Will smiled. “I agree. I’ve had her Danish before.”
“Well, help yourself,” Granite said and took one for himself. “And then tell me to what I owe the pleasure of this visit.” There’d be time enough to sort out the man’s degree of feelings toward Campbell.
Will set the coffee aside and took up a Danish. “Sir, there are a couple of things on my mind. First, I’ve had a letter from my mother’s lawyer. It seems I have inherited a great deal of money. Knowing you as one of the most successful men in Cheyenne, I am hoping you might offer me advice on management of the inheritance.”
“Why, Will, I’m quite touched that you would think of me.” This couldn’t be going better if Granite had planned it out himself.
“Well, there’s no rush. As I understand it, my mother’s estate is still being settled, and it will most likely be summer before all is resolved.”
“And the second?” Granite asked, eager to move the conversation along.
“Well, I wondered if your job offer is still available.”
Granite wanted to shout an affirming response but forced himself to remain calm. “For a man of quality and intellect such as yourself, there is always a job available. I must say, however, I’m surprised. You seemed confident of continuing as you were.”
“Things have changed considerably for me,” Will replied before taking a long slow drink. He replaced the cup on the saucer. “And there’s the other matter.”
“What is it?”
Will smiled. “Your daughter.”
21
The weekend had been stormy with threats of more thunder and rain on that Easter morning. Laura wasn’t overly concerned. She had endured all manner of storms while living in Tennessee and wasn’t all that alarmed to learn that Cheyenne was given to terrible thunderstorms from time to time and even the occasional tornado. She had never been one to worry overly much about such things and didn’t intend to start now.
“Looks like another rain is moving in,” Etta said, coming in to help Laura with her hair. “I’m glad you won’t be attending a morning service.”
“I’m glad for that as well.”
“We don’t usually have storms in the morning like this. I guess the world’s just as upset with things as we are,” Etta said in a hushed voice.
“I suppose so. You know”—Laura glanced around and lowered her voice—“Father told me that he’ll be leaving right after breakfast and be gone until quite late tonight. That will give us all day to search his office and bedroom. I know it’s dangerous, and Will would never want me to involve myself,but I can’t help but think if we could find some proof of Father’s activities it would help to settle the matter. And with the rest of the staff off for Easter, we won’t have to worry about someone catching us in the act.”
“That is a good idea. I see nothing wrong with searching for proof of what your father has been up to, but I thought you were going to have lunch with the Vogels?”
“We can probably still work it all out. It shouldn’t take us all that long to go through things if we get right to it as soon as he leaves. He only keeps personal items in his bedroom and office, so we only need to look through those rooms.”
“All right. Should we start up here or downstairs?”
“Up here. We’ll take care of his bedroom first, then move downstairs to the office.”
Etta braided Laura’s long cinnamon-colored hair and pinned it up in a fashionable bun. She said nothing more, and Laura knew Etta was more than a little bit apprehensive about going through Father’s things.
“It’s going to be just fine, Etta. You’ll see.”
Laura went down to breakfast and tried to make polite conversation with her father. She had become quite guarded where he was concerned but fought to keep things as normal between them as possible. She still found it hard to believe he was such a corrupt and evil man, yet the signs were all there. She’d simply been ignoring them.
“It would be wonderful if you’d go with me to Easter services later. We’re having them at four thirty instead of the regular time at seven. Couldn’t you make an exception just this once?” She gave what she hoped was a look of expectation. Frankly, she didn’t want him to be anywhere near her friends, but she did want him to repent and be saved.
“As I’ve said before, religion is all right for some, but notfor me. You have your way of dealing with the disappointments of the world, and I have mine.”
“I just thought it would be nice for us to be together.”
“There will be plenty of other events where we’ll be together. I’ve already heard of quite a few summer parties that are being given. But enough of that. We need to discuss something entirely different.”
“And what is that, Father?”
He cut into the ham steak on his plate. “I have been lax on getting you settled with a husband, but I believe I have hit upon a solution.”
