Elizabeth Drake

Chapter Ten

“What happened?” Vincent asked as Letti placed more pastries on the table and quietly left the room.

Ryan shook his head at the idea of food and walked over to the fireplace. The dining room was exceptionally large with one table in the center. Deep red carpeting covered the floor, and the chairs were decorated in the same wine color. Silver candelabras hung from the walls above the fireplace, but there was only one window that allowed light into the room.

“There was nothing at the office,” Ryan turned away from the fireplace and looked across the long table to where Vincent sat. “We went to the Sanderson house. Apparently, they are friends of your sister.”

Just mentioning Elizabeth’s name made Ryan remember the long night that she had. He had stayed in the chair next to her for an hour before she finally fell asleep. In that time, he watched the marks on her face grow darker.

Originally, he had only intended to stay in the room until Elizabeth fell asleep, but the chair was more comfortable than he had thought, and Ryan ended up sleeping there the whole night.

“Did you know that she can’t read?” Ryan asked as he looked back at Vincent. The expression on his face proved that he did not. “She had her friend read the letter in front of me.” As he walked closer to the table, Ryan ran his hand across the back of his neck while he waited for the suspense to build.

“And...?” Vincent looked at him with concern and curiosity.

 “I still don’t know how it is possible, but your sister is not only related to Oswald Roshire, she is his granddaughter.” Shaking his head and pulling out the chair next to Vincent, Ryan sat down.

“What,” Vincent did not put the piece of pastry in his mouth as he had intended. “What do you mean his granddaughter?” Ryan sat back against the dark wood chair and looked over at Vincent.

“Your sister is the daughter of Camille Roshire Hammond,” he said.

“How in the hell did that happen?” Vincent asked before he wiped his mouth and threw the napkin on the table.

“That damn letter is from Camille to Daniel. Within it, she explains Elizabeth’s rights to some of her property. She also gave Elizabeth the house that Daniel lived in.” Rotating his neck from the stiffness he continued. “By the way, that was burned to the ground the same day that Daniel was killed.” Lowering his head and pressing his lips together, Vincent wondered what else Elizabeth would have to face.

“Is she still set on getting to Oswald?”

“As far as I know,” he answered. “But there is more to it than that. I have to tell you the highlight of the evening.” The way that Ryan held his expression made Vincent sit and wait. Ryan was known for saving the worst information for last. “Gatler and Harland followed us to the Sanderson house.” Tilting his head as he thought of the details, Ryan hoped that Vincent would take the news well. “We were able to get out in time, but the horses were run hard. We had to stop for the night.”

“But you came here,” Vincent interrupted.

“I know,” Ryan looked from the table over to Vincent. When there was no further interruption he continued. “We stopped at the Inn halfway between Caterwood and Burdery. We got two rooms.” Placing his elbow on the armrest of the chair, Ryan continued to stare at Vincent. “They came and took her in the middle of the night.”

Adjusting his position, Vincent tried to keep everything in perspective. He knew that Elizabeth was in the house. So, he was only mildly concerned.

“They pretty much beat the hell out of her.” The cold harsh tone of Ryan’s voice had returned as he laid the facts down the way they happened. “Gatler paid quite a bit of attention to her face, but I found her before he strayed any further.” Vincent rubbed his hand across his chin gently as he felt the bruises that he had sustained from Gatler.

“Is Gatler…?”

“No,” Ryan shook his head, “but I slowed him down.” The idea of killing Gatler troubled Ryan. They had been acquaintances for years, but all that had changed the moment that he put his hands on Elizabeth. Ryan knew without a doubt that one of them would have to kill the other eventually.

“Is Elizabeth alright?”

“No,” Ryan replied flatly. “She barely looks better than you. She has had the hell scared out of her, but nothing is broken.” Shaking his head Vincent focused on the newspaper that sat next to his plate.

“I have to get her out of here,” he stated. Ryan raised his eyebrows at the comment.

“Yes, you do.” Ryan watched Letti as she poured him a cup of coffee. When the woman had left the room, Ryan went on. “Gatler might be out of the way for a while, but I would not take him out of the equation just yet. Andrew will take this a lot more seriously when he and Harland get back.”

 “So, now what do we do?” Vincent stood up from his chair and walked over to the mantle above the fireplace. His former mistress had hated it when Vincent smoked. He hardly ever lit a cigar in the house, but since she was no longer residing there, Vincent removed a cigar from a box on the mantle and lit it.

“Well, we know that you have no part in this. You don’t have the rich relative, and no one really cares about you anymore.” Ryan turned his attention toward the fireplace. “Gatler will be looking for me, the moment he sews up the hole in his leg. Still, I do not think he will worry about his personal vendetta, until they have taken care of Elizabeth.” Ryan paused briefly. “I don’t see how in the hell you can get her to Oswald without Andrew finding out about it. The man has always gone to extreme measures to gain control of Roshire’s industries, and he does it right under Oswald’s nose.” Vincent nodded in agreement.

