The Brickmaker's Bride (20 page)

Rose frowned. “Ainslee! No need to tell everything you hear.”

“Everything I said was true. You told me as long as what I
said was the truth and didn’t hurt anyone, I didn’t need to worry about getting in trouble.”

“You’re not in trouble.” Rose sighed and looked at Laura. “Sometimes I feel more like a mother than a sister.”

Laura gave a slight nod. “I know it’s difficult, but you’re very good with the twins. They’re fortunate to have you.”

The few words of praise appeared to allay Rose’s concerns over her dual role with the girls. “Thank you, Laura. You always know exactly what to say.”

“I wish that were true. There are many times when I find myself at a loss for words.” The response had barely escaped her lips when she caught sight of Ewan standing near the construction site. “I didn’t know your brother was going to be here today.”

Laura’s ears filled with the roaring sound of her beating heart. Though she tried, she couldn’t control the surge of emotion that engulfed her when she was drawn into Ewan’s presence. After his parting words of disapproval last evening, she wondered how he would react to her this afternoon.

He turned as the carriage approached and stepped forward to help her down. “I see the girls have convinced you to entertain them again today.” He glanced at the twosome sitting in the back seat of the carriage.

“It’s my pleasure. They wanted to see the progress on the house, and since I’ve never been here, I was pleased to bring them. Besides, they’re going to help me at the orphanage afterward.” She lifted her gaze to the structure. “What wonderful advancement the workmen have made. It appears your aunt and uncle will be able to move into this wing very soon.” She shaded her eyes against the sun. “Or is there still a great deal of work to be completed inside?”

Ewan shook his head. “Nay, not in this section, but my aunt is determined the house is to be much larger, so several wings
will be added before she’s satisfied.” Laura’s breath caught as he stepped closer and brushed her arm. “Aunt Margaret wants to be certain her house is the largest home in this portion of the state.” The twins and Rose had already proceeded toward the house when Ewan lightly grasped her elbow and directed her forward. “Come along. I’ll give you a tour.”

The area buzzed with activity, with all of the men scurrying to and fro like ants building a colony. “I see your uncle has hired additional help.”

“Aye. When he continued taking men from the brickyard and bringing them over here to work, we had a long talk. He said if I could find additional workers for him, he’d send any of the trained brickmakers back to the yard. I had good luck locating some freed slaves, who were pleased for the work. They’re good workers, and many have experience with construction. I even hired two fine carpenters who have carved some beautiful woodwork for the house.”

“That’s excellent, but I thought your uncle was overseeing construction of the house and you were charged with operating the brickyard. Has that changed?”

“Nay, but I think you know Uncle Hugh is sometimes brash with others. One of the carpenters and four other good workers threatened to quit, so Aunt Margaret decided I should step in and assist. I’m helping out here some of the time, and he’s at the brickyard more than he’d been in the past. I’m not so sure the men at the brickyard are happy, but I cannot divide myself in two. ’Tis bad enough that some of the relatives have left to work in the mines. I can only hope others don’t follow them.”

Laura could well understand the workers’ dissatisfaction with Mr. Crothers. His abrasive manner was enough to send the most dependable workers running for the hills. “With the brick orders you’ll need to fill for Mr. Bruce, as well as the orders for
the proposed hotel in Fairmont, is it a wise use of your time to be here rather than the brickyard?”

“Nay. ’Tis a very bad idea.” He hiked a shoulder. “If I had the final say in things, I would be at the brickyard every waking hour, but my uncle is the owner, and he makes the final decisions.”

“I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job with both the house and brickyard. Your relatives know you’re a competent leader.”

Ewan gave her a sidelong glance. “The girls need me to support them, so I can’t walk away from all of this no matter how unfair.”

They continued toward the front of the house, where the girls were waiting. The black walnut double porches were almost an exact replica of the ones at Woodfield Manor. “I would not want the girls to suffer for any of the decisions I’ve made in the past or the ones I make in the future. I’ve prayed a great deal about the future, but so far I haven’t gotten any clear answers.” He smiled as Ainslee waved for them to hurry. “Enough of this talk. Let me show you the house. We can start in the basement.”

