Part 13 (1/2)
The bald fellow jerked his gaze from Luke to a stack of papers in front of him. Undoubtedly Sweet.w.a.ter had deliberately kept Luke waiting just to see him sweat.
Finally, several irritated swipes of the handkerchief later, Burdell opened the door. ”Come in, Mr. Carpenter.”
Luke crossed the floor and stepped into the lion's den. Burdell entered behind him and jabbed a finger at a chair.
Luke glanced around the handsomely furnished office, from the enormous glossy desk topped with bra.s.s accessories and a humidor to the leather chairs and the painting of a fox hunt on the wall over a library table.
Eldon Sweet.w.a.ter sat in the chair behind the desk, calmly puffing on a cigar. They had spoken in the months since Luke had opened the livery. The man who'd owned and operated the old one had been glad to retire and move to Nebraska to live with his son. The Sweet.w.a.ters had no choice if they wanted to rent a rig; they were forced to do business with Luke...but they didn't have to be civil. They used his rigs and his horses and they paid him and left. They didn't like it one bit.
”You must have a good reason for being here.” Eldon folded his hands over his stomach.
Burdell made himself comfortable in a chair and crossed one ankle over his knee to watch.
They hadn't lynched him at the door, so Luke took encouragement from that small fact. ”It's business.”
”I don't have any business with you,” Eldon replied.
Maybe he should start over. ”Thank you for seeing me.”
The man said nothing.
”I've come to ask for a loan. To build a house.”
Sweet.w.a.ter raised his brows, looked at his son, then back at Luke. ”You didn't need my help before.”
He referred to the livery. Luke hadn't wanted to ask for help then any more than he did now. But things had changed. ”I managed the livery on my own. Now I need a loan.”
”Takes a lot of money to build a house.”
Luke nodded. ”I think you can see that I'm reliable and hardworking. I'm good for the money.”
”Loans require collateral.”
”I have the livery. You know that.”
”Free and clear?”
”I paid cash for every last nail.”
”I'm supposed to be impressed, I imagine.”
”Not at all. But you know I'm good for it.”
”I don't know that. You could default on the loan.”
”I won't.”
”Things happen.”
”Then you'd get the livery.” He had to swallow hard to get that one out.
”I have no use for a livery.”
”You'd sell it. It's worth a pretty penny and it's making money now.”
”Then why don't you pay for your own house?”
”Well, I haven't made that much money. Not yet anyway. But I will. I'm the only farrier in sixty miles.”
Eldon leaned back into his leather chair and puffed until a cloud of smoke circled his head. ”Dirty work,” he said and brushed a speck of lint from his tailored sleeve with a clean uncallused finger.
Burdell made a point of casually examining his fingernails, and Luke held no doubt there wasn't a speck of dirt under a one of them.
The warmth of slow-mounting anger inched its way up Luke's collar. He kept his own work-roughened hands on his thighs and refused to look down at the nails he'd scrubbed for ten minutes that morning. ”It's honest work.”
The older man's brows lowered in disapproval. He deliberately waited before speaking again. ”Do you have anything else to use as collateral? Jewelry? Gold?”
”Horses.”
”I don't have much use for horses, either.”
Luke's anger mounted. The horses would bring plenty at auction and they all knew it. The man was baiting him. He took several even breaths and relaxed his hands on his thighs. ”I'm asking honestly for a loan, Mr. Sweet.w.a.ter. You can turn me down for any reason you choose. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't have a need.”
”Seems for a man in your position, a house would be a luxury.”
”You judge every man who comes in for a loan?”
”It's necessary for me to judge a man's ability to pay my investment back. Banks don't stay in business by losing money.”
”I can pay it back.”
Leaning forward, Eldon placed his cigar on the edge of a bra.s.s ashtray and stood. ”I'm not convinced. You're not a good risk. This meeting is over.”
Luke met Burdell's eyes, but surprisingly they revealed only mild interest in the exchange. He'd expected gloating or in the very least superiority.
Eldon had turned him down flat.
He'd expected as much, so the humiliation didn't consume him. This was Annie's father, and though he didn't think he owed the man undue respect, he felt obliged to keep things civil. He extended his hand. ”Well, I thank you for your time.”
Eldon acted as though he hadn't seen the gesture or heard the words. ”Do you have those ledgers prepared?” he asked Burdell.
Burdell stood and gathered a pile of account books from the top of a wooden cabinet.
Luke dropped his hand to his side. He gathered his composure and exited the office. The hairless man outside the door stared as he pa.s.sed. The man at the teller window gave him a nod.
Standing on the dirt in the street, Luke loosened his tie, unb.u.t.toned the top b.u.t.ton of his good white s.h.i.+rt and glanced at his nails. The Sweet.w.a.ter bank would have been the most convenient to do business with. But it wasn't the only bank in the county. He could take the deed to his property and ride to Fort Parker.
After making arrangements with Burt, he packed provisions for a night and saddled a horse.
During the ride he had plenty of time to regret going to the Sweet.w.a.ters' bank. Father and son were probably laughing their guts out right about now. What had he thought would happen? That the man would have a sudden change of heart? If he knew the house was for Annie, would it make one bit of difference or would it make him fight Luke all the harder? The latter, he feared.