Time pirate 3, p.26
Time Pirate 3, page 26
“I’ve done it more than both of you combined,” I said in a sympathetic tone. “You’ll get used to it.”
“I’m not sure I want to,” Joan chuckled and shook her head. “But maybe, if this mission is successful.”
“Then let’s go make it successful,” I said with a grin.
The women and I navigated out of the empty guest house and headed toward the main house, which was already buzzing with activity. We stuck to the shadows and made our way to the front of the house, where a stream of guests were already entering.
“What do we do?” Emily whispered nervously.
“We just join the flow,” I said with a shrug. “No one will notice. Come on, follow me.”
I led the women along the shadows for a little longer, then when there was a swell of visitors, I quickly hopped out and joined the crowd. The women hurried to follow me and, sure enough, no one gave us a second glance. Everyone was engrossed in their own conversations, and there was a buzz of excitement in the air as we filed into the large mansion for an evening of partying.
I glanced around the crowd and noticed there were a lot of women, and I remembered what Alaina had told me about this party being a secret matchmaking event for Harold. I couldn’t help but appreciate the dolled-up women in their swishy dresses, but I had a feeling Harold wouldn’t be so easily swayed. I wondered if he would play along for his family or if he’d fight against it, and I was suddenly even more intrigued than ever.
When we reached the door, Walter spotted us, and his face lit up.
“Joan! Emily!” The formidable man cut through the crowd to embrace the brunette fondly. Then he turned to Emily and held her gaze as he grabbed her hand and kissed it. Finally, he turned to me and gave me a curt nod. “Franklin, was it?”
“Francis,” I corrected, and I stuck my hand out. “Or Frankie. Thanks again for inviting me.”
“My pleasure,” Walter said, even though it didn’t sound like it at all.
“Great turnout,” Joan said as she glanced around at the crowd that was still flowing into the mansion.
“Isn’t it?” Walter grinned proudly, and he motioned for us to follow him inside. “Come, let’s get some drinks.”
We followed Walter into the mansion, and he led us to the large ballroom area on the second floor of the house where guests were already milling around and drinking and laughing. A uniformed waiter approached us immediately with a tray full of drinks, and Walter reached for the tumblers and passed them around until we all had one.
“Cheers to new family and friends,” Walter said jovially as he lifted his glass in the air.
“Cheers,” we echoed before we clinked our glasses together.
I sipped on the Quoit punch, and I took in our surroundings as Walter engaged Emily in a conversation about his projected earnings for the quarter. Meanwhile, Joan sidled up to me and elbowed me gently.
“Any sign of Harold yet?” she whispered.
“Not yet,” I said with a shake of my head. “But I’m keeping my eyes peeled.”
“Joan!”
The brunette and I turned to see a young Rosemary pushing through the crowd toward us, and when she reached Joan, she scooped her into a big hug.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Rosemary said breathlessly, and she grabbed Joan’s hand and leaned in close. “I have to show you my sweetheart, but we can’t let daddy know.”
“Okay.” Joan giggled conspiratorially as she rested her forehead against Rosemary’s. Then she turned to me. “You’ll be okay on your own for a little while?”
“Of course.” I nodded and lifted my Quoit punch. “You ladies have fun, I’ll be around here somewhere.”
“Thank you,” Joan said, and she reached out to give my hand a quick squeeze before Rosemary dragged her off into the crowd.
I turned back to Emily and Walter, who were still deep in conversation. I caught Emily’s eye to see if she wanted an out, but she gave me a look to assure me she was okay. I gestured that I was going to go mingle, and she shot me a thumbs up, so I broke away from those two and headed into the crowd. I noticed an elevated platform on the other side of the room that was set up for a live band, but the band was nowhere to be seen yet.
