“I believe I might, though I cannot be certain until I try.”
James studied him carefully. “You do realize I’m the heir and that nothing will change that?”
“I do.”
“So you would in effect be acting like a steward, of sorts.”
“Seeing as I am your heir,” Michael said with a smile, “I would consider it time well invested in our family’s future.”
“It would certainly be a great help to your grandpapa,” James admitted “As for me, I’d be able to keep on working, provided my career can still be saved.”
“And if it can’t?”
“Either way, I’ll figure things out with Mina.” Whichever decision he made, it would affect her too, so he had to make certain he had her approval.
The carriage drew to a halt outside Doctors’ Commons and both men alit. Half an hour later, they had the special license. An hour after that, they’d made arrangements with the priest at St. James’s Church and agreed that he would stop by Cynthia’s home the next afternoon to officiate the wedding between her and Michael.
“Would you allow me to have another word with your daughter before we go?” Michael asked Wilhelmina once he and James had provided her with an update a short while later.
“Of course,” Wilhelmina said. “I’m sure Mrs. Rubins would be happy to show you up.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lawson.”
“Please call me Mina,” Wilhelmina said.
Michael agreed to do so from now on and followed the maid up the stairs.
21
Wilhelmina reached for James’s hand and drew him into the parlor. “I’m ever so grateful to you for helping secure the special license and making sure the priest can come by as soon as tomorrow.”
He wove his fingers between hers and smiled with so much warmth it filled her heart to overflowing. “Think nothing of it, Mina.”
“But I do. Considering how opposed you initially were to their marrying, your change in stance deserves my sincerest thanks.”
“A great deal has changed since you and I first met. And I wager much will continue to change in the coming weeks, not only for Michael and Cynthia but for the two of us as well. Which prompts me to ask you a pertinent question.”
“Yes?”
“If your reputation were restored, would you want to remain in London, or would you rather return to Renwick?”
“That depends,” she said after careful consideration.
“On what?”
Noting the keen expectancy in his eyes, she took courage and said, “On whether you and I are married or not.”
“I’ve already told you I plan to propose.”
Her heart beat faster. “Then I suppose I’d choose London since this is where you’d need to live in order to be near the courts.”
“Mina, after everything you have sacrificed in your life, for your daughter and for Mr. Hewitt and his new wife, I think it would wreck me if I believed you were giving up more for me.” He drew her into his arms and held her tight. “I want your happiness, Mina.”
“And I want yours.”
His chest rose and fell against her breasts. Drawing back, he gazed into her eyes with such overwhelming affection it stole her breath. And then he kissed her, slowly and lovingly, as if determined to make her believe he would always be by her side from now on, no matter what.
“My career has suffered because of Cloverfield, and I’m not sure it will survive the damage he’s caused. But maybe that’s not a bad thing.” His expression grew pensive. “What would you think of the two of us moving into your cottage in Renwick?”
His suggestion rendered her speechless for a moment. Since realizing she and he would form a more permanent attachment – that he intended to offer marriage – she’d been contemplating what to do with her cottage and had decided last night that she’d probably have to sell it. Which of course meant giving up on her new business. But if James wished to live there then…
“After you left for London, I started baking again.”
His eyes widened with interest. “You did?”
She nodded. “Turns out the townsfolk love my bread and my cakes. I sold out nearly every day.”
“You were selling your goods?” He gazed at her in wonder. “Out of necessity or because you enjoy it?”
“Both, if I’m to be honest.” When he raised one eyebrow in question she said, “The bank froze my accounts on the basis of needing to figure out whether or not I owed George money. The funds currently at my disposal came from the sale of my London townhouse, which was thankfully in my name alone since George had the forethought to transfer the deed. But that money won’t last forever, so I decided to find a way in which to earn more.”
“And who is running this business of yours now while you are away?”
“I left Betsy in charge.”
He shook his head. “Why on earth didn’t you mention all of this before?”
She shrugged. Perhaps her reasoning had been silly. “For one thing it seemed unimportant compared with everything else we had to discuss. And for another, I know how much you value your work, and I had no wish for you to even consider giving that up for me.”
“Mina, you have to stop putting yourself second and feeling guilty when you don’t. If we are to make our relationship work then I need to know you will voice your own hopes and dreams, even if they oppose my own. Somehow, no matter what, we’ll find a way to compromise. But imagine how I would feel if I learned that my happiness came at the expense of yours? If the situation were reversed, would you enjoy knowing I gave up everything for you without you having a chance to do the same?”
“Of course not.”
“Then promise me you will tell me what you want so we can build a life we can both enjoy.”
“You’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry, James.”
“There’s no need for that. I just want you to think of me as your partner and your equal, rather than someone you constantly have to please.” He pressed another kiss to her lips. “Agreed?”
“As long as you promise to finish the running water project you’ve started at your house.”
He laughed. “You saw the pipes, did you?”
A smile tugged at her lips. “They were hard to miss.”
“Very well then,” he said. “We’ll support each other and make sure we each fulfill our dreams.”
The pleasure his words instilled in her was indescribable. While George had been her dearest friend and had always listened to her and offered advice, he’d never really understood her desire to bake when they had a capable servant to do the job. He’d also reasoned that her idea to open a bakery wouldn’t help their family’s social standing. When she’d tried to equate it with his furniture company, she’d been met with a look of incomprehension.
And because of the guilt she’d harbored over him getting stuck in a marriage with her, she’d dropped the subject because she’d believed she had no right to argue.
But James got it. Moreover, he encouraged her to assert herself and fight for more than a tolerable existence. It was a gratifying experience – one that made her reflect on just how much she and George had given up when they’d chosen to marry each other. Luckily, they’d both been given a second chance to find happiness with the right people.