She disentangled herself, tamped down the swell of emotion, and chatted for a few minutes about his new position, but George had a full schedule.
“I need to consult with Treasury about financing the new department. I can only hope it doesn’t ruffle too many feathers.”
“It surely will, but no one in the city can handle ruffled feathers as well as you,” she said honestly.
Memories crowded as she watched him walk away. They had been living in a gilded age but hadn’t realized it until it was over. Now they were both headed toward a new and uncertain future, but she would be forever grateful for those eighteen months in the White House. She was a better person for it. She had entered the White House as a girl who loved to throw parties, but she’d left as a woman. Wiser, sadder, but more confident of her true value in the world. Her heart wasfull to the breaking point, for echoes of that gilded age would live with her forever.
The bittersweet memories still swirled as she returned home, and she was surprised to see Luke sitting with Nathaniel and Wilkie in the parlor. All three men were huddled around the table, papers spread out before them, expressions earnest.
“Where have you been?” Nathaniel asked as he got to his feet.
“Shopping,” she replied archly. “Where else would I be on a Monday afternoon?”
“Come sit down,” he said. “We need your help.”
A flush stained the top of his cheekbones, and his eyes were alive with anticipation. This was the man she loved, always so engaged with keen, professional absorption. She sat, wishing she could inspire a similar level of devotion.
“Captain Holland has funneled his ill-gotten gains into the Fosters’ bank,” Nathaniel explained. “We don’t think the Fosters are part of the scheme, but we need to start investigating without triggering anyone’s suspicion. We need you to call on Mrs. Foster. Get inside her house, break the ice, and see if you can recruit her to our side.”
“You want me to cozy up to Emmaline Foster?” she asked in disbelief. “That woman made snide comments to me all the way from Virginia to Louisiana. She barely tolerated me when I was Ida’s secretary, but now she has no use for me at all.”
“She will if it means saving face for her husband’s bank,” Nathaniel said. “This has the makings of an ugly scandal, and the Fosters will need to salvage their reputations.”
“Maybe I could ask Mrs. Foster to accompany me to the reception at the Smithsonian. Or would that be too humdrum?”
The barb found its mark, and Nathaniel flinched. Then the air went out of him, and he braced his elbows on his knees. Her remark about the Smithsonian was meant to be a flippantjibe, but it had hurt more than she intended. When he spoke, his voice was so soft that she could barely hear him.
“Caroline, I need this,” he said, still staring at the floor.
She met Luke’s gaze. For once there was no laughter or mockery in her brother’s face, just a sad understanding. She wanted to help Nathaniel, but it seemed that in restoring his pride, she would be setting him on a course that would take him far away from her.
But wasn’t that what she’d sworn to do that night she called him at the White House? She’d spoken of how she would faithfully wait for him, no matter how long it took. She vowed that walls or distance could not separate them. She had not foreseen the Milwaukee assignment, but she would need to find a way to deal with the distance. Nathaniel needed to strike out on a new adventure, and she would remain loyal while he did so.
She pulled her chair closer to the group and set her misgivings aside. If this was what Nathaniel needed, she would support him.
Caroline approached the Fosters’ house, armed with the mortifying ruse Nathaniel had designed. Implementing it would be humiliating and embarrassing, but she would do it.
Luke drove her to the elegant Foster townhouse in Georgetown. He’d finally cut his hair and looked sharp in his natty new clothes as he drew the horses to a halt outside the residence.
“Good luck,” he said with a wink, knowing how much she loathed this mission. After all, Mrs. Foster had delighted in goading Caroline for her crush on Nathaniel, and this afternoon would stir all those painful memories. She squared her shoulders and prepared to do battle.
The Fosters lived in an ornate French-style chalet, and a maid answered the door. Caroline had to loiter in the parlor for an unseemly amount of time while the maid went to see if Mrs.Foster was “at home.” The interior of the house was a gold and ivory display of ostentation, and the delicate gilt chairs looked like works of art rather than something to sit on. Nevertheless, Mrs. Foster eventually appeared and invited Caroline to tea.
“How are things progressing with Agent Trask?” Mrs. Foster asked once they were settled at the tea table. “Is there new hope on that front?”
It wasn’t hard to let the hurt show on her face. “I’m afraid not,” she said. “It’s terribly disappointing. He’s been reassigned, and since I’m no longer at the White House, well, there’s no longer any reason for our paths to cross.”
Mrs. Foster’s face was all sympathy as she tutted, but Caroline spotted the secret delight in the older woman’s eyes. She put on a brave face and set down her teacup. It was time to get to business, and she would follow Nathaniel’s instructions to the letter, for everything was designed to either flatter Mrs. Foster or throw her off balance.
“Are you acquainted with Captain Holland of the navy?” she asked.
The blunt question took Mrs. Foster aback. “I’m acquainted, but I don’t know him well.”
“Does your husband?”
Mrs. Foster smiled tightly. “The Hollands are not our sort of people.”
Once Caroline would have interpreted that comment as simple snobbery, but perhaps Mrs. Foster knew something unsavory.
