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“I’M SORRY, FAITH. MY parents and I are working on this, too, and I’m going with my father and Uncle Will to speak with people who can help us in Manhattan.”
Thomas arrived in his family’s carriage shortly after Faith’s conversation with her uncle, and she realized that Uncle Will didn’t know that Thomas was going with them.
But if he could go, why couldn’t she?
“I’m coming, too.”
She made sure her voice brooked no argument, and at first, Thomas only frowned as he stood a few feet from his carriage. A breeze kicked up, and Faith watched his expression change as he realized what she was saying, while the ends of her braid fluttered at her shoulders.
“That’s not a good idea. What do your parents say?”
“Thomas.”
Her mother, who had been hovering close by since the two of them were told Thomas’ carriage had arrived, stepped near, offering Faith’s cousin a warm smile.
Before Faith could answer him, her mother pulled him close into a hug, and Thomas seemed to relax a little while he was in her mother’s arms.
For such a small person, her mother gave so much of herself to others, and her love and charity seemed endless.
Faith wondered if she could ever be so generous with her time and emotions, especially now that everything she had taken for granted was being tested.
“Faith is a grown woman who can make her own decisions now, and I believe she will be a sight for Nico’s sore eyes, just as your parents and your uncle will be for his worried mind.”
Thomas would never argue with his aunt, Faith knew, but she also knew that he wanted Faith to stay here, safe and sound in Newport.
And not exposed yet again to a jail cell.
Faith suspected they might not be as clean in Manhattan, and the officers not so solicitous.
“We’re staying in the Fifth Avenue townhouse,” he explained unnecessarily, as that was where everyone in the family spent the night when they traveled into the city. Everyone had his or her own room, and a small staff took care of the building, living there even while the family did not.
“I understand, Thomas. I think Faith may need to gather her things quickly before you leave. Don’t take too long,” her mother went on, addressing both of them and then giving Faith a wide-eyed stare.
She ran back into the house, tripping a little as the edge of her lavender skirt caught on a flowering bush near the door.
“Joanna!”
When she called out, the maid’s name echoing in the hall, she wondered why she had done so. She could pack her own bag, couldn’t she?
There was something comforting about Joanna’s incredulous expression when she hurried towards Faith, and the two of them took the grand staircase quickly as Faith explained that she was leaving for the night.
“Oh, that’s right quick, isn’t it? You’ll need a sleeping gown, and . . .”
She trailed off, counting many more items than Faith truly needed on one hand, and then moving to her other.
Faith almost laughed at how excited Joanna was, although the maid had to know why she and Thomas, and her aunt and uncles, were going into Manhattan. It didn’t take long for news, especially bad news, to make the rounds here, and the servants were always the first to know anything new.
“Have you heard anything about a carriage, something fancy, leaving the jail today?”
Joanna was stuffing a roll of stockings into a large dark blue bag with wooden handles, but stopped to look up at the ceiling as she considered Faith’s question.
“With curlicues and scrolls along the sides, and a man who looks like a string bean with a pinched face get out, and then get back in with your Italian boy? Yes, I might have.”
Faith couldn’t help but smile now, although she wasn’t pleased to hear confirmation of Nico’s current fate. When Jeannette returned, she would miss Joanna’s attention, but both of them would be around her enough that she could enjoy their unintended humor and sisterly banter.
She hurried, stopping Joanna before the maid could fill the bag to bursting with unnecessary items, and hugged her quickly, making Joanna squeak in surprise.
“Be careful out there, Miss Faith. That big city isn’t meant for a nice girl like yourself.”
Faith had been to Manhattan many times, and knew what a bustling and varied place it was. Surely with so many people, there was as much goodness as not.
And she was going to help find that goodness, and return Nico back where he belonged.
With her, here in Newport.
“But you’re early, aren’t you?”
As soon as Faith saw the gigantic, feather-covered hat filling the hallway, she knew who was blocking their way into her aunt and uncle’s house.
Ruby turned, barely missing the walls as the hat swung along on her head, perched precariously enough to make Faith wonder, as she always did, how her cousin managed such fripperies.
“What kind of greeting is that for your favorite cousin?”
The two of them fell into each other, hugging tightly as Ruby laughed. Evie protested, her pout audible in her voice.
“That’s not true, Ruby, we all know that Thomas is Faith’s favorite.”
Faith tried to shake her head, but Ruby held her close, ignoring her little sister to whisper into Faith’s ear.
“What’s this I hear about a suitor? I won’t be the last to know, for you know how much I dislike that.”
“Now, what kind of talk is this? Evie, don’t say such things.”
Aunt Catherine took Evie’s arm in one hand and Ruby’s in her other, as if they were still little girls who needed to be managed.
“Your father has delicate business in the city, and I won’t have him upset more by all your fussing.”
Ruby’s dark violet eyes, which sparkled like rich wine in the stream of sunlight that peeked in through the open doorway, grew wide.
“Oh, you would think the lot of you had been born in a barn!”
Faith’s aunt was restless, annoyed over the open door, and her usual easy going demeanor was dampened, most likely because Uncle Will was distressed.
Faith didn’t want to upset her further, and tried to catch Ruby’s attention before she aggravated her mother.
As her aunt marched to the open door, Caitlin appeared from the study with a feather duster and pushed it closed.
“Oh, why, thank you, Caitlin.”
Aunt Catherine gave the girl a grateful smile, but Caitlin just stared. Most households did not thank their servants as a habit, and certainly Caitlin had more than that to get used to here in the Travers home.