“Everyone knows that Andrew took on Roshire’s name as soon as his father died, but less than a handful of people know how well he skims off the top of his Granddaddy’s businesses.” Vincent kept his voice low as he puffed on the cigar.

 “How in the hell did your Father get a woman like Camille Hammond?” Jumping off the subject, Ryan looked at Vincent.

“Could you try to concentrate on the situation at hand?” Vincent asked.

“Alright, but for her to have a daughter without anyone knowing is pretty miraculous,” Ryan pointed out.

“Where can she go?” Vincent asked as he ignored Ryan’s lack of focus. Ryan sighed as he thought of the options.

“She can’t go anywhere right now. She’s banged up pretty bad, but that is not the problem.” Standing up and walking over to the fireplace Ryan spoke quieter as Letti entered the room. “She’s so scared, she can barely sleep.”

Vincent turned to him on a dime. There was no reason for Ryan to know how Elizabeth was sleeping. It was not likely that his partner would have done anything ridiculous, but the opportunity had still been there.

“He stayed the whole night in her chair up there,” Letti offered as she cleared the table. “Don’t be a dunderhead. He was just looking after her.” With that said, she left the room. Vincent turned back to the fire and held out a cigar.

“Send her on a trip, just until Oswald dies. By then, his Will should be permanent.” Ryan refused the cigar as he considered the options. “Andrew won’t care about what happens to Elizabeth.”

“She will lose the inheritance.” Vincent faced him as he stated the fact.

“Keep her here and they’re going to kill her,” Ryan added.

“I will talk to her tonight,” Vincent replied. “What are you going to do?”

The question was not as easy to answer. As much as he was ready to get back to collecting loan payments Ryan hesitated at the idea of leaving Elizabeth.

“There are at least three payments that have lapsed in the last few days.” Walking over to the closest chair, Ryan leaned on the back of it. “And you know how I hate to lose money.”

“Another day won’t matter.” Vincent puffed on the cigar.

“Don’t go noble on me.” Ryan turned around and faced him. “One week with your sister and you are already thinking about becoming honest? You figure out what to do with your sister. I will handle the collections.”

“Excuse me,” Letti called as she came to the door. “Miss Drake is calling for you.” Vincent threw the cigar in the fireplace and quickly adjusted his coat.

“Tell her I will be right there,” Vincent stated.

“I beg your pardon, Sir. I meant, Mr. Hawke.” Letti bowed her head and looked at Ryan with embarrassment. Ryan did not bolt toward the door, but he did not take the time to look at Vincent either. With a heavy sigh, he left the awkward pause and headed up to Elizabeth’s room.

“I want to see her,” Vincent called after him. Ignoring the comment, Ryan climbed the stairs.

The large hallway looked much more vibrant in the morning light. The long golden carpet that spanned the length of the floor drew attention to the golden frames around the portraits that lined the halls. The southwest wall was lined with large paned glass windows that brought light into the hallway. However, it also brought in some of the noise from the city below.

It was a difficult task to drag her body out of the bed and force herself into another borrowed gown, but Elizabeth had done just that. The left side of her face had sustained the most injury. The swollen lip, bruised cheek and small cut above her eye were impossible to look passed. The warm bath had revealed more bruises that covered her legs and arms.

Letti had brought Elizabeth a rather wonderful surprise, a deep green dress with a black collar and black cuffs on the sleeves. The most wonderful accessory to the fine garment was a hat decorated with a very thick dark veil in the front.

 “What are you doing?” Ryan asked as he came to the open door of her room. After the severe beating that Elizabeth withstood, Ryan did not expect her to wake up for at least another few hours.

“I have a favor to ask?” Elizabeth asked boldly.

Ryan entered her room without hesitation and quickly walked up to her. The smell of jasmine hung in the air and the long golden braid that extended from the hat to her waist was still damp. Ryan raised his hand to the veil and pushed the material back over the decorative head dress.

“I cannot talk to you if I can’t see you.” He reached for the veil without realizing how quickly she could move; Elizabeth lowered her face away from his gaze.

“Will you still take me to Cameron?”

“Not now,” Ryan answered without a thought. “You cannot possibly make a fifty-mile journey, and I am pretty sure that Harland and Gatler have made it back to Andrew by now.” Even as she tried to avoid looking at him, Ryan stared at her the entire time he spoke. “There will be a few more obstacles before we even get near Oswald.” Elizabeth turned her face away from him as he spoke. “Stop avoiding me.”

“I am not comfortable being seen like this,” she pointed out in a whisper.

“You looked a hell of a lot worse last night,” he added. Elizabeth ignored his comment and lowered her face again.

