The front curtains had been drawn, providing privacy as the long summer twilight finally acceded to night. However, the side curtains were parted, allowing the night’s cool air to enter. An owl hooted in the distance, and the scent of pine carried on the wind. For the most part, Missoula had quieted for the evening, and Jeremy settled into his chair, enjoying his time with his uncle.
“I fear you will grow tired of having guests,” Aidan murmured. “We will be here quite some time.”
“Never,” Jeremy proclaimed. “I’m delighted.” He smiled at his uncle. “If I’m successful, I’ll convince Rich to move here.” He sobered as he thought about his middle brother and the tension he had noted all throughout the evening between Richard and his wife. “What has happened between them?”
Aidan sighed and kicked his long legs out in front of him. With his elbows propped on his belly, he steepled his fingers, resting his index fingers against his nose. “I’m uncertain. I know Richard battles memories about what happened after the molasses tragedy. But I incorrectly believed I had relieved him of his torment in April this year, when we walked through the North End and the affected area.” He rubbed at his temples. “I fear I only made everything worse.”
Frowning, Jeremy looked at his uncle in confusion. “But Rich always reassured Gabe and me that he was fine. That he had overcome the tragedy and was delighted to be given a second chance with his family.”
Aidan made a noncommittal grunt as he thought through Jeremy’s words. “I’m certain, on some level, he was telling the truth. How could he not be grateful? And I’m convinced he wishes he suffered no ill effects. However, a distance continues between him and Florence. And it is only worsening.”
Aidan rested his hands on his belly. “Delia and I had not planned to travel to Montana until August. Until your wedding approached. However, we feared the trip west for your brother and his family, without additional support, would prove a challenge, to say the least. We desired to spare them any possibility to further their discord.”
Jeremy sat up and rubbed at his head. “I hate that he hid from us how he was truly feeling. We would have helped him sooner.”
“Part of the reason they came here early was for him to have time with you and Gabe before the wedding preparations took over your life. Richard needs time with his brothers.” Aidan’s blue eyes gleamed with sincerity. “Throughout the entire seemingly endless journey across this country with six children, I’ve held on to the belief that you and Gabriel would finally help Richard find peace with whatever occurred. For, if there is one thing I know, he has never told me everything that happened to him. And, until he does, he will not reconcile with Florence, and he will not find peace.”
Jeremy nodded. “Gabe has a tremendous ability to wring the truth out of someone through persistence and love.”
“Never doubt your ability too, Jeremy,” Aidan said.
They sat in companionable silence as the room cooled and the evening quieted further. Few sounds were heard in the house upstairs, as everyone else was abed.
“I love these long evenings in Montana,” Aidan murmured. “No matter how hot the day was, the nights will always cool down enough so you can sleep.” He rested his head against the top of his chair and then murmured, “Are you certain you know what you are doing, my boy? I’m concerned you are acting in a hasty manner, Jeremy. I would hate for you to marry when there is no need.”
Jeremy chuckled, turning his head to meet his uncle’s concerned but supportive gaze. “Of course. And there is every need.” He took a deep breath. “I felt restless in midwinter. Well, what amounts to midwinter in Montana. Like I was tethered and wanted to break free but unable to. Then in February, I was urged by a friend to confront what I feared most. I realized that, for me, it was the room I had shared with Savannah. The room that is now yours and Delia’s.” He rubbed at his head. “I hadn’t been inside it since we left for Boston.”
“I imagine that was quite difficult,” Aidan murmured.
“Fifteen years of memories rushed back. All of them good. Simply because I was with her.” He let out an uneven breath. “I found a letter from Savannah. She left it, knowing full well that she might die.”
“That took tremendous courage.” Aidan stared into his nephew’s eyes, seeing the peace and relief within. “And love.”
Jeremy nodded as a tear leaked out. “Yes. She wanted me to remember her but to live a full life. To love again. To not live a life shackled to the memory of her.” He smiled at his uncle in wonder. “I like to believe I would be as generous in my love as she was, but it is hard to imagine.”
