“She’s not here,” Mrs. Miller hollered down.
Her words pierced him through the heart. “Where is she? It’s too early for the boat.”
“I’m not certain.” Mrs. Miller came down and joined him in the foyer. “Oh, Ed, I’m so sorry. She’s run off and said she can’t marry you. She said it’s all her fault and that we should tell all that she’s to blame and you’re innocent. But there’s something else. I know she loves you. Something drove her away.”
“I know. It’s all Mr. Grous’s doing. He threatened her. Both her and me. I don’t know exactly what he has, but I know that he’s created some sort of documents to accuse Cora of being a ruined woman.”
“Is she?” Mrs. Miller asked. “I don’t mean to insult you, but that would explain her hasty departure.”
Ed looked to Mr. Miller, who’d joined them. “You can’t believe that.”
“She’s been through a lot in her life. I adore the girl, but I’ve learned no matter how much you think you know a person, they can have secrets.”
“No, it wasn’t her. It was her sister. She was attacked by a Union soldier, and her brother was murdered when he tried to protect her. Cora wasn’t the one who suffered the loss, but her sister Josephine.”
“How horrible.” Mrs. Miller clutched at her jacket as if to protect herself from such a fate.
“Poor child.” Mr. Miller tucked his wife close to his side. “I warned you when you took his business on for the contracts for the railroad, he wouldn’t take it well. But this?”
“It’s worse. He convinced her that he has documents on me. I think he’s trying to get the investors to withdraw by showing them that I had a few bad investments and some debt after William left.”
“That is damaging and could cause the investors to panic.”
“I don’t care. All I care about is finding Cora. She wrote for me to stay away if I can’t save myself, but I won’t. I’d give up everything to be with her.” Ed threw his hands up and paced the empty space. “Where could she be if she’s not due at the docks for a few hours but she left last night?” A thought pressed his mind, but he didn’t want to let it in. “I’ll kill him if he’s touched Cora.”
“Calm down. We’ll find her.” Mr. Miller snapped his fingers. “Ask the driver where he took Miss McKinnie yesterday.”
The servant scurried away, leaving Ed to pace faster. “She was willing to leave to protect me, but I’m supposed to protect her.”
“We’ll find her, Ed.” Mrs. Miller blocked his pacing. “I saw it in her eyes that she didn’t want to go. That she loved you, and I knew there was more to why she left. I would’ve sent for you, but you were at the meeting out of town.”
“That’s why Grous struck yesterday. He knew we’d be away.” Ed pounded his fists to his head. “I’m so stupid. I should’ve never let her out of my sight.”
“This isn’t your fault,” Mrs. Miller said, but her words were empty.
The servant’s running steps echoed through the house and down the stairs. Ed held his breath and waited and waited. The steps returned, and the servant raced into the room. “Charles Moneypenny’s boardinghouse on Natoma Street, sir.”
Ed didn’t wait for any help. He ran down the hill to his house all the way to the main street and into town. He wouldn’t stop, not for breath or rest, until he had Cora back in his arms.
Two, three, four blocks and turned. Another several blocks, and he reached Market and hung a right. Gasping, he held tight to the side of a building. He’d make it on time. Now he just had to convince her to risk her reputation and the life he’d promised her to be with him. Was he being selfish?
He was, but he couldn’t help himself. He had to have Cora as his wife.
The world shook beneath him. Windows shattered in the building above him. A crack ran through the road.
A chimney crumbled from a roof and smashed into the street.
Screams, booms, cracks, clangs.
People raced out of the buildings, some half-dressed, wailing and crying.
Ed pushed from the wall and ran to Natoma Street.
The city around him shifted and shook and shattered. Buildings collapsed. Dust and dirt erupted.
Ahead, he spotted the boardinghouse, so he ran, dodging falling debris.
Kaboooom!