Laura surveyed the basement of the house, where quarried stone had been cut and mortared to form the foundation. The stones outlined the exterior of the house as well as the division of rooms in the lower area. A dividing wall and hallway were built to separate the areas into rooms, likely for food storage and work rooms for carpenters. There were three outside entrances to the basement. Perhaps Mrs. Crothers planned on using the rooms as living quarters rather than work rooms. There were also two sets of stairs leading to the interior of the upper level of the house.

Laura gestured toward the basement rooms. “Are these spaces where some of the hired help will live, or are they for storage?”

Ewan shrugged. “I’m not sure what Aunt Margaret has de
cided about these rooms. This portion of the house was completed under Uncle Hugh’s supervision, although the bricks were made at the yard. The walls are four bricks thick from the basement to the attic. Some of our softer bricks were used on the insides of the walls, with hard bricks on the outside. The house should stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.” Ewan motioned to the twins. “Let’s go upstairs.”

Ainslee wrinkled her nose. “I think it’s cozy down here. Can’t we stay here and play for a while?”

“I suppose, but don’t open the windows.” Ewan furrowed his brow. “I mean it, Ainslee.”

As they were walking upstairs, Ewan explained that not long ago Ainslee had stacked some bricks that had been left in the basement and opened one of the windows. “The windows are hinged to open inward, so I didn’t notice when we left. A skunk got inside the house.”

Laura clamped a hand to her lips. “Oh no! I’m sure that didn’t sit well with your aunt.”

Ewan chuckled. “Nay. Worse yet, she blamed a worker, and if I had not discovered Ainslee was to blame, she would have fired the poor man.” At the top of the stairs, Ewan directed Laura to turn to the right.

“I notice a number of similarities to Woodfield Manor. I’m flattered your aunt wanted to replicate so many of the details of our home.”

Ewan chuckled. “My aunt is competitive. She wants this house to be similar, but much larger. That’s why she’s adding the extra wings. Fortunately for the girls and me, Uncle Hugh, Aunt Margaret, and Kathleen will move into this portion of the house as soon as work is completed.”

“From what I’ve seen so far, it appears that will happen soon.” The main stairway leading to the second floor had also been
constructed of black walnut with a curving banister and intricately carved newel post.

“If all goes according to plan, we should be done soon. However, Aunt Margaret is unwilling to move in until the brown plaster is covered with plaster of paris and painted or papered.”

Laura concurred that the brown plaster made by mixing sand with pigs’ hair was unattractive, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop most people from moving into a house. The walls could be completed after a move. Ewan had spoken of living conditions back in Ireland, so Laura was surprised at Mrs. Crothers’s decision.

They walked through the door leading to the upstairs porch. “There’s a traveler’s room over there.” Ewan gestured to the west end of the porch. “The outer stairway at the west end allows access to the porch, but the room doesn’t have access to the interior of the house.” Ewan had thought the room unnecessary, but while staying at the hotel, his aunt had overheard two ladies discussing such a space being added to a house in Wheeling. The room was used to offer hospitality to travelers while also retaining privacy in the main house. Naturally, his aunt had insisted upon mimicking the idea.

“I’ve never before seen such a room, but I suppose if someone arrived that wasn’t well known to the family, it could prove useful.”

Ewan shrugged. “I doubt it will get much use unless one of the servants should request it. Given the location of the house, I doubt there will be many itinerants knocking on the door.”

Laura walked to the porch rail and looked out over the valley below. “This is a lovely spot for a home. The view is spectacular.”

“For sure, it is.”

Laura turned and met Ewan’s gaze. Her heart fluttered as he looked deep into her eyes, leaned toward her, and wrapped
one arm around her waist. Without a word, he pulled her close, lowered his head, and captured her lips in a kiss that quickened desire in her until it melted her resolve to resist him. His kiss was intoxicating, and when he at last lifted his head, she leaned against his chest.

“This won’t work, Ewan.”

