A Dangerous Engagement Page 3

  “That sounds very nice,” I said.

  The conversation shifted then to what nightclubs we might go to, and the rest of dinner was spent discussing what highlights of the city Milo and I would need to see during our visit. I was relieved that the tension that had entered the room along with Mr. Palmer seemed to have abated. By the time we finished eating and retired to the drawing room for coffee, everyone again seemed in the best of spirits.

  I had been so tired earlier in the day that I had not taken much note of how elegant the drawing room was. The furniture was covered in silks the color of marigolds and cornflowers and sat atop a lovely Persian rug shot through with threads of the same hues. Some very good art hung on the walls and a small fire crackled in the fireplace, warding off the chilly evening air. It was a comfortable and welcoming room, made even more so as Tabitha turned on the wireless and the soft sounds of orchestra music floated in as a subtle backdrop to conversation.

  I accepted a cup of coffee and took a seat on one of the sofas near the fireplace. A moment later Mr. Palmer wandered over, taking the seat beside me. He had a coffee cup in his hand, but I had seen him take a flask from his pocket and add something to it.

  “I thought I would come and sit with you before Rudy came over and started shilling his salad dressing again.”

  “I enjoyed hearing about his work in radio,” I said honestly. There was certainly nothing off-putting about the young man’s enjoyment of his work.

  Mr. Palmer smiled. “Then you’ve undoubtedly made a friend for life.”

  “You’re not fond of Mr. Elliot, I take it?”

  “Oh, Rudy’s my best friend,” he said with apparent sincerity, surprising me. “It’s just that he can be so horribly boring at times. He’s a good guy, though. A lot better friend than a lot of people ever dream of being.”

  There was something disarming about Grant Palmer. Though I had been prepared to dislike him for his inconsiderateness and the way he had waltzed late into dinner, as though he hadn’t a care in the world, I couldn’t help but feel the tug of his appeal. Perhaps it was that his breezy disregard for propriety reminded me a bit of Milo.

  “It must be nice for you both to be in Tom’s wedding,” I said.

  “Oh, I suppose. I’m kind of a black sheep around here. I think Tabitha would kick me out of the wedding if it wasn’t for Tom.”

  “I don’t expect that would hurt your feelings much.”

  He smiled, seeming to appreciate my plain speaking. “I don’t care much about it one way or the other, but I suppose it’ll be nice to see him marry the sort of girl he’s always wanted to marry.”

  I glanced at him, wondering at his phrasing.

  “Tabitha is a wonderful woman,” I said. “I’m sure she’ll make Tom very happy.”

  “She’s a nice girl. She’ll make Tom as happy as anyone, I suppose.”

  This less-than-glowing assessment of Tabitha made me bristle.

  “I take it you’re not a romantic, Mr. Palmer?”

  He smiled, but I thought that it wasn’t quite genuine. “You could say that. I don’t believe there are matches made in Heaven, but I guess some of us occasionally stumble across someone worth going through life with.”

  I was not sure how to respond to this somewhat pessimistic view of love, so I changed the subject.

  “How long have you and Mr. Smith been friends?”

  It seemed to me that his gaze was searching. “Four or five years,” he replied at last.

  I was a bit surprised. From the way they talked, I thought that they had known each other for much longer.

  “It’s an honor, then, that he’s asked you to stand up in his wedding.”

  “We’ve had a lot of laughs. I figured I should support him now that he’s determined to stay on the straight and narrow.”

  Before I could ask him what he meant by this, another conversation caught my interest.

  “How have things been at the warehouse, Mr. Alden? Any more trouble with the thieves?” Rudy Elliot asked.

  I glanced at Tabitha and saw that her face had taken on a strained expression.

  “Oh, no,” Mr. Alden said easily. “We’ve been keeping a sharp eye on things, but there hasn’t been any more trouble so far. I think it was just someone looking for an easy way to make money, or perhaps some young men with too much time on their hands.”

  “Yes, I’m sure that’s what it was,” Tom said. “The increased security should keep there from being any sort of reoccurrence.”

