Did she really see Philadelphia as the center of her universe? The question hung heavy on Laurie’s mind as she drove the curricle home. One thing for certain, along with everything else she liked about Darcy, she admired him all the more for his passionate defense of the West. Clearly, his feelings on the subject ran deep. For once, he’d opened up and spoken from his heart. She’d give it more thought later. Right now, she had a plan for Ada and could hardly wait to present it.
Arriving home, Laurie was pleased to find Mei Ling had returned as promised. Not only had she given the house a good cleaning, they all enjoyed the beef stew she fixed for their dinner. Laurie waited until the children had been put to bed and both Mother and Hugh had retired to their rooms before she sat down with Ada in the parlor. She wasted no time presenting her plan. “Kenvern spoke to me today. I’ll be blunt. He likes you very much, but he thinks he’s not worthy of you.”
“But that’s not so,” Ada answered with a touch of righteous indignation. “Mother’s the one who thinks that way, but I certainly don’t.”
“I know you don’t, but since she does, we need a plan, and I have one.”
“Tell me.” Ada’s eyes sparked with interest.
“Kenvern wants to learn how to read and speak ‘proper,’ as he says. I suspect he’d like to write proper, too, so why don’t you teach him?”
“What do you mean? I’m not a teacher.”
“He already knows how to read and write. You don’t have to be a trained teacher to help him polish his English. All you need is a McGuffey Reader, maybe the one for fourth grade. Kenvern could come over after work once, maybe twice a week. You could sit at the kitchen table and give him a lesson. I’d be there to help, too.”
“But what of Mother? She’d never approve.”
“Mother doesn’t have to approve. We’re not children anymore. We’re both grown women with minds of our own, and we don’t need a mother to tell us what to do. You need to be firm with her, in the kindest way, of course. In other words, you’re not going ask her. You’re going to inform her, firmly but pleasantly, that Kenvern Trenowden will be dropping over once or twice a week, maybe more, for a reading lesson. He won’t get in her way. You’ll sit at the kitchen table for an hour or two, maybe twice a week. Surely she can’t object to that.”
“Dare I?” Ada took a few seconds to ponder, then smiled. “You’re right. I’m twenty-three years old, and I don’t have to do everything Mother says anymore. I wouldn’t hurt her feelings for the world, though.”
“You’ll find a way. There’s no one more tactful than you, Ada. The best part is, you’ll be doing a great kindness, helping a man who’s yearning to learn. Not only that—”
“We’ll get to know each other better. I love your plan, Laurie. How soon do we start?”
“I’ll have to ask him first.”
Ada’s face lit in a smile, the brightest Laurie had ever seen on her face. “He’ll say yes, I know he will.”
* * * *
Later, Laurie went up to Hugh’s room and knocked on his door. He was sitting up in bed writing a letter when she walked in. “You’re looking better.” She sat on a chair beside his bed.
With a derisive sniff, he tossed his pen down. “I’m sick of being an invalid. I am feeling better, though. The ribs are healing. I can take a breath now without feeling like I’ve been stabbed in the chest. The doctor says I can get the cast off my arm tomorrow. Looks like I’ll be back to work before you know it.”
She should have been overjoyed at his news. The sooner he came back to work, the sooner she could leave. But oddly enough, she didn’t feel overjoyed like she should. “You don’t need to rush.”
“Why shouldn’t I? Aren’t you dying to get back to Philadelphia and your beloved Brandon?”
She couldn’t blame him for the mockery in his voice. She’d be in a bad mood, too, if she were confined to the house as long as Hugh had been. “Of course, I want to leave, but we must make sure you’re feeling up to it.” She wasn’t exactly lying, although she had to admit her concern for her brother’s health wasn’t foremost in her mind. The truth of it was, the thought of leaving Lucky Creek didn’t fill her heart with joy, not like it would have a few weeks ago.
