Читать книгу Questions of Honour - Kate Welsh - Страница 8

Joshua stopped on the boardwalk outside the shed to talk to the miners and laborers milling about on the snowy ground. Their faces were blackened with coal dust. Their hands buried deep in their pockets. “Some of you may recognize me,” he began. “But for those who don’t, I’m Joshua Wheaton. I’ve returned to Wheatonburg to take over my father’s mining operations. The first thing I did was close down the River Fall shaft until it’s brought up to government standard.”

“And what are we supposed to be eating on until then?” a voice shouted.

“You’ll be paid an hourly wage to equal your best week during the last quarter. I’ll expect each man to work to his full ability. I see no reason why we can’t have River Fall in operation by the New Year. The furnace will be replaced by a top of the shaft ventilation fan. We’ll replace a good portion of the timbers, clean out the gob from the crushed-down breasts, add more brattles and construct safety doors to get the air currents moving. I’d also like to implement a better system for pumping the water out of the mine.” Joshua glanced down ruefully at his soaked trouser cuffs and boots. “Easy to see why it’s called River Fall.”

Several of the men laughed, giving Josh hope that he might be able to come to a pleasant accord with them.

“Ve all get paid the same?” a man with a German accent called out.

“This is not specialty work. If you object, you needn’t work. I’m sure Prescott would issue you credit but that would increase your debt.”

“It sounds like a fair shake,” another man shouted. “I say we go along. We lose nothing and even gain since no one can dig as much in winter as summer.”

“It’s fools you are to believe the word of a Wheaton. The same old Biddle fans sit where they’ve put in topside ventilation. How’s he going to be getting Harlan Wheaton to go along with buying new fans?”

Joshua scanned the crowd looking for the familiar face that went with the voice. It had matured but Brendan Kane’s Americanized Irish brogue was still easily recognizable. Josh fought to hide his hurt. Brendan was the best friend he’d ever had. First Abby, then the people he’d met in town and now Brendan. He didn’t understand.

“I don’t know what’s been happening around here, Brendan. But I’m now solely in charge of the mines. I’ll get the fans. In fact, Helmut, wire Bannans in Pottsville. Tell them to send the two Gribal fans I had them hold for me.”

The men murmured amongst themselves for several minutes before Joshua drew their attention. “So what do you say? Will you give me a chance to turn things around?”

“What about the men in the other shafts?” one man shouted. “My son and brother are working Destiny and my cousin’s at Lilybet.”

“I’ll personally inspect them, too. If we have to halt production there it will be done in the same way. Digging on the new tunnel will be stopped until the rest are brought up to European standards. Those who want to work on the cleanup show up here at your regular time tomorrow. You have the rest of the day off with pay.”

Joshua watched the men break up and head for town. He wondered what they were saying. Once he would have been privy to their opinions but everything had changed. Deep in thought, he didn’t hear the footsteps.

“So you’ve come back, have you?” Brendan Kane sneered. Joshua turned to his old friend and was met with a solid punch in the jaw that sent him sprawling. Joshua looked up into the blazing green eyes of his onetime friend. “Stay away from Abby and Daniel or I swear I’ll kill you.” Brendan didn’t wait for a response. He just pivoted on his heel and stalked off.

“What the hell was that about?” Joshua asked aloud, not expecting an answer. He pushed himself to his feet, while rubbing his sore jaw. Then he heard a sound often heard around mines—a hacking cough. Dolly McAllister sat on the edge of the raised boardwalk of the engineering shed. Josh had once made two promises to the old man. He was on the road to keeping one, but he knew he might never keep the other.

The first real contact Joshua had had with mine workers occurred during the rescue attempted for Dolly’s son, Daniel. He’d met Abby that day, as well. Harlan had been out of town and Josh had tried to fill shoes too big and soiled for a boy of thirteen. He’d dug with the rest of the men after Abby had shamed them into allowing him to help. Joshua had vowed to make mining safer, and to name his first son after the Daniel they had been unable to save.

“Well now, it seems no one else will be tellin’ you what the community thinks of what you did. Nor about how your return might cause more hurt to those hurt enough by you already.”

“I came back to make a difference. To help, not hurt.”

Dolly pinned Joshua with a measuring look. “I don’t doubt you believe you can, or that you’ll fail where mining is concerned. But I’m talkin’ about Brendan’s feelin’s on the matter. ‘Twas Brendan who had to pick up the pieces of Abby’s life after Sullivan was gone. ‘Twas Brendan who’s had to support her and the boy all these years. He’s had to be a father to a boy who’s sneered at by most of Wheatonburg.”

“I went away to school. I didn’t tell her to marry Sullivan,” Joshua growled.

McAllister shook his gray head. “Just goes to prove book learnin’ don’t mean a hoot in hell without common sense,” the old man continued with exaggerated patience. “Who else was to give your bastard son a name, boyo?”

