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Myra knocked on Edward's door as he was packing. He could tell it was her by the way she knocked. It was as if her fingers rolled over the door rather than hit it all at once. He'd never heard anyone other than her knock in quite the same manner.
"Come in, Myra," he called.
She entered and curtsied. No matter how many times he had told her she needn't stand on formalities with him, she could not seem to help herself. She had been taught to curtsy, and so she curtsy she would.
It was one of the things he admired about her. He, too, had been taught to behave a certain way toward money and business, though his father now said Edward had surpassed anything he'd ever taught him. Sometimes, Edward wasn't sure that was a compliment.
"Sir," Myra said, "the lady's here to see you."
Edward stopped what he was doing and looked up. "What lady?"
"Mrs. Dickinson, sir."
"Thank you, Myra. I'll come down."
Myra disappeared down the hall and Edward hurried to the parlor. He was glad that Lily was here. It would save him the trouble of having to pay her a visit before leaving town. He was already pressed for time as it was. His train was set to leave in just under an hour. He had his coachman standing by, ready and waiting.
"Lily," he said, taking her hand warmly if not a little abruptly. He kissed her quickly on each cheek and embraced her before she had a chance to say hello. "I'm so glad you're here. I must speak with you."
"I must speak with you as well," she said. Her face was flushed, and he thought she must have been walking rather quickly before coming in.
"Certainly," he said, pushing her gently into a chair and sitting beside her. He lasted but a moment before rising again, too anxious to sit. "It's quite lucky for me that you came when you did. I'm already quite pressed for time and was afraid I might not get to see you before—"
Lily cut him off. "Please allow me to get my words out before you say another one. What I have to say is of the utmost importance and may shock you greatly. I fear that if I don't tell you now, I may not have the—"
"I must leave town," he said, cutting her off as she'd done to him. He didn't want to interrupt, but he was certain that whatever she wanted to say could wait a few minutes. His needs were urgent.
He noticed a dull spot on his shoe and thought it looked unsightly for such a meeting as he had to get to. Perhaps he could get them shined at the station upon his arrival. He hadn't time to do it now.
The color in Lily's cheeks flared a bright red. "Leave? For where?"
"The Waterson factory. It lies near the border of Missouri and Kansas."
"I know where it is," Lily said somewhat coldly. "Della has mentioned it to me. She says their factory is set to merge with ours."
Edward raised his eyebrows. "Della's quite right." It really is too bad she's a woman. He could've used someone like her to help him out in times such as these.
"Must you really leave tonight?" Lily asked.
"Not just tonight, this very instant. Forgive me, Lily, I had planned to stop by your house before my departure so that I could tell you the news in person."
"Why could you not have told me at the factory? I waited for you to come out of your father's office so that I might speak to you, but it seems you left when I went to lunch. The whole of the day I thought you were still there. It wasn't until quitting time that I realized you'd gone."
He had been cooped up in his father's office all morning, going over the details of the merger and the letter they had received by special post from Mr. Waterson. Apparently, Mr. Waterson had somehow found out about Edward's legal troubles and demanded an explanation or else the merger was off.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize you'd been waiting to speak with me."
"That's because you never even said hello to me this morning."
Edward bristled at her tone. He had no time for hurt feelings if he was to catch his train. Surely, Lily must know he meant nothing by his abruptness. He'd simply had a busy morning, and it wasn't yet over.
"I apologize if I offended you," he said, looking at the clock. Lily followed his gaze and her irritation increased. "Allow me to give you a ride home, and we can talk on the way."
"What I have to say cannot be spoken in a ten-minute carriage ride," she snapped, heading for the door.
Edward groaned and reached out to stop her. "Lily, please, I'm sorry. It isn't my fault that Waterson and his daughter are—"
She spun around, her eyes flashing anger. She looked ready to claw him like some sort of vulture. "Daughter?"
He paused, thinking through his last words, and realized his error.
Lily said, "I thought you told me there was no truth to the rumors about you and Waterson's daughter."
"There aren't. We are not at all suited to each other. She knows that as well as I."
"Then why mention her just now?"
"Because I am to meet with her and her father both. According to his latest letter, Waterson has developed some health issues and requires his daughter's assistance in his business dealings."
"I see," Lily said, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"I swear to you there is nothing be between me and Georgiana."
"Georgiana?" Lily snapped, more like screeched. This was the first time he was seeing her jealous side, and he was not at all sure he liked it.
"You're acting ridiculous. I must go. The train leaves in under an hour. We can talk about this when I return."
"When will that be?"
"A week at most, perhaps a day or two longer."
Her eyes blazed fury, but there were also tears welling in them. "Can your father not go?" she said, her voice softer, almost pleading.
"He suggested that very thing, and I'll tell you as I told him—no. His health has not been good of late, and I do not trust him to travel because of it."
"Then send Della. She'd make an excellent liaison for you, I'm certain."
He looked at her to see if she was serious. "Della is a woman. Women have no place in dealings such as these."
"Georgiana will be there," she said snidely
"That is different. Georg—Miss Waterson is Mr. Waterson's daughter and knows the business inside and out. Miss Garrison is just a secretary."
Tears flowed down Lily's cheeks now, and Edward paused in his anger. He went to put his arms around her, but she refused them.
"You tell me in one breath that you love me and wish to marry me," said Lily, "but in the next, you are running away from me."
"I'm not running away. This is business. There's a great deal of money involved here. It's something you wouldn't understand."
Her shoulders hunched. Her body shook. "But Ray..." she wailed. "He's still out there."
Edward sighed and lowered his voice so that he was no longer shouting. "I think the sheriff is right. Ray is dead. If he were alive, he'd have been found by now." He watched her face crumple that much more. "Believe me, if I thought you were in any danger, I would never leave, not even for a day." He ran a hand nervously through his hair. "I'll tell you what we'll do. I'll drop you at the Shannons’. You can stay with Caroline while I'm gone. How does that appeal to you?"
"I don't want to stay with Caroline." She bit her bottom lip. "I need to talk to you."
He let out an exasperated sigh. "You had time to talk, but instead you've chosen to waste it yelling about things I cannot change."
"You're a terrible liar," she said, her voice filled with loathing. "You can change things if you wish. You could send your father or Della. You could figure something out. Instead, you choose to go yourself. You choose to leave me here because money is of more importance to you than I am."
His mouth dropped open. "Money is important, but not more so than you." Fresh anger bubbled up in him. "How can you even speak such a thing to me? You act as if you don't even know me."
"I might say the same about you."
She pulled the front door open and all but ran into Sheriff Chambers, who had been raising his hand to knock.
"Forgive me," Lily said. "I did not know you were there." She wiped her cheeks and attempted to pass by him. He reached out and stopped her, blocking her exit from the house.
"Everything all right?" he asked.
"Everything's fine," she said.
Edward endeavored to shake himself free of the emotions that had coiled up in him. "Sheriff Chambers, what can I do for you?"
There was a hard, uncertain look on the sheriff's face. Like he had to do something but didn't particularly want to do whatever it was.
Edward joked, "You're not here to arrest me again, are you?"
When the sheriff did not smile, Edward's laughter faltered.
Lily looked at the sheriff as though he were crazy. "You cannot be serious. On what grounds? He has already been before a judge once and—"
"I'm not here for Edward," Sheriff Chambers said, and Lily and Edward relaxed. "I'm here for you, Mrs. Dickinson. You're under arrest for the murder of your husband."
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