Hugh eyed her suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you enjoy working in that dirty office, dealing with those grubby miners. Or is it something else? I know. You’ve forgotten all about Brandon. Instead, you’ve fallen madly in love with Darcy McKenna.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Her brother had hit an area so sensitive she hastened to change the subject. Recalling the problem with the ledgers, she would distract him. “Speaking of work, I’ve been comparing yours and Father’s ledgers, and there’s something I’m not clear on.” She went on to explain the discrepancies she’d found. When she finished, Hugh regarded her with amusement.
“You shouldn’t bother your pretty little head about ledgers. I’ll make a note of it and get it all straightened out when I get back. Fair enough?”
“Fair enough.”
She said nothing more on the subject and left soon after, relieved Hugh had made no further mention of her being in love with Darcy. He’d only been teasing, a wild stab in the dark, and so untrue, but she found his accusation highly annoying. She’d made allowances because he wasn’t well, but even so, she especially resented his condescending attitude when she mentioned the ledgers, implying she didn’t know what she was talking about. She would let it go, though. Hugh was simply being Hugh, and besides, surely there had to be a reasonable explanation.
* * * *
Next day at the office, Laurie waited until Darcy had left, and she was alone with Tom. She got out the ledgers she was curious about and carried them to Tom’s desk. “Would you take a look at these?” She laid them out in front of him. “There’s a few things I don’t understand that perhaps you can explain.”
Together they went through the ledgers, Laurie pointing out the discrepancies as they went along. Other than a grunt and an interested nod now and then, Tom kept silent until she finished, then shook his head and frowned. “I’ve only had a quick look, so I really can’t say. Tell you what. I’ll take these home with me tonight and look them over. Like as not, they contain nothing more than minor mistakes.”
Laurie felt relieved already. “Of course, they must be mistakes, but I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to bother Darcy about it.”
Tom smiled with understanding. “Of course, you didn’t. He’s got enough on his mind, what with running two gold mines.”
“That’s it exactly.” No, it wasn’t, but of course she couldn’t explain what really bothered her. If the figures in the ledgers didn’t match, then either Hugh had made false entries, or her father had. Either way, she didn’t know which would be more disheartening, to discover her father was a crook, or her brother.
In the afternoon, when the shift ended, she stood in her usual place outside the mine entrance, doing her job with the time sheets. When Kenvern emerged, she asked him to wait because she’d like to talk to him. He stood by patiently until the last miner had gone, and they were alone. “You wanted to speak to me, ma’am?”
What an imposing figure he was, towering over her, gleaming with sweat, his face smudged with dirt, a pick resting on his powerful shoulder. “Yes, Kenvern. You had mentioned you wished you could talk better English and improve your reading and writing skills. I talked to my sister, and we have a plan. We’d be happy to assist you, if you’re still so inclined.”
A smile wreathed Kenvern’s broad face. “I’m still so inclined, ma’am. Just tell me what to do.”
“Come to our house after dinner tomorrow night. Say, around seven o’clock. I have in mind a few reading lessons would be helpful, as well as some writing and spelling lessons, too. We’ll discuss it further then.”
She could see he wanted to throw his arms around her and was about to burst with excitement, but knowing his place, he settled for emitting an elated, “Allycumpooster.”
The sight of his enthusiasm warmed her heart. She had done the right thing, even though Mother wouldn’t agree. “Yes, indeed, Mr. Trenowden, allycum…cum…what you said. My sister and I shall look forward to tomorrow night.”
* * * *
Next day in the office, Tom waited until Darcy had left on an errand before he drew Laurie aside. “I took a close look at the books last night, and you were right. There’s a discrepancy, and a big one. Someone altered the books, not in a small way, but in a big, criminal kind of way. Thousands of dollars aren’t accounted for.”
Just what she was afraid of. She dreaded to ask, but no turning back now. “So, who do you think is responsible?”
“Only two people had access to those ledgers, your brother and your father.”
“But which?”
