Boston Metaphysical Society Read online

  Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. “You’ll never make everyone happy, Samuel. I suggest you become accustomed to that right now.”

  He nodded. “I’ll need to get more equipment. A camera for starters.”

  “Or you could hire a photographer whenever you needed one. That might be more cost effective.” Elizabeth stopped moving for a second, took a deep breath, then exhaled. “There’s one more thing you’ll need.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A partner.”

  Samuel’s excitement evaporated. “Who did you have in mind?”

  “Me.”

  “No.” He stood up and shoved the desk back to the wall. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Samuel, even your father had a partner in your mother. Besides, who’s going to manage the finances and invoicing for your services?” She took his arm. “And who knows, some of your clients may eventually come from respectable Middle District and Beacon Hill residences. And you’ll need someone like me to make them feel more at ease.”

  Samuel shook his head. “No, I won’t risk it. Besides, what will your—”

  “—my father say?” She interrupted him. “He won’t like it, but he’ll agree. Besides, I want to be more than a society wife. I want to be useful.”

  “You don’t understand. I may take on clients from the South Side or Liberty Row. Not exactly people you’d be comfortable with.”

  Elizabeth frowned. “I can learn.”

  “And there’s the possibility that an irate client might show up. Or worse, the person I’m investigating.” Samuel took her hands and held them to his chest. “I’m sorry. I can’t let you do this.”

  She yanked them away, turned on her heel, and walked out.

  ***

  Samuel decided it was best to leave. The day had definitely not turned out like he had planned. As he closed the warehouse door behind him, he thought he heard someone call his name. He stared into the vast darkness of the room. The air shimmered a bit, distorting the walls and ceiling. Samuel was about to go back in when he felt a touch on his arm.

  “Are we going or not?” Elizabeth asked tersely as the touch became a light tug.

  He blinked a few times as a wave of dizziness swept through him. Then it was gone. The shimmer undulated then disappeared. Thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him, he slammed the door and locked it.

  As they drove away in silence, Samuel noticed the four men who had followed them from the house get back into their steam-powered car. They kept a decent distance behind them as they traveled through the narrow streets. He caught a glimpse of brass woven in the cuffs and lapels of their plain black woolen suits. Samuel was pretty sure they were Jonathan’s men ordered to keep an eye on them. It annoyed him at first that his father-in-law didn’t think he could protect his wife, but the Great Houses were vulnerable at certain levels, and kidnapping family members was not unheard of. Samuel decided that the unobtrusive guards took some pressure off of him. He would thank Jonathan for it later. It never hurt to tell one’s father-in-law he was right every once in a while.

  When they arrived back at the house, he noticed an unfamiliar car parked near the front entrance. A chauffer wearing a gold-embossed emblem of an airship on his cap leaned against a new silver Benz Motorwagen while he smoked a cigarette. One of the few cars that had enclosed seating, it was also a rare sight to see such an automobile in Boston. Based on the emblem that the chauffer wore, Samuel surmised a guest from House Tillenghast had arrived.

  “My uncle is here.” Elizabeth sighed.

  “Now he shows up? Why couldn’t he have come to the wedding?” Samuel asked.

  She shrugged. “Be glad he didn’t. Uncle Hal always tends to make a scene.”

  As Samuel stopped the car, one of the underbutlers opened the door for Elizabeth and helped her out while another attended to the driver’s side. Samuel followed Elizabeth inside but was surprised when she headed straight for her father’s study instead of upstairs. When he entered, he saw Jonathan sitting next to the coffee table while a Negro dressed as if he belonged to a Great House poured himself a drink. Slouched in a chair on the other side of the room was a man he assumed was Hal Weldsmore. Though there was a slight resemblance in the eyes and nose, he bore none of the dignity and self-confidence of his younger brother.

  “Elizabeth! You look as lovely as usual. Marriage suits you.” Hal launched himself out of his chair and stumbled over to her. It was clear he was going to manhandle his wife, so Samuel stepped in front of him and extended his hand.

