Page 4 of A Wager with the Matchmaker (A Shanahan Match #3)

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“Everyone should rebuild with bricks,” Liam said from where he reclined in the wicker chair on the veranda at Oakland next to Kiernan. “And the city council knows it.”

The evening breeze was warm and did little to cool Kiernan after the hot June day. But being outside was much more preferable than sitting inside to discuss business with Liam.

Kiernan took a sip of cold lemonade. As he set his glass down, he tugged at his cravat and loosened the top button of his shirt to allow the breeze to cool his neck. He’d already discarded his coat and was tempted to shed his vest too.

Liam took a puff on his cigar, as suave and collected as always, not a drop of sweat on his forehead or his pale face. His dark hair was neatly combed back to one side, every hair in place, his cravat still perfectly tied, and his buttons lined up. He didn’t look like he’d spent the day inside city hall laying out the benefit of bricks to the city council.

“So, you convinced them?” Kiernan rubbed at the condensation on the glass.

“I think so.” Liam’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. “It won’t be long now.”

“Good.” Kiernan hoped his friend was right and the city’s leaders would see the need to pass an ordinance requiring all new buildings to be made from brick. After losing over four hundred buildings last month to the fire that had started among the steamboats lined up on the wharf, St. Louis was still reeling from the destruction.

It was obvious—at least to Kiernan—that such large-scale destruction should never happen again. If the council leaders mandated the rebuilding of the city be done with bricks, that would reduce the risk of fire and make everyone safe.

It would also increase the demand for bricks, hopefully massively.

That’s what he and Liam were betting on.

With his glass factory turning a tidy profit, Kiernan had been looking for his next investment well before the fire. He’d been considering a sugar refinery or getting into the steamboat-building business. He’d even discussed with Sullivan, his new brother-in-law, the possibility of investing in a train that would connect St. Louis with eastern rails.

But the day after the fire, Kiernan had realized right away that the city would need to rebuild, and he’d decided to meet the demands that would arise.

As he’d considered the materials necessary for rebuilding, he landed upon bricks. Cheltenham to the south of St. Louis already had a handful of clay mines and brickyards. The area was rich in sediment—primarily clay—deposited over the centuries by the Mississippi River. The clay was ripe for mining and firing into bricks.

In fact, after spending the past couple of weeks researching everything he could find about clay mining and brickmaking, he’d become more convinced than ever that brickmaking was the direction he wanted to go. To capitalize on the immediate need for bricks, however, he’d realized he didn’t have time to buy land and do everything required to excavate a mine and create a brickyard from nothing.

After scouring the existing brickyards, he’d located one fellow who was interested in selling and had his sights set on the California goldfields. Kiernan had examined the operations and decided it had potential for growth.

The trouble was he’d lacked the capital to make the purchase on his own, having already used his inheritance from his da to buy the glass factory. Of course, he could have sold his factory, but that would have delayed his ability to help with the rebuilding of St. Louis.

For the span of five minutes, he’d considered asking Da to invest with him. But then all he had to do was think of Da’s litany of successes.

Aye, Da loved to talk about how he’d immigrated by himself with a small inheritance from his father, a silk manufacturer. Kiernan had heard Da’s stories so often, he could almost recite them word for word—how he’d arrived in St. Louis with practically nothing, and how he’d worked with his own brawn and brain over the years to become one of St. Louis’s most prosperous and prominent citizens. He’d done it all by himself, without any help.

That’s what his da expected now of Kiernan with his inheritance. While the glass factory had been a good start and had helped him learn what it took to run his own business and be successful, he’d also concluded that it would never help him rise to the top and surpass his da’s accomplishments.

Kiernan needed something else that would prove he had the same ingenuity, resourcefulness, and drive that his dad did, if not more. That something was bricks.

Whether the people of St. Louis knew it yet or not, they would need bricks. And Kiernan planned to be the biggest and best brick producer ... with Liam as his partner.

Liam had already come into his full inheritance after his father had passed away several years ago and was a wealthy man, certainly more so than any other twenty-two-year-old. Although Kiernan would have preferred to do it all on his own, he’d had no choice but to involve his friend. Fortunately, Liam had been eager to join Kiernan in his new business venture.

Kiernan took another sip of his lemonade. “Even without the city council mandating the rebuilding with bricks, I think most people will do it.”

Liam gave a nonchalant shrug. “A little pressure and a few favors to council members will hopefully nudge them in our direction.”

Kiernan set his glass down on the side table too forcefully. “No favors.” He’d already had this discussion with Liam. Kiernan wanted to do everything with integrity, the same way his da had. No cheating, no swindling, no cutting corners, no breaking of laws, and no twisting of politicians’ arms to get their way.

He’d either succeed by his own brawn and brain or not at all.

Liam’s easy smile made an appearance. “I’m just jesting. Of course I’m not offering favors.”

