The Bareknuckle Groom - Holly Bush Page 0,27
listen to gossip.”
“Except this young woman, as Kirsty described, did not seem the least intimidated by you or enthralled with your attention. She said she seemed aloof to you but was kind to her. That makes me wonder about her.”
“Nothing to wonder about, Muireall. Kirsty has always got romance on her mind. She sees it everywhere.”
“Elspeth has added her, her father, and her aunt to the guest list.”
James shrugged. “Kirsty will be pleased. She was much in awe of Miss Vermeal.”
“And you, James? Are you in awe of Miss Vermeal?”
“In awe? She’s a snob, Muireall. I have no time for that,” James said and buried his face in the paper.
There were several listings for laborers and carpenters. He had no idea how to be a carpenter, and he didn’t particularly want to dig ditches, which was mostly what the laborers he knew did, that and haul heavy shingles, bricks, and blocks. He could always go work at the Pendergast mill, where MacAvoy worked. Alexander’s father would put in a good word for him, and he supposed he could learn to run one of the massive looms his friend described. He didn’t think he could work for MacAvoy; that would put too much of a strain on their friendship, especially if MacAvoy had to fire him. If these jobs were as boring and repetitive as they sounded, he would do something stupid just to liven his day. What would Lucinda Vermeal think of him if he were a laborer in a mill? He put that thought aside quickly.
“How did we do last year?” he asked.
“Do?”
“The business. The canning business. I imagine you’ll be closing the books on last year soon and adding up all the columns. How did we do?” He dropped the paper to his lap and looked at his eldest sister.
“We did fine. A little better than the prior year. I’m going to invest part of it in some new labeling equipment. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondered. One of these years, I may set up in my own rooms somewhere, when Kirsty marries and Payden goes off to school.”
Muireall stared at him. “You’re assuming I’ll live out my life here with Aunt Murdoch.”
“Do you have any big plans? You never even leave the house. I assumed you’d stay here until . . . until . . .”
“Until one of my siblings buries me and sells the house?”
“Now you’re being morbid.”
“We cleared around two thousand dollars. I’ll split it between the six of us and give Mrs. McClintok a bonus. She’s saving for an education for Robbie, and she deserves it.”
“I don’t care if she gets some of the money. We couldn’t do what we do without her. So I’ll clear three hundred dollars or thereabouts,” James said. He had a little nest egg of gold in a pouch buried in the wall of his room and some paper money in the bank from his fights, although sometimes he spent it without thinking, especially after a bout when he and MacAvoy were celebrating and buying rounds for everyone in the tavern, and ten dollars went to Daisy too. “The money from Mother and Father still pays for all the household expenses, or do you have to pay for things out of the canning business?”
“This house and all the expenses surrounding it, including personal items for any of us, is paid for from the interest on the monies brought from Scotland. I have the principal in a variety of investments in case there’s a bank failure or some catastrophe.”
“You’ve kept us afloat all of these years, even when we first came here and you were very young,” he said, looking at Muireall with the respect she no doubt deserved.
“Aunt helped in the beginning, but she was never terribly interested. I enjoy keeping the books and keeping our family as comfortable as possible within our means.” She looked up at him. “What precipitates this sudden interest?”
He thought about telling her of the offer from the Pendergasts but had some odd feeling that he wanted to keep it close to the vest. Maybe until he could understand it more fully. Maybe until he’d had a chance to finish his conversation with Lucinda Vermeal. He groaned aloud with that foolish thought.
“What was that for?” Muireall asked.
Chapter 7
“Thank you for inviting us,” Lucinda said to Elspeth Pendergast as she stepped into the Pendergast home and handed a servant her cape.
“We are so happy that you could join us, Miss Vermeal, and your father and aunt