She looked into my eyes clear to my soul, as she waited for me to reply. She was in earnest; her every look, every movement told me that she truly wanted me. All reason, all thought fled in her plea. It was possible. With my new fortune, we could go anywhere, do whatever we wanted. She would be mine. Without thinking of anything else, I took her hand and helped her to stand.
Fear and love burst into my heart like someone taking a branch of candles into a dark room and making all things visible. Love was expected, but the fear was that she would suddenly change her mind. It caused me to speak with determination.
“Let’s go, right now.” I looked around the room and found her bonnet lying on the chair. I retrieved it, but as I turned back to her and looked into her eyes the spell had worn off.
She shook her head. “We cannot.”
I dropped her bonnet, clasping her shoulders. “No, do not do that. Do not think. I love you, and I want to marry you, today if you will have me. I even know of a minister who could marry us, but we must go, now.”
“I wish it were that simple,” she whispered.
I released her and stepped back, again the poet. “You are right of course, forgive me, I do not know what came over me.”
Something dawned in her eyes causing them to widen. “Did you just propose?”
Heat crept up my neck, and I felt like a fool, but I was determined to continue. “It did not come out as I had planned.” I took her hand. We sat on the sofa together, and I angled my body to look into her eyes. “I must ask. Why me?”
She looked surprised, but there was no surprise in her voice as she replied. “You allow me to be my true self. I do not have to pretend to be what I am not when I am with you.”
Her words caused a deep ache to form within my chest, for her words exactly matched my feelings. It was part of the reason that I fell for her. Being with her felt right, like finally finding where I truly belonged.
Bess had been looking to Andrew as her way out of the Phantoms. Was Guinevere looking to me for the same? If she was a victim of Levitas, then I would extract her from their grasp, and I would marry her, but until then I had to look upon her as the white phantom.
That did not mean that I could not give her a proposal that she would remember.
“Some say that when you meet the person that you want for life, you know. It could be a feeling or a moment, but for me there were several moments. The first was when we met. Do you remember?” She was smiling as she nodded. “I held my hand down to you, but your eyes halted me, so pure, so perfect. You had to recall my attention. That was the first moment.”
I pulled a ribbon from my pocket. It was the exact deep purple blue shade as her eyes. I turned her arm over and placed it across her wrist. She stared down at it as I went on. “I had forgotten to ask your name, and I felt like a fool. I did not know how to find you, but you found me.
“When you walked into my mother’s drawing room, you were wearing an ivory gown threaded with gold and I knew before me stood a vision of my future.” I pulled another ribbon from my pocket, ivory and gold. I laid it across the other. “The day that I showed you why I was called Saint John, you were wearing dark green, and I wondered not for the first time, why you would choose to spend time with me.
“You were wonderful with the children, and when we were in the carriage, I knew you understood me.” I laid a dark green ribbon over the other two, then started to braid them together. “At the lake I knew that our hearts beat as one.” Her cheeks turned pink, and I knew she was remembering our first kiss, but her eyes widened when I pulled a small gold heart from my pocket. I slipped the braid through the loop on the heart then tied the ends.
“As a braid, these ribbons, that were once alone, now become a cord, unable to be pulled apart. That is my promise to you. If you will marry me, Guinevere, I promise to be as constant and strong for you as this cord.”
Tears sparkled in her eyes, but they did not fall as she said, “Yes, I will marry you.”
I picked up her hand and kissed her palm then kissed the heart on the braid. “You will never know the full depth of my feelings for you.” That was true enough.
She held my hand and looked into my eyes, her own looking serious. “There is one small matter. I would appreciate it if we could keep this between the two of us for the time being.” She smiled persuasively, “I have no desire to either take the attention away from your mother and Richard or to be the subject of so much talk, for people will talk when they learn of this.”
“I assure you, I will not speak of this to anyone. For now, I shall leave you and call again on the morrow.”
She waylaid me, grabbing my hand. “I am afraid that I have plans with Edith Harvey that I cannot cancel, but we shall see one another again at the Knowlton’s ball in four days time.”
Edith? I said nothing, because I did not want to give offense, but I was surprised. Instead of speaking, I smiled, drawing her closer until my nose brushed hers. “It shall be the longest four days of my life.”
Guinevere smiled, and I was undone. My hand went around her waist, pulling her against my chest as I kissed her like I had done at the lake, but this time I did not pull away. Her arms wrapped around my neck, holding me so tight that there was no space between our chests. I kissed her until we were both gasping for air.
When she walked me to the front door, she raised her beaming face up and placed her soft lips against my cheek. “Goodbye, John.”
“Goodbye, Guinevere.” I bowed low over her hand, kissed it, and left her standing there as I let myself out of the house.
Whistling as I walked home, my plans were falling together perfectly.
Chapter 26
Jack
Three days passed without seeing Guinevere. After being away from her for two weeks, I had thought I could handle the separation, but I found myself thinking about her constantly. The day before the Knowlton’s ball, I had received some interesting letters in the post, so I decided to visit Bess at my mother’s new residence. Bess and I took a stroll in the small garden behind the house. It was bare, since the flowers had all been killed by the numerous frosts, but neither of us was there for the splendor of the garden.
