Chapter 129: Catherine's Plan
Rhodes Town was the territory of two major families who had been rooted here for over a century. Davey’s arrival quickly drew their attention.
Outsiders were rare in these parts, and Davey’s group was impossible to miss.
In 1864, at the age of twenty-two, Catherine witnessed her parents’ suicide—the abolition of slavery had devastated the family’s wealth.
In a letter, Catherine learned that the Gray family had stolen gold, used it to support the abolition movement, and sabotaged their cotton production.
From that moment on, the Braithwaite and Gray families became sworn enemies.
In 1869, Catherine gave birth to three sons—Bartholomew, Gareth, and Gerald—and told them everything about the feud between the two families.
Her daughter Penelope knew nothing about it.
Catherine also had a younger daughter, Gertrude, but because she was the product of close-kin marriage, she was born with congenital deformities. Because of her mental instability and physical abnormalities, the family confined her to a house near the Braithwaite estate.
Braithwaite Manor.
“Davey Callander—owner of the New Hanover moonshine business, wanted man from Blackwater, the head of Land Security—he’s come to Rhodes. He’s here for us. Maybe he already found out we hired the Laramie Gang.”
“We’re no match for him, Mother. His company has brought on a lot of gunmen. We can’t handle a fight with him.”
Bartholomew, the eldest son, spoke first.
Davey’s background wasn’t a secret. The distillery managers had told them everything. And as for Davey recently hiring gunmen, the Braithwaite family had learned that from the newspaper.
“But they only have five men, Bartholomew. We don’t need to be that afraid.”
“Don’t forget, we can ask the Lemoyne Raiders for help. Maybe we can kill him right here in Rhodes Town—then we won’t have to worry about retaliation.”
Gareth said this while wiping down his bolt-action rifle.
Hearing his younger brother’s disagreement, Bartholomew clearly grew irritated.
“It’s not that simple, Gareth. Did you forget about the Blackwater robbery? They escaped from the Pinkertons, and even with all those U.S. marshals, no one could stop them.”
“They’re strong. If we fail to keep him here, we’ll face their furious retaliation.”
“And it’s not just them—there’s also the Van der Linde gang, those lunatics. They even dared to rob Cornwall’s train. What do we have that can stand against people like that?”
Gareth scoffed. “Bartholomew, my brother, you’re getting timid. What’s so trustworthy about what the newspapers say? They always exaggerate to cover up their own failures.”
“So I say we gather our men and kill him before he even has time to react.”
Bartholomew replied, “You’re being naïve, Gareth.”
“Think about it. How would he know we hired the Laramie Gang unless the Gray family tipped him off?”
“Snitching has always been a Gray family tradition. Back when their ancestors were still in England, that’s exactly what they did—before fleeing here.”
Gerald, the youngest, didn’t care about the argument at all. Clearly, scenes like this were a daily occurrence in the family.
Catherine watched her sons quarrel, then finally spoke.
“Enough, Bartholomew. Enough, Gareth. This is not the time to fight.”
“We may get the chance to kill him, but not yet—not until we obtain his moonshine formula.”
“His moonshine is sweeping all of New Hanover. Even in Saint Denis, plenty of drinkers are desperate to get their hands on it. That perfect flavor rivals the finest brands.”
“No one knows how much wealth this moonshine business has made him—enough to start a company and hire so many gunmen.”
“If we can get our hands on his moonshine recipe, restoring the Braithwaite family’s glory won’t be far off.”
The first time Catherine Braithwaite tasted Davey’s moonshine, she was stunned. She had never imagined moonshine could taste like that. Greed rose immediately—one of the reasons she joined forces with the distillery managers.
“But how are we supposed to get Davey’s moonshine recipe, Mother?”
Gerald asked.
Catherine smiled. “Don’t worry, children. I already have a solid plan.”
“Your sister—my daughter—Penelope, the jewel of the Braithwaite family. No one can resist her beauty. And from what I know, Davey Callander isn’t married.”
“If we can arrange a marriage between Penelope and Davey Callander, wouldn’t he share his moonshine secret with us? And with the Braithwaite family’s support, he’d gain enormous benefits as well.”
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