“She’s—” Angus began but the woman cut him off.
“She’s here and I’m going to take care of her.” She looked back at Edilean. “Did you bring the gold?”
“Yes.”
“Good! I have a wagon to transport it to a bank vault. Everything is arranged.” She walked ahead to the carriage, then stood still as a uniformed footman held the door open for her. “Come along, I don’t have all day. There are people waiting.”
“I think there’s been a mistake,” Edilean said, and went to the woman so she wouldn’t have to shout. “I’m not married to your brother,” she said quietly. “He married someone else. She—”
“Yes,”
the woman said impatiently. “I know what he planned. He married one woman for her title but seduced another one for her dowry. His plan was to steal the dowry and keep the title. Did I miss anything?”
“No,” Edilean said. “But it didn’t go that way. James did marry the earl’s daughter, but I found out what was going on—actually, I was told. I didn’t find out anything by myself. I trusted your brother completely.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” the woman said. “James has never done an honest thing in his life. The first words out of his mouth as a babe were lies.”
“Oh, I see,” Edilean said.
The woman was still looking at her with impatience. “Is there more?”
“No,” Edilean said. “It’s just that there is no reason for you and me to... Well, to know each other.”
The woman turned to look at Edilean. “I want to know any woman who can outdo my philandering, lying brother. And as for you, I would imagine that you ran off in a hurry, so do you have somewhere to stay in Boston?”
“No,” Edilean said. She was beginning to like this woman and her forthright manner.
“I have a house here. It’s not paid for, of course, because my brother had something to do with it, but I think you can remedy that. You can put yourself and that man who keeps hovering about you up in a hotel, but if you do that you will be besieged by men who you won’t know from Adam. You could find yourself once again swept off your feet by a handsome face.” As she said it, she looked directly at Angus, as though he were a man who was in pursuit of all that Edilean had.
Edilean just stared at the woman, not sure what she should say. In her life she’d always had weeks to make a decision. One Christmas she’d had three invitations and she’d taken four weeks to make up her mind. But since the night her uncle took her from school, it seemed that every decision she’d made had been done with the speed of lightning.
The woman was scowling at Edilean, waiting for her to decide to get into the carriage or not. When the younger woman didn’t move, the older one gave a sigh. “I’m Harriet Harcourt. I am forty-two years old, a spinster largely because my family scared away every suitor I ever had. I have no income and no hope of one. I participated in this latest scheme of his because it was either that or live with my cousin who hates me and would have worked me to death. James sent me to America months ago to get a house ready for him and whichever bride he showed up with. The house has been secured with only the tiny bit of money he gave me, and if I do not pay the rest within a week, I’ll be thrown out into the streets.”
She looked at Edilean. “Does that answer your questions about me?”
“I think so.” Edilean hesitated. Angus still had his back to her and she was waiting for him to say something, but she wasn’t sure what. She had a hope that he might turn, pull her into his arms, and say that he couldn’t live without her and to please go to Virginia with him. Instead, he turned slightly toward her and gave a curt nod. He was giving her permission to go with the woman. And he nodded toward the trunks of gold in a way that let her know he’d make sure they were taken to a bank.
Minutes later, Edilean was in the carriage, sitting on its beautiful dark red leather seats, and looking across at Miss Harcourt.
“Do you know if James will come to Boston soon?” Edilean asked.
“How can he? He has no money nor does his wife.” She gave a bit of a smile. “Wouldn’t it be tragic if he had to go out and get a job?”
Edilean saw the fine lines around the woman’s eyes begin to crinkle and in the next moment they were laughing together. In spite of all that James Harcourt had done to both of the women, he was the one who’d lost, not them.
They stopped in front of a tall, narrow building that was close to several others and set on a pretty, tree-lined street.
When Edilean paused on the steps into the house and looked about her, Harriet said, “What is it?”
“Nothing. I just...” She trailed off. She could have sworn she’d seen Angus, but of course she hadn’t. By now he was probably trying to sell the jewels so he could run off to Virginia and put many miles between him and the woman who’d caused all his life’s problems.
“Well, then, come inside and we’ll go over business.”
“Business?” Edilean asked.
“Yes, certainly. What you’re going to pay me for being your housekeeper and looking after you and this house that you’re going to buy.”
“I see,” Edilean said and glanced up at all four stories of it. She held up her skirt as they went inside. The house was sparsely decorated and what was there was in the most somber taste imaginable.