Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

Disguise

The middle of March found me stealing from my husband. I pawed through his drawers, ransacked his wardrobes and pilfered his pockets. I dug through his jewelry boxes, snapping up cuff links and a pocket watch. I even swiped one of his bowlers, stuffing it on top of everything else before snapping the valise shut. My hair had been pulled up, pinned within an inch of its life into my scalp.

Samuel had sniffed at it this morning, "Anastasia, ye look like a boy. Can ye not let yer hair loose? It's much more becoming."

Will had winced. "Da, I don't need you to call my wife becoming."

"Will, next thing ye know she's going tae be wearin' trousers." Samuel hadn't noticed how Will had blushed, nor how I had grinned. A pair of Will's trousers were folded in the bottom of the valise, waiting for me to step into them. I clutched the valise close as I stepped into the carriage, trying to contain my excitement. After Will's birthday party, it had been nothing but teasing comments from Samuel. If he walked in on Will or I when we had been alone briefly he joked that he didn't mean to interrupt the conception of his grandchild. He teased us constantly about it, and he received nothing but encouragement from Mother.

Every time he had gone over to her house, accompanied by Will or I, he had returned with even more remarks or knowing looks. I had expected Mother to commiserate with him over losing their spouses, and perhaps they had. I hardly knew everything that went on when I was there and she invited him to speak to her privately. Sometimes Samuel would come out with tear tracks on his face and ride home silently, other times he and Mother would be laughing and he would do nothing but tease Will when we got home.

Samuel at least was kind enough to not tease us when my monthly had come on, and I had been forced to stay in the bed and the bath for a few days. Apparently Will had told him how hard I took it, for he was kind when I showed up at breakfast once I felt better and didn't ask why I hadn't been down for some time. But that had passed, and now I was needed down at the offices.

I looked up to Lewis when I stepped out, giving him a smile. "You can head home, I'll call when I need you." He tipped his cap, swinging the carriage around and clattering off. The offices were bustling with clerks, porters, officers, captain and any number of other men carrying out their business. Well, I smirked as I climbed up to my office, they were carrying out my business.

Business was the furthest thing from my mind at the moment.

When I stepped into my office, I sat down at my desk and began to sort through the papers that had been left for me. It seemed they always piled up no matter how many times I came down to deal with them. I spent a good ten minutes reading a report from Mr. Keller about Mother's latest idea and how it could affect the business. She had had him research what the effect would be if the company invested in various aspects that fed into our business. Mr. Keller had written a comment in the margins of her letter, She wants to own the iron mines, the rail to take it to a mill, the mill to refine it to steel and the shipyard to build it.

He'd left a report for me to take to her, he advised that it was doable but it would be better for us to invest in each aspect initially in a small amount. That amount could grow over the years until we had a controlling stake, furthering the company's reach. I set the report aside with a shrug, for it wasn't a bad idea. Father had always encouraged diversification in the business, hence our widespread offices across the globe, she was simply carrying it on.

I stood, pouring myself a finger of whiskey as I moved to the window. Quite a few ships were in, including several of the ones Oscar had gifted us. The Gareth and the Charles to be exact, currently in the process of being handed over to two of Ezekiel's brothers. Ezekiel had been spending far too much time at my house while Samuel and Will ran him through the questions for his exam over and over.