“Loving another doesn’t negate the love you felt for Savannah. Loving again never diminishes the love that came before,” Aidan murmured.
“No,” Jeremy whispered. “I had not thought I’d be ready for another year or so. And then I met Eleanor.” He shrugged. “I was intrigued and fascinated by her from the beginning. She was generous and kind and smart. She relished spending time with the large, chaotic gathering that is my family.” He smiled fully, joy filling his expression. “I missed her every moment we were apart.”
“Is that sufficient reason to marry her?” Aidan asked.
Jeremy leaned forward, scratching his fingers through his beard. “Her mother threw Eleanor out of the house when she refused to be courted by a man of her mother’s choosing. Ellie sought refuge at Gabe’s, and he came to find me.” Jeremy’s tormented gaze expressed the depth of his fear. “I thought I’d lost her too,” he rasped. “And, in that moment, I realized how much I loved her. Trying to protect myself wouldn’t work because I already loved her, and her loss would crush me. Any harm to her would devastate me.”
“Oh, my boy,” Aidan whispered. “I’m so happy for you.” He gripped Jeremy’s arm and tugged him close. “You’re so brave to dare to love again.”
“I’m not certain I was given much choice,” Jeremy whispered.
“Oh, you had a choice. You could have turned away from her many times. But you never did. You always chose hope.” Aidan’s eyes shone with pride and love as he looked at his nephew. “Who is her mother? Who was her suitor?”
Jeremy sobered. “Mrs. Bouchard.” He nodded as his uncle gaped at him. “And her suitor was my cousin Henry.”
“You’re willingly aligning yourself with the Bouchards and Vaughans?” Aidan chuckled and sat back in his chair as he stared at nothing, deep in thought, as though unraveling a puzzle. “Oh, what a wonderful predicament.”
“I’m glad you find it amusing,” Jeremy muttered before chuckling. “I had to suffer the disdain of Savannah’s mother, although she lived almost three thousand miles away.”
“Yes, but at least you had the rest of her family’s support. I doubt the Vaughans and the Bouchards will ever approve of you.”
Jeremy looked at his uncle slyly. “They will, eventually. Although I like to believe they would come to realize and appreciate that I am a good and honorable man who will treat Eleanor with love, kindness and respect, they will appreciate me for my wealth. They foolishly overextended themselves during the War, and they’re in financial difficulties at present. I can only presume that’s the misguided reason why they wanted Eleanor to marry Henry.” He shared a sardonic smile with his uncle. “For although her mother is irate that Eleanor plans to marry me, I believe it is only because she has forgotten I’m a very wealthy man, thanks to Savannah.”
“Is Mrs. Bouchard really that singularly focused on your cousin that she sees you only as a cabinetmaker?”
Jeremy laughed. “No, she sees me as a carpenter, which, to her, is much worse.” He shrugged. “At least I make a good wage with what I do. It’s more than I can say for the Vaughan family bank, drowning in debts that will never be repaid.”
Aidan sat in contemplative silence for many minutes. “I fear your future mother-in-law could attempt to wreak havoc, once she understands how much you are really worth.”
Jeremy nodded, leaning on his elbows to s
peak earnestly with his uncle. “I know. It’s why I’d like to speak with you about arranging my finances so that I always have access to a comfortable amount of money to live on, but that the majority of it is left in trust for Breandan. It should be Breandan’s, as the money is Savannah’s, and she would have wanted him to have it.”
Raising an eyebrow as he stared at his nephew, Aidan watched him with incredulity. “Do you have any concept of how much money you have?” When Jeremy merely shrugged, Aidan sighed. “You have enough so that you, Gabe, Richard, and all your and all their children never have to work a day of your lives. Ever. And most likely none of their future children either.”
“How is that possible?” Jeremy stared at him in confusion. “I know Savannah inherited a large sum of money from Jonas.” His mouth turned down at the mention of Savannah’s abusive first husband, who she had killed in self-defense in the spring of 1903.
