Daughter of the Loom (Bells of Lowell Book #1) (35 page)

He wasn’t sure if it was the unsettling silence of the mill on a Sunday or the fact that he was meeting William Thurston and Lewis Armbruster for a secret discussion that was causing his anxiety. He read through several ledgers Mr. Gault had placed on his desk Saturday afternoon and reviewed the paper work Kirk had given him. He was finishing his notes when the gate bell rang. He startled to attention.

The two men stood waiting, talking in quiet tones, Thurston wringing his leather-gloved hands as Matthew approached. “Gentlemen. Come in,” Matthew said while holding open the gate.

Matthew couldn’t shake his feeling of uneasiness as they walked in silence to his office. He now wished he had insisted on waiting until Monday morning. “I’m expected somewhere within the hour, so perhaps we should get to our business. Tell me, what’s so important that we need to meet in secret on a Sunday afternoon?” Matthew asked, looking back and forth between the two men.

Armbruster turned toward Thurston, who was obviously the delegated spokesman. “Lewis and I have become privy to some information. We’ve weighed the merits of coming forward and with whom we should discuss this matter. After a great deal of thought, we determined you were the best choice.”

Matthew leaned back in his chair and met the man’s gaze. “And why am I the best choice?”

Thurston leaned forward, arms resting upon his thighs. “You live here in Lowell, you work closely with Kirk and, I dare say, you have almost a father-son relationship with him. I know how devastated you’ve surely been over his harrowing experience—the thought that he could have been killed! Well, it’s more than I even care to think about! I’m certain we would all be extraordinarily delighted to mete out punishment to the culprit who shot him.”

Matthew listened intently, careful to hide his excitement at the prospect of finally discovering who had ambushed Boott. “Do I understand that you’re prepared to give me the name of the person responsible for Mr. Boott’s injury?”

Thurston shifted in his chair. “We have information.”

Matthew attempted to hide his irritation. “What does that mean? Either you know who’s responsible or you don’t.”

“We know who’s responsible, but we don’t have a name. We know it’s a young Irishman.”

Matthew stared at the duo in disbelief. “Well,
that
certainly narrows it down.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you,” Lewis retorted. “And, quite frankly, telling you it was a young Irishman certainly
does
narrow the possible suspects.”

William held his hand up and silenced Lewis. “If you’ll permit me to continue, I will more fully explain. There is an informant, also an Irishman. I need not tell you what a tenuous situation it would place him in if word leaked out regarding his willingness to cooperate in the investigation. He wants assurance his name will not be involved in any way. And, of course, he would expect a reward for the risk he would be taking.”

Matthew stood and began pacing in front of the window along the south wall of his small office. “So this unnamed informant doesn’t want anyone but you and Lewis to know his identity. Does he have any proof to substantiate his accusations?”

“He has a piece of cloth that was torn from the coat of the person he says committed the act; the cloth was found out in the woods near where Boott was shot. My informant also told me that once he names the person, you could check with Hugh Cummiskey about the culprit. It appears this fellow and Boott had an argument, and Cummiskey witnessed their disagreement.”

Returning to his chair, Matthew sat down. His head hurt. He rubbed the back of his neck and then met William’s piercing gaze. “It sounds convincing, but I want names before I talk to Mr. Boott. Your man will have to wait upon any possible reward until we’re certain the name he gives you is the actual offender. I’m certain you realize the ramifications if these accusations are correct,” Matthew said, once again rubbing his neck.

Thurston nodded. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Irish are a blight on this community. They’re an unruly, uneducated bunch of rabble-rousers who are spreading like the plague throughout the town. Their tempers often lead them to take matters into their own hands. If this incident with Boott doesn’t prove my point, I don’t know what it’s going to take to convince the rest of you.”

“I’m not sure everyone shares your views on the Irish, William. In any case, I’ll need to have
all
the evidence—names, the piece of fabric, exact location where your man retrieved the cloth, and any other information he’s got that will substantiate his accusations against this as yet unnamed Irishman. Once I have that information, I’ll go to Mr. Boott. Tell your man that he’ll have to furnish the name of the culprit and his proof before we’ll move forward and investigate his claim. No reward until we’re certain his information is correct. Get back with me after you’ve talked with him.”

