The Only Gold (13 page)

“Thank you, Margaret. By the way, customers who come in asking for a word with the cashier, send them immediately to me, will you? Including anyone who wants to see Mr. Woolner.” Reid paused. “I need to meet all our depositors. Those who would like to talk to Mr. Woolner, I will send ’round, myself.”

Margaret seemed to think nothing unusual of the request, but she would not consider that Reid might abuse it. Disgusted, Jonah closed the door and sat down to work, but could not keep his mind on it. Reid had nearly charmed him into as neat a submission as he had everyone else, all the while plotting to take away what little authority he had left. And how foolish of the man to dismiss the assistance of someone with far greater knowledge of the bank and its depositors than he. If he thought he could run the bank without that assistance, Jonah was thoroughly of a mind to let him try. He doubted it would be long before Reid came back to entreat him for help.

Long it wasn’t until Margaret passed by his door, apparently in the company of a visitor who wished to see the cashier. Jonah heard Reid’s cheery welcome and the door closed, allowing only muffled voices to reach him. The occasional lilt of laughter punctuated their conversation, and when at last they walked into the hall, Jonah could not sit still any longer. He rolled the desk chair to the door and, easing the door ajar, peered out. Reid stood outside the cashier’s office with Alice Grandborough, her hand in his as if they’d shaken hands and had forgotten to leave off. And well they could, with no sign of Miss Brundish anywhere.

Jonah leaned further for a better glimpse, and a wobble of the chair nearly sent him to the floor. The door slammed to, and he gained his feet as the chair toppled. An instant later, the door opened and Reid looked in. “Everything all right?”

Turning from the knowing twist in Reid’s genial smile, Jonah quickly set the chair upright. He reached to shut the door, but Reid had pushed it open, permitting Alice to slip past. She was laughing—at something Reid had said, Jonah hoped. She caught Jonah’s hand. “I had to stop in for a minute. Honoria thinks I’m with Father.”

“Is your father here?” Jonah stepped out of the office, wanting to steal a few minutes’ conversation with him.

“He’s waiting with the carriage. I’ve only come to warn everyone, including you, that we’re planning our spring ball, and you must attend this year, Jonah. Won’t you?” She patted his coat sleeve. “I will post the invitations soon.”

With that, she was gone, hat ribbons fluttering behind her. Reid watched her depart with an approving light in his eye. “This spring ball… it’s been going on for a number of years?”

“Four. We refer to it as the bank ball. Mr. Grandborough gives it regularly around St. Valentine’s Day.”

“Hoping to encourage the clerks to wed?”

“Well, married clerks do generally work harder… and stay longer in one place, I believe.”

“And you?” Reid followed him into his office. “I take it you’ve missed a few of these bank balls.”

“That’s hardly your business.”

“I’m curious. Wouldn’t you be?”

“It’s only curiosity?”

“What else?”

Jonah frowned. “You hardly know her.”

At that, Reid’s grin reigned. “And you do?”

“Alice and I are friends.”

“Then you won’t mind if she includes me on her dance card.”

“That is up to Alice.”

When the books were locked away, Jonah retrieved his coat and hat and left the bank in Mr. Satterfield’s hands. He’d thought Reid gone already, but Reid had made it no further than the steps, where he stood talking to Liam Abbott. Both men fell silent as Jonah neared, and he could imagine what nonsense Abbott had relayed about his sojourn on the roof.

With little desire to spend another moment in either man’s company, Jonah descended to the sidewalk.
Let Abbott gossip. There was no harm in seeking a quiet minute or two up on the roof or anywhere else. If Reid went to Mr. Grandborough with the story, Mr. Grandborough would think nothing of it—unless Abbott had somehow embellished the tale to make him seem eccentric or unreliable.

Jonah slowed at the corner, and under the pretense of guarding his hat against a stiff wind, stole a glance back. The two men still stood on the steps, chatting like old friends. When Reid seemed to glance his way, he hurried on, taking the first streetcar that passed.

The
idea that Reid might conspire with Liam Abbott to make him an object of ridicule was too terrible to think about. There was little good to be had in worrying, but he did—right up until he reached the bank the following morning. Matthew’s greeting, from behind the teller’s window, was as irreproachably polite as usual. Alerted by it, Simon stifled a yawn and leaned over his cash drawer to stick his head through his own window.

“Morning, sir. I’ve brought Mr. Hylliard the mail. Helen’s just taken the morning papers.”

Helen appeared from the corridor and, catching sight of him, fairly beamed. “Good morning, Mr. Woolner. Mr. Hylliard wishes to see you straightaway.”

It seemed Reid hadn’t gossiped about him—as yet. Perhaps he hadn’t had the opportunity. Braced for the worst and prepared to defend himself, Jonah marched into the office. Reid didn’t even glance up from his work. “Have a seat.”

Jonah did, uneasily. Whatever was on Reid’s mind, he seemed to be in deadly earnest. He appended his signature to the letter he’d been writing and tossed down the pen. “Mr. Woolner….” A demanding gaze was upon him, and Jonah met it without faltering.

“Yes?”

