CHAPTER 2

Andrew Easton peeked into the open doorway of the second-floor nursery and held back a grin. His usually ladylike younger sister was bent over the crib, making ridiculous faces at her nephew in a blatant attempt to make the child laugh.

“Take care, Ginny. Your face might stay like that if you’re not careful.” Andrew laughed as he stepped into the room.

Virginia’s head snapped up, two patches of red blooming in her cheeks. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to see your eyes cross.”

“Hmph.” She wrinkled her nose, one dark ringlet falling over her forehead. “Well, Christian likes it. He gave me a big smile. Didn’t you, sweetheart?” Virginia reached into the crib and lifted him out. When she bent to kiss his cheek, the child made a grab for her nose and squeezed.

“Ouch. For a little one, you sure have an iron grip.” She shifted the boy in her arms. “What brings you here at this time of day, Drew? Shouldn’t you be at the office?”

“I’m working at home this morning, so I thought I’d see how our nephew is doing.” He crossed the carpeted floor. “Does he seem to be adjusting to his new home?” Christian had been with them for three weeks now, ever since the flu had taken his mother’s life. For a child to lose his father before he was born, and his mother shortly thereafter, was a tragedy Andrew could barely comprehend. Frank’s son deserved a carefree childhood and a happy life, and as the boy’s newly appointed guardian, Andrew was determined to provide it for him.

Virginia handed Christian to him, then moved to open the draperies at the window. “He’s slowly getting used to us, I think. But he still wakes up crying for his mama at night. Poor little darling.” She came back to stroke the boy’s head, smoothing down the tufts of dark hair. When she raised her head, tears filmed her gray eyes. “I wish Frank could have seen him.”

“I know. He would’ve been so proud.” A rush of sadness tugged at Andrew’s chest. Would he ever accept the fact that his brother was gone?

She let out a sigh. “If only his wife could have come here after he died. Maybe then . . .”

Andrew stiffened. Ginny knew their father would never have allowed such a thing. Not when he blamed Rose Abernathy for ruining Frank’s life. “There’s no use wishing for the impossible, Gin. Let’s be glad we have a chance to get things right with Frank’s son. We’ll do our best to make sure he has a happy child-hood.”

“On that note, I have something I’d like to discuss with you.” She plucked Christian from his arms and bounced the tyke on her hip.

“What is it?”

“I’ve been thinking about my plans for the summer, and . . .” She drew in a breath. “I’ve decided to cancel my trip.” She darted a nervous glance at him, then turned back to the baby who had grabbed a fistful of her long hair. With a playful tug, she pulled the strands free and went to sit in the rocking chair.

Andrew followed her over, studying her face for some clue to this sudden change. Did it have anything to do with her new attachment to their nephew, or were there deeper motives at play? “You promised Basil you’d accompany him and his family to Europe. He won’t be happy if you back out now.”

“But I’m needed here. I can’t abandon Christian just when he’s getting used to me. It’s too cruel.”

His sister was anything but cruel. Andrew had never encountered a kinder young woman.

“Children adjust quickly to new situations,” he said soothingly. “And hiring a nanny is at the top of my list. If we find a suitable person soon, you’ll have lots of time to ensure a smooth transition before you set sail.”

Unshed tears brightened her eyes, highlighting the golden flecks within the gray. “I hate to leave him, Drew. He’s captured my heart already. If only Basil would consider—”

“Ginny.” Andrew bent to gaze directly into her anxious face. “I know you love Christian, but you can’t give up your entire future for him.”

“Why not?” Her eyes flashed in challenge. “Aren’t you planning to do just that?”

“Not at all. I’ll have the help, and if I marry—” Why did he hesitate every time the subject of marriage arose? “When I marry,” he said more forcefully, “my wife and I will assume the role of his parents. And Christian will have the continuity of the same nanny.” He did his best to smile. “It will all work out for the best. You’ll see.”

Virginia rested her chin on the boy’s head. “I hope you’re right. Though I can’t help thinking I might be better off to raise him on my own.” She stared across the room, her wistful expression tugging at his heart.

“Is this about Christian?” he asked gently. “Or about your relationship with Basil?” He’d sensed his sister’s less-than-enthusiastic feelings about this match, one that their father clearly wanted. Yet Andrew doubted she would ever go against Father’s wishes. Not after the disaster that had ensued when Frank had done so.

She lowered her gaze to the floor. “Perhaps a bit of both.”

