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
“Well, Captain Holland is in a position of great power in the navy,” Mrs. Foster said. “He set up a charity for widows and orphans of the navy, which is all very admirable, but he rarely distributes any of the funds. And when he does withdraw some of the money, I’ve noticed that he always enjoys a new carriage or a fine gold watch. Not that I begrudge him drawing a salary. Charities require experienced men at the helm, but I never see more than a few dollars going to the widows. Just new horses, carriages, jewels, and gaming.”
Raising money for charity was hard work. She and Petra had learned that the hard way, but this was the first she’d ever heard of a widows and orphans fund for the navy. “You know that I help with a school for immigrant woman, but I know little about raising money or proper accounting. Might I see Captain Holland’s account for the widows and orphans fund so I could use it as a model for my own charity?”
Mrs. Foster was aghast. “There are rules, my dear. Confidentiality! Our clients are entitled to their privacy.”
Perhaps. And the people of America were entitled to know how government officials spent their money. Luke believed that Captain Holland was skimming from the military budget, and she suspected he was using the widows and orphans fund as a front to cover his embezzlement.
“If money from the charity is being used less than honestly, it could be a problem for your husband,” Caroline said.
“Are you insinuating something?” Mrs. Foster demanded. “I will not allow the reputation of my husband’s bank to be sullied.”
Caroline dropped her innocent expression and straightened her spine. For the first time since meeting Mrs. Foster, she looked at her with complete candor and respect. “I don’t want your bank to become a casualty of Captain Holland’s greed.”
Mrs. Foster’s eyes glinted. “Spit it out, Caroline. What are you implying?”
She told her. Captain Holland had been amassing a slush fund by skimming from the War Department. The widows and orphans fund was only a façade. With no oversight, it was his personal nest egg that had grown fat over the years, and he’d used the Fosters’ bank to carry it out.
Caroline watched as Mrs. Foster’s expression morphed from anger, to fear, to outrage, and knew that they’d found an ally.
Thirty-Seven
