Chapter 76

Diana set down her knitting. "You know, I think perhaps I'll go dine out this evening. I'll be home at a decent hour - say nine o'clock? Mrs. V, do you think your husband could pick me up then at the Lakeshore Inn? I'll make my way down by way of the shops. I'm in a spendy sort of mood this afternoon."
"Of course, ma'am." Mrs. VanCleve smiled. "I'll stay in the house with the young lovebirds until you return. Of course I may turn my wireless up. My hearing isn't what it used to be, you know."
She actually winked at Nettie as she walked away.
Diana followed, waving over her shoulder. "Have a good night, sister. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." With a laugh, she followed the housekeeper down the back stairs.
Nettie sat in stunned silence.
They'd all conspired to give her and Eli an evening to themselves.
The wall clock showed it was nearly five. Diana wouldn't have many shops to choose from still open, but the dime store and department store were open until seven. At five, Eli's employees would leave. Mrs. V would stay in her little sitting room after dinner, with her wireless. Tucked off the kitchen, it was under the main dining room. If she and Eli retired to the parlor after dinner, they would have nearly complete privacy.
Nettie shivered. Maybe she should go put on her mother's rhinestone earrings. And lipstick. And definitely more perfume.
She'd gotten up to go to her room when she heard Eli's footsteps on the back stairs. She moved into the hallway to greet him, fairly bouncing with excitement at the idea of an evening alone. One look at Eli drove that completely from her mind. His face was grim, his skin and clothing covered with ash and soot.
"I didn't hear the fire bell." It was the only thing she could think to say. The bandage on his hand was fresh, and those were clean, so she took them in hers. "Eli what's wrong." She'd seen him serious, furious, and playful, but never so despondent.
"Come sit down, Nettie." He dropped her hands and led her into the breakfast room. The dumbwaiter chimed and he pulled a carafe of coffee from inside, along with two cups. "Sit down. I'm afraid I have some awful news, my dear."
Nettie sat, hugging herself with her good arm. "Tell me," she said as he meticulously poured the coffee and added sugar to hers. "Diana? She's only just left the house. Has something happened to her?"
"No. My sister waved as I was walking in. It's your father, Nettie. I'm afraid he's gone."
"Gone? Gone where? Away? Missing? To jail?" She didn't know quite what Eli expected her to feel. It wasn't as if she was going to miss the man.
"He's dead, Nettie. He somehow managed to burn down his house around him. We found him when we went for the sewing machine. It probably happened last night, and it was so cloudy no one saw the smoke." He pressed the cup into her hand. "Drink up. It'll help with the shock."
"Well." She still didn't quite know how to feel. There was sadness, of course. And guilt, a lot of that. "Is it so very wrong that part of me is relieved?" She hated to even mention it, but there was a weight lifted, knowing he could do no more damage to her or Eli.
"No. I have to admit to that as well. He can't hurt you anymore, Nettie. And whatever it was in him that broke, that allowed him to cause such pain, maybe that's gone too. Perhaps he's finally at peace."
Her eyes stung. "That's a beautiful way to look at it. Thank you, dearest." It was the first time she'd called him that and it felt right. "Did you - is he - are you sure..."
He sipped his coffee. "His remains are with the police. There's...not much left to identify him, but we found a little bit left of his boots. Not many men wear a size 13. As soon as they're done with the body, I'll arrange for the funeral. I assume you'll want him with your mother?"
"That's what she would have wanted." Nettie still couldn't come to grips with the idea that she was finally free. "I really couldn't care less. I'm not about to go into mourning like a Victorian maiden."
"Good. Because I don't want to delay the wedding for a year." He brushed her cheek. "Why don't you go lie down for a while until supper? You look pale and I need a bath. Meet you in the dining room at six?"
"Perfect." They'd have their night alone as planned. Only Nettie didn't feel quite as much like celebrating.
Nor did she feel like lying down. She had a broken arm, not a dread disease and in general she was not a fragile person. Eli, and to a lesser extent, Diana, seemed intent on treating her as if she was. That was something she needed to put a stop to before the wedding.
If there was still going to be a wedding. With her father gone, Nettie didn't need protection any more. She could take her wages and move into a respectable boarding house.
She paced her room, anxious to talk to Eli. His hastily spoken words certainly seemed to imply that he planned to go on as they'd discussed. How much of that was him being noble and refusing to back out of a promise? Did he truly want to go ahead with the wedding? She needed to know before she burst.
Stalling, she remembered to put on the dainty rhinestone earrings, but the lipstick and perfume seemed over the top on the day of her father's death. She supposed she should put on something black, but her skirts had fastenings she couldn't manage with one hand, and all the frocks Diana had bought her were in cheerful pastels. She couldn't do much about her hair, either - the braid Diana had put in this morning would have to do.