“Investigate? I’ve already done that for you. You’re expecting a lot from this man, and yet you’re doing nothing to show your good faith,” Thurston argued.

Matthew shrugged. “Any reward would come from Mr. Boott. Surely you can convince your informant that he’s dealing with a man who will do right by him.”

William rose from his chair and moved toward the door. “He was hoping for a speedy resolution. As you can understand, he wants to leave Lowell as soon as possible. He’ll need money.”

“I understand. As soon as you fulfill my requests, I’ll go directly to Boott. You have my word. We both know he is a generous man and one who is willing to make a quick decision. If he’s convinced by the evidence, I’m sure a reward will be immediately forthcoming.”

William nudged Lewis on the shoulder. “Come on, Lewis. I want to get this resolved. I should be back with you in the morning, Matthew. You’ll be here at your office?”

Matthew nodded and then walked out with the two men and unlocked the gate. “Until tomorrow.”

A blast of cold air whipped down the street, and Matthew bent his head against the chill. He watched the twosome walk off in the direction of the Paddy camp. He wanted to discuss Thurston’s proposal with Boott, but he would wait. Perhaps William would be unable to secure the information and wouldn’t return. He walked back to his office and retrieved his coat and hat. Why would anyone choose Lewis Armbruster or William Thurston as confidants to carry an offer? Especially an Irishman!

Matthew glanced at the clock atop the tower in the center of the mill yard. He was famished. If he hurried, perhaps he could make it home before all the food was cleared from his mother’s table.

****

The Cheever home had been modestly decorated for the Christmas holidays. Evergreen boughs trimmed with red ribbons lined the banister and fireplace, making the place quite festive. Lilly thought it homey and very beautiful. She thought of her childhood and the special way her parents used to make her feel on Christmas morning.

Not that they didn’t make me feel special throughout the year, she chided. But Christmas was always special. They had wonderful times of singing and laughing. They would share gifts, most handmade but all very precious, and they would dine on wonderful delicacies. Lilly had almost forgotten how wonderful it had all been. The last five years with her father had been meager and less than festive. In part because of the impending realization that soon the farm would be lost to them forever. And partly because that’s the way Lilly chose it to be.

For a moment she felt overcome with guilt. She could have made it far more special for her father. His last years shouldn’t have been spent dealing with someone so steeped in anger and hatred as Lilly had been.

“I hope you’ve saved room for dessert,” Julia Cheever told Lilly.

Lilly silently chastised herself for having attempted to avoid Mr. and Mrs. Cheever’s dinner invitation. The food was delicious, and the quietude of three people around the table was refreshing. She had almost forgotten the pleasure a family meal afforded.

“We have cherry pie,” Julia said. “Matthew’s favorite. It’s a shame he isn’t here to enjoy it.”

Lilly withheld any comment regarding Matthew. “Let me help you remove the dishes,” she offered while pushing back her chair.

The two women cleared the table while Randolph enjoyed a cup of coffee and awaited his dessert. They were preparing to cut the pie when the front door opened and the sound of stomping feet could be heard in the hallway. “It’s me, Mother. Have I missed dinner?”

Matthew! She had relaxed too soon. At least dinner was over, and she could make her excuses for an early return to the boardinghouse. After all, she had told the Cheevers she wanted to spend time with Nadene.

“Would you mind fixing Matthew a plate while I cut the pie, Lilly?” Julia asked.

How could she refuse? “Certainly,” she replied as she started to heap a plate with food.

Julia beamed. “There! I told you that you’d be surprised, didn’t I?” she chortled at Matthew as Lilly entered the dining room.

Matthew gave Lilly a broad smile. “Why, thank you. I can’t remember when I’ve been served by a lovelier hostess,” he said as she set his plate before him.

Lilly didn’t fail to note that, in her absence, Julia had seated Matthew directly beside her at the table, where a piece of pie now awaited her return. She pulled her chair out and moved it as far away from Matthew as possible without appearing overly obvious. “I must leave shortly,” Lilly said as she forked a piece of the flaky pastry toward her mouth.

