Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

M rs. Pettigrew walked the trails on her property and finally entered the hedge maze. She found Tugs trimming some branches and stopped to speak to him. “Isn’t it a little early to be cutting things back?”

“I’m just tidying things up a bit.” Snip, snip, snip. He stopped and turned to her. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course, Tugs, anything.” She rolled her shoulders to fend off the chill in the air. She wore a light-blue wool coat and would have to think about getting one for Holly.

“Will you be greatly disappointed to have not made a match by New Year’s Day?” Tugs asked.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Not at all. Miss Turtledove is a special case, but she will be matched.” She studied her soft leather gray gloves trimmed with black fur. “I do believe she’s melting young Mr. Bradshaw’s heart. So long as they’re matched sometime near the beginning of the new year, I’ll be happy. Then I’ll have to start thinking about Valentine’s Day.”

Mr. Tugs smiled. “You were serious then, about trying to make a match for every holiday?”

She lowered her hand and stared at him. “Whatever has gotten into you, Tugs? Why the worry?”

He set the hedge clippers down and adjusted his scarf. She knew gardening soothed him and pondered if there was something else bothering him. “Miss Turtledove will need a good protector. Are you sure Mr. Bradshaw is it?” He stuck his hands in his coat pockets and took in their surroundings. “It wasn’t long ago he was mistreating Chastity.”

She gave him a sage nod. “True, but he’s realized the error of his ways and is making a course correction. I commend him for that. Besides, Holly likes him, and he’s given her no reason not to. I commend him for that as well.”

“So, you’ll continue the match?” Tugs asked.

Mrs. Pettigrew smiled. “Dear Tugs, I’m simply letting nature take its course. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must meet with Mr. Forsythe, the Pinkerton I hired. He’s to report in any time now.” She examined the wall of the hedge Tugs had been trimming. Her gardener, Mr. Bekins, was off for a week-long Christmas holiday spending time with his family. “Carry on, if it suits you. I’ll tell Mrs. Fraser to expect a guest for tea and have her or Abigail serve.”

“Thank you.” He picked the hedge trimmers back up and returned to work.

Once she gave Mrs. Fraser her orders, Adelia went into the drawing room to await the arrival of Mr. Forsythe. He was a handsome young man, but all too serious, and she wondered if he was betrothed. She didn’t think so and might have to ask a few questions during their meeting. Let’s see, would he like a sweet girl that liked living in the city, or perhaps a young woman with an adventurous spirit?

It wasn’t long before the doorbell rang, and Abigail hurried across the grand foyer to answer it. “Good afternoon, sir,” Adelia heard Abigail greet.

A few moments later Abigail entered the drawing room. “A Mr. Forsythe to see ye, Mrs. Pettigrew.”

“Thank you, Abigail. Now check with Mrs. Fraser and see if the tea I told her to make is ready.”

“Aye, ma’am, right away.” Abigail scurried off.

Mrs. Pettigrew studied Mr. Forsythe as he took a seat opposite hers. “Well, sir, what have you to report?”

He looked at the fire across the room and heaved a sigh. “Randall Turtledove was staying at The White Horse Hotel but has been gone for days. Probably moved to another hotel in case his sister ratted him out to the police.”

“No doubt. What else did you discover?”

He sat back in his chair and crossed his legs. His clothes were well kept, not shabby like some Pinkerton’s she’d seen. He was also handsome, with chestnut hair and blue eyes, and a nice broad chest. She noted how tight his jacket sleeves were and the size of his arms. Mr. Forsythe had a muscular build and large hands which she was sure could do some serious damage in a fist fight.

“He’s made a few enemies since his little stunt,” Mr. Forsythe commented. “Seems two of the brothels in the neighborhood aren’t happy he was trying to take their business from them. Talk is, one of the madams paid him a visit, and gave him what for. He then offered her his sister.”

“What?!” Adelia gasped. “How could he do such a thing? He has no idea where she is?”

“True, and also figured she couldn’t have gotten far. How he coerced the madam to help him look is beyond me, but that’s the news from the street.”

Abigail entered with a tea tray and set it down. Once she served them both she disappeared again, and Adelia noted the appreciative look Mr. Forsythe gave her maid.

Adelia cleared her throat. “Well, that’s disturbing news.” She held her cup and saucer tighter than she should and tried to relax. “Is she safe here?”

“Perfectly,” Mr. Forsythe assured. “But if you’d like, I can have some men watch the house.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Do you have any outings planned for the young lady? Perhaps it would be safer if she stayed indoors until we apprehend her brother.”

“She’s not ready to venture out.”

“I hear you have a big skating party on New Year’s. Will she attend?”

“Not now. Besides, it’s still too early for her to be out.”

“Perhaps… when the time is right, she should go out.”

