Chapter Fourteen
THE FIRST SECTION:
Coleman awoke frustrated that Emily had not come to him during the night asking him for an explanation for his behavior the previous evening. What was even more frustrating was that he had a fairly light workload ahead of him and would have to find a way to kill time until she actually came to him. He did not expect her for breakfast and his intuition proved him right when he entered an empty dining room. Not wanting to waste time dwelling on what should have been an angry exchange between them, he ordered his carriage ready to take him to his office. But even when he arrived there he found that he could not think of anything but her. A burning desire flamed inside of him to find out where she had been the previous afternoon and what it was that she was up to. Had she a lover, he wondered. At last he decided that anything he wanted to accomplish at work that day could be put off until the next and set out to find Emily and to see how she was filling her days without him.
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He did not go straight home, however. The last thing he wanted to do was to tip her off that he was around, thus allowing her to behave properly if she knew. So had his carriage stop around the corner from the entrance of his estate and sent one of his drivers in to see if Emily was at home. The servant returned and said that she was, and that she had requested that her carriage be prepared for her in the early afternoon, probably leaving at around one o’clock. It was still a few minutes before eleven-thirty, so Coleman decided to waste an hour by riding past docks. He wanted to see how business was doing that day and was mildly delighted that business was doing rather well. In fact, many of the laborers had returned to work after skipping the previous day. It still was not perfect, but the line of ships waiting to dock was small and all the merchants were out in force. In fact, Coleman had an idea that might make him money and save it over the long term as well. He remembered how Richard had to buy back four warehouses recently was looking to sell two of them off again to new consumers. While the idea of buying the four would securing his monopoly and dominance of the port, Coleman wondered if he would be risking too much by owning everything in Charlton. So he turned his thoughts in the other direction, What if I sold my warehouses to Richard instead? The thought seemed risky as well, as it would mean giving up control of the harbor. But if he could some how divert his shipments away from Charlton at the same time, Richard would certainly be desperate to sell the warehouses at a much lower price. Then, Coleman thought, he could buy back all of them for roughly the same price as the two currently for sale. And with Richard owning the warehouses, he thought again, he would be the one who must take the brunt of the decline in business in the short term and suffer the long-term expenses as well. The thought of Richard’s poor management of the city’s funds and a resulting loss in the next election intrigued Coleman even more. It will take work, he thought, and time, but it will be worth its weight in gold in the end.
It was nearing one o’clock finally and Coleman ordered his carriage back to the estate to wait for Emily to leave. Upon arriving, one of the drivers leaned over and informed Coleman that Emily was leaving and could be seen from their position. Coleman directed his drivers to follow her carriage but to not get too close, as he wanted to ensure that she could not see him. And thus the pursuit began. Emily’s carriage did not move for long before it stopped in front of a house that Coleman had only seen one his walks and rides through the Crossing. He did not know who lived there and wanted to see, but cautioned his drivers not to get too close. From his position, he noticed a servant come out and open the door for Emily, who started to get out of the carriage. The first thing he saw was the foot of her boot step outside, and he eagerly waited for her face to come out from behind the carriage walls. He desperately wanted to see her for two reasons, the first being that he had not seen her face in well over a day and the second that he wanted to make sure it was her in the carriage. But as she started to step out, a man came from inside the house and walked to the carriage.
Coleman stuck his head out of the window and asked, “Is that Jonathan? Sarah’s husband?” The drivers confirmed that it was he and that was his house. “Oh, I was unaware that they lived here. Pity. I thought they were wealthier than that.”
To Coleman’s surprise, Jonathan stepped into the carriage with Emily and the carriage rode off. Is she having an affair with him? he wondered. A sense of loss came over him as he realized that he had been a fool all along. He thoroughly believed that she would never betray him despite her coldness. But perhaps that it is true, he thought. He followed her carriage with greater determination because he wanted to know for sure. After a few minutes of riding, her carriage stopped at the meadows and Jonathan helped Emily step out onto the road. From there they walked across the meadow, past the pond and behind a stretch of brush where they disappeared for what seemed like several hours. Coleman’s impatience made him irritable and he kept ordering his carriage to move closer to Emily’s so he could try and get a better look at the area where they had disappeared. But with each attempt to inch closer, nothing was revealed. Finally, Coleman stuck his head out to order the carriage closer still when he saw one of Emily’s drivers turn around and wave hello to his drivers. Upon seeing this, he immediately ordered his carriage back to its original position. No need to get too close, he muttered. I guess that I will just have to wait.
