Chapter Ten
Charlie Randolph
When Charlie arrived in the hotel lobby, she glanced around for Marge. She found the middle-aged women setting the tables for this evening's party.
"Excuse, Marge. Has my father and his staff returned to the hotel?"
"No, Ma'am."
Charlie looked around and then stepped closer.
"I have a favor to ask you. Do you have keys to the rooms?"
"Ay Ma'am," said Marge as she looked suspiciously at the young woman.
"Hope would you like to earn some extra money?"
Marge's eyes brighten with delight.
"What did you have in mind, Miss?"
"Meet me in my room and I will explain."
Charlie turned and rushed upstairs to her room. She removed a five-dollar gold piece from her coin purse. Marge came into the room and closed the door.
Charlie explained her plan, and Marge agreed. Both women stepped out into the hallway and looked up and down the corridor. Then Marge walked over to Mr. Albright's room and opened the door. As soon as the door was opened, Charlie rushed inside while Marge kept watch.
Charlie knew that cuff of material belonged to Tristan Albright, her father's closest aide. Charlie went to the armoire and looked through the hanging jackets and searched the drawers. She was convinced it was his jacket. Then she spied his trunk that sat open.
First, she removed the top and set it on the floor. She carefully lifted his clothes, looking for the green-velvet coat. When she reached the bottom of the clothes, she felt a burlap bag. She pulled out the burlap bag and opened the sack to reveal a green velvet jacket. Charlie quickly set the bag aside and straighten the clothes. She replaced the drawer and looked around the room.
"Miss. The men have returned, and they are downstairs in the lobby."
Charlie wound the bag tight and tucked it under her arm. She ran across the hall to her room, and Marge locked the door, following her into the room. Charlie handed her the gold coin and thanked her for her help.
"Marge, I hate to be the one to tell you. I rode with Reggie out to visit Mr. Polansky, and we found him murder in his cabin."
"Oh, land sakes," said Marge as she crossed herself.
Charlie took the coat out of the bag. There were blood splatters across the right side of the coat, and the left cuff was missing.
"Kaiser found the cuff, and I immediately recognized the material. That son-of-bitch. Pardon my French, but I'm going to see this man hang for this. I need to hide this coat until I can turn it over to the sheriff."
Marge helped her hide the coat at the bottom of her trunk, and then Charlie removed the key and locked her trunk.
"Will there be anymore, Ma'am?"
"No. You have been more than helpful. Please keep my secret for Ivan's sake."
"Oh, you can count on me, Ma'am. I loved that old man. He was so good to Clyde and me. It is an absolute shame what happened to him."
Then Marge left for the dining room to help with the evening meal. Charlie went to her armoire and took out her evening attire. She removed her riding clothes and change into fresh undergarments.
Her long black hair fell into waves after she undid her tight braid. She flipped her hair over her head and used her fingers to separate the waves. She pulled back the sides and pinned them on top of her head. Charlie added a decorative comb and allowed her waves to flow down her back.
Charlie slipped on her burgundy and gold brocade gown. The A-line dress fit her like a glove with the skirt train that trailed after her as she walked. She tied on matching burgundy satin shoes.
She tied a black velvet ribbon with a gold locket pinned to the fabric around her neck. Charlie added gold earrings and dabbed perfume behind her ears and a drop at her cleavage. She looked in the mirror for final approval and liked what she saw.
Charlie grabbed her room key. She was excited to see Reggie's reaction to her, all dressed up in her finest. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She opened the door, and a chill ran down her spine. There stood Tristan Albright, her father's aide.
"Good evening, Miss Charlotte. You look lovely as always, this evening. May I come in?"
"Hello Tristan. I was just leaving to join my father."
On this trip, Tristan had been persistent in his feeble attempts to court her. She had remained courteous but offered no interest in the man. Now she thought of him as being the man who murdered Ivan Polansky. He made her feel unnerved as she felt herself shaking.
"Charlotte, are you alright?" asked Tristan as he walked into the room.
"I'm fine. I just felt a chilly breeze from the hallway," said Charlotte as she tried to calm herself.
Tristan walked over to the door and closed it, leaving the two of them alone in the room.
"I will speak to housekeeping and make sure you have plenty of coal for your stove."
"You don't need to that, Tristan. I will speak to the maid. I need some of my clothes to be laundered."
"Charlotte, now that we are alone. I want to speak to you on a personal matter. I spoke to your father today on our travels. He told me if you agreed to my offer, he would give us our blessings."
Then Tristan removed a box from his pocket and knelt on one knee.
"Charlotte Randolph, will you marry me?"
"What? No!" exclaimed Charlotte in disbelief.
She walked past him towards the door. He grabbed her arm and turned her around to speak to her directly.
"Wait, my dear, hear me out."
"I'm sorry, Tristan. Nothing you can say will change my mind. I don't love you."
"Be realistic. You are not getting any younger, and you have already had four seasons with no results."
"I beg your pardon," said Charlotte as she pulled her arm free.
"If something should happen to your father, who would take care of you and your mother?"
An ominous feeling of fear swept over her as she stared at the man. Tristan was only an inch taller than her and somewhat handsome, but his true colors were showing.
"What are you insinuating?"