“Yes, a large sum you’ve rarely touched. I’m not certain you are aware, but my son-in-law, Teddy, is a financial genius. Makes me look like an amateur at times.” Aidan smiled with pride as he spoke of Teddy. “He’s taken your portfolio under his wing and has worked his financial wizardry.”
Paling, Jeremy whispered, “I don’t want him to have done anything illegal.”
His uncle laughed. “Teddy takes great pride in being aboveboard. And he’s more conservative with money than I’m making him out to be. He has a nose for when there’s a chance to turn a tremendous profit and for when it’s time to jump out of the market and to save the profit he’s created.”
“What does that mean with regard to Savannah’s money?” Jeremy scratched at his head. “I know we used some of it to buy this house. And we’ve lived comfortably.”
Aidan chuckled. “You continue to work and to earn a decent wage. And you’ve never lived exorbitantly, even living in this fine a home. All the while Savannah’s money has tripled since Jonas’s death.”
“Tripled? In just seventeen years?”
Nodding, Aidan watched his nephew with a shrewd gaze. “Yes, and that is why you must watch out for Mrs. Bouchard and her sister. When they realize that you are a much greater prize than your cousin could ever imagine being, you will be bombarded with requests for aid. I fear you, or your Eleanor, will not be up to the task of turning them away.”
* * *
Clarissa let herself into Aidan’s house on a quiet residential street near downtown Missoula, thankful for the ability to slip away to spend time with Florence. When Clarissa entered the house, she stilled at the overwhelming silence. There were no sounds of children squabbling or playing.
She moved to the left of the front hall entryway, bypassing the stairs leading to the second floor, into the living room. Bright sunlight poured into the comfortable home, and she walked through the dining room into the rear kitchen. Her mind filled with memories of her first years in Missoula, when Amelia lived here, as a caretaker and a housekeeper for Aidan. Clarissa smiled as she imagined hearing Amelia laughing at something Nickie had said and then baby Anne squealing in delight.
“What has you smiling?” Florence asked. Her abrupt appearance provoked a startled jolt from Clarissa, and she laughed as she reached for her friend, pulling her into her arms.
“Oh, Flo, I can’t believe you are here. It’s been too long since we’ve had any time together,” she whispered. “Can you believe all that has happened since we were young and idealistic, working at that school in the West End?” Clarissa’s gaze filled with nostalgia as she gripped Florence’s hand. Her smile dimmed when she saw her friend’s half-hearted attempt at a smile. “What’s happened?” She glanced around. “Is something wrong with the house?”
“Of course not. It’s lovely and very considerate of Aidan and Delia to grant us the use of their home. It’s much easier having a home, rather than being a guest.”
Clarissa tugged at her friend’s hand and eased her to sit at the kitchen table. “Where are the children?”
“The boys are off with Richard and Gabriel. Agnes is sleeping.” She rubbed at her head. “I should be figuring out where to shop and what to make for dinner.” She sat with shoulders stooped, as a listlessness pervaded her.
“What’s wrong, Flo? You wouldn’t talk with me when we celebrated your arrival.”
Shrugging, Florence stared dejectedly at the tabletop. “I don’t know what to do to make my husband happy. And I’m tiring of living a parallel life.”
Clarissa sighed and gripped her friend’s hands. “If he’s anything like Gabe, and I imagine he is, he’ll have to be pushed to the point he fears he is losing you.”
Florence nodded and then tried to smile as she changed the subject. “Sophie is very upset you’ve never returned to Boston. She misses you.”
Clarissa paused a moment at the abrupt change in topic but then nodded, as though understanding Florence did not wish to discuss her relationship today. Clarissa flushed and then chuckled. “If that doesn’t sound like Sophie … I saw her in Washington, DC, seven years ago.” She paused. “Even that sounds like a feeble excuse. The truth is that I don’t miss Boston. I don’t miss my life there. My life is here. I want to be here with Gabe and my children.” She flushed a brighter red. “That’s not to say I don’t miss all of you.”
