A Great Catch (23 page)

What was wrong with Nathan?

Carter slammed the ledger down on his brother’s desk, and the sound echoed off the stone walls of the bank. “I know Kate Graham deposited funds into her account the other day, and now your clerk says they were never there!”

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest. “And where did these supposed funds come from? All of her savings are with us.”

“Mrs. Graham is a savvy businesswoman. She has accounts in other places as well.”
Thank goodness for that.

“And you have a receipt of the transaction?”

“I told you she came in and took care of the matter herself. I don’t have the receipt because she misplaced it.”

“And I’m telling you if our clerks didn’t record it, then she probably only thinks she made the deposit. When are you going to face the possibility that the old lady is daft?”

“As far as I’m concerned, Nathan, there’s only one possibility.” Carter jammed a finger on the mahogany surface of his brother’s desk. “Something is going on right here—under
your
nose.”

Fury seemed to radiate off his brother. “Get out. You’re not going to come into my bank and accuse my clerks.” He stopped suddenly and smirked. “For all I know, you’re stealing the old woman’s money and trying to blame it on my men. What is the family dandy living on since I convinced Dad to cut you off?”

Carter cut off?

Emily halted in the bank lobby. Her heart skidded. Had she heard that right? She’d only heard the tail end of their conversation. And what a heated conversation it was. What was Nathan accusing Carter of? Blaming his clerks for what?

To the right of the entryway, the door to Nathan’s office remained open. Carter leaned over the desk and appeared ready to come to physical blows with his brother. She strained to hear his hissed words while her heart told her she shouldn’t be eavesdropping.

Carter whirled in her direction as he marched from the office. She froze. Their eyes met, and guilt flooded his face. Instead of greeting her, he slammed the heavy oak doors open and rushed outside.

Chest so tight she could barely breathe, Emily sank onto a chair, dropping her dress box with a thud onto the shiny, planked floor beside her. What was going on?

“Miss Graham, you just missed my brother.”

Several minutes after Carter had departed, Emily looked up and found Nathan standing above her.

“Were you coming to discuss the missing funds from your grandmother’s account too? As I told him, he had no proof the deposit was ever made. And if there was one, only those with permission could withdraw any funds. I stand by my clerk’s records.”

Emily blinked. Only those with access. The pieces were coming together. Besides Carter, only her family had access. Carter had been cut off. If he didn’t make money somehow, he’d have to work at the bank, which he was loath to do. And then there was the business deal at the ice cream parlor.

Pressing her hand to her chest, Emily rose on shaky legs. Tears puddled in her eyes. Could he have pretended to care for her to get to her grandmother’s money? After all, why would someone like handsome, athletic Carter Stockton fall for someone as clumsy and outspoken as she was?

“Miss Graham, are you ill? You look pale.” Nathan sounded genuinely concerned. “I can send someone for my brother.”

She waved him off and fled from the bank, her cumbersome dress box slowing her down.

Please, God, let me be wrong.

Twisting her ankle to the right and then the left, Emily struggled to free her foot. She’d been in such a hurry to get across the street to meet the trolley, she’d not seen the hole between the paving bricks and the streetcar track, and now her heel was wedged in tightly.

Tears trailed down her cheeks, and she jostled the bulky box to her other hip. She wiggled her foot again, but it still wouldn’t budge. She could slip the shoe off, but then what would she do? She couldn’t hobble around in her stockings all the way back to Lake Manawa.

A wagon drove around her, and then two boys, chasing their spotted dog, ran by. She glanced around, half afraid someone would notice her predicament and half afraid they wouldn’t. Several blocks away, the streetcar trudged in her direction. She gasped and worked her ankle harder. Why wouldn’t the shoe move?

The streetcar drew closer, but she still had time.
Don’t panic. Breathe.

“Emily?” She turned to see Ducky. “What’s wrong? Why are you standing here?”

She sucked in her quivering lip. “I’m stuck.”

“What?”

“My heel is stuck. I can’t move.”

Ducky grinned. “Which foot?”

“My right one.”

“May I?” He took the package from her hand, set it on the street, and then knelt at her feet.

Heat flooded her face, and she glanced at the streetcar lumbering toward her. “Please do.”

Ducky lifted her skirt and placed one hand around the back of her heel and the other on her ankle. Her cheeks flamed afresh.

After wiggling her foot back and forth, he looked up at her. “I’m going to try to pull your shoe out. Put your hands on my shoulders to steady yourself.”

She did as she was told.

“On three. Ready?” His grip tightened. “One. Two. Three.”

He yanked hard and the shoe gave. She dug her fingers into his shoulders to keep from toppling.

“Easy.” He held out his hand to support her as he stood. “Is it twisted? I can carry you.”

“No. It’s fine.”

The motorman on the streetcar dinged his bell, and Ducky scooped up her package. “We’d best get out of his way.” He kept hold of her elbow until they reached the sidewalk.

“Thank you, Ducky.”

“Least I can do for Carter’s girl.” The streetcar stopped. “Headed back to the lake?”

She nodded and held out her hands for her parcel.

“Then you’re in luck. Consider me your personal beast of burden since we’re headed in the same direction.”

Even though she preferred to be alone right now, she couldn’t very well dismiss her rescuer. She stepped onto the streetcar and deposited a token in the glass box beside the motorman.

Ducky did likewise and followed her. “Do you want a window seat or an aisle?”

