Music from the grand piano drifted up the stairs. Despite her grief, Tori was at ease. Her life, with all the special people in it, had become as full and vibrant as the melody filling the house.
Heaven had blessed her, and she was content knowing that whatever the future held, a force bigger than them all guided her path. Before joining their family, Tori gave her husband her most charming smile and he returned it with a squeeze to her hand.
Zach stood at Aurora’s side, watching every move her fingers made across the ivory keyboard.
Aunt Charlotte, having sufficiently satisfied her hunger with Tori’s menu of lobster salad and melon balls, now pointed out various degrees of difficulty in Aurora’s performance.
Zach, though nodding respectfully, centered his attention on Aurora’s face, looking suspiciously smitten. A wave of excitement hit Tori at the prospect.
Ian sat near the hearth, absorbed in yet another book. Something needed to be done about finding him some female companionship.
Finally, she spotted her father seated next to the door in the entry hall. His hat and cape still in place. He rested his gloved hands atop his cane, obviously anxious to be on his way.
Nicholas released her and went into the drawing room to join the others.
Slowly, Tori walked to where her father avoided her gaze, trying to sum up his mood. “Thank you for waiting. I needed to speak with you.”
He didn’t respond.
Tori knelt in front of him and laid her hands on top of his. She leaned in close so that he could hear her over the music. “I don’t quite know how to begin.”
He certainly wasn’t going to make this any easier for her.
Rubbing his hand, she said what was in her heart. “Growing up, you were by far the most important person in my life. I lived for the times we spent together.”
He blinked. It was the only sign that he had heard her at all.
“Josie hasn’t changed that.”
His mustache twitched. It was a wonderful sight to Tori and she took reassurance from it. “My heart breaks that she was so eaten with bitterness. She missed out on knowing a wonderful, caring father.”
His tired eyes fell to his daughter showing the pain he carried.
“I also need to tell you how very proud I am of you for coming here to make peace with her. It was an honorable gesture.”
He harrumphed, and Tori grinned.
“I know you did it mainly out of love for me—and Lucinda—and I appreciate it.”
The earl nodded and averted his eyes once more. Tori knew it was to hide the moisture in them.
“I pray you seek forgiveness from the only One who really matters, whether Josie forgave you or not. God will. And He can put the past behind us and give us a blessed hope for the future. If you’ll only ask.”
At first she thought he was going to ignore her again, but then he nodded.
She put her arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his wrinkled cheek.
To her utter astonishment, she felt a hasty peck against her own cheek and he patted her arm. Holding back her tears, she laid her head against his shoulder.
“Here, now. No use in getting my good cape thoroughly soggy. For goodness sake, Victoria, remember yourself.” He cracked a brief smile at the sound of her giggle.
“Father, do say you’ll stay with us for a while. At least until your first grandchild has an opportunity to meet you.” Tori smoothed his cape.
“Grandchild you say?” His eyes brightened as he brushed off her hand.
“Not right away, but eventually.” She stood and waited for him to relent.
“May I take your cape, sir?” Jonas offered.
He hesitated for only a moment before loosening the strings at his neck.
“Good! I’m famished. Jonas, please have the maid prepare a plate for us. We can take it in the drawing room with the others.” Slipping her arm through her father’s, she walked with him to join the rest of the family.
“Do you by chance play chess?” Ian sat before a glass chess set laid out on a round table.
“I could be persuaded.” Despite the twitch of his mustache, Tori knew her father wouldn’t put up too much of a fuss. Chess had always been his favorite pastime.
“There you two are. Did you hear that last piece? Aurora, honey, play it again. She’s not as accomplished at playing the piano as she is at playing her harp, but I believe she’s doing very well. Don’t you think?” Aunt Charlotte swayed with the music, waving her hankie in time. The colorful hat atop her head slipped more with every beat.
“Very well, indeed.” Tori agreed noting the look Zach wore as he watched her play.
“I’m glad the instrument is getting good use.” Nicholas motioned for the housekeeper to set the tray of food on a side table and instructed her to make a plate to bring over to the earl.