  “Tom’s got things well under control,” Mr. Alden said.

  “Does anyone want to play cards?” Jemma Petrie asked, rising from her chair. I wondered if this was a sign of disinterest in the topic, or an attempt to change the subject for Tabitha’s sake. Perhaps I hadn’t been the only one to notice her worried countenance.

  They let the matter drop then, and I couldn’t very well press them on the subject, but I was curious to learn what sort of trouble had been occurring at Mr. Alden’s warehouses. I would have to ask Tabitha later. Perhaps I could help set her mind at ease.

  “I’ll play with you, Jem,” Rudy Elliot said.

  “You can always count on good old Rudy. Anyone else?” She turned to look at Milo. “Mr. Ames?”

  “I’m afraid I must decline,” Milo said without making excuses.

  “Mrs. Ames, then?” she asked me.

  “No, thank you. In fact, it’s been a rather long day. If you’ll all excuse me, I think I shall retire.”

  3

  A SHORT WHILE later found me enjoying the quiet solitude of my bedroom. The day had been a whirlwind, and I was looking forward to going to sleep. Milo had stayed with Mr. Alden in the drawing room, smoking and drinking from Mr. Alden’s hidden store of illicit beverages, and I hoped that Milo would not be too late coming to bed. He had always seemed to require barely any rest, while I was feeling exceptionally weary.

  After I had removed my jewelry and wiped away my makeup, I changed into the most comfortable of my night dresses and pulled a dressing gown over it. As I sat at the dressing table to brush out my hair, I thought over the events of the evening. Everyone in the wedding party seemed amiable and enthusiastic about the upcoming nuptials, with the exception, perhaps, of Mr. Palmer. I could see why Tabitha had reservations about his participation, but I didn’t foresee his worldly cynicism causing too many difficulties. After all, he had only to show up and stand at the altar.

  A tap on the door drew me from my thoughts.

  “Come in,” I called, setting the brush aside and turning toward the door.

  It was Tabitha. She was still in her evening gown, and her lipstick was a bit smeared. The result of Tom’s good-night kiss, I supposed.

  “I wanted to come and say good night,” she said.

  “Oh, come in,” I said.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to disturb you.”

  “You’re not. Come in and sit down. Milo is drinking with your father and may not be up for quite some time.”

  Tabitha came into the room and shut the door behind her, dropping onto the edge of the bed rather than one of the chairs. “Well, what did you think of him?”

  I didn’t have to ask whom she meant.

  “He seems to be a very fine young man.” I was glad that I could say this honestly. Mr. Smith seemed to me to be just the sort of man I might have chosen for Tabitha.

  “He’s perfectly wonderful,” she said with a sigh.

  “He certainly seems besotted with you. I’m sure you’re going to be very happy.”

  “I know we are.”

  “How was it that you met?” I asked.

  “It was at a dance. I had no intention of going that night, that’s the funny thing about it. Just think what would have happened if I hadn’t gone.”

  She didn’t give me time to think about this, however, before she continued on. “As soon as I saw him I knew that I was going to marry him. That’s how it happens in books, but I never really believed it would happ
en that way. But it did. I took one look at him and said to myself, ‘Tabitha Alden, that’s the man you’re going to marry.’”

  I could certainly see why Tabitha had been struck by Tom Smith. In addition to his golden good looks, he had an easy charm and a friendly, winning manner. I expected there must have been several girls who had had their sights set on him. Knowing Tabitha, however, I was sure those other women had never stood a chance.

  “Are his people from New York?” I asked.

  “Oh, no,” she said with a wave of her hand. “He hasn’t any family left, and he’s only been in New York for a few years. So I feel like it was meant to be. As soon as I saw him, I went right up and asked him to dance with me. I’m sure you wouldn’t have done anything like that, but what my father calls my ‘American side’ came out, and I couldn’t seem to help myself. I knew I was going to marry him, and I didn’t know how that could possibly come about unless I went up and introduced myself to him. Then I told the friends I had gone with to leave so I would need a ride home.”