Julia jerked to attention. “Nonsense! I’ll hear nothing of you leaving so soon.”

“Nor I,” Matthew agreed. “We have several things to discuss,” he quickly added.

“In that case, your father and I will retire to the parlor and give you two a bit of privacy while you finish eating, Matthew. Come along, Randolph,” she ordered, turning her attention toward her husband, who was shoveling his last bite of pie into his mouth while nodding his head.

Lilly glanced back and forth between the couple, wishing she could jump up and rush into the other room with them. She didn’t want to be alone with Matthew, for it would serve no purpose. Their conversations always culminated in harsh words and disagreement. She finished her pie and prepared for the worst.

“It’s good to see you, Lilly. I’ve been wanting to talk with you ever since our last . . .” he hesitated for a moment.

“Disagreement?” she asked, finishing his sentence.

He gave a comfortable laugh and nodded his head. “I hope we’ll do a little better.”

“We always fight. Even when I don’t plan to, you say something that brings out the worst in me.”

“Like when I questioned you about Lewis?” Matthew asked softly. “I apologize for that. I know he’s hurt you greatly. Still, I would like to know what brought him back here.”

While his questioning at the restaurant had seemed forceful and imperious, his simple retiring statement had the opposite effect. She found herself now wanting to share her own concerns regarding Lewis. “Then it may be best to discuss Lewis first. You wondered why he’s in Lowell, and the only answer I can give is that he generally comes home when he has no money and nowhere else to go. I do know he’s short on funds. All of his inheritance has been gambled away, and as usual, he’s looking for some way to support himself that doesn’t require work on his part.”

Matthew finished eating and pushed his plate toward the center of the table. “Did he actually tell you his money is gone, or is that supposition based upon his return home?”

“He asked me for money when he arrived, saying his inheritance was gone. I don’t doubt his word, especially since he told me he planned to begin escorting some of the mill girls. He assumed they would be easy prey. Obviously he was right. I know he’s been accepting gifts and money from several different girls.”

Matthew smacked his palm on the table. “Despicable behavior. How could he do such a thing?”

“He appears to have no conscience. He did mention some time back that he had entered into an alliance with a man of means. When we were last together you mentioned he was keeping company with William Thurston. I saw Lewis that very night and asked about his relationship with Mr. Thurston.”

Matthew leaned forward and met her gaze. “What did he have to say?”

Lilly thought for a moment. She wasn’t sure she wanted to take Matthew into her confidence. And yet Lewis had threatened her—surely she should tell someone. “He appeared extremely upset that anyone knew of the liaison, though I’m not certain why, and he wanted to know who had made inquiry regarding their association.”

“And what did you tell him?”

Lilly gave him a thoughtful look. “I told him if there was an evil plan afoot he should set it aside. He firmly asserted I should stay out of his business.”

“So he may be working for Thurston, but we know he’s being at least partially supported by his lady friends.”

“Oh yes. He appears to accept gifts regularly from the girls. I’ve attempted to convince the girls he’s a scoundrel. They don’t believe me, but once he’s taken their money and run off, it’s
me
they’ll be angry with,” she lamented.

He stood up from the table and then assisted Lilly with her chair. “Unfortunately that’s probably true, but if you’ve warned them, I don’t know what else you can do. Why don’t we move into the parlor? It’s much more comfortable.”

Randolph was reading, and Julia was embroidering on a piece of linen that she immediately placed in her sewing basket. “I gave Cook the rest of the day off. I’m just going to go to the kitchen and clean up. And your father is going to help me. Aren’t you, Randolph?” Julia added quickly.

Randolph glanced up from his book with a puzzled look on his face. “I’m not certain. If you’re merely arranging for the children to be alone, Julia, I think I would prefer to take my book and sit in the dining room.”

“Randolph!” Julia chided as her husband followed along behind her, chuckling.

Matthew settled onto the settee and patted the cushion beside him. “Please sit down,” he said, glancing up at Lilly. “I have something else I want to ask you,” he said as she settled beside him and then turned, giving him her full attention. “About your appearance at Dr. Fontaine’s office,” he began.