Pittsburgh Village, Late January 1775
Elizabeth stormed out of the Seldon Sentry Bank, Scott and Mackie close on her heels. “I can't believe Pruitt wants to sell the Inn! Probably to one of those larger places just outside of town.”
Scott looked back at the door. “That Sentry's as bad as Pruitt, and just as much of a snob. There's no reasoning with him.”
Mackie's fists were clenched. “I'd like to punch that guy in the nose. When they made him, they threw away the mold. And the mildew, and the dry rot! He's the third worst human being in the colonies!”
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “Who's the worst?”
Mr. Eldridge came over to them with a newspaper. He looked as agitated as he ever got. “Mistress Roberts, there's another article on why we should remain with England in the Pittsburgh Daily Gazette from that awful Jonathan Arnold! It makes an old man's blood boil! And even get very warm!”
“There's your answer, Liz.” Mackie swatted at the paper in the old man's hand.
Elizabeth took the paper from Mr. Eldridge. Scott couldn't help but notice how frightened her expression was. “Mr. Eldridge, the writing style is different. Too different. This article was written by another Johnathan Arnold.”
Mr. Eldridge shrugged. “I wonder what happened to the first Jonathan Arnold?”
Mackie snorted. “When you get discontinued by the British, you REALLY get discontinued, if you know what I mean.”
“Hush, Mackie.” Elizabeth said too quickly. “Maybe he just had...other assignments.”
“Yeah,” Scott added, “he was probably assigned to the front of the nearest firing squad.”
“Neither of you know the first thing about this!” Elizabeth tucked the newspaper under her arm. “I'm going home. Governor Pruitt said he wanted to talk to me about the rents. He probably just wants to tell me how many more items he's cut from the budget. That man is such a miser.”
Scott went to take her arm. “I'll walk you to there, Liz.”
Mr. Eldridge waved him away. “That's all right, Scott. I need to see that newspaper myself. I'm entered in a raffle. They're giving away a big cash prize. I might even get a nice slip of paper.” He took Elizabeth's arm instead.
Scott watched Elizabeth sadly as they strolled off. “I really hurt her, Mackie. She's been like a block of ice to me ever since I was demoted to the kitchen.” He hit his fist into his hand. “I'm going to make things right. You'll see. I'll prove to her and to Pittsburgh just how much I really care.”
Mackie rolled his eyes. “You keep trying, and she keeps ignoring.” He held up a bag. “Look, right now, why don't we deliver this to the fruit farmer with the pregnant wife? He said he'd meet us at the Inn. That's something.”
Servants' Quarters Behind the Monongahela Inn, A Hour Later
“Thanks, guys.” Mackie handed Gus Kahana the bag of gold. “This is a lifesaver. Cora's almost due. You don't know how hard it is for a small farmer like me to make a living with these taxes and the bank bearing down on us.”
Scott exchanged grins with Mackie. “Don't thank us. Thank the Crimson Blade. He's the one who secured that money. Him and his people.”
“If you ever see him, tell him this means the world to me.” Scott and Mackie followed Gus to the door. “I have to deposit this in the Pittsburgh Central Bank in town. I'm pulling out of Seldon Sentry Bank. They've really been losing money over the past few weeks.” He pulled out a paper. “Just look at this advertisement in the farmers' newspaper.”
Scott raised his eyebrows at the advertisement. Mackie read over his arm. “These numbers scream that they're losing money. Why would they emphasize that?”
Mackie nodded. “Something's going on here.”
“I wonder...” Scott turned to Gus. “Can I borrow this?”
Gus shrugged. “Sure. I can always get another copy in town.” He headed for the door. “Speaking of, the wood from my orchards won't deliver themselves, and Cora is expecting me.” He bowed, doing his best George Washington imitation. “Where are our Men of abilities? Why do they not come forth to save their Country?”
Mackie chuckled as Gus left. “I wish he wasn't so busy with his farm. He's the only guy in the area with more voices than me. You should hear his John Adams.”
Scott was looking over the advertisements. “Mackie, tell Hilary I'm going to be late for the play.”
Mackie grimaced. “Oh no. That would be risking life and limb. Some of us enjoy being able to walk upright and not have our ears ringing with creative insults for the next two hours.”
