“I did? How?”
“I decided that if you could travel all this way and face a life without a husband, I could send my sister another letter in hopes she’ll forgive me someday.”
“Forgive you?” Cora asked.
He thought about hiding the truth, but perhaps being honest would show her why she didn’t want to remain with him. “I abandoned her at an orphanage to come west to seek my fortune.”
“How old were you when you left?”
“Thirteen.”
She set her fork down and held his hands between hers. The roughness of the calluses on her palms was not off-putting but a sign of the strength she possessed beyond most women he’d met in his life. “You were a child yourself.”
“I might have been, but I still made the choice to leave her behind. It was the right thing to do, though, because she survived.”
“I’m sure you did your best. You were in New York, right? I’ve heard of how they treated the Irish there.”
“You know I’m Irish? How? I don’t have red hair or an accent.”
She tilted her head and looked at him as if seeing straight into his truths. “I surmised based on you being unhappy about William using the Irish version of his name and the fact that you do have an accent when you’re upset that you, too, are Irish.”
“When did you hear an accent?”
She patted his hand. “You’re a good man, Ed, even if you don’t want people to know it. When Ghost brought me home from the encounter with Mr. Grous, your accent broke through your carefully constructed persona.”
“Persona?”
“Yes. You show the world who you want them to see.” Cora tightened her grip, distracting him with her attention. “I prefer the real version. The one you only allow to show when you forget to hide from who you are.”
Ed let out a long breath. “It can be exhausting, but you need to understand. Being Irish never helped me in this world. I was spit on and starved and watched my family die while everyone around treated us like diseased rats.”
Cora stroked his arm, her contact calming his anger. “You deserve better. Those people on the streets out there deserve better. Unfortunately, there are always others who step on the misfortunate to climb their way up in the world.”
“It’s the way it is, and there’s nothing we can do to change it.”
“Isn’t there?” she asked, her voice dipping to a suggestive tone that drew him in to her trap. He wouldn’t be snagged by it, though.
“No. I fought my way out of the gutters. So can they. For now, we need to concentrate on how to save ourselves.” Ed slipped his hands from her embrace, downed his coffee, and pushed back his chair. “I’ll be in my office when you’re done eating.”
“But you haven’t eaten anything.” Cora patted his chair. “Sit. Tell me more about your business. What do you import?”
“I thought ladies didn’t discuss such things?”
Cora dabbed her napkin to her lips. “Perhaps you’ve inspired me to break free of people’s expectations and be my own person.”
He couldn’t help but admire her strength and interest in his business. It had been the first indication she’d found anything impressive about him or his work. He sat and cut into his own hotcakes that had turned cool, but the buttery flavor didn’t disappoint. “I import goods for storefronts, machines for factories, supplies for the railroads. Anything that is needed, I’ve managed to secure and import from other areas.”
“You really did build your way up from nothing.”
Was that admiration in her voice? In that moment, he realized he’d never been this close to a more beautiful, smart, and capable woman. And the fact that her praise meant more to him than any man in business scared him.
ChapterSeven
Cora enjoyedthe way Ed relaxed and opened up to her. He came to life when he talked about his business. She wanted a purpose in her life that gave her so much passion. Certainly she’d find that raising children. “You’ve done so well, and you’d still be on top if it weren’t for what William did to you. He caused everything to crumble. That’s why Mary Folsom was so important to you.”
“Yes.” Ed scooted a piece of hotcake around his plate. “That’s why I need to secure these investors, because if I don’t, everyone in this house will be on the streets.”
“You put a lot of responsibility on yourself. Let me help you.” She hoped and prayed he’d let her into his world to be an asset instead of a liability.