I scanned the crowd for any sight of Harold, but I couldn’t spot the elusive ancestor. I drained the rest of my punch and set it on the tray of a passing waiter, and another waiter immediately approached me with a tray of full drinks. I knew I needed to keep my wits about me and not get drunk, but I also needed to keep up appearances, so I grabbed one of the full tumblers and decided to nurse it as long as I could.
“They’re good, aren’t they?”
I turned to see a pretty woman grinning up at me.
“Sure are,” I said as I lifted my drink in agreement and smiled down at the lady.
“You know what else is good?” She batted her eyes up at me and bit her lipsticked lower lip.
“What’s that?” I asked before I took a sip.
Normally, I’d love a pretty lady flirting with me at a party, but tonight, I was on a mission. And I already had my hands full with the two women I’d come with.
“My dance moves,” the woman said as she swished her skirt around her ankles. “Care to take me for a spin?”
“I’d love to, but I’m spoken for,” I said with an apologetic smile.
“You don’t look circled,” the woman said with a pointed look at my left hand.
“Umm.” Circled wasn’t a slang word I’d encountered yet, but I deduced it meant married. “Not yet. Engaged, though.”
“Drats,” the woman sighed, and then she turned and disappeared into the crowd without another word.
I chuckled at the strange interaction and continued to cut through the mingling crowd while looking for anything that stuck out. There was still no sight of Harold, but I did see a shiny silver cigarette case poking out of a tipsy gentleman’s pocket. The temptation was too great, so I sidled past the man and discreetly pulled the case out of his pocket as I passed him. Once I passed him, I slid it into my own pocket and grinned.
While I was surrounded by these wealthy, inebriated guests, I might as well score some loot for our upcoming LLC. Sure, they weren’t as rare as artifacts from the 1800s, but I knew there was a market for everything.
A few minutes later, there was commotion at the front of the room, and then a loud cheer rang out. I looked over to see five men wearing black trousers and white jackets filing onto the stage while they waved at the cheering crowd. The band introduced themselves, and there was more cheering from the crowd as they launched into their set. The dance floor was suddenly filled with writhing bodies as the guests joyfully busted out their swing moves.
I spotted Joan and Rosemary across the room with a man Rosemary was gazing up at adoringly. I could tell Joan was enjoying herself, but I figured I should check on Emily, as well. I zigzagged through the crowd until I caught sight of the blonde woman. To my surprise, Walter was nowhere to be seen, but Emily was engaged in conversation with another young woman. I caught her eye to check that she was okay, and she shot me a dazzling smile and another thumbs up. Of course, I knew the women could take care of themselves, but I was always going to keep an eye out for them.
But since they were both preoccupied, it was up to me to get the information we needed.
I did another round of the crowd, and I nabbed a couple more keepsakes as I went. An engraved lighter, a fancy pen, and I even found a pearl bracelet on the ground. My pockets were starting to fill up, so I decided to take my half-finished drink and lean against the far wall to observe the dancing crowd and keep an eye out for Harold. Or Walter for that matter. I wondered what the patriarch was getting up to at his own party.
After a few minutes, I spotted Rosemary leading Joan onto the dance floor, and I smiled as I watched Rosemary show the researcher some dance moves while Joan laughed along.
“Having fun?”
The voice startled me, and I whipped my head around to see none other than Harold standing next to me.
“Oh, um, yeah,” I said as I raised my glass. “Hey, you’re Harold, right?”
“That’s right,” Harold replied in an amused tone, and he nodded at Rosemary across the room. “You must know my sister?”
“Not really,” I said with a shrug. “I know her, um, your cousin over there, Joan.”
“You also know how to pickpocket like a pro,” he said with raised eyebrows.
Shit. I thought about denying it, but if he made me turn out my pockets, I’d be caught anyway.
“Look, I’m really sorry, I--”
“Please.” Harold waved away my words. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I’m with you. Let’s rob these rich bastards blind.”
“Aren’t you a rich bastard, though?” I asked, and I couldn’t help the smile that came to my lips.
