by Joanna Shupe
He tried another avenue. “What about the mine? Your father’s company?”
“The board is forcing me out. I had hoped Tom would take over, but he has refused.” She lifted one shoulder.
This was news to Calvin. He’d heard the Davies board was unhappy with some of her ideas, but he’d never thought they’d force her out. Nor did he think she’d allow it if they tried. “I thought you wanted to keep it in your immediate family.”
“I did, but the board believes I’ve shown ‘questionable judgment.’ With Monty, I’m not so sure. But with you, I’m beginning to think they’re right.”
“That’s ridiculous. You don’t have questionable judgment. And production at the mine has almost doubled since you took over.”
One blond brow lifted. “That’s true, but how do you know that?”
“I publish three newspapers.”
“Right,” she scoffed with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “I forgot. You know everything.”
He decided to let that one pass. “You cannot give up and allow them to win. That’s not like you at all.”
“Calvin, I’m tired of fighting. The board has argued every initiative I’ve set forth. They don’t like me. They don’t respect me. And they have joined together to vote me out. There’s no allowing them to win. They have won.”
“Have they taken a formal vote yet?”
“No, not that I’m aware, but that’s merely a formality.”
Not in Calvin’s opinion. “Do you like it? If you could stay on, would you?”
“Yes, I suppose I would. I wanted to step down because Monty asked me to. He wanted to travel and not have a wife who worked.” She spun around and strode toward her bedroom. “But all that is moot now because I’ve decided to leave regardless.”
He shoved his fingers into his hair and cupped his skull. This was proceeding badly. Use every weapon at your disposal.
He followed her into her bedroom, where she stood at a writing desk, sorting through papers. “I’ve already apologized for lying to you,” he said. “And I love you. I want to marry you again.”
She paused, her hands fumbling, and he thought he may have reached her. Then, instead of turning around, she continued shuffling the papers in her hand. “Too late. My answer is no. Besides, how am I to know you’re telling the truth? You’d say anything to get your way.”
His stomach sank. “You cannot say no.”
“I can. And I have.”
“Goddamn it, Lily.” He strode to her side and, hand on her elbow, forced her to turn and face him. It was then that he noted her bright eyes. The trembling of her bottom lip. His heart squeezed painfully. “Sweetheart,” he whispered, brushing his fingers over her jaw. “I hate to see you cry. It tears me up inside.”
Moisture collected along her bottom lashes until two fat tears rolled down her cheeks. He smoothed them away with his thumbs. “I need you, Lily. Don’t leave me, especially after I’ve just found you once more.”
She shook her head, closing her eyes, and he felt her shoring up the walls between them. She eased a few steps out of his reach. His hands fell to his sides, useless.
“I cannot stay. I cannot be left to wonder what’s a lie and what’s the truth. I don’t trust you, Calvin. And love without trust is . . . soul-crushing.”
“Give me time,” he pleaded. “Stay and let me prove to you that I’m trustworthy. I won’t ever lie to you again.”
“Until when? You’re afraid of making me angry, so you lie to keep the peace between us? I don’t want that kind of marriage.”
Frustration and panic combined to cause him to snap, “You know why I lied in the beginning. I was protecting Hugo and his wife.”
“I understand. I also know that we have a past together, one that provided some wonderful moments but some terrible ones, too.” She dragged in an unsteady breath. “Perhaps you’re right. You once said no one cares about the past, that only the present matters. So maybe our past should stay there, and we should only move forward. Keep going and not let our mistakes haunt us.”
Had he said that? Perhaps weeks ago, before he’d realized how much this woman meant to him. His entire outlook had changed because of Lily. “No, I don’t believe that. Wonderful or terrible, I want to remember every bit of it. With the right person, the person you love, you shouldn’t want to forget one single moment, no matter what happens.”
She pressed her lips together and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I must not love you any longer, then, because all I want to do is forget.” Picking up her skirts, she hurried from the room and disappeared.
* * *
The next day Lily was still in New York, stymied from beginning her trip not by her infuriating former husband but by the infuriating board of Davies Mining.
She studied the faces around the table, the stodgy old men who comprised the board of her late father’s company. They were . . . grinning at her. Nodding in her direction. Short of slapping her on the back and offering her a cigar, it was as if they had accepted her.
This made no sense.
Lily had been anxious to depart for Paris yesterday. Her bags had been loaded onto the carriage when her cousin, Cora, and Cora’s father, Uncle Edward, had rushed over to tell her of another unannounced Davies Mining board meeting. Lily’s presence was mandatory, they both said, overriding her protests. Heartbroken and tired, with eyes swollen from crying, Lily’s only goal had been to get on the ship and sail away.
Besides, the board wanted her gone. Had voted her out. Did they need to witness the pain on her face when they made it official? When her father’s company was stripped away and turned over to a stranger?
Uncle Edward insisted, however, so Lily had squared her shoulders and traveled downtown to face them today. If they were interested in reveling in her downfall, hoping for hysterics, they would be sorely disappointed. There were no more tears left in her system, not after her conversation with Calvin yesterday.
Seconds before, the board had surprised her. Stunned her, actually.
