An Unexpected Love (3 page)

Mrs. Medford appeared perfectly comfortable, but Paul fumbled over the introductions and was seemingly mortified when he forgot Amanda’s name. For some reason, Sophie felt sorry for him and came to his rescue. Perhaps it was a remembrance of times when she’d been thrust into uncomfortable social situations and no one had saved her. Nowadays, she worried little about such things. In fact, she willingly made a spectacle of herself if it provided a modicum of merriment to an otherwise dull gathering.

Mrs. Medford’s brown-eyed gaze rested upon Sophie for several moments. “I can see that you have learned to enjoy life, Miss Broadmoor. If laughter is truly good medicine, I would venture to say that you will live a very long life.” She tapped Paul’s arm with her fan. “You could take a few lessons from this young lady. You are far too serious.”

Paul looked heavenward, obviously embarrassed by his mother’s assessment. “Now that introductions have been made, I believe we should board the ship, Mother.”

“You see? Even though the pier is crowded with other passengers and we have nearly fifty minutes until sailing time, Paul is worried the ship will sail without us.” Mrs. Medford patted her son’s hand. “We will wait and board with the Broadmoors.” Mrs. Medford glanced toward the carriage where Sophie’s aunt and uncle were deep in conversation.

Aunt Victoria looked none too happy, but that was to be expected. Although Uncle Jonas continued to promise her that he would meet them in London, Aunt Victoria appeared unconvinced. His refusal to arrive in New York City several days early had not won him favor, either. The Broadmoor women had hoped for at least two days of shopping and an evening at the theater prior to their voyage, but Uncle Jonas had protested, once again citing the burgeoning work that required his attention.

Uncle Jonas grasped his wife’s elbow and escorted her toward them as several fancy wagons bearing the names of fashionable New York florists arrived on the pier. Deliverymen hastened to the gangway with ornate floral offerings.

Sophie tipped her head close to Amanda. “Let’s hope your father purchased one of those huge bouquets for your mother.”

“At this point, I think it would take more than flowers to appease Mother. It appears he is attempting to leave without escorting us on board. If he makes his escape, she’ll be incensed. Perhaps I should intervene.” Amanda glanced about the group. “If you’ll excuse me for a few moments?”

Although Paul tried to engage Sophie in conversation, she maintained a close vigil on Amanda and her parents. Her cousin’s assumptions had obviously been correct. The frown on Aunt Victoria’s face was enough to wilt an entire bouquet of flowers. When the threesome finished their private conversation and drew near, Uncle Jonas suggested they board the ship.

“Will you be joining us on board, Uncle?” Sophie inquired.

“Yes, of course.” Jonas immediately circled the group to greet Daniel. “Glad to see you’ve safely arrived, my boy.”

Her uncle’s enthusiastic response surprised Sophie, but she wondered if it had more to do with Daniel than with Aunt Victoria’s obvious displeasure. They wended their way through the throngs gathered on the pier. Strains of band music blended with the din of the crowd, while beautifully attired and perfectly coiffed passengers strolled the decks and waved to anyone who turned in their direction. Her uncle continued to fawn over Daniel while he waved the rest of their party forward. His behavior toward the young man was uncharacteristic, even for her uncle, who seemed to change moods as frequently as a chameleon changed its color.

She thought to mention that to Fanny, but Uncle Jonas blocked her way when Sophie prepared to board.

“Fanny, take Daniel’s arm. I don’t want you to trip on the gangway,” he commanded.

Though he carefully paired Fanny and Daniel, he appeared utterly unconcerned whether Sophie or his own daughter might need assistance boarding. Sophie grasped Amanda’s arm and exclaimed, “Do permit me to help you aboard, Amanda. I wouldn’t want you to trip on the gangway.” The remark garnered a hasty look of reproof from her uncle, but Sophie merely tossed her curls and proceeded ahead, with Aunt Victoria and Uncle Jonas following behind.

“I do believe this ship is the finest we’ve ever sailed on, Jonas. If we must journey without you, we will, at least, have fine accommodations.”

Sophie glanced over her shoulder in time to see her uncle bask in the praise. “Let’s go into the main salon first. Fanny will want to see the flowers.”

Amanda giggled. “And escape from Daniel,” she whispered. “An excellent plan, Sophie.”