“Don’t remind me,” Harold said with a wicked grin of his own. Then he jerked his head to the crowd and wiggled his eyebrows. “What do you say? Little friendly competition? See who can get the most?”
“I’m up for that.” I drained the rest of my drink, set it on the ledge behind us, and rubbed my hands together. “What are the rules?”
“Don’t get caught.” Harold chuckled. “Meet back here in twenty? Compare loot?”
“Let’s do it.”
Harold reached a hand out, and we locked eyes as we grasped hands. I could see why Rosemary was so fond of her brother. He had a charisma about him that made him feel like your best friend, even if you’d just met. I didn’t expect to have a pickpocketing contest with the guy, but I figured it was a good way to bond and then get some more information out of him.
But, given that he expressed his hatred of the rich guests around us within seconds of meeting, I figured Lance’s commie theory might hold some weight.
Harold and I broke apart, and I took the right side of the room while he circled around to the left side. I managed to get a few more trinkets from unsuspecting guests, but after about fifteen minutes, I cast a look around the room to see how Harold was getting on. Luckily, I looked up at the exact right moment to see Walter corner Harold on the other side of the room. Walter’s expression was stormy while Harold looked bored at the confrontation.
My heartbeat quickened, and I abandoned the pickpocketing contest and started to cut through the writhing crowd. Just as I reached the other side of the room, I saw Walter clap his hand down on Harold’s neck and forcefully lead him out of the room.
“Fuck,” I muttered, and I pushed through a gaggle of people so I didn’t lose sight of the warring father and son duo.
The music raged on behind me as I burst out into the hallway, which was full of more partygoers. I caught sight of Walter and Harold turning a corner, and I rushed to follow them. I stayed far enough back to not raise suspicions, but I watched as Walter dragged Harold into the library.
“Frankie?”
I spun to see a smiling Joan looking up at me. Her face was flushed from dancing, and there was a wet stain on her skirt, probably from a spilled drink.
“Joan,” I said in a low voice, and I grabbed her hand. “Come on, I just saw Walter take Harold into the library, and he looked pissed.”
“Really?” Her brown eyes went wide, and the news seemed to sober her up.
“This is our chance,” I said as my heartbeat quickened, and I pulled Joan down the corridor, where I could already hear shouting voices. “We’re about to find out what happened to Harold once and for all.”
“Ohmygod,” Joan said breathlessly.
We reached the library door, and the voices became louder and clearer. Joan and I pressed ourselves against the wall on either side of the door, and our eyes locked as we listened to the blowout fight happening in the library.
“...sending your friend here with a gun!” Walter bellowed. “With your sister in the house! Are you out of your fucking mind!”
“I told you I had nothing to do with that!” Harold fired back angrily. “I had no idea what he was going to do!”
“Don’t play stupid with me, boy,” Walter seethed. “You think I didn’t recognize my own fucking gun?”
“I gave him the gun,” Harold admitted. “But I didn’t know he was going to use it to try to rob us, for God’s sake. Give me some credit.”
The loud crack of skin on skin contact rang out, and Joan’s face wrinkled in pain. I couldn’t see it, but it was easy to imagine Walter backhanding his son across the face.
“You don’t deserve any credit,” Walter snapped. “You put this family in danger with your stupid fucking actions, and I won’t stand for it.”
“Is that what this is all about?” Harold scoffed. “The staff talk to me, you know. You may treat them like trash, but they tell me things. I know this is a setup to get me married off. Want me to be someone else’s problem, Daddy-O?”
“You’re goddamn right I do,” Walter retorted. “If it were up to me, you’d be on the street already.”
“Oh, well, let me make all your dreams come true,” Harold said.
There was movement in the room that turned into sounds of struggle, and Joan made to reach for the door handle, but I stopped her.
“We can’t,” I said sympathetically. “We can’t intervene, it’s too risky. It could change the course of your family’s whole life.”
“But they’re fighting,” Joan said in a strained voice.
