Fortune Is a Woman - Elizabeth Adler [44]
Maitland said, “He’s insane with anger. Next time he’ll likely kill her. We’ll take her to the convent. The Little Sisters of Mercy will look after her and she’ll be safe from him there. I’m telling them about this in the servants’ hall and then I’m leaving, and them that wants to come with me can. I’ll not work any longer for a man as cruel as Harmon Harrison, no matter how important he is and how good wages he pays.”
Miss James nodded in agreement. “I’ll get a blanket for her, Mr. Maitland, and after we’ve taken her to the convent, I’m leaving too. I’m not staying on here to face his anger.”
CHAPTER 9
A couple of weeks after the Harrisons’ ball, Maitland dropped into the Barbary Saloon on Pacific Street, where Josh was working. He was wearing a tweed jacket and trousers and at first Josh didn’t recognize him out of his formal butler’s pinstripe and black. But Maitland recognized Josh by his battered face.
“Looks like Harmon Harrison did a pretty thorough job on you,” he said, eyeing the plaster on his head, his black eye and swollen mouth.
Josh placed a pint of ale on the stained wooden counter in front of him, shrugging indifferently.
“He damned near killed his daughter too,” Maitland added, taking a long swallow of the beer.
“His daughter? But she’s just a girl and she weren’t doing nothing wrong … just crying, that’s all …”
“I know you were just helping her, son, but she shamed him in front of the cream of San Francisco society. He hates all women, and her more than the rest. She’s been shut away for years and the story got about that it was because she was difficult, a bit crazy. But he polished up her manners, dressed her up, and let it be known she had a million-dollar dowry and he was willing to give her away to any taker with an aristocratic title. She heard some fool talking about it and naturally she was upset and ran off. And now everybody knows she was found in a waiter’s arms. And they know the rumor that Harrison was so angry he beat his daughter to a bloody pulp and that even now she’s at death’s door.”
Josh stared at him, shocked. “It can’t be true, no father would do that.”
Maitland nodded. “It’s true, all right. I took her myself to the Convent of Mercy. The sisters are looking after her, but they don’t hold out much hope. Harrison donated them a little money, but he’s never been to see her. And I heard him telling his son that she’ll never be allowed to set foot inside his door again. If she lives, that is.”
“If she dies, the bastard should swing for her,” Josh exploded, banging his fist on the bar counter.
Maitland looked cynically at him as he drained his glass and he shook his head. “Not in this town, young man. Harmon Harrison is rich and powerful and he runs San Francisco. Men like him make the rules. It’s folks like us who have to obey them.”
“It’s all my fault,” Josh said, putting on his jacket. “I’ll go see her right now … the Convent of Mercy, you said….”
“They’ll not let you in, lad,” Maitland warned, but he was already swinging through the saloon doors and on his way.
The Sisters of Mercy was a nursing order dedicated to caring for the poor and the sick, and the convent was a small, arched white stucco building set back from Dolores Street. The walls surrounding it were high and the heavy wooden gates were firmly closed against the world, but that didn’t stop Josh. He tugged urgently on the iron bell-pull, stamping his feet against the cold, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. He tugged again, hearing it ring in some far-off place. There was the sound of sandaled feet on flagstones and then a panel in the door was drawn back and a nun, half-hidden by her starched white wimple, looked out at him.
“I’m here to see Francesca Harrison,” he told her. “I must see her.”
“Miss Harrison is not allowed any visitors,” the nun said, her quiet voice