“Lily, you look terrible. What’s happened?” Evelyn could barely believe the change in her friend’s face in the intervening time since lunch and when she stepped off the lift to go home for the evening.Looping her arm with Evelyn's Lily pulled her along, across the Trust's busy lobby and out the revolving door, glancing about as if to avoid someone. “I can’t wait for this week to end," she snapped as they flowed into the rush hour sidewalk traffic towards the subway. They were more than a block away when she finally explained, “Mickey came by my desk this afternoon.”“Oh no.”“Oh yes.”Lily rubbed her temples with her fingertips, and gasping, Evelyn supported her down the stairs into the subway lest she fall.“When I told him I was busy, he absolutely insisted and dragged me aside. So I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore.”“Oh dear.” She studied Lily as they stood on platform. “I’m so sorry.” Evelyn paused until the noise of the train pulling in stopped and they could get on. “Y

“Good evening, Miss Moore. Shall we?”Dressed in one of her new suits and a matching hat, Evelyn smiled at Mr. James standing outside her apartment door, watching for the slightest reaction. If he was pleased to see what his investment had wrought, disappointingly, he gave no indication of it. “Yes, just one moment, please.”Hurrying across the hallway, Evelyn rapped lightly on Lily’s door and immediately it flew open as her best friend, still dressed for work but now barefoot, tumbled into her arms in a fierce hug. “Write me every day, Evie! Promise!”Hugging Lily back, Evelyn laughed, but she felt the separation keenly already and blinked back tears before someone could see them. “Promise. You’ll have perfectly boring bedtime reading material by the time I’m done. I love you, Lily.”“And I love you. Do have fun.” Craning to look over Evelyn’s shoulder, Lily waved. “Take good care of her, please, Mr. James.”“You have my word, Miss Henderson.” Glancing at his watch, Mr. James straight

Justin Mitchell? Evelyn stared at the younger financer—Lily’s financer—who she’d seen only a few days before when she’d attempted to collect his monthly reconciliations for Andrew. Out of the Trust’s context, he appeared completely oblivious of her identity, though Evelyn knew exactly how it could be so. If these two needed to talk, why come all the way to Chicago to do it? she wondered. “Justin.” Andrew smiled politely, extending his hand to shake the younger man’s. “I trust your journey was pleasant?” Gesturing to padded barstools at the bar with him, Justin resumed his seat, tucking Evelyn between both men. “Most pleasant,” he assured them. “What young man could complain of being invited to such a gem as Tip Top Tap? Why, I see even the stoic and unflappable Mr. James finds himself seduced by the glorious venue.” Though he spoke about

Evelyn had thought the sweeping panorama of breathtaking mountain and ocean scenery visible through the huge sky-view picture windows of the train was astounding as they’d crossed the state towards Los Angeles.Having made the trip many times in his life, Andrew had grown accustomed to—even numb and occasionally bored by— the incredible beauty of the transcontinental crossing in general, and California in particular. After the years’ long, expensive fight to get the joint venture between the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroads off the ground, then six even longer years of mediating disputes and out-negotiating negotiators whenever one of the investors got themselves in a snit over some minute detail, the journey tended to leave him anxious more than awestruck.It was refreshing to see Evelyn’s childlike wonder. And rewarding in an entirely new way to see her simple gratefulness for the bright sun toiling to warm them the day long in an expansive

Leaving his Alameda Street office by lunch time, Andrew was walking on air. He’d hand-selected the financers he’d interviewed today, much as he had Justin Mitchell for the New York branch of the Trust— men he’d worked with over the years with proven track records in finance and business and the brightest up and coming—with an expectation that he might entice fifty percent of them to work for him on the west coast within the confines the Los Angeles branch of the Trust had allowed him.He’d scheduled those appointments deliberately, with his most desirable candidates early in the day and those he’d settle for later, but he hadn’t needed the afternoon appointments at all. Which was a mercy for at least one of his interviewees. After eavesdropping with Evelyn on Mr. and Mrs. Pierson talking about his family and his private life, Andrew had planned to dangle his offer before Mr. Pierson, then yank it away after subtly mentioning the backstabbing gossip—now, he’d let the man wonder what opp