Joshua stood stock-still. His body went hot then icy cold. He felt as if his breath had been sucked from his lungs. Surely his ears were playing tricks on him.

“What did you say?” he asked in a voice so choked it sounded more like a gasp.

“I said, boyo, that Sullivan gave yer boy a name, since you didn’t care to. Nice that he did something decent before he passed on. Abby kept your promise by namin’ the boy for my Daniel.”

“Abby’s son is … my son?”

“I think you’d better be sittin’ down, boyo. You look a bit pasty.”

Joshua sat on the edge of the boardwalk, his thoughts whirling. No one but Abby knew how he’d begged her to join him. No one knew about the money he’d scraped together and sent her for travel, clothes and food. Abby had taken his offering, but she hadn’t joined him. She hadn’t even written. By the time he’d sent the money, she must have known she was with child, yet she hadn’t joined him. She’d married another man. Given his son Sullivan’s name!

Forgetting Dolly’s presence in the face of his pain he muttered, “How could she do that to me? To our son?”

“To you?” Dolly asked in a high, excited screech.

“Did staying here with her family mean so much that she’d deprive me of my son and the boy of his birthright?”

“You’ve got a perverse way of viewin’ the past. ‘Twas your father and you who did that!”

“My father knows Daniel is my son?”

“'Tisn’t Philadelphia, you know. He knew. Mike Kane even went to Wheaton, but he wouldn’t send for you, so Mike struck a deal with Sullivan.”

Joshua stood. His knees shook as much as his voice. “Thank you for your honesty, Dolly. At least Abby named him Daniel. He has one of the names he should have. I need to think. Find someone to take the buggy on home for me, will you?”

Brendan shouldered his way into the saloon, flexing his hand and hoping he hadn’t broken it. After buying a beer, he heard Sean Murphy call his name from the center of a group of miners. This is all I need.

“What is it brought you into our midst? Wheaton’s return drivin’ you to drink already?”

One of the men with Murphy said Brendan would need to lock Abby in the house to keep her away from her former lover.

“I’ll not hear talk like that said about my sister,” Brendan growled and hoped the men would back down. His punching hand was damaged enough as it was.

“And I’ll not be hearin’ it, either,” Murphy chimed in.

Dooley snickered at Sean, but muttered an apology to Brendan, then slipped away, leaving Brendan and Sean at the bar.

“I was thinkin’ I’d ask Abby to the social on Saturday. With Wheaton back it’d be a good thing if she went with me.”

Brendan felt sorry for Sean. He’d been the butt of jokes for years and he could be particularly annoying when he bragged on imagined alliances with the AMU to make himself important.

“Sean,” Brendan said and clapped the other man on the shoulder. “She’s never seen you in that light. Besides, Joshua Wheaton is engaged to be married, so there shouldn’t be anything for people to talk about. Thanks for defendin’ her just now, though. I promised to pick up something for Abby at the store so I best be on my way.”

Sean smiled. “I’ll walk with you. Maybe I’ll get a glimpse of Abby as we pass your house.”

Brendan sighed and silently cursed his rotten luck. He was uncomfortable with Sean’s undying affection for Abby. She’d bluntly refused his courtship and yet he remained devoted.

“You get what you came for and I’ll just look about,” Murphy said at the store.

Brendan waited at the counter for Ethan Prescott. Several minutes later Prescott pushed aside the curtain to his back room and stepped out. “What can I do for you, Murphy?” he said, staring right at Brendan.

It had not been a good day. “How long is it going to take for you to tell us apart? I’m Brendan Kane, Prescott. My sister works for you. I know one sooted-up miner looks like another to you but …” Brendan stopped, noticing Prescott’s bored expression. “Oh, forget it. Ten pounds of flour.”

“You want this on your account, don’t you?”

Brendan nodded and signed for the flour in the account book. When Prescott returned with the sack of flour, Brendan slung it over his shoulder. He turned to leave and found Murphy staring at him with an odd look in his eyes.

“Problem, Sean?”

Murphy shrugged. “I forgot I’ve something to do.

Tell Abby I said halloo.”

Brendan watched him rush away, grateful for the reprieve, but disturbed … as well. The only thing he could think Sean would find more important than another attempt at courting Abby was going off to try ingratiating himself further to AMU members. Murphy was not only odd, he had dangerous leanings.

Joshua walked in the hills for hours. He felt like a ship set adrift on becalmed seas. Lost. Hopeless. He thought of the years he and Abby had shared. First as friends then finally as lovers. He remembered the innocence of her sparkling eyes. He remembered her laughter when life should have held nothing to smile about. He remembered her guilty tears the night their son must have been conceived and the argument they’d had when she’d refused to leave town with him. Remembering. Hurting. He walked for hours scarcely noticing when the sun slipped behind the hills.

He arrived home long after dark. Dinner was thankfully a memory. With guests in the house, he would have been obligated to be civil to Harlan during the meal. Josh couldn’t have done it.

