Elizabeth Drake

Chapter Six

“He won’t see me for two weeks,” Vincent said as he placed his hat on a table by the door. “Where is Beth?”

“She is around here somewhere.” Ryan had spent the morning out in the shed with Runt and had not seen her since the incident with the dog. Moving into the house behind Vincent, he looked toward the parlor. “What did you tell Malone?”

“I said that I had an urgent message for Oswald. That I had to see him as soon as possible.” Falling into the chair by the window, Vincent looked around the room. “Did she clean in here?” Ryan looked at the tables and the floor and noticed the improvement.

“It was not me.”

“She must have been bored. Elizabeth,” Vincent called through the house and waited for an answer. When there was no answer, Ryan looked up to Vincent.

“Did he say why you could not get to see him sooner?”

“I guess he is overseeing the blind school himself. He is going to be over in Cameron for the next week or so.” Vincent looked to the hallway and called again, “Elizabeth!”

 “They’re building it in Cameron?” Ryan asked as Vincent stood up and began to look for his sister.

Cameron was the same size as Burdery. However, it had a much larger population. It was home to one of the best colleges in the area. Along with the college, Cameron also had the grandest hotel in that part of the country. It was built only five years before. With three stories and almost a hundred rooms, the Regal Hotel was well renowned.

“Where is she?” Vincent entered the hallway and investigated the small kitchen. “Elizabeth,” he called up the stairs.

“Just a minute,” she called from the bedroom. “I’ll be right there.”

“Has she been a problem?” Vincent asked as he looked back to Ryan.

“From the moment she walked into the bank,” Ryan offered as if Vincent was an i***t. Ignoring the comment, Vincent turned to watch Elizabeth walk down the stairs in the large gown.

“Well, we need to get you some more clothes before we head back to Caterwood,” he said.

“Back to Caterwood?” Elizabeth asked as she stepped into the parlor.

“We need to go to the glass factory and find out what Daniel had on Andrew Roshire.” Vincent walked over to the sofa and sat down. With a confused look on her face, Elizabeth turned to Ryan and noticed that he had washed up and replaced his shirt.

“What do you mean?” She asked her brother.

“Andrew Roshire runs the glass factory for Oswald. As far as we know, that is the only connection between him and Daniel.” Vincent sat forward and adjusted the back of his jacket. “So, if Andrew was doing something illegal, or if Daniel was trying to hide something, it would probably be in his office.”

“My father had nothing to hide,” she insisted quickly.

“Then what is in the letter?” Ryan spoke up with a hint of annoyance.

“That is none of your business.” Elizabeth answered as she almost lost her patience. Seeing an awkward moment arise Vincent tried to put a stop to the argument.

“Beth,” he called. Once she looked up he held her gaze with warning. “You are a guest. Show some respect.”

“Show some respect?” She repeated. Biting her tongue, Elizabeth switched the position of her feet and refused to look at Mr. Hawke. Unfortunately, her little outburst intrigued Ryan. He wondered how hard he would have to push her to make her do it again.

“When are we leaving for Caterwood?” She asked quietly. The desire to lash out at her brother was stronger than her desire to lash out at Ryan.

 “Can you handle things in town for a day or two?” Vincent looked over at Ryan and sighed. “I don’t know what we will find or if we will find anything at all.”

“When do I ever handle anything at the bank?” Lifting his hand slightly and giving Vincent an awkward look, Ryan wondered why he would even ask the question.

“Two days at the most,” Vincent said again.

“You are not thinking,” Ryan began, “You have never missed a day of work.” Keeping his voice in a sharp tone Ryan continued, “If you take off for two days right now, when they have already told you that they will be watching you, they will know you are up to something.” Although Elizabeth disliked him with a passion, Ryan had a point. So, she remained silent and listened. “Caterwood is the first place that they will go to look for you. If Harland and Gatler don’t figure it out on their own Andrew will send them there.”

“Gatler?” Elizabeth asked.

