Once dinner was over, Michael knew he’d need to move quickly before Violet went upstairs or joined the others in the parlor. “Violet, may I speak to you a moment?”
“Of course,” Violet answered.
Michael could see that Lila wanted to hang back, but he turned his back to her so that she wouldn’t hear what he was saying and bent down to whisper in Violet’s ear. “Would you like to take a walk in Gramercy Park?”
Her eyes seemed to light up as she smiled at him. “That would be very nice. Thank you.”
“I’ll let Mother know where we’re going and meet you back here in ten minutes, all right?”
She nodded and hurried up the staircase while he went in search of his mother. He made it back to the foyer just as Violet came back down, and he swept her out the door fast as he could so as not to draw notice that they were leaving.
“I feel like a kid trying to slip out of the house without letting anyone know,” he said as he took Violet’s elbow and steered her down the walk. It wouldn’t surprise him if Lila called out the door for them to wait for her. She was getting increasingly hard to avoid.
“Has something happened with Harlan that you need to talk to me about?” Violet asked as he unlocked the gate to the park.
“No. You just looked a little frazzled and I thought you might enjoy some quiet time in the park.”
“You read me almost as well as your mother does, Michael. This is just what I need.”
“Good.” He drew her hand through his arm as they strolled through the garden. He loved coming here. There were always others from the neighborhood, but not too many at one time, and there were areas where one could find a quiet spot and sit and relax. Being here with Violet, knowing she loved it as much as he did, made it even more special, and he knew he’d never be able to come by himself again without thinking about her. He led her to the bench they’d sat on when he’d shown her the park for the first time.
“It’s beautiful out this evening,” Violet said. “I love the way lights in the houses around the park come on one at a time here and there this time of day. The lights shining down make me feel safe.”
Michael wanted to be the one who made her feel safe. Had he failed in that respect? “Violet, are you worried about Harlan coming after you?”
“Not really. But I don’t know what he’s going to do as time goes on.”
Michael turned to her and tipped her chin up with his thumb and forefinger. “I’m not going to let him get to you here. We’re going to get to the bottom of everything and take care of Harlan for you.”
“I know. I just wish we could get word soon.”
“So do I. And I feel that we will but I know the waiting isn’t easy.”
“At least my job keeps me busy.”
“How do you think it will be working with Lila in the same department?”
Violet gave a little chuckle and shook her head. “That I don’t know. But at least I don’t feel guilty for being given a seamstress job before her.”
“You had no reason to feel guilty. And you taught her to sew so that she’d get this job.”
“I’m glad she did. Hopefully it will make life easier on all of us.”
Michael didn’t have the heart to tell her that their home had been full of tension from Lila for one reason or another ever since she’d moved in. He didn’t have much hope that it would change just because she got promoted. Maybe for a day or two, but then it would be something else she’d be upset about.
“Well, if it doesn’t, it won’t be your fault. It seems that Lila brings a lot of her distress on herself.”
“That’s sad.”
“It is. I just don’t want you worrying about her. You’ve done a lot for her even if she doesn’t appreciate it.”
“Thank you, Michael. And thank you for bringing me here tonight. It’s just what I needed.”
Michael was glad, but not only for Violet’s sake. Sitting here with her made him realize just how much he’d needed to have even a few minutes with her just to himself. He was beginning to think of this park as their special place.
On Wednesday morning, Michael was pleased to have a letter from Mr. Atwood, saying he wanted to meet with Michael at his earliest convenience to discuss Violet’s predicament with Harlan Black and discuss what could be done about him. He planned on coming to New York City before going home to Virginia for that very purpose and would be arriving on Friday.
At last it seemed that they’d be able to find out what Black was up to. From reading between the lines of Mr. Atwood’s letter, Michael was pretty sure his opinion of Black wasn’t much better than Michael’s.
He met with Jim Moore that afternoon and found that Black was pressing to know what he’d found out.
“I’ve tried to stall as much as I can. I told Black that I haven’t been able to see Miss Burton going in or coming out of the boardinghouse and finally had to remind him that he had told me to make certain that I didn’t make anyone suspicious about his trying to find her.”
“What did he say to that?”
“He gave me more time.”
Michael nodded. “Good. Hopefully, he won’t insist that you return to Virginia until after we’ve heard what Mr. Atwood has to say. I’m counting on whatever information Atwood has will help us come up with a plan to help Miss Burton keep her home.”
“She’s very well thought of in Ashland. I’ve met her neighbors and they all want her to come home.”
“How’d you find that out?”
“I said I was interested in her house—asked if they knew if it was for sale or not. Every one of them said they hoped she came home soon.”