“Is Harlan in his room, Henry?” Josh snapped when Henry met him at the door. The butler stepped back, his eyes wide. “I apologize, Henry. I’m not at my best. I just found out I’ve been a father for nine years but no one has ever seen fit to tell me. I’ll show myself in. No need to risk him snarling at you, as well.”

“Thank you, sir,” Henry said, then seemed to scurry for cover.

Wise man, Joshua thought as he stalked toward Harlan’s lair. Since learning about Daniel, Josh hadn’t thought of Harlan as “Father” even once. And if he didn’t get a damned good explanation Josh probably never would. The old bear wouldn’t hide from him tonight! Without knocking, Josh slammed through the door.

“Joshua! What in heaven’s name is wrong?” Harlan shouted.

“Wrong? What could be wrong?” Josh asked, his tone biting. “This morning I realized half the people were treating me like a leper and the rest snickered when I passed. Then I went to take a look at the conditions in the mines. How does appalling sound?”

“Well—” the old man noisily cleared his throat “—I haven’t had my hand in there for some time now. Crippled the way I—”

“Don’t!” Josh roared.

Harlan blinked. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t try weaseling out using your condition. We’ll talk about the mines, and what I’ve decided to do with them at another time. Right now, I want to discuss why people acted the way they did toward me. Abaigeal Sullivan.”

“What about her?”

“Abby’s a widow. She has no husband. She does have a son, though. Mine!“ The word reverberated through the room.

Harlan sat a bit straighter. “You believe that claptrap?”

“Believe it? Why wouldn’t I believe it?”

“Because she married another man as soon as I tossed the two of them, their demands and lies out of my house. Michael Kane went so far as to threaten me. He’s lucky I thought he was amusing.”

“Threats? What would he have to threaten you with?”

“Hmmph! Kane said my grandchild would grow up in the coal patch, hating its rightful name. I assume he’s turning him into a Workman just like the rest of the rabble.”

“What did you say to that?” Josh asked, already having dismissed the very idea that any Kane would be mixed up with the AMU. Daniel clearly did hate his rightful name, though. What made it hurt worse was they’d chosen to give him the surname of a man everyone knew Josh hated.

“I said my son wouldn’t be held responsible for Kane’s daughter being a tramp.”

Fury surged anew through Josh. “Abby was not a tramp!”

“How do you know what she did when you weren’t around?”

No matter how much she’d hurt him, she’d been innocent. He wouldn’t retract his defense of her. “Because, you dirty-minded old bastard, she was a virgin! The night Daniel was conceived was the only time I took us that far. Abby was … Dear God … she was so guilt-ridden afterward it tore my heart out. I made her a promise that it wouldn’t happen again until we were married. A little over a month later you and I fought over you trying to make me give her up.”

Joshua had the pleasure of watching Harlan pale. He was clearly worried now. “But he doesn’t look like you. I’ve asked. Don’t you think I haven’t!”

“If you’d bothered to see him yourself you’d have noticed he has my eyes.”

Harlan scowled. “So he has blue eyes. That proves nothing. I kept the two of you apart for your own good. She was a miner’s daughter. There’s nothing you can do about it all these years later,” Harlan added uncertainly.

“Oh, there’s something I can do, all right!” Joshua snarled, his fist clenched. “I can find out why she took my money and didn’t join me. I can find out why she didn’t let me know about Daniel. I already know why you didn’t tell me. God help you if I find out you did more.”

“I did what I thought was best for you,” Harlan said.

“What you thought? You think you’re better than the men who die making money for you. Michael Kane is a better man than you could ever hope to be and he was more a father to me than you ever were! I had a right to be that kind of father to my son. I also had a right to be here, not wandering around Europe, unable to face living so close to Abby and her husband. I could have come home years ago. Just how long has Sullivan been dead?”

“I hoped you’d forget her if you thought she was married. I hoped you’d meet someone else.”

“I loved Abby.” Joshua stared at him, trying not to hate him. It was too late.

“Where are you going?” Harlan asked when Josh turned away.

“I’m not going to pack and leave if that’s worrying you.”

Seeing the relief on Harlan’s face, Joshua added ruthlessly, “But not because of you. I’m staying because my son is here in Wheatonburg and I intend to get to know him. If I can, considering he loathes the sight of me. I’m also staying because there are two hundred miners and laborers here along with their families. They need me to clean up those death traps you call mines.”

Harlan watched his son’s stiff back as he stalked toward the stairs, leaving the door open. Joshua’s words had cut deeply. He was old and alone but for his son. He’d had such hope when Joshua had agreed to return to run the mines. And now, once his boy learned what he’d done, he might well pack his bags. He wouldn’t leave Wheatonburg but might move out of the manor.

He told himself he’d done the right thing and all that mattered was that Joshua stayed to run the mines. It was what he’d always wanted. Now it looked as if that was all he’d get.