Finally his patience paid off as he saw Emily walking alone back to the carriage. Coleman strained his eyes to see if Jonathan was simply lagging behind, but it was apparent after she had reached the pond that he had gone off on his own elsewhere. He did notice, however, that Emily was carrying something in her arms. As she neared her carriage he saw that she was carrying a small basket on her arm and in her hand was a bouquet of flowers.
“The bastard!” he exclaimed, “He is encroaching on my property!” Coleman furiously ordered that the carriage turn around, “I have seen enough! Take me home.”
His carriage backed up and started heading back to the estate when he demanded that they stop and turn him around, “Let us see where she goes to next. Maybe she has two or three lovers in her arms!”
For a moment they had lost Emily’s carriage but soon caught up to her as she was stuck in traffic. While his carriage slowed to the pace of all of the others, another carriage came from a road that lined another section of the meadows. Jonathan was driving the carriage and Sarah was seated beside him. The three looked at each other, and Coleman nodded but refused to say anything to them. Best not to spoil that girl’s day, he thought as he moved forward in traffic. The traffic itself was infuriating Coleman more. The longer it took him to get to wherever Emily was going, the more he wanted to crush her father’s political career. The two carriages finally broke free from the congestion and headed up river, just out of town. Emily’s carriage stopped around the bend and Coleman watched her get out with the flowers in her hand. She walked alone through the field toward the river and stopped to kneel down in front of a gravestone. Coleman immediately felt guilty about following her. I should have known that she visited her mother, he thought. He did not wish to stay and watch her any longer and asked to be taken home at once. There was no more need to follow Emily; he had already seen everything that he needed to, even if not all of it was explained.
Coleman awoke frustrated that Emily had not come to him during the night asking him for an explanation for his behavior the previous evening. What was even more frustrating was that he had a fairly light workload ahead of him and would have to find a way to kill time until she actually came to him. He did not expect her for breakfast and his intuition proved him right when he entered an empty dining room. Not wanting to waste time dwelling on what should have been an angry exchange between them, he ordered his carriage ready to take him to his office. But even when he arrived there he found that he could not think of anything but her. A burning desire flamed inside of him to find out where she had been the previous afternoon and what it was that she was up to. Had she a lover, he wondered. At last he decided that anything he wanted to accomplish at work that day could be put off until the next and set out to find Emily and to see how she was filling her days without him.
FOR FULL TEXT CLICK READ MORE BELOW
He did not go straight home, however. The last thing he wanted to do was to tip her off that he was around, thus allowing her to behave properly if she knew. So had his carriage stop around the corner from the entrance of his estate and sent one of his drivers in to see if Emily was at home. The servant returned and said that she was, and that she had requested that her carriage be prepared for her in the early afternoon, probably leaving at around one o’clock. It was still a few minutes before eleven-thirty, so Coleman decided to waste an hour by riding past docks. He wanted to see how business was doing that day and was mildly delighted that business was doing rather well. In fact, many of the laborers had returned to work after skipping the previous day. It still was not perfect, but the line of ships waiting to dock was small and all the merchants were out in force. In fact, Coleman had an idea that might make him money and save it over the long term as well. He remembered how Richard had to buy back four warehouses recently was looking to sell two of them off again to new consumers. While the idea of buying the four would securing his monopoly and dominance of the port, Coleman wondered if he would be risking too much by owning everything in Charlton. So he turned his thoughts in the other direction, What if I sold my warehouses to Richard instead? The thought seemed risky as well, as it would mean giving up control of the harbor. But if he could some how divert his shipments away from Charlton at the same time, Richard would certainly be desperate to sell the warehouses at a much lower price. Then, Coleman thought, he could buy back all of them for roughly the same price as the two currently for sale. And with Richard owning the warehouses, he thought again, he would be the one who must take the brunt of the decline in business in the short term and suffer the long-term expenses as well. The thought of Richard’s poor management of the city’s funds and a resulting loss in the next election intrigued Coleman even more. It will take work, he thought, and time, but it will be worth its weight in gold in the end.
