A Fragile Design (45 page)

‘‘Don’t be foolish. A few misspoken words can’t drive me away from you, Bella. I realize my behavior last night upset you—and rightfully so. I should have told you I needed to remain for another meeting. I must admit I was surprised when I realized you’d left for home, but it wasn’t until very early this morning that I discovered you had never arrived back at the boardinghouse. Miss Addie sent Daughtie to inquire about your whereabouts, and that’s when our search began,’’ he explained. ‘‘I would have never stopped looking for you, Bella. I love you . . . and I never want to lose you again. It’s my desire that one day you’ll feel the same way. I can’t make you trust me, but I hope you’ll come to believe that I will never abandon you.’’

His words were filled with warmth and compassion. She wanted desperately to believe him, to once again feel the safety of another’s love and protection. Yet dare she let him into her heart? Could she withstand rejection if he should one day decide she was no longer worthy of his love? Bella wasn’t certain, yet she knew Taylor deserved a reply. Before she could form a response, Dr. Fontaine jumped onto the boat, his medical bag swinging from one hand.

‘‘John tells me someone down here needs a doctor.’’

‘‘Over here,’’ Taylor called out. ‘‘Bella was having difficulty breathing. However, I believe she’s much better now that she’s gotten some fresh air.’’

Dr. Fontaine quickly moved to her side. ‘‘Let’s take a look, young lady.’’

Bella held up a hand in protest. ‘‘I don’t need a doctor. I’m fine. They’ve brought you down here unnecessarily.’’

The doctor gave her a paternal smile. ‘‘Since I’m the one with medical training, why don’t you let me decide whether you need me or not?’’

There was no sense in arguing; it was obvious she wouldn’t win. ‘‘As you choose, but I’m certain you’ll find me a healthy specimen.’’

All of them turned to look as a rider came galloping toward the dock, shouting and waving in their direction. ‘‘Doc, you’re needed at the Cheever house. You’d best be coming, too, Matthew. I’ve been told your wife’s about to have her baby.’’ The rider jumped down from his horse. ‘‘You can take my horse, Doc,’’ the man offered.

Matthew looked helplessly from Liam to Taylor. ‘‘I’ve got to go. John should be back with the police soon. Can you handle this?’’

‘‘For sure we can. Ya be gettin’ yarself home,’’ Liam said, giving Matthew a hearty laugh. ‘‘I’ve no doubt that yar wife might not be too forgivin’ if ya don’t get home to her right now.’’

‘‘I’ll return your horse once Uncle John gets back,’’ Taylor promised as Matthew stepped out of the boat.

Matthew waved and called out over his shoulder, ‘‘And by that time, I hope to have a son or daughter to introduce.’’

Matthew’s words brought a smile to Bella’s face. ‘‘I pray that this baby will fill the void in Mrs. Cheever’s life. I’m certain she’s been distraught since hearing that the child in Canterbury isn’t her nephew. I know this baby won’t replace her parents or brother—or even the place she’d set aside for little Cullan—but certainly a new life will bring affirmation that her family lives on through the baby. Family is very important to her.’’

Taylor gazed into her eyes. ‘‘And to you, I believe.’’

A faint smile played upon Bella’s lips as she stared into Taylor’s intense blue eyes. ‘‘Yes, family is very important.’’ At the sound of pounding horses’ hooves, they both turned toward the road. ‘‘It appears your uncle John has arrived with the police.’’

‘‘It seems to me that every time I’m able to engage you in a serious conversation, someone interrupts us,’’ Taylor lamented. ‘‘Once we finally have this kidnapping issue resolved, I want time alone to discuss our future.’’

‘‘Our future?’’

Taylor put his arms around Bella and helped her to her feet.

‘‘Yes, our future . . . as Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Manning.’’

‘‘I’m not sure—’’

He placed a finger to her lips. ‘‘Wait until we have time to talk before you say anything more.’’

‘‘Lilly!’’ Matthew called to his wife as he took the front porch steps two at a time. He knew the doctor would be on his heels and left the front door wide open as he bounded into the house. ‘‘Lilly!’’

‘‘I’m right here, dear,’’ she said softly.

He found her sitting in the front room. ‘‘Why are you here? Why aren’t you in bed?’’

‘‘I didn’t feel like going to bed. Not yet, anyway. I sent for the doctor.’’

Matthew nodded. ‘‘I know. He was with me when the rider came.’’

‘‘Why was the doctor with you?’’ she asked curiously.

