For Mercy's Sake

By Carol A. Spradling

Married in secret, Daniel and Anna Mercy ineffectively skirt Charleston's town gossips. Glares and whispers are easy to evade, but Daniel is accused of murder. Anna wonders if her past betrayal has made her new husband capable of such an act.

While Anna's suspicions mount, Daniel uncovers a second murder plot with his wife as the intended victim. When they learn the name of the murderer, Anna is kidnapped.

Some secrets should remain buried with the dead but as Anna fights to stay alive, she discovers one secret Daniel has hidden from her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carol A. Spradling
• Release date: Apr 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781475153101

Book preview

Chapter 1

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Charleston, South Carolina

March 27, 1762

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Three years should have been long enough for Daniel Mercy to forgive her, but dark circles and whiskered cheeks convinced Anna Sinclair that her life-long friend was still affected by her decision.  She guiltily twisted her wedding ring and scrutinized the stubbled-face man behind the desk.  Dark brown brows drew together and Daniel flicked the corner of the page he studied.  Instead of flipping to a new set of figures, his gaze returned to the top of the current conundrum.  Anna quirked her mouth to the side.  It was time for a distraction. 

Do you prefer blondes or brunettes? she asked.  I have several friends who would love an introduction.  She backed toward the fireplace seeking warmth.  A wicked smile crossed her lips as twenty-five-year-old Daniel hesitated then glanced above his ledger and shook his head.  Tilting her chin, she tapped her finger against her cheek.  Maybe it’s redheads that draw your attention.  A log split through, spraying sparks around the hearth, and she hopped to the side, brushing embers from her long skirt.  The last burn mark had blended into the black lines of her skirt.  She couldn’t hope to be so fortunate a second time.

Daniel cleared his throat, pushed his hand through his dark brown hair, and cradled his head while he stared down at a mass of papers.  The corner of his mouth lifted then tightened in a firm line and she smiled, satisfied with his reaction.  It was good to see him break from his stern appearance, no matter how briefly.

It’s blondes, Seth Sinclair answered for him as he carried a tattered box from the backroom.  The crate smacked the floor with a thud and dust dispersed in annoyed swirls.  He swiped his hands against his thighs and cocked his head toward Daniel.  Or at least it was at one time.

Anna’s face warmed and she tucked one of her own blonde curls behind her shoulder.  Though none of them would discuss it, they all knew Anna had captured Daniel’s heart years ago.  The three of them had been friends since childhood, but it wasn’t until after she and Seth married that Anna became aware of Daniel’s feelings for her.  To ease her guilt, she assigned herself as his personal matchmaker and tried to encourage his attention to other women.  Always the gentleman, it was his habit to politely acknowledge each young lady before discretely dismissing himself from her presence.  Anna looked at him now, his face soft in a way that captured the heart of every woman he met, including her own.  Her ring felt cold on her hand while she mentally selected the next name on her list to experience a chance encounter.

With a second box stacked on top of the first, Seth interrupted her social daydreams with talk of business and a quick squeeze of her backside.  She smiled warmly and tugged at the back of his shirt as he walked away Even though he had been her second choice for a husband, she would honor her vows.

Daniel? Seth asked.  "Did I mention that I received word from Captain Starling?  The repairs to the schooner are moving faster than expected, and she’ll be back in port within the week.  If returned by month’s end, we can send her with the Serendipity next month."

One vessel is enough for the Spanish shipment.  There’s no need for two.  Daniel rested his pen in his hand as his brows pulled together. Within the week, did you say?  That list of repairs should take another month at the earliest.  He thought for a moment and thumped the dry quill tip against the paper. 