“I don’t even have to think about it,” Tom answered, his voice strong and sure. “I was friends with your father. Maybe he made some bad decisions, but Sam Sinclair was one of the most honest and trustworthy men I ever knew. He would never have done a thing so sneaky and underhanded as to alter the books. I remember right before he died, he was complaining about the high-graders. Weren’t you there that day? He was talking about how he was being robbed blind, how they were stealing the ore every night, and he had no way to stop it, even with a guard. And wasn’t Hugh in charge of seeing to it the sluice boxes were guarded? It all makes sense. Hugh was the biggest high-grader of all, stealing that ore behind his father’s back. I always suspected. Now I know.”
“Then it was my brother.” She could hardly get the words out.
“Looks that way, although I suppose you’ll want to talk to him, see what he has to say for himself. I’ll have to tell Darcy.” Tom thoughtfully scratched his forehead. “There’s going to be a lot of consequences from this. If Hugh doesn’t come back, I don’t know as how Darcy will want you to leave anytime soon, being as you’ve made yourself pretty much indispensable around here. He was telling me just the other day how much he admires the way you’ve caught on to the job.”
At any other time, Laurie would have been pleased at the compliment, but not now. Her brother was a crook. She could hardly think straight. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. “I’ll talk to Hugh. Perhaps he has a reasonable explanation.”
“You can try, but don’t get your hopes up.”
The compassion in Tom’s voice clearly told her she was grasping at straws and had better face the truth.
Darcy returned. Seeing Laurie talking to Tom, he inquired, “Why the long faces?”
Tom replied, “Looks like we’ve got some bad news for you.”
Laurie returned to her desk and watched as Tom showed Darcy the ledgers. He didn’t have to say much. All he had to do was point out the discrepancies. Clearly, Hugh had been stealing from the Monarch Mine. When Tom finished, he discreetly declared he had business to attend to and left the office.
“Will you help me, Laurie?” Darcy sounded dead serious. “I want to go over the ledgers again, make sure I’ve got this right.”
Feeling sick inside, Laurie sat by as Darcy bent over the ledgers, examining each closely. When he closed the cover to the last ledger, he shook his head in disbelief. “My God, the man stole thousands. No wonder Sam was broke. Did your father ever say anything? Wasn’t he suspicious?”
“No, never. I knew he used to worry that the mine wasn’t paying off like it was before. Apparently, it was Hugh who…” She had to stop a moment. This was so painful, having to reveal the shocking things Hugh had told her in confidence, but if ever there was a time for honesty, it was now. “Hugh told me our father was responsible for the big decrease in profits. He told me how Father gambled every night at the Gold Spike and had lost a fortune.”
“At the Gold Spike?” Darcy frowned with puzzlement. “That’s crazy. I never saw Sam there, and I live there.”
Had her brother been lying? She might as well tell Darcy all of it. “Hugh said Father was carrying on, as he put it, with the owner of the Gold Spike, that Mrs. Wagner, I believe her name is.”
“With Lucille?” Darcy looked highly amused. “I assure you Mrs. Wagner was not ‘carrying on’ with your father.”
She almost asked how he could be so sure, then thought better of it. She already knew how. Darcy and Mrs. Wagner were the ones carrying on. This only confirmed what she’d suspected when she saw them in the hotel lobby the night before Valeria’s hanging. She could pursue the subject, but at this moment, his relationship with the widow was the least of her worries. “It’s hard for me to take this all in. I’m greatly relieved it wasn’t my father who did those awful things. I could never quite believe he could be unfaithful to Mother, but Hugh had me almost convinced. Still, it’s awful to know my brother is a crook. I’m embarrassed that a member of my family could do such a thing.” She had to stop and swallow over the lump in her throat
“This must be hard. I’m sorry you have to hear this about your brother. It must come as quite a shock.”
“It’s hard, but I’ll survive.” Nothing more need be said concerning a subject so painful. She’d never admit it, but she wasn’t as shocked as he might think. She’d always loved her brother, but she’d grown up resenting the relentless way he teased her. The times he stole her toys out of sheer meanness and broke them or hid them away. His greediness, always making sure he had the biggest piece of cake, candy, or whatever it was. When she complained, Hugh always came back with I was just teasing. Can’t she take a joke? Their parents always took Hugh’s side. They’d glare at Laurie as if she were to blame. Add to that his lack of grief when his wife died, his indifference to his children. No wonder he’d lined his pockets at the family’s expense. He’d always put himself first, so why should she be surprised? She rose to leave. “Time to go home. I’ll be fine.”