‘‘It’s a long story. But it has a happy ending. We found many of the missing girls, Lilly. I’ll tell you all about it after I help you to bed. The doctor should be here any minute.’’ He knelt beside her and lifted her skirt slightly. ‘‘Here, let me take off your shoes. I’m sure—’’ He stopped in midsentence. ‘‘Your shoes are caked in mud . . . manure, too, from the smell of them. Where have you been?’’

She gave him a weak smile. ‘‘I’ve been to see Noreen Gallagher.’’

Matthew momentarily forgot about his wife’s labor and barely controlled his anger. ‘‘You went to the Acre?’’ He stared in silence for a moment before regaining his composure. ‘‘Surely my wife would not do such a thing. Tell me this is an ill-thought-out hoax, Lilly. Please.’’

‘‘I’m sorry, Matthew, but it’s true. I needed to talk with her, to somehow be convinced that the boy in Canterbury is not Lewis’s child.’’

‘‘And did you see her?’’

Lilly nodded her head.

‘‘And were you convinced?’’

‘‘Well . . .’’

‘‘I knew it!’’ he exclaimed. ‘‘What will it take to convince you, Lilly? Lewis is dead. The boy’s mother is dead. Who is left that can make you see the truth?’’

‘‘I don’t know.’’

‘‘Obviously there is no one. You’re even willing to bring on the premature birth of our child in this futile effort to convince yourself the boy is somehow related to you.’’

‘‘That’s not true. I would never harm our child. The baby may be coming a bit sooner than we expected, but that happens to a lot of women.’’

Matthew stopped pacing and leveled his gaze her way. ‘‘Lilly, you placed both yourself and our child in jeopardy the minute you walked into the Acre. I’m surprised you weren’t knocked down and robbed. You certainly extended an invitation, dressed in fur and velvet and, if my guess is right, carrying a reticule in plain sight.’’

‘‘How was I to know?’’

‘‘That’s exactly my point, Lilly.’’

‘‘I knew you’d refuse me. Every time I attempt to talk about the boy, you change the subject.’’

‘‘Don’t make this my fault, Lilly. I would have permitted a talk with Noreen. In fact, I had already mentioned the possibility to Liam Donohue. But I certainly wouldn’t have sent you to the Acre. I would have brought Noreen here, to our home, where the possibility of danger would have been nonexistent.’’

Lilly lowered her head. ‘‘Nothing happened. We’re both safe. I promise I’ll not go back there again. Am I forgiven?’’ Her voice was little more than a whisper.

Matthew lowered himself into the chair opposite her and took her delicate hands into his own. ‘‘Of course you’re forgiven, Lilly. I love you more than you can possibly imagine. It grieves me to know how deeply affected you’ve been by the boy and yet you believed I was unapproachable. Because I believed without doubt that the child was William Thurston’s, I assumed that you, too, would be convinced. I was wrong.’’

‘‘In my heart I know you’re right. And even if I still harbored hope, Noreen has convinced me the boy’s life would be in danger were he returned to Lowell. I can’t take such a risk. I could never live with myself if he came to harm because of my selfish actions. Yet I maintain this deep longing for a continuation of my family.’’

He lifted her chin until their eyes met. ‘‘You do have a continuation of your family—the baby and me. God has blessed us, Lilly, and although your parents and brother are gone, they’ll live on through you and our child.’’

‘‘I know you’re right, Matthew, but it’s difficult letting go of the hope.’’

‘‘You must never lose hope, Lilly. I’d never ask such a thing, but perhaps you could redirect your hope—reassign those dreams to the future of our child and our family.’’

She smiled up at him and whispered, ‘‘Perhaps I could.’’ Her smile faded as she doubled in pain. ‘‘The baby!’’ she gasped.

‘‘Did I hear tell there was a baby to be born today?’’ the doctor questioned as he came into the house.

Matthew lifted Lilly into his arms. ‘‘I was just getting her upstairs. She’s the stubborn type, you know. Sometimes you just have to impose your will on her.’’

The doctor laughed and followed them upstairs. ‘‘No doubt the baby will impose his or her will on you both. Parenting is no easy chore.’’

After dealing with the police, Liam saw the Irish girls home while Taylor took care of Ruth and Bella and Hilda. Walking back to the boardinghouse, Bella glanced up hesitantly. ‘‘Why do you keep talking of marriage to me? You scarcely know me.’’

‘‘I know enough,’’ Taylor replied, grinning. ‘‘I know you’re spirited and full of life. I know you believe in righting wrongs and standing your ground when you believe you’re right.’’ He paused on the walkway and took hold of her hands, turning her to face him. ‘‘I know that the thought of living without you is something I do not want to contemplate.’’

