Loving Bella

by Renee Ryan

  Holding firm, Bella waited for the rest.

  Nothing more came.

  “Is that all you’re offering?” she asked.

  His facade slipped, just a bit, making him look young and spoiled. “Is that all?” he repeated in an offended tone. “You will have carte blanche for the rest of your life.”

  She tilted her head, planted her hands on her hips. He looked like a child who was being denied a pretty toy that had caught his fancy. “You mean carte blanche as your mistress.”

  “As the love of my life.”

  His haughty attitude made her take a step back, but still, she persisted. She would force him to say what was on his mind, no matter how ugly the truth. “And if you tire of me?”

  “You will be taken care of no matter what happens between us in the future.”

  Her knees wobbled again, but she locked them into place as understanding emerged. “You mean financially, of course.”

  “Of course. My solicitor has drawn up the contract.” He grabbed her wrist and placed her hand to his heart. “Bella, Bella, can you not feel my heart pounding with love for you? Can you not believe I mean to take care of you for the rest of your life?”

  She calmly pulled her hand free. “Am I to understand you are offering me security, but not in the form of marriage?”

  Lifting his chin, he clasped his hands behind his back and drew in a long breath. “I can not marry an opera singer. It is simply not done. I have two sons, both with titles in their own right. I must take a wife of good family. But my heart will always belong to you, my love. I will simply find a woman to marry who understands this.”

  Bella’s hand clutched at her throat. Her bare throat where she no longer wore William’s condemning locket. She was free of him now, free of his filthy intentions. She would not feel shame over his sinful propositions any longer.

  Before she could tell William exactly what she thought of him and his offer, Shane jerked open the door.

  Beau shot in ahead of him, but Shane caught him by the sleeve and yanked him back. “This is my fight.”

  Her brother looked angry. Truly angry. But not as angry as Shane. Clearly, the men in her life were not going to allow anyone to hurt her.

  “Fine, I will leave the matter in your hands,” Beau growled. “But you better end this now. Today.”

  Shane’s lips twisted in a sneer. “Count on it.”

  Bella had one second to take in her brother’s answering glower before he slammed out of the room.

  “Shane?”

  “I’m sorry, Bella, but I won’t allow history to repeat itself.” His voice came out low and steadfast.

  She almost missed his meaning, but then she understood. He loved her enough to ensure she didn’t live his mother’s life, even if that meant forcing William’s hand. Who would have thought the caring doctor could be such a warrior at heart? “Oh, Shane, no, I don’t need you to fight this battle for me. I have made up my—”

  He cut off the rest of her words with a hard shake of his head. Like a knight guarding his lady-in-waiting, he set her gently behind him and then turned to glare at William. “Bella deserves nothing less than marriage. Offer it, or get out.”

  A range of emotions crossed the viscount’s face, but the eyes that finally locked on Shane were sharp and measuring. “Who are you to demand this of me?”

  Shane ignored the question. “You will find no woman better than Isabella O’Toole. She is kind, compassionate. Smart.”

  Bella cleared her throat. “Shane, you don’t have to do this.”

  Shane patted her hand, and then shrugged away from her. “Yes, I do.”

  “I asked for your name,” William demanded again. “Who dares to speak to me in this impudent manner?”

  Their eyes locked and held.

  “I am Shane Bartlett. Bella has been serving as my nurse these last few months.”

  “A nurse?”

  Shane held up a hand at William’s shocked declaration and took the opportunity to continue his litany of Bella’s merits. “I have had the pleasure of working with Miss O’Toole in the sickroom. She’s courageous, full of gentleness and joy and…” On and on and on he went.

  Even Bella was losing track of all her fine qualities. And she wasn’t one to sniff at a compliment. But with each new trait Shane presented on her behalf, William’s face grew redder with outrage. If there had been a shred of doubt before, Bella no longer had to guess which man truly loved her.

  And which man she loved in return.