Jonas wagged his index finger at the girls. “There will be no visit to the salon until you ladies have been to your cabin. I want to be certain it meets with your expectations before I return to the pier. You may even discover a surprise.”

The remnants of Aunt Victoria’s frown evaporated. “Oh, Jonas! We don’t need surprises. We’ll likely have enough of those on our voyage.” She squeezed his hand. “But since you’ve gone to such an effort, we will do as you wish.”

Paul and his mother followed along for only a short distance. Although Uncle Jonas had managed to obtain first-class tickets for Paul and his mother on the
City of New York
, their accommodations were located in the opposite direction, a fact that pleased Sophie.

The Broadmoor traveling bags had been placed outside their cabin, while trunks containing the clothing they would require in England had been secured belowdecks. Once the women completed their tour of the cabin, Veda and Minnie, the two personal maids who had accompanied them from home, would unpack their baggage.

Not one of them could find fault with the cabin. It was a large suite with a sitting room and two large bedrooms—one on either side of the sitting room—along with servants’ quarters for the two maids. Flowers had been delivered to their cabin with a note to Aunt Victoria reaffirming that Uncle Jonas would join them in England. It was, however, the silver filigree dresser set that pleased her even more than the flowers. Uncle Jonas had obviously spared no expense on the gift or on their suite.

The opulence of the rooms was far more than Sophie had expected. The walls were paneled in cherrywood, the beds were draped in velvet, and the furniture was upholstered in plush shades of plum and forest green. Aunt Victoria stood in the doorway of one of the bedrooms. “Would you like to share this room with me, Amanda? That way, you girls won’t be so crowded.”

“Oh, please permit her to stay in the room with Fanny and me, Aunt Victoria. We can make do quite nicely. The rooms are very large, and it won’t be nearly so much fun if we’re separated from one another.”

Amanda stepped to her mother’s side. “Do say you don’t mind, Mother. You know I enjoy your company, but . . .”

“I understand. I was once young, too, you know.” She enveloped her daughter in a fleeting hug.

Jonas waited until the others had disappeared from sight before grasping Daniel by the arm and nodding toward one of the small salons. He must make Daniel understand the depth of his assignment. Fanny had inherited her father’s portion of the Broadmoor fortune—a fact that continued to irritate Jonas to no end. His brother Langley had done nothing to add to the family coffers, and it seemed outrageous that his daughter should be given his share.

“He shouldn’t even have a share—not after taking his own life,” Jonas muttered.

Nevertheless, the situation was quite serious now. If Jonas was to succeed in his plan to gain control of Fanny’s inheritance, Daniel must prove reliable and completely in agreement with Jonas’s desires. And the journey to England would provide little time for all that Jonas and Daniel must accomplish.

Looking at Daniel now, Jonas began to have second thoughts. The young man was to play an important role in the success of Jonas’s plan, a somewhat distressing concept. Though not particularly intelligent, Daniel seemed to be compliant and eager to please. Jonas could only hope those traits would prove sufficient for the task at hand. Had the boy been intellectual rather than greedy, he would have refused the offer at the outset or made more demands for himself. Neither would have worked to Jonas’s advantage.

Once they’d located a private spot, Jonas requested two glasses of port. “We must go over the details of my expectations.”

When Daniel bobbed his head, several strands of light brown hair fell across his forehead. He pushed the hair back into place and sat down. Only a small round table divided them, and Jonas leaned forward to close the short distance. He didn’t want anyone overhearing their conversation.

“I want to be certain you understand what I require of you on this voyage, Daniel. When I arrive in England, I want to hear that Fanny has agreed to marry you. I demand nothing more and nothing less. Is that clear?”

“But what if she rebuffs my advances, Mr. Broadmoor? She attempts to avoid me at every opportunity. You saw that much for yourself a short time ago.”

Jonas nodded. “You will be rewarded handsomely if you succeed, Daniel. You must simply remember what is at stake, and you will be able to handle any difficulties that arise.”

“I would have more confidence if you were along and I could rely upon you to make certain Fanny didn’t evade my attentions.” Daniel massaged his forehead with his fingertips. “She does that, you know—keeps a distance between us whenever possible.”