  “I’m Samuel Hunter. Elizabeth’s husband.”

  Hal glanced at Samuel’s proffered hand, shrugged, then shook it with just enough grip to be respectable. Afterward, he fled back to his chair.

  “I’m afraid we have not been introduced,” the Negro interjected as he walked toward Samuel. “I’m Thomas Rochester.”

  “Emmet Rochester’s son!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Father, you never told me you knew him.”

  “We just met, Mrs. Hunter. I’m traveling with your uncle.” Thomas shook Samuel’s hand then took Elizabeth’s and gave her a little bow with his head. “It is a pleasure to meet both of you.”

  With the practiced eye of a detective, Samuel noticed Thomas’s bearing and gait were a little off. His left foot struck the ground ball first instead of heel first, and his upper body leaned in front of his hips. Samuel wondered briefly if the man had broken his back at some point in his life and was wearing some sort of brace but was distracted by how charismatic Thomas was. Elizabeth beamed at his attention. That was very unlike her.

  “Elizabeth, perhaps we should let your father continue on with his meeting,” Samuel remarked a little too sharply.

  “Nonsense,” interjected Hal. “I haven’t seen Elizabeth in ages.”

  His wife gave him an annoyed look. “Samuel, it isn’t every day that you get to meet someone like Thomas Rochester.”

  Every nerve ending of Samuel’s screamed that something of great importance was going on in this room. The sudden appearance of Hal Weldsmore accompanied by the son of one of the most famous Negro men in the country was more than a social call. Thomas’s father had been on the crew that took down the metal-clad airship the Ulric at the start of the House Wars, though he later became a noted airship designer. Samuel vaguely recalled Thomas had followed in his father’s footsteps, but he did not know where he’d ended up—until now.

  “You work for House Tillenghast,” Samuel remarked. “That must be challenging.”

  “That’s a polite way of putting it.” Thomas chuckled. “I understand you were a Pinkerton detective. You must have some interesting stories to tell.”

  “Sometimes a little too interesting,” Samuel deflected.

  Elizabeth patted his arm. “Pinkerton’s loss was our gain. Wasn’t it, Father?”

  “I’m sure you’re tired after your excursion down to the wharf and need to rest, Elizabeth,” Jonathan said off-handedly as he reached over to pour himself more coffee. “Don’t forget you are both attending the Gardners’ salon and dinner tonight. Hal and Thomas will accompany you.”

  Samuel saw his wife’s eyes narrow at the obvious dismissal, but then they brightened up. “Of course. I forgot. We had such a busy day planning our new business venture.”

  Jonathan stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. “What?”

  “Samuel and I have decided to become private investigators,” she announced. “Though truth be told, he’ll be doing the investigating while I handle new business and finances.”

  It was if all the air had been sucked out of the room.

  “Elizabeth, that is not—” Samuel started before he was cut off.

  “Out of the question!” Jonathan roared. “I will not have my daughter gallivanting on the docks.” He turned his venom on Samuel. “How could you agree to this?”

  “I didn’t,” Samuel shot back. “But whether or not she becomes my partner is up to us, not you.”

  The two
men stared each other down.

  “What a wonderful idea.” Hal spoke up, goading his brother. “Women should take a greater role in business. Just like Grandmother.”

  “We will discuss this later,” Jonathan said, lowering his voice in an almost threatening tone.

  “No.” Samuel felt the bile rising in his throat. “There is nothing to discuss. Elizabeth will make an excellent partner. However . . .” He turned and stared at his wife. “Once we have children, she will focus her attention on them.”

  Elizabeth gave him her most charming smile. “Of course.” She waltzed over and took her husband’s arm. “Give us a few days to put together the business plan, Father. I’d love to have your thoughts.”

  “And if it makes you feel better, sir, you can post two of the guardsmen you sent to watch us today at the warehouse on a regular basis,” Samuel offered.

  “Wait? What?” Elizabeth stammered, caught off guard.