Andrew rose from his crouched position. “That’s something you’d best resolve before you agree to marry him, sister dear. If he ever gets off his duff and proposes, that is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to ensure our advertisement for a nanny will run in the newspaper for another week.” Laying a soft kiss on his sister’s head, he straightened and moved to the nursery door.

“Drew?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t find a nanny too soon. I still have eight weeks before we sail, and I want to spend as much time as possible with this little one.”

Andrew’s heart melted at the sight of her rocking the child, a breeze stirring the curtain at her back. She would make a wonderful mother one day. Too bad Basil Fleming couldn’t see how much it would mean to Virginia to raise the boy. Not only would it be better for Christian, who would surely thrive under Virginia’s devotion, but it would solve Andrew’s issues with Cecilia as well. “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time alone with him. Finding a nanny who meets Mother’s standards could take some time.” He sent her a wink before closing the door behind him.

On his way downstairs to the library, he offered a silent prayer that the Lord would provide the perfect candidate for his orphaned nephew. Someone who would give the child all the love and attention he so rightly deserved.

After a brief stop at the newspaper office, Andrew steered his automobile toward the Easton Towers Hotel. How he loved this city, the wonderful mix of old and new. It never failed to inspire him. As he motored past the college buildings on University Avenue, a wave of nostalgia hit him. Even years after his graduation, he still missed his time on campus and the camaraderie of his fellow students. But those carefree days had ended with the onset of the war that summer. Andrew had no way of knowing then how much his life would change.

A few minutes later, he pulled his car to a stop outside the front of the hotel, set the brake, and got out. As he entered through the revolving doors into the lobby, his chest filled with pride. The Easton Towers Hotel was the epitome of elegance, Oscar Easton’s pride and joy. Sometimes Andrew thought his father cared more about these bricks and mortar than he did his own family.

Nevertheless, Andrew had to admit the hotel was indeed an outstanding achievement.

He nodded to the staff behind the reception desk on his way to the elevator that would take him up to the company offices on the tenth floor.

Once there, Andrew knocked on his father’s door and waited for an invitation to enter before stepping into the opulent office. “Good afternoon, Father.”

“Ah, good. You’re here.” Oscar Easton looked up from the papers on his desk. “I didn’t realize you’d stayed home this morning. Is everything all right?” The overhead light glinted off the silver threads running through his father’s dark hair, another sign of the toll that recent events had taken on him.

Yet Andrew wasn’t fooled by the false concern, for he understood the veiled criticism beneath the words. Why weren’t you at your post where you should be?

“I chose to work from home this morning. Sometimes a change of scenery is good for productivity.” He moved across to the wall of windows overlooking the downtown core and allowed the magnificent view to relax him. If he stared straight ahead, he could almost see the sunlight glinting off Lake Ontario. How long had it been since he’d gone to the beach? Or taken a boat out on the water? Now that the good weather had arrived, he should make such an outing a priority.

He turned back to see his father frown.

“Don’t make a habit of it. We need you here in the trenches.” One eyebrow rose, and for an instant, Frank’s reflection stared back at him. It was uncanny how much Frank had resembled their dark-haired father, while Andrew took after his mother’s lighter-haired side of the family. Perhaps that was part of the reason Father had favored Frank. Nothing like a mirror image of oneself to bolster the ego, especially when that image could charm the socks off a hobo.

Father leaned back in his chair. “By the way, how is the search for a nanny going?”

Christian’s arrival into the family had been a shock to everyone, but his father seemed to be having an exceptionally hard time. Andrew suspected the boy was bringing up a lot of guilt for the way his father had disowned Frank, and more specifically for the way he’d treated Frank’s wife.

Andrew, on the other hand, viewed the child as a gift, one he hoped would be a source of healing for the Easton family. The glue that would fill the cracks and bind them back together.

“We haven’t had much luck so far. Mother’s strict requirements have proven somewhat daunting. This morning, I rewrote the advertisement and dropped it off at the newspaper office on the way in.”

“Good.” The lines in his father’s forehead eased. “I’ll feel a lot better once the boy has the proper staff to care for him. I don’t want this situation to cause a setback in your mother’s health.”

Andrew wished his father could see that little Christian was the one thing keeping his mother from drowning in grief over Frank’s death.

“Right now, however, we have a more important issue to discuss.” Father rose from the desk and adjusted his vest.

“Such as?”

“Such as the soirée at the Carmichaels’ tomorrow evening for Cecilia’s birthday.”