He leaned back and looked down at her. “We will find a way. I promise.”

E
wan shoved his foot into his horse’s stirrup, then swung up and into the saddle. After turning the horse toward the brickyard, he once again asked himself the same question. Why had he been so bold? Over the past three weeks, Ewan had asked himself that question a thousand times. Though Laura had seemed to enjoy his kiss and had leaned against his chest and murmured his name, moments later she’d hurried away. No doubt she hadn’t believed him when he said they’d find a way to make things work, for only moments later she and his sisters were hurrying off in the carriage. He’d seen or heard nothing from her since. Now that Ewan had an understanding of the daily record-keeping process, as well as the financial and contract issues, Laura no longer came to the office.

He missed her visits, but Uncle Hugh had begun spending more time at the brickyard, so it was probably better she wasn’t offering to help. Ewan couldn’t be certain why Uncle Hugh’s recent suspicion of Laura had developed, but he assumed Aunt Margaret was involved.

He’d hoped to hear his aunt admit that she’d been wrong about Laura, but her feelings seemed to have intensified. However,
she was planning an elaborate party to celebrate the completion of the first wing of Crothers Mansion, and she needed the help of the Woodfield women. The Crothers name wasn’t well enough known to receive an automatic acceptance from the cream of society, but a properly placed word from either Laura or her mother would ensure the acceptance of influential members of the upper class—people Aunt Margaret wanted to count as friends.

He tied his horse and strode toward the brickyard office before the first whistle sounded. Perhaps he’d have a chance to set the office aright before his uncle arrived. Over the past days, Hugh had been going over the books and leaving the office in a state of disarray. But when Ewan had attempted to help or offered to answer any questions, his uncle brushed him aside. He’d dug through the files like a woodchuck digging a burrow, though Ewan could never find a reason for the sudden interest.

He expelled a sigh when he caught sight of his uncle dismounting only a few minutes later. The man was seldom out of bed so early. Ewan picked up the record book containing the employee time records and strode toward the door as his uncle approached. He extended the book toward his uncle. “The first group of men will be arriving soon. Care to act as timekeeper today?”

His uncle tugged on his mustache and frowned. “Keeping time is not to my liking. You know I cannot cipher those fractions.”

Ewan remained in the doorway. “You don’t need to do anything except make a notation of when they arrive and when they complete their stint. Who was keeping time on the days when I was overseeing construction at your house?”

“I told each of the foremen to keep a log and give it to me at the end of each stint. They complained, of course, but they did it. A person standing watch up here at the top of the hill seems
a bit silly to me.” His uncle brushed past Ewan and entered the frame building that served as the office.

“’Tis not a job for the foremen.” Ewan turned and followed him. “It won’t seem silly when the foremen lose track because they’re busy performing their duties and the workers complain because they’ve been shorted on their hours. We need every worker we’ve got down there, and I don’t want any problems because of timekeeping.”

His uncle dropped into one of the wooden chairs. “You worry too much, Ewan. Your cousins, Ian and Darach, are both good foremen who can do what’s asked of ’em, and so can the other foremen. Why pay them if they canna do what’s assigned? Besides, things are moving along just fine. The bricks are being shipped out on time and we’re not receiving any complaints about the quality. And we have two new VerValens and two more kilns. According to my figures, we’ve got about a hundred arches in those kilns, more than most brickyards. There are still a few yards in the Hudson River Valley that have more arches than we do, but we’ll catch up real soon.”

“I know Ian and Darach are both good foremen, but they can’t be expected to be foremen and timekeepers at the same time. And you need to remember those yards in the Hudson Valley have been in business much longer.” Ewan glanced over his shoulder. “We can wait to expand until we’ve been here a little longer. I want to be sure every load of bricks that bears our insignia meets with satisfaction. Word of mouth can make or break our business. We need to be careful. If we grow too fast, we may become sloppy.”

“There you go with your needless worrying again. Sit down and relax. The men can take care of things in the yard.” His uncle leaned back in his chair and pulled out his pipe.

