straightening. “You’ll soon be right as rain.”
Lydia reached out. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get you the information about my arrival. Everything happened so fast.”
“Don’t fret about it. We can discuss it later.”
“But I’ve imposed myself upon you, and I never even gave you a chance to approve my coming.”
Zerelda laughed. “You are such a silly goose. Of course I approve your coming here. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. My employer is leaving for Germany at the end of the summer. His wife passed on a few months back. I think I told you about that.”
Lydia nodded.
“Well, I was seriously wondering what the Lord had for me next, but now I guess I know.” She offered Lydia a sweet smile. “I’m so glad you’ve come, Lydia. You are going to be a blessing to me.”
“I demand you tell us where Lydia has gone,” a red-faced Mitchell Gray declared.
Dwight Robinson merely shrugged. “I presume that if Mrs. Gray wanted you to know her whereabouts, she would have left a forwarding address.”
“So she has moved?” Marston eyed the lawyer closely. It was clear by his expression that he hadn’t meant to reveal even this much. The man quickly recovered, however.
“Well, she isn’t living at the mansion anymore, so don’t you imagine she has?” Robinson replied.
“And is she still in the city?” Mitchell asked. “Look, we have a business to run. There’s a guard there who tells us we are no longer needed. This is our family’s business, and we have a right to it.”
“Not according to the will.” Robinson looked at both of them before momentarily settling his gaze on Marston. “Sirs, I have no authority to share any information with you. Mrs. Gray has given me no instruction to share her whereabouts.”
“But what of the legal business that involves her?” Mitchell again pressed for answers.
Marston leaned back in his seat and held his temper in check. So Lydia had finally learned to stand up for herself. He almost smiled at the thought. He rather liked this new temperament. It made her more of a challenge.
“I assure you both I am quite capable of handling Mrs. Gray’s legal affairs. She has given me her full permission to see to her best interests.”
“Then you have her permission to share with us her current address,” Marston said with a smile.
Robinson shook his head and returned Marston’s stiff smile. “My dear sir, I think without saying anything more, we both know that giving you access to her whereabouts is not at all in keeping with her best interests.”
Marston narrowed his eyes. “You are playing a dangerous game, Robinson. We have strong allies.”
“You may have had at one time, but only because your father bullied everyone. Times are changing. The politics, the atmosphere of the city—it’s all transforming for the better. New laws will make it more difficult for people like you to harass and harm others.”
Mitchell slammed his fist on the arm of the chair. “That’s slander, I daresay.”
“Mrs. Gray endured a great deal at your father’s hand. As I understand it, there was much that was questionable in his actions.”
“No one cares about such things, and well you know it. She’s a woman,” Marston declared. “She was a wife, nothing more than my father’s property. When she refused to be obedient as she had pledged in her marriage contract, my father was forced to be heavy-handed at times.”
“All that to say, you would do well to remember that your father wasn’t the only one who knew how to utilize information,” Robinson replied. “If I were you, I would refrain from bringing too much attention to myself. Society may accept such matters, but I do not. I see nothing acceptable in beating women and children. A man must surely be a weakling if he has to take such actions.”
“I don’t recall asking for your opinion,” Marston said. He had received enough beatings at the hand of his father to completely
Lydia reached out. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get you the information about my arrival. Everything happened so fast.”
“Don’t fret about it. We can discuss it later.”
“But I’ve imposed myself upon you, and I never even gave you a chance to approve my coming.”
Zerelda laughed. “You are such a silly goose. Of course I approve your coming here. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. My employer is leaving for Germany at the end of the summer. His wife passed on a few months back. I think I told you about that.”
Lydia nodded.
“Well, I was seriously wondering what the Lord had for me next, but now I guess I know.” She offered Lydia a sweet smile. “I’m so glad you’ve come, Lydia. You are going to be a blessing to me.”
“I demand you tell us where Lydia has gone,” a red-faced Mitchell Gray declared.
Dwight Robinson merely shrugged. “I presume that if Mrs. Gray wanted you to know her whereabouts, she would have left a forwarding address.”
“So she has moved?” Marston eyed the lawyer closely. It was clear by his expression that he hadn’t meant to reveal even this much. The man quickly recovered, however.
“Well, she isn’t living at the mansion anymore, so don’t you imagine she has?” Robinson replied.
“And is she still in the city?” Mitchell asked. “Look, we have a business to run. There’s a guard there who tells us we are no longer needed. This is our family’s business, and we have a right to it.”
“Not according to the will.” Robinson looked at both of them before momentarily settling his gaze on Marston. “Sirs, I have no authority to share any information with you. Mrs. Gray has given me no instruction to share her whereabouts.”
“But what of the legal business that involves her?” Mitchell again pressed for answers.
Marston leaned back in his seat and held his temper in check. So Lydia had finally learned to stand up for herself. He almost smiled at the thought. He rather liked this new temperament. It made her more of a challenge.
“I assure you both I am quite capable of handling Mrs. Gray’s legal affairs. She has given me her full permission to see to her best interests.”
“Then you have her permission to share with us her current address,” Marston said with a smile.
Robinson shook his head and returned Marston’s stiff smile. “My dear sir, I think without saying anything more, we both know that giving you access to her whereabouts is not at all in keeping with her best interests.”
Marston narrowed his eyes. “You are playing a dangerous game, Robinson. We have strong allies.”
“You may have had at one time, but only because your father bullied everyone. Times are changing. The politics, the atmosphere of the city—it’s all transforming for the better. New laws will make it more difficult for people like you to harass and harm others.”
Mitchell slammed his fist on the arm of the chair. “That’s slander, I daresay.”
“Mrs. Gray endured a great deal at your father’s hand. As I understand it, there was much that was questionable in his actions.”
“No one cares about such things, and well you know it. She’s a woman,” Marston declared. “She was a wife, nothing more than my father’s property. When she refused to be obedient as she had pledged in her marriage contract, my father was forced to be heavy-handed at times.”
“All that to say, you would do well to remember that your father wasn’t the only one who knew how to utilize information,” Robinson replied. “If I were you, I would refrain from bringing too much attention to myself. Society may accept such matters, but I do not. I see nothing acceptable in beating women and children. A man must surely be a weakling if he has to take such actions.”
“I don’t recall asking for your opinion,” Marston said. He had received enough beatings at the hand of his father to completely