Tangled Betrayals (20 page)

Chapter
Forty-Four

Parker Plantation  

James
was busy between his horses, crops and helping out his father, as needed, with the shipping company. He knew his father had been concerned something might happen to him before he’d have the final arrangements made for the sale of his company to Charles Pierce, Edward’s nephew.

He’d
been meeting with his father every few weeks so he could keep him posted on what still needed to be done to complete the sale of his company if for some reason he took ill or worse.

James
was aware he disappointed his father when he showed no interest in taking over the reins of Parker Shipping. Yet, it was a sad circumstance none of the Parker men were going to stay and run the business, started by their grandfather in America, and his father before him in England.

He
was pleased Edward Pierce’s nephew had made an offer to buy his father out as long as Clayton would stay on at least a year to teach him the ropes. This would give his father some time to adjust to being retired.

With
Edward Pierce financially backing his nephew, his father didn’t have to worry about losing the shipping company for lack of funds in case some catastrophic event occurred. One could easily be put in jeopardy starting out in the shipping business if they lost a ship either by weather or pirates. Edward had plenty of money to replace several ships, if the need should arise.

It was common knowledge that
Charles Pierce was a fine young man who seemed to have a good head for business. He was already talking about expanding their trade to even more countries once he took total control. He’d requested to keep the name as Parker Shipping, since that was the name known to many of their established traders, a name known to be a very respectable company. That would give stability to Charles Pierce to possible keep the merchants Clayton had already been established with.

James
and his father liked and respected Charles Pierce. He was not only smart; his personality was one that allowed him to gain many friends, of all ages. Charles reminded James of Thomas. They both had a good head for business and they were men who had an easy manner about them, yet hard workers. He felt certain Charles would allow Parker Shipping to remain a top name among those they traded with for many years to come.

He’d
agreed to come to Baltimore to meet with his father not only for the sale of the shipping company but because he’d wanted his opinion on the acts of vandalism that had been happening more frequently at the docks. He’d told James a fresh pair of eyes might see something he and others had missed.

James learned
that several ship owners found they couldn’t match the goods delivered to their ledgers. His father and a few other ship owners had tried to discovery who was responsible for the missing cargo, but to no avail. Stealing was always a problem on the docks, but these particular thefts didn’t amount to a large amount of money until the last couple of months. Normally they would have discovered the culprit involved in a short amount of time. So far, no one had a clue who was taking their goods, exactly how much was taken, or why. But, the strangest thing about the thefts and vandalism seemed to be, none involved The Parker Shipping Company.

No one was blaming Clayton, yet. But one had to wonder why
his was the only company that didn’t have problems.

Clayton
informed James they were also trying to figure out if the thefts and the arson were related. So far not much damage had occurred. Fortunately, for Parker Shipping, none of the ships or dock slips involved their company. Was it possible the arsonist and the thief were one and the same? And why had Parker shipping been left alone?

Chapter Forty-
Five

For the past several months,
Henry Adler had befriended an orphan named Alfred who had been hanging around the docks on the chance someone might hire him to run an errand, or even better, hire him for a few hours work. Many times he’d be given free food out of sympathy by the dock workers, who knew of his plight of being homeless, in exchange for an errand being run or a message delivered.

Henry
knew Alfred would be perfect for snooping around to gather information. He found Alfred some decent clothes and made sure he began to eat on a regular basis. He needed Alfred to keep his eyes and ears open for any news of either Clayton or James Parker, coming to the docks.

This
particular day, Henry got the news he’d long waited for. Alfred said word had it that Clayton and James Parker would be coming to the dock to meet with the captain of
The Emerald,
on this coming Friday. They were personally going to oversee the unloading of the cargo in hopes to catch those stealing and causing the problems on the docks.

Since this was only Tuesday,
Henry had time to put his plan in place. He had to be sure Chester would be ready at a moment’s notice on Friday, for his murderous plot to work. Even though Henry tried to start rumors that the person or persons involved with the treachery had to work for Parker Shipping, no one took the bait.

The plan was for
Chester to rent a carriage for early Friday morning. He was to remain parked on the street leading to the docks until he saw Henry talking with Clayton and James Parker. Henry’s plan was to intercept the Parker men before they went on board
The
Emerald
.

He
would signal Chester when the time was right to put their plan into motion by pulling out a white handkerchief and wiping his brow. Once Chester got the horses close enough; Henry would shove James in front of the horse’s hooves. The timing would have to be perfect, but if all went well, this would be the end of Parker.

