Her eyes looked luminous in the candlelight, and her voice was confident. “You don’t look terrified anymore,” she said. “I’ll happily marry you.”
He was the luckiest man on earth. Finding the right woman had taken longer than he imagined, but as he held her in his arms, he knew they had made the right choice. A solid home involved family and community, but it was mostly the responsibility of the two people at the helm to nurture, provide, and inspire.
“Can I open this box?” she asked against his shoulder.
He stepped back and held his breath as she slid the matchbox open, revealing the shrunken, shriveled seeds inside. She glanced up at him, her face full of wonder as she asked if these were what she thought they were.
He nodded. “The Spanish monks finally agreed to let us have a go at making them germinate. I figure you’ll know what sort of tending it will take to give them a healthy start.”
“I do,” she confirmed. “I don’t know if these are past hope, but I’ll provide them with the ideal conditions to give them a chance.”
It was the best they could do, and the rest would be in God’s hands. It was the same with raising a family. There were no guarantees in life, but he and Gwen would build the foundation of a loving, faith-filled home that welcomed friends, family, and community.
He hopped out onto the fire escape and cupped his hands around his mouth to bellow out the good news to the people in the street. “She said yes!”
His mother’s shrieks of delight came from next door, while people from the pub raised their glasses in a toast.
He grinned and stepped back inside. “I figure we have about two minutes before they all come charging in here,” he said as he took her into his arms.
“More like thirty seconds, since your mother is next door.”
“Let’s not waste it, then,” he said, leaning down for a long and deep kiss.
Gwen returned it, and he lifted her off the ground, loving every moment of this. Only seconds later, Birdie and Mrs. O’Shea were rattling the doorknob, pestering to be let inside, but he wanted this moment to last forever. He set Gwen down and cradled her face between his hands, smiling down into her eyes.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Mrs. K, but I think we’re out of time.”
Soon Liam was pounding on the door too, wanting to congratulate his new brother. Gwen gave him a radiant smile, then unlocked the bolt and threw the door open. The apartment flooded with friends and family, both from his side and from hers. Father Doyle said a blessing, and the rejoicing began.
Historical Note
Oscar Blackstone is a fictional character loosely based on J.P. Morgan, the financier famous for his ability to merge companies into huge corporations. Morgan cooperated with several New York banks to buy Carnegie Steel and merge it with other large steel companies to create the United States Steel Corporation. When U.S. Steel was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in March of 1901, it was valued at 1.4 billion dollars, the first company in the world to be valued at more than a billion dollars. During its first year, U.S. Steel produced almost seventy percent of the steel in the United States, eventually leading to charges that it violated the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibited unfair monopolies. By the time the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, the company’s market share had decreased, and the court sided with U.S. Steel, allowing it to continue in its present form.
Louise Carnegie did indeed play a role in convincing her husband to sell his company in order to retire to Scotland. Thereafter, the Carnegies split their time between Scotland and New York, devoting themselves to philanthropic activities such as Carnegie Hall and the Carnegie Technical School, which is now called Carnegie Mellon University.
Gwen’s old date seeds could probably be resurrected if she treated them well. In 2005 botanists succeeded in reviving a two-thousand-year-old date seed found in the ancient fortress of Masada, the site of the famous siege in AD 74. The first date palm that sprouted was named Methuselah and was identified as a Judean date palm, a tree that had been extinct for hundreds of years. Other date seeds found at Masada have also sprouted, and the palms were named Adam, Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, and Hannah. Date palms have long been known for their medicinal qualities, and as these ancient palms grow and are propagated, it is hoped they may offer new insight into herbal remedies that were lost to history.
Questions for Discussion
Gwen and Liam get off to a rocky start, but Patrick cautions, “The two of you are very different, but people of good character can disagree and still be admirable.” What does he mean by that, and do you agree?
What do you think of the way Gwen tried to win Jasper back from Vivian? Could it ever have worked? How would you have counseled her during this time?
Do you think Liam will ever be able to forgive his mother? Should he?
Gwen struggles to accept Liam upon his return because he does not fit her preconceived expectations of what an older brother should be like. Have you seen preconceived expectations cause difficulties among people in your own life?
Patrick prides himself on being “a man of the people,” so what did Gwen mean when she accused him of being a snob? Is snobbery always a one-way street?
The extraordinary marble mansions of Gwen’s family are quite different from the craftsman-style home she designed for herself. If money were no option, would you choose to live in gilded splendor, or would you choose a home that reflects a more traditional style?
Patrick says, “Sometimes the Lord sends us into the valley for a reason, even if we don’t understand why.” Can you see examples of this in the novel or in your own life?
Gwen’s comfortable life at Blackstone College led her into complacency about pursuing her ambition to earn a doctorate in botany. What caused her to develop the strength to pursue it near the end?
Liam partners with Uncle Oscar at the end of the novel. How do you predict that alliance will play out?
Some of the Blackstones are admirable people, but some are not. Penelope-Arabella is only eight years old but already behaves in an entitled and rude fashion. What role, if any, should the extended family play in trying to correct such behavior?
When was the last time you had a tetanus booster? They should happen every ten years. What are some of the dangers of living in an era where medical miracles have become commonplace?
In 2022, look for Natalia Blackstone’s story in
Written on the Wind
Book Two of THE BLACKSTONE LEGACY series
Natalia Blackstone is a rarity in Gilded-Age America. As a trusted analyst for her father’s bank, she is helping finance the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. From her office in New York City, Natalia relies on a charming Russian aristocrat to oversee the construction of the railroad on the other side of the world.
Count Dimitri Sokolov witnessed an incident during his work on the Trans-Siberian that threatens the Russian monarchy. In an effort to silence him, the czar has stripped Dimitri of his title, his lands, and his freedom. But Dimitri has one asset the czar knows nothing about: his deep and abiding friendship with Natalia Blackstone.
After Dimitri and Natalia join forces, their friendship deepens into a turbulent romance as they embark on a quest to protect the railroad from political catastrophe. From the steppes of Russia to the corridors of power in Washington, DC, Natalia and Dimitri will fight against all odds to save the railroad, but can their newfound love survive the ordeal?