She set her cup in its saucer and put them on the table. “What are you saying?”

“Maybe if her brother caught word of the neighborhood she’s in, he’ll come sniffing around here and we can catch him.”

“I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of catching him wherever he is, once you find him. Didn’t you just tell me he’s probably slinking around some other hotel?”

“Possibly, or the madam he made the bargain with has him stashed somewhere. Word is, his sister is a beauty, and would bring a good price no matter which brothel got a hold of her.”

Adelia turned away. “How barbaric.”

“Yes.” He took a sip of his tea and said nothing more.

“I want Miss Turtledove protected; do you hear me?”

“I understand, Mrs. Pettigrew. We’ll do all we can. But the sooner we apprehend her brother the better. She’ll not be safe until we do. Once he’s behind bars, the madam he’s dealing with will stop searching as well, cut her losses, and move on.”

“One can only hope.” Adelia picked up her teacup and sipped slowly as Mr. Forsythe studied his surroundings.

“Where are you from, originally?” she asked. “You sound like you’re from back east.”

He smiled. “Massachusetts, originally. Though I’ve spent time in New York. I went to university there.”

“Did you now?” she said with interest, happy to no longer be speaking about Randall Turtledove’s heinous crimes. “Is your family still back east?”

“They are. I’ve two younger sisters, and both our parents are still alive.”

“Whatever are you doing here in Denver?”

He grinned. “It’s wilder here.”

Adelia laughed. “Gracious, you’ll be heading west the minute Denver becomes boring.”

He shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that. Denver has enough of an underbelly to keep me busy for years.” He drained the rest of his cup and got to his feet. “Well, if there’s nothing more, I should be on my way. Remember what I said. Keep your guest tucked away for now, but later, if we haven’t apprehended her brother, we may need her to draw him out.”

“I’m not comfortable with that,” she stated and rose from her chair.

“It is my sincere hope, Mrs. Pettigrew, that we will have nabbed Turtledove before then.”

She nodded, crossed the room to the bell pull, and gave it a yank. “I’ll have Abigail fetch your coat and hat.”

“Thank you.” He looked at the tea tray, plucked a scone off the plate, and wrapped it in a napkin. “For later,” he said in explanation.

Abigail entered the room. “Ye rang, ma’am?”

“Yes, Abigail, be so kind as to fetch Mr. Forsythe’s coat and hat.”

Abigail looked at him, blushed, then bobbed a curtesy. “Right away, ma’am.”

Adelia watched Mr. Forsythe with a practiced eye. His were glued to Abigail’s backside as she scurried across the grand foyer to the coat closet. A smile formed on her lips as Abigail returned with the man’s things.

“Here ye are, sir.” Abigail helped him on with his jacket then handed him his hat.

“Thank you…?”

“Abigail,” Adelia volunteered.

“Abigail,” he repeated. “Short for Abbey?”

“Aye, sir.” Abigail’s eyes darted to Mrs. Pettigrew, who continued to watch them both.

He donned his hat. “I’ll let you know if anything comes up.” He touched the brim in farewell then headed for the front door, Abigail scurrying ahead of him to open it.

Adelia watched from the drawing room, saw him tip his hat to Abigail, wish her a good day, and leave. She didn’t want to have to replace Abigail, but if the two began to form any sort of attachment, she wasn’t going to get in the way. Besides, Abigail could still work for her as a maid even if she was married…

“Here she is,” Joseph said as he guided Holly into the drawing room. “We were wondering if we’d find you here.”

“I was just having some tea,” Adelia said. She would tell Joseph what Mr. Forsythe found out but wait to tell Holly. She wore a big smile, even if she did look tired.

Adelia returned to her chair and picked up her cup and saucer. “Joseph, ring for more tea, will you?”

“Of course.” He went to the bell pull and gave it a tug. That done, he joined Holly near the fire.

“Do sit down, dear,” Adelia suggested. “You look tired.”

“I am, but we had such a nice time in the library, I didn’t want to leave.” Holly sat in her chair by the fire.

Adelia watched her a moment, her heart going out to her. How could someone so gentle and sweet be related to such a cad? “Joseph?”

“Yes?” He crossed the room to her. “Can I get you something?”

“Yes,” she said in a low voice. “Some peace of mind.”

He frowned and looked at the tea tray. “You had a visitor.”

“Indeed, I did. We will speak of him later. Right now, I’d like to know if you’re available for my skating party?”

“You, um, didn’t send me an invitation,” he pointed out.

“Not to attend.” She looked across the room at Holly. “But to stand guard.”

He followed her gaze. “Of course. Consider it done.”

She gave him a warm smile. “You don’t mind missing the party?”

His eyes flicked to Holly again. “There are more important things than a social function.”

Her smile grew. “Indeed, there are.”