Henry smiled at the thought of what was to come. “
What a shame,” they’ll say, poor James Parker, accidently killed by a team of run-a-way horses. Henry had no doubt that the crowd would gather by the dead body to see who’d had the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. No one would be looking at the carriage that raced away, or for the driver who foolishly couldn’t control the horses, at least not at first. Instead, they’d be stunned at who was killed by such a terrible accident. It would shock all of Baltimore.

Then
, while everyone was busy wondering how it happened, Chester would be busy helping Henry steal a chest of gold from the Harrison Shipping Company that they’d discovered earlier when they’d unloaded some cargo. Once that was accomplished, they’d hide the carriage in the alley closest to the end of the dock. There was enough gold to last them the rest of their lives.

So far, n
o one had noticed Henry and Chester scouting out the ships as they went below to help bring out cargo. They’d been lucky enough to find the cache of gold hidden in a corner of the hold covered by ropes and old rigging. Whether it belonged to the captain or to the owner of the ship, Henry didn’t know. For whatever reason, it was kept hidden.

Even though
Henry knew he and Chester could live a life of comfort till their dying days, that wouldn’t satisfy the need for his revenge against those who betrayed him. His whole existence was now founded on the demise of Parker, Thomas and Mary. They must pay for their sins and pay they would.

Henry
knew Chester had no feelings of remorse for his treacherous behavior. He’d surmised early on that Chester wasn’t right in the head and was relieved he wasn’t like Chester, without feelings. He did feel remorse, because he’d nearly fallen apart when he lost his beloved, Jane. No, he wasn’t like Chester at all. Besides, any life he took was because they were people who’d done him wrong. They’d deserved their fate. Chester killed for the mere pleasure of it. That alone assured Henry there was a big difference in their make-up. He never killed for pleasure alone.

He
nry was smug with satisfaction on his excellent ability to plan a murder. America was truly a land full of opportunity he’d not expected or counted on. Truly, no one was more of a genius than the great, Henry Ball.

He
headed for his favorite pub to go over his plan once again with Chester. Their timing must be perfect. A couple of drinks were needed to celebrate his upcoming victory. Soon, he would only have Thomas and Mary to finish off.

Chapter
Forty-Six

Baltimore

After
James left for his meeting with his father, Susannah waited a short time and then she left to meet with Dr. Morris, also in Baltimore. She’d not wanted to worry James, but the persistent cough she’d dealt with for the last few weeks, gave her an uneasy feeling. She’d arranged for the children to stay with the neighbors.

She was re
lieved there were not many people in the waiting room when she arrived at the Doctor’s office. The fewer people who saw her there, the less likely James would find out about her visit. As she waited her turn, Susannah watched as a little boy with a head full of red curly hair exited from his visit with Dr. Morris. He looked to be about the age of four and was carrying a lollipop in his slightly grubby hand. Susannah noticed he’d been crying and saw he had a bandage on his leg. She listened as Dr. Morris was explaining to his mother that she needed to clean the wound and change the bandage daily. Dr. Morris smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair as he suggested he might be more careful the next time he was climbing trees. The little boy only nodded as he continued to lick his lollipop.

When Dr. Morris saw Susannah
, he frowned, and then motioned for her to come into his office next. As Susannah entered the room, she couldn’t help but notice the strong smell of antiseptic.

“Have a seat, Susannah,” Dr. Morris
said kindly and concerned as he sat behind his desk.

“Thank you for taking me right away. I know
you took me before it was my turn.” Susannah spoke as she took the seat across from Dr. Morris and tried to blink back the tears that were now falling non-stop. “I’m so grateful you did.”

“
I knew your visit must be important, for you to come without an appointment. What on earth is happening, Susannah, for you to visit me alone and so upset? I’ve known you since you were a young girl, and I’ve never seen you under such duress.”

“Dr. Morris, I
’ve not been feeling well for some time. No matter how much sleep I have, I can’t seem to right myself. I’m not only extremely tired, I can’t get rid of this cough I’ve had for several weeks.

“James
and the others have asked me several times about my cough, but I’ve managed to deceive them by saying it’s not as bad as it sounds. Yet, I know in my heart, that I’m getting sicker as each week passes. Sometimes, I think I might have a slight temperature. Then a couple of days ago, I coughed up some pink mucus. My mother’s sister had these very same symptoms and she died of consumption, and I fear, I’ve the same ailment.

“I was hoping you might be able to
find another diagnosis. One that would allow me to realize I’ve been worried for no reason. Hopefully, you’ll be able to give me something to cure me of this cough, and alleviate my fears.” Susannah dabbed her tears with her lace hanky and then went into a terrible coughing spell.

