Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Library
Genre: Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
Elizabeth Miles finds herself in a position no con can help her escape. Her beloved fiancé, Gideon Bates, is awaiting his turn in the draft to fight in the Great War. Elizabeth is finding it hard to think of anything else, but Gideon has thrown himself into his work, preparing wills for soldiers before they ship out. Corporal Tom Preston is part owner of Preston Shoes, a company that is making footwear for the army, so he has a rather large estate. He needs a new will, however, because he has just been secretly married to a woman whom his family would never approve. He wants to make sure she and their unborn child are provided for if he does not return.
When Tom is later reported killed, Elizabeth and Gideon learn that the new will has gone missing after Tom’s bride revealed her identity to his family. Unless the new will is found and validated, the original will, which leaves everything to Tom’s brother, will prevail and the wife and child will get nothing. If Tom’s new bride survives, that is. Some terrible threats have been leveled against her, and Elizabeth and Gideon must figure out a way, legal or not quite, to secure Tom’s fortune for his wife and child while saving her life in the process.
City of Scoundrels, by Victoria Thompson, is the third installment in the authors Counterfeit Lady series. The Counterfeit Lady series is a historical mystery series featuring Elizabeth Miles, a con woman
who finds herself embroiled in intrigue in turn of the century New York. There are several historically accurate events taking place in this story. First, World War I and the impending arrival of US military to the war in Europe.
While Elizabeth's fiancé Gideon Bates is preparing to be drafted to war, the American Protective League is causing harm by reporting those who are not patriotic to the cause. The American Protective League (1917-1919) was an organization of
private citizens that worked with Federal law enforcement agencies
during the World War I era to identify suspected German sympathizers and
to counteract the activities of radicals, anarchists, anti-war
activists, and left-wing labor and political organizations.
The second historically accurate event is the 1918 Flu Pandemic that killed up to 50 million people worldwide. The Flu ends affecting almost every character in this story including Gideon. As a lawyer, Gideon
is focusing his last few weeks as a civilian on drafting wills for
soldiers. Most of them are, but one of the exceptions is Tom Preston,
part owner of Preston Shoes, which has made a fortune providing shoes to
the soldiers. Tom wants a new will leaving his share of the family
business to his new wife and their unborn child – a wife the rest of his
family knows nothing about.
When word comes back that Tom has died, his new will goes missing, and his family doesn’t want to acknowledge
his widow Rose Preston. Elizabeth our
“reformed” grifter engaged to strait-laced lawyer Gideon Bates and a supporter of the Women's Suffrage movement, applies her “arts” to grift money from Tom's family. Elizabeth and her family come up with a scheme to get this war widow the money she
should have inherited. But what complications might there be along the
way?
In all fairness, the most interesting part of this whole story was the Flu seeing as it affected every part of society world wide. The author seemingly blames the spread of the Flu on American soldiers who were given cramped quarters and quickly built camps in an attempt to reach one million soldiers to send overseas to help defeat the Axis. The Flu hit so hard, that people actually dropped dead within minutes of catching it. It was so devastating that it affected the young more than the old.
I also encourage people to read about President Woodrow Wilson and how hateful he really was. He lied about entering World War I, then did so anyway. He hated women who marched and fought for Suffrage. His hand was literally forced after women started going on food strikes after being arrested and sent to farms. He could not tolerate criticism. He censored the media and quashed any dissent. He created concentration camps for American's of German descent.
.png)
Chapter One
I hate this stupid war!“ Elizabeth cried in frustration.
