Chapters (50)
- Cover
- Half Title Page
- Books by Elizabeth Camden
- Title Page
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Historical Note
- Questions for Discussion
- In 2021, look for Luke Delacroix’s story in
- About the Author
- Back Ads
- Back Cover
Nathaniel quickly rattled through what he remembered about the Fosters. Mrs. Foster was a preening, social-climbing busybody who had done her best to make Caroline miserable. She couldn’t possibly keep a secret, but her husband could. A proper investigation of Foster and his bank would require the cooperation of a judge and banking experts. Going through the proper legal steps would slow them down. By then, Captain Holland could have fled the country, and they still hadn’t discovered his accomplice in Key West.
Wilkie met his eyes across the desk. “Do you think the Fosters could be in on this?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“What about Caroline Delacroix?” Wilkie suddenly asked.
“What about her?” Nathaniel asked. Bringing Caroline into this conversation was a needlessly painful distraction. Guilt had been gnawing at him since the moment the word Milwaukee had been uttered in her presence. She deserved more than he’d given her, but the Kestrel Gang needed to be stopped. The economic integrity of the nation’s currency depended on it.
“We can use Caroline to get through to Mrs. Foster,” Wilkie said. “They’re friends. It won’t raise any alarm bells, and perhaps she can sniff out if there is any unseemly association between Mrs. Foster’s husband and Captain Holland.”
“Caroline is not friends with Mrs. Foster,” Nathaniel said, possibly the understatement of the century. “She’d rather eat nails than spend time with Emmaline Foster.”
“Caroline is a patriot,” Luke said. “If she can help bring Captain Holland down, she’ll pounce on the opportunity.”
It was true, and Nathaniel knew they didn’t have much time to get her on board.
Thirty-Six
Nathaniel’s immediate reversion back to his old ways hurt more than Caroline could admit. While she was grateful he was emerging from the despondency that had crippled him, it was as if he immediately reached for his blinders to focus on the next duty at hand. Even now, he was spending the day holed up with Wilkie and Luke while she twiddled her thumbs at home.
No more! It was time to regain a sense of normalcy after the chaos of the past few weeks, and she knew exactly where to begin. Shopping had always been a guilty pleasure, and today she had the perfect excuse to indulge, for Luke desperately needed clothes that fit. She ventured in and out of men’s haberdasheries, trying to enjoy herself as she wandered among the bolts of fine wool fabrics and shelves brimming with silk ties, vests, and cuff links. She’d love to see Nathaniel in one of these suits. The only time she’d seen him in anything but his sober black suit was the night of the inaugural ball, when he’d looked so handsome in the cutaway tails and high-starched collar that it nearly took her breath away.