“Annaliese will be a favorite instructor, as well,” Drusilla murmured before she returned her attention to him. “However, I fear with trying to watch your sisters, I’ve lost track of our conversation. Did I tell you yet that Sneaky Pete has been more forthcoming with details since he’s been behind bars?”
“You did say he was singing like a canary.”
“Indeed he is, and he expanded on what part MacSherry played in Ottilie’s disappearance by telling Agent Pearson thatMacSherry asked him to contact his old mates who still work for Captain Harvey and get them to agree—for a very large fee, of course—to get rid of Aunt Ottilie, along with the captain, since there couldn’t be any witnesses.”
Rhenick blinked. “MacSherry actually had Ottilie murdered?”
“Well, here’s the interesting part,” Drusilla said after she’d taken a dainty bite of cheese. “Sneaky Pete doesn’t think his old mates went through with it, even though MacSherry received a telegram from Captain Harvey’s first mate about seven months or so after Aunt Ottilie left on her trip, telling him the deed was done and Ottilie was now swimming with some Caribbean fishes.”
“She was in the Caribbean?”
“Perhaps, but Pete didn’t know for sure, and he doesn’t have any proof that Ottilie is still alive, but he told Agent Pearson he has a feeling. He also had a feeling about that treasure map Ottilie was using, which was why he and Fenna were determined to find a copy of the map because they believed—again, because of some feeling Sneaky Pete was getting—that Captain Harvey and Aunt Ottilie were on the trail of something big, although whether they’re still on that trail is up for debate.”
“So Sneaky Pete and Fenna really were on a double mission—one for MacSherry and one for themselves.”
“It does appear as if that’s the case, but that’s all the information I have about the matter so far, although know that Agent Pearson has already agreed to investigate Aunt Ottilie’s disappearance. He’s also sending some agents with William Baumgartner to retrieve the trunk of maps he stored for my aunt in a bank vault outside of Chicago.”
Rhenick smiled. “I suppose learning all of that did leave you feeling as if it would be safe to open your academy, but ... you said there were numerous reasons why you feel as if Chicago is meant to be your home.”
She returned his smile. “The academy isn’t the main reason Chicago feels like home, Rhenick. It’s the people I’ve met here that make it feel that way, especially your family. And, if I’m being perfectly honest,youmake it feel as if this is truly where I belong.”
Forty-Two
As Rhenick blinked somewhat owlishly back at her, quite as if he thought he’d misheard the words that had just come out of her mouth, Mrs. Potter Palmer suddenly appeared at their table, smiling broadly at Irma and interrupting what Drusilla had hoped might have turned into a bit of a life-changing moment for her.
“Forgive me for interrupting,” Mrs. Palmer said as she dipped into a curtsy. “But I’ve just learned that you’re Mrs. Morton Merriweather of New York City, no less, and wanted to be one of the first ladies to welcome you to Chicago. I’m Mrs. Potter Palmer.”
Irma smiled and inclined her head. “How delightful to meet you, Mrs. Palmer, and allow me to say that I adore this lovely hotel of yours, and am quite impressed with the meal I’ve been served thus far.” She nodded to Wilhelmine. “Have you ever been introduced to my dear friend Mrs. Franklin Whittenbecker?”
Mrs. Palmer considered Wilhelmine for a moment before she shook her head. “I’m afraid not, which means we need to remedy that situation straightaway.”
It took a good five minutes for Irma to introduce everyone sitting around the table to Mrs. Palmer, but after everyone hadbeen properly greeted, and Rhenick had finally been able to return to his seat after Mrs. Palmer bid them a lovely good day and glided out of the restaurant, Wilhelmine took to grinning.
“That was quite unexpected, and you could have knocked me over with a feather when Mrs. Palmer asked me—after she’d asked Irma, of course—if I would extend her the pleasure of my company during the book salon she’s hosting next week.”
Eloise’s eyes began to gleam. “I think there’s real promise for my debut after all, and that’s with me not even having been trained up in the manners department by Miss Drusilla, Miss Annaliese, and Miss Livingston.”
As the servers took that moment to arrive at their table once again, this time bearing a lovely chicken in cream sauce, everyone took to chatting about Mrs. Palmer and her unexpected appearance. Everyone except Rhenick, who wasn’t saying much at all, but was simply watching Drusilla instead with something interesting in his eyes.
“What are you thinking?” she finally asked.
“I’m thinking I would really like to be done with lunch so that you and I could continue the conversation we were having before Mrs. Palmer showed up.”
Her stomach took to fluttering, quite as if a collection of butterflies had taken up residency there. “I wouldn’t mind continuing with that conversation either.”
A mere second after those words left her mouth, Rhenick rose to his feet, set his napkin aside, inclined his head to his mother and Irma, who were now watching them with wide eyes, and then helped Drusilla to her feet. He took hold of her arm, drew her around numerous tables and out the door, straight across the lobby, and then down the steps of the Palmer House, nodding to one of the waiting grooms, who dashed off like a shot, leading Sweet Pea and a buggy over to them a moment later.
After helping Drusilla onto the seat, Rhenick took his place beside her and, after setting Sweet Pea in motion, turned and sent her a grin.
“I bet that just broke at least a hundred rules of etiquette,” he said cheerfully.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever gotten up mid-meal and abandoned the people I was dining with, although I am curious as to why Eloise called out for you to choose her idea—or better yet, I suppose I’m more than curious to discover exactly what idea she was speaking about.”
He considered her for a long moment, then returned his attention to the road as he steered Sweet Pea around a delivery wagon. “I don’t think Eloise’s idea is the way to go.”
“Why not?”
“It might be too abrupt.”
