Outside, Whittaker was giving orders, and in a few minutes, the guards came back and started throwing ratty mattress pads and filthy blankets into the cells. Theirs landed with a cloud of dust, and the guards slammed the iron barred door shut on them. All down the corridor, doors clanged with a sound like the end of hope.
Elizabeth went to the barred door and looked out. As the guards withdrew, having finished their task, other women also came to the bars. In the cell opposite, the old lady who had been so brave at the courthouse tended to Mrs. Lewis as she recovered from her brush with death. Down a ways, the red-haired woman still hung from the bars, her arms stretched agonizingly above her head and the handcuffs digging into her wrists. A buzz of whispered outrage rose like a cloud of flies at the sight of her, and over and over they said her name in awe: Lucy Burns.
Elizabeth wanted to despise her. What kind of fool would put herself in a position like that? But then she saw the woman’s face. Surely, she was in agony, but her expression was triumphant as she met the eye of every woman straining for a glimpse of her. Her red hair glittered like a flame in the light from the corridor, and her eyes glowed with an inner fire.
In another cell, a woman reached up and grabbed a bar with both her hands and stood there, mirroring Lucy Burns’s position. She stood there half the night, even after the others had bedded themselves down, until a guard finally came and released Miss Burns.
What on earth was wrong with these women?
CHAPTER THREE
Sometimes Gideon was afraid he would die in his office. Could a person really die of boredom? If so, today was certainly the day.
Even his law clerk appeared to be in danger of nodding off, lulled by the sonorous drone of Mr. Ernest Pike’s reedy voice. How long had they been listening to Pike’s tedious account of his life, a life that had culminated in his phenomenal success in the production of packing crates?
An eternity, at least.
“So you can understand, Mr. Bates, how important it is to make sure my estate is safeguarded for my daughter, Eugenia,” Pike said. “She is my only heir.”
At last! The man had finally made his wishes known. Gideon straightened up in his chair and smiled across his desk at Mr. Ernest Pike. “We can certainly make sure of that, Mr. Pike. How old is your daughter, may I ask?”
His clerk perked up, too, finally sensing something he could make notes about.
“She’ll be twenty-two next Tuesday. She’s a lovely girl, and so accomplished. She plays the piano and sings. Everyone remarks on how musical she is.”
“You must be very proud.” Gideon understood now. His yawn evaporated. Eugenia Pike was of marriageable age. Pike would want to protect her from fortune hunters and expected the law firm of Devoss and Van Aken to be the guiding force in protecting the family estate. Gideon was on board to make sure these estates lasted for generations. This wasn’t a kindness. The law firm earned substantial fees for doing the work, so it was in their best interest to make the money last forever. “Your daughter must have many suitors.”
Pike blinked in surprise and hesitated just a moment too long. “Yes, of course she does, but she’s very particular, you see. That’s why she hasn’t married yet.”
Gideon took a hard look at Ernest Pike. If Eugenia Pike resembled her father, she might not have any suitors at all. But Gideon could assist with that as well. A large dowry could increase a young woman’s appeal exponentially. “You’ll want to make sure she’s comfortable when she does choose a husband, I assume.”
“Oh yes, and I’m in a position to make sure she is.”
“But you’ll want to protect her from someone who might squander her dowry and make continued demands on your generosity,” Gideon said.
Mr. Pike gave him a grateful smile. “Yes, exactly, Mr. Bates. You understand me completely.”
“We can accomplish all that with a simple trust.” Gideon explained how it would work, but he had the distinct impression that Pike didn’t really care, even though he was nodding enthusiastically. “We can draw up the paperwork for you to examine before you decide, but I think you and your daughter and her future husband will all be very satisfied.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bates. I can see I was advised correctly by those who assured me you were the perfect attorney to consult.”
Gideon knew he hadn’t done anything particularly impressive, but he accepted the compliment graciously. “I’m happy to be of assistance.”
“I’d like to express my appreciation in a more tangible way, if I may, Mr. Bates. Perhaps you could join me and my family for dinner some evening. Eugenia could perform. I know you’d enjoy it.”
This time Gideon straightened cautiously. So that’s why Pike had asked to see Gideon specifically. Pike had done his homework, ferreting him out as the scion of one of the oldest families in the city, one of the families whose fortunes had faded through the generations until this scion was forced to earn his own way. And to close the deal, Pike had made it clear exactly how comfortable he intended to make his only child and the lucky fellow who married her.
Gideon was not going to be that fellow, but he also wasn’t going to lose a client. “I appreciate your kind invitation, but I try to make it a policy never to mix business with pleasure, Mr. Pike. Perhaps when we have concluded with our business, however . . .”
“Of course, of course,” Mr. Pike agreed happily.
Maybe the fair Eugenia would meet another eligible, if needy, young man before then. If not, Gideon was more than happy to make her acquainted with several of his friends who were actively seeking a wealthy bride to settle their debts and provide a nice income for them for the rest of their lives.
All three of the men looked up in surprise when someone tapped on the office door and opened it without even waiting for permission. No one at Devoss and Van Aken ever interrupted a client meeting unless the building was on fire.
“Excuse me, Mr. Bates, but you are needed urgently,” one of the other clerks said, obviously terrified. Maybe the building really was on fire.
Before Gideon could even think how to take his leave from Mr. Pike, David Vanderslice pushed past the clerk and practically exploded into the room. “Gideon, Anna has been arrested!”
Not a fire, but certainly cause for alarm, at least for David. Gideon rose with as much dignity as he could muster. “Would you excuse me for a moment, Mr. Pike? Smith here will take down some information that will help us draw up the paperwork.” Gideon cast his clerk a pleading look, which he returned with an understanding nod. “David, let’s step into the conference room.”
He took David’s arm in a death grip and steered him, unresisting, out of the office and down the hallway. He glanced up at his friend, furious at him for behaving so hysterically, but when he saw how distraught David was, he didn’t have the heart to chasten him. Instead he pushed him toward the open doorway to the conference room and followed him inside.
When he’d closed the door behind them, David repeated his lament. “Anna’s been arrested!”
“Of course she has. We knew that yesterday.”