But Mackie said this to the back of Scott's head. He was already sitting at the small table by the window, reading over the ads and writing numbers down on a paper with a tattered quill. Mackie just threw up his hands in annoyance and went downstairs to start rehearsal.
The Main Room, That Evening
Lady Hilary Booth was livid. Scott Sherwood had never appeared. He wasn't in the kitchen, and he hadn't been at rehearsals. She found herself playing her musical romance about a woman whose husband couldn't remember their marriage to Mr. Foley, who kept talking through their love scenes. She finally pushed him off the stage.
Elizabeth groaned. She had a few choice words for Scott Sherwood right now, none of them repeatable in a respectable play. It was bad enough that Hilary was going to be angry all night. She was already been talking to Douglas Thompson about divorce, which was not an easy thing to obtain in the colonies. Elizabeth looked at her watch. The show would be ending soon. She really had to talk to Pruitt and find out what he wanted. He said it was a surprise. Considering his last big surprise was an audit that cost Scott his job, she wasn't looking forward to what he had up his sleeve this time.
Elizabeth made her way into the manager's office. I wish I knew if Victor was all right. Her mind had been on Victor all day, ever since she'd read that newspaper. If only I could get in touch with him somehow, or just see him again!She looked up as footsteps came close to the door. “Governor Pruitt?” She went to meet him at the door. The last thing she expected was to see Lord Jeff Singer rush past her and close the door as quietly as he could. His brown curls were windblown and his fine yellow and blue suit in disarray. He looked as if he rushed there straight from Boston on horseback without stopping. “Your Lordship! What are you doing here?”
“I had to see Hilary.”
“I don't think she wants to see you,” Elizabeth snapped. “How could you abandon her and marry another woman? You broke her heart!”
He looked out the window. “She has no idea I'm here.” He turned to her. “I need the script for the play. I saw the posters for it in town on my way here. If I do a scene with her, it may be a way to break the ice. She hasn't responded to any of my letters for the past two months. My explanation holds water.”
“So will your lungs if she gets you near the river.”
Eugenia hurried in. “Elizabeth, Governor Pruitt is on his way in. He wants to see you. And have you seen Scott? The play is almost over, and there's no one to do the last love scene with Hilary!”
Elizabeth indicated Jeff. “How about His Lordship?”
Eugenia nodded. “That'll do nicely...” Then her eyes widened when she stopped to think for a moment. She grabbed Jeff in a hug that nearly took his breath away. “Oh, Your Lordship, you're back!” He delighted grin became a worried frown. “Maybe you shouldn't be here. Her Ladyship is seriously considering doing real harm to you!”
Jeff shrugged. “She's been doing that since the day I met her.”
Eugenia led Lord Jeff out to the main room, where their small plays were put on. Quite a few people let out startled gasps as the attractive young nobleman stepped onto the narrow stage. He looked at the script – he hadn't time to memorize it. “Patricia?”
Lady Hilary Booth turned around in utter shock. “Je...James?”
He moved towards her and took him tenderly into his arms, while still managing to read the script. “Hello, my darling. It's me. I'm back from the dead. I had to come. I love you.”
“It's hard to believe it.” She leaned over and whispered in his ear “You'll wish you were back with the dead when I get through with you!”
He just pulled her closer. “Darling, you must believe it. I love you. I've never loved any woman more.”
She shook her head. “I...I love you too. We'll never mean more to each other than we do at this moment.” He leaned over to kiss her, but she simply turned away. “Don't even contemplate kissing me, Jeffrey Singer,” she hissed softly in his ear. “You lost that right the moment you wed that contemptible German trollop of a buccaneer.”
“Hilary, I had to...and this isn't the place to talk about it.” He moved from her embrace and took her hand as they walked off-stage to thunderous applause.
Elizabeth was looking wistfully out the window when Lady Hilary flew into the office with such savage intensity that the door nearly came off its hinges. “Elizabeth, who allowed Jeffrey into this inn?”
Elizabeth swirled around to her, startled. “Your ladyship, please don't do that!” She frowned. “Hilary, whether he's your husband or not, he still lives here and works here.”
“Not if I have any say in it.” Lady Hilary stood to her full, autocratic height. “If he's living here, I'm finding another home. I refuse to be under the same roof as him. I want to know which of us is staying or going by tomorrow. Please tell me first thing in the morning which of us is staying.” She looked around the office, her eyes a little sad. “I like...I like living here.” She finally went back out.