”Shhhh.“
Gideon glanced anxiously at the parlor door. Fortunately, it was
tightly closed, even though it was highly improper for them to be alone
in any room, even a perfectly respectable parlor. Gideon’s mother
thought an engaged couple deserved a little privacy, however, hence the
closed door. ”Not so loud. Someone might hear you.“
”Do
you really think your mother would turn me over to the League?“ The
American Protective League had thousands of civilian volunteers who were
informally investigating enemy activities but who usually just reported
their neighbors for being ”unpatriotic.“
”No, but I’m not too sure about the servants. People have been jailed for less, you know.“
”I do know, although I’m sure everyone hates the war by now, so how can saying it be unpatriotic?“
”I
have no idea, but it’s not only unpatriotic. It’s illegal, and the
League has spies everywhere, so please be careful, my darling. I
wouldn’t want to spend our honeymoon in prison.“
”If we ever even have a honeymoon. I still don’t see why we can’t go ahead and get married, war or no war.“
Gideon sighed. ”You know why, darling.“
Elizabeth sighed, too, but much more dramatically. ”Because you’re too honorable to risk leaving me a widow.“
”And possibly leaving you with a child you’ll have to raise alone.“
”You
might be sorry for being so honorable, Gideon. The way this war is
going, by the time it’s over, I’ll probably be too old to have children
at all, and you’ll wish we hadn’t waited.“
He
smiled at that. ”I’m sure you have at least a decade of childbearing
years left, and the war can’t possibly last that long. Now, stop fussing
and kiss me before my mother decides we’ve been in here alone long
enough.“
A
few minutes later, they broke apart at the sound of a discreet knock,
and Mrs. Bates joined them, pretending not to notice how breathless they
both were.
”Have
you seen the newspapers?“ Mrs. Bates asked. ”They sentenced the
suffrage demonstrators in Washington to ten days in the workhouse.“
”Not
the Occoquan Workhouse,“ Elizabeth cried in dismay. She and Mrs. Bates
had spent time in that horrible place last fall for demonstrating for
women’s suffrage outside the White House.
”No,
a different workhouse, but no better, I’m sure. They were protesting in
Lafayette Square this time, right beside the White House. I’m sure the
government is justifying it by saying demonstrating for women’s rights
is bad for civilian morale or some other poppycock.“
”Shhhh, someone might hear you,“ Elizabeth said, jumping up to close the parlor door.
”Do you think the League has spies in our house?“ Mrs. Bates asked in disgust.
”The
League has members everywhere,“ Gideon said. ”And I don’t think they
call them spies, Mother, so they might be offended if they heard you
call them that.“
”Whatever I call them, I hope I’m not harboring any in my own home.“
”You never know,“ Elizabeth said, ”and we can’t take a chance of demoralizing our beloved doughboys with unpatriotic thoughts.“
”I hope they aren’t your beloved doughboys,“ Gideon said. ”That’s too much competition, even for me.“
”Don’t be silly. When you’re a doughboy, you will be my only beloved one,“ Elizabeth said.
”I just wish you didn’t have to go at all, Gideon,“ Mrs. Bates said.
”And you don’t really have to. You could get yourself appointed as a Dollar-a-Year Man,“ Elizabeth said slyly.
”David did,“ Mrs. Bates reminded him, naming Gideon’s best friend.
”And
David will have to live with his decision, just as I have to live with
mine.“ Gideon gave Elizabeth a disapproving frown. ”I can’t shirk my
duty when so many other men have already paid the ultimate price.“
”I
suppose your mother and I are just selfish, Gideon,“ Elizabeth said.
”We don’t see any reason for you to pay the supreme price.“
”If women ruled the world, I suppose there wouldn’t be any wars at all.“
”Another good reason to give us the vote,“ Elizabeth said.
”You already have the vote, at least in New York State,“ Gideon said.
”Yes,“
his mother said wearily, ”and that’s lovely, but a state here and there
is not enough. All American women must have the vote.“
”So you can put an end to this war?“ Gideon guessed.
”Or at least elect people who will,“ she replied.
”I
wonder if they really do pay those men a dollar,“ Elizabeth said to
change the subject. Thinking about Gideon going to war was simply too
dreadful.
”Who, dear?“ Mrs. Bates asked absently.
”The Dollar-a-Year Men. Do they really get a dollar a year?“
”I
think that’s just an expression,“ Gideon said. ”I don’t think they get
any salary at all. David would know. Why don’t you ask him?“ he added
with a mischievous grin.
Elizabeth pretended not to notice the grin. ”I’m not sure David and I are actually speaking yet.“
”Really?“ Mrs. Bates said in surprise. ”I thought he’d forgiven you for breaking your engagement to him.“
”He
apparently told Gideon that he was actually relieved that I did.“ She
glanced at Gideon, silently daring him to confirm it, which he knew
better than to do. ”But I think his pride was a bit bruised, and you
know how sensitive men can be about matters of the heart.“
”Indeed I do,“ Mrs. Bates said.
