The Brickmaker's Bride (21 page)

Ewan could only imagine how much training his uncle had given the new man he’d hired. If they completed setting the final arch this afternoon, Ewan would stay at the yard to watch and make certain the new hire understood how to start proper fires in the arches.

For the remainder of the day, Ewan’s mind was in a whir. He spent more time than usual in the yard, mostly overseeing the mechanic who was charged with taking apart the VerValen to see if it could be cleaned and put back together without a need for any new parts. From the man’s dour face, Ewan held out little hope the machine would be back in operation anytime soon. The one bright spot of the day occurred late in the afternoon when one of the setters ran across the yard and, with hair matted to his head and perspiration beaded on his forehead, panted news that the arches were ready to fire.

“Signal me when the new burner gets here, and I’ll come over to watch him set the fires.”

The man swiped the perspiration from his face and gestured toward the kiln. “He got here ’bout five minutes ago, but I told him not to do nothing till I let you know we was ready.”

After instructing the mechanic to keep working, Ewan strode
alongside the setter and into the kiln. He looked at the setter. “Did you make sure there’s no mistakes in the setup? We can’t afford any more problems.”

“It’s good, Mr. McKay. We should get a good burn with all fifteen arches.” He nodded to the other side of the kiln. “That’s Rudy Banks over there, the new burner.”

After thanking the setter, Ewan strode across the width of the kiln and introduced himself to the new employee. “I’m Ewan McKay. My uncle informed me this morning that he’d hired and trained you as a burner. Have you had any experience before coming to work for us?” Ewan hoped so, for his uncle’s experience as a burner was limited, and Ewan doubted his uncle had given the new man much training.

“Rudy Banks.” The man extended his hand. “The foreman said the arches are ready, so I thought I’d go ahead and set the fires, unless you wanted to check ’em again.”

Ewan shook his head. “Nay. I don’t plan to check them any further. Why don’t you show me how you plan to start your burn.”

Ewan didn’t miss the fact that Rudy hadn’t answered his question about previous experience, and that bothered him a great deal.

Rudy gestured toward one of the arches. “I’ll start with this arch first. Your uncle said to set a fire in the mouth of each arch.” He grinned as though that bit of knowledge alone should be enough to convince Ewan that he knew what he was doing.

“Aye.” Ewan nodded. “You go ahead and I’ll watch.”

The fellow had more confidence than experience, and Ewan had to stop him several times when he started to set the fire downwind rather than on the windward side of the kiln. “You need to always start the fire on the windward side so the smoke will blow through the arches.” Ewan pointed to the other side
of the arch. “You need to start another fire there so the two fires build slowly and meet in the middle. Did my uncle tell you that?”

“He did say I needed to set one on each side.”

The man didn’t add that he remembered he was supposed to set another fire, and Ewan had his doubts the man remembered much of whatever Uncle Hugh had told him. Or maybe Uncle Hugh had gone through the steps so quickly the man couldn’t remember. But having an inexperienced burner begin without overseeing him for the first few times was asking for trouble.

“It will take between forty and sixty hours for the fires to cross the arches and meet. The steam needs to escape evenly around the top.” Ewan continued alongside the man as he set each fire.

“Ewan!” Martin O’Donnell, an experienced burner, ran toward the kiln. “Sorry I’m late, Ewan. My wife’s sick and with all the wee ones at home ’twas hard to get away.”

“I’m glad you made it. This is Rudy Banks. My uncle hired him, but he doesn’t have much experience as a burner, so you’ll need to help him. He needs to learn how to watch the burn and how to increase or ease up the steam.” Ewan turned his attention back to Rudy. “Once the fires are increased enough that the steam becomes a bluish-black color, the kiln will be hot, but it takes a lot of hours before that will happen.”

Martin rolled up his shirtsleeves. “We want to get the kiln hot, but it’s important to increase the heat gradually, so that means you need to watch the fires and the steam to make sure the kiln isn’t heating too fast. Elsewise, the bricks will stick together, run, or get twisted out of shape and cracked, and we’ll end up with lots of bricks that can’t be shipped to fill our contracts.”

Ewan gave a firm nod. “And it also means you will have an unhappy boss.”

