“I’m not living with riffraff,” Victoria declared. “I was raised with the best of society.”
“Yes, well, the best of society are currently living in the relief camps in tents,” Caleb countered. “Now, if you’re through stomping about like a child, I have other things to tend to.”
Victoria went to Bridgestone’s side. “You aren’t going to just let him take me away, are you?”
“I must. He has the legal right to do so, and I will not interfere.” Bridgestone’s tone was relieved. “I’m sure in the coming days you’ll reach an amicable solution.”
Victoria straightened, and for a moment Caleb wasn’t sure what she would do. She seemed to consider the matter for several silent moments, then lifted her chin and reached up to pull down her veil.
“You are sending a lamb to the slaughter, Mr. Bridgestone. I hope that weighs heavily on your conscience when I turn up injured or dead.”
Caleb shook his head and turned for the door. It was going to be a long, long day.
“What are you doing here, Arthur?” Kenzie asked. Her knees felt like jelly, and she wondered if it would be best to move to the tables for this conversation. She had no chance, however.
Arthur came to her and grasped her hands before she could so much as protest. “My love, I thought I might never see you again.”
“I wish you hadn’t.” She yanked her hands away and freed herself from his touch.
His expression turned hurt. “Don’t say such things. I’ve tried to find you since receiving your letter.”
“Letter?” Micah asked.
Kenzie sighed. “Camri insisted I write him a letter to tell him how much he hurt me and how glad I am to be rid of him.”
Arthur shook his head. “I don’t mean that letter. I mean the one I got on our wedding day.”
“I sent you no letter. The only letter I know of is the one you sent to me, telling me you’d changed your mind and didn’t plan to go through with the wedding.”
“But I didn’t send that,” Arthur began in a pleading tone. “That wasn’t penned by me. I believe my father is responsible for it.”
Kenzie began to feel sick. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I never intended to stand you up. I thoughtyoucalled off the wedding. I was dressing for the ceremony when the letter came. It said that you had changed your mind, that you didn’t feel we were right for each other.”
“You weren’t,” Micah muttered.
Kenzie could hardly believe what Arthur was telling her. “So all of this time, you thought I canceled our wedding?”
“Yes.” Arthur’s eyes pleaded with her. “You must believe me. I would have never left you. You know how I feel—how hard I worked to win you. You always believed me above your station, but I never felt that way.”
“But your family certainly did.” Kenzie studied him. He was just as handsome as when she’d last seen him. His blue eyes sparkled in that old familiar way. He was dressed impeccably, as always, and he looked at her with that same expression of adoration. Only this time it was mixed with a beseeching countenance that she’d never known him to use.
“Kenzie, you are the love of my life. When you refused me—when I got the letter—I went to see you, but your father wouldn’t admit me. I’m afraid at that point I gave myself over to my brother’s suggestion and remained in a drunken state for days afterward. When I finally sobered up, my father convinced me to go abroad with him. When I returned in January, I went again to your father, but he told me you had gone. He wouldn’t reveal where.”
Kenzie thought it strange that her mother had said nothing of this in her letters. Then again, maybe her father had said nothing to her.
“I was so happy when I got your second letter. Well, happy and sad. But at last I knew why you had gone and where.” Arthur knelt on one knee and again took her hands. “Kenzie, I wept bitterly when I read that letter. To think that you thought I had deserted you—left you at the altar to face utter humiliation. It was almost more than I could bear. I caught the first train west, but then the earthquake hit. Despite my best attempts, they wouldn’t allow people into the city. I went nearly mad trying to figure out if you were alive, and when I went to the address from your letter and saw the note that you were safe, it was all I could do to keep from shouting. I was so relieved—so happy.”
Kenzie tried again to pull away, but Arthur held her tight.
“Please, please come away with me and marry me tonight. Before my family can interfere again.”
“That’s quite enough of your blathering,” Micah said, grabbing Arthur’s arm. He dragged the other man to his feet. “Kenzie is no longer interested in you, Morgan. She’s going to marry me.”
Kenzie felt her face flush. She felt more confused than ever before. The thought that Arthur was just as duped as she had been was too much to fathom. She knew his parents—especially his father—to be hateful people who thought themselves better than everyone else. But to imagine they would do something so betraying to their own son was almost unthinkable.
“Is that true, Kenzie? Are you going to marry this man instead of me?” Arthur’s voice was full of pain. “Please tell me the truth.”
