19

Lenore reclined on a chaise lounge while Kolbein paced the beautifully polished oak floor. Wade watched their faces as they recounted all they knew in regard to Abrianna’s sudden decision to marry Welby.

“It’s been impossible to get her to come see me.” Lenore twisted her hands. “I have tried many times, but there’s been no reply.”

“There has to be a way.” Kolbein rubbed his chin. “What is it that Welby wants most?”

“Abrianna.” Wade was losing his patience in the matter.

“Besides that,” Kolbein replied. He stopped midstep. “He wants power.”

“And approval of the socially elite,” Lenore added. “Or at least the pretense of it.”

“She’s right.” Kolbein’s expression was one of intense thought. “I wonder . . . yes, I know a way we can get Abrianna to come here, but it will require Welby come, as well.”

“How?” Wade asked.

“We’ll host an engagement party. We’ll do it right away.” He looked to Lenore. “I’ll have it completely arranged with the housekeeper. I don’t want you lifting a finger.”

“I don’t have to lift a finger to plan a party.” Lenore smiled. “I will arrange it, husband.”

“But how are you going to make it such that it will assure Welby’s attendance? He might not know that I’m here, but he knows how you two feel about Abrianna marrying him.”

“It won’t matter. I’ll put the governor and mayor and anyone else with power and social position on the guest list. He wouldn’t dare refuse to attend.”

“But there’s so little time.” Wade shook his head. “How is that going to help us?”

“Well, the way I see it, if we can get Abrianna here, then Lenore can talk to her alone, and if not Lenore, then you.”

“He’ll never attend a party where I’m also in attendance,” Wade replied. “He’ll be far too worried that Abrianna might speak to me.”

“He won’t know you’re here,” Kolbein said. “I’ll make a personal invitation to him and in the process mention that no one knows exactly where you are. That should make him feel more at ease. Meanwhile, you hide out wherever you like. Don’t tell me, so I don’t have to lie.” He grinned. “This is a very big house.”

Wade shook his head. “I don’t know how this will make a difference, but I’m game to try.”

“That is sure one fancy dress.” Flora walked to the dressmaker’s dummy and Abrianna’s newly finished wedding ensemble. She fingered the lace overlay and shook her head. “Never seen a bustle that big or a train that long. Got to be about a thousand little pearls sewn in all that material.”

Abrianna nodded. “So I’ve been told.” She came to where Flora was and gave a sigh. “It’s such an ostentatious gown. I cannot imagine any bride wanting to wear such a thing. Grief, but it’s ugly.”

Flora nodded. “I was afraid to call it that. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“It doesn’t hurt my feelings at all. It’s not the gown I wanted.” She pointed beneath the abominable overlay. “That’s the gown I prefer, the one I had planned to wear when I married Wade. If I had any real guts, I’d show up at the church wearing it alone.”

Flora turned to her. “Abrianna, we’re no closer to figuring out how to get you out of this. I’ve looked over our notes, and I can’t see any way out.”

“I know.” Her words rang with resignation. “I fear I’ve dug myself in too deep this time. Welby rarely leaves me a moment to myself, and when he’s not around, he’s having me watched.” Tears came to her eyes. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t even think clearly.”

Flora hugged her. “We have to figure a way out. Don’t you think maybe we should get some help? You have a lot of folks who care deeply about you.”

“And all of them are at risk. No, I can’t put this off on any of them. It’s bad enough that I’ve included you.”

A tear slid down her cheek. Flora, too, looked as if she too might burst into tears. “We have to be strong, Flora. We have to continue to pray and listen for God’s direction. We don’t have many days left, but I have to hold fast to my belief that God will deliver me. Otherwise . . .”

Flora looked at her and shook her head. “Otherwise what?”

Abrianna drew a deep breath. “There is no otherwise. Flora, be a dear and leave me for a time. I’d like to sit here and pray.”

“Of course. I have some chores to do, anyway.” She hurried to the door of the sewing room. “I’ll be praying all the time.” She stopped and shook her head. “Wade doesn’t hate you, Abrianna. I’m certain of that.”

“Thank you. You are a good friend. Much better than I deserve.” Abrianna waited until Flora had gone before going to the door and locking it. She had no desire to answer anyone’s questions or to face her aunts.

She returned to the wedding gown and ran her fingers down the sleeve. Then, without concern for Priam Welby’s feelings, she picked up a needle and thread. Next she retrieved a small stool and sat down beside the dressmaker’s dummy.

She pushed aside the heavy overlay and lifted the hem of her original gown. Wade was the only man she would ever love. Welby would know that, too. If something didn’t happen to get her out of this mess, she would end up in a loveless marriage that would no doubt be the most difficult situation she’d ever faced. Welby was cruel and didn’t care how anyone else felt. He would inflict pain just to put her in her place and make certain Abrianna knew he was her master.

With tender care, Abrianna began to stitch her initials into the hem of the satin gown. The embroidery was barely noticeable. She’d never been all that good at fancy work, but the needle seemed to glide in and out of the material as if held by divine hands. Once the A had been completed, Abrianna moved the needle over a space and added a W and then another A. Even if the stitches were spotted, she could declare them simply to be A for Abrianna and W for Welby rather than Abrianna and Wade Ackerman.

