A Lady of Secret Devotion (31 page)

He could see that Cassie hadn’t even heard his words. She was deep in thought, and he knew she was troubled by the topic. The complication of the matter had never really occurred to him. He only knew that he loved her and wanted to marry her. Where they would live hadn’t really seemed an obstacle until just now.

“Well, I am afraid that Elida and I have a full day ahead of us tomorrow,” Mrs. Stover announced. “I do hope you will forgive us if we retire. Mark, you mentioned bringing your friend here. I hope you will invite him to join us tomorrow for supper. We can perhaps further discuss your plans.”

“The hour is pressing upon me as well,” Mrs. Jameston admitted. She got to her feet, as did Mrs. Stover. Mark stood in acknowledgment. “No, do not stand,” Mrs. Jameston said, waving him back to his seat.

“And do not feel that you must rush off,” Mrs. Stover added. “Stay and visit with Cassie. You have my complete trust.”

Her words warmed Mark’s heart. He already loved Cassie’s mother and sister. It would be easy to be a part of their family.

“Thank you. I will remain for a little while.”

After they had gone, he retook his seat and looked at Cassie.

Her mood hadn’t changed. She still looked quite worried about something.

“What’s going on inside that pretty head of yours?” he asked.

Cassie looked at him and frowned. “I hadn’t thought about where we would live. Mark, I cannot leave Philadelphia. At least not if it means leaving my mother and sister behind.

They need me.”

He smiled and leaned forward to grasp her hands. “And do you suppose I am such a wretched man that I would suggest such a thing? I know you love them. I know they need you. I would not seek to separate you. In fact, I like the idea of remaining here in Philadelphia. I even mentioned as much to my mother on my last trip to Boston.”

“You talked of staying here when you were last in Boston?

But that was before . . .” She fell silent and looked away.

“Before you all but proposed marriage at the train station?”

Her eyes snapped up to fix on him. “I wasn’t that bold.”

“But very nearly. To answer your question, however, yes. I spoke with my mother and told her about our game of pretense and how I wished it might be something more.”

“Truly?” Cassie seemed dumbfounded.

“Truly. Did you suppose you were the only one losing your heart?” He got up and came to help her from her chair.

“Cassie, I believe that we might very well have had a case of love at first sight. When I saw you there on the ground, passed out from fear of poor Portland . . . well . . . you totally won my heart.”

She laughed and let him draw her into his arms. “Did I ever tell you,” she asked, gazing deep into his eyes, “that when I first woke up after that hideous attack I thought you were God?”

Mark saw that she was quite serious and began to chuckle. “No, I don’t believe you ever mentioned that before now. What convinced you that I wasn’t?”

“The hard cobblestone on my backside,” Cassie said, then bit her lip.

Mark only laughed all the harder. “Did you not suppose that heaven had hard streets as well?”

“I suppose I didn’t,” she said, cocking her head to one side. “But I do remember thinking how very dashing God was.” She put her arms around his neck and sighed. “But then I realized you weren’t God—you were simply His servant, come to rescue me.”

“And you seemed like an angel to me—until you regained consciousness, of course.”

“Of all the things to say!” She tried to pull away, but Mark would have none of that.

“My sweet Cassie, you are infinitely better than any angel.” She relaxed in his arms. “You are so very sweet in nature. So giving and loving. Fear not for your mother and sister. They are my family now as well. I would never allow anything to happen that would jeopardize their happiness. Just as I will never allow anything to jeopardize ours.”

CHAPTER 25

C
assie ushered Mark and Mr. Westmoreland into the house the next evening. “I’m glad you could join us.” Both men were dressed in dark suits and starched white shirts. Mr. Westmore-land looked rather uncomfortable in such attire, but the fashion seemed exactly perfect for Mark’s tall stature.

“We have much to discuss,” Mark announced. “We’ve come up with several ideas that might help us to see Jameston pay for Richard’s murder, as well as his attempts on his mother’s life. August has given me some additional insight.”

Cassie smiled and took their hats. “Perhaps after dinner we can—”

“August? Is that you?” Dora Stover exclaimed as she entered the room.

