Tangled Betrayals (39 page)

Chapter Ninety-Six

After
the dinner dishes were done, Mary gave James a tour of the house as everyone else headed for the Veranda to watch the children play in the yard. James was not only amazed at the size of the rooms and attic, but noticed the attic floor was made with oak. He wondered if it was to have been a ballroom at one time. He loved the widow’s walk and the view of the land he and Mary now shared, for it was breathtaking.

James pulled Mary to him. “Mary, I love you
so very much. You’ve made me happier than I thought possible. You could have had any man you wanted, but you chose me.”

“James, you are t
he only man I ever loved. No one could have ever replaced you in my heart.”

They lingered
there and stole some passionate kisses before heading outside to get a glimpse of the barn and the outbuildings. Edward had promised to take James a tour of the property in the morning. He shared with James, in detail, his part of the plot regarding the auction.

James assured Edward
that all was forgiven and he was very happy to be his son-in-law. James knew deep down, Edward and Mary had no choice but to go behind his back if their plan was to be successful. For the first time ever, James was glad someone had betrayed him.  

Epilogue

The night finally came to a close with everyone exhausted from an evening full of love and sharing not to mention their day of travels.
Mary and James were glad to be alone as they snuggled close. They knew how fortunate they were to have a second chance.

“Mary, what did you
r father have to say about his relationship with Minnie? I think even you were surprised at that bit of news.”   

“He tried to be evasive
, but I gather they may have deep feelings toward one another. Wouldn’t it be great if they married?”

“Mary,
I suggest you worry about you and me. Let’s allow Edward to take care of his own life.

“
Now, my lovely wife, I want to change the subject. What about your money? I know the exact amount you spent at the auction since I was the recipient. Are you sure you’ve managed to account for everything and that you haven’t overspent your funds in your concern for my state of affairs? It takes a lot of money to run a plantation, let alone two.”

“Well,
as you know, it did take a considerable sum, James. But Nettie left me a substantial amount. In fact, there’s enough to last our lifetime. And I’d like to make sure Andrew and Matilda learn the horse breeding business. So, if they wish to continue to be on our plantation, they’ll have the capability to do so. We have enough land to easily accommodate them.”

James thought about how much money Mary had spent in total. He hoped she was accurate in her handling of the funds.

“
I would like to go over the ledgers tomorrow. I think it’s a wonderful idea to teach Andrew and Matilda about running a plantation when they’re old enough.” James murmured, as he blew out the lamp.

Then something just occurred to him!
“Mary, you said you were keeping one more secret. Tell me the last secret, so we’ve nothing else hidden between us. And let it be that way from now on, no secrets!”

James could feel Mary’s body shaking with laughter. “Mary, you
’d better be quick and tell me! I think I’ve waited long enough.”

“Oh James, I
’ve saved the best part of my inheritance, till now. Since you’ve accepted everything I’ve told you with such grace, this should be seen as the topping on the cake. The only other people who share in this secret are father and Agnes.

“
After Nettie passed, Agnes and I found some unopened chests upstairs. To our amazement, one of the chests was full of old gold coins and the other full of beautiful jewelry, the likes I’d never seen. I believe it came from a pirate’s ship. In truth, Agnes and I believe Jackson Powell, was a pirate!”

“Mary, please don’t tease me. What
’s your secret? I hardly think your friend, Nettie, could have been married to a pirate.”

“James, I swear
, I told you the truth!” Mary exclaimed after she turned to face him. “Father took care of exchanging the gold coins to currency. Then I asked him to help me choose a few pieces to keep. He sold the remainder of the jewelry a little at a time, so no one became suspicious about where it came from.

It
was with that money, James; I was able to purchase what I did at the auction. We may very well be the wealthiest couple in Maryland. Although, my lawyer informed me it would be close between father and I, who might be the wealthiest.”

“I don’t know what to say.
What an incredulous story. Mary, how can I ever thank you for all you’ve done. I don’t deserve you.”

“James, I feared you might feel obligated to me
, but please, do not feel that way. Although, there is something I want.”

“Mary, for the life of me, I can’t imagine
after everything you’ve told me this night, you could want or need of anything. But whatever it is, I swear, I’ll do my best to get it.”

Mary laughed lovingly. “James,
you’re right when you say I don’t need anything. But I do want something, James; I want to have a baby, our baby. I was hoping you might feel the same.

She
was praying James might want another child, but they’d never discussed that possibility. She kept waiting for him to answer, wondering if he’d want another child, after all he’d been through

“I can’t think of anything I could want more tha
n to have a child with you. Do we have to stop at one?” James teasingly whispered, as he kissed her neck

“Oh, James, we can have as many as I
’m able to carry,” Mary told him, through tears.

“Mary Parker, I predict nine months from now
, you’ll be giving Andrew and Matilda a little brother or sister,” James whispered in her ear, as he thought of how much he was going to enjoy making her wish come true.

The End

About the Author

Dear Readers, I consider myself a storyteller. I love
to read a book that contains romance with an element of suspense and I like the story to flow quickly. A story that contains many characters and plots, one you can read on a rainy day or when you’re curled up next to a soft, glowing fire. I hope my stories take you to a different time and place where you can put your worries aside.

For years
, I’ve wanted to write novels. Then one day, I started a story and shared my first few chapters with my daughter. She’d asked to read the rest of the story------well, that was a problem, since the remainder of the story was in my head. Once I finished writing the first story, with my daughter’s encouragement, I agreed to have it E-published. Then, I decided it was time to share the other novels I have written.

I
’m currently editing two other Historical Romance/Suspense stories for E-publication and writing a new Historical Romance/Suspense novel.

My husband and I love spending time with our grandchildren. We grew up in northwest Ohio and recently moved t
o central Ohio, where we enjoy the rolling hills and the opportunity to explore the numerous attractions around us.

I’ve been a member of Romance Writers of America for several years.

I
’d love to hear from you! You can contact me at
www.lynnwolfebooks.com
.

Lynn Wolfe