“I beg your pardon. It sounded as if you said . . .” She couldn’t finish it.
“We want you to continue on in your role as president,” one of them said.
Lily swung her gaze to Uncle Edward. “But I thought . . . my lack of good judgment?”
“Water under the bridge,” her uncle said with a lazy flick of his hand. “We all recognize that the company means a considerable amount to you, and clearly your father would have wanted you to carry on his legacy.”
Clearly? A few days ago they’d treated her like Hester Prynne. Like she was reckless and immoral, throwing in her lot with any rogue who would have her. Now she was acceptable?
“Please tell me what changed your minds.”
Mr. Harrison spoke up. “We realized you were not to blame for what transpired, either concerning your annulment or Mr. Fields.”
“You . . . realized?” The faces around the table nodded eagerly. A little too eagerly. The hairs on the back of Lily’s neck stood up. “And what prompted this realization? Did you all become progressive overnight?”
“Not progressive, no,” a board member said. “More like enlightened.”
She rubbed her forehead tiredly. “I don’t understand.”
“There’s nothing to understand,” Mr. Harrison stated, then rose. “We merely wanted to inform you of this decision. We may adjourn now, if everyone agrees.”
A round of ayes echoed in the room as the rest of the men started to get up. Lily didn’t move, unable to comprehend this change in sentiment.
“Miss Davies,” Mr. Harrison said, straightening his vest, “I think I speak for all of us when I say this satisfies the matter. There’s no need for any future unpleasantness.”
“Yes,” another man said, “if you could let all the interested parties know, we’d appreciate it.”
Interested parties? She nodded and put a hand on her uncle’s arm as he started to rise. “A moment, Uncle Edward.”
/> The rest of the men filed out, all wishing her a pleasant evening and continued good health, and several hoped to see her about town in the coming weeks. When the door closed, she turned to her uncle. “What did you say to them? I’ve never seen the board this agreeable.”
Her uncle’s lips tilted up at the corners. He sat back in his chair and regarded her thoughtfully. “You really don’t know, do you?”
“Know, what?”
“This wasn’t my doing.”
“Then who?” As the words left her mouth, she realized. Calvin. She grimaced and closed her eyes. “How did he manage it?”
“Now, don’t look so aggrieved, my dear. I think it’s rather dashing of him. From what I understand, he paid a visit to every board member with certain information. Convinced every man here they’d better play nice with Lillian Davies or risk the consequences.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. He blackmailed the entire board into keeping me.” She put her elbows on the table and dropped her face into her hands. “How shall I ever look any of them in the eye again?”
“You’re thinking on this all wrong,” Uncle Edward said with a chuckle. “How else did Cabot get them to agree if there wasn’t a skeleton or two in each man’s closet? Your former husband is a very smart, very ruthless man. In fact, each board member will probably send you flowers tomorrow.”
“I don’t want that,” she cried. “I wanted to earn their respect, not have it bought for me. Calvin has seriously overstepped this time.”
“He came to see me, too.”
Her head snapped up. Did her uncle have skeletons as well? He had always seemed a devoted father and husband. “How dare he try to blackmail you—”
“Wait a moment.” He placed a hand on her arm. “He came to see me but not to strong-arm me. We had a long talk, that’s all.”
“About what?”
“You. He wanted to know how badly you wanted to keep control of the mining company, gain some insight into what was happening with the board.”
She groaned. Their relationship had ended, so why was Calvin insisting on interfering in her life?
“Lily,” her uncle said, “that man loves you. Desperately. And he knows he’s acted terribly, perhaps unforgivably. However, he wanted to do this for you. He said he didn’t like the idea of the board judging you for something that was essentially his fault.”
She snorted. “If he believes I’ll forgive him and rush out to order a trousseau, he’s crazy.”
“No. In fact, he made each of the men swear they wouldn’t tell you. He didn’t want you to know of his involvement.”
“Why? If he’s not trying to earn my forgiveness, why bother?”
“Because it is the right thing to do. He’s an honorable man. Sometimes too honorable, I suspect, and he hurts the people he cares about.”
“He told you.”
“A bit. Enough to understand.” He folded his hands and leaned forward, lines creasing his forehead. “Lily, your father and I discussed your marriage before he died.” She started in surprise, and he continued, “He was a complicated man, your father. I didn’t always like him, but he was my wife’s brother and therefore I tolerated him. Over the years, as we struggled in the business, we grew close. Yet while I respected him, I didn’t always agree with him.”
Lily hadn’t known but it made sense. The two men had distinctly opposite personalities, so it stood to reason there would’ve been friction.
“One thing we disagreed on was your elopement.”
“My elopement? I thought no one else in the family knew.”
“He confided in me. He was upset—and justifiably so, if I’m speaking as a father. We like to involve ourselves in our daughters’ choice of husbands. But the deed was done and Warren was determined to meddle.”
“And is that what you disagreed on?”
“Partially. You see, your father was dead set on testing Calvin. He threw up the financial obstacle and then dug up some information on a supposed wife back in China—”
“Calvin was never married to her. She was the wife of his friend, Hugo.”
