Rescuing the Heiress (16 page)

Eyes wide, Tess scanned the distance. Smoke hid details of the city so well it was impossible to tell how close the danger might already be to her father.

“All right, Jimmy. You've done your duty. Now either go find your family, if you can, or stay here with us. Rose and Annie will give you something to eat and drink.”

The youth looked worried. “Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Miss Clark.” He squinted up at her. “You gonna go talk some sense into your papa?”

“If I can,” Tess said. She pulled a shawl around her and stood tall, shoulders pinned back by determination. “Tell the others where I've gone. As soon as I've seen Father I'll come right back, one way or the other.”

She heard him answer, “Yes, ma'am,” as she strode off. It would have pleased her mightily to have Michael's moral and physical support at this moment but since he was probably already working, as he should be, she'd handle Papa alone.

Michael would be proud of her for taking initiative, she reasoned, and once she'd joined her father she'd also have the opportunity to convince him he truly was loved by poor Mama and also by the daughter he had never fully accepted.

That was one of the main reasons Tess felt she must make the trek to the bank. The Lord had used the journal to show her what she needed to do and say with regard to her father. If she tarried she might never get the chance to make things right between them.

 

Less than half an hour had passed when Michael arrived at Golden Gate Park with his mother. He'd asked a man with a pocket watch for the correct time and had been relieved to learn he was running ahead of schedule. That pleased him no end because it meant he'd be able to steal a few minutes of precious time with Tess before he had to leave her again.

Helping Mary dismount and shepherding her to the lean-to Annie had strung up from a bedsheet, he started to unload the sacks of provisions they'd had tied behind the saddle, handing them to the older children while he watched the women share mutual hugs and weep for joy.

The unloading completed, he placed the final bag on the ground and frowned. “Where's Tess?”

“She—she's gone,” Annie said, clearly upset. “I would of stopped her if I'd known what she was planning. She was gone by the time the boy told me.”

“Gone? Where? What boy?” Michael knew his tone was harsh and demanding but he didn't have time waste.

“To Mister Gerald's bank,” the maid said. “A messenger told her the army was going to blow it up. She went to fetch her papa.”

“Into
that?
” Michael swept his arm in a gesture that encompassed the destruction outside the park. “What was she thinking?”

Annie's compassionate tears and soft, sobbing reply failed to reach his ears or touch his heart. Turning on
his heel, he mounted the fresh horse and made sure the pistol in his belt was secure. Then he yanked the reins to spin the horse in a tight circle, aimed it toward the gate and kicked it. Hard.

By his calculations he had little time left in which to locate Tess and see that she returned to the park, with or without the idiotically stubborn father who had caused her to leave the place of sanctuary.

“That's a laugh,” Michael muttered in self-disgust. “Gerald Clark's hardheadedness can't hold a candle to his daughter's.”

P
anting and coughing, Tess wiped her smarting eyes in a futile attempt to stop them from burning. She blinked rapidly, hardly believing what lay before her. The street was not only eerily deserted by every single citizen, there wasn't an armed guard or a soldier apparent, either.

The only nearby action seemed to be taking place directly in front of Papa's bank. A familiar-looking figure was loading bulging canvas sacks into the back of what looked like a greengrocer's wagon and covering them with loose hay.

She approached with a frown. “Phineas?”

He didn't even deign to glance her way. “What do you want?”

“My father,” Tess said. She looked in the direction of the bank's double doors, half expecting to see her predictable papa lugging more sacks of money toward the wagon. There was no one else in sight.

“Where is he?” Tess asked.

“How should I know? When I got back from running
errands for him he was gone.” Snorting in obvious derision, Phineas began to cough and wheeze. “This smoke's about to kill us all. I suggest you leave.”

“Not until I find my father.”

“Have it your way,” the younger banker said snidely. “Just stay out of my way.”

“What are you doing?”

The look he shot her was clearly derisive and demeaning. “I should think that would be obvious, even to you. I'm preserving your family fortune for you while your dear father runs away to save his own skin.”

Hardly,
Tess thought, perusing her surroundings in more detail and immediately spotting proof she was right. Papa would never have left without taking the fancy new automobile that was parked thirty feet away. There were not enough of those expensive contraptions around for her to be mistaken, particularly since he'd had it painted a deep maroon instead of settling for the usual black color.

Realizing that Phineas had been lying, she saw no reason to stand around and argue, particularly since she'd left the park in such a hurry she'd forgotten to bring one of Papa's pistols along.

Tess quickly gathered her dusty skirts and lifted them so she could more easily scale the piles of building stone and decorative carving that had fallen from the façade of the once-impressive building.

The bank's mahogany-framed doors, with gilded lettering on their glass inserts, were standing ajar. She
stepped through the portal and stared, hardly able to believe her eyes.