Tori filled a plate for herself. With all that had passed, she finally had peace.
Though death had taken Josie before she’d had much of a chance to know her, she refused to burden the others just now with the unavoidable news of her passing.
She would mourn, as would they, but for this short, perfect moment of time, Tori simply wanted to watch the smiles of those she loved and listen to them mingle.
“By Jove, I do believe that’s a checkmate.” The earl was actually smiling.
“Good game, sir. I hope you’ll give me the chance to win back my watch in the near future.” Ian winked at Tori.
Charlotte Haverwood nearly choked on her cider. “Gambling? In this house? Right here under our very noses? Edward you should be ashamed. And you, too, Reverend Saberton. Why I never…”
“That reminds me, Mrs. Charlotte. Might you like to play a round of hearts?” Zach casually opened a drawer on the side table and produced a deck of playing cards.
“What’s this?” The earl cocked a brow.
Aurora snickered, and Aunt Charlotte adamantly shook her head, flinging the banana across the room. “Zachery, you scoundrel. You’re actin’ more like your brothers every day.”
“They are teasing you, Aunt Charlotte.” Tori went to her aunt’s side amid the deep laughter coming from the brothers. “And they wouldn’t bother if they didn’t love you dearly. Can I get you more tea?”
“Why, thank you, darlin’. And maybe just a nibble of that sweet bread from dinner. Your cook is excellent, Nicholas. Did I tell you the new chef over at the Pavilion House Hotel once trained in Richmond under a man all the way from Europe whose name I cannot even pronounce?”
Tori glanced around, and contentment filled her heart as she watched each smiling face. At last, she’d found what she never knew she was missing. A place to call home.
Catching the warm gaze of her husband, she was immediately drawn to the welcoming fire in his dark eyes. As always he made her pulse quicken with just a look.
Ian casually thumbed through a leather-bound book he found in the cabinet d’affaires.
Zach and Aurora had eyes only for each other and Tori tried very hard not to take credit for that. She had promised, after all, to make him take notice of her little cousin. Of course, Aurora had taken it from there and charmed him all on her own.
Her father and Aunt Charlotte sat next to one another, bickering as usual. But, since there were plenty of other seats they could have taken, Tori was convinced they actually enjoyed each other’s company. Some just had an odd way of showing it.
Home. Her home.
“Mrs. Tori.” She turned as Jonas came to her side. “Mr. Nicholas needs to see you in the next room, ma’am.”
Leaving the cozy gathering, Tori stepped out into the hallway and was immediately surprised by a huge arm that reached out and swung her into the library.
Stifling her scream with his hand, Nicholas replaced it with his lips after she had a chance to comprehend that it was her husband that held her.
“Nicholas!” Her breath had caught in her throat. “Must you always surprise me?”
“
I hope to.” He pulled the pocket doors together.
She could barely make out the lazy grin on his lips in the faint light streaming in from the lattice inset on the door.
His features grew serious as he smoothed down her curls. “They came for Josie while you spoke with your father. She’ll be taken care of.”
“Thank you.”
“I see it went well with the earl.” He played with a stray curl at the nape of her neck and smiled at the resulting shiver.
Tori nodded. “Yes, quite well.”
“Good.” He placed a kiss upon her cheek.
“We have guests.” She reminded him with feeble resistance.
“Mmm hmm.” His lips nuzzled her ear.
“You are shameless, Captain Saberton.”
His deep rumble of laughter filled the small space between them. Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips. “I love you, princess.”
“It’s a good thing.”
“Because you plan to keep me?”
“Indeed. For a very, very long time.” Tori smiled sweetly and pulled his mouth down to her own.
Epilogue
Savannah, Georgia, 20 December, 1860
“…And may they find lasting contentment in the betrothal they’ve entered into today.”
“Here, here.”
Tori lifted her glass to the newly engaged couple, before sharing a private look with her husband over its brim. The cranberry punch smelled wonderful, but didn’t sit well on her stomach so she quietly set it aside.