Violet going back home was the last thing Michael wanted, and he prayed that she felt the same way. Oh, maybe she’d want to go home for visits, but he hoped that she thought of New York as her home now. At least he knew she did love some things about the city. The thought of living in this city without Violet here too was almost enough to make him think of moving back to Virginia. But he couldn’t just up and leave his mother here to do the work she did by herself either.
And that was another problem. Violet had given his mother a new outlook on life. It was as if she’d helped to fill that hole in her heart from the loss of Becca. Not that Violet would ever take his sister’s place in his mother’s heart. But she’d made a place of her own there and his mother would miss her terribly if she left.
“Miss Burton is a wonderful woman. I can see how they would feel that way. She’s been a real boost for my mother. I hope she decides to make the city her home and just keep the place in Virginia for visits or maybe even sell it.”
“Maybe after this is all settled, she’ll be free to make a decision,” Jim said.
“Hopefully so.” Who was he trying to fool? There was only one decision Michael wanted Violet to make—and that was to stay here. And it had nothing to do with the good she could do in the city, or even how much his mother cared for her. Deep down, Michael knew that wanting Violet to stay here had much more to do with the place she was claiming in his heart than anything else.
Over the next couple days, Violet tried not to think about Harlan Black or what might happen if he showed up. That was the last thing she wanted. If anything bad happened to Michael or his mother or anyone else in this house because of her, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.
“Why don’t we plan a visit to the Ladies’ Mile this weekend?” Julia asked as she passed the breadbasket.
Her idea was a welcome interruption of Violet’s thoughts. “Oh, I’d love to. I’ve been wanting to see more of the shops.”
“We haven’t been back down there, have we?” Mrs. Heaton asked. “We’ve been quite busy, though.”
“Yes, we have.” Violet could hardly believe she’d been living in the city for over two months now. Time had sped by, with learning a new job, teaching the girls to sew and trying to learn her way around.
“Well, let’s go this Saturday. We can go right after breakfast and have lunch at one of the restaurants down there,” Mrs. Heaton said.
“What are we doing to do?” Ben asked. “I don’t think I want to go shopping.”
“Ben, you men can surely entertain yourselves for a day,” Julia said. “I mean, we do know you don’t always consult us when you want to do ‘men’ things.”
“That is true. I’ve wanted to check out a new exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. Any of you want to go with me?” Luke asked.
“I might,” Ben said.
“I’m not sure what my plans are yet,” Michael said. “I’m hoping to meet with someone from out of town on Friday, but I don’t know exactly when we’ll finish our business.”
Violet wondered if it could be Mr. Atwood that Michael was meeting with. Oh, she hoped that was the case. And if it was, she was sure that he would let her know. The thought that he might ask for her to come to his mother’s study again brought thoughts of the last time they were together there and the breath caught in her throat. She had to stop thinking about that night and the kiss they’d shared. She had to. He’d only meant to comfort her, she was sure of that. But he’d done much more. He’d made her want him to kiss her again, and she didn’t have any idea what to do about it.
“You men can do whatever you wish,” Mrs. Heaton said. “We’ll be back for dinner, but we’re going to have a great time showing Violet all that the Ladies’ Mile has to offer.”
Luke gave a mock shiver. “How you can all stand to spend hours looking at the latest frippery is beyond me, but I hope you all enjoy the day.”
“Oh, never fear. We’ll enjoy ourselves,” Elizabeth said. “It’s been quite a while since we had an outing like this. And it will be even more fun showing it all to Violet.”
“I can’t wait. Michael and I only went to Macy’s the day we celebrated my getting hired at Butterick.”
“We won’t get to see it all even in a whole day,” Mrs. Heaton said. “But you’ll certainly find out why there is such an attraction of the mile.”
Violet remembered so many things about the day she and Michael celebrated her new job at Butterick. The lunch and getting to know each other better were highlights of the day. But what she remembered most was running upon the tenements and those two little boys who looked at them so wistfully—the same ones they’d seen at the park. To go shopping after that had been a stark reminder of the differences in society, and it’d been almost overwhelming to Violet.
She hoped she could enjoy the outing on Saturday, but after all that had happened at the park, she thought those differences might be more glaring than ever.
Michael was glad everyone had plans for the day, for he was to meet with Mr. Atwood at noontime. He’d arrived the evening before, but asked to have a good night’s sleep before they met—unless the need was urgent. Michael was relieved to be able to tell him that as far as he knew nothing was urgent at the moment.
Now, as he picked up the older man at his hotel and they took a rented hack back to the boardinghouse, Michael could tell that his illness and the trip had been hard on him. “Mr. Atwood, sir, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to help Miss Burton out.”