  I couldn’t help but admire this mixture of fate and American ingenuity.

  “We started going steady almost right away, and it wasn’t long before he asked me to marry him, just as I knew he would. Isn’t it romantic?”

  “Yes,” I said. I thought it all a bit soon, but I certainly had no room to chastise Tabitha on the hazards of a whirlwind engagement. I had been months away from marrying another man when Milo had swept into my life and upset all the careful plans I had made for the future.

  Besides, from what I had seen of her young man, he seemed perfectly pleasant and responsible. Despite her somewhat airy manner, Tabitha had a good head on her shoulders. What was more, I knew her father wouldn’t have countenanced the match had he thought that Tom was anything less than what he seemed to be.

  “Now that you’re here,” Tabitha continued, “we’re all going to have such a grand time until the wedding.”

  “I was glad to have met the other members of the wedding party. Your friend Jemma seems very nice.”

  “Oh, Jemma’s a lot of fun. We’ve always had good times together. I knew that she was going to make everything an adventure. She may seem a bit wild at times, but it’s all harmless fun.”

  “Mr. Elliot also seems like an amusing gentleman.”

  “Yes, I feel like I’ve known Rudy for ages. He’s just the sort of man that makes a woman feel at ease, don’t you think? Tom says Rudy is a good egg. I admire him so much, especially given how he’s overcome tragedy.”

  “What sort of tragedy?”

  “Oh, of course you don’t know,” Tabitha said, a sudden sadness coming over her features. “Rudy’s dad was in banking. He lost everything in the Crash, then jumped out a window ten stories up when he realized he wasn’t going to be able to get it back.”

  “How dreadful.” I found this news to be shocking. Looking at the cheerful Mr. Elliot, I hadn’t imagined that his past held something so dark. I knew, however, that people were often very good about concealing their hurts.

  “It hit Rudy hard,” Tabitha went on. “Though he’s always tried not to show it. He’s been working a lot since then, trying to prove to his father that he’s able to make a success of himself, I’ve always thought.”

  “Was he left destitute?”

  “There was a little money, I think, but not much. Certainly not enough for him to maintain the lifestyle he had before. I don’t think he really minds it, though. Rudy has always been a person who takes what comes to him and makes the most of it.”

  My already high opinion of Mr. Elliot was improved by this information, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Tabitha might have to say about the other guest who had been there this evening. I had saved him for last.

  “What about Mr. Palmer?”

  Tabitha rolled her eyes in a good imitation of casual annoyance, but I could feel a shift in her at the mention of his name, something deeper than mere dislike. “Oh, Grant. He’s such a nuisance. I’ve told Tom countless times that I wish he would have had someone else, but he insists that Grant is one of his closest friends and that he is good at heart, despite his behavior.”

  “What sort of behavior?” I asked.

  “For one thing, he’s a womanizer. I was going to warn you not to go anywhere alone with him.”

  My brows rose. “Is he as untrustworthy as all that?”

  She looked a bit abashed. “Well, I don’t really know. It’s just that he’s always after some woman or another, and I wouldn’t like him to bother you.”

  “I think I can handle myself,” I said lightly.

  “I’m sure you can,” she agreed. “But it isn’t only that.”

  “Oh?”

  She glanced around as though we might be overheard in the confines of my bedroom and then leaned closer. “He’s involved with gangsters,” she said.

  “Really?” I asked. This had not been what I was expecting, but I found I was not entirely surprised. Grant Palmer had the air of a man who liked to involve himself in dangerous enterprises. I supposed that would also explain the scent of alcohol that had followed him into the dining room.

  “Have you heard of Leon De Lora?”

  “Yes,” I said, my brows rising again. The name was familiar to me. Even in London, we were regaled with tales of gun battles in the street and the dramatic assassinations of underworld figures. It seemed to me that Mr. De Lora’s name had been connected to several such occurrences, though he always made sure that they couldn’t be traced back to him.

