“I shall press this until we find her,” she promised. “I will find the money to pay you.”
“My fees are modest for a prosperous lady like yourself,” the old man said with a sniff. “There is just one thing I must warn you of.”
“Yes?”
“This could turn out unpleasantly.”
She frowned. “You mean?”
Phineas Pennifeather’s ancient face was gloomy. “You could wind up discovering your sister dead.”
“I can face that better than not knowing where she is or thinking of her living a life of shame and misery.”
“Ah!” he said, tapping the side of his nose. “That is another aspect of it. The sister who left you was in the full bloom of youth and health. The girl we may find will surely not be in that state.”
Becky hadn’t thought of this. She figured Peg would look exactly as she did when she had run off with Alfie Bard. She said, “You are saying she may have become a different person? It is not all that long a time!”
“Life lived as a drab ages one fast,” the private detective said. “Degradation erodes beauty and character. Disease sickens and changes a personality.”
“You frighten me!”
“I cannot be less than truthful with you,” he said. “You may locate your sister and find her with lost beauty and ravaged with some social disease. She might also be a drunkard or an opium addict. Favorite escapes for prostitutes. And under that man’s tutelage she has surely become a prostitute.”
Becky said desperately, “I will not accept that she cannot be saved.”
Phineas Pennifeather sighed. “Yet she has made no attempt to reach you.”
“She might find it difficult. He may be threatening her. Or she may be too ashamed!”
The old man nodded. “I can see that you must find this Peg. You will have no peace until you do.”
“Thank you for understanding,” she said gratefully.
The old man rose to see her on her way. “I hope it will turn out well. But I have to warn you of the other possibilities. I do not wish to bring sorrow to you without at least a warning.”
She stood up. “I want you to begin the search. And I will see you every fortnight to take care of your fee and find out what progress you’ve made.”
“Do not come back until after the holidays,” he advised her. “Neither I nor my agents get much accomplished during that period.”
“So it is likely I shall have to spend still another Christmas without Peg,” she said sadly.
“I would expect so,” the private detective said. “But perhaps next year.”
Becky gave the thin, stooped man a wan smile. “That thought will sustain me.”
And it did. She now went about preparations for Christmas and the New Year blithely. Elizabeth Gregg was away a great deal of the time, as she was planning to hold extra dinners at her mission for the poor in the holiday season. And the prim woman who kept a good deal to herself refused to assist Becky in her preparations for the Christmas party.
The Yuletide spirit did not seem to have any beneficial effect on Becky’s husband. Mark arrived home most nights as irascible as usual. He forever complained about her running of the household and when they made love it was a quick, cold act on Mark’s part. He did not seem to care that she had not so far become pregnant. Or if he did, he made no mention of it.
Occasionally Bart Woods came to call on Mark after hours. At such times she inevitably had to act as hostess. And she was aware of the dark, handsome man’s strong interest in her. His eyes followed her in an almost embarrassing fashion, and though he spoke little with her, he was always polite and quiet.
It was different when he was in duscussion with her husband. She had often heard Mark and the young man quarreling in the library. It was apparent that Bart Woods was gradually taking over more decisions at the shipyard, and Mark was often not in agreement with them.
The night of the party arrived. On Christmas Day Becky presented Mark with a copy of Dickens’ new novel
Great Expectations.
Copies had been at a premium and hard to find, but she had a favorite bookseller who had found one for her. With it she presented him with a fine new gold chain for his watch.
Mark received the gifts with grudging appreciation, murmuring, “I wish my expectations could be called great!” And he presented her with a new shawl imported from India and a fine emerald locket, which opened to show small round cutouts of tintype likenesses of them.
Becky was delighted with her gifts and kissed Mark warmly. They both had gifts for his sister, Elizabeth. She received them casually and then dampened their day by going off to spend the entire day and evening at her mission. Buttoning the heavy coat she wore against the December weather, she informed them, “I find that the mission is my chief interest these days. So I will be happiest there!”