Kiernan wasn’t an idiot. He knew Liam didn’t always tell the truth, sometimes said what he thought people wanted to hear in order to keep the peace. This was probably one of those cases, but Kiernan didn’t want to argue with his friend tonight and put a damper on their excitement.

He cast his gaze off to the west to the hazy, humid sky hovering over the horizon. The blue was light, the same color as Alannah’s eyes. Those beautiful wide blue eyes filled with such life and curiosity and wonder.

He’d briefly searched for her upon his return home a short while ago, hoping to see her and ask her how her first day of work had gone. But he hadn’t spotted her anywhere, and with Liam here, he’d decided it was probably best not to draw attention her way.

The slow singing of the cicadas filled the air, and the short buzz of a nighthawk sounded overhead as it began hunting for its feast of insects around sunset. A low, mournful groan of a bullfrog echoed from the direction of Dover’s Pond across the road and down just a little way.

Although Kiernan rarely stopped his work long enough to appreciate the sights and sounds and smells of the countryside, he drew in a breath laden with the scent of damp grass and the lavender his mam grew in the side garden.

“And there she is.” Liam stood, his sights fixed upon a horse and rider coming around a bend in the road.

Kiernan didn’t need to look to know who she was.

“Holy mother.” Liam spoke reverently. “She’s beautiful.”

With her thick brown hair, seductive brown eyes, and perfect womanly form, Shelia was beautiful. She always had been, even when they’d been young children playing together when both of their families had escaped the heat and stench of the city for the countryside, even if only for a few days at a time. Together with their siblings, he and Shelia had run through the meadows and woodlands during the endless summer days.

Kiernan had fallen in love with her almost from the start and always believed he’d marry her. He’d assumed she’d felt the same way about him.

Then eighteen months ago, she’d left for a trip to Europe. He’d been busy with his new glass factory at the time and had hoped that when she came back, he’d have enough saved to build her a house. When she’d returned, instead of rushing into his arms the way she always had, she’d been tucked against Liam’s side. While gallivanting around Paris, she’d connected with Liam, who’d been there for a short trip.

Liam’s short trip had turned into a long one accompanying Shelia and the Douglas family for the rest of the six months they’d remained in Europe. By the time everyone arrived home in St. Louis, Liam and Shelia had been courting. Over the past year they’d been home, Liam hadn’t yet proposed since Shelia’s parents wanted her to wait until she was eighteen to get married.

With her eighteenth birthday in one month, Liam had already been planning how he intended to propose to her and talked about it all the time. Kiernan was tired of hearing the details about the proposal to the woman he’d thought would be his wife. But he didn’t have the heart to tell Liam to stop.

Liam took a last drag on his cigar, then stubbed it out in the ashtray on the table. “It’s getting harder to wait.” Liam was watching Shelia approach, his eyes dark with desire.

“You need to. It’s the right thing.” Kiernan couldn’t keep his tone from turning hard, maybe because it was difficult to think about Liam and Shelia together in that way.

Liam’s grin kicked up. “That’s swell coming from the fellow who’s slept with half of St. Louis’s most beautiful women.”

Kiernan resented the reputation he’d earned because the truth was, he hadn’t slept with any women. Maybe he’d kissed a few ... or maybe more than a few in his attempt to forget about Shelia. Kissing was as far as his interest in another woman ever went.

Earlier in the year, he’d been eager for the matchmaker to find him a good and decent match to end the rumors and help him shut Shelia out of his thoughts once and for all.

Naturally, Da had wanted to secure his older sister Finola’s match first. Then Enya had gotten herself into a predicament and needed the matchmaker next. Shrove Tuesday had come and gone, and for the Lenten season, everyone had put on hold engagements and weddings. Once Easter had passed, Kiernan had debated contacting Oscar or Bellamy. Before he could do so, the city had experienced the fire in May, along with the aftermath, so he’d let the thought of a match go.

Now that June was well underway, was it finally his turn?

He’d most certainly benefit from a sizable dowry he could put toward the brickyard, especially so Liam didn’t end up having the greater investment. The truth was, at some point when the clay mine was profitable enough, Kiernan intended to buy his partner’s portion and then own the mine completely. After all, making bricks had been his idea, and Liam wouldn’t have done it if not for him.

Liam was making his way off the veranda as Shelia reined in. “Hello, darling,” she called.

Kiernan tried to force himself not to look at her, not to even glance her way. But his gaze slid to her for the briefest of seconds. It was enough to see her pretty face and luxuri ous brown hair. It was also long enough to see that she was watching him and wasn’t paying attention to Liam.

Kiernan sat forward, braced his elbows on his knees, and bent his head. He was over her ... or at least he’d hoped he was getting to that point. Besides, it didn’t matter how he felt. As long as Liam loved Shelia, then Kiernan was determined to let go of her.

He shoved up, then without another word to either Liam or Shelia, he walked into the house and closed the door behind him. He had to shut Shelia out of his life. And he had to do it soon.

The best way was to get engaged himself. Then he’d have no choice but to move on and hopefully learn to love someone else.