  “Well, Grant has gotten involved with him. He started out drinking in a speakeasy with his friends and, somehow, he became involved in the bootlegging operation. I don’t know all the details, of course. I don’t want to know them. But I know enough to know he’s up to no good. He’s going to get himself killed one of these days if he isn’t careful.”

  I considered this information. Considering that Grant Palmer was such a good friend of Tom, I hoped that there wasn’t any connection between Tabitha’s fiancé and criminal violence. The last thing Tabitha needed was to lose her husband in a bootleggers’ dispute.

  “Is Mr. Smith involved in that sort of thing?” I asked casually.

  “Oh, no,” Tabitha said with emphasis. “Tom doesn’t approve of any of it.”

  I couldn’t help but wonder. I didn’t know Tom, of course, so Tabitha was likely to be a much better judge of his character than I was. Nevertheless, I hoped his association with Mr. Palmer wouldn’t lead him into difficulties.

  Granted, I was friends with people who did things of which I didn’t approve. In fact, a good many of my friends had done things that had proved to be shocking, but that didn’t mean I was treading the same path or had been tainted by their actions. Anyway, Tom Smith was a grown man, and I was sure he could take care of himself.

  “He’s not all bad, of course,” Tabitha went on, appending this lukewarm praise to her list of Grant Palmer’s sins. “He saved Tom’s life, so I owe him a great deal.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, Tom has always been a bit vague about it, but he always says that he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Grant, so I suppose I have to put up with the man. Don’t mention any of the more lurid stuff in front of my dad,” she went on. “He obviously doesn’t know, or I don’t think he’d care to have Grant in the house.”

  I wondered if this could be true. Mr. Alden seemed a very astute gentleman; there was probably very little he didn’t know.

  “Well, I hope Mr. Palmer will behave himself, at least until the wedding is over,” I said, by way of encouragement.

  “So do I,” she said. “I have enough on my mind without worrying about what he might get up to.”

  “Oh?” I asked, feeling as though I was on the verge of discovering something at last.

  “Yes, I … I wanted to talk to you…” She looked at me, a frown flickering across her brow. Her lips parted and she leaned toward me as though she were building up to telling me someth
ing, but just then the bedroom door opened and Milo came in. Tabitha sat up, the moment for confiding gone.

  “Oh, hello,” Milo said. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll come back, shall I?”

  “No, no,” Tabitha said, sliding from the bed and walking toward the door. “I’m just leaving. I know you must both be very tired.”

  I didn’t contradict her, though I wanted to finish our discussion. I felt as though I had been awake for days, and no doubt the conversation would keep until morning.

  “Good night,” she said before departing. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Milo closed the door behind her and came farther into the room. “You look all in, darling.”

  “I feel that way,” I admitted.

  “You didn’t rest well on the ship. A good night’s sleep on dry land will do wonders.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you’re right.” Milo went to his room to undress, and I got into bed and sighed with delight as I at last slid beneath the silky sheets.

  As tired as I was, however, my mind didn’t seem to want to rest. As Milo went to the bathroom to wash up, I turned over the events of the day. Though, on the surface, the atmosphere of the Alden household seemed to be one of joyous anticipation, there was something that was unsettling me, some undercurrent that I couldn’t seem to put my finger on. But perhaps it was just the lingering suspense of waiting to hear whatever it was that Tabitha wanted to tell me. I supposed all would be clear soon enough.

  “Tom seems like a very nice young man,” I mused aloud to Milo through the open bathroom door.

  “Yes, I suppose he does.”

  “You must be disappointed. I’m sure you would have liked someone a bit more wayward to show you the best unsavory places in New York to visit.”

  “I certainly don’t need a tour guide to locate my vices,” he said, coming out of the bathroom.

  I shot him a look. “Well, if you’re of a mind to find some dangerous company, Tabitha tells me Mr. Palmer is involved in some unsavory dealings with a gangster.”

  “Ah, yes, Mr. Palmer,” he said, coming to the bed. “You like him, don’t you?”