The man might look frail, but his handshake was that of a much younger man, firm and strong. “No need to thank me, Michael—if I may call you by your first name. And, please, call me Nigel. I’ve felt guilty for getting sick and not being there to take care of the Burtons’ business when I heard Mrs. Burton passed away. I didn’t even know she had until a month or so ago. It was then that I knew I needed to get back to work.”
“Still, I know it wasn’t easy to go out of your way to come up here.”
“Better than for Black to see us together. He’d be sure to put two and two together and I fear that could cause even more problems for Miss Burton.”
“That is the last thing I want for Violet.”
“I feel the same way. How is your mother doing?”
“She’s doing quite well. She’ll be pleased to have you to dinner this evening. She and the women boarders have gone on an outing—which worked out very well for us today. The men took off in different directions and we won’t have to worry about interruptions. I think you’ll be more comfortable at my home than you would be in my office.”
“I’ve learned to try to be comfortable in most situations and places, Michael. But I’ll take you up on your hospitality.”
“Good. I’ve asked our housekeeper to make us a nice lunch and my agent, Jim Moore, will be joining us. That way, we’ll all have the same information to assimilate.”
“That makes good sense,” Mr. Atwood said. “I’m sure we can come up with a plan to put an end to Black’s dishonest dealings. It’s about time he was found out.”
“That is what I think, too.”
They’d no more arrived at the boardinghouse than Jim Moore showed up. Michael made introductions as he led them to the dining room where Maida had set the table for three and was ready to serve them as soon as they were seated.
Michael waited until she served them lunch before getting down to business. “So, you have knowledge of Black’s underhandedness?”
“I believe I do. At least where it concerns the Burtons. I know that there should have been no reason at all for Mrs. Burton to take out a loan on her home.”
“Then my mother was right. She said she was certain that Mr. Burton left Violet and her mother well enough off to live the life they’d been accustomed to. Not that it was one of luxury, but they should have been able to live debt free.”
“Your mother is exactly right. Mr. Burton worked long and hard to provide for his family, and he was very determined to leave them a good inheritance. His place had been paid for long ago. And there was ample money in the bank to take care of their needs and more. Even Mrs. Burton’s illness.”
“Then what do you think happened? How could things have turned so bad?”
“I don’t believe they did. I think that Harlan Black saw an opportunity to pull the wool over their eyes, and once I was gone and Mrs. Burton got sick, he did just that.”
“So how do we prove it?” Michael handed a basket of crusty rolls to Mr. Atwood.
“I know a judge that will make sure we can go through the bank records, once I give him my records and documentation.” He took a roll and buttered it as he continued, “Mrs. Burton’s doctor will help, too. I know there is no way Doc Malone would have charged her so much that she’d have had to put her place up for a loan. Did Violet say if she asked the doctor about his charges?”
“No. I’m not sure she thought to. Violet is a very trusting person. I think she just believed Black.”
“Yes, she is that. I don’t know how Black got to her mother, but I do have an idea why he’s after that property and possibly even Violet herself.”
Michael sat up straighter in his chair and took a drink of water to wet a throat that had suddenly gone dry. “What would that be?”
“Back in the day when I was young, Harlan Black’s father had it bad for Violet’s mother. She’d have nothing to do with him and he couldn’t stand it. When Burton won Grace’s heart and married her, Harlan Senior went on a drinking binge that lasted over a week.”
Atwood popped a piece of bread in his mouth and Michael waited until he’d chewed and swallowed for him to continue.
“Once he found out that Burton was going to build his new bride a home where it stands today, Harlan Senior tried to overbid him. The seller didn’t like Harlan any more than anyone else in town did and wouldn’t change his mind to sell to Burton. Harlan Senior went on another drinking binge and ended up married to Harlan Junior’s mother. She was a good woman. Didn’t deserve a man like Black.”
“How would Harlan Junior know about all of that?”
“Oh, the whole town knew his papa still carried a torch for Grace. I think somehow Harlan Junior thinks that if he can get the land and Violet, he will have somehow won the prize for his father.”
“Is his father still alive?”
“Oh, yes, he is. I’d have thought he would have drunk himself to death by now, but he’s still with us. Wouldn’t surprise me if he put the whole idea into his son’s mind.”
“From being around him, I wonder if he was warped by his papa’s obsessions? He seems to have a lot of his own,” Jim Moore said.
“I’m sure he does. He’s just like his father was when he was that age. I’m glad Violet got away from him when she did. Now we just have to make sure he doesn’t get to her.”
That had become Michael’s worst nightmare, and he had no intention of letting it become a reality.
Maida cleared the table and brought in dessert. Michael didn’t feel much like eating anymore, but he waited until the other men finished before suggesting, “Let’s have coffee in my mother’s study. I don’t want to take a chance of anyone overhearing our plans should the boarders return sooner than expected.”
