Gideon wasn’t sure why he needed to see David. He just knew he did. Luckily, he didn’t have any scheduled appointments that morning, so he told the good folks at Devoss and Van Aken that he had to go visit a client. It wasn’t a lie.
He walked the short distance to David’s office, which was a cluster of rooms in a tastefully insignificant building just off Fifth Avenue. No one sat at the front desk. In fact, it was so tidy, Gideon imagined no one had sat at it for a while. None of David’s partners appeared to be in, either. Their office doors stood open to reveal equally tidy and empty desks. Of course, the partners only appeared when there was money to be made, and even then not before noon.
David’s office door was closed, but Gideon had telephoned, so David was expecting him. Gideon knocked perfunctorily and went in without waiting for permission. To his surprise, he saw David had a visitor. “Excuse me. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Gideon,” David said with obvious delight. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
David and his guest had both risen, and Gideon saw he was a tall man who held himself perfectly erect. His expensive suit was severely tailored so it resembled nothing so much as a uniform, and his silver hair was trimmed short and neatly combed. Gideon had an overwhelming urge to salute.
“General Sterling, may I present Gideon Bates?” David said.
Gideon shook the general’s hand. In spite of his age, his firm grip was just short of painful.
“Pleased to meet you, young man. Vanderslice here was just singing your praises.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
The general didn’t smile at that. Instead he studied Gideon with his icy blue eyes as if taking his measure. Or judging his fitness for combat.
“Please, sit down,” David said after an awkward moment. “I was just telling the general that you’re going to provide legal advice for the transaction, Gideon.”
Too late to back out now, Gideon supposed. “That’s right.”
“But Vanderslice is concerned because you’ve got some sort of grudge against this man Thornton,” the general said.
More than a grudge, but how to explain it? “He was married to a cousin of mine. He treated her badly.” A shocking understatement, but he couldn’t very well accuse a man of murder with no proof beyond his mother’s intuition.
“But the wife, your cousin, she’s left him now?”
“No, she’s . . . dead.”
The general had no reaction to that. None at all. “I see. And you blame him. That’s natural. But I’ll tell you, Bates, this is war. We have to put our personal feelings aside. I’d be willing to do business with the Devil himself if it meant I could get the equipment our boys need to fight the Kaiser.”
Gideon didn’t doubt it. “I’m sure the army appreciates your dedication.”
“I don’t give a damn whether the army appreciates it or not. I’m doing this for my country, young man, and because the president asked me to step forward. And because good men will die if I don’t. In any case, you do know that you’ll collect a handsome fee for your time? That’s usually enough to convince most people to ignore their principles.”
Gideon stiffened. “My principles are not for sale.”
The general raised his eyebrows. “And nobody wants to buy them, young man. We only need for you to come to terms with them. Now, I need to make contact with this Thornton fellow, and if you object to doing business with him, you can step aside. Nobody will think less of you for it.”
“I don’t have any objection,” Gideon heard himself say. Surprisingly, it was the truth.
“I’m glad to hear it, Gideon,” David said. “So very glad. Now all we need to do is arrange a time when we can all meet—”
“You know, you’ve got me thinking, Bates,” the general said, ignoring David. “Maybe I should think twice about doing business with Thornton myself.”
“Oh no,” David said, sounding almost desperate. “I mean, you said yourself, the Devil and all that. And Thornton isn’t so bad. No worse than a lot of men, at least.”
“Even still, maybe I should meet him first. Judge for myself.”
Not a bad idea. Maybe the general would call off the deal himself. “Like David said, we could arrange a meeting,” Gideon said.
“Not a meeting. Men like Thornton, they know how to act in a meeting. You don’t get the true measure of a man. No, I’d like to see him socially. Could you arrange that, Vanderslice?”
“Certainly,” David said without bothering to consider.
“Maybe a dinner at your home. Or do you live in one of those bachelor apartments?”
“No, no, I live in my family home. With my mother and sister.”
“Oh, yes. Ladies. That’s even better. A man is always uncomfortable when ladies are present. A little on edge, am I right, Bates?”
He’d never thought about it, but, “I suppose so, sir.”
“Yes, yes. On edge and afraid of making a fool of himself, which means he’s almost certain to do it. And, Vanderslice, didn’t you say you’d just got yourself engaged?”
“Yes, sir, I did. To a lovely young lady who—”
“Invite her, too. How about you, Bates? Do you have a lady you can invite?”
“No, sir.” He wasn’t going to bring his mother to this debacle.
“Too bad. Well, we’ll make do. Four men and three women. That’s not even, and Mrs. Vanderslice will probably complain, but it will have to do. Let’s set it for tomorrow night if you can arrange it, Vanderslice. The next night if not. That all right with you, Bates?”
“Yes, sir.” A dinner with Elizabeth. This should be interesting.
“Good.” The general rose again to his impressive height. “I’ll expect to hear from you at my hotel, Vanderslice.” They shook hands across David’s desk. The general turned to Gideon, who had also risen, and offered his hand. “Good to meet you, Bates. I’m expecting you to perform well.”
With that, he left, leaving the door standing open behind him.
“What do you suppose he meant by that?” Gideon asked.
“I have no idea. The man is a force of nature. My mother will be furious at having to put together a dinner party on such short notice.”
Mrs. Vanderslice’s fury was hardly something to be feared, but she certainly had a right to be dismayed at the inconvenience. “Tell her it’s business and you can’t help it. That’s what your father always did.”
“I’m just worried about your mother,” David said. “Won’t she be upset that we’re entertaining Thornton?”
“I have no intention of telling her.”
“How will you explain that you and Elizabeth are dining at my house but that she’s not invited?”
“I’ll tell her the truth. That it’s a business dinner with a client. You need me there for advice, and you want Elizabeth to practice being your hostess. Elizabeth certainly isn’t going to tell her any different, and Mother will be happy to miss it.”
“Of course. Well . . .” David rubbed his hands together. “I think this is going to work out splendidly, don’t you?”
He did not, but he said, “The general seems determined that it will, and he also seems to be a man used to getting his way.”
“He does, doesn’t he? Well, what do we need to do to prepare for this dinner?”