“You have a problem repeating people. Did you know that?” Ryan asked as he turned to her. If she were not completely concentrating on the name that she heard, Elizabeth would have made a rude comment of her own.

“Father called out that name when he left the house that morning. Gatler was one of the men on horseback!” After Elizabeth finished, Ryan and Vincent looked at each other for a moment.

“I’ll see what I can find out,” Ryan stated before lifting his head quickly and looking over to Elizabeth. “Is there anything else that you can remember? Or do we need to just beat our heads against a wall until more little details pop-up in your brain?” The cruel tone of his voice invaded her nostalgic moment.

“Let’s go,” Vincent said. He quickly stood up in front of Elizabeth and stopped her from lashing out. “We need to get you something to wear and we have to stop by the bank.” When Ryan looked at him and shook his head Vincent explained, “I cannot hide her for the two weeks that it will take to get to Oswald.”

“You won’t even get out of the city until after noon. How do you expect to get there and back before they have noticed?” Standing up out of his chair, Ryan walked into a small room off the side of the parlor and retrieved his knife. Elizabeth was unaware, but Vincent watched him place the knife in his back pocket.

“Are you coming with us?” Elizabeth asked.

“No,” Ryan answered. “I have to see an old friend about something.”

“We will give you a ride into the city.” Taking Elizabeth by the arm Vincent gently led her to the door.

“That’s alright,” Ryan walked over behind them. “I’ll take my horse. We’ll meet you at the bank.”

Nodding his head in understanding, Vincent led Elizabeth outside. A combination of fear and anticipation began to build in her. She had not considered going back to Caterwood without giving the letter to Mr. Roshire, but she did not seem to have a choice as her brother lead her out the door and toward the carriage. As she stepped inside the coach, Elizabeth moved the back of the dress aside before she sat down.

The idea of returning to Caterwood began to seem like a good idea. She would be able to talk to Fanny and Jarred about staying with them for a while, until she could get a job and begin to support herself. It would still be a while before she was secure enough to leave her brother’s side, but in her mind, it was only a matter of days before she could begin to form some kind of normalcy in her life. Vincent sat across from her as Elizabeth watched out the window.

“Why do you let him talk to me like that?” She asked as she watched Ryan head back to the stable.

“It is just his personality. He is an American,” Vincent stated the comment as a fact more than a label. “He has always been cheeky, and he always will be.”

“So, you just ignore him?”

“Actually, I think it is funny,” he almost smiled. Elizabeth had a hard time believing his words.

“He is rude and inconsiderate. There is nothing funny about it.”

“Just don’t take him so seriously,” Vincent warned as he leaned out the window. “Drive on.”

“How can I not take him seriously? He always seems to be serious,” she replied.

The coach drove to the end of the lane and then turned around the circle that had been beaten into the drive. Once they passed the house a second time, Vincent noticed Elizabeth looking across the lawn for Ryan.

“Don’t worry about him, once we get this straightened out you won’t have to deal with him that much.”

“I’d rather not deal with him at all,” she whispered.

***

Their first stop was to a lady’s shop. Elizabeth was instructed to walk into the shop, pick out two simple dresses, a bonnet, and get back out to the coach within a few minutes. Even though the stop took a lot longer than he had expected, Vincent was still patient when his sister came out of the store with the first smile that he had ever seen on her as an adult.

The idea made him realize how much he had been treating her like a problem instead of family. However, he did not know how to correct the issue. Elizabeth had always been very sheltered from life, treated like a porcelain doll, and protected. He was thrown out into the mix without as much as a coin to his name.

“Did you get what you needed?” Vincent asked as she stepped back into the carriage. The grand smile faded quickly as saw him. Clutching the two brown packages to her chest, she nodded appreciatively.

“Yes, thank you,” she said. “I’m sorry that it took so long, but there were a few other ladies in there.”

