Mr. Spalding appeared with an equally quick gait. “Miss Jankowski, I’m a bit shocked to see you—”
“We shall dispense with the pleasantries. One of my men was beaten to a pulp this past week, and I insist that you bring the foreman of the other dig in immediately.”
“That will take some doing, I don’t thin—”
She stomped her foot and he fell silent, looking much likehe’d swallowed a bug. “I don’tcarewhat you think right now. And it won’t take any doing. The men who beat my employee accused him of smashing bones and stealing tools. They also berated him for being promoted on theotherteam.” Martha pointed to the man she’d scared the wits out of. “If that doesn’t tell you my competitor is behind this, then you are more ignorant than I thought. Send for him. Now. And I do meannow,Mr. Spalding. I am not leaving here until this is rectified.”
“This is highly—” The director’s gaze shifted to the door then back to Martha.
“Miss Jankowski.” Lily Rose’s voice was out of breath. “Good heavens, was the museum on fire?”
Trailing her companion were two of her parents’ hulking guards. That Mother and Father insisted on keeping such a force around their grounds had seemed ... excessive. But today? She hadn’t given the men a choice. Just ordered them to come with her.
They didn’t hesitate. No wonder. After a sleepless night formulating her plan, her mood upon rising had been dark and determined.
Armed now with her two guards, a highly peeved companion, and her own temper, Martha turned back to the director. “Well?”
His face went ashen. “Very well.” He licked his lips. “I will also speak to the owner of the museum about this.”
“I insist that you do.”
An hour later, a man named Joe was introduced to her.
He appeared harmless enough, but Martha wasn’t fooled. She stepped so close she could almost knock him down with the brim of her hat. “Back off.”
“Excuse me, miss?”
“Don’t make me get the police after you, or worse yet, my mother. She’ll own your whole dig and fire the lot of you in a moment’s notice if I tell her to.” Probably not true, but atthis point, Martha just didn’t care. And if Mother argued, well, she’d better look out too.
Joe held up his hands. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“One of my men—Mr. Jacob Duncan—was beaten nearly to death by some of your thugs—”
“Now wait a minute.” The thin man held up his hands. “None of my men have gone near Jacob. And how do I know it wasn’tyouordering your people to damage our dig?” He stepped closer.
So... he wasn’t afraid of her and her entourage. She stepped even closer and placed her hands on her hips. This time, shecouldknock him down with her hat if she had the mind to do it! “How dare you! I would never!” She spewed the words at him. If she wasn’t a woman, she’d slug the man right now.Ifshe knew how to punch. Instead, she let him have it with all the information she had. The words that had been spoken to Jacob as he’d been beaten. “He could have been killed. Do you want murder on your head”—she searched for his name—“Joe?”
The foreman blanched.
The director did his best to put an arm between them and then tried to wiggle his way in. “Perhaps we could all sit down and discuss this in a calm and friendly manner.”
“No,” she spat. Never in her life had she ever spoken to anyone in such tones. But this was for Jacob. She’d do anything for hi—
Goodness.
Her eyes widened.
She would. She would do anything for him!
Gathering her wits, she straightened her shoulders and eyed Joe. “I’m headed back to my dig. I have done nothing out of line, and neither have any of my men. I run an aboveboard organization, sirs. But if anything else happens to my men or my dig, I promise you, you will face my wrath.”
And while that might have been an empty threat in the past, today it was more than a threat. It was a stone-cold promise.
She turned and marched out of the museum.
SUNDAY, JULY21, 1889
He could take a deep breath again. Merciful heavens, that alone was reason to rejoice. Jacob drew in another breath and breathed out a prayer of thanks to the Lord. Despite five broken ribs, a stab wound to his side, and a face that looked like ... well, he wasn’t sure what. But based on the looks from the doctor and Martha when they’d first seen his injuries, it wasn’t good.
