When Belle entered Beth’s room, she found a disconsolate little girl sitting in a child’s rocking chair hugging a doll. “Hello, Beth,” she quietly said. “Do you remember me from dinner last night? I told you about my niece, Ellen, who’s the same age as you.”
Beth stared up at her, her big blue eyes glistening with tears. “I remember.”
“I used to read to her a lot, and I’d like to read to you, too. Would you like that?” After a solemn nod from Beth, she looked around the room and found a shelf stacked with books. “What have we here?” She picked up a book and read the title. “Cinderella and the Glass Slipper. That’s one of Ellen’s favorites.” She picked up another book. “Puss in Boots. Ellen liked this one, too. Which do you like the best?”
“Cinderella,” the little girl mumbled.
“Good. That’s my very favorite.” She spied a large rocking chair, probably where Ronald used to sit, and settled into it. “Would you like to sit on my lap? Then we could look at the pictures together.”
The little girl came willingly and snuggled into Belle’s lap. She didn’t say a word but followed closely as Belle began to read. “‘Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl called Cinderella and she had two ugly stepsisters who were very unkind and made Cinderella do all the hard work....’”
Beth quietly listened as Belle read clear to the end. “‘And then there was a happy wedding. Everyone who had gone to the ball was invited, even the ugly stepsisters. And the prince danced every dance with Cinderella. He would not dance with anyone else.’”
Belle put the book down. Beth looked up and asked, “What happened to the ugly sisters?” Her tears had dried.
“They decided to not be unkind anymore, so they found good husbands, too.”
Holding the child close, seeing her smile, feeling the warmth of her, Belle was engulfed in a rush of emotions that made her throat ache. This sweet little girl didn’t deserve to be hurt and it must never happen again. She so reminded Belle of the child she’d always wanted but would never have. A return to Savannah meant the end of her dreams. She’d make the best of it, though, like she always did.
Yancy and Richard arrived home shortly after. Yancy found her still in Beth’s room. “We got the trunk,” he said.
Belle wanted to hug him but settled for a heartfelt “thank you.” She led Yancy back to the drawing room where she told him about Bernice, and how quickly she’d come and gone. Although tempted to express her low opinion of a woman who would run off and leave her children, she knew she didn’t have to when Yancy’s eyes flashed with anger. He didn’t lash out at Bernice, though. Instead, he thought a moment and said, “I’d like to take the children along when Mr. Canfield takes us on that tour.”
“I think that’s a fine idea.”
“Good. It’s settled then.” After a pause, he continued, “There’s something you should know.” He told her about his talk with Rosa, and how she feared Robert Romano might try to harm her. He went on to describe how Richard had spied a boy who had hitched a ride on the back of their carriage, a boy he was sure was Bruno. “So by now Roberto knows where you’re staying.”
Oddly enough, she wasn’t the least worried, maybe because she so trusted Yancy to protect her. “I appreciate your telling me, but Roberto doesn’t scare me.”
He nodded approvingly. “And besides, you’ll be going home soon anyway.”
His words stabbed at her heart. Yancy had been wonderful to her. Generous, compassionate, and caring. But the thing that hurt was, he hadn’t tried to talk her out of leaving. Obviously, he didn’t want her to stay. But how foolish could she get? He, too, was going home, back to his beloved cabin in the woods where he could be alone. So there was nothing she could do. She would certainly not throw herself at him and make more of a fool of herself than she already had. She looked forward to the outing this afternoon, but tomorrow she would buy her return ticket to Savannah.
* * * *
Belle had informed Mrs. O’Brien she’d take care of getting Beth dressed for the outing. They had fun picking a dress from the little girl’s full closet. “Father liked to buy me dresses,” said Beth, all smiles as she stood before the mirror admiring herself in her pink dimity dress with lace frills and a silk sash that encircled her waist and tied in a large bow in the back.
Belle was more than happy to help. The children truly needed an outing. Mrs. O’Brien had reported that Richard had taken the news of his mother’s departure in silence and had hardly spoken since.