It was fun to her to walk into the store and purchase two gowns that had been set out. Though she made sure that both were practical, the idea alone was pleasant. The one thing that she was able to purchase was a second-hand pair of boots that had been set on the floor in a corner of the shop. To Elizabeth’s surprise they were a perfect fit and held more support and comfort than the little shoes she had been squeezing into. Vincent called up to the driver, and within seconds they were off to make their final stop before leaving the city.

“Have you given any thought to where you will go when this is over?” He asked as he admired her steadfast, yet delicate smile. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, her brother’s question brought an end to the joy of the dress shop.

“I am going to ask a friend if I can stay with her and her husband. Then I am going to try and get a job at the glass factory.”

“The glass factory?” Vincent asked without hiding his surprise. “Why would you want to work there? Wouldn’t you be more comfortable as a governess or a nanny?” When Elizabeth did not answer, Vincent tried to offer help. “I could always see if I could find you a position in the city. There are many opportunities for bright young women around here.” There was a soft expression to his face. For the first time, Elizabeth felt like he really wanted to help her.

“Thank you, but no. I would not be comfortable here. I don’t feel safe.”

“That is because you are not safe. If we can get all this straightened out, you won’t have anything to be afraid of.” Although Vincent had always been an unemotional man, he was still caring toward her.

“I am sorry that I have brought all this on you,” Elizabeth whispered to him.

“You did not do this, Daniel did.” Vincent reminded her.

She wanted to retaliate. She wanted to defend her father at all cost, but there seemed to be no way. Even though it was unintentional, Daniel had placed her in danger. She had complicated things further by incorporating Vincent into her troubles.

***

The building passed in front of her again and some of them had begun to look familiar. Elizabeth saw the bank come into view and looked around for Mr. Hawke, but he was nowhere to be found.  Vincent stepped out of the carriage and looked down the street both ways. When he did not see either of Andrew Roshire’s henchmen, he turned to his sister.

“It is a long way to Caterwood. Do you want to come in with me and stretch your legs for a minute?”

Elizabeth nodded eagerly as she remembered the long two and-a-half hour ride to the city. Stepping down out of the carriage, she placed the brown packages on her seat before following Vincent up to the door of the bank.  

“Come on, we still need to hurry,” he said. Taking a set of keys out of his pocket, Vincent turned the lock. Once they crossed the small foyer, he walked to his office and unlocked that door as well. Elizabeth followed silently as he removed a book from a shelf, concealing the loan shark’s personal supply of money.

It was the sound of the front door slamming that caused Elizabeth to jump further into the room. Vincent dropped the empty book on the floor but barely made it to her side before he saw the intruders. Quickly, he pulled his sister behind him.

“Well, if it isn’t Elizabeth Drake.” A man in a long black jacket and a scar just to the side of his right eye walked into the office. Elizabeth inhaled quickly as she looked at one of the men that had arrived at her home the morning her father was killed.

“Gatler,” Vincent spoke his name the same way Daniel did on his last day. “What brings you here?” Protectively, he backed up forcing Elizabeth against the wall his office.

“You have someone I want.” The deepness in the scared man’s voice was nearly as intimidating as the steel blue of his eyes. Elizabeth was his obvious desire.

The squared shape of his face and the thickness of his jaw would have been handsome to some women. His shoulders were broad, and he appeared strong. However, his thin lips were drawn up in a menacing smile that was far too threatening to be considered attractive.

“There is someone that wants a word with you Miss Drake. I think he has been kept waiting long enough,” Gatler said without easing his smile. Vincent looked back at his sister and saw the fear in her eyes.  

“If Andrew wants her, then he is going to have to come and get her,” he informed the intruders. Gatler was far larger than Vincent and Elizabeth knew that if her brother tried to protect her, he was going to get seriously hurt.

“He sent me, Drake. I think that’s good enough.” Gatler looked to the man that had walked up behind him. Elizabeth was surprised to see the person that she had refused to dance with at the benefit the night before. “Take her, Harland.” Pressed against the bookshelf, Elizabeth watched as both men came toward them in the small room.