Plaster had fallen from the ceiling and pieces of it were scattered across the previously highly polished marble floor of the lobby. More white flecks also dusted the bars enclosing the now-empty teller cages, making them look as if a snowstorm had recently occurred inside the bank.

“Papa?” Tess cupped her hands around her mouth and called again, louder. “Papa, where are you?”

Suddenly, the fine hairs on the back of her neck prick-led and her skin began to crawl.

In an instant she knew why. A sinister voice vibrated in the stillness. “I told you he left. You should have listened to me.”

Shivers shot up and down her spine. She held her breath. Phineas was standing directly behind her, so close his breath was palpable. His presence was not only frightening, it was clearly menacing.

Before she had a chance to whirl and confront him, he caught her upper arm in a painful grip and began to propel her toward the door to her father's private office.

Tess pummeled him with the fist of her free arm and tried to break free. “Let me go! What are you doing?”

“Just taking care of business like I told you,” he replied. Jerking open the door to the office, he shoved her through.

She stumbled forward, nearly losing her balance. The immediate slam of the door made more plaster
rain down. The ominous clicking of the lock gave her chills.

Recovering and growing angry, Tess peered into the dusty gloom, afraid of what she might see. There was a strange-looking dark shape lying at the far end of the oriental rug.

“Papa!” She ran to him. Fell to her knees at his side. Touched his shoulder. He didn't move.

 

Lather whitened the neck of Michael's horse. He thanked God he'd saddled a fresh mount from the Clark stables when he'd fed and watered the weary team and turned them out into a paddock.

The horse's shod hooves clattered on the cobblestones while Michael prayed the beast was as agile as it looked. This kind of speed was not only impulsive it was just plain reckless even on a good day, which this certainly was not.

As he neared the bank he could see something happening out in front. Although he wasn't particularly surprised to spy the dislikable dandy who pleased Gerald Clark so much, he wondered where the older man had gone. His fondest hope was that Tess had joined her father and that they were both safely away from the danger. Then he noticed Clark's abandoned motorcar and his heart sank.

Leaping off the horse before it had slid to a full stop, Michael grabbed Phineas by the shirtfront. “Where's Tess?”

“You're the one who said you were taking care of her. What's the matter? Did you lose her?”

“She said she was coming here,” Michael shouted. “Now where is she?”

The wiry man didn't answer. Michael saw his beady eyes dart first to the bank doorway, then aside to the street where the automobile sat, then back to the bank. That was his answer! Tess was in the bank.

Michael flinched and ducked as an explosion less than a block away shook the ground and loosened even more of the bricks and stone that had not fallen in the original earthquake or its aftermath.

Casting his odious captive aside like useless rubbish, he raced into the bank. “Tess! Where are you? Answer me!”

A second explosion drowned out any reply there might have been and brought down a fresh rain of plaster.

Before that echo had died, Michael was already twisting the knob on the door that displayed her father's name and title. It didn't open.

“Tess!” He banged with his fists. “Tess, are you in there?”

“Yes! Look out for Phineas,” she shouted. “He locked us up.”

Michael whirled, expecting an attack. Instead, he saw the loaded wagon driving away with Phineas Edgerton holding the reins and cracking a whip over the backs of the team.

“Stand away from the door,” Michael yelled, pausing only a second before he added, “Are you back?”

“Yes. Hurry!”

One swift kick with the flat of his boot was all it took to spring the latch and free the prisoners.

Tess immediately threw herself into his arms and clung tightly while her groggy father leaned against the jamb for support and mopped his brow.

The older man's head was bleeding slightly and he looked ashen but Michael was satisfied all would be well—until he heard G.B. order, “Get your hands off my daughter.”

“No, Father, no.” Tess continued to hold fast to her heroic fireman. “Michael is rescuing us. It was Phineas who locked us in.”

“That's impossible. The Edgertons have impeccable breeding. One of theirs would never do such a thing. You've misunderstood. Phineas is merely helping me preserve the bank's funds.”

Pointing to the now-empty street, Michael disagreed. “Oh, really? Then where is your wonderful vice president and where is your money?”

It should have gratified Michael to see the older man's shoulders droop as reality dawned. Instead, he actually felt sorry for him.

Gerald rubbed his sore scalp, noticed traces of blood and used the handkerchief to tend to the wound. “I thought another earthquake had knocked me out but now I wonder. I don't remember a thing after I walked into my office.”

“He must have hit you from behind.” Tess released her hold on Michael enough to give her father's arm a
brief pat. “Come with us. I have a tidy little camp set up in the park. We'll look after you.”

It was clear to Michael from the narrowing of the banker's eyes and the way he was staring into the street that he had no intention of letting Edgerton escape. In this terrible confusion, however, successfully following anyone would be next to impossible.

Placing a light kiss on the top of Tess's head, Michael sighed and delivered his own bad news. “I can't go with you, remember? I have to report this morning.” He looked to the older man. “Will you take Tess back to the park?”

