The general waited until David had handed him his before responding. “Of course I’ll buy them, Thornton. I’ve got to buy every weapon I can get my hands on. It’s just less trouble for me to buy them all from one man, or at least as many as I can.”
Gideon accepted a glass of brandy. “So you’d suggest Thornton increase the number of rifles he has to sell?”
The general selected a cigar from the humidor David had set on the table, slid it beneath his nose and inhaled rapturously. “You lawyers have such a nice way of saying things, but yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”
“How many rifles will you need, General?” David asked.
The general pulled out his pocketknife and cut the end off his cigar. “We’ll probably put a million men in the field before this war is over, gentlemen. The French and the English have made a hash of things so far, and it’s going to take some time to sort it out. So you see, I’ll probably be buying supplies for years to come, but I want to get as much as I can up front so we make a good showing when we get over there.” He leaned in with his cigar and puffed as David held a match for him.
“And how am I supposed to pay for a million rifles?” Thornton asked. Even though the room wasn’t particularly warm, he’d begun to sweat.
“No one expects you to get them all,” David said. “Just as many as you can find.”
“I think Thornton understands that,” Gideon said quickly, before Thornton had a chance to explode. “But he’s already got a small fortune tied up in the rifles he just bought. He’s justifiably concerned, I think.”
The general puffed on his cigar for a long moment. “I can’t tell you how to run your business, Thornton, but the government is paying more than anyone else for all sorts of weapons now, double or triple their real value, and that was last week’s prices. Next week it’ll be even more. If it was me, I’d beg, borrow or steal every penny I could get my hands on and use it to buy anything that shoots. I’ll buy it all from you in a few days at a tidy profit, and you’ll pay off your debts and walk away a much richer man.”
“And, of course, you’ll buy the rifles he originally offered you and be glad to get them,” David said quickly, his gaze on Thornton’s sweaty face, “if that’s all he has to offer.”
“Of course.” The general puffed his cigar and blew a rather excellent smoke ring that floated lazily up to the ceiling. “If that’s all he has to offer. But, Thornton, you strike me as a shrewd businessman. Whenever there’s a war, there’s money to be made if you’re willing to do whatever it takes.”
Thornton pulled out his handkerchief and mopped his brow. Only then did he take a taste of his brandy. “Whatever it takes,” he murmured, setting down his snifter.
But the general wasn’t listening. The excellent cigars and even better brandy had reminded him of a time he’d dined with an old Spanish family in the Philippines and how they’d tried to arrange for him to compromise their daughter so he’d be forced to marry her.
Gideon enjoyed the story, although he didn’t believe a word of it, and he also enjoyed watching Thornton, who wasn’t even pretending to listen. Plainly, the general had inspired all sorts of ambitions in Thornton. Gideon had no idea how much cash the man might have access to, but he was willing to bet Thornton would be investing it all in guns of whatever type he could find for sale. How much would he have to pay for those guns, now that everyone knew the army wanted them? And how much would General Sterling pay for them to make it worth Thornton’s while? Gideon saw his plans to prevent Thornton from profiting too much evaporating.
He’d have to stand by and see him become a millionaire instead.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The general didn’t wait long after the men joined the ladies in the parlor to claim a prior commitment and make his excuses to leave. He’d accomplished his goal for this evening, whatever it may have been, and Gideon suspected it was far more than getting to know Thornton better. Before he left, the general made his rounds, addressing each of the ladies in turn and spouting more lavish compliments.
“You must come and see us again, General,” Mrs. Vanderslice said.
“I expect to be spending a lot of time in the city for the next few months, so I will happily accept your invitation, my dear lady.”
He left Anna blushing from hints that her great beauty must be a grave concern to her brother. Finally, he approached Elizabeth, who had wandered away from the rest of them as if trying to avoid him. Gideon couldn’t imagine why she would want to, especially when he saw her expression when she looked up at the great man and allowed him to take her hand in both of his.
He’d never seen her eyes shine quite so brightly, which seemed odd, considering the nonsense he was spouting about how he’d give David some competition if he were only twenty years younger. Could she really be flattered? Or even attracted to such an old man? For some reason, Gideon found himself drawing closer to them. He wasn’t jealous. How could he be? No, he just felt some natural urge to protect her, although he could not have said from what.
Elizabeth gave a little trill of laughter at the general’s parting remark, and as it died, he whispered something that transformed her whole expression for just one second. That one second told Gideon something alarmingly important, however.
Something he hadn’t allowed himself to realize until this moment, and something that changed everything.
? ? ?
Fortunately, Elizabeth saw Gideon approaching out of the corner of her eye before she replied to the general’s whispered words. Had he heard? She couldn’t tell from Gideon’s face, but he was good at concealing his feelings. And had she given anything away with her own face? Surely not, but she schooled her expression to one of polite interest just in case. “I hope we’ll see a lot of you while you’re in the city, General.”
He’d obviously seen her gaze shift ever so slightly to Gideon, and he followed her lead, releasing her hand and bowing slightly. “You can be sure of it, my dear girl.” He turned then and, seeing Gideon, stuck out his hand. “Bates, I’m looking forward to our next encounter.”
“So am I, General.” Did he sound different? Was his enthusiasm forced?
Then the general moved on to speak to Thornton, and Gideon turned to her. What was he thinking? Why did he look so somber? Why didn’t he say something?
But she was being ridiculous. He couldn’t have heard anything or seen anything or sensed anything. He was just being his normal, aggravating self. She said, “I’m afraid I didn’t have an opportunity to speak to the general about being profligate with our taxes.”
He blinked, and for a second she thought . . . But then he said, “Sadly, neither did I. But I’ll have other opportunities. Perhaps you will, too.”
What did that mean? “I will if the general is as good as his word about visiting us again.”
“Yes, that, too.”