A loud voice and a thud from outside drew Anna’s attention away from the business discussion and to the street.  In the center of the roadway, two horses stood facing each.  A pile of timber lay scattered on the ground behind the wagon the brown gelding pulled.  Their drivers voices grew louder and their hand gestures flailed about them. Anna rolled her eyes.  This dispute was nothing new for Charleston, but there was no need for her to borrow trouble when she had a similar confrontation occurring within a few paces in front of her. Seeming to want verification to bolster his argument, her husband squatted next to a box and rummaged through the contents. Daniel looked toward the hunched figure, inspiration blooming in his gray eyes.

Since everything is going so well, he said, running the feathered quill through his fingers, "perhaps I’ll ride over to Beaufort and talk with the proprietor about replacing the Intrigue."

Beaufort? Seth asked.  He stood abruptly and papers fluttered to the floor.

Anna’s attention shot to her husband and the elevated volume of his voice.  Her downy arm hairs stood on end.  Seth had mentioned the ship and his plans to her, but apparently this was the first Daniel had heard of the location.

Yes, Daniel said.  His face slackened as though reminded of a sickening thought.  He cleared his throat and looked at Seth.  "The Enmity is in Beaufort, isn’t she?"

Seth shook his head, and his voice dropped to serious tones.  I discussed this with you weeks ago.  I sent her to Boston.  With all the repairs needed, it made good sense to get the best builders to attend her.

South Carolina has many capable builders.  Daniel’s tone matched Seth’s.

Anna shivered as the tension in the room drew tight.  In her imagination, she could hear the squeaking strain of violin strings.  A few more key twists and the harmonic chord would pop.  She jabbed the fire, and the consumed log splintered.  With the embers spread, each individual blaze burned until extinguished.  If only all combustion could be handled so easily.

Agreed, Seth fueled the conversation with wet tinder.  "However, local shipwrights are limited on material and experience.  You know this.  There are also several, larger shipyards in the north, and I had the foresight to instruct Captain Starling to look for a replacement vessel for the Intrigue."  He crossed his arms over his chest and drew his shoulders back. 

Seth’s jaw twitched as it did when annoyed, and Anna silently groaned.  She glanced once more to the Charleston street.  It would be foolish to suggest the two men step outside.  Perhaps if reminded of her presence, they would at least remain civil.  Grabbing the back of a chair, she dragged it to the window, thumping it over every uneven board.  It clattered into place, but neither man noticed.

As it turns out, Seth continued.  "I was right in sending the captain to Boston.  Not only is the ship being refurbished in an expedient manner, it is being done with quality material implemented by knowledgeable craftsmen.  And in addition to all of that, the captain has found a more than suitable replacement for the Intrigue that will outmatch any of the ships we currently utilize."

Daniel’s eyes hardened to granite stones.  You know I prefer to send all major repairs to Beaufort.

Yes, you do.  But since you have put me in charge of the physicality of the ships, I chose Boston.  Seth mumbled something under his breath and Anna gasped.  Her attention pivoted to Daniel to see if he had heard it as well.  Apparently, he had.

He slammed his pen to the table, ink sloshed over the rim of the well, and he pushed back his chair.  The wooden legs screeched against the floor, voicing his frustration.

Seth’s balled fists dropped to his side, and he planted his feet firmly in place, poised for battle. 

Several minutes passed with only the hiss from the fireplace daring to make a sound.  Anna shifted and Seth flinched then looked to his side. 

Unclenching his hands, he swatted at a cobweb dangling from his hair and stepped toward her.  The wooden floor creaked under his weight and his blue eyes temporarily lost their hard edge.  They smoldered while a slow smile spread across his lips.  His tongue appeared between them.  He cast a quick glance over his shoulder at Daniel then turned back to her.  Silver twinkled in the light as he pulled his timepiece from his pocket and flicked the cover open.

Why don’t you finish your shopping?  Daniel and I will be finished with our business soon enough.  We should be ready to leave by the time you return.

Anna blinked slowly as the sound of shuffling papers directed her attention over her husband’s shoulder.  Daniel leaned over the desk, head bowed, and pushed a small stack of pages to the side.  His freshly dipped quill bled indigo ink across a clean sheet with harsh, abusive lines.  She glanced up at Seth and frowned.  I’ll not be gone long.