For herself, Belle loved sorting through her trunk. How wonderful to have her clothes back! For the afternoon tour, she chose a royal-blue walking suit with a black flounce around the bottom and a small hat of dove grey.
Leighton Canfield arrived promptly at one o’clock. When told he’d have not one but four passengers, he jovially declared, “The more the merrier. It’s a perfect day. You’ll see San Francisco at its very best.” He addressed Yancy. “Of course, you know my motive is to entice you to stay.”
Yancy smiled agreeably but didn’t reply. They settled themselves in the banker’s luxurious coach with its top-hatted driver perched on a high seat in front. With six in the coach, seating was tight. Belle hadn’t planned it, but she ended up next to Yancy, her thigh pressed against his. She could try to ease away, but if she did, he would notice, so she stayed where she was, acutely aware of the man who sat beside her. Had he noticed? A quick glance at his expressionless face told her he hadn’t.
“To Woodward’s Gardens,” Canfield called to the driver.
Beth clapped her hands. Richard, who’d remained solemn faced up to now, actually smiled. “It’s the zoo. Father used to take us there.”
The “zoo” at Woodward’s Gardens proved to be more of a small menagerie, but by the time they finished their stroll past the grizzly bear grottos, black swans, deer, and aquarium, Belle found herself in a surprisingly buoyant mood. Bridger once said, “All you really have is now.” So true, and on a beautiful day like this, how could she not enjoy it? She loved being with these adorable children. How delightful to see them both smiling and having a good time. She loved being with Yancy. His quiet strength, his unconscious charm drew her like a magnet. Probably she’d never see him again after tomorrow, but only for today, she wouldn’t look back, and she wouldn’t look forward. All she had was now, and she’d make the most of it.
“Where next, Mr. Canfield?” she asked when they all piled back into the coach. She sat next to Yancy again, her thigh touching his, but this time she didn’t think of pulling away. He’d made no effort to move away, either.
“We shall drive through Golden Gate Park,” their host replied. “Then the best of all—Land’s End and the Cliff House.” He cast an inquiring glance at Yancy. “Like it so far?”
“You have a beautiful city, Mr. Canfield.”
They drove through Golden Gate Park, admiring the thousands of recently planted eucalyptus, pines, and cypress trees. “It’s only the beginning,” bragged their congenial host. “Before long this park will be one of the finest in the nation.”
The children showed only a mild interest in the park, but their excitement grew when they reached the Cliff House, a two-story rambling building that hung on the side of a cliff overlooking the sea. “We’ve never been here before,” Richard said. “It used to be too far, but now they’ve got the toll road.”
They went inside and looked out the windows. “What a view!” Belle exclaimed.
Richard pointed toward some tall rocks just offshore. “See? Those are sea lions.”
Belle had never seen such a sight as the huge creatures sunning themselves on the jagged rocks. She could hear their loud honking.
Richard continued, “They’re very big, you know. We studied them in school. Some weigh as much as eight hundred pounds. Have you ever seen them before, Uncle Yancy?”
“No, I haven’t.” Fond
ly, Yancy placed a hand on Richard’s shoulder. “You know a lot for a boy your age.”
Richard blushed with pleasure. “My father taught me a lot. He pretty much knew everything.”
Belle and Yancy exchanged amused glances. She laughed to herself. They were acting like proud parents, finding pleasure in the unintended humor of their child.
When they finished looking at the sea lions, Mr. Canfield treated them all to ice cream. After that, he took them to the beach below the Cliff House where a number of people, mostly families, had gathered. Some simply sat on the sand looking out at the sea. Some had taken their shoes off and were wading in the surf. Children played in the sand.
“Ocean Beach it’s called,” Mr. Canfield said.
“Why is no one swimming?” Belle asked.
“Because of the riptides, but it’s a fine beach anyway.”
