“I thought it would save us having to deal with any footpads,” he told her.
She gave the address to the driver, who was standing beside the two horses, then allowed Finn to hand her up into the carriage. She settled onto the squabs facing forward while the conveyance rocked as Finn climbed in and took his place opposite her.
“I attended your brother’s wedding. I saw you there.” She glanced out the window. While she’d been furious and hurt when she’d seen him, she saw no point in mentioning it now that she knew the truth of things. “Perhaps if I hadn’t, I could have married Thornley. But seeing you caused memories to crash in on me, and suddenly I felt as though I’d somehow stumbled onto the wrong path.” She’d feared she’d have been miserable married to Thornley, regardless of how good a man he was.
“Gillie’s rather glad you didn’t.”
She looked at his silhouette within the dark confines, glad no lamp burned inside to cast light over them. It was always easier to speak when encased in shadows. “Is she happy?”
“Extremely so. We’ll have to grab a pint sometime at her tavern.”
“I doubt she’d welcome me as gladly as she did before.”
“She will if you’re with me.”
She wasn’t certain she deserved a welcome.
“How did the sisters take your leaving?” he asked.
“They were rather surprised, I think, at the haste with which I’ll be making my departure. Although Sister Theresa remarked that God provides. They’ll continue to take in the children until they have no more beds. Sister Bernadette will assume my teaching duties.” Hopefully, before long, she could purchase a residence with an abundance of rooms, so she could provide the shelter herself. She’d hire people to look after the children, see to their needs. She’d ensure they were all educated, that they had better lives than they might have had otherwise. The possibilities were suddenly endless, all the various ways she could make a difference filling her with a hope she’d not felt since that night when she and Finn had agreed to run off together.
“It’ll be hard to say goodbye to the children,” she confessed. “But I’ll visit them often. It’s not as though you’re locking me away.”
“I never would, Vivi. You’re free to come and go as you please. The horses are kept in a small stable near the club. You can have Sophie saddled for you anytime you want to have a jaunt.”
“You’re being awfully good to me, Finn. I’m not deserving of it.”
“I’ve told you. I don’t blame you for what your father did.”
“The kiss this morning... before I sign any agreement with you, we must come to an understanding that what will be between us is business only. We can’t recapture what we had.”
“I know that, Vivi.”
She experienced a measure of relief and disappointment. He wasn’t the boy she’d loved. He was a man to be reckoned with, and if the stirrings for him she felt in her heart were any indication, what she might eventually feel for him had the possibility of being downright terrifying.
“But that doesn’t mean,” he stated slowly, “that we can’t find something even better than what we had.”
In the darkness he heard her small gasp. Ah, yes, she was once again Finn’s Folly because he did believe there was a chance more could exist between them than discussing who should receive an invitation to their club and what to do with the varied rooms that currently remained empty. He thought working in close proximity might spur the need for additional kisses, touches, whispers.
He had an advantage because now they would be living in close quarters, and she would be in his life every day and every night. In their youth, the time they’d had together had been rare, a treat, something special to be anticipated. Perhaps the rarity of their time together had influenced them into believing what they felt would never dwindle. But he was of a mind to test the waters, not to reclaim, but to build anew. She intrigued him in ways she never had. He liked knowing what she cared about, what she thought. Watching her as she’d considered the characteristics of the ladies who would frequent their club had created a titillating sensation. But then everything about her titillated and aroused him. It always had. Even when she’d been young, and he’d first met her and every fantasy of kissing her had been inappropriate. Christ, he’d never thought she’d be old enough so he could lower the walls he’d erected to protect her from him and what he wanted to do with her.
Then shehadbeen old enough—no, he’d considered her old enough, but looking back he acknowledged that they’d both been too young and inexperienced. Yet the yearning had been so strong as to block out any common sense. He longed for the nights when he’d been unable to sleep because of his want of her.
“If you seek to take advantage of this partnership—”
“I was willing to give you fifty percent,” he cut in. “I’d hardly call that taking advantage.”
“I’m not referring to the financial aspects. I’m referring to the physical.”
He was surprised she’d put it so bluntly, but then he was discovering she was bolder with the confrontations. Before where she might have thrown an upset, now she kept her tone even yet somehow deadlier, more effective at getting her point across.
“I noticed several doors,” she said. “Perhaps behind one of those is a room I could use as my own office.”
“So I have to get up from my desk and go searching for you whenever I have a question? It’ll be more convenient if we share an office, so we can discuss matters that arise.”
“Finn, I don’t have it within me to love again.”
“That’s not true, Vivi. You love those children.”