****

Having no desire to shop, Anna picked up one item after another.  She turned a man’s pipe absently in her hand, and her fingers traced the outline of the carved ivory.  Her attention remained occupied by the activity a few doors down.  Although outwardly friendly, as of late there seemed to be a constant irritation between Daniel and Seth.  The air virtually crackled whenever they were in the same room.  She doubted it would ever be the same between the three of them.

This was the very reason she had accompanied Seth to the office.  She hoped to interfere with this new irritation by addressing a more practical issue with Daniel.  Seth had told her that he all but lived in his office and had taken to sleeping in the backroom.  It was her desire to ask him about this and share her concern.  But after witnessing the temperament of both men, she thought it best to delay her agenda until another time.  After all, it seemed shipwrights were a more important issue at present.

As if the friction between the men wasn’t enough, gossips gnashed away at the fodder that Daniel’s shipping company was in financial calamity.  It was common knowledge that one ship had been lost at sea, and the crew of another suffered a smallpox outbreak.  However, the resultant burning of the vessel had eradicated not only the disease but the valuable cargo as well.  Daniel had made financial provisions for the men he employed while they recovered and gave considerable endowments to the widows of those who had not.  Because of this, his accounts were close to depleted.

She returned the pipe to the shelf and stepped away from a pudgy woman and her howling child.  In the process of moving backward, she stamped solidly on someone’s foot.  She whirled around, apologies spilling from her mouth. 

Her reticule swung from Daniel’s finger as he smiled down at her.  Seth asked if I would bring it to you while he spoke with Mr. Beech at the bank. 

Anna glanced at the whimpering tot clutching the plump woman’s skirt.  He sucked industriously, having found solace in a wet thumb.  She grinned feebly at his slimy nose and dewy eyes and rummaged in her bag for a clean cloth then handed it to the little boy.  With one matter resolved, she looked up at Daniel.  I was on my way outside.  Would you walk with me for a minute? 

The brisk air no longer held the piercing needles of winter, instead a sweetness infused with the promise of spring.  In an attempt to stamp out the reminders of the passing season, Charleston merchants had layered fresh straw in front of their muddy doorways.  A young woman dressed in a homespun frock walked past them, smiling demurely at Daniel.  From the corner of her eye, Anna noticed the woman had stopped and turned for a second look.  Amused, she glanced up at him.  Her mouth opened, but she remained silent.  His face was as rigid as granite.  The familiar line at his brow deepened, and she wished there was a simple way to make it disappear.  Something flickered in his eyes before his face relaxed, and he patted her hand.  Dark streaks of ink outlined his nails. 

I worry about you, Daniel, she said.  A beautiful woman flirts with you and you pay her no mind except to tip your head in recognition.  All you do is wor— She swayed and clutched his arm tighter.  Tilted off center, she saw him lunge for her in slow, exaggerated movements.

Anna?  Both of his hands steadied her.

Her stomach rolled upward, and she pressed her quivering hand to her forehead.  Perspiration drenched her fingertips and a sour taste flooded her mouth.  Do you mind if we sit for a few minutes?  Her knees already obliged her and began to lower her to the ground.  It was happening again.  The last bout had nearly done her in, and the burning pain did little to assure her that this time would be equally fleeting.

Daniel glanced around and pulled her toward the first open door he saw.  Come in here.  On wobbly legs, she followed him through the dark room as he guided her to a table. 

A glass of port, please, he told the serving girl as he assisted Anna into a chair.