There was a light snowstorm in the afternoon, which made everything very picturesque and clean-looking. Lads came by offering to shovel the steps and sidewalks, and she gave them all coins. The household staff looked after such duties, but she did not wish to turn any of the urchins away. Mark sat in his study reading his book and drinking some fine brandy while she bustled about making the preparations for dinner.
The entire Kerr family appeared at five, with Bart Woods in tow. She could tell by Mark’s cool greeting of the young man that he had not invited nor expected him. Woods looked as handsome as ever in a new dark suit of neat cut. Old Matthew Kerr still puffed as if out of breath all the time, and leaned on his cane until he found the first available chair.
James Kerr saucily kissed her under the mistle-toe in the hall. And Vera and her equally washed-out mother looked more alive than she have ever seen them. Alice Kerr had actually smiled at her when she wished her a Merry Christmas! And Vera was moving about as if she were a desired young beauty rather than a most woebegone, pale miss.
There was an exchange of presents while all sat to admire the Christmas tree with its many lighted candles, which gave a gala air to the parlor.
Mrs. Kerr asked, “But where is Elizabeth?”
“She is spending the day and evening at her mission. They plan to give food to a hundred or more,” Becky said. “She was sorry not to be here.”
“I should think so,” Alice Kerr said with a mean look on her pale face. “This is the first time she’s ever missed.”
Mark looked angry as he said, “Well, this year we appear to have some missing and others present for the first time.” He gave Bart Woods an unfriendly glance.
Anxious to cover up, Becky said quickly, “Yes. This is my first year as mistress of the house.”
Mark glanced at her. “Time to serve the wine,” he ordered.
The servants scurried in and out serving all the various delicacies, then they all sat down to a table groaning with its load of fine foods. Oysters were the first course, followed by turtle soup, and then the great Goose, which had been ordered specially. The feast ended with fruit cake, coffee, and brandy.
The men gathered at the table with cigars while the ladies retired to freshen up. Becky took a moment to congratulate the cook and the other servants below stairs and to give them further instructions. She felt the evening had been a reasonable success, though she worried a little about what would happen before their guests left.
Becky was due for a surprise. When everyone gathered in the parlor again in the soft glow of candles from the Christmas tree, old Matthew Kerr struggled to his feet and, clearing his throat, beamed at the assembled company.
“I have an important announcement to make,” the old man said proudly. “I take great pleasure in announcing the engagement of my daughter, Vera, to a young man of great promise, Bart Woods.”
It was a bombshell for Mark and Becky. There were not at all prepared for the news, though the others seemed to be. Vera demurely went over and allowed a smiling Mark to take her hand in his.
Mark finally said, “This is unexpected and pleasant news.”
“Their marriage will follow shortly,” old Matthew Kerr said happily. “I shall hope to have some grandchildren before I leave this world!”
“Don’t count on me, father!” James said with meaning. And there was some laughter.
“I don’t,” his father told him. “Though I’ve no doubt I have a lot of nameless heirs about the town bestowed on by you on willing ladies.”
Becky said, “We must have a toast to the happy couple!”
Wine was brought and the toast dutifully given. Then Bart and Vera exchanged happy glances and he addressed the room, saying, “As you may guess I’m more than happy to be offered a membership in the Kerr family. It will make my association with the firm all that much stronger.”
“Hear! Hear!” said old Matthew Kerr, who had sat down again. “As my son-in-law, you will have control of Vera’s share of my stock in the firm.”
“Thank you, sir,” Bart Woods said smiling and ignoring Mark’s angry expression. “The firm has been having rough days of late. But I know that is going to change. And as a sign of what is in the wind, I’m happy to announce that the firm headed by Samuel Cunard has invited us to bid on their new iron ship, which will be constructed early in 1863.”
“Good news!” James Kerr said with a roguish look on his young face as he turned to see Mark’s reaction.
Mark’s reaction was immediate and unpleasant. He took a step forward. With his square-face dark with anger, he demanded of Bart, “Have you made a bid on the construction of this iron ship?”
“Yes,” the young man said in a firm voice. “I saw no harm in it.”