Martin turned back toward Rudy. “Once the kiln is hot, the burning will take about six days, and then all the doors must
remain sealed to prevent any air from getting in. The kiln has to cool for several days. After that, the bricks are approved and loaded onto the barges.”

Ewan stayed with the men while Martin continued to explain the process to Rudy. If Uncle Hugh had trained Rudy, he’d done a poor job, for Rudy didn’t seem to know what would be expected of him.

“I’m not so sure I like the amount of work that goes along with this job. Don’t you have something that doesn’t need so much attention?”

“You can speak to my uncle. Since he hired you, he’s the one you need to talk with about a change. He should be back in the morning. In the meantime, you need to continue helping Martin set the fires.”

Ewan strode away from the kiln and back to the office. He wouldn’t wait for Rudy to speak with his uncle. Once he got back home tonight, he’d tell Uncle Hugh the man wasn’t suited to be a burner. They could use additional setters, but Ewan doubted Rudy was a man who would be careful even with that task. Perhaps he could be a wheeler, but he’d best be ready for a cut in pay. A man pushing a barrow of bricks couldn’t expect the same wages as a burner, and Rudy should realize as much after witnessing the process.

S
ince the Crotherses’ move to the area, Ewan’s aunt had met with little success of being accepted by the wealthy families of Bartlett. For more than a month, she’d been struggling to orchestrate a housewarming at Crothers Mansion. As the date for the party arrived, she’d made it clear they were all to be on their best behavior, for she expected the event would not only hail her as an excellent hostess, but gain her a foothold among the genteel members of society. Other than from the Woodfields, invitations to social events in the area hadn’t been forthcoming. A fact that increasingly distressed her.

Although his aunt and uncle were still in the throes of moving to their new house, Uncle Hugh had been unable to convince his wife to wait another two weeks before hosting the party. Aunt Margaret had rebuffed his advice, but when she finally accepted the fact that she couldn’t accomplish both the party and moving, she’d called a halt to the move and proceeded with plans for the party at the new house.

Ewan would be pleased when his aunt and uncle were finally into their new home. He’d tired of the grumbling that steadily increased with each passing day. He looked up from his breakfast
as Uncle Hugh entered the dining room with a scowl on his face. “Half my clothes are in one house and half in the other. One day I may walk into this dining room wearing a shirt and no trousers.”

“Hugh Crothers, that’s no way to talk. There are young ladies at the table.” Aunt Margaret’s brows knit into a frown that matched her husband’s scowl.

“I see there are young ladies at the table, but that doesn’t change the fact that my clothes are spread between two houses and I can never find what I need. When are we finally going to be moved?”

The couple continued their bickering throughout breakfast while Ewan, his sisters, and Kathleen remained silent, their focus upon their eggs, rashers, and boxty. Uncle Hugh and Aunt Margaret loved nothing more than to convince another family member to take their side during an argument. But Ewan, his sisters, and Kathleen had learned to avoid being drawn into the fracas.

The couple was stopped short when someone pounded on the front door and Melva ran down the hallway to answer.

“Who could be calling at this hour of the morning?” Aunt Margaret’s lips pursed into a knot of irritation. “With the party tonight, I have too much to accomplish today for any unexpected interruptions.”

Melva scurried into the dining room. “One of the workers from the brickyard is on the porch, Mr. Ewan. He says you’re to come quick. There’s trouble at the yard.”

Ewan jumped to his feet and his uncle followed close on his heels. Martin was wringing his cap between his hands and looked up as soon as Ewan arrived at the door.

“We got two full kilns of ruined bricks.” Martin’s face was ashen. No doubt he’d not wanted to be the one to deliver the bad news.

His uncle pushed in front of Ewan and grasped Martin by the front of his shirt. “How’s that possible? Are you the burner responsible?”

Martin’s eyes shone with fear as he shook his head. “No, sir. It wasn’t me.”

“Let loose of him, Uncle Hugh. He won’t be able to tell us anything if you scare him out of his wits.” Ewan nodded to Martin. “Tell me what happened.”

“It was that Rudy fellow you hired, Mr. Hugh. I’ve been working to get him trained proper. He said he understood he had to keep a watch on the fires, and I stayed with him when we did three burns in other kilns, but he was alone last night after we set the fires. Guess he decided he could drink whiskey and still keep a watch on the fires. I don’t know how much he had to drink, but he was still sleeping it off when I got to work this morning, and the fires were burning way too hot.”