  Shane might be embellishing a bit—a lot—but she also realized he spoke from his heart. While William could only stare at him in growing disgust, a subtle air of disapproval floating out of his stance.

  At last…finally…Shane wound down, ending with, “And, of course, she’s beautiful.”

  “Is that all?” William asked, his tone droll.

  “For a start.”

  “And if I don’t propose marriage to this virtuous creature of perfection?” he challenged.

  “I’ll happily make Bella an offer myself.”

  “No. No. Can’t have that.” But William’s face paled as he gazed at Bella. No longer the confident nobleman full of demands and bluster, he looked uneasy, a little ill and his breath came out in quick, hard bursts. “You have convinced me of what I must do.”

  Bella had never been more insulted in her life.

  Shane, on the other hand, looked oddly triumphant. What? He was going to hand her over to William, just like that? Without a fight?

  “Carry on.” Shane wound his wrist in the air. “But make it quick, I have patients waiting.”

  William swallowed, his face looking green along the edges. “I’m getting to it.”

  Now Bella was truly insulted.

  Seeming in no hurry to get to his “patients,” Shane crossed his arms over his chest and hitched his hip against Beau’s desk. He looked a little too pleased with himself, as though he was enjoying William’s discomfort. “Get on with it, my good man.”

  “One can’t rush an important matter such as this.”

  “It’s four little words,” Shane scoffed. “Can’t be that hard to say. Will you marry me? See, I just said them myself.”

  William glared.

  Shane grinned.

  Bella sighed.

  “Uh, gentlemen, I’m in the room,” she reminded them. “Is anybody going to consult me on the matter?”

  William continued scowling at Shane. Shane continued grinning in return.

  And neither acknowledged Bella’s question.

  “Go on,” Shane goaded. “Four little words and you win the girl for a lifetime.”

  William swallowed. Hard.

  Shane’s smile widened.

  “Honestly.” Bella interrupted the two. “I can make this simple for us all. I don’t want to marry William.”

  They both ignored her and continued their ridiculous battle of wills.

  As William’s discomfort grew, Shane’s confidence did the same. Bella suspected Shane was having a bit too much fun at the other man’s expense. Clearly, William didn’t want to marry Bella any more than she wanted to marry him. But the lofty viscount was too proud to admit that rather large detail in front of Shane.

  She would have never suspected William to be so easily manipulated. Again, she wondered if she’d ever known the man.

  Just when she thought the viscount would give up his pride and admit his true feelings, William surprised her. After muttering a rather nasty oath at Shane, he marched to Bella. With a final grumble under his breath, he snatched up her hand. “Bella, darling, will you marry me?” He spoke through gritted teeth.

  Before answering, she drew her hand out of William’s grip. Free of the contact, she actually felt her heart settle. “No.”

  “No?”

  “I don’t want marriage.”

  The look of relief on his face should have been humiliating, but his next words left her too cold for any emotion at all. “But you will consi
der—”

  “Absolutely not.” She and Shane said at the same time.

  William looked at her then Shane scowled. “What’s Bella to you, anyway?”

  Shane stared at her for a long, agonizing moment. The intensity in his gaze took her breath away. “I love her. She is everything to me, second only to God.”

  The man had to work on his timing, but Bella could forgive the minor transgression. Shane had declared his love in front of William, who happened to be sputtering with indignation.

  Bella sighed. The sooner she ushered the viscount out of the room, the better. He didn’t belong in her world now, and she didn’t belong in his. He’d know that if he’d give up a portion of his pride. “William, I appreciate that you traveled this far to find me. But I choose to stay here, with Shane.”

  William cocked his head, a frown marring his brow. “You’re staying here? With him? You’re not even returning to the stage?”

  “God has called me to a different life, one with a higher purpose.”

  He looked at her as though she’d grown two heads. “As what, a nurse? You’d give up the stage to care for sick people?”

  And then she knew the truth. William had never loved her. He had merely loved the idea of her. But he hadn’t known her, and he certainly wouldn’t recognize the woman she’d become. A woman of faith, who would spend her life praising God with her voice and honoring Him with her hands.