Mark said, “We are not set up to build iron vessels.”
“We need to change little,” Bart Woods said. “I can show you.”
“No need,” Mark snapped. “If you should be so unfortunate as to be awarded the contract for building the new Cunard ship, you will have the shameful task of telling them that we cannot handle the project.”
There was an unpleasant moment of silence. Becky felt she must do something. She exclaimed, “No more business! Let us all enjoy the season by joining in singing some Christmas carols!”
Old Matthew Kerr was quick to take her cue, saying, “A fine idea! I still have a good bass voice and I shall enrich the chorus with it!”
James Kerr was prevailed upon to select the carols and lead them and the others. Alice Kerr’s thin soprano soared a trifle off-key while old Matthew’s basso-profundo underlined all the others. James had a fine tenor, Bart was a pleasant baritone, and Vera sang so weakly she could not be heard at all. Becky joined lustily into the fun, but Mark stood back and didn’t even attempt to join in.
When the carol singing became tiresome, their guests elected to leave. Mark joined her at the front door in seeing them out, but he deliberately refrained from speaking to Bart Woods. It was plain the two men were now adversaries.
Becky closed the door after them with a sigh. “How nice to have it all over and the house to ourselves,” she said with a wan smile.
Mark said, “I shall never have that lot in this house again!”
“You and Matthew Kerr are old friends as well as partners,” she pointed out. “You cannot behave in that manner.”
“They can entertain and be entertained by their new member of the family,” he said with sarcasm. “Let us hope his past doesn’t catch up with him, and Vera doesn’t celebrate her wedding with her bridegroom in prison!”
“How can you say that? You brought him into the firm!”
“A step which I now much regret!” Mark said angrily.
“You are hardly showing the Christmas spirit—and we are to be dinner guests of the Kerr’s tomorrow,” she reminded him.
“Not I,” he said harshly. “I shall be indisposed. You and Elizabeth may attend in my absence.”
“They’ll know you’re doing it deliberately; they’ll be insulted,” she told him.
“Let them be. There is no longer any friendship between us!”
“You can’t go on in business with them taking that attitude,” she said.
“While I remain managing director of the firm they will do as I say,” he said grimly. “And I say we will have no part of iron ships. I’d rather close down the yard.”
“Perhaps they are right,” she said. “Almost everyone else I talk with believes in iron ships.”
“Madam, I do not wish to hear more from you,” Mark said coldly.
“You make me feel as if our first Christmas together has been a disaster,” she said unhappily.
“You must admit it was!”
“Mark, I was not to blame. You make me feel as if you do not care for me or my feelings. I tried very hard.”
“Im sure you did,” he said coldly. “And I saw you and young James Kerr kissing fervently under the mistletoe.”
She gasped. “That’s merely a custom.”
“You took good care to place yourself there at the right moment,” Mark said. “It was not lost on me!”
She said impatiently, “You’re hopeless!”
“I begin to sense that, madam,” her husband said in a cutting tone. “I shall now proceed to my study to drink.”
She stood wistfully among the Christmas decorations, not too surprised that this festive night had ended badly, as had most of the nights since their marriage.
Early in January James Kerr left for America. Becky was relieved to see him go, since Mark had become so ridiculously jealous of the young man. She had been careful not to see him along again after that day they had lunched together, but this made no difference to her suspicious husband. She hoped that with James gone, the tension between them would ease.
Actually, it didn’t. It became so noticeable that one morning before she left for work at the mission, his sister, Elizabeth, took time to sit with Becky in the parlor of the house and complain of the disintegration of her brother.
“You must realize that Mark is drinking far too much for his own good,” Elizabeth said severely.
“I’m only too well aware of it.”
“Surely you can do something about it.”
“I have tried, but in vain,” Becky told her. “He appears to want to destroy himself.”
“He did not show this trait before his marriage to you,” Elizabeth said as she sat with her thin lips compressed tightly.
Becky checked her urge to be angry and said, “I do not think that is true. I first met him when he was on a drunken binge. I understand he took such flings occasionally. Now he has become a steady drinker.”