Dr. Morris saw the fear in Susannah’s eyes. He knew she
’d already accepted the illness he was sure she was carrying, and he knew she was hoping, as anyone would, that he’d find another illness that mimicked consumption. If only he had that power.

Dr. Morris stood and ran his hand through his silver hair. He walked over and sat on the edge of his desk
as he carefully held onto Susannah’s hands. He’d treated the Webb family for nearly twenty years. He wanted to tell her this wasn’t serious, but they both knew differently.

“Let me listen to your lungs
, and then I might be able to diagnose what ails you.” Dr. Morris tried hard not to change his expression as he listened to the terrible congestion in Susannah’s lungs. He knew he had to be direct; Susannah wasn’t one to be fooled by untrue words.

“Susannah,
I’m sorry to tell you this and I think you already know the words I must say, I believe you do have consumption after hearing the racket in your lungs and by everything you’ve told me. Now, the only question is what can be done?  First, I need to know if you’ve confided to anyone about your fears.”

“No, I
wanted to speak to you first. I knew in my heart I was being foolish searching for another outcome. Inside me, I’ve known the truth. Now, I need to find out how much time you think I might have. I can’t keep this hidden much longer.

“
This news will devastate, James. The children are still young and they’ll have lots of love to see them through, but James, he’ll be angry that he can’t control the outcome of my fate. He has always had the ability to make things right so many times. I fear this is one battle I’m must face alone.”

“Susannah, first off,
when you arrive back home you’ll have to have help with running your household and the children. You’re right about not hiding your illness much longer. I can’t believe you’ve been able to fool everyone for this long. Let me listen to your lungs once again, so I can make a determination as to how far this has progressed.”

Dr. Morris fought his own emotions as he listened to Susannah’s lungs. There was no mistak
ing the sound of consumption.

“You must tell James and your family immediately
about this visit. How you’ve managed to come this far with your secret is beyond me. I’m so sorry, Susannah. As you know, this will not be easy on you or your family. I can give you some syrup that might ease your cough, some. However, you’ll only continue to get worse as the weeks go on. I don’t want you coming to town alone. You’re not outright contagious, but you should be very careful being around others who might carry an illness that could be fatal to you. Would you like me to tell your folks?”

“Actually, I was planning on stopping at their place on my way home. I thought I
’d tell them first. James is out of town for a few days, but I’ll share this news the minute he returns. I know mother will come home with me and stay as long as necessary.

“You know, my father would say you must live with the hand God dealt you, and that
’s exactly what I plan to do. I shall live each day I have left to the fullest.”

Dr. Morris nodded
in agreement. “Susannah, you’re one of the strongest women I know. If and when the time comes, and you can no longer travel, I’ll gladly come to see you. In the mean time, get plenty of rest. You need to return in another week so I can check on your condition.”

“I
’m truly sorry I broke down. I’d wanted to stay strong. Do you have any estimate of how much time is left?”

Dr. Morris took a long time to reply. He was looking deep into her eyes and wondering how she
’d handle the news that she was looking at a few months, at best.

“Well, we
’re never sure of the answer, for every case is different. I’d say you have a year at best. But Susannah, I fear the real truth is you’ll have less than a year before the consumption takes you.”

Susannah nodded but looked away. She
’d known the answer before he said the words. She had felt her body losing strength daily. She again was trying to blink back her tears.

“Thank you for your honesty.
I’ll try to be brave through this. I don’t want the children or James to ever think of me as weak.”

“Susannah, no one would ever say a Webb was weak. Never.”

As Susannah arose from her chair, Dr. Morris walked her to the door and gave her a fatherly hug. “Send for me anytime, Susannah, and I shall plan to see you next week.”

Dr. Morris watched as Susannah left
. She never looked back. Her death would not be easy. This news would certainly devastate the entire Webb family. He nodded to the next patient to come into his office. He prayed he didn’t have to deliver any more terrible news this day. He hadn’t had a case of consumption for some time and wished it hadn’t hit the Webb family.

*****

Susannah
was relieved when she saw no one she knew on the street as she left the Doctor’s office. She did her crying on her way to her parent’s home. She knew how much this news would hurt them and James. But it was Anna who she had the most concern for. They were as close as two sisters could be. She knew Anna would have great difficulty accepting her fate.

In many ways
her death would be easiest for her. Once she was gone, she’d no longer be in pain. Yet, the rest of the family would have to live every day with their memories.

Once again,
Susannah had a terrible coughing spell and spit up the pink tinge mucus she was now accustomed to seeing. She’d been right to see Dr. Morris today. In a few minutes, she was about to tell the secret that would affect all those she loved.