Something flashed in the back of Faith’s mind, something that had to do with Caitlin, but she couldn’t quite grasp it.
It felt important, as if she needed to ask Caitlin something, and she needed to do it before she left Newport today.
“I assume that you would be adverse to me leaving with Faith and Thomas, Mother?”
Oh, why did Ruby have to antagonize Aunt Catherine like this?
“May I remind you, Ruby Noelle Travers, that you are never too old to pinch.”
And with that, Aunt Catherine quickly grasped Ruby’s upper arm and tugged gently, in spite of her firm tone.
Ruby only giggled as her mother rushed away, calling out for another maid to help her with packing sandwiches for the trip.
“So, what is he like, Faith?”
Evie leaned forward to listen after her sister asked the question, and Faith felt as if she was standing in a spotlight. Of course, Ruby would want to know everything she had missed while she was away most of this year, including all the parties, teas, and unscheduled festivities of the season.
But mostly she wanted to find out who was romantically involved with whom, and if it had to do with someone in her family, clearly, the better.
“He’s very handsome, and dark. He looks as if he works in the sun all day, and his eyes are black as night,” Evie breathed the words as if she was reciting a poem, and Faith stared at her, wondering if her cousin might have developed an affection for Nico.
“I can imagine him in one of Wharton’s novels, where the men who seem lovely and polite are really villainous.”
Faith realized she didn’t have to worry, but still, it wasn’t a very kind image of Nico Evie was presenting. As if Evie could read her thoughts, the girl shook her head rapidly and continued.
“Oh, no, I don’t mean that Nico is that sort of man. I’m sure you wouldn’t care for him so much if he was, and Father would never let a questionable person in our home. Right, Ruby?”
Ruby was staring at the ceiling as if deep in thought. Her father and Thomas both did this, and Faith smiled a little, thinking of them both and what they were willing to do to prove Nico innocent.
This venture would take time away from Uncle Will’s work, but it would also keep his business name from becoming sullied.
Faith was sure that his priorities rested in helping Nico, though, with these other considerations secondary.
“You’ll have to tell me more once you’ve returned. I understand that Father expects to take care of this quickly, so you might only be away for the night.”
But where would Nico be? Would he have to wait overnight for them to find the answers to help him, sleeping in a jail cell while they did?
She knew nothing of how Uncle Will planned to prove him innocent, or what Uncle Sam and Aunt Sarah were going to do either. Surely they would be checking on the courier boy Nico had given the tubes to . . .
“Wait! Where did Caitlin go?”
Faith suddenly realized what she wanted to ask the maid, and as soon as she called out the girl’s name, Caitlin appeared, as if she had been listening around a corner.
Joanna did that, and Faith wasn’t sure how they managed to appear and disappear like they could walk through the walls.
“Do you remember when the courier boy came here to pick up the tubes from Mr. Travers?”
It was a simple question, and Faith was sure Caitlin would remember. But then again, her uncle had a lot of business deliveries, coming and going, and maybe Caitlin was always minding this door, so she would have seen packages given and taken often.
“Of course, Miss Faith. It was that boy, I’m sorry, I don’t know his last name because you all call him Nico. I know it isn’t polite for me to use his given name, but all the same, it was him who gave the boy the tubes.”
Tubes. Both of them, and not one, as if Nico was trying to keep one back for himself to sell or give to Mr. Armstrong’s competitor.
“You’ve told my father this, haven’t you?”
Caitlin shook her head.
“He never asked, and I didn’t know it was important.”
She shrugged, keeping her shoulders up as if she was frightened now, and Faith rushed to reassure her.
“Oh, please, don’t worry about that. Maybe Uncle Will didn’t realize you were present to see the exchange. Otherwise, I’m sure he would have asked.”
And Nico didn’t say anything when they spoke at the police station, but he was probably rather shocked to find himself locked up like that.
Like a criminal.
When Faith heard her uncle’s voice down the hall, she hurried, pushing past Ruby’s huge hat with a little laugh.
How much stock would the police in Manhattan, or Mr. Armstrong’s lawyer, take in the word of a young maid employed by the Travers family?
She relayed the short conversation she had just shared with Caitlin, then stepped aside so Uncle Will could speak with the girl directly. Caitlin nodded several times, wringing her hands together in front of her apron, and Faith was sorry to have brought her into this.
But her uncle patted the girl on the shoulder and offered her a small smile, which seemed to comfort her a bit before she disappeared through a door.
“We’ll need to go, we’ve no time to waste.”
Uncle Sam let himself in, the door wide open in his wake, but Faith knew Aunt Catherine wouldn’t mind this time. It wasn’t as if he was standing around chattering about hats or some other nonsense and letting the hot air in.
His words were very clipped, his tone serious, but Faith didn’t hear anything negative in them, only assurance and determination.
What did he plan to do, and why was he so sure he would succeed in getting Nico released?
A maid and a courier boy.
What sort of witnesses would they be, ones that were accepted without question, or denied because of their age and station?
Thomas, who had gone off to speak with Uncle Will as soon as the carriage had brought the two of them to the Travers home, was outside, to Faith’s surprise, ready to depart just as Uncle Sam was.
When Uncle Will offered Faith his arm, she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow, and with a quick goodbye to her cousins and aunt, Faith followed him out and into the carriage, where Aunt Sarah waited, her full lips pressed together in a pensive line.
Faith felt as if they were all being tested, and while the reputation of both businesses was at stake, Nico’s future was paramount in all of their thoughts.