“It’s my understanding this bank has been robbed. That was during your employment here?”

Jonah stared at him for a minute before finding his voice. “That was ten years ago. Why—”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

He hadn’t thought about it in ages. “Well….”

“As much as you can recall.” Reid leaned back in his chair, elbows on the arms. “If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Jonah said, relieved despite Reid’s odd interest in such a remote bit of bank history. “The second teller had gone to dinner, and I was acting in his place. Our paying teller was James Carson. He’d been injured at Shiloh. Lost a leg, so he kept a gun under the counter. Ordinarily, Mr. Grandborough permits only the porter and watchman to carry guns, but he made an exception for James.”

“Must’ve kept him from feeling quite so helpless,” Reid said.

Jonah looked at him curiously. “I believe you’re right. It was certainly fortuitous the day we were robbed. I think James was meeting with Mr. Crowe that afternoon, but I was able to get hold of the gun—”

“You chased them?”

“No—”

Reid sat up. “You shot them?”

Jonah shivered at the thought. “There were only two. One ran. I locked the other in the vault and summoned the police.”

Reid looked impressed. “You’re practiced with a gun?”

“I’m familiar with them. My family farms.”

That roused a smile. “Really? Mind if I ask where?”

“Upstate.”

“So you haven’t strayed far from home.”

“Manhattan is home.”

Reid’s smile softened. “Of course. If you saw those men again, do you think you would recognize them?”

“We are not so vulnerable to robbery as we once were. This is rather a busy neighborhood, which discourages daylight robberies, and our time lock has worked exceedingly well at putting an end to night-time attempts.”

“Would you recognize them?” Reid said gently.

Jonah let his exasperation show with a faint snort. “It’s been ten years. Do you imagine you would?”

Reid laughed. “Maybe not. Well, you have my thanks for sharing what you do remember. I’ve been curious ever since Mr. Naughton mentioned it at the meeting….” He trailed off as if he thought he’d broached a volatile subject, and suddenly smiled. “Assist me with the letters today?”

Still hurt by his exclusion from not only the board meeting but subsequent meetings with depositors, Jonah wanted to remind him it had been his choice to take it all on by himself. But the thought Reid might yet choose to spread Abbott’s gossip around troubled him, and he reluctantly gave in.

As the
week progressed, Reid said nothing about Jonah’s sojourn upstairs, and Jonah wondered if Abbott hadn’t told him, or Reid hadn’t considered it worthy of comment. All the same, it took another week of increasingly warmer weather to lure Jonah back up to the roof. He went at dinnertime, thereby avoiding Liam Abbott, and found to his pleasure that only wisps of white cloud beribboned the pale blue above him, with no threat of rain in sight. The crowded street below seemed picturesque from a distance, and on the ledge opposite, sparrows perched. A silken wind whispered past, and he leaned into it, closing his eyes.

“You’re not jumping on my account, I hope.”

Jonah did jump, inwardly. He glanced sidelong to see Reid break into a grin, and he regained his composure with effort. “It seems I’ve brought rooftop meditations into fashion.”

“I’m not sure they ever went out.” Reid leaned against the coping. “I’m sorry I startled you. I had some questions, and Margaret didn’t know if you’d gone to dinner, so I thought you might be
here—”

“Yes, no doubt due to Mr. Abbott’s report.”

“He mentioned it.” Reid’s gaze narrowed with a distinct sparkle of curiosity. “Did you think I’d object? I don’t care, as long as you come down the same way you came up.”

“I haven’t planned to hurl myself from the roof just because the board elected you cashier, I assure you. If Mr. Abbott implied—”

“No. He just grumbled about….” Reid’s sly air put Jonah on guard. “I want to remember exactly… what was it? He could do his job all right and didn’t care to be bossed about by a bespectacled, towheaded scarecrow.”

Jonah smiled faintly. “I rather doubt those were Mr. Abbott’s words.”

Reid was the picture of bright-eyed innocence. “You don’t think so?” He straightened up and added with artless inquiry, “Care to come to dinner with me?”

Reid meant to bewilder him deliberately, Jonah concluded. “I thought you were dining with Mr. Falk.”

“Mr. Falk had a previous appointment. Or maybe he’s avoiding me too.”

“I’m not avoiding you. I’ve come up here since long before your arrival.”

“I know.”

Jonah shot him a sharp glance but saw only quiet sympathy directed back. Reid clapped his shoulder. “I felt sure you had to be as human as the rest of us. It was good to have Mr. Abbott’s confirmation.”

If that
kindness was less an effort at keeping Jonah in line and more a genuine gesture of friendship, Jonah did not know what to make of it. He could not afford to be taken in. However well-meant Reid’s overtures, friendship could not exist without trust—and trust was a commodity Reid had thrown away in favor of aggressive measures to impress the board.

Shut out of four board meetings in as many weeks and forced to abide by Reid’s decisions, Jonah knew everyone else at the bank harbored the belief that he had no choice but to get along with Reid. But he could not let go of hope that the board might yet open their eyes to the man’s faults and understand that the bank needed a cashier of more steadfast character.