Ewan dropped into one of the chairs on the front porch. “We won’t meet our quota for the row houses in Allegheny City, which means we won’t get our money on time to meet the bank payment.”

“No need to be takin’ on the fear of doomsday. We’ll get down there and take a look about. It can’t be as bad as all that.”

Anger swelled in Ewan’s chest as he jumped up and stood looking down into his uncle’s eyes. “What did I tell you the day you hired Rudy?” Ewan clenched his jaw until it ached.

“I know you did not think he was worth his salt, but I thought he was smart enough. If you thought he was so bad, you coulda fired him yourself.”

Ewan’s chest felt as though it would explode. “I’m not going to stay here and argue, but you may recall that when I said I was going to fire him, you told me I had no right because you were the owner and you hired him.”

Hugh tugged on his mustache. “Seems I do remember saying something like that, but I didn’t figure you’d listen.”

Ewan gestured to Martin. “Come on. Let’s get back down there and take a look.”

Before they’d stepped off the porch, Margaret came to the door. “Don’t you leave and go to that brickyard, Hugh. I need your help getting ready for the party.”

Ewan gave a dismissive wave. “Right you are, Aunt Margaret. Your party’s more important than two kilns of ruined bricks.”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into Ewan. He used to be courteous and well mannered back in Ireland. Now that he’s running the brickyard, he’s as brash as an Irish fishmonger.”

His aunt’s words carried on the breeze, but Ewan didn’t turn to respond. Keeping Uncle Hugh away from the brickyard was probably best. He’d only spend his time attempting to justify the fact that he’d hired Rudy. For the life of him, Ewan didn’t understand why he’d not fired the man. Though he’d expected Rudy to be gone when they arrived, he was sitting near one of the kilns, his knees drawn close to his chest.

He looked up at Ewan with bloodshot eyes. “I’m real sorry, Mr. McKay. I get the shakes if I don’t have me some whiskey every day. I needed a drink real bad. Guess I had a few too many, ’cause I fell asleep. Next thing I knew, Martin was yelling at me and it was morning.”

“Do you have any idea what you’ve cost me because you got drunk and passed out? If you knew you couldn’t make it through the night without drinking, why didn’t you tell someone? Anything would have been better than allowing two kilns of ruined bricks. Do you understand what you’ve cost us?”

Rudy remained silent, staring at the ground. There was nothing more Ewan could say, nothing that would change the horrid
circumstances. An invisible band cinched around his chest and threatened to cut off his breath as he appraised the situation.

“I told Mr. Crothers I wouldn’t be good for this work, but he said burners made more money than any of the others in the yard, and I could pay him back faster.”

The man’s words startled Ewan and he stopped short. “You owe my uncle money?”

Rudy nodded. “We got into some gambling, and I owed him more than I could pay. He said I could come to work and pay him out of the wages I earned here.”

Hiring Rudy to pay off a gambling debt might have made some sort of sense to his uncle, but his uncle’s ridiculous decision might cause them to default on their note at the bank. There simply was no end to Uncle Hugh’s poor judgment.

After telling Rudy he’d have to find some other way to pay his debt to Hugh, Ewan gave the men instructions to let the kilns cool until the ruined bricks could be removed and new arches set. As soon as he’d given the men their orders, he raced back up the hill, mounted his horse, and rode for home.

He was surprised when he caught sight of his aunt’s carriage and Uncle Hugh’s saddled horse outside the house. He’d expected his uncle to immediately depart for the mansion in order to avoid a confrontation before this evening’s festivities. Perhaps he thought Ewan would remain at the brickyard much longer.

With a slight kick of his heels, Ewan urged his horse onward. Only moments later, he spotted Rose and the twins sitting on the front porch. Ainslee waved and called to him as he dismounted.

“You girls enjoying your morning?” He attempted a smile but failed.

Ainslee shook her head. “Not so much. We’re waiting for Aunt Margaret. She said she needs our help getting ready for
the party at the other house. I wish we could stay here and read instead. I don’t know how to fix things for a party.”