Soon, they all had their shoes off, excepting the dignified Mr. Canfield, who chose to remain fully clothed. They waded in the surf, the children giggling as they ran from the remains of a wave, and then chased it back again. “The water’s freezing cold,” Belle called, but she didn’t care. She had to hold her skirt up but wasn’t the least concerned Yancy might catch an improper glimpse of leg. How nice to see him so relaxed after what he’d been through. He’d rolled his pant legs up and was laughing as he romped with the children. Once, while holding Beth’s hand, he grabbed hers, too, and she liked the feel of her hand in his.
For a while, they sat on the beach and talked while they kept an eye on the children. Once, when Belle gave a pensive sigh, Yancy asked what she was thinking about.
“Watching the children play reminded me of Luther,” she replied. “He never had a childhood. Had to run away from home when he was twelve years old. I never had a chance to thank him properly, and that bothers me. Lord knows what would have happened if he hadn’t come to my rescue. I wish I could find him. I’d want to do something to help him after all he did for me.”
“Would he be so difficult to find?”
“Maybe not, but I’d hate to go back to that opium den.”
The children ran up. Richard pointed toward the ocean. “Can I get to China from here?”
“Yes, you can,” Yancy replied with a laugh. “It’s just over the horizon and maybe a little bit more.”
As the afternoon wore on, Belle grew more and more aware of Yancy, and by the time they were back in the carriage and on the way home, her body tingled with awareness of the long, hard, muscular body beside her. Neither by his words nor his actions had Yancy been other than a perfect gentleman, yet the heat of him flowed through her, stirring an aching hunger deep in the center of her being.
Richard and Beth had both fallen asleep. Mr. Canfield, pleased at the success of the outing, half dozed, his hands folded over his ample belly. Belle could almost laugh. Here she sat all ladylike, hands primly folded in her lap, expression a picture of unruffled serenity, when inside she yearned for the feel of Yancy’s arms around her, the warmth of his lips on hers. She wanted him like she’d wanted no other man, not even Jeremy, whom she could hardly remember.
Thank God no one could read her mind. First thing tomorrow, she’d purchase her train ticket for home.
Chapter 15
After they returned from the outing, Yancy excused himself, claiming he needed a nap. What a joke; he never took naps. In truth, he needed to be alone for a while. Cool off. Get himself in hand after being close to Belle Ainsworth all afternoon. Sitting next to her, his thigh pressed against hers, he’d done his best to act as if he hadn’t noticed. She would never have guessed how aware of her he was in every pore of his body—her nearness, the scent of her, the way she breathed. From the moment he saw her in the library yesterday, he’d been hard put to act as if he was just a friend. He hadn’t forgotten that kiss by the river, how the heat had curled inside him, stirring to life a nearly forgotten hunger for a woman. Not any woman, though. He wanted Belle, and that was wrong for a whole lot of reasons. She would soon leave for Savannah, back to her beloved home and family. Any day now he’d be leaving for Maine, back to his cabin and the lake, the salmon, the loneliness. Was that really what he wanted? Somehow he was looking at things differently now. Just the same, he was wasting his time thinking about her and had better put her out of his mind.
Mr. Canfield had been invited to stay for dinner, and he graciously accepted. Now, as they all sat around the dinner table, Yancy remarked, “It was a fine day, Mr. Canfield. Your San Francisco is a beautiful city.”
“Then you might consider staying for a while,” the banker replied. “At any rate, you must come to the bank tomorrow. Ronald’s attorney will be there.” He threw a cautious glance at the children. “Certain matters need to be discussed.”
The will. Yancy hadn’t given it much thought, but for the children’s sake, he’d better go. Now that he knew them better, and the kind of mother they had, he must make sure they were well provided for and that Ronald had taken the proper precautions. “Of course I’ll come, Mr. Canfield.”