Although Clark's reply was neither quick nor firm, he finally nodded and said, “Yes.”

Satisfied, Michael cupped Tess's face in his hands and tilted it up for one last kiss. He didn't care if her father had an apoplectic fit over it, he was going to bid the love of his life a proper goodbye.

 

His mouth was tender yet demanding, almost desperate, she noted, as if he feared that this might be their last touch, last kiss.

The emotional turmoil bubbling inside Tess brought to mind words she had not intended to speak—at least not until she and Michael had calmly discussed their mutual feelings. Her lips parted. Trembled. Looking directly into his eyes, she whispered, “I love you.”

Moisture sparkled in the depths of his dark gaze. He froze and stared at her. “I…”

To Tess's dismay he never finished the sentence, never
told her he loved her in return. Instead, he whirled and strode away.

Michael's abrupt departure left her totally confused. How could he just walk off like that? Hadn't he heard what she'd said? Didn't he care? In her deepest heart she was certain he loved her, so why hadn't he spoken the words?

She felt her father's hand at her elbow. Blinking back tears, she managed a wan smile for his benefit.

“Come on,” Gerald said. “I'll drive you back to the park in my automobile.”

Tess could tell from his tone and posture that that was not at all what he wanted to do. “If I weren't here, would you go after Phineas instead?”

The older man shrugged, clearly disheartened. “I don't know. Perhaps.”

“Then let's.”

“Don't be ridiculous. You don't belong out on the streets in the middle of all this. Don't worry. I'll look after you.” He smiled slightly. “After all, I did promise your young man.”

“He is, you know. My young man, I mean,” Tess said, blushing. “I know he's not highborn or rich, the way you wanted, but I love him dearly.”

Blowing out a noisy sigh, Gerald nodded. “Well, I guess we can forget about you marrying Edgerton in any case.” He wiped his brow and blotted his eyes with the crumpled handkerchief. “I can't believe how fooled I was. Thank goodness you didn't take to him the way I'd hoped you would.”

Tess huffed. “I loathed that odious man from the first moment I met him.”

“You did?”

“Yes. The things I learned at the suffragette meetings have helped me stand up for myself.” She smiled when she saw her father's bewildered expression. “Don't look so shocked, Papa. All I mean is that I now trust in myself, know my own mind and stick to what I feel is right. That leaves Phineas out in the cold.”

She laughed softly at the imagined image of the skinny, supercilious fop literally shivering from the cold shoulders she'd already given him. There was no man for her except Michael Mahoney and she knew it—all the way from the top of her head to her toes.

“Besides,” Tess said, growing dreamy eyed as she pictured Michael, “I prefer gallant firemen.”

“Is that what the young man does for a living?” Gerald asked. He cupped her elbow, gestured at the door and started to escort her toward his waiting motorcar. “He's Mary Mahoney's son, too, isn't he?”

“Yes, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have for a mother-in-law.”

“You two have discussed matrimony, then?”

Tess sobered. “No. Not yet. But we shall.” She colored slightly. “I'm sure Michael will do the right thing and ask you for my hand.”

“Let's hope so.” Gerald brushed soot and ash off the upholstery on the automobile's passenger seat before assisting her into it, then walked to the front of the car to crank the starter.

Before he could bend to begin, Tess stopped him by adding, “I want to marry for love, Father. I don't want to count on it developing later, the way it did for you and Mama.”

It was immediately clear, judging by the befuddled look on his face, that her conclusions had been correct. Her poor father had never viewed his marriage as a love match. She saw his lower lip quiver.

“It's true,” Tess insisted before he could argue. “Mama loved you dearly. I read all about it in her journal.”

He stared. Blinked rapidly. Took a deep, shuddering breath, then said simply, “Thank you.”

This was the perfect moment to speak her mind, to tell him the rest of the things she'd planned to say. Nevertheless, Tess's pride and the memories of his past rejection almost stopped her—until she thought of how Jesus had always taught his followers to forgive.

Emboldened by her faith and the knowledge that what she was about to do and say was right, she added, “And
I
love you, too, Papa.”

The changing expression on her father's lined, weary face was a combination of tenderness and awe. He was clearly thunderstruck, so much so that his jaw dropped.

Like Michael, he didn't choose to return her profession of affection but in this instance Tess was satisfied. Papa had loved Mama and he loved her, too, in his own way. Although he had never been a demonstrative man, he harbored deep feelings, feelings that now shone in his countenance.

That will do,
she concluded, basking in a sense of familial belonging that she had never known before. Both her parents had done their best. The only truly sad thing was that Mama had passed on without knowing how much Papa had cared for her.

Tess vowed she would never allow that to happen with Michael. She would tell him every day how much she adored him. And he would hold her in his arms the way he had a few moments ago and…