Chapter 15
It wasn’t until the following Thursday that Max’s father finally paid him a visit.
The Turners had insisted Max remain in their care, and to his pleasure, they had left Evie in charge of his needs.
What a wonderful opportunity that presented.
Together they had shared long discussions, played games of chess and checkers, and enjoyed meals together.
Max found his time with her absolutely delightful, much more appealing than dealing with his father and wondering whatever part he played in the fire.
“I was certainly surprised to hear you had been injured,” his father said as he glanced around the sitting room. “More so that it was on Boom Island.”
Max had taken a stuffed chair near the unlit fireplace.
One of the Turner servants had gone to his house earlier in the week for some of his clothes, and he was dressed very casually in nothing more than his trousers, cotton shirt, and slippers.
For a moment he took note of his father’s impeccable suit and felt considerably underdressed.
Evie came into the room then. “Good morning, Mr. Garrison. It’s good to see you again, but I’m sorry it should be under these circumstances.”
“Good morning to you, Miss Turner. Yes, it is a pity to meet this way. I was grieved to hear that Max had been injured.”
“I’ll let him give you the details.” Evie looked at Max.
“But he’s doing quite well, so long as he doesn’t have to deal with additional irritants.
” She gave him a conspiratorial look that suggested she understood his feelings at the moment.
“Max, do you need anything before I leave you to visit with your father? Do you need your sling adjusted?”
“No, I’m fine. Please close the door.” Evie nodded and left without questioning his request. Max had told her that things were tense between him and his father, but he hadn’t yet filled her in on all the details. How could he without putting his father in the path of possible legal troubles?
“Please sit, Father. We need to talk.”
He claimed the chintz chair to Max’s left. “That’s why I’m here. How are you feeling? What all is wrong with you, anyway?”
“I was on Boom Island when it caught fire and wounded in the collapse of a burning roof. I have a head injury. Five stitches under this bandage.” He pointed to the spot on his forehead.
“I have a broken collarbone and burns on my neck and shoulder. I was trying to rescue a couple of our men, but they ended up rescuing me. I might have died in that fire.”
“Why were you even on the island?” His father undid the buttons on his suit coat. “It was Sunday.”
“Yes. I suppose you and your friends counted on that fact.”
“Just what is that supposed to mean?”
Max’s gaze narrowed. “What do you suppose it means, Father?”
“I have no idea. I’m sorry you were there but still don’t understand why you should have been. Last I knew, you were at church with us. I expected you might join us for Sunday dinner.”
“I was there to close down the mills. We agreed that there was no other choice, so I sent word to a few of our best workers to join me there. I wanted to speak to them personally rather than simply have them show up on Monday to a closed mill. Instead, we found ourselves nearly killed.”
“I’m eternally grateful to God that you weren’t. Still, I don’t understand your anger.”
“Do you not? After all, you and your friends were the ones who discussed the benefits of burning the mills and collecting insurance money.”
His father’s jaw dropped, eyes widening. “You can’t think that we had anything to do with it. Fire Chief Runge said it was caused by embers from the Nicollet Island fire.”
“Rather convenient, but hardly probable. The Nicollet fire was on the very southern tip of the island. Boom Island is to the north. It seems highly unlikely that embers caused such a massive and destructive fire in what seem to have been very specific locations.”
“But it did, and you cannot say otherwise.”
“I can and do. I intend to have the entire matter investigated thoroughly. I will hire my own detectives if need be.”
“There’s no reason to go to such efforts. Fire Chief Runge has already investigated the matter.”
“And if you’ll recall, there are those who have little trust in the man. He just managed to get out of formal charges, among which were concerns that he had arranged for or at least knew of plans to purposefully set fires.”
“The man was acquitted. Speak no slander against him. To defame his good name will only result in bringing trouble upon yourself.”
Max had reached the limit of his patience. “Father, I want the honest truth. Was the fire the result of your cronies’ plans to get insurance money?”
“Of course not!” His father sounded more than a little irritated, but Max couldn’t discern if he was lying or speaking the truth.
