A Lady of Hidden Intent (30 page)

Closing her eyes, she tried to remember the look and smell of her house in Bath. The memories were blurred. Five years of pushing them aside in order to keep from wasting away in sadness had taken its toll. The pictures in her mind were faded as a photograph left out in the sun. Worse still, she couldn’t even imagine her father’s face. She worried that he would be greatly altered from sickness—should she ever see him again.

Carter Danby came to mind. Catherine thought of his kindness to her at the Arlingtons’ dinner. She was certain that he remembered her now. But more than this, she suspected he had to have known something of her father’s plight. Otherwise, why would he have stopped the conversation and changed the subject?

“He cares about me,” she said, gazing across the tiny room.“He’ll be upset when he finds out I’m gone.”

She could imagine Carter asking Mrs. Clarkson for her whereabouts. He wouldn’t like the answer—the fact that she didn’t know where they’d gone. Mrs. Clarkson wouldn’t betray their confidences.

“So why do I almost wish she would?” Catherine whispered.

Then a dreaded thought came to mind. Mrs. Clarkson might not share what she knew, but Felicia would. Felicia would delight in telling Carter why Catherine and the Shays had gone without saying good-bye.

“She’ll tell everyone about my father and the slave trading,”

Catherine said, shaking her head. “I can never go back to Philadelphia. I can never again design gowns as Catherine Shay.” She sighed. “And there can never be a future for Carter and me.”

Carter wrestled with the decision, then told the clerk he’d take the necklace. For over an hour he’d tried to decide whether or not to purchase the trinket for Catherine. Well, it was a little more than a trinket. The piece was an exceptional work of gold and sapphires. He knew it was uncalled for. There was nothing official between him and Catherine, and he’d already spent a good portion of his savings helping her father. If he wasn’t careful he’d be forced to sell stocks in order to finance his plans to move.

“Here you are, sir. I hope your wife will enjoy the piece.”

Carter nodded, not bothering to correct the man. It was indeed the type of gift a husband would give his wife. He tucked the box in his coat pocket and touched his hand to his hat. “Thank you.” He left the shop quickly, feeling strangely embarrassed by the transaction.

Outside the shop, Carter nearly collided with a stately older man. “I do apologize, sir. I failed to watch my step.”

“Carter Danby? It is you!”

Carter immediately recognized his former mentor, Hollis Fulbright. He was dressed impeccably in a black wool coat and top hat. He hadn’t bothered to button the overcoat, and beneath it Carter spied a plum-colored coat, yellow printed vest, and green and yellow ascot against a white shirt. All of this accompanied striped trousers in hues of plum, yellow, and navy. He was the same flamboyant fashion statement that he’d been years earlier when Carter worked with him.

“How do you do, sir? I have often thought of you. I heard that you had moved to Boston?”

“I had. But to tell you the truth, you are the reason I’ve come back to Philadelphia.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. I was just doing a bit of bank business, then it was my plan to come to your house. I thought we might talk.”

“I would like that very much. Have you eaten?”

“No. Might we share something together?”

Carter motioned up the street. “There is a reputable spot at the end of the street. Nothing fancy, mind you, but the roast is always fresh and never overcooked.”

“Sounds wonderful, my boy. Let us go.”

Carter led the way. “When did you arrive?”

“Just this morning. The snows made some of the rails impassable and we had to wait for men to clear them, otherwise I might have been here yesterday.”

“How long will you stay?” Carter asked.

The older man smiled. “That is part of the reason I’m here.

I have a proposal to put forth. But it will wait until we are seated.”

“And what of Mrs. Fulbright? Did she travel with you?”

The older man frowned. “I’m afraid my wife died nearly six months ago. She had a weak liver, the doctor said.”

“I am very sorry to hear that,” Carter said.

“I miss her dearly. She was God’s gift to me, and I made her my earthly focus. I find now I must give work that place, lest I grow discouraged.”

They entered the establishment Carter had recommended. A buxom woman immediately greeted them and wiped her hands on her apron.

“Come this way, gentlemen. I have a good table for you. Can

I bring you some ale?”

“No, actually, I’d prefer hot coffee. I’m chilled to the bone,”Fulbright replied.

Carter smiled and agreed. “That would be good for me as well. I’ll also take the roast and potatoes.”

“As will I,” Fulbright said as he settled at the wooden trestle table. “And plenty of gravy. Oh, and bread. I must have bread.”

“Sure, love. I’ll bring it right away.” She sauntered away, swinging her hips.

Carter turned his attention to his old friend. “So tell me of this proposal.”

Hollis Fulbright smiled, his muttonchop whiskers rising along with his cheeks. Carter thought he’d changed very little since they’d last seen each other now nearly seven years past.

There were perhaps a few more pounds and more gray hair, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him a younger man’s appearance.

“I want to entice you to work as my partner.”

Carter was dumbfounded. His silence caused Fulbright to laugh.

“I never thought I could render you speechless.”

“It’s just that your timing is rather uncanny. I have been giving serious consideration as to what I should do with my career. I have several clients for whom I’m designing houses, but I must say I’m more than a little interested in what you’ve offered.”