Ewan didn’t sit down, but he moved closer and looked down
at his uncle. “If you’re so pleased with the way things are going, why don’t we discuss my partnership? You said that once we were established and making a profit, you’d see to having the papers drawn up and we’d become full partners. I agreed to less pay and have worked long hours here at the yard to get this operation going, and you should not be forgetting I was the one who secured contracts that will keep us busy for at least the next two seasons. Our company is named C&M Brickyard, but the
M
does not mean anything until I am a partner. If you’re pleased with things, then I think we should speak about the partnership papers.”

“We’re doing well enough that the men do not need you watching over them like a mother watching over her wee laddies, but I said we’d be looking at a partnership when the company was making a profit. This company still has a great deal of debt, so no one in his right mind would think we’re making a profit.”

The muscles in Ewan’s neck tightened. He didn’t want to lose his temper, but his uncle’s reply came as a blow. When Uncle Hugh had signed for the bank loan, he’d used Ewan’s sisters as pawns. Because of Ewan’s deep desire to get the girls to America, he’d been willing to set aside his arguments over the bank loan, but he hadn’t expected his uncle to go this far.

Unless the company made great strides, it would be years before Ewan could consider a part of this company his own. His uncle’s wily ways hadn’t changed at all. The man had felt no compunction when he’d purchased the brickyard with money he’d won cheating Lyall Montclair, and he didn’t feel any right now. If it meant a greater share in his pocket, Uncle Hugh was willing to cheat Ewan out of his partnership until the debt was paid—and, who could say, maybe forever.

“You’re the only one who would look at our books and say we’re not making a profit, and that’s because it means more
money in your pocket.” Never before had Ewan spoken to him in such a manner, but he was not going to let his uncle think such behavior was acceptable.

Anger continued to knot in Ewan’s chest. He clenched the record book in his hand, stepped outside, took his position at the top of the hill, and systematically checked off the names of the men appearing in the yard. These were the men who always arrived early and tried to complete their work before any of the other groups. They prided themselves on being first to complete their jobs and leave the brickyard.

Most days they’d make some heckling remark to the others as they swaggered out of the yard to go into town and enjoy themselves at the local tavern. In some ways, they reminded him of Uncle Hugh. Always wanting to be first to depart, they gave little care as to how they reached their goal. However, their shoddy work was beginning to affect the number of good bricks that could be shipped to Pittsburgh.

On several occasions, Ewan had spoken with the men and asked them to slow down, but he’d met with little success. In their rush, they occasionally tipped over a barrow of bricks, ruining them, or the edgers in their group didn’t straighten and turn the bricks to make certain the surface was smoothed during those important first two days of drying.

However, it was the men assigned to hack the bricks who were least careful. Once the bricks had dried for two days, the hackers stacked the bricks in herringbone fashion to dry further. They were instructed to leave a finger’s width between the bricks but often failed to do so. Such habits resulted in improperly dried bricks that didn’t burn sufficiently when fired in the kiln and were dubbed “pale bricks,” while bricks that burned too hot were dubbed “lammies.” The pale bricks and lammies couldn’t be used to fulfill their contracts and had to be sold for a much
lower price. Though Ewan realized they would always have some unacceptable bricks, he wanted to see that number decrease significantly in the near future.

Still holding the record book, he strode into the yard. He tipped his cap to one of the men. “Have you been taking care when you hack the bricks, Tom?” When the man hesitated, Ewan stopped short. “Be careful with your answer. I plan to go over there and take a look for myself before the setters and wheelers begin to set the arches.”

Tom’s eyebrows pulled together, and his features creased in a frown. “I been working bricks all me life, Ewan. You do not need to be checking on me work.”

Ewan stiffened at the retort that sounded much like what his uncle had said only a short time ago. He wheeled around to face the worker. “Last firing, we had more than an arch of pale bricks. That’s about thirty-five thousand bricks I had to sell for half the price we receive for good bricks. How would you feel if I cut your wages in half, Tom?”