“You can have the window.” He squeezed in place, holding the large box against his chest, and she settled beside him. “Is this your dress for the ball tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Carter said you promised it’d be green. He’s been talking about it matching your pretty green eyes all week.”

“He talks about me?”

Ducky chuckled. “Nonstop.”

“He’s probably like that with all the girls he’s—”

“Nope. Only you.” Ducky eyed her. “Never seen him like this about anyone before, and we’ve been friends for quite a while now. I know you two have had your differences over Elwood and all, but you have something special. Hey, even an old hayseed like me can see it. He’s drawn to you like a fly to a piece of cherry pie.”

“Rhubarb.”

“Excuse me?”

“Carter’s favorite pie is rhubarb.” Ducky’s warmth was infectious, and Emily smiled. “Is cherry your favorite?”

“It sure is.”

She twisted her foot beneath her dress. “Then I’ll have to see if I can get Britta to make you one. It’s the least I can do for you saving me today.”

“As long as I don’t have to share it with Carter.”

Carter. What would he think when he heard about yet another of her escapades? And about what she’d heard?

“Do you know what Carter was doing in town today? I saw him, but he avoided me.”

Ducky’s thick brows drew together. “Emily, I know it’s not my place, but I can see the doubt in your eyes. Carter’s as straight an arrow as God made ’em, and the only games he plays are on the field.”

“But you saw me earlier—things like that happen to me all the time.”

He chuckled. “He said that too, and he says it keeps life interesting.”

Carter paced in front of the streetcar depot. With streetcars arriving every twenty minutes, where was Emily?

The next streetcar approached, stopped, and emptied. She wasn’t among the passengers.

He checked his pocket watch again. He’d been back an hour, and he wanted to speak to her before the ball at the Kursaal tonight. With the way he’d stormed out, he’d be lucky if she didn’t break their date altogether. He shouldn’t have left like that.

He sat down on a bench and dropped his head into his hands. What a day this had been. Nathan always brought out the worst in him. Even though he’d prayed before confronting his brother, he’d let his anger get a foothold, and he hated that Emily saw him in that state. How much had she heard?

Checking his watch again, he noticed the next streetcar was late. The skin on his neck prickled. Maybe there was a problem.

Finally, the streetcar rumbled into view. He stood up. If she wasn’t on this one, he was going to get his phaeton and head back to town.

Relief washed over him as Emily stepped down the steps. He hurried to meet her.

“Carter, what are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

Ducky stepped off behind her and passed Carter the box. “Since you’re here, you can carry her box. I gotta go spiff up for the ball.”

Emily smiled at him. “Thanks, Ducky—for everything.”

He nodded. “And you be careful and watch where you step.”

Carter and Emily started down the paved path leading to the Grand Plaza. “What was that all about?”

“My heel got stuck, and thankfully, Ducky happened along.”

“Stuck where?”

“Aren’t we avoiding the real issue?” Emily stopped beneath a willow tree and faced him. “What was going on at the bank? And why did you leave so abruptly?”

“I was furious. I didn’t want you to see that. Something about Nathan makes me so angry.” He took her hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken off.”

“I was quite shocked.”

“I know. How much did you hear?”

She bit her lip.

“You heard the part about Nathan convincing my dad to cut me off financially, didn’t you?” He dropped her hand and shifted the parcel. They reached the Grand Plaza, and he placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her through the crowd.

Why did she have to know about the suspension of his dad’s support? Now every time he took her somewhere, she’d be second-guessing if he had the money to pay. He did. He’d figured a budget from the day his brother had declared the news. And until he started courting her, he hadn’t needed much extra, so his cookie jar was flush.

He took a deep breath. “I’m determined to show Nathan I don’t need his money to make a name for myself.”

“You two had some strong words. Nathan said it was over my grandmother’s account.”

“He told you?” His voice grew hard. How dare he concern her. “You don’t need to fret about that. I’m taking care of it, and you have more than enough on your own plate right now.”

“But—”

“No.” The word came out unyielding, so he tried to soften it with a winning smile. “You worry about the Bloomer Girls, and I’ll worry about the account discrepancy. Some clerk simply made an error. It may take awhile, but we’ll get it worked out. Okay?”

Concern clouded her eyes, but she finally nodded.

He captured her hand and pulled her toward the bandstand. What could he do to reassure her? “Let’s take a break.”

“But I have to go home to get ready.”

He sat down and tugged her down beside him. “So, you’re still going with me?”

She smiled. “I have to go with you. You’re the only one who will appreciate my green dress.”

He chuckled and pulled her close. “You’ll be gorgeous.”

“Croak, croak,” she mumbled.

“Emily, when are you going to start seeing yourself as beautifully as I do?” He kissed her cheek as Dalbey’s band introduced their first song, “Ideal American” by William Chambers. The famous string and brass band struck up the tune. On their second song, they switched gears and announced an intermezzo piece, “Love’s Dream after the Ball” by Alphons Czibulka. While Carter had never heard of the composer, he hoped by the end of the lilting piece, he’d owe the man a debt of gratitude for carrying all of Emily’s doubts away on the melody. He only wished he were holding Emily right now on the dance floor.

As he intertwined his fingers with Emily’s, warmth pooled in his chest. He studied her as she closed her eyes to enjoy the music. She truly had no idea how beautiful she was. Even more so inside. And in those moments when he’d waited for her, he’d realized something. He had a future now. He didn’t need to keep his feelings silent any longer.

The last strains still hung in the air when he pressed his lips to her ear. “Emily,” he whispered, “I do believe I love you.”