forefront of her mind.
Nearly twenty-five years ago, she had had second thoughts about marrying him and had ended their courtship, which had inspired more than a bit of gossip at the time. She had married John Cade instead, and in turn, Thomas had married someone else, too. Eventually, each of them had experienced the pain of losing a spouse. They had only recently rediscovered the affection that had initially brought them together.
Thomas sighed, as if he were thinking about the past, too. âIâve already told you that I wonât object to anything you want or need me to do to get you to fully accept my proposal. Canât you do the same for me?â
7
C ould she?
When Martha did not answer him right away and averted her eyes, Thomas sighed and got to his feet. âI need to tend to the horse. Perhaps you can give me your answer when I get back. If not, your silence will be answer enough.â
Her heart begged her to say yes, that she could accept his proposal unequivocally, but she had to think long and hard before she gave him an answer. She glanced up and watched him as he carried the jug of water over to the horse, but she quickly looked down again when her heart started racing and threatened to keep her from thinking about anything other than loving him and desperately wanting him as her husband.
Their circumstances, however, could not be more different. As a widower with two grown children and substantial means, Thomas had no one depending on him, which meant that he had nothing to consider more than what he wanted to do. A lawyer by training, he had always enjoyed his status and inherited wealth as the son of the founder of Trinity, and he hadspent his life using his talents and energy for the benefit of the town and the people who lived there.
She sighed and worried the napkin on her lap. She, too, held a revered status in town that was important to her. Once widowed, however, the meager rewards she earned had not been enough to support herself and her two children, and she depended on others for a home. After a fire last year claimed the one she had made with her brother, she had been fortunate to have found a home with Fern and Ivy.
Granted, she hadnât had to worry about supporting her son, Oliver, for the past ten years. At fourteen he had moved to Boston to live with his grandfather, Graham Cade, to claim the future his father had rejected. Under his grandfatherâs tutelage, he had finished his education and now practiced law in his grandfatherâs firm. He made every effort to return home for a visit once a year or so, but he had yet to come this year.
Her relationship with Oliver was not as strong or as deep as it would have been if he had never left, but she suspected a sonâs inclination to become independent of his mother was as natural as it was necessary. In recent years, however, she occasionally turned to her son for advice, especially where Victoria was concerned, although he did not fully comprehend the very difficult relationship a mother had with a daughter as opposed to a son.
Victoria, however, had only just turned eighteen, and Martha had an obligation to provide for her. Her relationship with her daughter was still contentious at times and was bound to get even more so once she confronted Victoria about her behavior with Dr. McMillan and her hopes to marry him.
Martha nibbled at another cookie, found it tasteless, and set it aside. However different their circumstances might be, she and Thomas had one very important thing in common: a desire to change the way they lived their lives.
Thomas no longer found satisfaction in his civic responsibilities to Trinity, and he was also weary of traveling for weeks at a time to monitor inherited family investments that were as far west as Clarion, some thirty miles away, and as far east as several major seaboard cities, namely Philadelphia and New York.
For Martha, the demands of responding to constant calls in
Nearly twenty-five years ago, she had had second thoughts about marrying him and had ended their courtship, which had inspired more than a bit of gossip at the time. She had married John Cade instead, and in turn, Thomas had married someone else, too. Eventually, each of them had experienced the pain of losing a spouse. They had only recently rediscovered the affection that had initially brought them together.
Thomas sighed, as if he were thinking about the past, too. âIâve already told you that I wonât object to anything you want or need me to do to get you to fully accept my proposal. Canât you do the same for me?â
7
C ould she?
When Martha did not answer him right away and averted her eyes, Thomas sighed and got to his feet. âI need to tend to the horse. Perhaps you can give me your answer when I get back. If not, your silence will be answer enough.â
Her heart begged her to say yes, that she could accept his proposal unequivocally, but she had to think long and hard before she gave him an answer. She glanced up and watched him as he carried the jug of water over to the horse, but she quickly looked down again when her heart started racing and threatened to keep her from thinking about anything other than loving him and desperately wanting him as her husband.
Their circumstances, however, could not be more different. As a widower with two grown children and substantial means, Thomas had no one depending on him, which meant that he had nothing to consider more than what he wanted to do. A lawyer by training, he had always enjoyed his status and inherited wealth as the son of the founder of Trinity, and he hadspent his life using his talents and energy for the benefit of the town and the people who lived there.
She sighed and worried the napkin on her lap. She, too, held a revered status in town that was important to her. Once widowed, however, the meager rewards she earned had not been enough to support herself and her two children, and she depended on others for a home. After a fire last year claimed the one she had made with her brother, she had been fortunate to have found a home with Fern and Ivy.
Granted, she hadnât had to worry about supporting her son, Oliver, for the past ten years. At fourteen he had moved to Boston to live with his grandfather, Graham Cade, to claim the future his father had rejected. Under his grandfatherâs tutelage, he had finished his education and now practiced law in his grandfatherâs firm. He made every effort to return home for a visit once a year or so, but he had yet to come this year.
Her relationship with Oliver was not as strong or as deep as it would have been if he had never left, but she suspected a sonâs inclination to become independent of his mother was as natural as it was necessary. In recent years, however, she occasionally turned to her son for advice, especially where Victoria was concerned, although he did not fully comprehend the very difficult relationship a mother had with a daughter as opposed to a son.
Victoria, however, had only just turned eighteen, and Martha had an obligation to provide for her. Her relationship with her daughter was still contentious at times and was bound to get even more so once she confronted Victoria about her behavior with Dr. McMillan and her hopes to marry him.
Martha nibbled at another cookie, found it tasteless, and set it aside. However different their circumstances might be, she and Thomas had one very important thing in common: a desire to change the way they lived their lives.
Thomas no longer found satisfaction in his civic responsibilities to Trinity, and he was also weary of traveling for weeks at a time to monitor inherited family investments that were as far west as Clarion, some thirty miles away, and as far east as several major seaboard cities, namely Philadelphia and New York.
For Martha, the demands of responding to constant calls in
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