“You spent decades spying on all of us?” Mrs. Davenport demanded.
“Quite, but before you begin to take me to task, ask yourself this—am I right about why you behaved so outlandishly toward Gertrude? And, if I am, you might consider thanking me for bringing that to light, which will then allow you to adjust your behavior from this point forward. You are not alone, my dear Mrs. Davenport, nor will you ever be alone since Mabel and I have decided to invite you into our lives.”
Mrs. Davenport lifted her chin. “While I have no intention of accepting that invitation, Henrietta, it might not even be an option at this point since that Pinkerton man—” she tossed a glare Agent McParland’s way—“seems determined to arrest someone today. Because I certainly will not allow him to arrest Gertrude, I’m offering up myself to soothe his quest for justice.” She thrust out her hands, exposing her wrists. “You may now feel free to cart me off to jail, Agent McParland. I have certainly helped myself to possessions that did not belong to me over the years, and while those possessions were returned to their rightful owners, I still took them. However, I will not allow you to charge me for the crimes committed at the Manhattan Beach Hotel. I did not help myself to a single trinket there, although I will admit I did find that tiara almost irresistible.”
“But you didn’t take it,” Gertrude argued.
“Of course I didn’t,” Mrs. Davenport said before she smiled ever so slightly. “Since I’d already stashed my reticule in that drawer on board theCornelia, I had nowhere to stow a tiara.”
“This is not the time for your odd sense of humor,” Gertrude said before she looked Agent McParland’s way. “It would appear as if your case is crumbling around you, Agent McParland, no matter that Mrs. Davenport has offered herself up as some type of sacrifice. As was stated before, Edwina can provide Mrs. Davenport with a credible alibi, and Miss Henrietta has offered to do the same for me. With that said, I can’t help but wonder if you’ve now concluded we are not the prime suspects you imagined us to be, and are now willing to turn your investigation in a different direction.”
For a long moment, Agent McParland simply considered Gertrude, until he stuffed his small notepad back into his jacket and nodded. “I’m not an unreasonable man, Miss Cadwalader, and admit that the evidence I have against you is not as strong as I originally thought. For now, I will allow you and Mrs. Davenport to maintain your freedom, but do not plan on leaving the country any time soon.” He turned and was suddenly smiling at Edwina again. “Your alibi has been most helpful to me, but I will still need to get a more detailed accounting of the events of the night in question, if that would be acceptable to you, Miss...?”
“She’s Miss Edwina Sinclair, my sister,” Harrison said, drawing himself up to his full height. “And I don’t believe there’s any need for you to get a more detailed accounting than you’ve already received, nor is there any need for you to smile quite that way at mybabysister.”
Edwina, being the annoying baby sister she obviously was, wrinkled her nose at him. “Stop embarrassing me,” she mumbled before she began batting her lashes at Agent McParland in a way Harrison had never seen before.
“Where did she learn how to do that?” he asked to no one in particular.
“Agent McParland at your service, Miss Sinclair, but do feel free to call me Samuel,” Agent McParland said before he took Edwina’s hand, raised it to his lips, and placed a kiss on her fingers that had Harrison’s hands clenching into fists.
“And here I was so hoping to add Edwina to the top of our list of ladies to take in hand,” Miss Henrietta suddenly said with a sad shake of her head. “But I’ve seen that look before, which means our assistance won’t be needed in her case.”
“It’s a shame,” Miss Mabel agreed, speaking up for the first time. “But we still have Gertrude, and do not forget Miss Temperance Flowerdew.”
Miss Henrietta and Miss Mabel turned their attention to Temperance, who was even now trying to edge ever so discreetly backward down the aisle, her escape effectively thwarted by the notice now directed her way.
“There’s really no need for you to take me in hand,” Temperance began. “Not that I don’t appreciate the interest, Miss Henrietta and Miss Mabel. But since I’m soon going to have to secure employment, along with finding a room to let, I’m afraid I won’t have time to be taken in hand, no matter howdelightfulthat idea sounds.”