"What I mean is that you and I could be the most celebrated couple in Harrisburg. Your father has assured me I have a bright future in politics, and I could provide for you the life you have become accustomed to living."
"Tristan, let me make this crystal clear. I am not marrying you. I don't love you. And when and if I marry, it will be for love, not for a convenient arrangement."
Charlotte walked to the door and opened it. Tristan's anger showed.
"Please reconsider my offer. I would hate to have you regret your decision."
"Please leave, now."
Tristan walked out of her room and went straight to the bar to calm his anger. Charlotte closed the door with force. His visit had unnerved her.
She freshened her perfume, pinched her cheeks for color and added a bit of rouge to her lips. She blotted her lips and added a touch of sweet oil to them. Charlie took a deep breath and smiled at herself in the mirror. She felt empowered and proud of herself for standing up to Tristan.
Charlotte locked the door to her room and slipped the room key into a secret pocket in her dress. Her heart fluttered at the thought of Reggie, and she glided down the stairs, eager to see his reaction.
* * *
The carriage doors were open when Reggie drove the buckboard into the stable. He jumped down and greeted the hotel groomsmen, Clyde.
"Good evening, Clyde."
"Top of the evening to you too, sir."
Reggie untied the horses from the back of the wagon.
"Well, what do we have here? Hello Kaiser. Where's Ivan?"
"I found Ivan murdered in his cabin this afternoon. I used Mr. Polansky's team and buckboard to bring him to the undertaker."
"Well, that's a shame to hear. Any idea who would do such a thing?"
"I have my suspicions. The animals need to be stable until tomorrow morning. Also, I am returning Miss Randolph's horse and you remember Jack?"
He handed the groomsmen the reins as he helped Clyde led the horse to an empty stall. Jack let out a whinny, and the horse in the next stall answered.
"What in the world? What's the General doing here?"
"Your father rode in about an hour ago. The landowners are meeting with Senator Randolph this evening."
Reggie handed Clyde a gold coin.
"Take good care of them. Come on Kaiser. Let's go find father."
Reggie grabbed his satchel, and the two of them went into the hotel. He walked to the hotel desk and asked what room his father had for the evening. Mr. Archer told him about the room and informed his son that his father was in the bar along with other men.
"Can I take your bag to his room?"
"No, thank you."
Reggie walked into the bar and saw his father visiting with the local landowners.
"Hello, father."
"Reggie. I'm so glad to see you. According to Rupert, he told me to check the pubs first to find you."
His comments to his grown son made the men laugh. Reggie smiled and shook hands with the men.
"Father, I need to speak in private with you. Can we go to your room? I need to clean up before dinner."
"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen."
Gordon Thanturnam finished his glass of whiskey and set it on the bar. Reggie ordered a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.
"Put it on my tab."
The Thanturnam men left the bar and went upstairs to their room. When the door closed, Reggie threw his satchel on the bed and opened the bottle of whiskey. He poured a glass full and drained it in one swallow.
"Son, what's going on?"
Reggie poured both his father and him another drink. He handed it to his father.
"Sit down, father. Do I have a story to tell you."
Reggie retrieved the papers from his satchel and began at the beginning, describing the events of the day. As he explained the murder scene, he handed his father the letter he found in the bible.
Gordon was in disbelief as he listened to the details. Reggie continued telling his father everything, even about how he felt about Charlie, the Senator's daughter. He dug out a clean shirt and washed up at the basin.
"And you think one of the senator's staff killed Ivan?"
He explained his visit with the sheriff, the cuff, and Kaiser's reaction to the material. Then Gordon told his son what he had learned from the men.
"Mr. Berman had been pressured to sell his land. They burned down a shed and he lost over half his herd to rustlers. Do you think they were pressuring Ivan to sell his land?"
"It is possible. I need to go back to Ivan's tomorrow morning and take care of the animals. I also want to go through his records to find out if Ivan sold his cattle or if they were stolen. There are only about ten head left in the herd."
"What about the property?"
Reggie showed him the bank papers and his bank account, which made his father's eyes open wide.
"All his accounts are paid in full. I want to find out if Ivan sold his cattle to pay his bills."
His father raised his glass in a toast to his son.
"To Ivan. God rest his soul and to your good fortune."
Reggie returned the gesture and finally smiled, still unable to believe it.
"I need to ask you a question. Often, a young man's head can be clouded in judgement when it comes to women. Do you trust Miss Randolph?"
"Yes, I do. I know in the past I have been suspicious of women's motives and rightly so. But not this time. She has a good heart, and her beauty is beyond compare."
"Are you in love with her?"
"I might be. All I know is that I want to spend as much time with her as I can before they leave to go back to Harrisburg. Wait until you meet her and then you can judge for yourself. I trust your judgement."
Reggie brushed his coat and then donned his frock coat. He adjusted his shirt cuffs and straightened his tie. He pulled down his red and black striped satin vest. Reggie ran his fingers through his shoulder-length hair. Grabbing the small bottle of cologne, he poured a small amount in his hands and offered his father the bottle.
He smoothed his hair and his beard, declaring himself ready to meet the Senator and his daughter. When they opened the door, Kaiser shot out into the hallway with no intention of staying in the room. He was hungry.