”But
apparently, many men have extremely strong stomachs,“ Gideon said,
”which is what I imagine it takes for the Dollar-a-Year Men to give a
speech in theaters at intermission and make people feel guilty because
they haven’t bought enough Liberty Bonds or knitted enough socks or
saved enough peach pits for the war effort.“
”Don’t forget bandages, dear,“ Mrs. Bates said with only a hint of sarcasm. ”Heaven knows, I’ve rolled miles of them.“
”And bandages. David is welcome to serve our country as he sees fit, and I will serve it as I see fit.“
Elizabeth
didn’t dare meet Mrs. Bates’s eye. Neither of them could bear the
thought of losing Gideon, no matter how honorable it might be.
A
few days later, GideonÕs law clerk showed a handsome young soldier into
his office. His uniform had obviously been tailored to fit him and had
been smartly pressed, which was unusual. ÒCorporal Thomas Preston,Ó
Smith announced before leaving, closing the door behind him.
Gideon shook the soldier’s hand and invited him to sit. ”Where are you from, Corporal Preston?“
”Upstate,“ he said vaguely. ”You’re not serving?“
”I was too old for the earlier drafts, but they’ll get me this time. I’m just waiting to be called up.“
Preston nodded. ”Raising the age limit to forty-five will get a lot of fellows.“
”Indeed it will. I hear General Pershing wants a million more men over there.“
”That should put an end to the Boche pretty quick.“
Gideon
shook his head. ”Nothing about this war has been quick, but let’s hope
you’re right. Now, what can I do for you, Corporal?“ he asked, although
he was pretty sure he already knew.
”The army tells me I need to make a will before I ship out.“
Most
of the boys didn’t really need one, but Preston looked as if he might.
”I know that’s what they’re advising, and you probably also know our
firm is preparing wills free of charge for the boys. It’s our
contribution to the war effort.“
”I heard that, which is why I chose your firm, even though I can easily afford to pay for your services.“
Which explained the tailored uniform and confirmed Gideon’s suspicions. ”That isn’t necessary.“
”In
my case, it probably is. My will must be a little complicated because
my situation is complicated, and I don’t want any misunderstandings
later if I…well, if I don’t return.“
Gideon nodded his understanding. ”What do you mean by ’complicated’?“
”First of all, because of the war, I am a man of means.“
”Why ’because of the war’?“
”My
family owns Preston Shoe Manufacturing. We were doing quite well for
the past twenty-five years or so, and when my father passed away about
five years ago, he left me a third of the company.“
”Who owns the rest?“
”My
older brother, Fred, and my stepmother, Delia, each have a third. Fred
is the president of the company, and Delia and I just collect our
quarterly dividends.“
”You aren’t involved in the company at all?“
”I
suppose that was my family’s expectation, but I was still in school
when my father passed. Then I turned twenty-one last winter, so I was
eligible for the draft this past June, right after I graduated from
Cornell, so I haven’t had a chance to go to work yet.“ Working in an
industry essential to the war effort could have provided a deferment.
Why hadn’t Fred offered his brother that opportunity? Or maybe Tom was
too honorable to take it.
”I see. So you’re a college man. I’m surprised you didn’t go to officers’ training.“
”They wanted me to, but…“
Gideon waited, knowing how people detested silence and would often fill it with information they wouldn’t ordinarily reveal.
After a moment, Preston said, ”I didn’t think a man as young as I am should be ordering men to their deaths.“
Gideon nodded, understanding completely. ”They made you a corporal, though.“
”I went to a training camp in the summer of nineteen fifteen. One for college men.“
”Ah,
yes, the preparedness movement.“ As soon as the war started in Europe,
several retired American generals had seen a future need for officers if
America entered the war. They started a series of private summer
training camps for college men and others for businessmen. ”Did they
teach you to be a leader?“
Preston chuckled at that. ”They mostly just taught us to march. Did you go to a Business Men’s Camp?“
”A
Tired Business Men’s Camp, you mean?“ Gideon replied, giving it the
sarcastic moniker the public had bestowed. ”No, I didn’t.“
”You’ll
probably want to go in as an officer, anyway. Most of the older fellows
do. I hear they’re opening some new training schools because they need
so many new officers.“
To
replace the ones being killed by the score, but Gideon didn’t say that
to this innocent young man who might still think war was mostly honor,
glory and parades. ”I’ll probably just do what they tell me to do. Now,
explain to me why your will must be complicated. Your situation sounds
pretty straightforward.“
”It would be ordinarily, I suppose. Did I mention that Preston Shoes has a contract with the army now?“
”No, you didn’t, but I’d guessed as much since you said you were newly wealthy.“
”Fred worked really hard and probably bribed a few politicians to get the job, and he’s made a fortune. Although…“
Gideon clamped his lips together and waited again.