He stood and took her hand in his. “You realize Hugh can never come back.” His eyes brimmed with sympathy.
“I know.” Such a tough man, hard as nails sometimes, but his wholehearted compassion spread like a warm blanket around her and gave her comfort. “Then I’d better stay for a while, since I’m familiar with the time sheets and all.”
“I’m surprised.” He gripped her hand tighter. “I thought you could hardly wait till Hugh got back so you could return to Philadelphia.”
“Of course, I’m anxious to get back, but there’s really no rush.” Had she really just said that? She could still correct herself. On second thought, I’m dying to get back to the man I’m madly in love with, so you’ll have to find someone else. But somehow the words wouldn’t come out, not when the touch of his hand, the warmth of his compassion sent a surge of yearning within her. His quick intake of breath, the brief flare of desire in his eyes, told her he felt the same. For the briefest of moments, she was sure he’d take her in his arms, but the moment passed, and Darcy pulled back and dropped her hand.
“That’s fine, then,” he said. “I’ll stop by tonight and give Hugh the bad news.”
He’d broken the spell and turned strictly business again. So would she. “Thanks, but I’ll tell him myself as soon as I get home. It won’t be easy, but the sooner he knows, the better. I’ll tell him in private. I don’t want Mother and Ada to know yet, although I guess they’ll find out sooner or later.” The passionate moment had ended, if, indeed, it had ever happened in the first place. She went to the coatrack to retrieve her bonnet. Placing it firmly on her head, she remarked, “I hope Hugh takes it well.”
“Look, I don’t know your brother as well as you do, but I’m guessing there could be trouble. Let me handle it.”
“No, I’ll be fine.” She took up the ribbons of her bonnet and started to tie a bow under her chin.
“Are you sure? Sometimes it’s hard to see into the heart of a man. You might find more darkness than you thought was there.”
She finished tying the bow and gave it an extra firm tug with both hands. “You mean Hugh? He’s greedy and arrogant, but otherwise harmless. He’d never hurt anyone. I dread telling him, but it has to be done, and I’m the one who’ll do it.” She gave him a determined nod and left for home.
* * * *
After Laurie left, Darcy settled at his desk and disgustedly shoved the ledgers aside. He’d never liked Hugh, thought him weak and conceited from the first time he met him, and that wasn’t all. More than once in his life he’d met a man who set off subtle warning signals in his gut—made him not want to turn his back, check where he’d put his money and his gun. Hugh was such a man. Because he was also a Sinclair, Darcy had kept his mouth shut, but the truth was, he hadn’t trusted Hugh from the day he met him. So, fine, he should be grateful he’d seen the last of Hugh Sinclair and no longer need deal with him. But something didn’t sit right. Why hadn’t he been more persistent? He should have told Laurie he’d take care of informing her brother he was no longer welcome at the Monarch Mine. She might be his sister, but he couldn’t get past his suspicion that Hugh Sinclair was a man full of vengeance and hate, and anyone who crossed him did so at their peril, and that included Laurie.
Good God. Darcy leaned back in his chair and gazed in exasperation at the ceiling. He couldn’t get his mind off Laurie Sinclair. Holding her hand a while ago, it was all he could do to keep from taking her in his arms again, like that night at the hotel when he’d let his feelings get out of control. Somehow, he suspected she wouldn’t have minded if he had, but he must be wrong. She still loved the bug man. If she didn’t, she would have said so. Or would she? He’d never understood women and wouldn’t pretend to now. And besides, since when had he ever driven himself nearly crazy wondering what a woman was thinking?
But all that didn’t matter. Laurie Sinclair belonged to another man. Of course, he would honor that. Any other course of action would be despicable. In future, he must guard what he said to her, how he acted toward her. He’d be friendly, but only to the point politeness required.