“What about it?”

“I hope you’re planning to attend. You need to be present to stake your claim, because if you don’t, plenty of others will be ready to step in.”

Andrew suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “I’ll be there. Cecilia’s already instructed me when to arrive and which suit I should wear.”

“Splendid.” A genuine look of approval lightened his father’s features. “I’m delighted you and Harrison’s daughter are getting along so well. I assume we’ll hear news of an engagement soon?”

Andrew’s hands curled into fists, but he forced himself to relax. “We’re nowhere near that point yet, Father. I’m taking things slowly.”

“Time waits for no man, Andrew. If you don’t act soon, someone else will snatch her up. A beauty like Cecilia, with intelligence to match, is rare.”

“I realize that.” Andrew crossed the room. “However, I need to be sure before I commit to something as serious as marriage.”

Father paused from pouring himself a cup of coffee from the ever-present carafe on the credenza. “Sure about what?”

“That she isn’t still in love with Frank.” The bitter taste of jealousy rose in his throat. Would he ever accept the fact that Cecilia had initially chosen his brother over him? If it weren’t for Frank meeting that flirty English girl and subsequently breaking his engagement to Cecilia, they would have been married.

Andrew certainly hadn’t forgotten, and it made him suspicious that Celia could have now formed such a strong attachment to him, when she’d barely noticed him before.

His father came forward to grip Andrew’s shoulder. “You have the chance to do one last thing for your brother—fix his mistake and return honor to our family name. Marrying Cecilia will go a long way to restoring good relations with the Carmichaels.” His eyes hardened. “You’ve always been a man of integrity, more so than your brother turned out to be.”

Andrew allowed the rare compliment to seep in. Yet the approval he’d sought for so long now tasted sour on his tongue. Why did it take Frank’s death for his father to utter these words of praise? “I understand what’s at stake, Father. But I won’t rush things.”

His father gave Andrew a long look. “I think it’s time I told you about the deal Harrison and I have been negotiating.” He gestured to the guest chairs that surrounded a round table in the far corner of the room, and they both took a seat. “What I’m about to tell you is highly confidential.” Father removed a cigar from the box on the table. “Harrison is considering joining forces with us to open more hotels. With the power of his development firm behind us, we’d have all the leverage we need to open several more hotels on an even grander scale than this. We’re looking into a few potential sites in Ottawa and Winnipeg. Possibly as far out as Vancouver.”

Andrew ran a thoughtful hand over his beard. “Is this the right time for such a move? The economy is still reeling from the effects of the war. People aren’t traveling when they can barely make ends meet. It could be a risky endeavor.”

“Perhaps. Or perhaps men with the right vision for the future can take advantage of everyone else’s reticence and make a bold move.” His father struck a match and lit the cigar. “If all goes well, I’ll need a man to oversee the new hotel at the location we choose. And who better than my son? Someone I trust implicitly, who knows the business inside out, and who’s been by my side all this time.”

Stunned, Andrew shifted on his chair, hardly able to believe what his father was saying.

“Your marriage to Cecilia would be the icing on the cake, linking our families in a more permanent way. It would all but guarantee Harrison’s investment.”

A cold chill slid down Andrew’s spine. “Are you using this promotion as a bribe? So I’ll marry Cecilia to further your business deal?”

“Of course not. I’m simply stating the facts. Your marriage could benefit us both greatly.” Father blew out a ring of smoke. “Think about it, Andrew. A beautiful wife. Your own hotel in our country’s capital city. What more could you want?”

Andrew’s dream shimmered before him. Everything he’d been working toward suddenly seemed within his reach. Not only would he have his father’s respect, he’d get a huge promotion in the process, one with new responsibilities and challenges.

But could he leave Toronto? Move a day’s journey away from his family, from the home where he’d grown up?

“You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“Don’t think too long, son. As I said before, time waits for no man.” His father’s steely expression made his point better than any spoken ultimatum.

If Andrew didn’t follow through with his plan, he’d be letting his father and the company down. Before Frank’s estrangement from the family, Father had been grooming his eldest son for just such a promotion. Now Andrew was expected to step in to fill the vacant spot. Be the dutiful son. Marry Cecilia and bridge the gap that had been created between two of the most powerful families in Toronto when Frank had rejected Cecilia for another woman.

Andrew held the key to giving his father everything he desired. Yet the nagging question remained. Was he prepared to submit to his father’s demands at the potential cost of his own happiness?