Page 39 of Princess and the Ox (The Colby Brothers 1)

“Every available hand is already employed,” he said, and gave her a hard look adding, “If you insist on blaming anyone, then you should turn to Jay Colby.”

Startled, she stopped to look at her grandfather. “Jay? How is he involved in this?”

“His continual obstinate behavior,” he said. “He absolutely does not abide by what is expected of him.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“With his refusal to hire on to this project,” he told her, holding open the door to the stairwell for her to proceed. “I was left with no alternative but to find manpower elsewhere.”

“I understand Jay is very big and strong, Grandfather, but surely you don’t hold him accountable for the building being behind schedule?”

“It is his obligation to serve our society in a way best suited to his abilities,” Gerald Snowden said, his voice toneless.

“Because of his lower class status?”

“Erika, my dear, you will come to understand things more in time.”

She frowned, wondering if in fact, things were becoming quite clear now. “I hardly think those boys have anything to offer.”

With a wave of his hand, he brushed her off. “These things are of no concern of yours. You are best to fancy your time with silly little girl things. If you like, you may browse the latest Paris catalogue recently received in the mercantile and select an item of your desire.”

She didn

’t want to browse the catalogue. Ignoring that comment, she asked, “Won’t these things be of my concern someday?”

“The running of my company will always fall into the hands of my board of directors,” he told her. “There is no need for you to worry about such things. I have it worked out that you shall be set for life.”

Something she had already known. However, it was the first part of his statement that had a curious frown tugging at her brow. “What do you mean the company will continue to be run by the directors? I thought it was your intention to have me sit as Chairman of the Board?”

“In name only, my dear.” Then making a face as if he were talking to a child, he said, “You hardly think I would spend my entire life building my empire only to have it taken down by an inept young girl?”

She simply stood there looking at him, not knowing what to say. Taking her silence as a sign of resignation, he reached out and put an arm around her shoulders. “Come, my dear. Let us not worry that pretty little head of yours with the pains of such logistics. There is no need for you to concern yourself any further. When the time comes, I have seen to it that your financial affairs are looked after far after I’ve left this earth. Rest assured after you’ve chosen a proper husband, you will be secure in your own wealth and power.”

He turned her toward the glass doors leading to the main street, but Erika pulled them to a stop. “It is your intention that my husband takes over as Chairman?”

“Naturally. I have already given my blessing to Thomas Kidd’s son. A fine young man with great foresight and integrity,” he told her and had Erika’s jaw dropping. “Perhaps after I’ve returned from the capital next week, we will have them for dinner.”

“The capital?” Momentarily distracted from his shocking revelation, she frowned at him and said, “I didn’t realize you were going away.”

“Unfortunately, yes.” He looked far from pleased however.

“Mr. Colby has gone over my head in regards to having the grammar school transformed into a high school. It bemuses me to see a man of such social rank believe he can reform a system fully established for years.”

“Jay?” She hardly believed her ears. With all his talk, she didn’t believe he had actually put any action into his words.

“I’m afraid so,” Gerald Snowden said, assuming this bit of information was received in the negative. “But not to worry, I will not sit by and let some common felon dictate how I am to run my town.”

It did not go unnoticed by Erika that her grandfather was instrumental in Jay Colby’s felon status. Some things were becoming very clear to her, not the least the depth of her grandfather’s dislike in Jay.

It dawned on her then that his dislike for the bigger and younger farm boy had nothing to do with his social status at all. He saw something in Jay that threatened his way of life.

Chapter 10

After she left her grandfather at the entrance to his bank, she headed north up the square toward home with her mind working overtime with all sorts of troubling thoughts racing through her head. The town was bustling enough with the return of warm weather, but Erika acknowledged the truth to Jay’s prediction that it would be absolutely swarming in two months’ time when the summer months arrived.

It was just after she passed a row of business offices that she saw him in the next block loading up his wagon with supplies from the grocery store. She noticed two older women pass him without so much as a greeting, but joined heads in slanderous whisper when they only moved a step away. Sighing, she headed toward him regardless of her grandfather’s orders.

Just as she approached, a man and woman spotted her and the hushed waggling of tongues began and seemed to spread throughout the square faster than a north wind gale. “Good afternoon, Jay.”

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