Part 40 (1/2)
”So you really are going to marry that Sproull woman.”
Madison ignored his own anger. He was going to have to spend a lot of time explaining and defending Fern. It wouldn't do either of them any good if he got angry every time someone said something he didn't like.
”If she'll have me.”
Fury smoldered in Jeff's eyes and caused his jaw to clench. ”I don't suppose it makes any difference that her father was a Jayhawk, not after you spent half the war in the bosom of the Yankees.”
”Jeff still likes to fight the war,” Hen said, the acid of dislike in his voice. ”It gives him something to do when he gets tired of feeling sorry for himself.”
”Hen.” It was George, and his frown of disapproval couldn't be ignored.
”Well, I get tired of hearing the same thing over and over again,” Hen said. ”You'd think Rose's being the best thing that ever happened to this family would be enough to shut him up.”
Hen got up and stalked away.
”Jeff . . .” George began. ”I know. I know,” Jeff said, some of his bristling hostility easing now that Hen was gone. I should let the war die. We should try to heal our wounds. But how the h.e.l.l am I supposed to do that with everybody marrying Yankees? Why can't one of you fall in love with a Southern woman?”
”Why don't you?” Madison asked.
”What woman would want a man with only one arm?” Jeff asked. ”I'd rather remain single than have a wife who feels sorry for me.”
George changed the subject. ”Where do you and Fern plan to live?” he asked Madison.
”Boston.”
”What's she going to do with her farm? You know she owns half the county, don't you? And the best half at that.”
”I want her to sell it.”
”How does Fern feel about moving to Boston?”
”Exactly how you'd expect. She's petrified.”
”Are you going to make her go?”
”Not if she doesn't want to.”
”What will you do?”
Madison would have preferred that George hadn't asked him that, at least not in front of Jeff. He certainly wasn't comfortable discussing his most personal concerns in front of his brother, especially since Jeff disapproved of his bride even more than he disapproved of Madison.
”I'm not sure yet, but I've been talking to Freddy about opening a branch of the firm out here.”
”Where?”
”Chicago. New Orleans. Maybe St. Louis or Kansas City.”
”Could you be happy living so far away from Boston and New York?”
”I'd be a h.e.l.l of a lot unhappier living in Boston without Fern,” Madison said, his temper short. ”There are trains, George. I can be in New York in a matter of hours.”
”Have you ever considered helping her run her farm?”
”Yes,” Madison answered, stunning both his brothers. ”But though the idea of working out here has a strong appeal, I don't see myself as a farmer. Besides, I still like Boston. Maybe I ought to look for a place that's half city, half wilderness.” He grinned. ”What about Chicago?”
Madison didn't tell his brothers that he'd been thinking about this for some time now. His career wasn't tied to Boston. He didn't owe Freddy and Samantha the rest of his life.
Neither did he say he'd been wondering if the tightly knit, well-ordered Virginia society hadn't strangled their father. He might have lived an ordinary, possibly even a praiseworthy, life if he'd been born in the West.
”Would you consider working for us?” George asked.
Madison's eyes narrowed. ”What are you proposing?” He was aware that Jeff had tensed alarmingly.
”Jeff doesn't like all this traveling. He'd like to settle in Denver. I thought you might be willing to take over part of his job.”
Madison was relieved to see Jeff relax. If he hadn't, Madison wouldn't have considered George's offer, not for a minute.
”Are you saying you want me to be part of the family?”
”Isn't that why you came back?”
”In part. Mostly,” Madison admitted reluctantly, ”but I don't want to take away Jeff's job.”
”I don't like meeting people any more than I have to,'' Jeff said. He raised his stump as though it were all the explanation needed.
”How are the twins going to feel?”
George motioned Hen to rejoin them. ”What would you think about asking Madison to work for the family?”
”I thought you already had,” Hen said.
”What do you think?” Madison asked. He was going to get an answer from Hen one way or the other.
”I'm not marrying you,” Hen said. I probably won't even see you more than a couple of times a year.
”That's not what I'm asking,” Madison said.
”I'd rather have you here than in Boston,” Hen said before turning away.
”That's as much of an invitation as you're likely to get from Hen,” George said. ”What do you think about it?”
”I'll have to talk it over with Fern, but I think it would be better if I kept on working for Freddy. I could gradually start working for the family as well,” Madison explained when George started to object. ”I'm a very expensive person. I don't think the family could afford me just yet.”
”Then it'll be your job to make us rich enough so we can.”
”I'm pretty good, but I'm not Midas,” Madison said.
”Don't worry. George is,” Jeff said. ”Everything he touches turns to gold.”
”If we had that payroll Pa is supposed to have stolen, none of us would have to work anymore,” George said.