The maid was quick.  She slid a glass of dark liquid in front of her.  It bobbed along the inside of a glass, and Anna clasped both hands around it to steady herself.  When the nausea settled, she sipped her drink.  The stench of stale spirits and greasy meat leapfrogged to her nose.  To prevent further embarrassment, she clamped her hand to her mouth and raced toward the back of the building.  Breathing deeply, she braced herself for the worst, yet only delivered a very unladylike belch.  This did result in pushing the queasiness into submission.  Not caring if her actions had been witnessed, she returned to the table as limp as a wet rag.

Daniel rose to his feet as she approached.  Are you all right?

She gripped the back of her seat and eased herself down, hiding her shaky hands in her lap.  I haven’t felt well for a few days.  I’m in hopes it will soon pass.  She grimaced with a half laugh, saying, And I was concerned for you.  She left her port on the table and gathered her things. 

May I bring you something more? the servant asked but stepped aside, allowing Anna to stand.

This is all, thank you, Daniel said, his attention on Anna.

She clutched his arm.  Would you mind terribly if I accompanied you back to your office?

Not at all. 

His eyes continued to dip to her face as they neared the building.

Loud shouts and screams arose in the distance, and several people ran with buckets to nearby horse troughs.  Daniel and Anna raced to the building.  White-gray smoke seeped from under his office door. He reached for the knob then jerked his hand away.  Padding his palm with his coat, he pushed it open.  Heat scorched the air and thick clouds billowed around him as he raced inside.  "Seth!"

Where is he? Anna followed him.  Coughing and squinting, she made out Daniel’s hazy shadow slapping at the blaze as he tried to push past the smoke.  A table skidded to the side as he shoved it from his path.  Sparks spit from the ceiling, and papers sitting atop the boxes Seth had brought from the back room ignited.  Daniel’s image vanished into a black roll of soot and smoke.  Tears momentarily blinded her.  She blinked to see angry flames licking the backroom door. 

Seth! she cried.  Irate flares thrashed through crevices above her.  The walls crackled and popped, and she strained to hear her husband’s voice. 

Daniel! A voice shouted from the chaos.

Seth?  Where are you? he yelled, standing a mere foot from a blazing bookcase.  Ashen pages fluttered upward, attacking his head and shoulders.

In here.  Seth’s voice rasped against the roar of the inferno.  The solid wood vibrated as something collided against it, yet the bolt held firm.  Metal pinged against the hinge to free its hold, but Seth’s desperate grunts faded.  Frantic coughing and gasping ended as glass shattered.

"Seth!"  Anna screamed, her own throat raw and burning.

Anna, get out of here, Daniel shouted. 

He glanced around.  An overturned table ignited, and he ran to it.  Kicking at the leg, it fell to one side.  Minimally equipped, he rammed the broken leg against the secured bolt. 

White plumes wafted upward between the floor planks. The small shoots darkened and grew. 

Anna!  Leave!  Now!

A fireball bounced from his head to his shoulder, yet he continued to pound the lock. 

Daniel! Anna shouted.  The ceiling’s collapsing! 

It started with a tremble and the roof crumbled in sections.  Live towers of heat and flames streaked sideways.  The center of the roof exploded as he shoved her toward the door. 

"Seth!" Anna screamed, throwing herself against Daniel’s shoulder. 

He pushed her backward, unrelenting until he forced her outside.  She stumbled and he fell with her, his weight pinning her to the ground.  Over his head, flames screeched the last of their war cry as the walls and the roof crumbled in behind them. 

Chapter 2

Numb from the past week, Daniel forced his steps forward, each one weighted with an additional burden.  Alone and in front of him, Anna faced the unmarked mound of dirt.  She appeared misplaced among the granite stones standing sentry around her.  They would see him safe, they seemed to say, though they held no such promise for her.  A light rain patted her face, and she drew her shawl closer around her shoulders.  The wide weave could provide little protection from the drizzle of the heavy mist.  Even from this distance, he could see her linen blouse cling to her skin.  She had to be chilled through. 

What are we to do now? she murmured.

We? Daniel stepped hesitantly near the grave, his footfalls held silent by the wet ground. 