Bess was unusually quiet, but she had been that way since Andrew left. We sat upon a stone bench, and Bess angled herself to look at me. “Knowing what you now know about Guinevere,” I looked at her curiously, “do you still love her?”
“Yes.”
Bess nodded. “I thought as much. If it comes out that she is only acting for Levitas because Richard is forcing her, what will you do?”
“Marry her,” I said without hesitation. “From where do these questions stem?”
Bess stared straight ahead as she answered. “I wanted to know if what I feel is wrong. It is not like it was with Ben when I knew he could never return. Andrew could still see his mistake, and should he return I will welcome him. I thought you should know.”
“Did you care for him so deeply?” I asked in a soft voice. I had been so involved in my own pain that I had not taken the time to examine how Bess was feeling.
“I did not think so, but over the past week, I have come to realize the depth of my feelings. I truly cared for him; was on my way to loving him.” She leaned her head against my arm and closed her eyes.
Andrew was a fool for believing such ridiculous lies, but if Bess wanted him back, I would do all within my power to see that he returned to her. I decided to turn the topic away from Andrew. “I thought you would like to know that I have received five offers for your hand in the post.”
Her mouth dropped open as her eyes widened. “Who could possibly wish to marry me?”
Anger surged within me. I did not understand what had caused her to have such a low opinion of herself, but it filled me with rage to hear her speak of herself in such a way. “Any man who wants an intelligent, beautiful, strong, talented wife. Do not allow your disappointment in Andrew to blind you to your true worth.”
Be
ss snapped her mouth shut and turned her eyes back toward the sad garden. “I do not believe that I shall ever marry.” She cast me a look that dared me to retort then looked away.
“Philip and Thomas have both sent missives asking for your hand.”
Bess gaped at me, and I bit my cheek to keep from laughing.
“Thomas?”
I did laugh then. “He believes that he has much to offer. If you join your fortunes, you could be comfortably frivolous for the rest of your days. Philip was straightforward, but I will not bore you with the details. I have refused both offers as I knew you would wish.” I plucked a stem and started pulling it apart. “Ephraim Knowlton was the third.”
“Who were the fourth and fifth?”
I inhaled then exhaled slowly. “Dudley.”
Bess was gaping again. “Both?” She shook her head. “I would never have thought Dudley a fortune hunter but it appears that I have been mistaken.”
“You know better,” I told her earnestly. “You could walk around in a potato sack, and Dudley would still marry you, tomorrow were I to permit.”
Bess looked contrite. I knew it was only her disappointment making her speak such untruths. “He would write some verse to my beauty.”
Placing my hand over my heart, I mimicked Dudley’s nasal voice. “To the sack that she doth wear, see how it matches her hair. She moves, she glides, and heaven provides, my earnest heart’s despair.”
Bess clutched my arm, and we both laughed. It felt wonderful to hear her laugh. When our laughter faded, I leaned my elbows on my knees while Bess fiddled with a piece of grass.
“Do you think we will ever know why Andrew left?” I did not respond to her question, and she looked at me, suspicion darkening her brow. “Jack. Tell me. You know, don’t you?” She gripped my arm, hard. “Jack, I need to know.”
She deserved the truth, so I told her what Levi and Richard had told me. She was crestfallen, with good reason. General Harvey was a family friend, a man our father admired, and that he would serve Bess such an ill turn was upsetting to say the least. She told me that Edith had said Andrew was coming to town to meet her. It was no wonder, then, that Harvey was so angry when he showed no interest in Edith, but made himself and Bess the talk of society.
“Even though Andrew believed Harvey, I still miss him.” Her voice broke in the end, and I put my arm around her shoulders, leaning my head against hers. Her words caused a new pain to tear across my heart. I should have known how Bess felt, but I had not, and that made me feel like the worst brother alive.
***
It was mid afternoon when I arrived back in town, but instead of going home, I decided to do some shopping. There was nothing that I needed; Leo always secured what I required, but I did not want to sit idly by counting the hours until the Knowlton’s ball. I had checked out the riots claim, but other than some disgruntled and starving people, there was nothing that constituted panic. Yet, most of the farms crops were destroyed, and only those who had stores saved from the last harvest were making a profit. The prices of food had increased drastically. I was not shopping for food, though. I was not sure what I was looking for, until a sign on a window drew me to it. Something prompted me to go in, and as soon as I set foot inside the store, I was approached by an eager salesman.
“What may I help you with, young sir?” He was cheerful and determined to please. I slowly walked around the cases, and when I stopped in front of the rings he smiled knowingly. He opened a door in the case and brought out a tray of rings. They were fine, but nothing fancy. He lifted a plain gold band from the tray and held it up to the light coming in through the front window. I shook my head, and he returned it.
“It is a fine ring, but I am looking for something,” Guinevere’s face swam before me and I added, “blue.”
“Blue?” he asked cautiously, then silently regarded me. I held his gaze without wavering.