He held up a hand. “I know that. I didn’t think the boy would be so stupid as to marry you if he had another wife. Anyway, your former husband failed that test, as we both know. But Calvin wasn’t the only person Warren had decided to test.”
He let it hang there and the answer was obvious, though confusing. “Me?”
Uncle Edward nodded. “Yes, you. He knew you were strong, but he also knew you had lived a life of privilege. You hadn’t struggled much, save the loss of your mother. He decided to discover just how badly you wanted this young reporter. He needed to see if you loved Calvin enough to fight for him. If you had, he planned to drop the threat of bigamy and bless the marriage.”
Lily’s shoulders slumped, her ears ringing with incredulity. “I . . . but he never said anything.”
“That is what we disagreed about. As things dragged on and you were clearly unhappy, I insisted he tell you what he’d done. Essentially, he’d taken two young people who were very much in love and given them reasons to doubt each other. To hate each other, even. As far as fatherly acts went, it was hard to see that as an upstanding one.”
“So why didn’t he say anything?”
“Because your father had worked hard for everything he’d ever achieved. He believed that if you and Calvin weren’t willing to fight for what you wanted, you didn’t deserve each other.”
“That’s . . .”
“Cruel? Insane? High-handed? Yes, it was all those things. But I’ve seen you go toe-to-toe in these board meetings, Lily. I know you can fight when you are passionate about something. So tell me: Why are you so anxious to get on that boat to Paris? Why aren’t you fighting for what you want?”
“Because I don’t want a husband who lies and twists everything. Honesty and trust are too important in a marriage.”
“You’re leaving out the most important factor.” She blinked at her uncle, confused, and he said, “Love. A willingness to put the needs of another person before your own. I think Calvin has proven he can do that. In fact, he gave you up to save you embarrassment and the loss of your fortune.”
Everything inside her recoiled, rebelled against the notion that her uncle might be right. But if she were being truthful, only one thing was keeping her away from Calvin. “I don’t want to be hurt again.”
A patient, fond smile spread across his face. “No one does, my dear. But do you love him?”
“Yes,” she whispered, almost afraid to admit it for fear of what it meant. But she did love Calvin, more than she’d ever dreamed possible.
“I’ve never known you to be a coward, Lillian Charlotte Davies. Give Calvin the chance to prove he can be the kind of man you require.” He pushed away from the table and stood, shifting to pull her chair back. Once she was on her feet, he began to collect his things from the table. “What was it your father always said? ‘A Davies never backs down from a challenge.’ If you love him, don’t give him up without even trying first.”
She contemplated that for a moment, her gaze drifting about the room. A decision coalesced in her mind. “I don’t want to keep the mining company. I held on to it for the wrong reasons and you’re better suited to run it.”
He frowned, his eyes searching her face. “Are you certain? I’ve never wanted you to feel unwelcome here.”
Pressing up on her toes, she kissed his cheek. “And I never have, Uncle Edward. Thank you, but after all that’s happened, it’s best if I step down.”
“I’ll miss you, but I understand. And you can always change your mind. Davies Mining will always belong to you and Tom first and foremost.”
“I will remember that. Thank you.”
Her uncle reached into his stack of papers and withdrew a plain brown packet. “Before I forget, I was asked to give you this.”
“What is it?”
“Just read it, my dear.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
> “Mr. Cabot,” Miss Robbs said from the doorway, “a proof of tonight’s edition has been delivered for your review.”
Calvin glanced up from the papers he was sorting. “Excellent. I’d best look at it right away.” Mostly because he needed the distraction.
He was desperate for demands to absorb his time and attention. If left to his own devices, he’d be elbow deep in a bottle of whiskey right now. He’d be drunk and brooding on the subject of his former wife, scrutinizing how he’d screwed it all up. Again. Picking apart the choices he’d made and wondering if there had been another way, one that wouldn’t have resulted in losing the one woman he’d ever loved.
Fuck, if only it didn’t hurt quite so badly.
He rubbed his chest, an ineffectual attempt at easing the permanent ache residing there, as Miss Robbs hurried forward. She placed the paper into his waiting hand and then left. Calvin rolled his shoulders. Sleep had existed only in his imagination the past two days. First Lee, then Lily. He was exhausted, but every time he closed his eyes he could see her. Smell her. Hear her laugh.
He hated the idea of her sailing away to live alone in Paris. Leaving her brother and cousin behind. He hoped she remained, even if she never spoke to him again. At least the Davies Mining board members couldn’t force her out.
Pencil in hand, he pored over the proof with every bit of his attention—which was why he didn’t notice when she came in.
He heard the rustle of silk skirts and then the door closed. “Miss Robbs, can you find Jim? I can’t make sense of some of this gibberish.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t work for you”
Calvin’s head shot up at the sound of that throaty feminine voice, his heart thumping so hard he feared it would leap out of his chest. Lily is here. In his office. What did she want? Now on his feet, he surged toward her, edging around his desk as if she were magnetized. “Lily.”
“Hello, Calvin.”
An unfortunate awareness returned. He remembered she hated him, that they were finished, and he stopped advancing in her direction. Crossing his arms, he tried to relax despite the churning in his gut. “Come to measure your new office?”
