The Pursuit of Lucy Banning (28 page)

“That hardly makes me a thief!” Lucy exclaimed.

Leo moved toward her and put a hand on Lucy’s shoulder, but the gesture did nothing to calm her.

“Daniel took that card,” she insisted, on her feet now. “I’m sure of it. Who is to say he did not take the other things as well? He’s had the run of the house for years.”

“He is the trusted son of our oldest friends,” Samuel pointed out.

“And I’m your
daughter
!”

The clock in the foyer announced eight o’clock and Penard promptly appeared. Lucy lost her appetite.

 31 

L
ucy had neither seen nor heard from Will for two weeks and four days. Not an hour went by that she did not wonder where he was, how he was—why he was wherever he was. In their leisure time, Will and Leo had been nearly inseparable since Will moved to Chicago. Even if Will pulled back from her, he would not pull back from Leo. The more time that passed, the less satisfied Lucy was that Will would leave town without telling Leo and make no effort to send word of his decision. As she sat in her philosophy lecture on Tuesday afternoon, Lucy made up her mind. As soon as class was over, she was going to Will’s office and she was not leaving without answers. She would instruct Archie to drop her downtown and promise to take a cab home later.

She was right where he wanted her. He could not have arranged this encounter more satisfactorily. It was only a matter of time—only a few minutes—and Lucy Banning would regret a great many things.

Lucy presented herself in the stone lobby of the building and studied the list of occupants. Will’s firm was on the fourth floor. She marched to the elevator and told the attendant where she wanted to go. On the fourth floor, the glass doors with the brass handles intimidated her fleetingly, but she pressed through them. A young man behind the counter hunched over a typewriter, studying the impressions he’d just made. He looked up at Lucy over his spectacles.

“May I be of assistance?”

“I’d like to see one of the partners,” Lucy said calmly, “or perhaps a manager.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I decided to come on short notice.” The young man seemed slightly suspicious, which made Lucy impatient.

“May I ask the nature of your business?”

“I am inquiring about one of your employees.”

He squinted at her. “Can you be more specific?”

“I would prefer to speak with one of the managers,” Lucy said.

“I would like to help you, ma’am, but I must understand the nature of your inquiry before I can direct you.”

Lucy swallowed. “I’m inquiring about Mr. Will Edwards. My name is Miss Lucy Banning.”

In response to her last name, the young man stood immediately. “I’ll see what I can do. Please have a seat.” He gestured toward a trio of green velvet upholstered walnut chairs.

Lucy selected a chair and sat stiffly, holding her gloves and satchel on her lap. The clock on the wall underscored how slowly time seemed to be moving. At last, the young man returned.

“Mr. Jensen has agreed to see you without an appointment,” he said.

Not one of the names on the door, Lucy noted. “May I inquire what Mr. Jensen’s position is?”

“He looks after the daily business affairs of the office. It would seem the partners are occupied with clients at the moment. Would you like to see Mr. Jensen?”

Lucy stood up. “Yes, of course.”

She followed the young man through a maze of small offices and drawing boards spilling rolls of paper in every direction. Young men sat on stools with fine pencils and straight edges in their hands. On one desk, Lucy saw a nameplate that said “Will Edwards,” and her stomach flipped. He was still an employee.

“Right here.” The young man gestured to an open door.

Lucy stepped into the modest office and met the eyes of a middle-aged man with gray hair and wearing a snug striped silk vest. She extended her hand.

“I’m Lucy Banning. Thank you for seeing me.”

“Frank Jensen.” He took her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Banning, though I’m not sure I can be of any assistance. I understand you’re inquiring about Mr. Edwards.” He motioned for her to sit.

“Yes, that’s right.” Lucy arranged herself on a high back slatted oak chair across the desk from Mr. Jensen.

“Mr. Edwards is on leave at the moment.”

At least he had not been dismissed. “When do you expect him back?” Lucy asked.

“The leave is of an indefinite nature. The partners approved an urgent request.”

“Do you know if Mr. Edwards left town?”

“I don’t have any details.”

“Has he contacted anyone at the firm while he’s been on leave?”

Mr. Jensen shook his head. “I really couldn’t say, Miss Banning. We have two telephone lines, but any number of people use them on a given day. The mail is distributed promptly when it arrives. We don’t keep a central log of these matters.”

“Of course not.”

Mr. Jensen leaned forward on his desk. “May I ask if you have a particular concern about Mr. Edwards?”

How could she answer that question?

“He’s a friend of my brother,” she finally said, “and I was hoping to put my brother’s mind at ease. He was distressed at Mr. Edwards’s rather sudden departure after some . . . unfortunate miscommunication with a client.”

