Page 86 of The Beauty and the Boxer
“It is for making money, but not keeping mepleasant,” he said gruffly. “I’m going to have to hire two moremanagers.”
“But why will the workload be doubled?”
“Jack has decided to go to America to followup with the grain elevator. He sent a note over with Meredith’spackage, addressed to me. He wrote me thatthat,” he noddedat the papers in her hand, “was for your sister and that he wasdeparting on the first ship to America. Leaving me in the thick ofit.”
“W-what?” Meredith stuttered. “He’sleaving?”
“On the next ship it seems,” Simon said, hiseyes intent on her, seemingly interested in Meredith’s response.“His letter smelled of scotch, so I’m sure he was drunk when hewrote it.”
“If he was drunk, maybe he won’t go?”
Simon was shaking his head before shefinished the sentence.
“Jack’s not one to make empty threats. Andwhile I don’t think it’s terribly fair to saddle me with hisworkload on top of my growing one, I know he’s determined. I can’timagine he wouldn’t go.”
“But why?”
“Meredith,” Sarah tried, but seeing theeagerness in her sister’s eyes, she simply stared.
“Well, if I had to guess,” Simon started,his words slow as he played with the fork in his hand. “I wouldthink he wanted to oversee the grain elevator, but then thatdoesn’t make sense. He’s never been interested in leaving Bristolbefore, but I’ve noticed a change in him these past few weeks.Jack’s been unsettled for some reason and it seems that he’sdetermined to leave,” Simon said, giving Meredith a concernedglance. “Either way, he asked me to give you your investment alongwith a bonus.”
“A what?”
“It’s a finder’s fee, one he usually keepsby for this particular investment, he told me to hand it over toyou.”
“When?”
“Immediately.”
“How much?” Sarah asked, curious.
“About twenty thousand pounds.”
The amount shocked Meredith and her sisterinto silence. A tense moment followed.
“Excuse me?” Sarah said, breathlessly.
“But...”
Meredith felt dizzy. Whatever money she madefrom her investment; it would surely go to paying him back forfreeing her from Clyde. She wouldn’t take any of it.
“I can’t,” she said, shaking her head.
“His letter said you needed it.”
“For what?”
“That was the odd bit. He said you needed itfora view of the sea.”
The air went out of her lungs as her throattightened. Tears suddenly stung her eyes as Meredith remembered herconfession during her first meeting with Jack. Emotion cracked ather heart and before she realized what she was doing, shestood.
“When does he leave?”
“I believe the ship sails at 10:00 thismorning, but—”
Meredith was rushing from the room before hecould finish. She couldn’t’ possibly let him leave England withoutknowing full well that she would never accept that amount of moneyfrom him, especially since she was properly indebted to himnow.
She ran to the stables and ordered acarriage to take her directly to Burwell. Of course, upon arriving,she learned that he wasn’t there. Feeling panic set in, shedemanded to be taken to the dockyards.
