Questions of Honour

Dooley snickered at Sean, but muttered an apology to Brendan, then slipped away, leaving Brendan and Sean at the bar.

“I was thinkin’ I’d ask Abby to the social on Saturday. With Wheaton back it’d be a good thing if she went with me.”

Brendan felt sorry for Sean. He’d been the butt of jokes for years and he could be particularly annoying when he bragged on imagined alliances with the AMU to make himself important.

“Sean,” Brendan said and clapped the other man on the shoulder. “She’s never seen you in that light. Besides, Joshua Wheaton is engaged to be married, so there shouldn’t be anything for people to talk about. Thanks for defendin’ her just now, though. I promised to pick up something for Abby at the store so I best be on my way.”

Sean smiled. “I’ll walk with you. Maybe I’ll get a glimpse of Abby as we pass your house.”

Brendan sighed and silently cursed his rotten luck. He was uncomfortable with Sean’s undying affection for Abby. She’d bluntly refused his courtship and yet he remained devoted.

“You get what you came for and I’ll just look about,” Murphy said at the store.

Brendan waited at the counter for Ethan Prescott. Several minutes later Prescott pushed aside the curtain to his back room and stepped out. “What can I do for you, Murphy?” he said, staring right at Brendan.

It had not been a good day. “How long is it going to take for you to tell us apart? I’m Brendan Kane, Prescott. My sister works for you. I know one sooted-up miner looks like another to you but …” Brendan stopped, noticing Prescott’s bored expression. “Oh, forget it. Ten pounds of flour.”

“You want this on your account, don’t you?”

Brendan nodded and signed for the flour in the account book. When Prescott returned with the sack of flour, Brendan slung it over his shoulder. He turned to leave and found Murphy staring at him with an odd look in his eyes.

“Problem, Sean?”

Murphy shrugged. “I forgot I’ve something to do.

Tell Abby I said halloo.”

Brendan watched him rush away, grateful for the reprieve, but disturbed … as well. The only thing he could think Sean would find more important than another attempt at courting Abby was going off to try ingratiating himself further to AMU members. Murphy was not only odd, he had dangerous leanings.

Joshua walked in the hills for hours. He felt like a ship set adrift on becalmed seas. Lost. Hopeless. He thought of the years he and Abby had shared. First as friends then finally as lovers. He remembered the innocence of her sparkling eyes. He remembered her laughter when life should have held nothing to smile about. He remembered her guilty tears the night their son must have been conceived and the argument they’d had when she’d refused to leave town with him. Remembering. Hurting. He walked for hours scarcely noticing when the sun slipped behind the hills.

He arrived home long after dark. Dinner was thankfully a memory. With guests in the house, he would have been obligated to be civil to Harlan during the meal. Josh couldn’t have done it.

“Is Harlan in his room, Henry?” Josh snapped when Henry met him at the door. The butler stepped back, his eyes wide. “I apologize, Henry. I’m not at my best. I just found out I’ve been a father for nine years but no one has ever seen fit to tell me. I’ll show myself in. No need to risk him snarling at you, as well.”

“Thank you, sir,” Henry said, then seemed to scurry for cover.

Wise man, Joshua thought as he stalked toward Harlan’s lair. Since learning about Daniel, Josh hadn’t thought of Harlan as “Father” even once. And if he didn’t get a damned good explanation Josh probably never would. The old bear wouldn’t hide from him tonight! Without knocking, Josh slammed through the door.

“Joshua! What in heaven’s name is wrong?” Harlan shouted.

“Wrong? What could be wrong?” Josh asked, his tone biting. “This morning I realized half the people were treating me like a leper and the rest snickered when I passed. Then I went to take a look at the conditions in the mines. How does appalling sound?”

“Well—” the old man noisily cleared his throat “—I haven’t had my hand in there for some time now. Crippled the way I—”

“Don’t!” Josh roared.

Harlan blinked. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t try weaseling out using your condition. We’ll talk about the mines, and what I’ve decided to do with them at another time. Right now, I want to discuss why people acted the way they did toward me. Abaigeal Sullivan.”

“What about her?”

“Abby’s a widow. She has no husband. She does have a son, though. Mine!“ The word reverberated through the room.

Harlan sat a bit straighter. “You believe that claptrap?”

“Believe it? Why wouldn’t I believe it?”

“Because she married another man as soon as I tossed the two of them, their demands and lies out of my house. Michael Kane went so far as to threaten me. He’s lucky I thought he was amusing.”

“Threats? What would he have to threaten you with?”

“Hmmph! Kane said my grandchild would grow up in the coal patch, hating its rightful name. I assume he’s turning him into a Workman just like the rest of the rabble.”

“What did you say to that?” Josh asked, already having dismissed the very idea that any Kane would be mixed up with the AMU. Daniel clearly did hate his rightful name, though. What made it hurt worse was they’d chosen to give him the surname of a man everyone knew Josh hated.

“I said my son wouldn’t be held responsible for Kane’s daughter being a tramp.”

Fury surged anew through Josh. “Abby was not a tramp!”

“How do you know what she did when you weren’t around?”

No matter how much she’d hurt him, she’d been innocent. He wouldn’t retract his defense of her. “Because, you dirty-minded old bastard, she was a virgin! The night Daniel was conceived was the only time I took us that far. Abby was … Dear God … she was so guilt-ridden afterward it tore my heart out. I made her a promise that it wouldn’t happen again until we were married. A little over a month later you and I fought over you trying to make me give her up.”

Joshua had the pleasure of watching Harlan pale. He was clearly worried now. “But he doesn’t look like you. I’ve asked. Don’t you think I haven’t!”

“If you’d bothered to see him yourself you’d have noticed he has my eyes.”

Harlan scowled. “So he has blue eyes. That proves nothing. I kept the two of you apart for your own good. She was a miner’s daughter. There’s nothing you can do about it all these years later,” Harlan added uncertainly.

“Oh, there’s something I can do, all right!” Joshua snarled, his fist clenched. “I can find out why she took my money and didn’t join me. I can find out why she didn’t let me know about Daniel. I already know why you didn’t tell me. God help you if I find out you did more.”

“I did what I thought was best for you,” Harlan said.

“What you thought? You think you’re better than the men who die making money for you. Michael Kane is a better man than you could ever hope to be and he was more a father to me than you ever were! I had a right to be that kind of father to my son. I also had a right to be here, not wandering around Europe, unable to face living so close to Abby and her husband. I could have come home years ago. Just how long has Sullivan been dead?”

“I hoped you’d forget her if you thought she was married. I hoped you’d meet someone else.”

“I loved Abby.” Joshua stared at him, trying not to hate him. It was too late.

“Where are you going?” Harlan asked when Josh turned away.

“I’m not going to pack and leave if that’s worrying you.”

Seeing the relief on Harlan’s face, Joshua added ruthlessly, “But not because of you. I’m staying because my son is here in Wheatonburg and I intend to get to know him. If I can, considering he loathes the sight of me. I’m also staying because there are two hundred miners and laborers here along with their families. They need me to clean up those death traps you call mines.”

Harlan watched his son’s stiff back as he stalked toward the stairs, leaving the door open. Joshua’s words had cut deeply. He was old and alone but for his son. He’d had such hope when Joshua had agreed to return to run the mines. And now, once his boy learned what he’d done, he might well pack his bags. He wouldn’t leave Wheatonburg but might move out of the manor.