“I believe I may have what you are searching for,” he said after a long moment. He must have come to the conclusion that I was in earnest about purchasing something. He replaced the tray of rings and turned his back to me as he unlocked a strong box. When he came back, he was covering his hand like he was concealing something rare. He looked around before leaning toward me. He slowly opened his hand. Lying on his palm was a gold band with a mounted sapphire stone. It was lovely. Elegant, yet surprisingly subtle, much like Guinevere.
“The price?” I asked.
He quoted me a sum that staggered me, then added another blow saying, “But what is money compared to the happiness in the eyes of your love when she looks upon such beauty?”
That sealed the deal. It cost all the money that I had, and I did not know when I would be able to bank on the money that my mother received as payment for her ships, but in that moment, none of that mattered. The man placed the ring in a small, velvet bag, and I tucked it into my inner coat pocket. As I stepped outside the store, I wondered what possessed me to buy Guinevere a ring. She particularly told me that she did not want our engagement made known. Lost in thought, I turned the corner and ran straight into a broad chest. I stepped back hastily, apologizing.
“Martin? John Martin?”
My eyes slid shut for a moment. It could not be. I slowly looked up, and there standing before me was Andrew Madison.
Choking down my laughter at providence and my desire to throttle him, I smiled. “Madison. I had thought you ensconced in Virginia. How long have you been in town?”
Andrew motioned to his carriage that was on the busy street. “I have only this instant arrived.”
Andrew looked at the store behind me; then his eyebrows lifted.
“Were you on your way to the jewelers?” I asked since that was where he had looked.
Andrew’s face reddened as he looked anywhere but at me. “Might I have a moment of your time? There is something that I would like to discuss with you.” We walked together down the sidewalk. “You must have many questions about why I left the city in such a hurry.”
“No.”
That word drew Andrew to a halt. He had the grace to look shamefaced. “I regret the way I left Elizabeth. I should have gone to her and asked her about the rumors, but instead I ran. She deserves someone better than I.” Andrew looked at me like he was waiting for me to deny his words, but I would not. The man hurt my sister, and I would not make his way simple for him. I clasped my hands behind my back and continued walking down the street. “I behaved abominably.”
“You should have come to me. When we arranged for you to come to Philadelphia to meet Bess, you knew that she had a sizable fortune. How could you ever believe that she was after your fortune?”
Andrew hung his head. “When you approached me in Washington and told me about your sister, I thought her too good to be true, but then I met her and found the one woman who could complete my happiness.”
Why then did he believe Harvey? It was true that I had set up their meeting, not the abduction, but I had known Andrew for a few years and thought him the sort of man to capture Bess’s fancy. So in May, I had met with him and set their meeting in motion. Bess had to get away from the Phantoms. I thought I was providing her the perfect opportunity in Andrew.
“What do you mean to do?” I asked.
“If you will allow me, I would like to see your sister. To apologize.”
“You have heard of the new fortune.” It was an accusation.
Andrew looked away, his color reddening again. “Yes, but it makes no difference to me. I adore Elizabeth. I was only a day’s journey when I had to turn back. I knew I was leaving my heart behind. With your permission, I mean to marry her.”
I barely repressed my smile.
Andrew grinned, his green eyes shining with hope. “You can instruct me on how to proceed. If you believe your sister to be indifferent or if you know of another...”
“As far as I know there is no other. If she will have you, then I will welcome you into our family.”
Andrew stuck
out his hand, and I shook it firmly. We turned and walked back toward the jewelers. We were about to reach Andrew’s carriage when a thought, too good to pass, slipped into my mind.
Keeping a normal tone to my voice, I asked, “May I give you a piece of advice about approaching my sister?”
Andrew eagerly agreed, and I felt a twinge of guilt for what I was about to do, but remembering Bess’s words to me about laughing in the face of a man who proposed with poetry, I could not help but prove her wrong. Furthermore, Andrew deserved it for hurting her.
“Study Shakespeare. A particulate sonnet. Sigh no more. It is her favorite.”
Andrew grinned as if I had handed him a treasure. “Thank you, John. You have given me a gift that I can never repay.”
I returned his smile. Oh, it was a gift all right, but not for Andrew. To see the confusion on Bess’s face when Andrew spouted poetry to her, and a particular poem that she despised, it was a gift to myself. But, more than that, Bess would have to know that to love a man, you must love all of him, including the eccentricities he does not even know he has.
“When shall you see Bess?” I asked as we stopped before the jeweler.
“Not immediately. I am awaiting a gift that I hope will relay to her how deeply I regret my actions. It should arrive within the week.”
As we parted ways, I was floating on a cloud of joy. I had Guinevere and Bess would have Andrew. Now, to find George, finish this mission, and leave the Phantoms behind for good.
Chapter 27
Bess
My mind was focused on the mission ahead as Jericho drove us to the Knowlton’s mansion.
Jack and I were both armed as were Leo, Jericho, and Mariah. Levi was to meet us at the Knowlton’s house. We had captured the men meant to attack Mr. Monroe, but that did not mean that Richard would not try something else equally sinister.
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