The young man’s apprehension was of increasing concern. If Jonas couldn’t boost Daniel’s confidence, he would fail to win Fanny’s heart. “Befriend my wife and make her your ally. Convince her of your love for Fanny and your desire to provide a life of comfort with a man of her equal social standing. You need not disparage Michael Atwell. My wife understands the need to marry within the proper social class.” Jonas clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “If you win my wife’s confidence, she will provide discreet assistance.”

After exhaling an audible sigh, Daniel agreed. “I will do my utmost to win Fanny’s heart and your wife’s respect.”

“You must not even consider failure. If all other measures fall short, you must seduce her.” Jonas saw the look of surprise in the young man’s eyes, but he knew this was his last opportunity to drive home the necessity of Daniel’s success. “I hope such behavior will not be necessary, but I want you to understand that I am willing for you to go to whatever lengths are necessary to gain Fanny’s agreement to wed. Even if indiscretion is the only means to accomplish that goal. In fact, nothing would please me more than to discover you and Fanny are engaged when I arrive in England.”

Jonas withdrew a thick envelope from his jacket and pushed it into Daniel’s hand. “I am sending sufficient funds with you to purchase an impressive engagement ring for my niece. I hope to see a ring on her finger rather than money in this envelope. Please don’t disappoint me.”

Daniel shoved the envelope into his pocket and inhaled deeply. “You can rely upon me, sir.” He grasped Jonas by the hand and forced his arm up and down with the enthusiasm of a thirsty man priming a pump.

“We should return to the deck before the ladies wonder at our disappearance,” Jonas said. “You’ll be pleased to know that your cabin is directly next to theirs. I’ve done my best to secure you every advantage.”

“And I am most appreciative, Mr. Broadmoor.”

The men retraced their steps, and even to the most discriminating eye, it appeared neither Jonas nor Daniel had moved away from the railing during the ladies’ absence. From his wife’s arresting smile upon returning, Jonas knew his gift had pleased her and they would part on good terms.

Victoria softly touched his cheek and thanked him. “The gift is lovely, but I don’t believe I’ve completely forgiven you just yet. If you arrive in England on schedule, then I will consider the slate wiped clean.”

The harsh blast of the steamer’s whistle preceded the clanging bell alerting visitors to return ashore. “I suppose I must take my leave,” Jonas said. He kissed his wife and hoped his ardent display of affection would help to warm her heart. After bidding his nieces farewell, he brushed a kiss on Amanda’s cheek. “I expect the three of you to behave in a proper fashion. I don’t want to hear any reports that you’ve caused your mother undue distress during your journey.”

Amanda agreed, though Jonas realized it would be Sophie— not his daughter—who would be devising inappropriate plans for the threesome. And asking for Sophie’s agreement to behave would be of little consequence.

The final bell clanged, and Jonas turned to Fanny. “I told Daniel you would take a turn on the deck with him once the ship is underway.”

Fanny shook her head. “But I don’t—”

“No time for argument, Fanny. I’ve given Daniel my word, and I must go ashore before the gangway is withdrawn. I don’t believe I’d have an easy time utilizing the accommodation ladder for my return to the pier.” With a final wave, he hurried down the gangway and was soon lost in the crowd of well-wishers.

After a final and prolonged blast of the whistle sounded, the giant propellers churned the dark water, and the steamship slowly moved from her berth. The steward’s band struck the chords of “America” while the crowd below hurried to the far end of the pier to shout their final farewells. The passengers remained near the railing, waving until they could no longer distinguish their friends and family.

Careful to keep Fanny in her sights, Sophie attempted to shift her position along the railing, hoping to distance herself from Mrs. Medford and Paul. Mother and son had arrived on the promenade deck after her uncle Jonas had departed, and Paul had managed to squeeze between Amanda and Sophie. Now Mrs. Medford stood beside Aunt Victoria offering profuse apologies. She had seemingly wanted to thank Uncle Jonas for booking their passage. Sophie had not made much progress in getting away from Paul when Daniel insisted Fanny accompany him on a walk about the deck.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea. Amanda and I will come along, too. That way, we’ll all become acquainted with the ship.” Sophie noted Fanny’s look of relief as well as Daniel’s glare. “Come along, Amanda,” she said, grasping her cousin’s arm and taking charge. “We’ll lead the way.”