“I have to see my brother.” She tried to walk by him. “Maybe he knows someone that can take me to Cameron.”

“You can do that,” Ryan said as she walked past him. “Or you can just wait until Oswald comes back to the city. There are plenty of places to lay low. Your brother can get an appointment with him when he returns.”

“I am not waiting,” Elizabeth turned around to face him.

“Is the money that important to you, because it might be a little hard to spend if you’re dead?” Ryan was facing slightly to the side, and the look in his eyes could have been easily perceived as concern.

“That is not why I am doing this,” she said.

“That’s right,” he nodded in agreement. “Your daddy told you too.” She was silenced instantly by the harsh comment. Ryan did not know when to stop. “It is pretty cruel if you think about it. Your father is going to get you killed by your own brother.”

His comment was not appreciated. Elizabeth turned around slowly and walked down the hall to the stairs. It had been the second time that someone had spoken ill of her father. Considering that she had not even had time to mourn his loss it was beyond rude.

She took the stairs more slowly than she would have liked. Sore muscles and bruises made the journey more tedious than she had thought it would be, but as she reached the bottom of the step, she found Letti on her way to the dining room.

“That looks lovely on you.” The slender woman stopped to admire the fit of the gown.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth smiled behind the veil. Lifting out the bustled skirt she asked, “Where did this come from?”

“The lady of the house, Miss.” Letti smiled before she continued her way. “Mr. Drake is waiting for you in the dining room. You should try to eat a little something.” The silver hair on her head was a nice compliment to her light green eyes. Elizabeth could only hope to age as lovely as Letti had.

Following the housekeeper’s directions, Elizabeth entered the large room and saw the wounds on Vincent. He had returned to his chair and was trying to read the paper, but when he looked up, he stared silently.

“What is it?” She asked before she walked any closer.

The veil hid her face and no other wounds were apparent through the dark dress. It had been weeks since his mistress had left him. Even though he knew that she was not coming back, seeing her clothes, Elizabeth did little to ease his mind.

“You look nice,” he said as he shook the memory. “Let me see your face.”

“No,” she replied. His patients were tested as Elizabeth refused him.

“I want to see your face. Lift the veil.” He ordered again.

“I have been bullied enough for one lifetime brother,” Elizabeth spoke bravely. Vincent sat at the head of the table and Elizabeth took the seat next to him. “I have a question for you.” When she had his complete attention, Elizabeth took one of the pastry cakes and set it on the plate in front of her. “Who is she, the lady that owns this dress?” Swallowing hard, Vincent wondered if he could get away with lying to her.

“She is not here.” The veil blocked some of her features, but Vincent could still see dark bruises and a swollen eye.

“I know,” Elizabeth replied as she took a few pieces of sausage. “Who is she?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he answered. Letti walked into the room and brought Elizabeth a fresh pot of tea. “You won’t have to meet her.” His secrecy sparked her interest.

“Is she your wife?” Although the answer was ‘no’, Vincent did not want to give it. “Does she live here?”

“Find something a little less useless to fill your mind with,” Vincent lifted the paper that sat beside his plate. “Hawke told me what happened.” Elizabeth thought back to the night before and got a cold chill. “It doesn’t matter now,” she stated. The food in front of her lost all its appeal. Resetting the paper next to him, Vincent ran his hand against his forehead.

“It matters a lot, Beth. Gatler will want revenge, along with his cut for delivering you to Andrew.” Trying to see passed the veil, Vincent approached the subject carefully. “We should get you someplace safe for a while.”

Elizabeth heard the click of heels on the floor of the entryway. She turned just in time to see Ryan walk out of the house. A feeling of panic began to rise in Elizabeth as he walked out the door.

“Where is he going?” She asked, trying to hide her apprehension.

“We have a business to run Beth. It does not involve getting you to Oswald Roshire right now.” A faint shimmer of her blue eyes was visible through the thick veil. “You don’t have to do this,” Vincent reminded her. “I can give you enough money to get away. You can go to the country and wait this out. An inheritance is not worth dying for.”

“But it seems to be enough to kill for,” she added softly. “I don’t want the inheritance.” Holding her gaze on the food that was no longer tempting, she argued. “I want to do what I promised my father. He died for this.” Elizabeth lifted her eyes to his. “Or did you forget that?”

 Vincent stood up from the table and walked over to Elizabeth slowly. The events of the previous evening made her draw back in fear as her brother reached for her, but he stopped when he saw Elizabeth recoil. Then, when she was still, Vincent lifted the veil off her face. The stunning display of swelling and bruised cuts met his gaze for the first time.

“They are going to kill you,” he whispered. Elizabeth raised her hand to replace the veil just as Vincent walked out of the room.  Even though she had entered the room hungry, Vincent had found a way to ruin her appetite.