“Dora.” Westmoreland shook his head as if seeing a ghost.

“I . . . well . . . I can scarcely believe it’s you.”

Cassie watched as her mother crossed the room to take hold of the stocky man’s hands. She smiled up at him. “I know exactly how you feel. I haven’t seen you in over twenty-five years.”

“You hardly look a day older,” he said in reply.

Her mother seemed to light up in a way that Cassie had not seen since her father had been alive. It was obvious they knew each other from their youth, but also just as obvious that the reunion met with both parties’ approval.

“Who is that man?” Elida asked, coming to stand beside her sister.

Their mother turned. “Girls, this is Mr. Westmoreland. We grew up together. We were neighbors and dear friends. How is your sister?” she questioned, turning back to the man.

“She’s widowed now. We both are. She lives with me at the boardinghouse I run. I know she’ll be pleased to see you again.”

“Oh, I shall very much look forward to that.”

He glanced around. “So this is your house?”

“Yes,” Mother said, smiling. “My husband passed on ten years ago. Elida was just a few weeks old when he was killed in an accident. Since then, we’ve worked at running a laundry service.”

“And I help her,” Elida said as she came to stand beside her mother.

“You must be Elida,” Mr. Westmoreland said with a wink.

Elida’s face broke into a smile. “I am.”

“You are just as lovely as your mother,” the man said. “She and I were good friends when she wasn’t much older than you are now. I thought her the prettiest girl in all of Philadelphia.”

Cassie’s mother appeared flustered. “I . . . uh . . . supper is nearly on the table. I’m so happy you could join us.” She gave the man’s hands a squeeze before dropping her hold. “Why don’t you all take a seat at the table? Elida, come help get the last of the meal on.”

“I’ll help you too,” Cassie said.

They hurried into the kitchen, where Mother handed a large bowl of potatoes to Elida. “Now put these on the table and then take your seat. Cassie and I will bring the rest.”

Cassie waited until Elida was out of earshot before turning to her mother. She could see the sparkle in the woman’s eyes. “Care to tell me about our visitor?” she asked.

“I don’t know what you mean,” her mother replied and offered her a bowl of green beans.

Laughing, Cassie took the offering and pressed again. “There is something between you and Mr. Westmoreland. You both look at each other as if . . . well . . . as if there were something more than merely having been old neighbors.”

Her mother laughed and handed her a bowl of stewed okra. “He was my first love. We were passionate about each other. At least as passionate as children can be.”

Cassie looked in disbelief at her mother. “I always thought Father was your first love.”

“I was just a girl of fourteen when I fell in love with August. He was a few years older, and his father was determined he make something of himself. He sent August away to get a better education. Shortly after that, my family moved. We lost track of each other. I later heard he had married, but nothing more.

I thought it was just as well, and when your father came into my life, I completely lost my heart to him.”

“And now Mr. Westmoreland is back in your life, and he’s a widower.” Cassie couldn’t help but raise a brow as if silently suggesting the possibilities.

Her mother’s face reddened. “Oh, how you do go on. Just because you’re hearing love’s golden bells doesn’t mean anyone else is.” She laughed and turned to lift a platter of roast.

Cassie giggled. “You’re blushing, Mother. I think there may be more bells ringing than you give credit.”

“Oh, go on with you now.” But Cassie thought there was something lackluster in her protest. Perhaps she should ask Mark more about this Mr. Westmoreland.

After the meal concluded and they’d all retired to the sitting room, Cassie was further amazed at the way Elida took to Mr. Westmoreland. She watched in delight as the man took a piece of string, tied the ends together, and then began to weave it between his fingers to make various shapes. Elida cheered loudly at the man’s creative game.

“Teach me how to do that,” she begged.

He only laughed. “If I teach you, then I won’t be so interesting anymore.”

They all laughed at this. When the clock on the mantel chimed eight, however, Cassie’s mother directed Elida to bed.

Her sister protested, but gave in when Mark promised to take her horseback riding in a few days.

“I never get to stay up and hear the really interesting things,” she said as she moved toward the hallway stairs.