“Don’t worry, Michael. We’ll come up with a plan and put a stop to Black’s best-laid ones. He’s not going to get away with his scheme.”
As they made their way to the study, Michael could only pray that Mr. Atwood was right.
Violet had never had a day quite like the Ladies’ Mile outing. She’d forgotten just how congested it’d been the day Michael and Mrs. Heaton had driven her around. That had been bad, but today the crush of women on the streets and in the stores was almost unbelievable. Of course, she was in the crowd instead of a hack and found that made a huge difference.
Once one got past the women window-shopping outside the stores, it was even worse inside. The clerks couldn’t seem to move fast enough for their customers and there were women lined up to make purchases, ten deep in some places.
The first store they went in was Macy’s, and although she’d been there before with Michael, Violet was glad to go again. They’d made such a quick trip that day and she’d still been reeling from seeing the tenements and from excitement over finding employment, she hadn’t really had her mind on shopping. Not that she planned to buy anything today, but it was fun to see what was on display. It appeared that everything a woman could think of, and more, was offered in these stores.
They looked at ready-made clothing from bicycle dresses, which seemed all the rage at the moment, to ball gowns that most only hoped to one day have reason to wear.
To be sure, Ladies’ Mile was an accurate name for the area. The only men Violet saw were a few clerks and the many drivers of the various vehicles waiting for their owners to return. It was not hard to tell the very rich from everyone else, for they seemed to have someone by their side to hold their packages, to do their bidding. They were dressed in the most fashionable gowns of the day, custom-made in the best materials and trims, and wearing jewels that Violet had only seen the likes of behind cases in the jewelry store back home. And those were nothing like the diamonds, emeralds and rubies she saw on the necks of some of the women in this store.
From one department to another, then one store to another—Hearns Department Store, Le Boutellier down the street from Macy’s—women coming from all walks of life shopped together. If one of the not so wealthy had to wait for one who was to be waited on, no one seemed to mind, being a bit awestruck by the wealthier woman.
But it wasn’t until Violet returned from purchasing a lacy handkerchief in Le Boutellier, so delicate she couldn’t resist, that she realized she’d been standing next to one of the Vanderbilts.
“Violet, do you have any idea who you were standing next to?”
She turned to look at the woman who was still being waited on. She was elegantly dressed, bejeweled and wearing a hat Violet was sure Mrs. Heaton would love. She turned back to Elizabeth and shrugged. “Should I?”
Julia laughed. “No, there is no reason you would. At least not until you live here a little longer and know all the Vanderbilts.” She leaned closer and whispered, “That is Edith Vanderbilt Shepard, Margaret’s middle daughter.”
“Oh!” Violet turned to look at the woman once more. The woman turned just then and saw Violet looking at her. She gave a short nod and a small smile as she swept by the group. For a moment Violet wondered if she was expected to curtsy, and then chided herself for the thought. This was America, which didn’t have royalty. But, the way people got out of Miss Vanderbilt’s way it was hard to tell.
“Violet, the look on your face is priceless!” Lila pointed at her and laughed.
“I’m sure you looked the same the first time you came to the Mile,” Elizabeth said. “It’s very intimidating to visit the first few times. And even more daunting to run into American royalty.”
“You are joking, right?” Violet said.
Elizabeth laughed. “Of course I am. But here in New York, many consider the Vanderbilts and others of their wealth in that way.”
“They set the style for the elite in the city. So it never hurts to keep up with what they are wearing so one can stay in fashion,” Lila said. “I’m sure even the people at Butterick stay abreast of what the wealthy are wearing here in the city.”
“Oh, I’m sure they do,” Mrs. Heaton agreed. “They are in the fashion business, after all. In fact, I would imagine they know what is in style even before the Vanderbilts show up in a designer gown. They have people at all the European fashion shows.”
“No wonder the clerks take such a long time with them. They’ve probably been told to. The longer they stay in one store, the more others want what they buy,” Violet said.
“Well, I’m ready to move on,” Mrs. Heaton said. “Let’s go get some lunch before we shop any more.”
“Yes, we must make sure we have enough energy to make it through the afternoon,” Julia said. “We’ve barely started.”
Violet’s feet were hurting already, and she wasn’t sure what they could possibly find in any other store different from what they’d already seen, but she was going to enjoy the outing with the others even if she had to soak her feet for hours just to be able to get them in her boots for church the next day.
By the end of the day, they’d seen more ladies’ clothing and adornments than Violet would be able to remember, much less where she’d seen an item, if she should recall it. All she really wanted was to get out of her shoes and soak her feet—providing she could get them off. But she felt like patting herself on the back for she’d only thought of Michael about once every half hour today—wondering what he’d been doing and how his meeting had gone. She couldn’t wait to get home and find out.