Butterfly Palace (21 page)

Belle flopped back onto the stool. “All right, fine, it’s true he would not have been my first choice. As soon as I’d said yes, I wished I hadn’t. But no one else of his caliber is offering, Lily. I must get my future settled. I want my own home, and I want to move in political circles. Stuart can give me those things.”

“At a steep cost.” Lily began to braid Belle’s hair. “You’ll be married to him the rest of your life. Please make sure it’s what you want to do. Just because he’s your uncle’s supporter doesn’t mean he’s a good man.”

Belle grabbed her by the wrist and stared at her. “Whatever does that mean? Do you know something about Stuart?”

Lily tied a ribbon at the end of Belle’s braid. Did she dare tell her the truth? If she did, Jane would likely be fired before she ever started. And it wasn’t her story to tell anyway. It was Jane’s place to speak if she so desired. “I know nothing from personal experience about Mr. Vesters.”

Belle released her and frowned. “You may not know anything for certain, but you’ve heard gossip. What is it?”

Lily turned away and pulled the covers back on the bed. “How long have you known Mr. Vesters?”

“Long enough. Several months, actually. Uncle Everett thinks the world of him.”

“What if he never achieves his political goals?”

Belle climbed into bed. “What’s gotten into you, Lily? You’ve become quite bold in your opinions.”

“I care about you, Miss Belle. I don’t want to see you make a mistake.”

Belle yanked the sheet up to her shoulders. “I think I know which direction my life should go much better than you. Turn out the light on your way out.”

Lily extinguished the light and stepped out into the hall. Even if Belle knew the truth, would she care? All she saw was her goal of power.

She pulled the door shut behind her, then went up the back stairs to her room. As she reached the last hall, she passed by the doorway to the attic. A thought struck her. What if the sounds she’d heard were from someone in the hidden passageway she’d found? And what if the passage went all the way to the shack out back?

She rejected the idea as preposterous, but her pulse thumped in her chest. The idea would haunt her until she checked it out. But not in the dark. She hurried to her room and nearly tripped over a box in the doorway.

It was wrapped in bright paper and tied with a bow. Drew? Smiling, she untied the bow and lifted the lid. A pair of butterfly earrings lay nestled in tissue. A chill shuddered down her spine. Drew knew she hated butterflies. He would never do this.

She looked at the card inside.
“So beautiful.”

A strangled cry burst from her throat and she dropped the box, then ran into her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

This spot along the river walk was deserted, and after the attack two days ago, the solitude had Lily peering into every shadow. According to Drew’s note, she was supposed to meet him at one, and it was already one fifteen. She wandered into the flower bed and sniffed a yellow rose. She’d wait fifteen more minutes before giving up.

Almost as soon as the thought formed, she heard boot heels clicking along the brick walk. Walking fast, Drew came into view. His steps paused a moment when he saw her, then he smiled and hurried toward her.

His concerned gaze swept over her. “No ill effects from the attack?”

She hesitated, then shook her head. “I received an odd gift though.” She told him about the earrings made from butterfly wings and the card. “I—I think he knows where I live. I checked with the butler, and he said it was delivered by a boy he’d never seen.”

His eyes were grave. “I don’t like it, Lily. You must be careful.”

“I will. You said you needed to talk to me. I only have a few minutes until I need to hurry back. Belle will be looking for me by two.”

He took her hands in his and pulled her to a nearby bench. “I didn’t want to involve you, but I have no choice. I have uncovered a plot to kill Mr. Marshall.”

She gasped and gripped his hands, taking strength from his touch. “Who plans to kill him? Ballard?”

The muscles in his neck contorted. “Stuart Vesters.”

Pulling her hands away, she leaped to her feet. “That can’t be true. He’s marrying Belle.”

Drew caught her left hand. “I know, but I assure you it’s true. The plan is to kill Marshall the night of the election. He’s expected to win by a landslide. Vesters will then be appointed senator.”