Vincent stayed directly in front of her as Gatler approached. He was not afraid of the fight, he was afraid to lose, and his opponent was reputable to give a hard beating. As Gatler threw the first punch to Vincent’s jaw, he knew that he was in trouble.

Vincent took the hit well and stood up to retaliate. He was much stronger than either Elizabeth or Gatler first suspected. When the hit forced Gatler’s head back, Harland moved in to try and grab Elizabeth.

“No!” She backed away from him as Gatler took another swing at Vincent. This time, Vincent did not take the hit so well and it took a second to shake off the pain.

“Run, Beth!” He yelled as he threw himself into Gatler’s stomach, hitting the bruit as hard as he could. It took the large man a moment to gather his bearings, but when he did all patience was lost.

Elizabeth tried to move around Harland and get to the door, but the wiry man wrapped his arms around hers and held her tight. Kicking and screaming, Elizabeth tried to get away but when she looked over to Vincent she almost froze with fear. Gatler knocked Vincent in the stomach hard enough to force all the air out of his lungs. When Vincent bent over in pain the real beating started. Gatler threw punch after punch, until Vincent could not stand any more.

Blood trickled from his nose and mouth. His arm was fixed against his stomach. However, Elizabeth was not forced to watch him suffer for long. When Gatler turned to face her, a cruel laugh rose from his chest before he hit Vincent a final time, sending the unconscious man to the floor. Elizabeth cried out, but Harland only held her tighter.

“Don’t worry. He is going to be fine. You on the other hand…” His words trailed off into laughter as he pushed her towards the door. When Elizabeth had failed again to kick him in the shin, she looked up to see Ryan standing just outside the office door.

“Where are you going, darling? You can’t leave me just because you don’t like my dog.” Even though Ryan spoke with a calm voice, there was a deep menacing look in his eye. Harland pulled Elizabeth back into the office as Gatler stepped up to Ryan.

“Don’t get involved Hawke,” he warned. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“You know me, Gatler.” Ryan said as he stepped into the room. Elizabeth watched as both men backed away from Ryan. “I like to make things my business.” He continued to step forward, until Gatler held his ground. Then, Ryan turned to Harland. “Let the lady go.”

“I can’t do that, Hawke,” Gatler said in a stern voice.

“Of course, you can’t.” Ryan returned his attention to the taller and broader man. “You aren’t the one holding her.” Harland’s grip on Elizabeth began to tighten and she winced in pain. When Ryan heard her small cry, he turned to her with a very dangerous look. “Come here Beth,” Ryan said as he held out his hand.

Harland looked up to Gatler with a curious glance. Before Elizabeth knew what had happened. Gatler tried to push Ryan’s hand away. Ryan pulled his hand back, balled his fist, and connected with the side of Gatler’s face.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Hawke.” Gatler raised his hand to his chin. “We go back too far for it to come to this.”

As soon as Gatler stood up, he raised his arm to throw his fist toward Ryan. Ryan barely avoided the hit before sending his fist into Gatler’s face again.

“Let her go, Harland!” Ryan ordered.

The words were ignored as Gatler turned back to face him. With a quick move, Gatler threw himself at Ryan. However, Ryan was not about to be caught off guard. His knee drove right into Gatler’s midsection before his fist connected with his face. Doubled over with his hand on his stomach, Gatler spit some blood out of his mouth.

“Harland, I am going to tell you one more time to let her go. Then, I am going to lose my patience.” Ryan warned as he stared at Gatler.

Elizabeth could not see the look of worry on Harland’s face, but she did notice that his grip on her had lessened. Gatler’s large form stood up again and Ryan sighed as he shook his head. Then, as soon as Gatler threw another punch, Ryan blocked the hit, throwing his fist into the man’s face again. To his surprise, Gatler recovered too quickly and caught Ryan in the chin. Elizabeth turned away as Gatler continued to pound Ryan in the face.

“Let go of me!” Elizabeth screamed as she kicked her foot back toward Harland’s leg.