“You must accept, Maxwell, that this was an accident and nothing more. The newspaper has already noted that the Nicollet fire was started by two young men who discarded cigarettes near flammable materials. Purely an accident brought on by carelessness.”
“I find it a very opportune accident.” Max hated the anger that surged inside him.
He could barely stand the thought that the worst fire in the history of the state had been caused with his father’s approval.
“Your friends were desperate. You said yourself that you thought it a victimless crime to set fire to the mills and collect the insurance money. There are hundreds of people without homes now. Those same people are without jobs because of all the lost businesses. This isn’t a victimless crime. ”
“Max, perhaps your head injury has brought on this madness, but there is no truth in it. My friends—and I remind you they are your friends as well—did not set the fire. It was an accident started by carelessness. Then the winds whipped up and sent embers into the air. You were there, you must have seen it.”
“I was busy working and didn’t even realize there was a fire until nearly too late. I wasn’t the only one caught unaware. Many had to take to the river to keep from burning to death.”
“Max, you’re certainly doing no good to upset yourself in this manner.”
“Tell me that you aren’t going to make a good deal of money off the insurance. I happen to know you had high-end coverage.”
His father looked momentarily uncomfortable, then leaned back and crossed his arms. “I will receive money from the insurance company. But you will as well. You were half owner, so before you condemn me or our friends, you must accept that you are a part of this.”
Max felt his anger rise. “I didn’t approve setting fire to Boom Island!”
“And neither did I. Put aside your suspicions. It was nothing more than an accident that happened to answer a great many prayers. It’s over with, and you need to put aside any ideas of having your own private investigation. It would be a waste of money.”
“You’re most likely right. I’m sure Fire Chief Runge and anyone else involved would see to that.”
“Max, you are wrongly judging men you don’t even know. I think your injuries have stirred up in you a need for revenge where none is due.” He huffed a heavy sigh and shook his head. “When does the doctor say you’ll be healthy enough to leave his care?”
“He hasn’t said.” Max wasn’t of a mind to let go of his concerns, but he knew his father would never tell him the truth. “Dr. Turner and his family have bid me stay as long as need be, since I now live alone.”
“But you could easily return to our home. There are servants aplenty to assist you in every way.”
“I’d rather remain here. I happen to enjoy this family’s company.”
“Whereas you don’t enjoy ours? Is that it?”
Max almost laughed. “You’ve never pined for my company before. You and the Duchess sent me away at every possible chance. I hardly believe you’re missing me now.”
“You are a most unforgiving man and full of accusations. I only did what I felt was right for your education and upbringing. It was never a personal desire to have you absent from my life. It was simply the way things were done. Children of wealthy families were sent to boarding schools.”
“They aren’t in this household. They’re cherished and loved.
The Turners have ten children and never sent even one of them away.
And while they have nannies to assist, Dr. and Mrs. Turner were present almost every day and night to care for them personally.
You rarely even knew what I was doing, so please don’t pretend to care now. ”
“You think I don’t?”
Max knew his father had only done what had been done to him.
He was practicing what he had been taught.
Feeling the pain of his wounds, Max drew in a deep breath and shook his head.
“I’m sorry, Father. I suppose it is the misery of my injuries that causes me to complain.
Let us forget about it. What’s the news from New York? ”
For a long moment, his father remained silent. Max felt a modicum of guilt for having come down so hard on him. It was possible he knew nothing about the fire, and he had only the examples around him to reflect what constituted proper fatherhood.
“There’s finally hope for recovery. You may have read in the newspaper that gold shipments have arrived from Europe, and more is on the way.
This will bolster our financial foundations and finally put an end to the fear that the money will run out.
The forecasters are anticipating the worst of our economic troubles will be put aside by the end of the year. ”
Max was glad to hear the news but at the same time couldn’t help thinking again of the fire.
Had it been set deliberately to aid those in financial distress?
Of course, if he did pursue the matter, his father might very well be prosecuted for whatever part he played.
Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe the winds really had sent embers aloft to land on the sawmills of Boom Island.