“I’m sure Belle doesn’t know he’s such an evil man.” She sank back to the bench beside him. “What do you need from me?”

“I think we have to tell Belle and enlist her help. Though I’ve
told him I want Marshall dead too, Vesters doesn’t trust me, not fully. I suspect he may change his plans now that I know.”

“What can Belle do?”

“She can snoop through his things and listen for snippets of conversation.”

Lily shook her head. “She’s impetuous, Drew. I don’t believe she can keep the knowledge to herself. You don’t know her as well as I. She’s never one to hold her tongue.”

“If her uncle’s life hangs in the balance, she will. She’s flighty, yes, but she loves her uncle a great deal. There’s no one else we can go to. If we don’t risk this, Marshall is as good as dead.”

“Can’t you just warn him?”

“He won’t believe me. He’ll think I am trying to discredit Vesters because he beat me out for Belle’s hand.”

Lily chewed on her lower lip. “Very well, I’ll talk to her. But I need to pick the time and place carefully so there is adequate time to explain it to her. And now that I think about it, she’s been able to convince Vesters she cares about him when in reality she is repulsed. So perhaps she could hide her feelings.”

The sun cast dappled patterns on the walk and river. Birds chirped, and it would have been an idyllic day if not for the menace Lily felt everywhere since she’d arrived in Austin. “I’m so tired of fighting. Why can’t we have a little peace? Is that too much to ask?”

His fingers tightened on hers. “I think life is always about striving against evil. It’s what I do.”

She sighed and didn’t answer. He wasn’t going to like what she had to tell him. She exhaled and looked away from the tenderness in his eyes. “There’s something you should know.”

“About Vesters?”

“No.” She dragged her gaze from the sparkling water and stared up at him. “I went to see Ballard.”

He shot to his feet. “Lily, you didn’t! I told you to stay away from him.” His voice vibrated.

“I went to the hotel hoping I might run into him, and I did. As far as he knows, we merely ran into one another. He offered me a job working for his wife.”

“You didn’t accept?”

She laced her fingers together. “No, of course not. I told him I was happy with my position. But, Drew, I don’t believe he had anything to do with Papa’s death. He was our friend and neighbor for years. I think you are mistaken about him.”

“Lily, I forbid you to get involved in this.”

She rose to face him. “You forbid? You lost any right to tell me what to do long ago. I’m not going to stand by and let you send a good man off to jail. He didn’t attack me at the church. We have the globe to prove it was the killer. You have no proof you’ve been able to offer me about his guilt. It’s all supposition.”

“It’s much more than that.” His voice matched the spark in his eyes. “I have evidence linking him to the fire.”

“What evidence? You’ve given me nothing solid. I’m not willing to condemn a man I’ve known nearly all my life.”

“So you discount what I say in favor of a man who killed your father—and mine! I thought I knew you, Lily, but the girl I loved would have moved anything in her path to bring her father’s killer to justice.”

She managed not to wince at his contempt. “And I will! But I don’t believe it’s Ballard, Drew.” How could she get him to listen? Together they might be able to discover who had killed their fathers, but not if he remained focused on the wrong man.

He took a deep breath and stepped back. “What do you have to go on, Lily? Tell me that. Do you have anything more than mere sentiment? You
feel
he isn’t the villain I say he is, but you’re unwilling to listen to evidence.”

“What evidence? You keep saying you have evidence, but you’ve given me nothing.”

His jaw hardened. “I wanted to spare you, but you leave me no choice. Ballard’s wallet was clutched in your father’s hand.”

Her confidence faltered. “How do you know it was his wallet?”

“There were several charred pieces of identification left inside.”

She swallowed. “Someone could have planted it there to implicate Ballard.”

Pity crept into his eyes. “He has completely persuaded you, hasn’t he?”

“Have you ever asked him how his wallet came to be there?”

“Of course not. I didn’t want him to know we were trailing him.”

“Very well.” She would ask him herself.