“I promise to tell you anything important that pertains to you,” Cassie told her sister.

Elida pressed out her lower lip in a pout. “But that’s just the trouble. None of it will pertain to me.” The adults chuckled at this, but Elida ignored them. Once she was gone, the conversation turned much more serious in nature.

“August and I have been discussing the situation with Jameston. We figure there is one chance to get a confession from him regarding Richard. It won’t be easy, and it involves some risk on your part.” He looked at Mrs. Jameston and then to Cassie.

“What do you have in mind?” Mrs. Jameston asked.

“August is retired from the police force here in Philadelphia. He has good friends—honest men who also work for the department. He proposes you and Cassie return to your home. When your son is out of the house, we will come and position some of those men near your room. Since Cassie’s room adjoins yours, it would be a reasonable place to listen in without being detected.

“Our hope is that you might coax a confession from Sebastian while witnesses overhear the entire conversation. Anything would help. You could tell him that you’d heard rumors of his being involved in the murder of an insurance investigator. You could say most anything that you think might motivate him to open up about what happened.”

“I see.” The older woman looked quite thoughtful.

“What about getting him to confess to trying to kill his mother?” Cassie threw out. “If he’s angry enough, especially with me, then he might very well blurt out the truth.”

“He might. He also might become very dangerous if you stir him to anger,” Mark countered.

“He’s going to be angry no matter what,” his mother said. “I suppose it is the only thing to be done. I could take to my room on the pretense of feeling ill again. Of course, given the subject at hand, I’m certain that won’t be too hard to accomplish. If he wants to see me about anything, he will have to come to me.

And if he doesn’t voluntarily come, I could send for him.”

“It seems our best course of action,” Mark offered rather apologetically.

Cassie’s mother weighed in on the subject. “Must they return to the house? Couldn’t this be accomplished somewhere less difficult to offer them protection?”

“The house is a reasonable place, given Mr. Jameston will be more at ease. He won’t suspect that we’ve planted officers to watch his every move,” Westmoreland explained.

“But why must Cassie endanger herself?”

Putting her hand atop her mother’s, Cassie met her fearful gaze. “If I fail to return with Mrs. Jameston, her son might believe something has happened to scare me away. We must pretend that everything is just as it always has been. He will feel at ease that way, and there will be no question of whether anything is amiss.”

“She’s right,” Mark said. “But I promise you, Mrs. Stover, I will not allow anything bad to happen to our Cassie.”

“Nor will I,” Westmoreland assured.

And so the plan was settled. On the following day, Cassie and Mrs. Jameston would return home as if they’d only been on a holiday of sorts. It was a risky scheme at best, but Cassie felt better knowing there would be men around whose sole intent was their protection.

“Is everything set?” Sebastian asked Robbie one final time.

The man nodded. “Aye. I have the men ready to move at your instruction.”

“Then we’ll go tonight. It appears the only way to drive my mother back into my grasp is to force the issue.” Sebastian straightened and stretched. The time was fast approaching midnight.

“What if they fail to wake up?” Robbie asked.

Sebastian shook his head. “Make enough noise. Otherwise, if something does happen, we will merely get the documents forged, and with Cassie dead as well as my mother, the courts will have no choice but to award the estate to me.”

Robbie leaned back in the chair and seemed to consider the plan for a moment. “What if they escape only to decide to go elsewhere? Your mother is quite capable of leaving the country or just heading to a hotel instead of her home.”

“That’s true, but I do not believe that will be her choice. I think she’ll readily come here, and Miss Stover will be on her heels.”

“What of Miss Stover’s mother and sister?”

“What of them? If they come along, they will become pawns in my game. Stop worrying about the details, Robbie. I’ve thought this through.”

Knowing that Mark and Mr. Westmoreland would be with her when they returned to the Jameston house didn’t help Cassie sleep any better that night. She tossed and turned restlessly, not managing to drift off to sleep until well after midnight.

Even in her sleep, she dreamed of dangerous situations with Sebastian Jameston exacting his revenge. He was not the kind of man who would take well to being bested. There would be no room for error. This, Cassie knew quite well.