The serving girl returned with their meal on a tray, as well as two steaming mugs of coffee. She put the bread between them, as well as a bowl of gravy, then placed identical plates of roast and potatoes before each man.

Before Carter could offer to pay, Hollis had tossed the girl several coins. “Keep it, and leave us to our discussion.” The girl nodded but looked a bit disappointed. She took her tray and strolled away, but not before casting one more enticing look over her shoulder.

Carter ignored her and turned to Fulbright. “So you were saying?”

“I’m glad to hear you say that you’re interested. Let me tell you why I’m here.” Hollis leaned forward. “But first let me offer grace.”

Carter smiled and bowed his head. His mentor had always revealed his love of God in his daily life. Fulbright prayed and asked a blessing on the food as well as understanding and guidance for their conversation. When he finished, Carter truly felt that the meeting had been ordained.

“Washington City is expanding. The government plans this year to contract additional buildings. They’ve already begun preparations to replace the capitol dome with a fire-proof, cast iron structure. Do you remember the competition in 1850 to choose the designers who would expand the capitol?”

“Of course. Every architect, whether interested in participating or not, remembers the five-hundred-dollar purse that was offered,” Carter said.

“Well, there is to be another competition. I believe between you and me, we can win that competition.” The older man broke a piece of bread from the loaf and sopped it with gravy before popping it into his mouth.

Carter sat back and looked at Fulbright for a moment. The man wasn’t jesting or merely putting out a thought for consideration; he had plans for this competition—plans that had brought him to Carter’s doorstep.

“If we won and received the contract,” Fulbright continued, “I believe it would require us to move to Washington. Would that be of any interest to you?”

Carter went back to work on his food. The answer for him was very easy. “Yes. Yes, I would find that of great interest to me.”

“What of your family? Surely you’ve taken a wife by now.”

Carter smiled. “I’m trying to take a wife but have not yet accomplished that task. I would, of course, want to consider her desires in the matter.”

“Of course. However, since the time is so very short, I am suggesting we take a trip to the city and survey the sites already chosen and perhaps sketch out some ideas. I’d like to leave the day after Christmas.”

Carter considered the matter for several minutes as they ate in silence. Once he saw Catherine and explained his knowledge of her family—and proposed marriage—he would know for sure where he stood with her. If he could accomplish that much before they left, it would give him a greater ability to make choices for the future.

“I think I would like to come with you,” Carter said, forking a piece of potato. “At least by giving the matter some serious speculation, we can better tell if the project is of as much interest in person as it is in our minds.” He grinned and Hollis laughed.

“It will also give you time to pray on the matter. I’ve already given it a great deal of thought and prayer, but I know that I cannot take on this project without you. Besides that, I’m nearly sixty years old. I need a partner who can come alongside me. I have always been impressed with your abilities—your style and manner of design.”

“Well, you did much to train me. A great deal of my style can be credited to your teachings.”

“I appreciate that. But even so, you are to be honored for your own abilities and insight. You are an artist at heart. You see things that are not and dream them into life. I want that kind of partner.”

“And where would we set up shop? Washington?”

“Well, I suppose we would have to be there at least as long as the jobs were under construction. Are you averse to moving?”

“No. Not at all.” Carter sliced a piece of bread and thoughtfully considered what Catherine might say on the matter. “I do have obligations here, however. I have been commissioned to build two houses, one of them quite extensive. My designs will guide the construction, but I will need to oversee from time to time.”

“Perhaps that can be balanced between cities. Washington is not that far by train.”

“That’s true. So tell me what our plan will be.”

As they shared their lunch, Fulbright explained they would take the train and stay for several days in Washington. “We should be able to be home by New Year’s Eve, so if you have plans, it won’t interfere.”

“I have no plans at this moment, but perhaps by then I will.”

Carter thought of Catherine again and smiled. “Yes, if I have my way, I will have very important plans.”

Catherine walked along the harbor and felt the cold wind against her face. She thought of her father out there somewhere across the sea. Captain Marlowe wasn’t due back in town for a week or more, but Mrs. Samuelson assured them that he was coming. Atlantic winter crossings were always of greater risk, however, and thus the passages were often taken with slower speeds and more consideration to the weather. Catherine prayed the captain might find calm, clear waters. She prayed, too, that he might bring good news of her father’s safety—even freedom.

An icy rain began to fall lightly just as she reached Mrs. Samuelson’s house. Catherine tried not to worry about the future, remembering a verse that Selma had shared with her only that morning about the Lord giving rest.

She pulled out the piece of paper Selma had given her and reread the words of Isaiah fourteen, verse three. “ ‘And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,’ ” she murmured aloud.

Selma had said the words were given in regard to Israel, but that given God’s unchanging nature, she believed them to speak of Catherine’s situation as well.

“He might not have had them written specifically for you, Catherine,”
Selma had told her,
“but because God is faithful and loving, I am certain we can trust them to be true for us. God will give you rest from the sorrows and fears you have known. He will deliver you from a life of running and hiding, of working until you are exhausted.”

Catherine sighed and put the piece of paper back into her pocket. She looked up at the boardinghouse and sighed again. She had come full circle, it seemed. This was where her American journey began, and now here she was again. Had it happened this way to bring her to the end?