TWENTY-TWO

T
he brilliant reds and golds of the sunset had faded by the time Belle shut her bedroom door and turned her back to let Lily unbutton her dress. Her face hurt from smiling, and all she wanted to do was crawl into her clean sheets and forget how bleak her future appeared.

She rubbed her gritty eyes. “It’s so wearing to have to listen to that man prattle on about himself. He never shuts up. I can only be admiring for so long.”

Lily’s hands paused, then resumed the march down Belle’s buttons. “He’s to be your husband, Miss Belle.”

“I know that,” Belle snapped. “You overstep yourself, Lily. Draw my bath.”

“Yes, miss.”

Belle followed her to the bathroom and watched as Lily turned on the tap. “You are much too outspoken for a lady’s maid.” A vague sense of curiosity stirred about her maid’s past. Lily seemed to have a good sense of her own worth, something Belle admired.

Lily’s cheeks were flushed when she straightened from her position over the tub and turned to face her. “I want you to be happy. I fear Mr. Vesters is not the man you think he is.”

Belle frowned at the certainty on Lily’s face. “What do you
mean? And don’t try to wiggle out of telling me. It’s clear you know something.”

Lily’s hand went to her stomach, and the color washed from her face. “I have to know you trust me. That you will not discount what I’m about to tell you.”

“You sound very serious.”

Lily nodded. “I know you love your uncle.”

“Of course I do. He’s been very good to me.” Belle shucked her dress and kicked it away from her ankles, then stepped into the steaming tub. She sank into the bubbles up to her chin. “What does Uncle Everett have to do with this? He’s delighted with my choice for a husband.”

Lily handed her a long-handled bath brush. “He wouldn’t be so pleased if he knew what Mr. Vesters is planning.”

Belle rolled her eyes. “You’re sounding more and more melodramatic. If this is about your position, you’ll come with me, of course. You don’t need to fear losing your job.” Lily actually shuddered at her words, and Belle frowned. “Get on with it. What do you have against Stuart?”

Lily clasped her hands in front of her. “He plans to murder your uncle.” She bit her lip and held Belle’s gaze. “I know it’s a serious accusation, but you know I wouldn’t make such a charge frivolously.”

Belle sat up. “Lily, that’s ludicrous. Where did you get such a notion?”

Lily pulled up a stool and sat beside the tub. “Mr. Hawkes is not who you think he is.”

“So now everyone is plotting against my uncle?” Belle’s initial alarm faded, and she began to suds her arms. Perhaps her maid wasn’t quite right in the head. She was seeing conspiracies around every corner.

Lily looked down at her hands. “You were right when you
noticed there was something between us. I’ve known him all my life. I was engaged to him once.”

Belle squeezed the soap so hard it escaped from her fingers. “That’s impossible. He’s a gentleman.”

“He is the son of the Larson blacksmith. His father was a part owner of my father’s livery. He is with the Secret Service and is here investigating a counterfeiting ring.”

Belle started to object, then saw the certainty on Lily’s face. Hawkes had been very elusive and mysterious. He’d been very reticent about his past. Could Lily be right? “Go on.”

“Mr. Vesters is part of that ring, and Drew finally managed to infiltrate it. While he was at the office the other day, he discovered the plot to kill your uncle.” The words poured out of Lily in a rush. “We must do something to protect your uncle.”

Belle knew truth when she heard it. She rose and reached for the towel. “I’ll tell my uncle at once.”

Lily gripped her wet arm. “You mustn’t! If Vesters gets wind his plan has been exposed, he’ll go underground with it, and we won’t know what’s happening. We need to put him behind bars and break up the plot.” She reached for Belle’s robe and draped it around her.

Plot
. And
murder
. It was so dire and serious. Belle wrapped the robe around her. “What is the motive for this?”

“Vesters wants to be senator. He knows he can’t win, but he’s close friends with the governor and believes he would be appointed to take your uncle’s place. So they plan to kill him the night of the election, once his win is announced.”