  “Come, my dear.” Samuel led her out of the room. “I’m hungry and I’m sure you’d like to get started on our ‘business plan.’”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, I wish you the best of luck on your new endeavor.” Hal raised a small cake in salute. “And if I ever may be of assistance . . .” His voice trailed off.

  “If they need assistance, House Weldsmore will give it to them, brother. Not House Tillenghast,” Jonathan growled at him.

  As Samuel exited the room, he realized that he had just watched Great House politics in play, and his wife had been a master at it.

  ***

  A full five minutes of silence went by before anyone said anything after Samuel and Elizabeth had gone up the stairs to their suite of rooms.

  “Has Alfred Tillenghast gone mad?” Jonathan leveled his gaze at Thomas. “He wants to start another House Wars?”

  The young man shook his head. “Not here. In Europe. I’ve seen the airship orders come in and the new designs. He means to do this.”

  “Which could be misinformation.” Jonathan glared at his brother. “It’s not like we haven’t seen that tactic before.”

  Jonathan referred to their grandmother, Beatrice. A woman known for her ruthless business acumen, she’d used any means necessary to take down her enemies, both real and perceived. Jonathan believed she could easily outmaneuver any Great House today, even Tillenghast.

  “All I know is that Alfred Tillenghast brought me into his study, which is larger than yours by the way, and told me that if you and he formed an alliance, the Great States of America would be unstoppable on the world stage.”

  “That’s a little grand, but possible if House Tillenghast is manipulating the European markets with the intent that it would ripple across the Great States and eventually Asia and South America,” Jonathan remarked. “But they can’t control all the markets.”

  “Nor do they want to,” Hal replied. “They just want enough instability to make the Austria-Germanic Pact and the British nervous enough to beef up their navies, both in the air and on the sea.”

  “And if I join with House Tillenghast to monopolize the sales of both airships and sea-worthy vessels, our Houses would essentially control their ability to make war. And if Europe goes to war, we make more money.” Jonathan frowned. “That would make sense if we were the only ones building ships, but we aren’t.”

  Hal and Thomas gave each other a look.

  Jonathan’s gut twisted in a knot as he realized he was missing a crucial piece of information. “What is it?”

  “We think there is another player who may be tasked with destroying our competition. One that some of the other Houses allied with Tillenghast fought against using, but lost.” Thomas leaned forward and lowered his voice. “We believe House Tillenghast is using demons.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Jonathan retorted. “I can’t accept Tillenghast would believe in such superstitious nonsense.”

  “My mother swore that an abolitionist saved her from one and died for his troubles.” Thomas shrugged. “She may have been an illiterate slave woman, but she wasn’t prone to making up stories. Especially about that time of her life.”

  “Nonsense. Utter nonsense.” Jonathan tapped the table next to him with one finger as he thought. “Besides, Tillenghast and I would have to come to an agreement on who controls what and how much. Not an easy task.”

  Hal’s demeanor shifted from dubious to hopeful. “Then you’ll consider it?”

  “I consider all proposals, Hal. You should understand that by now.” Jonathan studied his brother. “But what do you get out of it?”

  “A seat at the table, little brother.”

  6

  The maid finished putting the final touches on Elizabeth’s hair for the Gardner party. It was twisted up in a chignon with a silver wire fascinator woven to resemble a small bouquet. In the center of each flower sat a tiny emerald. Tonight, Elizabeth wore her long-sleeved steel-blue silk gown and a matching corset with silver wire laced through it in various star patterns. Her ankle boots were made of soft dark-indigo suede. As one of the younger members of the Boston Great Houses, she knew she set fashion trends throughout the northeast. Her influence was an accident of birth, but she enjoyed it and hoped she brought a little more common sense to clothing than previous generations.

  Elizabeth stood up and examined herself in a long mirror while her maid checked the hemline. It would do, but it reminded her she needed more practical clothes for working in Samuel’s new office.

  “Sally?”

  “Yes, miss.” The red-haired girl with an Irish brogue brushed any lint from the back of the dress.