“I know, babe, I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “It’s awful, but we can’t risk changing anything right now.”
Joan had a pained look on her face, but she dropped her hand. Then Harold let out a sob, and Joan squeezed her eyes shut as a tear rolled silently down her cheek.
The crashes and bangs of the physical fight eventually ended, but the anger was still palpable, even through the closed door.
“Fuck you,” Harold spat at his father, and his voice sounded slurred, like maybe he’d been punched in the mouth.
“I’ve had enough of your bullshit,” Walter said in a shaky voice. “And it ends now. No more of those little late night queer meetings for you.”
“Oh, give it a rest,” Harold replied, but I detected a hint of amusement in his voice. “If you knew what those late night meetings were really about, you’d wish I was queer.”
There was a moment of tense silence, and Joan met my eyes with a troubled expression.
“What do you mean?” Walter asked in a tight voice.
“Don’t play dumb,” Harold taunted. “You must know by now that I’m a com--”
“Don’t you dare fucking say it,” Walter interrupted.
“A communist,” Harold emphasized.
There was another cracking sound, and I knew Walter had struck his son again.
“You’re wrong,” Walter said, and his voice was shaking with rage. “I don’t wish you were queer. I wish you were dead.”
Silence stretched out between the two fighting men again.
“You don’t mean that,” Harold said so quietly that I almost missed it.
“I do,” Walter insisted. “I’d rather you were dead than a filthy fucking communist. Have you not seen how the wars destroyed this country?”
“Good,” Harold spat. “This country is a joke. The rich--”
“Enough!” Walter roared. “You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. It’s time to stop playing pretend and man up. I don’t want to hear another word about communism or whatever other bullshit you come up with.”
“And if I don’t?” Harold challenged.
“Then I don’t have a son,” Walter said.
“Wow,” Harold scoffed, and there was more movement on the other side of the door. “If that’s how you really feel, then maybe you shouldn’t have a son.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t,” Walter retorted, and his voice was much closer to the door.
Joan’s eyes widened, and I grabbed her wrist, pulled her away from the door, and ran down the corridor before Walter came out of it. We got almost to the end of the hallway before we heard the door handle turn, and I knew it would still look suspicious if we were just standing there.
So, I did the only thing I could think of.
I grabbed Joan and pushed her against the wall, and then I leaned down and started making out with her. Walter couldn’t throw a singles party and then get mad at a couple of lovebirds sneaking away for some good old-fashioned necking.
Sure enough, Walter stormed past us without a sideways glance. I caught sight of him before he disappeared around the corner, and I noticed his clothes were ruffled from the physical altercation with his own son.
“That was close,” Joan breathed when we pulled apart.
“Yeah,” I said as I glanced back toward the library, which Harold hadn’t come out of yet. “You stay here, I’m going to go talk to Harold.”
“I can come,” Joan offered.
“I think you should stay here,” I said. “I built a rapport with Harold, I think he’ll open up to me.”
“Okay,” Joan said with a nod. “I’ll stay here in case Walter comes back.”
“Good idea.”
“Be careful,” Joan whispered.
She reached up on her tiptoes to give me one more quick kiss, and then I turned and retraced my steps until I reached the library.
I could hear Harold banging around inside the room, and the door his father had stormed out of was still open. I crept up to the door and peered inside to see a very disheveled Harold scouring the bookshelves.
I had to play this carefully. I couldn’t do anything that could jeopardize things majorly. I couldn’t risk messing with the timeline in a way that resulted in Joan never being born. But I could try to talk some sense into Harold.
I watched him storm around the library in anger, and I sighed quietly. He was a young, stubborn man full of rage and hormones that made him quick to action and slow to thinking things through. I wasn’t sure I could convince him to stay even if I wanted to. But the poor guy had no idea that his disappearance would haunt his sister for the rest of her life. I could at least encourage him to keep in touch.
I wrapped my knuckles on the door and stuck my head in.