“I’m not offended, Rissa. I’m happy that you’ve found such contentment here.” She sighed and leaned her head back with her eyes now closed. “Everything is so different here.”
“How so?”
“The bird’s songs are different. I catch no whiff of the sea on the breeze but the scent of pine instead. Although we are in what you Montanans call a city, it’s much smaller than Boston.” She looked around the kitchen. “This house is much larger than our home in Boston, although we now use two of the three floors in our triple-decker. The space between the homes, the yards”—she breathed deeply—“you still have a sense of openness here.”
Clarissa laughed. “I’m sure you noticed on your travels here just how much open space remains. So much of Montana is unpopulated.”
“I always thought I was destined to live in a city. That I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.” She nodded when she saw Clarissa bite her lip, as though fighting hope. “But, if there was work for Richard, I could consider moving here.”
“You would?” Clarissa asked with a gasp. “Really?” Her excitement abated as she saw little matching exultation in Florence’s gaze. “Why would you be willing to uproot your life, your family, if you’re not even enthusiastic about it?”
Florence’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “If things … go poorly for Richard and me, I’d like to believe I’d still have your support. I’d like to have family near me.”
“Oh, no,” Clarissa breathed, paling as she stared dumbfounded at her sister-in-law. “Things will never be that bad.”
“So I pray every night. But lately my hope is dwindling.”
Chapter 20
Eleanor smoothed a hand down her satin blue skirts and took a deep breath before she knocked on Jeremy’s door. Although she lived with Colin and Araminta, she had chosen to arrive on her own to the family party. Tonight was Gabriel and Clarissa’s nineteenth wedding anniversary, and Eleanor feared she would feel terribly out of place.
Listening to the laughter slipping through the windows, she fought panic at intruding on a family affair. “You will soon be a part of this family,” she whispered to herself. After straightening her shoulders, she knocked loudly on the door, a smile pasted on.
Her smile faltered as a man she did not know answered the door. He had a remarkable resemblance to Jeremy and Gabriel and was nearly the same height as the brothers. “Are you Richard?” she asked.
He nodded and stared at her in curiosity. “I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re having a family celebration tonight.”
“I know,” she murmured. She took another deep breath and spoke in a more confident tone. “I’m here to see Jeremy.” His smile bloomed, and she blinked as the uncann
y resemblance to his brothers intensified. His shoulders were a little broader, and he had more gray in his hair than Jeremy. Like Gabriel, he had piercing blue eyes that studied her with a roving intensity.
“You’re Eleanor,” he breathed. “Welcome.” He pulled her into a quick embrace, earning a squeak of surprise before towing her into the living room, filled with boisterous conversation. “Be thankful the children are cavorting in the backyard.” He slung an arm around her shoulder. “Eleanor’s here,” he called out. He winked at her and stepped aside as Jeremy turned at his words.
“Ellie,” he breathed. His green eyes glowed with happiness, and he opened his arms. When she rested against his chest, he let out a deep breath of contentment. “I feared you wouldn’t come tonight, when Colin and Araminta arrived without you.”
“No,” she whispered, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I wanted your family to have a little time alone before I arrived.”
He cupped her cheek and shook his head. “No, Ellie. You are a part of my life. Soon you will be my wife.” He grinned as his eyes gleamed with pleasure upon saying that word. “You are always welcome here.”
“I … I worry about seeing your uncle. I fear he knows my mother and will not approve,” she breathed into his ear.
“Of course he has met your mother and aunt. But he is a fair man, who will love you because you are your own person.” Jeremy smiled and squeezed her hand, then eased her from his embrace. “Uncle,” he called out. A tall, distinguished man with gray hair and inquisitive blue eyes approached them. He looked remarkably like his nephews. “I want you to meet my Eleanor. Eleanor Bouchard, Aidan McLeod.”
“How do you do, sir?” she asked, as she nodded her head in a deferential manner.
Triumphant Love: Banished Saga, Book Nine Page 31
