For a moment, Micah and Kenzie just stood, gazing into each other’s eyes. Kenzie could see the love in his expression. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Sorry?”
“Sorry it took so long to believe in you—in us.”
He touched her cheek. “It doesn’t matter. The past no longer concerns us. We’re together now, and if I have anything to say about it, we’ll soon be man and wife. If you’ll just say yes.”
“Do you suppose I would go to all this trouble if I didn’t intend to marry you?” Kenzie smiled and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Now, come along, Dr. Fisher. We have a triple wedding to plan.”
Victoria listened as the judge, a staid and homely man in his sixties, explained the details of her liberty. He droned on and on, and she had no idea what he was really saying, but she figured she could get Arthur to explain it once he bothered to arrive. Where in the world was he, anyway? Thankfully, Abraham Ruef sat with her, or she might have despaired of ever understanding.
Finally, the old man closed the file he’d been reading from and looked at Ruef. “That should see the matter through to conclusion. I trust you have everything else in order for this young woman?”
“Yes,” Ruef said, getting to his feet. “Thank you, Your Honor.” He pulled out an envelope and placed it on the desk. “I’m sure you’ll find this to be satisfactory.”
Ruef then turned to Victoria. “Come along. I’ll explain in a way that you’ll understand while we make our way to lunch. I’m famished and presume you are as well.”
Victoria had no desire to eat with Abraham Ruef, but she felt she owed him at least that much. She allowed him to escort her back to the privacy of his car and began to assault him with questions as soon as she’d settled in.
“So am I now finally able to draw on my inheritance? Will I have money in order to purchase train tickets and arrange for a hotel?”
“Yes. It’s all yours. The matter has been completely taken care of. Your cousin has no more say over anything you do. The money is already sitting in your personal account at the bank, and you can draw from it any time you like. In fact—” he reached into his coat and produced another envelope—“I have some ready cash here for your immediate use. I know you mentioned wanting to leave the city. I can help you with those arrangements as well. Generally speaking, genteel women do not carry money on their persons. It’s too much of a temptation for ruffians to take advantage of them. You could, however, have a trusted servant carry it for you. Once you establish your household, you’ll no doubt have a driver, and he could manage it.”
“Thank you.” She took the envelope and looked inside. There was a great deal of money, and she smiled, feeling suddenly empowered. “I’ll hire a driver when I settle in New York City. Right now, I want to have my things moved from the Coulter house to the hotel where Arthur Morgan is staying. He promised he would have a room put on hold for me there. Then I’ll need a lady’s maid. Perhaps you could advise on how I could go about that? Afterward, I will make my plans.”
“You remember there is still the little matter of settling our account for services rendered. I have papers at my office. I also have your new bank book. You can write me out a draft for the money you owe.”
“Yes, of course. We can go there directly and forget about lunch, in fact. I’m sure you’re quite busy.”
He smiled and patted her hand. “I would never deny a beautiful young woman the enjoyment of a meal. Especially one at the Cliff House. Besides, there are several investment ideas I think we should discuss. You wouldn’t want that newfound fortune to simply dwindle away for lack of proper care. I think I can take that modest fortune and help you turn it into more wealth than you’ll ever know what to do with. You might want to stick around San Francisco. We might be in pieces at the moment, but the potential to make a great deal of money is quite high. I promise you, we could triple what you currently have by making just a few prudent choices.”
She shrugged and eased back against the leather seat. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to hear what you have to say.”
It seemed the right thing to do for now. She didn’t like the idea of being manipulated, but she was quickly learning that sometimes it was best to appear cooperative. She could always make her desires known when the situation was a little more stable. Besides, he might very well be able to do what he promised. Then again, after taking nearly twenty percent of her inheritance, Ruef might have bought her freedom, but she had no desire to join him on his other schemes.
“Will Mr. Morgan be joining us?” she asked.
Ruef shook his head. “I have no idea where he is. Last I heard, he was to be married this morning.”
Victoria frowned. “To Miss Gifford?”
“I suppose so, if that’s the young woman he came to town to find.” Ruef smoothed his mustache. “He seemed dedicated to no other purpose.”
Victoria considered the passing scenery as she thought about Arthur Morgan and his determination to marry Kenzie. She’d have known if a wedding were in the works. None of the women at the house seemed to have that in mind. There was still talk about the trio sharing their nuptials in one large, hideous arrangement, but Arthur Morgan’s name was certainly no part of it.
She shrugged. Arthur’s situation with Kenzie wasn’t her problem. He, like Ruef, had served his purpose, and she couldn’t care less if she ever saw him again.
CHAPTER
24
That afternoon, after Micah had seen his parents and changed into clothes of his own choosing, he escorted Kenzie to the Solid Rock warehouse. He wanted to tell her about his desire to add a hospital to the warehouse to serve displaced women and children.
Mrs. Andrews, now Mrs. Lake, met them at the door of the warehouse. She was harried as usual, but happy to see them. “You both look quite jolly. I do hope that means you’ve come to your senses, dearie, and decided to marry this young man.”
Kenzie looked at Micah and nodded. “I have. He’s finally worn me down.”
The older woman had no idea what they’d just gone through, and Micah saw no reason to enlighten her. He wanted nothing more than to put it all behind them and plan for the future.
