"Oh please, Sam! I want that one." Conn took his thumb out of his mouth
long enough to point to the top shelf. The sales clerk beamed with
approval and started climbing the ladder.
Sam laughed. "All right, I guess one more package won't make much difference."
The clerk began his descent, carefully balancing the box in one hand. By the time he reached the last rung, Conn was holding out his hands for the tin soldiers. He clutched the box to his chest and smiled at his sister.
Sam looked around the store. Shopping at Kavanagh's Emporium was a luxury the Flanagans had never been able to afford. She could not rid herself of the feeling that the elegant floor manager in his severe black coat would see past their newly-purchased attire and ask them to leave. But whenever she caught his eye he bowed and smiled, his manner an indication of the respect due to Mrs. Elliott Marston.
"Where's Elliott, Sam?" As if he'd read her mind, Niall looked up from examining his own purchases. "You said you left a note for him that we were coming here."
"I did. But you know, love, he's got very important business to take care of. I'm sure he'll be here soon." Sam bent over to admire the tin soldier Conn was holding up.
"But it's your wedding day." Niall frowned.
"Shut up, you little twerp! He'll be here when he can." Liam scowled in his most grown-up manner and folded his arms across his chest. "He told me before he left that he'd be back as soon as he could."
The most amazing event of a most amazing week was the total change in Liam's attitude to Elliott. From aggressive hostility to worshipful reverence, the transformation had been staggering. Sam wasn't sure she was comfortable with it but there was no denying that it made life easier.
And it was only to be expected that Liam would be grateful to the man who'd probably saved his life. Sam reached out and ruffled her brother's hair; he flushed and ducked away from her hand. He was still a boy even though he tried so hard to be the man of the family. She was glad he had ceded the position to Elliott who was better qualified to fill it.
"Well, if we've finished buying out the store, we should get back to the hotel." Sam watched in amusement as clerks swept in from all sides to pick up parcels and carry them to the waiting carriage. It would be very easy to get used to this treatment.
They were on the sidewalk outside the store watching Conn try to climb into the carriage without letting go of his tin soldiers when the hotel messenger boy found them. He ran up, breathless and panting, and collapsed against the carriage wheel.
"Oh Miss - I mean Mrs. Marston! Ye've got to come real quick!" He paused to suck in a lungful of air. "The nurse sent me. Yer pa - he's turned bad. Ye've got to come back now." His commission discharged, he sagged almost to the ground.
The boys froze and turned as one to stare at Sam. Conscious of their dependence and trying to stay calm herself, she took a deep breath. "Very well. Thank you very much for bringing the message." She turned back to her brothers. "You heard the message. Get in the carriage." They scrambled to obey. With a nod of thanks to the clerks and a word to the driver to take the exhausted messenger up beside him on the seat, she took her seat beside Conn.
"Now then," she began. "We know that Dad has been sick before and has always recovered. I want you to remember that."
Three pairs of large eyes stared back at her. Niall voiced the thoughts they all had. "But what if this time he doesn't?"
"Then we must pray that he is comfortable and not in pain." Sam swallowed hard. "Hey, the doctor will be with Dad by now. Let's not get scared until we know exactly what's happened. All right?"
"All right." Liam was staring out the window, blinking rapidly.
"Okay." Niall swept at his eyes with his sleeve.
"Mmmm." Conn had his thumb in his mouth again.
Sam closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, grateful for a delay of any length. She prayed that Elliott would be at the hotel when they got back. She didn't know how she'd hold up if he weren't there.
************************************************************
"I want a telegram sent to the Governor General. Immediately."
"Let's be rational about -"
"Then I want the Attorney General's office petitioned. I'm going to get that bastard disbarred."
"Elliott, I know you're upset. But -"
"Did you hear me? Disbarred!"
"Elliott, you're not listening to me. We've got to proceed carefully. Somebody very big is behind all of this."
Marston leaned against the hard brick wall, his arms folded and his eyes flashing fire. "I don't care who's behind it! They can't do this to me!"
"Well, I hate to point out the obvious but they have." Collins sighed and dropped his head on his chest. After a count of ten, he looked up again. "Look, you know better than this. You don't have the luxury right now of indulging in a tantrum. We're up against something really powerful and we've got to know more."
Marston took a deep breath and let it out in a loud sigh. "You're right. I know that." He leaned forward and dropped his voice to a near whisper. "Do whatever you have to do. Spend how much you have to. Just get me out of here." He paused for a moment. "And get word to Sam for me. She'll be worried."
Collins nodded. "I'll do that first thing." He rose to his feet quickly. "Just don't get into trouble when I'm gone." He picked up his briefcase and with a brisk nod turned away.
At the large door at the end of the hall he turned back. His client watched him from his cell, his knuckles white as he clutched the bars. Collins nodded again and waved. Marston nodded back and let go of the bars. The door clanged shut behind the lawyer.
As he walked down the wooden sidewalk, Collins interrupted his plans to wonder about the unknown man who would dare arrange for Elliott Marston to be arrested and jailed for murder. And he felt very sorry for that unknown man.