Preston glanced at the door as if to make sure it was still closed. ”Now that I’m in the army, I’ve heard things.“
”Things about what?“
”The shoes. The ones issued to the soldiers. They…The soldiers call them ’chicken skins.’ Because they fall apart so easily.“
”They’re poor quality, you mean?“
”That’s putting it mildly. I know the shoes I was issued were awful.“
”I’m
sure the army has contracts with many different shoe companies,“ Gideon
tried. ”Maybe the pair you got was made by a different one.“
”You’re
probably right, and I would hate to think…Well, anyway, Fred is running
the company, and there’s nothing I can do about it now. When the war is
over…“
Gideon
let that pass. A lot of things would or wouldn’t happen when this
cursed war was over. ”So you are now a wealthy man, courtesy of the U.S.
Army. I’m assuming you want to leave someone your share of the company
as well as the money you’ve made. Your brother?“
Preston
smiled, but the expression held no mirth. ”I already have a will that
does that. Fred took me to have it drawn up the minute he realized I’d
be drafted.“
”And you’ve changed your mind?“
”Not exactly. I’ve gotten married.“
”Married?“ Gideon echoed in surprise and then managed to say, ”Congratulations.“
”Thank
you. I know. You’re thinking I’m crazy to get married just before
shipping out but…“ The color rose in his beardless face, and he dropped
his gaze. ”Well, there’s a baby, you see.“
Gideon nodded knowingly. ”I do see. Then you’ve done the right thing.“
Preston
smiled his mirthless smile again. ”I don’t think Fred or Delia would
agree. She’s not…well, she’s not the sort of girl they would approve
of.“
”What sort of girl is she?“ Gideon asked, carefully keeping all hint of judgment from his tone.
Preston’s
entire face seemed to light up at that. ”She’s wonderful. Not like
anyone I’ve ever known. She doesn’t care what other people think, and
she always tells the truth, no matter how unpleasant it might be.“
Gideon
ostentatiously moved a pad of paper from the side of his desk to the
center and unscrewed the top of his fountain pen. ”And what is her
name?“
”Rose
O’Dell,“ he said proudly, instantly revealing why Preston’s family
would not have approved. She was Irish and probably Catholic into the
bargain. Either of those would make her socially unacceptable to the
Prestons. ”Well, Rose Preston now. I have the marriage certificate if
you need to see it.“
Preston
reached into his uniform jacket pocket, but Gideon shook his head. ”No,
I’ll take your word, Corporal. If there’s ever a question, your
marriage is registered, I’m sure.“
”Of course it is.“
”Good. Then all I need to know is how you would like your estate to be distributed in the event of your death.“
”That’s
just it. I don’t want it distributed at all. I want it all to go to
Rosie. And the baby, of course, except I don’t think you can leave money
to a baby, can you?“
”You
can, but it’s not a good idea. Presumably your wife would use her
inheritance to support herself and your child, so leaving it all to her
would ensure your child’s welfare. Is that what you want?“
”Yes,
that’s exactly what I want. Fred won’t like it. He won’t like any of
it, but I’m married now, and there’s nothing he can do to change that.“
”Does he want to change it?“ Gideon asked uneasily.
Preston
flinched just a little. ”He doesn’t actually know. That I’m married,
that is. I’m shipping out in a few weeks and with the baby…We didn’t
have much time, and I didn’t want Fred interfering.“
”I see. Does Fred know your wife?“
”Oh no. How could he? She’s from the city, after all, and Fred hardly ever comes to New York."
No comments:
Post a Comment