The words had barely escaped his sister’s lips when their aunt stepped onto the porch and locked gazes with Ewan. “I need your uncle’s help. Don’t detain him with talk of the brickyard.” Her sweeping gesture brought all three girls to their feet. “Get into the carriage, girls. We have much to do before this evening’s party.” She sent a warning look in Ewan’s direction. “Don’t forget what I’ve said: I need Hugh’s help. And if you’re not doing anything, you can come and help, as well.”

A rush of anger swelled in Ewan’s chest. How could she possibly even think he had time to assist with party preparations when they’d just lost two kilns of bricks? Adaira peeked around the side of the carriage, a reminder he needed to keep his temper in check. “I believe the problem at the brickyard will require my time and attention, Aunt Margaret, and I believe Uncle Hugh will feel the same once he hears my report.”

She tightened her lips into a thin line. “Do not detain him, Ewan. This party means a great deal to me.”

He longed to tell her the brickyard should mean much more than the party, since that was where she’d gained the funds to pay for her gala. And if they didn’t set things aright with the bank, there would be no more parties, and she’d possibly lose her mansion. However, to say such things at the moment would only cause anger and mayhem. Besides, Aunt Margaret wouldn’t believe him. She thought they had more money than she could ever spend.

“I’ll talk as quickly as my tongue will permit, Aunt Margaret.”

When she pursed her lips and gave a tiny shake of her head, he knew she’d heard the sarcasm in his voice. Thankfully, she didn’t offer a retort. He silently chastised himself for the childish behavior, for it would serve no good purpose. He marched
up the front steps and crossed the threshold as his uncle was descending the staircase.

His uncle stopped midway down the steps. “I didn’t expect you back so soon. I hope Martin didn’t know what he was talking about. I cannot believe we lost two full kilns.”

“I’m afraid you’ll need to believe every word of what Martin said. Both kilns burned far too hot all through the night, thanks to your friend Rudy Banks.”

His uncle’s face turned ashen. “Now, don’t be makin’ this my fault. There may be some truth to the fact that I didn’t train him well, but you had Martin working with him. If anyone beyond Rudy’s to blame, it’s Martin.”

“How can you foist the blame on someone else? I told you the man needed to be fired, and when you wouldn’t do it, I begged you to assign him to some other job.” Ewan pointed his finger at his uncle. “You refused to do that, as well, and today I discovered why. Rudy told me about the gambling debt he owes you and how you figured he’d pay you back by working as a burner.”

Hugh’s knuckles turned white as he tightened his hold on the banister. “I was trying to help the man. He has a family to feed, and I thought—”

“You thought you’d get your money out of him one way or the other. Your plan made no sense at all.” Ewan tapped his finger to the side of his head. “Did you ever stop to think he was paying you back with your own money?”

“I’m not a fool, Ewan. I know the pay Rudy received was my money, but he had to work for it. He had no job, and there was no other way to show him that a man has to pay his debts.” Hugh finally descended the remainder of the steps.

“That’s very true, a man does have to pay his debts. Right now, I’m wonderin’ how we’re going to pay our debt at the bank. Maybe you need to be thinking on that for a while, for we won’t
be receiving our money from the contractor in Allegheny City until he has the bricks he’s been promised, and we can’t get two more kilns shipped before the money’s due.”

His uncle stepped around him. “You worry too much, Ewan. You forget there’s a party this evening. The president of the bank will be attending, and I’ll talk with him. Once Frank knows the money will be coming his way in a month or so, he’ll be fine.” His uncle gestured toward the door. “Now, I need to get over to the mansion, or Margaret will have my hide.”

Ewan didn’t believe a few words to the bank president would solve their problem. Frank Swinnen had to answer to a board of directors, who would likely jump at the opportunity to seize the brickyard. “And are you remembering that the contract you signed permits a seizure if we’re ten days late with our payment?”

His uncle patted his shoulder. “I’m thinking you were born under a worrying star, Ewan. Seems you’re not happy unless you’ve got something to fret about.”

The condescending comment further irritated Ewan. How could his uncle remain so unconcerned? “You’re not even going to come down to the yard and take a look for yourself?”

“Going down there will not change anything. Besides, ’tis your Aunt Margaret who’s in need of my help. You take care of the brickyard, and I’ll take care of straightening things out with the bank.”

His uncle walked out the front door with a wave and a jaunt to his step that left Ewan speechless.

Could this be retribution for his uncle’s offense with Lyall Montclair back in Ireland?