Because he was going to be in for a nasty surprise.
Sam laughed. "All right, I guess one more package won't make much difference."
The clerk began his descent, carefully balancing the box in one hand. By the time he reached the last rung, Conn was holding out his hands for the tin soldiers. He clutched the box to his chest and smiled at his sister.
Sam looked around the store. Shopping at Kavanagh's Emporium was a luxury the Flanagans had never been able to afford. She could not rid herself of the feeling that the elegant floor manager in his severe black coat would see past their newly-purchased attire and ask them to leave. But whenever she caught his eye he bowed and smiled, his manner an indication of the respect due to Mrs. Elliott Marston.
"Where's Elliott, Sam?" As if he'd read her mind, Niall looked up from examining his own purchases. "You said you left a note for him that we were coming here."
"I did. But you know, love, he's got very important business to take care of. I'm sure he'll be here soon." Sam bent over to admire the tin soldier Conn was holding up.
"But it's your wedding day." Niall frowned.
"Shut up, you little twerp! He'll be here when he can." Liam scowled in his most grown-up manner and folded his arms across his chest. "He told me before he left that he'd be back as soon as he could."
The most amazing event of a most amazing week was the total change in Liam's attitude to Elliott. From aggressive hostility to worshipful reverence, the transformation had been staggering. Sam wasn't sure she was comfortable with it but there was no denying that it made life easier.
And it was only to be expected that Liam would be grateful to the man who'd probably saved his life. Sam reached out and ruffled her brother's hair; he flushed and ducked away from her hand. He was still a boy even though he tried so hard to be the man of the family. She was glad he had ceded the position to Elliott who was better qualified to fill it.
"Well, if we've finished buying out the store, we should get back to the hotel." Sam watched in amusement as clerks swept in from all sides to pick up parcels and carry them to the waiting carriage. It would be very easy to get used to this treatment.
They were on the sidewalk outside the store watching Conn try to climb into the carriage without letting go of his tin soldiers when the hotel messenger boy found them. He ran up, breathless and panting, and collapsed against the carriage wheel.
"Oh Miss - I mean Mrs. Marston! Ye've got to come real quick!" He paused to suck in a lungful of air. "The nurse sent me. Yer pa - he's turned bad. Ye've got to come back now." His commission discharged, he sagged almost to the ground.
The boys froze and turned as one to stare at Sam. Conscious of their dependence and trying to stay calm herself, she took a deep breath. "Very well. Thank you very much for bringing the message." She turned back to her brothers. "You heard the message. Get in the carriage." They scrambled to obey. With a nod of thanks to the clerks and a word to the driver to take the exhausted messenger up beside him on the seat, she took her seat beside Conn.
"Now then," she began. "We know that Dad has been sick before and has always recovered. I want you to remember that."
Three pairs of large eyes stared back at her. Niall voiced the thoughts they all had. "But what if this time he doesn't?"
"Then we must pray that he is comfortable and not in pain." Sam swallowed hard. "Hey, the doctor will be with Dad by now. Let's not get scared until we know exactly what's happened. All right?"
"All right." Liam was staring out the window, blinking rapidly.
"Okay." Niall swept at his eyes with his sleeve.
"Mmmm." Conn had his thumb in his mouth again.
Sam closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, grateful for a delay of any length. She prayed that Elliott would be at the hotel when they got back. She didn't know how she'd hold up if he weren't there.
************************************************************
"I want a telegram sent to the Governor General. Immediately."
"Let's be rational about -"
"Then I want the Attorney General's office petitioned. I'm going to get that bastard disbarred."
"Elliott, I know you're upset. But -"
"Did you hear me? Disbarred!"
"Elliott, you're not listening to me. We've got to proceed carefully. Somebody very big is behind all of this."
Marston leaned against the hard brick wall, his arms folded and his eyes flashing fire. "I don't care who's behind it! They can't do this to me!"
"Well, I hate to point out the obvious but they have." Collins sighed and dropped his head on his chest. After a count of ten, he looked up again. "Look, you know better than this. You don't have the luxury right now of indulging in a tantrum. We're up against something really powerful and we've got to know more."
Marston took a deep breath and let it out in a loud sigh. "You're right. I know that." He leaned forward and dropped his voice to a near whisper. "Do whatever you have to do. Spend how much you have to. Just get me out of here." He paused for a moment. "And get word to Sam for me. She'll be worried."
Collins nodded. "I'll do that first thing." He rose to his feet quickly. "Just don't get into trouble when I'm gone." He picked up his briefcase and with a brisk nod turned away.
At the large door at the end of the hall he turned back. His client watched him from his cell, his knuckles white as he clutched the bars. Collins nodded again and waved. Marston nodded back and let go of the bars. The door clanged shut behind the lawyer.
As he walked down the wooden sidewalk, Collins interrupted his plans to wonder about the unknown man who would dare arrange for Elliott Marston to be arrested and jailed for murder. And he felt very sorry for that unknown man.
Because he was going to be in for a nasty surprise.