She tied off the stitch with a knot and surveyed her work. At least this way, if all else failed and she was forced to marry Welby, she would have this reminder that Wade was truly the one she loved.

Like I would ever need a reminder.

“I told Mrs. Madison to send Flora to the carriage house apartment to find you,” Jay told Eloise Snyder. He looked to Wade. “Once she gets here, she’ll find out too late that we’re determined to get the truth out of her. Mrs. Madison was all for that.”

Wade nodded. He’d snuck back onto the property, being very careful that no one had seen him. “Good. I intend to get to the bottom of it. If I know what’s going on, I’ll have a better chance of getting Abrianna to tell me everything. The party is tomorrow night, and I can’t very well wait any longer.”

“She’ll talk,” Eloise replied. “I’ll see to that.” The determined look in the woman’s eyes made Wade glad he wasn’t the one about to face interrogation.

“Aunt Eloise? Are you here?” Flora called out from the other side of the door.

Eloise went to open it while Wade ducked out of sight. He heard the exchange and waited for just the right moment to reveal himself.

“Hello, Mr. Cunningham. Aunt Eloise, Mrs. Madison sent me to find you.”

“Sit down, Flora.” Eloise’s tone was quite firm.

“What’s wrong?” the younger woman asked.

“We need to have a talk.”

“Did I do something wrong?” Flora asked, her voice quivering.

Wade decided that was a good time to reveal himself. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Flora. I’m pretty sure you’ve been doing what you thought best for your friend, Abrianna.”

The younger woman’s eyes grew wide, and a look of discomfort crossed her expression. Wade took the chair beside her and reached out to take hold of her hand. “I know Abrianna confides in you. I know, too, that you have probably sworn to keep all of her secrets. But, Flora, whatever secrets she’s keeping this time may very well backfire on her. You do realize this, don’t you?”

For a moment Wade thought the girl would refuse to speak. She lowered her face and remained silent for the longest time. When she looked back up, there were tears in her eyes, and Wade felt confident she was ready to talk.

“I know you don’t want to betray her, Flora. But keeping someone from making a mistake that might even cost them their life isn’t a betrayal—it’s a rescue and a loving act. I know you don’t want to see Abrianna married to Welby. None of us do.”

She sniffed and nodded. Wade patted her hand. “So in order to keep that from happening, you have to tell me everything. Start at the beginning.”

Flora looked to her aunt and Jay, as if for reassurance. Jay knelt down beside her. “Flora, we know Abrianna doesn’t love Welby. We’re pretty sure, too, that she wouldn’t be doing any of this if it weren’t for her thinking it was going to benefit somebody else—like me or Wade.”

She nodded again and bit her lip. After another few minutes she spoke. “It’s truly horrible. I promised I would say nothing. She’ll never trust me again. She might even end our friendship, and I cannot bear that.”

“She doesn’t need to know you said anything,” Wade replied. “If we work it right, Abrianna herself will be the one who ends up telling me everything. But it will be better if I know ahead of time what’s going on. That way, maybe I can get an idea of the needed solution.”

Flora looked uncertain but eventually nodded. “All right. I’ll tell you.”

“Of all the underhanded meanness,” Kolbein declared after Wade finished telling everything that Flora shared. “Welby ought to be strung up, not only for the killings he’s been responsible for, but for the torment he’s put poor Abrianna through.”

“I know. By the time Flora had finished, I think all of us were so stunned, we hardly said two words.”

“And to think she’s been carrying this around with her since your arrest.” Kolbein shook his head. “No doubt she thought it was something she could manipulate. That’s the trouble with Abrianna. She always thinks she’s bigger than any problem that can come her way.”

“Not this time. Flora said Abrianna cries herself to sleep almost every night. I’m pretty sure she knows this won’t have an easy solution.”

“Tomorrow night we’ll find a way for you to be alone with her.” Kolbein glanced toward the door. “I don’t want Lenore to know all of this. She’ll just fret, and she’s still recovering.”

“I agree. Lenore doesn’t need to know the details. However, I think she may be needed in order to get Abrianna separated from Welby.” Wade considered the matter a moment. “Maybe Lenore could be present at the party and then feign needing rest. She could ask Abrianna to help her upstairs.”

“No. Everyone would know I wouldn’t leave Lenore to be helped by someone else.”

“Perhaps you could be busy elsewhere. Maybe not even in the room at the time. In fact, your leaving could be Lenore’s signal.”

Kolbein nodded. “That’s possible. But what’s to keep Welby from offering to help, as well?”

“I suppose you’re right. What else could we do to get Abrianna to a more isolated part of the house without Welby at her side?”

Kolbein sat down and smiled. “You know, we’re looking at this all wrong. Lenore is about to go into her confinement from society. Perhaps the baby is the angle we need to look at. Maybe Lenore could ask Abrianna to come see the nursery. Welby might ask to go along, but then I could approach with someone of value to him and interrupt the moment. You know, there is someone in town I think Welby would be itching to know. He’s an investor from Chicago and a friend. I could make certain Welby gets introduced and amply intrigued.”

Wade nodded. “That just might work. Welby might be concerned about letting the two women be alone, but if the value of staying with you is greater, then there’s a good chance he’ll let Abrianna go.”

Kolbein grinned. “I think we have a plan.”