Chapter 10

Nearly overcome with confusion, Virginia almost fell back to her seat. Sheer will not to be seen as any weaker than she’d already displayed earlier kept her standing. She had no idea what sort of proposal John was prepared to make, but she knew one thing: she would not see this marriage ended. Even if it hadn’t nor ever would be consummated, the dissolution of marriage must be just as great a sin as starting one for the wrong purpose. She would have no part of that.

John rounded his desk to stand in front of both of them. “What I’m thinking is so obvious I cannot believe God impressed this upon only me. Even Sarah agrees, wholeheartedly. Don’t either of you see what must happen?”

Virginia looked at Paul to see if he was more enlightened than she, but he appeared every bit as confused as she felt.

“Virginia, you must go to the farm with Paul. You’re his wife, you no longer have a home here in the city, and you owe it to the sacrament of marriage to see this as an opportunity to at least investigate the possibility of honoring the vows you both took.”

“We are honoring them!” Paul said, taking the words right out of Virginia’s mouth. “At least in the sense of support. And have you forgotten that once her home is rebuilt here she will want to return to the life she was happy with?”

“Yes, John,” Virginia added. “I agree the terms of this union are unusual, but as your brother has already said, he hasn’t been inconvenienced. I don’t see anything but inconvenience for him were I to invade his life as you suggest.”

John’s face went rigid. “I must insist on this, I’m afraid. In fact, tonight’s dinner reminded me of how many people’s lives have been inconvenienced by this fire. Inconvenience is common. I’m already working on finding other employment, at least temporary, for the girls we took in. Soon enough they’ll be out of here, too, living lives of their choosing. They don’t want to be boarders any more than I want my house over-occupied, especially now that we have Elijah to consider.”

Virginia wrung her hands. Perhaps Paul hadn’t found their marriage an inconvenience—yet—but John, and perhaps Sarah as well, did find so many houseguests an inconvenience. “I thought … I could be of some help with the baby,” she whispered.

“Virginia,” John said softly, “I’m sure I bungled how I’ve said all of this, because we do consider you family. It’s just that both Sarah and I have wondered if this fire didn’t provide an opportunity for you and Paul to see if this marriage was ordained by God not just for financial security but something more.”

She turned away, refusing to fight another battle with tears. It was obvious from Paul’s reaction that he didn’t want her to come to the farm, and yet it seemed just as obvious she couldn’t stay here for as long as it would take to rebuild the shop. Where could she go? She had a little money in the bank but not enough to live on for very long.

Still, she would manage. She must.

“I’ll go, John. I hadn’t considered how hard this must be for you and Sarah, with your new little family needing peace and quiet.” She stole a glance Paul’s way, not surprised to see outright shock on his face. Surely he was dismayed at the thought she was actually considering going to the farm, intruding on the reclusive life he was used to. She hurried to put him out of his misery. “But not to the farm. I’m too grateful for the help you’ve been to me, Paul, to make myself a burden to your home life.”

His brows drew together. “I have no intention of forcing a decision from you one way or the other, Virginia. But where could you possibly go? I assume if you had a choice you’d already have gone elsewhere, with this place so crowded.”

She squared her shoulders. “I can get a little room, I don’t need much. And I can work, can’t I? I thank God every day I wasn’t at home when that fire broke out, or I might have died in it. As it is, I’m fully capable of making the same bonnets—popular bonnets, if I do say so myself—and selling them door-to-door if I must. My regular clients have always been loyal, and the only way I see that loyalty endangered is if anyone knew I’d married for so selfish a reason. They’d likely see me as a fortune hunter willing to misuse one of society’s most respected unions, marriage. All sympathy would be in your corner.” She had to add, “As it should rightly be.”

He frowned. “You’re certainly no fortune hunter, and just so you are fully informed, the funds for the rebuilding will come from a mortgage on my land, not some inexhaustible bank account that some might mistake as a fortune if they had an inkling of this situation, misinformed or not.”

“A—A mortgage! Oh, Paul, I cannot make you go into debt for me.”

“It isn’t debt, it’s an investment. I happen to have seen your bonnets, at least the ones Sarah has no doubt worn, and I’m convinced your business is sound.”

Something lifted from Virginia’s shoulders then, with his statement of confidence in her. She could do this. And she would.

“But if we each have a vote,” Paul went on, his voice barely above a whisper, “then I have no objection to your coming to the farm while you wait for your shop and home to be rebuilt. You won’t have much of a market for your bonnets there, I’m afraid, but you’ll have plenty of room to produce them.”

Until the words were out, Paul wasn’t sure he’d have had the courage to issue that invitation. It was obvious Virginia floundered after John’s ill-chosen words. It was as if his little brother had kicked her out! And valiant as she might be to try supporting herself, Paul had no intention of letting her think that was her only choice.

The possibility of her refusing his offer was what he feared. She already knew just how far his farm was from the city, or from any town. She had no idea how long the winters were out there, and that interminable season was right around the corner.

“Paul,” she said, her eyes downcast so he couldn’t read whatever he might find if she’d looked at him. He drew in a breath, prepared for her refusal. Isn’t that what people did who were about to disappoint someone? Hide their eyes? “When you agreed to the terms of this marriage, it was with the understanding that your life wouldn’t change. I cannot impose myself upon you without feeling I’m the worst burden. I won’t have you paying so dearly for all of my troubles.”

She hadn’t outright refused; in fact, her response convinced him she was persuadable. Just why he was so intent on offering that persuasion, he wouldn’t ponder. But it was the right thing to do, even if John was being a bit too high-minded about the whole situation.

“If I promise to lock you in one room, far, far from my own, and have Mrs. Higgins deliver a crust of bread to you now and then just to keep you alive for your bonnets and my investment, will you then agree? I’ll hardly know you’re there.”

Thankfully, she already knew him well enough to burst into laughter.