  She didn’t have to defend her decisions, not to this man. She doubted he would understand if she tried. Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world?

  “I’m happy here, William. This is where I belong.”

  She glanced at Shane. He smiled at her with encouragement. She wanted to rush into his arms, but he’d been right all along. She had to finish what she’d started back in London.

  Head high, she focused once more on William. “Go home to your sons, Lord Crawley. Find a wife for yourself, one who will be a good mother, as well. I pray she’s a woman who will make you forget you ever wanted a mistress.”

  He looked at her as though he was a man who couldn’t run fast enough in the opposite direction. “So, this is it, then? The end?”

  “Goodbye, William.”

  She held very still as William muttered a foul word, spun on his heel and left the room without so much as a farewell thrown her way. She felt a little empty as she stared at his retreating back, as though her parting with him had been anticlimactic, nothing but a boring ending to a mediocre play.

  “Shane, I have a confession to make,” she said as she continued staring at the space William had recently occupied.

  “Yes?”

  She turned to face him, let her love shine boldly in her eyes. “I wasn’t completely forthright when I said I didn’t want marriage.”

  His gaze turned inscrutable. “No?”

  “Oh, I want marriage. As a matter of fact, I deserve marriage.”

  “Yes.” He smiled. “Yes, you do.”

  She took his hand, pressed a kiss in his palm. “But I won’t settle for just any man who comes along.”

  “That would be a disaster.”

  “Precisely. I have decided I want to share my life with a man willing to sacrifice his own happiness in place of mine, a man who thinks I’m kind, compassionate, smart and all the other things you said in my defense.”

  “I love you, Bella.”

  “I love you, Shane.”

  She lowered to her knees. “I have four little words for you,” she said with a smile. “Will you marry me?”

  Frowning, he knelt beside her. “Despite my unusual upbringing, I’m a traditional man, my dear. I’m supposed to ask the question.”

  “Then ask it, my love.”

  He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her on the lips. “Will you marry me, Bella O’Toole?” He kissed her again. “Will you be my wife?” He kissed her a third time. “And my partner in serving God?”

  “I have just one word to say in response.”

  A muscle shifted in his jaw. “Is that one word yes?”

  She gave him a firm nod. “Yes.”

  Epilogue

  June 15, 1887, New York City, the Bowery,

  lower Manhattan

  The day dawned clear and hot, magnifying the foul stench of unwashed bodies, rotting fish and stale whiskey. Bella wrinkled her nose as she walked alongside her husband. It wasn’t what she would call the perfect fragrance to accompany a ribbon-cutting ceremony, but nothing could dampen her spirits now that this monumental day had arrived.

  In a few moments, Shane would officially open the doors of the Bowery Medical Clinic to the general public. The small hospital was an exact replica of the one they’d launched six months ago in Denver, all the way down to the scrolled verse above the front door: for we walk by faith, not by sight.

  God had provided far more than any of them could have accomplished on their own. And it seemed the more they gave, the more they received back in joy.

  They were truly blessed.

  Waddling alongside Shane, Bella felt like an over-dressed, overstuffed cow. According to Hannah, seven months of pregnancy tended to do that to a woman. At least the morning sickness was gone. And yet, as Bella looked around her husband’s childhood streets, bile rose in her throat.

  The dark side of life was presented without any attempt to tone down the disreputable image. No decent man or woman would walk these streets at night. Even at this early hour, many of the concert halls and Dime Museums flourished with customers. Vulgar songs accompanied by wretched music spilled into the streets. The lodgings interspersed between the shady businesses were filthy beyond compare. Shane called the falling-down tenements “resorts for thieves.” He would know.

  The elder of Shane’s two sisters, Drusilla, a pretty, blonde, round-faced sixteen-year-old spoke Bella’s thoughts aloud. “Oh, Shane, how did you ever survive this place?”

