Filed To Story: Alessia Mistaken as Mistress Book PDF Free
“And you would discredit her for loving your brother?”
“Not if William is really my brother’s child.”
Milos worked his jaw and stood with his weight on one leg. He sliced the air with the edge of a palm, punctuating his next sentence. “Do you have reason to believe he’s not William’s child?”
“I have reason to question it,” Nicholas replied sharply. “She was poor. Stephen was rich. By marrying him, she became rich, too. She’d had relationships with other men before Stephen.”
“None of that is damning evidence by itself.”
“Which is why she’s here,” he said, slamming his fist on the desktop. “I can’t prove it.”
Milos pierced him with an unyielding gray gaze. “I thought she was here because she’s your brother’s wife.”
Nicholas swallowed the anger that had risen to a dangerous level. Why was his friend defending the woman! Why had Stephen married her? Damn him! Damn them both.
Milos approached Nicholas’s desk. “This case against Claire isn’t just about her,” he said, his penetrating eyes seeking confirmation on his friend’s face. “This distrust is more about Stephen, about your disapproval and your lack of respect for him. He could have married an Eastern socialite with a dowry, and you’d have found reason to disapprove.”
“That’s not so.”
“It is so. And if you’d look past Halliday Iron long enough, you’d see it.”
“You don’t have to tell me the mistakes I made with Stephen,” he said, his voice carefully controlled. “I’d like nothing better than to go back and change those things. But I can’t do that.”
“No. Once we’ve made our mistakes, there’s no taking them back,” Milos agreed. “So don’t make a bigger one with Claire.”
Nicholas absorbed those words, his anger abating. If anyone but Milos had said them he’d have thrown him from his office. Milos knew that. And in order to speak with such candor, he obviously trusted the strength of their friendship.
“Point taken,” Nicholas conceded. “And while we’re at it, let me give you some advice: Don’t let yourself make a big mistake with her, either.”
Milos seemed to think about that, as if wondering exactly what that mistake would be. He nodded thoughtfully on his way back to his desk.
Nicholas returned to his mail, intent on thinking about work and not Claire for the rest of the day. Milos had made some strong points. But of course his feelings about Stephen influenced his reaction to Claire. Stephen’s choices had never been the best ones for Halliday Iron. Nicholas couldn’t be expected to overlook all of that and blindly accept this last and most outrageous choice.
Claire had certainly found an ally, though, hadn’t she? He hoped his forewarning was enough to keep Milos from championing her cause to the point of interfering with their professional relationship.
The thought set off yet another warning bell. If she was devious enough to use Milos to her advantage, he stood to lose even more. He couldn’t let that happen.
Another thought insinuated itself into his conscience. He’d been foolish enough to kiss her, but he’d been wise enough to steel himself against his own reactions and remind himself who she was and what he stood to lose. But kissing her could easily make any man her ally.
Had she kissed Milos like that, too?
The Coughlins’ home was every bit as elegantly appointed as the Hallidays’; however, a woman’s hand was more visible in the touches of color and grace. The luncheon was held in a sun-splashed music room where lacy ferns in enormous jardinieres and hanging begonias lent a rich-scented outdoor feel.
Elizabeth introduced Alessia to each of the women as they arrived. Each one expressed her sympathy and greeted Alessia warmly. Apparently the Halliday name and the association with the Coughlins were direct links to social acceptance.
She sipped tea, visited and for the first time had an opportunity to speak to other women about nursing babies and raising children. For a few short hours, she forgot her situation and felt like any young mother out for an afternoon’s social activities.
Their guest speaker was from the Ladies’ Aid Society. She spoke on the many needs in their community, and how each donation of time and money would be put to use. She described a steel worker who had been placed out of work recently, and whose wife was now ill. More than funds, help cooking and caring for their children was desperately needed.
Could this be the same steel worker she’d overheard Nicholas telling Gruver about? The same one Nicholas had sent provisions to? Halliday Iron wasn’t the only iron works in the valley.
After the speech, Alessia drew the woman aside. “One of Nicholas’s workers was injured,” she said, “His name is Crane.”
Phoebe Graham nodded. “The very one I spoke of. My maid tells me his wife is now quite ill.”
Alessia didn’t have funds of her own to donate, but she had time. Especially in the afternoons when William took his longest nap. Immediately she remembered wishing she could repay Stephen’s kindness by using his own advice:
Just do a good turn for someone else.
“Could you give me the address?” she asked. “I’d like to make a trip to the Cranes’ myself.”
“I’ll send a messenger with it this evening,” Mrs. Graham promised.
Alessia thanked her. She was sure if Nicholas had known about the Crane woman’s illness he would have sent someone. His concern with his workers was one of his best qualities.
That evening at dinner Nicholas related an upcoming event.
“Three of my business associates and their wives will be staying with us for about a week. I expect you to make the arrangements for their stay.” He raised a brow at Alessia. “Plan an evening’s entertainment, as well. Quinn Kleymann is an important stockbroker. Monty Gallamore and Sherwood McCaul are two of our biggest buyers.”
She nodded and glanced at Leda. The woman smiled encouragingly. “You’ll like them, dear. And I will help.”
Alessia turned back to Nicholas and replied, “I will handle the preparations.”
As soon as Nicholas excused himself and left the table, Alessia turned to Leda. “Will we need to hire extra staff for that week?”
Leda confirmed her thoughts.
“I’ll handle that, and I’ll work with Mrs. Pratt on menus this evening, but I have something I need to do tomorrow afternoon.”
“Oh?”
She explained about the Crane woman.
“Claire, darling, please don’t take any chances with your own health and safety. Nicholas can send someone over.”
“No, no, you have nothing to worry about. I’ve been trying to figure out some way to help more, and-“
“But you’re a tremendous help to me.”
“I’m afraid Nicholas doesn’t see it that way. This is something I need to do.”
Leda gave her an uncertain look, but she nodded. “Do what you feel you must.”
Impulsively, Alessia leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “And you leave the evening’s entertainment to me. I’ll think of something lovely.”
“I’m sure you will.”
They smiled at one another affectionately.
Gruver came for her at precisely twelve-fifteen, just as she’d asked. He knew the area the Cranes lived in, delivered her to their door and assisted her to the ground. “Mr. Halliday won’t be needing me until late. I can wait for you.”
She surveyed the row of shacklike cabins with a shiver of unease. The yards were relatively tidy, and the meager structures themselves in good repair, but she’d lived her whole life in luxury and had never seen homes so obviously poor.
“I don’t want you to spend your whole afternoon waiting,” she said. “Just let me make sure this is the right place.”
“It’s safe, Mrs. Halliday,” Gruver said, assuring her. “I wouldn’t leave you off anywhere I thought something would happen to you.”
Alessia made her way along the dirt path to the cabin. A window box beneath each of the two front windows held an assortment of spindly red and yellow flowers. She knocked on the weathered door.