Miss Henrietta and Miss Mabel exchanged looks before Miss Henrietta turned her gaze back to Temperance. “Mabel and I have known it was only a matter of time until your reprehensible relations kicked you out into the street. That is exactly why we decided to add you to our take-in-hand list. However...” She leaned closer to her sister, they began whispering furiously, then Miss Henrietta lifted her chin and smiled.
Because Harrison wasn’t used to seeing Miss Henrietta smile all that often, he found the smile to be somewhat frightening, and when Miss Mabel began to smile and nod Temperance’s way as well, he couldn’t say he was surprised when Temperance began edging backward once again.
“You’ll be pleased to learn that Mabel and I have already come up with the perfect plan as to what to do with you, Miss Flowerdew.”
Temperance’s backward momentum increased. “While that does sound most exciting, you’ll have to tell me about it later. I really must be getting back home—lots of packing to do and all.”
Miss Henrietta’s smile widened. “Indeed, because you’ll need to move immediately, especially to take up your new position at Miss Snook’s School for the Education of the Feminine Mind. That position, you’ll be simply delighted to learn, comes with room and board on the school’s new premises, otherwise known as Mabel’s and my former home.”
Temperance’s edging came to an immediate stop. “Why do you believe Miss Snook would be interested in bringing me on as a teacher? It’s not as if I have any experience in a classroom.”
“You may not have any experience teaching,” Miss Mabel said, stepping forward, “but Henrietta and I are well aware that you were studying painting in Paris with some of the renowned painters of the day at the time of your parents’ deaths. We also remember, although that memory just sprang back to mind, that you possess quite the talent with musical instruments, having performed in Boston when you were only a child, and stunning the audience with your ability to play not only the piano, but any string instrument you were handed.”
“And because of those talents,” Miss Henrietta added, “and because Miss Snook recently remarked that she wants to expand the classes offered at her school to include the arts, well, I would have to imagine this is one of those curious instances when God has aligned everything just so in order to bring about His will.”
“But how do you know about my artistic nature?” Temperance asked.
Miss Henrietta smiled rather smugly. “I wasn’t exaggerating our abilities to observe and collect information, dear. We’ve even been known to reach out via letters to people in all different parts of the world.”
“Goodness,” Temperance whispered, earning another smile and a nod from Miss Henrietta in the process.
“Indeed, but to dispel any doubts you may have as to whether you should accept this position at Miss Snook’s school, who, by the way, is a most charming lady, let us turn to the expert in all matters of God and His unusual ways.” She gestured to Reverend Perry, who’d moved closer toward the altar and hadn’t entered this recent conversation, but seemed to be content with simply observing the scene unfolding in front of him.
Smiling, Reverend Perry stepped forward and cleared his throat. “How unusual to have such rapt attention directed my way from everyone in the congregation at the same time,” he began. “Attention I’m hoping I’ll see again the next time I’m delivering a sermon, especially since it does seem as if a good majority of the sermons I’ve delivered have not been listened to over the years.” He nodded to Mrs. Davenport and then Gertrude.
“However, having said that, allow me to elaborate on Miss Henrietta’s excellent point. Over the years, I’ve seen God arrange lives in the most curious of ways, and I do believe all of us have witnessed God’s will and grace today.” He gestured to Temperance. “You are obviously in need of employment and a new place to live, and a solution has been presented to you most unexpectedly. But not only will you be benefiting from this, Miss Snook’s students will be given an opportunity to experience the arts, something most of her students would never dream they’d be given the opportunity to do.”
He turned to Gertrude. “You, my dear, have obviously been trying to make amends for what happened to your mother—a situation you’ve never been open to discussing with me before, but I do know the circumstances surrounding your mother’s death. What I believe you’ve been given today is a way to understand that God never held you accountable for her death, because it was her choice to leave you. I’ve come to think you’ve been trying to make amends for something over the years, but know that God forgives you.”
