need to find a much bigger house.”
Amazingly, his mother nodded, as if this made perfect sense, although he had a feeling she really had no idea what Sarah was talking about.
“And don’t think we want you to do anything but look after Brian,” Sarah went on. “Mr. Malloy will be able to afford to hire some help.”
“Help?”
“Servants, Ma. She means servants.”
“Servants? You can’t afford servants, Francis.”
“I can now, Ma. I told you, Catherine’s father left me some money.”
She narrowed her eyes and looked at Sarah again. “Where is this house you want to live in?”
“We haven’t found one yet. We haven’t even started looking. I would appreciate your opinion, though. Since you’ll be living there, too, I’d like you to see it before we decide for sure.”
“You’d have to leave here, Ma,” Frank said, wondering if Sarah realized what his mother was really asking. The neighborhoods in New York were like islands divided by streets instead of water. People might live in one neighborhood their entire lives and never even meet people living two blocks away. A person could disappear completely and start a brand-new life simply by moving to a new neighborhood. Leaving the place she’d lived since she’d come to America would literally mean giving up everything and everyone familiar. “You could always come back to visit your friends, though.”
His mother glared at him, and for once he was happy to see the familiar expression on her face. “Francis, exactly how much money did this man leave you?”
“I don’t know
exactly
. They’re still figuring it out.”
“A guess, then. You must have an idea if you’re planning to buy a house with it.”
“Like I said, they don’t know for sure, but they think it’s . . .” Frank could hardly bring himself to say it. “They think it’s around five million dollars.”
This time the blood really did drain from his mother’s face, and from her head, too, because she slumped to the floor in a dead faint.
4
S top fussing over me, Francis. You’re scaring the boy.”
Frank glanced at Brian and saw that she was right. He got up from where he’d been kneeling in front of his mother, who now sat in the rocking chair again. Her faint had only lasted a moment before he and Sarah had helped her back into the chair.
Sarah pressed a glass of water into her slightly unsteady hands, and she obediently took a sip. “Thank you,” she said with apparent sincerity.
“I know
This was Sarah’s part, so Frank sat back with a sigh and gratefully let her do it. “Mr. Malloy has done me the honor of asking me to be his wife, and I have accepted. We’re looking forward to making a home for Catherine and for Brian.”
His mother closed her eyes for a moment as a shudder ran through her, but Sarah continued before she could reply.
“We’re very concerned about Brian, because you’ve taken care of him since he was born. His life will change when we get married, but we don’t want to upset him anymore than necessary, so we are hoping that you will come to live with us, too.”
Frank didn’t know what he expected, but he hadn’t expected his mother to sit there like a stone, staring at Sarah as if she’d suddenly sprouted horns. After a very long, awkward silence, she said, “Live with you?” Her voice was so faint, he could hardly make out the words.
Sarah, of course, pretended not to notice anything untoward. How on earth did she manage it? “Well, not at my house, of course. Neither one of us has a place big enough for our new family. There’s the three of you and the three of us, and we’d want you to have your own rooms so you could have your privacy when you needed it. And Maeve—that’s Catherine’s nursemaid—will need her own room, and the children could share a room now, but they’ll each need their own eventually, so as you can see, we’ll need to find a much bigger house.”
Amazingly, his mother nodded, as if this made perfect sense, although he had a feeling she really had no idea what Sarah was talking about.
“And don’t think we want you to do anything but look after Brian,” Sarah went on. “Mr. Malloy will be able to afford to hire some help.”
“Help?”
“Servants, Ma. She means servants.”
“Servants? You can’t afford servants, Francis.”
“I can now, Ma. I told you, Catherine’s father left me some money.”
She narrowed her eyes and looked at Sarah again. “Where is this house you want to live in?”
“We haven’t found one yet. We haven’t even started looking. I would appreciate your opinion, though. Since you’ll be living there, too, I’d like you to see it before we decide for sure.”
“You’d have to leave here, Ma,” Frank said, wondering if Sarah realized what his mother was really asking. The neighborhoods in New York were like islands divided by streets instead of water. People might live in one neighborhood their entire lives and never even meet people living two blocks away. A person could disappear completely and start a brand-new life simply by moving to a new neighborhood. Leaving the place she’d lived since she’d come to America would literally mean giving up everything and everyone familiar. “You could always come back to visit your friends, though.”
His mother glared at him, and for once he was happy to see the familiar expression on her face. “Francis, exactly how much money did this man leave you?”
“I don’t know
exactly
. They’re still figuring it out.”
“A guess, then. You must have an idea if you’re planning to buy a house with it.”
“Like I said, they don’t know for sure, but they think it’s . . .” Frank could hardly bring himself to say it. “They think it’s around five million dollars.”
This time the blood really did drain from his mother’s face, and from her head, too, because she slumped to the floor in a dead faint.
4
S top fussing over me, Francis. You’re scaring the boy.”
Frank glanced at Brian and saw that she was right. He got up from where he’d been kneeling in front of his mother, who now sat in the rocking chair again. Her faint had only lasted a moment before he and Sarah had helped her back into the chair.
Sarah pressed a glass of water into her slightly unsteady hands, and she obediently took a sip. “Thank you,” she said with apparent sincerity.
“I know
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