Jeff met her in the hallway. “Hilary, please listen to me!”
“I have to do no such thing.” She picked up her skirts. “I am going to dinner at my good friend Earl Aldrych's house. You can jump in the river, for all I care. It might improve what's left of that suit.” She finally flounced out of the Inn, Jeff hot on her heels.
Elizabeth closed her eyes. Now she had to choose between Jeff and Hilary. This was getting to be too much. She turned to the window, trying to figure out what to do. I don't want to hurt either of them. Oh Victor, I wish you were here!
“A pretty girl like you shouldn't be worrying so much. It'll put lines on your sweet face.” She wished she didn't have to turn to the door. Governor Rolleigh Pruitt slithered in. She could almost see the tail of his silvery gray velvet coat trailing along behind him, like a snake ready to strike. “Hello, Miss Roberts.” He nodded at the desk. “Why don't you take a seat? We'll discuss...many things.”
She did so. “Sir, you can't cut much more of our budget and expect us to be able to tend to our customers. We can't work without props for our plays or food or linens for our guests. And what's this about selling the inn? You can't shut it down. Some of our guests live here, including me! We don't have many other places we can afford to go.”
His face was entirely too happy for Elizabeth's liking. “Oh, I'm not interested in talking about the budget today. I have something else planned for us.” He reached over and took Elizabeth's hand. It was all Elizabeth could do to not pull it away in disgust. She didn't like the sound of that “us.”
“What do you have planned, sir? I have things I need to do today. There's a friend I need to...check up on.”
“That's what I wanted to talk to you about.” He patted her hand. “I know how upset you've been over these past few months. We're both concerned for a certain party in Boston.”
She looked up, amazed at his last words. “You...you know about Victor?”
His smile grew wider. “Who do you think his contact here was? I am the governor, after all.”
She let out a breath of relief. “Oh sir, I'm so glad! You have no idea how anxious and concerned I've been these past few months since I last saw him. Where is he? Is he all right? He doesn't seem to be writing for the British anymore. I'm afraid that something...something bad...happened.”
“Why don't you come into the lobby and see my surprise?” He chuckled. “I think it's one you'll like a great deal. It's for you and you alone, however. You'll have to clear out the rest of the staff. Send them to their rooms or tell them to go elsewhere for the night.”
Elizabeth did what she could. She couldn't find Mackie or Scott, and Hilary and Jeff were still at Earl Aldrych's. The few guests were already in their rooms. She sent Gertrude and Mr. Eldridge to the Buttery Tavern and told C.J, Maple, Mr. Foley, and Eugenia that there were problems with the chimneys and they should get out immediately, before the smoke spread.
Maple put her hands on her hips the moment Elizabeth pushed them out the front door. “I do not like this. Something smells bad here. It is tres inhabituel of Elizabeth to put us out so, oui? I see no smoke!”
“Yeah,” added C.J, “I don't like this, either. I saw Pruitt coming in a while ago. He looked way too happy.”
Eugenia shivered. “I don't like that man. He gives me the willies.” Mr. Foley added his own look of fright. He was about to speak, but Eugenia cut him off. “Don't worry, Mr. Foley! I'm sure Elizabeth knows how to handle him. She can handle anything.”
“I do not agree.” Maple gestured at Isabella Street. “Eugenia et Monsieur Foley, maybe you should meet Monsieur Eldridge et Madame Gertrude at le Buttery Tavern until we find out what is going on. We will send carriage for you when the toast is clear.” She turned to C.J. “Why don't you go to O'Malley's and round up our...friends...to help?” She leaned over and whispered “Get the boys! I don't care how drunk they are at this time of night. See if you can pull Lester away from his latest conquest. We'll need all the help we can get.”
C.J grinned and whispered back. “It's more than likely that Lester's latest conquest is trying to get away from him by now. I'll take Eugenia and Foley to the Buttery, then bring the others back here.”
“And I will go to my quarters and get dressed. I think the Crimson Blade will be needed here.”
As the four broke up, Maple thought she saw someone familiar walking into the Inn. She couldn't be certain, though. It was too dark to tell. He wore the uniform of a British military officer. Where have I seen him before? She didn't have the time to wonder. She hurried around back to the servants' quarters.
The Adventures of the Crimson Blade
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