Nearly as fast as Elizabeth had sat at the table, she departed it. There was a small creamy-yellow drawing room in a secluded corner of the house. Elizabeth found it by accident, but it was precisely what she needed. Within the small room she nearly collapsed on a pale vanilla sofa to wipe the tears that had fallen.

She had finally learned who her mother was, but the knowledge had come too late. Camille was no longer living. The knowledge of her new brother was even more disturbing. Since he was the one trying to kill her.

All these events still failed in comparison to the loss of Daniel. Over a week had passed, and she had hardly been able to mourn her father. Everything seemed to happen around her. Yet, she had no control of the situation. If she took Vincent’s advice, she would never meet Oswald. Even though Daniel had instructed her to find him, learning that he was her grandfather made it much more important.

Elizabeth looked over to a pair of porcelain figurines that stood next to a lamp. Both were painted with extraordinary detail. The man bowed toward the woman as if asking her to dance. The woman held her fan playfully with a smile on her face, but there was a small chip missing on the bottom of her dress.

The figures reminded her of the dance that she shared with Ryan. Even though she did not appreciate his idea of humor and lack of respect, Elizabeth had come to trust him as much as her brother. Ryan held her memory for several moments before she was able to shake the thought.

***

“Here,” Ryan said as he tossed a folded stack of bills on Vincent’s desk. “That is from Mr. Young, and this is the first payment from George Wallace.” Throwing a smaller set of bills on the table, Ryan watched the smile grow on Vincent’s face. “Apparently he has been warned about me. He had the money in his hand as soon as I walked into the pub.” Walking over to the shell of a book, Vincent hid the money inside.

“Perhaps our job is getting easier?” Taking note that the door to the bank was closed, he eased back into his chair.

“Where is the fun in that?” Ryan leaned against the desk.

Closing a ledger and replacing it on the shelf, Vincent looked back at Ryan. He did not have any new noticeable wounds to his hands or his face.

“You have been gone for three days now. I was starting to wonder if you were dead.”

“Trust me, if I were dead,” he chuckled. “Someone would have bragged.” Vincent took his seat back at the desk.

“So, where the hell have you been?”

“It will only be a day or so before Gatler starts looking for me. I would rather not kill him here, but you can pick which office he dies in.”

It was amazing to Vincent how quickly Ryan could change his disposition. Just moments before Hawke had entered his office, he was holding a conversation with a lawyer from the top law firm in the city. His manner was every bit like a gentleman, and his stance did not show the high self esteem that he obviously suffered.

The lawyer that Ryan was speaking to had made some changes to his Will and investments. Apparently, his eldest son was benefiting from an error that his youngest son had made. Ryan was not at all surprised. In fact, no one in Burdery was surprised at the lawyer’s decision. His youngest son had been caught in a scandalous embrace with his Aunt. She was stricken from the Will, as well.

Anyone that knew Ryan would have waited for the sly remarks that the situation would lead him to, but like any other well-paid professional, Ryan ignored the opportunity and kept the conversation strictly business.

“How long do you think it will take for Gatler to come to his senses?” Vincent did not slouch in his chair like Ryan did. He always held himself straight and stiff.

“We are not like you.” Ryan reminded him. “This will only fester like an open wound, and I am pretty sure that one of us will be seriously injured the next time we meet.”

“Then you had better make yourself scarce around here” Vincent sighed and agreed. “Don’t come in unless you have to.” Taking a moment to look out the small window Vincent turned back to him. “You can bring the payments to my house.”

Just the mention of his house made Ryan curious. He wanted to know if Elizabeth was still there or if she had run off to find Oswald Roshire alone, but he was not about to ask.

“Right,” he said as he stood up from the chair.

“Hawke,” Vincent called just before he left the room. “Could you stop by my house and give a message to Elizabeth?”

 “You are leaving here in an hour, tell her yourself.” Ryan was not about to agree. An annoyed expression passed over Vincent as he looked at the letter on his desk.

“Actually, I might not be home until late. That is what I want you to tell her.” The beautiful feminine penmanship still drew his attention. Ryan laughed at the look on Vincent’s face as he noticed the letter as well.

 “Did your mistress accept the fur coat you sent her yesterday?” The laughter was unmistakable in Ryan’s voice.

“How did you know about that?”

“If it’s unethical, I’m usually the first one to know.” Ryan placed his hand on the knob and opened the door. “A gentleman sending expensive gifts to a married woman is pretty unethical.”

“At least give the message to Letti.” Straightening his tie, Vincent looked at the clock. He was getting a little anxious to get out of the bank.

His annoyance was visible, but Ryan agreed to the request before he left the office. In his mind, Elizabeth should have been gone day after her run in with Gatler, but apparently Vincent did not think that there was anything to worry about.