It was nearing one o’clock finally and Coleman ordered his carriage back to the estate to wait for Emily to leave. Upon arriving, one of the drivers leaned over and informed Coleman that Emily was leaving and could be seen from their position. Coleman directed his drivers to follow her carriage but to not get too close, as he wanted to ensure that she could not see him. And thus the pursuit began. Emily’s carriage did not move for long before it stopped in front of a house that Coleman had only seen one his walks and rides through the Crossing. He did not know who lived there and wanted to see, but cautioned his drivers not to get too close. From his position, he noticed a servant come out and open the door for Emily, who started to get out of the carriage. The first thing he saw was the foot of her boot step outside, and he eagerly waited for her face to come out from behind the carriage walls. He desperately wanted to see her for two reasons, the first being that he had not seen her face in well over a day and the second that he wanted to make sure it was her in the carriage. But as she started to step out, a man came from inside the house and walked to the carriage.
Coleman stuck his head out of the window and asked, “Is that Jonathan? Sarah’s husband?” The drivers confirmed that it was he and that was his house. “Oh, I was unaware that they lived here. Pity. I thought they were wealthier than that.”
To Coleman’s surprise, Jonathan stepped into the carriage with Emily and the carriage rode off. Is she having an affair with him? he wondered. A sense of loss came over him as he realized that he had been a fool all along. He thoroughly believed that she would never betray him despite her coldness. But perhaps that it is true, he thought. He followed her carriage with greater determination because he wanted to know for sure. After a few minutes of riding, her carriage stopped at the meadows and Jonathan helped Emily step out onto the road. From there they walked across the meadow, past the pond and behind a stretch of brush where they disappeared for what seemed like several hours. Coleman’s impatience made him irritable and he kept ordering his carriage to move closer to Emily’s so he could try and get a better look at the area where they had disappeared. But with each attempt to inch closer, nothing was revealed. Finally, Coleman stuck his head out to order the carriage closer still when he saw one of Emily’s drivers turn around and wave hello to his drivers. Upon seeing this, he immediately ordered his carriage back to its original position. No need to get too close, he muttered. I guess that I will just have to wait.
Finally his patience paid off as he saw Emily walking alone back to the carriage. Coleman strained his eyes to see if Jonathan was simply lagging behind, but it was apparent after she had reached the pond that he had gone off on his own elsewhere. He did notice, however, that Emily was carrying something in her arms. As she neared her carriage he saw that she was carrying a small basket on her arm and in her hand was a bouquet of flowers.
“The bastard!” he exclaimed, “He is encroaching on my property!” Coleman furiously ordered that the carriage turn around, “I have seen enough! Take me home.”
His carriage backed up and started heading back to the estate when he demanded that they stop and turn him around, “Let us see where she goes to next. Maybe she has two or three lovers in her arms!”
For a moment they had lost Emily’s carriage but soon caught up to her as she was stuck in traffic. While his carriage slowed to the pace of all of the others, another carriage came from a road that lined another section of the meadows. Jonathan was driving the carriage and Sarah was seated beside him. The three looked at each other, and Coleman nodded but refused to say anything to them. Best not to spoil that girl’s day, he thought as he moved forward in traffic. The traffic itself was infuriating Coleman more. The longer it took him to get to wherever Emily was going, the more he wanted to crush her father’s political career. The two carriages finally broke free from the congestion and headed up river, just out of town. Emily’s carriage stopped around the bend and Coleman watched her get out with the flowers in her hand. She walked alone through the field toward the river and stopped to kneel down in front of a gravestone. Coleman immediately felt guilty about following her. I should have known that she visited her mother, he thought. He did not wish to stay and watch her any longer and asked to be taken home at once. There was no more need to follow Emily; he had already seen everything that he needed to, even if not all of it was explained.
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