She searched the ballroom of the Pavilion House Hotel until she came upon her father, happily surrounded by his usual brood of adoring widows.
“Oh, my goodness!”
Tori turned to see her aunt chasing a man in white uniform. “You, there, this will never do. These creampuffs are chock full of olives. I can’t eat olives, they make me swell up like a blowfish.”
Jean-Pierre had produced his most outlandish creation yet. In keeping with the season, Aunt Charlotte wore what suspiciously resembled a small pear tree upon her head with a small stuffed partridge perched on top.
“Hideous, isn’t it?” Dottie Saberton stood just to Tori’s right, sipping her punch. “The woman is as gullible as a lamb.”
Tori smiled. “And every bit as lovable.”
“Every bit,” Dottie smiled elegantly at her daughter-in-law. Her own hat was an exquisite ice-blue pillbox from Boston. Small feathers adorned one side in snowy white. Her gown, in matching blue and white striped taffeta, was infinitely chic to Tori’s trained eye. “Now let’s hope Aurora doesn’t share her mother’s odd tastes and allow the Duprees to decorate the wedding next Spring.”
Standing back to eye Tori’s rich mulberry gown, Mrs. Saberton ran a white-gloved hand over the loose-fitting waistline. Her face immediately brightened. “Honey! I’m so happy!” Mrs. Saberton set her glass aside and rested her arm around Tori’s shoulder. “Does Nicholas know?”
“I haven’t had a chance to tell him, yet. Truthfully, I wasn’t entirely certain myself, until I had the chance to visit with the doctor yesterday morning. And what with the betrothal dinner party this evening, I didn’t want to take attention from Aurora and Zachery.”
Dottie pressed her cheek against Tori’s. “I’m overjoyed. But promise you won’t wait too long. Men like to feel a part of these things.”
“I promise.” Tori accepted another hug before Dottie was called away to another group.
The magnificent hall was resplendent with the oversized chandelier gracing the center of the gilded ceiling. Tori noticed Aurora was over to one corner trying to gain her attention.
Going over a mental checklist of the various wedding preparations ahead of them, Tori tried to estimate which might be causing her cousin such anxiety. Aurora crossed the room and took Tori’s arm to bring her in close.
“What on earth?”
“Tori, mother just said the most peculiar thing.” Aurora bit her thumbnail.
Tori patiently took Aurora’s hand away from her mouth. “What did she say?”
Aurora frowned in concern. “Mother says I oughtn’t kiss Zach. She says I might decide I like it.”
“I see.” Tori smothered a grin.
“And she said no matter what I’m not to ask you for advice about kissing and such.” Aurora brought her thumb back to her mouth. “But I already like it. I’ve loved Zach since I was twelve years old.” Aurora’s eyes sought out the object of their conversation. He was smiling as he talked with three other young men. When he caught her watching him, his eyes softened as he excused himself to come to her side.
“And does he love you as well?”
“Yes.” Aurora answered with a whimsical note.
Tori had to wonder if she’d ever been so enchanted at the mere sight of Nicholas. “And, you say you like it when Zach kisses you?”
“Yes, very much.” Aurora nodded.
“Good. Then ask him to kiss you often and trust the Lord to take care of the rest.”
Thankfully, the stringed orchestra began a waltz just as Zach joined them.
Tori had completely eluded the issue, but some things were best left unanalyzed.
Nicholas came into view as she watched the engaged couple sway to the lilt of the music. In rapt in conversation with men Tori knew to be investors, he stood head and shoulders above them. He’d donned his Naval uniform for the occasion and his virile bearing affected her without fail. He flashed a smile at her before she realized she was staring.
Pulling her eyes away, she grinned at having thought Aurora silly for the very same thing. She patted the curls at her nape. With her hair piled high, pearled pins dotted throughout, her head felt a bit top-heavy.
“Pardon me, ma’am. I believe this dance is mine.” Nicholas offered his hand.
“Certainly, sir. But we must be careful.” Tori slipped her hand into the bend of his arm and hid her mouth with the other white-gloved hand. “My husband is very jealous, you know.”
