“Oh, yes, of course,” Mrs. Vanderslice said, managing a rather stiff smile. “We’re happy to have you, Miss Miles. David wired me that Anna was bringing a guest, so I’ve had the spare room made up for you. Let me confirm Anna’s invitation to stay as long as you like.”
Elizabeth didn’t think that would be very long at all once she managed to sneak out to find the Old Man, but she thanked Mrs. Vanderslice and let Anna take her upstairs to her room.
“Oh, Elizabeth, I’m so glad you’re here,” Anna said, linking arms with her as they climbed the stairs. The Vanderslice home was an old one, with dark, heavy paneling and large, heavy furniture. They’d probably once had money, but now they carried on in genteel poverty, or at least not more than comfortable circumstances. David obviously worked, just as Gideon did, and Elizabeth was sure he didn’t do it just to keep from being bored. Too bad he wasn’t going to help Thornton. She could probably show David how to make a small fortune off that rat.
Anna pointed out her own bedroom, which was right next door to Elizabeth’s. The servants had started carrying up their baggage, and once again Elizabeth felt a twinge of regret for having stolen so very much luggage. Nothing she could do about it now, though.
“Can I watch you unpack?” Anna asked. “You must have some lovely things.”
“I . . . uh . . . I wasn’t sure what I would need here, so I brought everything I own,” Elizabeth lied. She opened one of the smaller bags to find an impressive array of toiletries and a set of silver-handled brushes and combs.
While Anna oohed and aahed over them, Elizabeth chose a larger case and opened it to find several stylish day dresses carefully wrapped in tissue paper. She silently thanked her benefactress for having packed something Elizabeth could actually wear.
“What’s in that one?” Anna asked, coming over to see.
“I’m not sure what’s in any of them,” Elizabeth said quite truthfully, but she had to come up with another lie to explain why. “The hotel maids packed them after I was arrested.”
Anna seemed invigorated by the chance to examine Elizabeth’s wardrobe, and together they checked the contents of every one of the cases. Anna was shocked speechless by the elaborate evening gowns that Elizabeth couldn’t imagine ever having occasion to wear. At least they found some sensible shirtwaists and skirts along with some needlessly fancy nightdresses.
“Are these real?” Anna asked, opening a jewel case to find a tangle of sparkling necklaces and bracelets.
Good heavens! “Of course not,” she said, pretty sure they were.
“This could be a trousseau,” Anna marveled with an uneasy smile. “Is there something you haven’t told me?”
“My aunt is very . . . Well, she insisted I have new clothes to wear in the East. I told her I was visiting an old friend from school, and she didn’t want me to be embarrassed.” Elizabeth was a little alarmed at how easily the lies were coming to her. She shouldn’t have been, though. She’d always been an excellent liar. The Old Man said it was her best skill.
So why did lying suddenly bother her?
Anna didn’t seem quite convinced. Elizabeth obviously needed to give more thought to her lies. She couldn’t have Anna doubting her. “I was afraid you were going to tell me you’re engaged to some fellow out West.”
“Not likely. I’m not even sure I want to get married at all.” Which wasn’t a lie. The thought of putting herself into the power of some idiot man held no appeal for her. She’d seen too many women live to regret their choices.
“Really?” Anna said. “I don’t want to get married, either. I thought I was the only girl alive who felt that way. They used to laugh at me at school when I said it, but the thought of having to live with some man day after day and sleep in his bed . . .” She shuddered delicately.
“Maybe you just haven’t found the right man yet.”
“That’s what Mother always says, but I don’t think any man would be the right one. Oh, Elizabeth, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you and I could live together instead? We could get a little house of our own, and we’d never have to worry about a man telling us what to do.”
“That does sound wonderful,” Elizabeth agreed.
“I was telling the truth when I said you are my dearest friend. I never felt this way about anyone else, not even the girls I’ve been friends with all my life.”
Elizabeth stopped rummaging through the latest suitcase and turned to look at Anna. She was sitting on the bed, her eyes wide and suspiciously moist.
“You’re my dearest friend, too,” Elizabeth said. And her only one.
Anna jumped up and threw her arms around Elizabeth. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” It was, Elizabeth marveled, the truth.
“This is the last one, miss,” the maid said, bringing in one last suitcase.
Anna and Elizabeth broke apart. Anna laid a hand over her heart and gave a little titter of delighted laughter.
“I brought your case up, too, Miss Anna,” the maid said, not even looking at them. “It’s in your room.”
Anna took both of Elizabeth’s hands in hers. “Promise me you’ll stay here forever.”
“I can’t do that, but I’ll stay until you get tired of me.”
“Then that will be forever!”
“Anna, dear,” her mother said from the doorway, “you must give Miss Miles a chance to rest from the trip, and I’m sure you should also lie down for a while before supper. You’ve been through quite an ordeal.”
“Your mother is right,” Elizabeth said, noticing again the dark circles under Anna’s eyes and the sunken hollows of her cheeks. “You should get some rest.”
“All right, but only because you asked me,” Anna said, and started for the door.
“Oh, I almost forgot why I came up,” Mrs. Vanderslice said. “Some flowers just arrived for you girls.”
“Flowers?” Anna said.
“Yes, an enormous arrangement. I had it put on the dining room table. It was addressed to both of you, and you’ll never believe who sent it.”
Anna gave Elizabeth a questioning glance. Elizabeth thought fleetingly of Gideon Bates, but he didn’t seem like the type to send flowers for no reason. “I have no idea.”
“Who was it?” Anna asked her mother.
“Oscar Thornton.”
? ? ?
The card did indeed have both of their names on it, Elizabeth confirmed at supper that evening, and Thornton had used the name she was going by now to prove he knew it. She shouldn’t have been surprised. Thornton’s thugs had obviously seen her getting off the train with Gideon Bates in Washington and had probably been watching her ever since. They could have asked any of the other women what her name was, or even David or Gideon. Of course, it wasn’t her real name, but it was her name for the moment. How well done on Thornton’s part. He not only knew her name but where to find her.
She’d never intended to stay with Anna forever, but now staying here at all was no longer safe. She’d have to get out of the city as soon as possible.