“Ah, you refer to the missing drawings. Yes, that did cause quite a stir around here, and I admit it seemed prudent to remove Mr. Edwards from further contact with the client. His request for a leave came at an advantageous time for all involved.”

“But he has not been dismissed?”

“No. At least not yet. He’s clearly a talented architect, and the partners are most anxious for a successful arrangement, despite the current circumstances. My understanding is that he is welcome to take up his post again as soon as he has worked out his personal matters, though there may be additional supervision.”

Lucy stood. “Thank you, Mr. Jensen. You’ve been most helpful.”

In the lobby a few minutes later, Lucy paused to lean against a wall and gather her thoughts. She still did not know why Will would take a sudden leave of absence, but at least it seemed to have been voluntary, and his employers had every expectation it was temporary. This was consistent with Leo’s inquiries at Will’s rooms. In his initial questions, Leo must not have pressed enough at the firm to learn that Will’s leave had been approved.

But what would take Will away? And why had he avoided her before he went?

“Hello, Lucy.”

Lucy flinched at the sound of Daniel’s voice and looked up at his face leaning close to hers.

“You look tired, Daniel,” she observed—and meant it. “Have you been sleeping?”

His bloodshot eyes glared at her, and she stiffened.

“Why are you here, Daniel?” she asked softly.

“You know why.”

“Do I?”

“Don’t play me for the fool, Lucy.”

She held her silence and intentionally slowed her breathing.

“Leo came by the bank yesterday,” Daniel said, “with some silly notion that I might have an ink drawing that belongs to your father. I can’t help but think you are responsible for his suspicion.”

“You were in the study the day the drawing went missing. You had opportunity.”

“That’s as good as twisting a knife in my back.” He leaned toward Lucy, then put one hand on the stone wall behind her.

Lucy’s instinct was to duck away, but Daniel’s second hand went up, caging her in against the stone wall.

“You were in the study, and the drawing did go missing.” She spoke the truth flatly, then squeezed to one side and glanced around the lobby.

Daniel smiled and stepped to the side with her, preventing Lucy’s escape. Abruptly he gripped her elbow to the point of pain. “Why don’t we go somewhere and talk about this?”

“If you don’t mind, Daniel, I was planning to go home.”

“I do mind. I know you sent your driver home, so no one is expecting you. The hotel a few blocks away serves a wonderful afternoon menu.”

“I’m not hungry.”

He clutched her elbow and pulled her uncomfortably close to his side, steering her across the lobby toward a door at the back of the building. His hot breath broke over her neck in waves as she struggled to keep up with the pace he set.

“Where are we going, Daniel?”

“I told you, the hotel. It’s not the Palmer House, but the food is well worth the effort of seeking it out.”

“Why aren’t we going out to the street?”

“The alley is much quicker.” He pushed open a door and urged her through it toward the left. “Just keep walking. I’ll tell you when to stop.”

“Why would we stop before we reach the hotel?”

“You ask too many questions, Lucy. That’s always been your problem. You don’t understand your place any more than that insipid maid of yours.”

Lucy twisted in an effort to get her arm free, simultaneously glancing around to find the way out of the alley. Daniel’s muscular fingers never wavered.

“Daniel, please. I don’t think this is the way to handle our differences.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

Lucy gasped as a shadow rose behind them, and Daniel’s grasp abruptly released her. She wheeled—and stared into the cobalt eyes of Will Edwards. With the advantage of three inches in height, he had Daniel’s throat captive in the crook of his arm.

“Mr. Jules,” Will said, his voice full of authority, “I believe I can show you the way out of this alley. It’s really no place for a gentleman, and certainly no place to entertain a lady.”

Will moved forward, taking Daniel with him and Lucy heaving with relief in his wake. At the end of the alley, Will nudged Daniel into the pedestrian traffic on the side street. “I believe you know your way from here.”

Daniel glowered at Will and gave Lucy barely a glance, but he did walk away.

Lucy clutched Will’s arm. “How did you . . . ? Where have you . . . ?”

Will kicked a tin can out of the way, took her chin in his hand, and examined her face. With his eyes inches from hers, Lucy forgot to breathe. Will lowered his face to kiss her slowly and fully on the mouth. Lucy raised quaking hands to his shoulders and returned the kiss. Finally he released her lips with a sigh and enfolded her in his arms.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Will said. “I have a few of my own. But I have a feeling we’ve just begun to find the answers.”

Lucy nuzzled his shoulder, her arms around his neck now. “I never imagined our first kiss would be in a dirty alley, but I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my whole life.”

“I wonder who has been imagining our first kiss longer, you or I.” He kissed her again, deeply. When he finally broke the kiss—reluctantly, it seemed to Lucy—she wrapped her fingers around both his hands.