“With good reason.” came the easy reply. “You are undeniably the most ravishing creature in attendance.” He pulled her into his arms and swept her into a waltz, allowing other couples to follow suit.
Leaning heavily on him, Tori felt dizzy at first. The sudden motion nearly overwhelmed her.
“Are you feeling all right?”
Tori heard the worry in his voice. She supposed this was as good a time as any to break the news of their impending arrival. Nodding, she opened her mouth to do just that, when his resonant voice interrupted her.
“Good, because I have something to tell you that I think you’re going to be thrilled about.”
That was what she was going to say. Tori looked up at him, awaiting his explanation.
“It looks as though we will be opening an additional office in England. We’ve got our backers and your father generously offered to let us have a warehouse on his lands near the port. This could possibly open trade with China and then to India. Haverwood Shipping could have offices worldwide in the very near future.”
Tori could feel his excitement in the exuberant way he held her. She wondered at how he would take her news, now that he had such impressive plans. Certainly, this meant he would have to be away for a time to set up this new office. She wasn’t sure how he would take what she had to tell him.
“What is it, princess?”
“Will you be leaving, Nicholas? I mean to travel back to England for a time?”
“Not without you. I suspect we will make the trip between here and there often. That’s why I thought you’d be pleased. You can keep your ties here as well as there.”
She missed a step and gave him a faltering grin. “I’m sorry. I’m a bit preoccupied.” Her eyes rose to his as she tried to gage his reaction. “It seems I have a bit of a surprise myself, Nicholas.”
His brow rose.
“Although, you’ll have to wait another six months before I can actually give it to you.”
Nicholas stopped their dance.
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Tori was caught completely off guard and had to grasp onto him for support. Glancing about at the curious stares they received in every direction, Tori tried to take his arm so that they might finish this in private. She didn’t want to overshadow Aurora and Zach’s betrothal announcement with her own good news.
Nicholas wasn’t going to budge until she explained herself. “What sort of surprise is it that you have for me, princess?”
“A pink one.” She watched hope gleam in his eye. “Or possibly a blue one.”
Lifting her, Nicholas swung her around as pairs of interested dinner guests waltzed past. “I’ll take one of each!”
Highly improper, but she’d come to discover the only opinion that truly mattered his. The height and depth of Nicholas’s love for her would take a lifetime to fully comprehend. A lifetime to feel safe in the circle of his arms.
Her home.
A Note from the Author
From my first visit to the cobblestoned squares of Savannah, I knew I wanted to write a story set within her magnificent oaks. I visited each square and the grand houses for which this elegant city is known, many of which make an appearance in this book. Some, however, like Charlotte Haverwood’s home, are a conglomeration of several. And her unique eye for decorating was a quirky figment of my imagination.
The first place I go on a research trip is to the local library. Fabulous gems can be found among diaries, family collections, historical tomes and archived county registers. I went through mounds of material at the Georgia history and genealogy room of Washington Memorial Library in Macon. The stately building itself was the home of a former mayor, and I was inspired from the moment I walked through the doors.
Savannah was indeed devastated by fire—twice. The great fire of 1796 left 229 houses destroyed including the City Exchange building and 400 citizens were left homeless.1 Then, again in 1820 another sweeping fire took the city, every bit as crippling as the last. I couldn’t help but wonder how my hero might react, knowing what ruin the city had suffered in the past as he faced another deadly blaze. The what ifs began to take shape.
I then came across an account of Prince Henry of Battenberg, a morganatic descendant of the Grand Ducal House of Hess who later became a member of the British Royal Family, through his marriage to Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Beatrice.2 That fueled my imagination and I began to dig deeper into the complex structure of royal protocol. At the time of the proposed marriage of Edward Haverwood and Lucinda Martin, though not unheard of, morganatic marriage was not as common in Britain as it was in Royal houses of other countries. While never formally named as such in British law, morganatic marriage did exist between people of unequal social rank, which prevented the passage of the husband’s titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage.3
True Nobility Page 27