Clutching fistfuls of wool in her hands, she jumped at the sound of his voice.  He was grateful that she had relied heavily on his friendship.  She had even accepted his offer to use his family’s cemetery for Seth’s burial site.  Surrounded by generations of Mercy gravestones, she had thought it might be uncomfortable to have a stranger among them, but at his insistence, and with the additional confirmation of Grandma Pen, she had agreed.  What choice did she have?  The elderly woman was not one to accept a negative response when bestowing a kindness.

I didn’t mean to startle you, Daniel said.  I thought you might be ready for dinner. 

He surveyed her face, gray and weary, and wondered if his own complexion paled in the dreary light.  Pen had commented that he looked older than she had ever seen him and yet somehow, it sat right upon him, as if the loss of his childhood friend had increased not only his years, but also his responsibilities.  She was more accurate than she realized.

Is this gravesite satisfactory? he asked.  He inwardly shook his head.  What kind of question was that?  Did he expect her to consider a burial sight like she would a living room sofa?  This was not how he imagined confronting her.  Thankfully, a field mouse came to his rescue and lured her attention.  It scurried across a bare patch of ground and ducked under a mound of leaves.  The knoll rustled and shifted as he burrowed deeper into the dry center.

Yes, it is fine, she answered.  We had never talked about where we woul—We never saw the need.

She twisted away and covered her face with her hand.  Most likely, frustrated with herself for her fresh outburst and too embarrassed to face him.  He hovered a clean handkerchief in front of her shoulder and rested his hand on her arm.  She slipped her hand to it and curled her fingers under.  His hold tightened as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.  Seth had not thought this through, but then, he rarely did.

Dabbing at her eyes, she turned and faced Daniel.  Lines etched her face, and her cheeks hollowed as they had every day since the fire.  Sharing her emptiness, he wanted desperately to reach his hand to her, draw her into his arms, and bring her some type of comfort.  Before he could act on his inclination, he stepped to the side, creating a distance between them.  He needed to keep his thoughts clear.

I thought as much, he said, about the burial site.  That’s one of the reasons I suggested he be laid to rest here.  Seth was the closest I’ve come to having a brother.  It’s only natural he is buried on Mercy property.

One of the reasons? she asked, sniffling.

He nodded and held her gaze.  The other is inconsequential at present.

She shivered beneath his scrutiny and readjusted her emotionless mask.  It had served her well with the pastor and well-wishers, but Daniel ignored her façade and looked past her pretense, probing every hidden crevice, exploring intrusively.  Whether she realized it or not, each layer of her soul willingly opened for his inspection.  Satisfied with his examination, a question must have appeared in his eyes.  Her hand covered her abdomen protectively.  Apparently he wasn’t the only one capable of this type of investigation.  She seemed to read his thoughts as clearly as if they were written on paper.  Already certain of the answer, he asked, Anna, are you with child?

She dabbed her red-tipped nose with a handkerchief and nodded. I believe so.  I thought it was merely a weak stomach, but I’m not certain. 

The rain grew heavier, and she blinked away the drops from her eyes.  He stepped closer and balanced his tricorn on her head.  It slipped over her brow and onto her nose.  Lifting it, he perched it precariously in place.  In that case, your revelation makes it easier for me.

Her brown eyes peered up at him from under the dripping brim.  Easier for what? 

What I have to tell you.

He couldn’t prevent the presence of impending doom that crept into his thoughts or the sour taste that filled his mouth. 

As though she tasted it too, she swallowed and asked, What is it?

His hand reached for hers, limp and numb.  He touched her and life slowly ebbed from him to her as they walked beneath a sheltering, oak limb. 

Mr. Beech came to see me, he said.  His voice was calm, yet oddly unnerving, and he studied her, gauging the speed in which to deliver the news. 

She nodded for him to continue. 

"He told me that Seth had borrowed against your home and failed to repay the loan.  The bank began