So he wouldn’t be leaving for home tomorrow after all. Perhaps the day after, although his need to return didn’t seem quite so urgent anymore. Maybe that was because he really did have a fine day. What a pleasure to see Ronald’s children happy and enjoying themselves, a blessing after what they’d been through. Belle had been a big help. On the train he’d recognized her natural love of children and her gift for making them smile. She’d used that gift with Richard and Beth, drawn them out of their gloom and transformed them into the two happy children he saw today. She’d make some man a fine wife, be a great mother. Whoa, he didn’t like that idea. The thought of her being with another man was like a kick in the gut. There he went, thinking about Belle again. What was wrong with him?
The boy was talking to him, and he hadn’t been listening. “What did you say, Richard?”
“I asked if you’d like to play chess later on.”
“Of course I would.” He enjoyed playing chess with Richard. And besides, he needed something to get his mind off Belle Ainsworth, if that was possible, and he was beginning to think it wasn’t.
* * * *
It was late. After a pleasant evening, everyone had gone to bed. The day had been so full that Belle expected she’d fall asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, but that didn’t happen. All Yancy’s fault. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, and that wasn’t only stupid and foolish, it was a waste of time and would lead nowhere. Perhaps she could find something to read in the library. She highly doubted Bernice was much of a reader, but even so, perhaps she’d find something by Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters. She got out of bed and threw on her white lace peignoir, the one meant for her wedding night with Roberto. What a horrible life she would have had if she’d gone through with it. Thank God she’d made the right decision. The house was middle-of-the-night quiet. She lit a candle and placed it in a brass candleholder. Raising it high, she slipped downstairs and into the library. Where to look? Bending over a shelf full of books, holding the candle close, she was examining the titles when Yancy’s voice so startled her that her heart jumped and she whirled around.
He stood in the doorway. “Belle? Looking for something to read?”
She slammed her hand to her chest. “You startled me.”
“I saw your door was open and came looking for you.”
“I couldn’t sleep.” Because of you. “So I thought I’d find a good book.”
He came in the library and shut the door. In the dim light of the candle she could see he was still dressed. “You’re up late.”
“I was playing chess with Richard. And then…” He threw up his hands, as if to admit defeat. “I couldn’t sleep, either.”
The thin edge of a tremor in his voice told her this was not going to be an ordinary conversation. Nor did she want it to be. The time for meaningless chitchat was over. Maybe the tru
th came more easily in the middle of the night, in the darkness, when all the pretenses of the day were stripped away. In a clear voice, she asked, “What do you suppose it means when we both can’t sleep?”
A moment passed as the meaning of her words sunk in. Swiftly, he crossed the room, took the candleholder from her hand, and set it down. With a deep breath, he cradled her face in his hands and gazed deep into her eyes. “Ah, Belle, you have no idea....”
An overwhelming burn of desire flowed through her. “No idea? Of course I do.” She leaned toward him and placed her hands on his shoulders, hearing a little moan that must have come from her. He slid caressing hands beneath the white lace peignoir, pulled her close, and met her lips with a searing kiss that took her breath away. They swayed together, she didn’t know how long, until, with a ragged breath he broke away. “Upstairs,” he said, and picked up the candle.
* * * *
Exhausted and content, Belle lay in Yancy’s bed, her head on his chest, cherishing the steady beat of his heart against her ear. He held her close, stroking her hair. Raising his head, he pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Any regrets?” he asked.
“None whatsoever.” She ran her hand through the dark tangle of hair on his chest. “It was bound to happen, and we both knew it.”
He laughed aloud, a delighted, carefree kind of laugh she’d never heard from him before. “I came here to say goodbye to my mother. You’re the last thing in the world I expected.”
She joined in his laughter. “I came here to marry Robert Romano. You’re the last thing in the world I expected.” She’d forgotten passion could feel like this, if she’d ever known in the first place. And, really, she hadn’t. The awkward fumblings of her long-ago beaux couldn’t begin to compare to Yancy’s tenderness and caring. But where would it lead? The words, what do we do now? formed on her lips, but she didn’t say them. To ask such a question, she’d be breaking this marvelously satisfied mood she was in, and she didn’t want it to end.
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