Her gown made it nearly impossible for the kick to land hard, but it hit Harland enough to make him release her. Elizabeth moved aside just fast enough for Ryan to grab the thin man and pull him in front of Gatler’s next punch. That one solid hit knocked Harland to the ground, offering a moment of surprise that Ryan took full advantage of.

He began slamming his fists into Gatler’s face. One after another, he pummeled the larger man. To Elizabeth’s surprise he did not stop, until Gatler bent over with the pain. When Ryan saw that the large man was going down, he threw two more blows to his stomach. Then, he grabbed Elizabeth, pulling her behind him.

“Are you alright?” He asked as he watched Gatler closely. The man had been Ryan’s friend for years, and although Ryan did not want to fight him, he was not about to let him take Elizabeth. “Get up!” He yelled to Vincent.

Elizabeth knelt next to her brother and tried to help him off the floor. Ryan kept his eye on Gatler. It was not easy, but with a little help, Vincent finally came to his feet.

“Come on,” Elizabeth called as she pulled her brother toward the door. Gatler still had not moved, but Ryan knew that it was only a matter of time before the large man would be back on his feet. The three of them quickly left the bank and Ryan led Vincent over to his horse.

“You aren’t going anywhere,” Ryan spoke as he watched how Vincent held on to his ribs. “I will take her back to Caterwood. Get somewhere and sit tight. We will be back by tonight.”

“Here,” Vincent said as he handed Ryan the money from the book.

“Andrew will be looking for you.” Ryan looked at Elizabeth and then back to Vincent. “You need to stay out of sight.” Vincent held his breath as he climbed up into the saddle.

“Find out what you can.” Vincent groaned as he took the reins and gritted his teeth against the pain in his side. Every breath of air enflamed his lungs as the cracked ribs made it nearly impossible to move. The horse below him had no sympathy for his pain. However, Vincent looked over at his sister and nodded his head toward her. “I can’t protect you if you stay here. You have to go with Hawke.” Elizabeth looked back at Ryan before she protested.

“Someone needs to stay with you.” The amount of blood that ran out of his mouth made Elizabeth sick to her stomach.

“Beth, you have to go, at least for today.” When Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement, Vincent squeezed his arm against his side and moved the horse forward. Ryan looked back to the bank and took Elizabeth by the hand.

“We need to hurry. Once Gatler gets back to Andrew, they will be on their way to Caterwood.” Pulling her toward the carriage, Ryan practically pushed her inside. “If we can’t find out what we need to, we have to go all the way to Cameron.”

“Cameron?” Elizabeth sat on the seat and watched the bank for any sign of Gatler or Harland. “Why would we go to Cameron?” Getting up into the carriage with her, Ryan closed the door.

“Get moving!” He yelled up to the driver. When he looked back at Elizabeth, he could tell that she was almost in shock. “You have a letter that needs to get to Oswald Roshire before you get us all killed.”

“What about Vincent?” She asked.

“He’ll be fine. If anyone can take a beating, it’s your brother.” Ryan watched out the window as they passed the town square where a waterfall and a statue was the center of attention. “Once we get out of town, we are getting rid of the driver. We don’t need anyone else tagging along.” The cut on his lip had a few drops of blood running down the corner of his mouth.

“You are bleeding,” she whispered.

He could tell that the little bit of blood on his face bothered her. Ryan raised his hand that was gashed open by one of Gatler’s teeth, to feel the small insignificant cut.

“Are you sure?” He asked mockingly as blood nearly poured out of his hand. Once she saw the open wound on his knuckles, Elizabeth reached into her sack for her handkerchief. “Stop,” Ryan yelled up to the driver. Elizabeth looked around for a moment as she tried to figure out why Ryan stopped the carriage. When he looked down at her small delicate handkerchief, he was annoyed by her feminine behavior. “Put that thing away.”

Ryan stepped out of the carriage and shook his head at the woman inside. Then without a second thought, he handed the driver a coin and told him to take a cab back to Mr. Drake’s house. Then, the carriage pulled forward once more with Ryan in the driver’s seat.