  “Tell Mrs. Owen to make an appointment tomorrow with my dressmaker. After breakfast around eleven will do.”

  “Yes, miss.”

  “Will Tessa be here later to help me undress?”

  “No, miss. Tessa has the evening off. We switched so she could go out with her beau.” Sally looked worried. “You don’t mind?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “Of course not. I’m thrilled to be back in such a well-organized house. You would not believe what we had to put up with on our travels.” She leaned closer to the mirror to check her makeup. “As Samuel would say, you are all professionals.”

  “Because it’s true.” A deep voice declared behind her.

  She turned to see her husband in his new finery.

  Samuel wore a black woolen jacket that came down to his knees with a pair of matching pants and a white cotton shirt. Several threads of copper wire were woven into the cuffs and lapels. It was just enough to make him look presentable in any Great House.

  “If you tell me I resemble your father, I’m getting a divorce.”

  Elizabeth glided across the room and kissed him lightly on the lips. “You are far more handsome than my father.”

  He leaned in for a longer kiss, but Elizabeth stopped him by pulling away. “Thank you, Sally.”

  The maid bobbed a curtsy and exited, shutting the door behind her.

  “Not even in front of the staff?” Samuel asked. “Or are you still pining after Thomas?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s charming, which is a rarity in anyone associated with House Tillenghast.” She poked him in the chest in irritation.

  Samuel threw his arms up in surrender. “Fine. But he’s a little too charming. Unlike your uncle. Now do I get to kiss my wife?”

  “Not in front of the staff,” Elizabeth replied. “They are loyal, but some tend to gossip.”

  “That we’re married and we love each other? Oh, the scandal!” He mocked being horrified, then folded his arms across his chest. “And what will they say about what happened in your father’s study this afternoon?”

  She sighed. “I know. I’m sorry I manipulated you like that, but you were being unreasonable. There is absolutely no good reason why I can’t help you.”

  “How about you have to learn more about running your father’s shipping business. And that takes time.”

  Elizabeth was about to say something she’d re
gret when she remembered that Samuel had not grown up in a Great House—or, in particular, House Weldsmore. “After my mother died, Father used to bring me into his study and let me play with his prototype ships. Being a child, I had a million questions, and he answered all of them. When I was a teenager, I became the lady of the house, and I spent much of my time learning finances and my place in society. Among other things.”

  “Like what?”

  “Keeping secrets,” Elizabeth said, more somber than she intended.

  Samuel cocked his head. “And what might those be?”

  Elizabeth brushed off the question. “I already know a lot about the business.”

  “Then what is this really about?” Samuel asked.

  Elizabeth took his hands. “I want something we build together. And not just children. Is that so wrong?”

  He shook his head. “No, but it makes me wonder why we’re still living here.”

  “Because my father would be lost without me.” She held his hands to her chest. “This way he has time to get used to the fact I will be leaving. He’s a lot more vulnerable than he appears.”

  Samuel frowned. “If that’s true, then let’s hope no one else realizes it.”

  ***

  They arrived at the Gardner mansion behind a row of other steam-powered vehicles. Samuel couldn’t wait to get out of the car they shared with Hal and Thomas. The airship designer wasn’t a problem; in fact, after Samuel got past the man’s ability to charm every woman in the house, he decided he was interesting and a complete gentleman. Hal, on the other hand, stared at Elizabeth the entire time. Samuel felt the urge to punch him, but the repercussions of that were more than he wanted to deal with. And besides, the man wasn’t worth the trouble.

  As per Elizabeth’s instructions, he waited for the Gardner footmen to open the doors, and he made sure he escorted his wife in before Hal and Thomas. Though both men were associated with Great Houses, Elizabeth took precedence since she was the heir to Jonathan’s fortune. Great House protocol was almost as bad as what he’d had to deal with when meeting what he termed “so-called royalty” in Europe. He’d even considered packing two bags and bundling her off to his parents’ warehouse for the duration of their honeymoon. However, in its current state of disrepair it would have been rather uncomfortable.