Bella swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump of emotion that had risen from within. ‘‘Taylor, you’ve been the most important person in your life for so long; why should I believe that would change now?’’

‘‘Because God can change anyone’s heart. At least that’s what Uncle John told me, and I believe you’ve said much the same. I did a great deal of thinking while searching for you, and I know I’ve been wrong to push God away. My mother brought me up to love the Scriptures and to esteem God. But losing her . . .’’ His voice grew soft. He straightened his shoulders and drew a deep breath. ‘‘It was so hard. I saw my father fail every day after her death. They were one in every sense, and when she died, he couldn’t go on. That terrified me. I decided then and there I would never love a woman as my father had loved my mother.’’

‘‘What changed your mind?’’

He smiled. ‘‘You.’’

Bella shook her head. ‘‘Surely there was more.’’

‘‘Oh, I suppose I was impressed with Uncle John and Miss Addie. I would come away from our meetings feeling emptiness in light of what they had. I would remind myself of Father’s pain, but it didn’t seem to matter.’’ Taylor met Bella’s gaze. ‘‘Then I came to realize it wasn’t Miss Addie and Uncle John’s situation that brought about this feeling, but rather you. When I first met you, I knew you were different . . . I knew you were unique.’’

‘‘I’m not unique in any real sense,’’ Bella replied. ‘‘I also know I’m not without my faults. I suppose I should thank you for bearing with my errors so graciously.’’

He laughed. ‘‘Bella, we are both troublesome creatures. We have much to learn and a long way to go toward a complete understanding of marriage and love, but I want to educate myself in those things with you by my side. I’m not asking you to marry me tomorrow—I’m just seeking a pledge that you will be my wife . . . someday.’’

Bella felt her knees tremble and fought to steady herself without giving notice to Taylor. During the entire ordeal of being kidnapped, Taylor had been all she could think of. She had already determined that she loved him—faults and all—but she wanted very much to be certain about this momentous step.

‘‘I didn’t come to Lowell with the thought of getting married.’’

He nodded. ‘‘I know, and that’s what made you exactly the right woman for me. All the others threw themselves at me. I could give them a wink or a nod, and they were totally devoted to me.’’

‘‘Yes, well,’’ Bella said, feeling her anger ignite, ‘‘I witnessed enough of that to last me a lifetime.’’ She pulled away from him and began walking again.

‘‘Bella, those girls meant nothing to me then, and they mean nothing now. Don’t you hear me? I know that toying with their affections was the wrong thing for me to do. I know I’m a sinful man, but, Bella . . . I love you.’’

She stopped and turned, seeing the sincerity in his expression. ‘‘We’ll probably fight all the time,’’ she murmured.

He grinned. ‘‘But then we can make up.’’

‘‘I have a temper.’’

He walked slowly toward her. ‘‘So I’ve noticed.’’

Bella bit her lower lip. She felt a surge of excitement as he stopped only inches from her. ‘‘I find it difficult to trust—especially men.’’

‘‘I don’t care if you ever trust other men; just trust me. That’s all I’m asking.’’

‘‘I still believe in the equality of men and women. I still believe in education for females as well as males,’’ she said, thinking it best to throw out everything and give him time to rethink his proposal.

‘‘So do I, Bella,’’ he said, taking hold of her shoulders. They stood there for several moments, neither one saying a word.

With a startling certainty, Bella knew her heart. She loved Taylor Manning and didn’t want to go through life without him.

‘‘And God must come first in our home,’’ Bella finally added.

He pulled her into his arms. ‘‘Yes,’’ he breathed against her lips.

‘‘Yes,’’ she murmured as he captured her mouth in a tender yet passionate kiss.

He pulled away. ‘‘Was that yes for me?’’

She nodded.

He grinned in his self-assured manner. ‘‘Good. So long as we have that matter taken care of.’’ He pulled her along toward the boardinghouse. ‘‘Now we must tell Miss Addie that you’re safe and that Mrs. Cheever is having her baby.’’

Bella felt dazed but happy. ‘‘I suppose we might also tell her that we plan to marry in a few years.’’

Taylor stopped dead in his tracks. ‘‘A few years? I thought maybe next week.’’

Bella shook her head. ‘‘We need time, Taylor. Being engaged for, say . . . five years could be very prudent in our situation. You know that as well as I. We both need to reaffirm our hearts to God and to allow His guidance in this matter. Our love for each other will only grow stronger—if it’s real.’’

Taylor shook his head and guided her up the walkway to Miss Addie’s. ‘‘I’ve never known anything more real—and I never want to.’’ He paused with a grin before opening the door and added, ‘‘And I’m not waiting five years.’’