Several of the men who were listening shouted their disapproval. “Aye, well, that’s how I feel when we burn fifteen arches and a full arch isn’t worth the cost it took to make it. I expect better from you men. You say you’ve got years of experience. Prove it by doing better. There will be no pay raises so long as there’s no improvement in your work. Getting done before the other men isn’t what’s important. If you want an honest day’s wages, then give me an honest day’s work.”

He gestured to Tom. “Come with me and let’s have a look. If the hacking is done well, you’ll have my apology.”

“And a pay raise?”

The conversation with Uncle Hugh had put Ewan in foul humor. Tom was asking for a pay raise for performing mediocre work, while Uncle Hugh had decreased Ewan’s wages. Truth
be told, Ewan was now paid less than the burners working for him. Granted, he lived in a fine house he didn’t have to pay for and ate food he didn’t purchase, but he worked longer hours than any man he’d hired—and he was the boss—at least when Uncle Hugh wasn’t around.

“I’ll need to see improved work more than one time for a pay raise.”

The two of them had gone only a short distance when a din rang out that split the morning air. Ewan sucked in a breath and turned on his heel. The number one VerValen machine being used by the early morning crew had squealed to a grinding halt. Cupping his hands to his mouth and running toward the men, he shouted, “What happened?”

“The VerValen!” one of the workers called out. “The mold pusher misjudged the empty molds and dumped his sander.”

Ewan grimaced as he examined the machine. “I’m no mechanic, but from what I can see, we’ll need new parts before this machine can be repaired.” He looked at the man. “You work at this machine every day. How did this happen?”

The man hiked a shoulder. “I was talking to Henry and didn’t check before I dumped the sander. We all make mistakes. It was an accident.”

Ewan wasn’t an expert, but he understood the workings of the huge machine as well as did most of the men in the yard. Dumping a filled sander into the machine would cause enough damage to put the VerValen out of use until it could be completely cleaned and tested.

Ewan shook his head. “For sure it was an accident, but one that could have been avoided if you’d been tending to your work instead of talking to Henry. You men think I am being hard on you, but there is a reason why you need to do good work. If we default on our contract, I cannot pay the bank. If I
cannot pay the bank, the brickyard will close down, and there will be no jobs for any of you. So it matters if we have an arch of pale bricks in every kiln, and it matters if a machine is out of operation for a week or two. It is important to me, but it is just as important to all of you.”

None of the men met his gaze, staring at the ground instead. He gestured to the mold setter. “Move to machine number two, and from now on, tend to your work. You can visit while you eat lunch.”

He didn’t like being hard on the men, but their careless ways had to cease or this brickyard would fail. How he wished his uncle hadn’t purchased the extra equipment and pushed for so many contracts. How he wished they could have made a slow and steady gain in the business. But wishing wouldn’t change anything, so he and the men had to accept that they all needed to give their best effort, just as he’d had to accept that he wasn’t going to become a partner any time soon.

Ewan trudged up the hill and found his uncle in the same spot where he’d left him. “Did you not hear the ruckus down in the yard, Uncle Hugh?”

“Aye, but I figured you were down there and would take care of any problem that needed attention.” He took a long draw on his pipe. “What happened?”

Ewan gave his uncle a quick explanation before stepping to the desk and withdrawing a file. “I don’t know how long it will take to get it cleaned and operating again, but for sure it will slow production.”

“Guess that’s a bit of confirmation there’ll be no need to ask about a partnership for a while longer.” His uncle grinned and pushed up from his chair. “I trained a new burner while you were supervising over at the house. He’s a good man and learned fast—I got him scheduled for tonight.”

Ewan massaged his forehead as his uncle departed. He hoped they’d complete setting the final arch in one of the kilns today and set the fires later today. It took an entire day for four truck men to wheel the bricks from the drying yard to the kiln while the two setters set an arch of thirty-five thousand bricks. Maybe he could assign a couple more men as wheelers. Ewan preferred to have enough men to set all fifteen arches in three days, but unless he had enough trusted setters on the job, burning had to wait. Firing without a full load was a poor use of resources that Ewan tried to avoid, but he’d rather burn a half-full kiln than one that wasn’t properly set.