  Affection glittered in his eyes as Shane looped an arm over the girl’s shoulder. “Simple. God protected me, my dear.”

  Drusilla grinned at him, sisterly adoration apparent in her eyes. “Well, I’m glad for that.”

  Not to be outdone, Elizabeth, the gregarious twelve-year-old and miniature version of her older brother, snatched at his other arm. “And now you’ve returned a hero.”

  He lifted a single eyebrow. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  “I would.” She looked around her with keen interest, and a little sauciness kicked in her voice. “I think it’s amazing you grew up here, no rules, no restrictions, no—”

  “Food, at times,” Shane reminded her.

  “Of course.” Elizabeth’s eyes grew serious and she lowered her head. “I forgot that part.”

  Shane pulled her close and hugged her against him. “It’s ancient history. And if I can help some of the children who live here now, well, maybe it was for the best. How would I know how to alleviate their suffering, if I hadn’t experienced it myself?”

  Blinking rapidly, she lifted her eyes to his. “I’m going to be a doctor just like you.”

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Bella announced before Shane could offer his opinion on the matter.

  Elizabeth turned her head. “You do?”

  “I think you can do anything you set your mind to.”

  Elizabeth beamed. Emotion squeezed at Bella’s heart. She loved this child dearly, just as she loved Drusilla. But most of all, she loved watching Shane interact with his sisters. Her handsome, serious-minded husband was more relaxed and definitely more affectionate because of his time spent with the girls. Yet another blessing to come from the ashes of Peter Ford’s untimely death.

  As soon as the legalities had been settled, Shane had sent for the girls. Thankfully, Drusilla and Elizabeth had grown to adore Shane in a very short amount of time. And Bella had won them over, as well. In truth, the girls had been desperate for real parents and now the four of them made a happy, albeit unusual, family.

  Slowing her pace, Bell
a looked at Shane over the girls’ heads. He winked at her. His code for I love you.

  She blew him a kiss as they rounded the final corner of their destination. She froze midstep and gasped at the sight before her. Hundreds of people stood in line along the three blocks leading to 35 Bowery. “Oh, Shane, there’s so many of them.”

  He blew out a long breath and studied the queue that snaked past brothels, beer gardens and flophouses.

  “We’ll do what we can,” he said, looking more than a little stunned himself. “God will provide the rest.”

  “But it’ll take a miracle,” Drusilla cried in a shaky voice.

  “God’s specialty is miracles,” Shane said with far more conviction this time. “Remember the story of the two fish and five loaves? If the Lord can feed the multitudes, He can certainly help us with this.”

  Drusilla slowly nodded. “I…suppose.”

  Taking a fortifying breath of air, Shane gripped Bella’s hand and started forward. “By the grace of God we go.”

  Nodding, Bella took Drusilla’s hand and Drusilla took Elizabeth’s. As a unified family of four, they pushed their way through the throng.

  Mr. Wilson and the young doctor Shane had recently hired stood behind a wide red ribbon that had been roped between two large columns in front of the clinic.

  “I think it’s wonderful you’re using Father’s money to open this hospital,” Elizabeth said as they continued marching forward.

  Bella couldn’t agree more. Peter Ford’s money was now funding medical care for the impoverished, including women much like the one he’d helped destroy. Had there been decent facilities sixteen years ago, perhaps Amanda Bartlett might still be alive.

  It was a sad thought.

  But this was not a day for sorrow. This was a day for joy. And celebration.

  Much like he’d done in Denver, Shane escorted their group up the front steps of the clinic. Smiling, he lifted the thick ribbon high enough for them to pass under it.

  After giving a short speech, he handed Bella a pair of scissors, then wrapped his hands around hers. Together, they cut the ribbon.

  A loud cheer lifted from the crowd.

  Turning slightly, Shane returned the scissors to Mr. Wilson. “My wife, Dr. Marsalis and I will begin seeing patients in a few moments. In the meantime, will you take my sisters home?”