Baron

by Joanna Shupe

  “Thank you again, Mr. Cabot. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

  “Nonsense. The Mercury is proud to welcome you aboard. Before you get settled, I have your first assignment.” He grabbed his frock coat from the back of a chair. “Come along with me. We’ve a news conference to attend.”

  “A news conference?” she asked, trailing after him, her feet moving twice as fast as his to keep up.

  “You know, when a bunch of newsmen—and women—gather to hear an announcement of some kind. Then we all run back to our desks and try to get the story out first.”

  “Sounds intense.”

  “Oh, it is, Miss Jones. The newspaper business is a nasty one, full of cutthroat tactics and underhanded deals.” He grinned as he started down the stairs. “Which is why I love it.”

  “Please, call me Ava.”

  “Well, then I’d be honored if you’d call me Cabot. Nearly everyone at the paper does.”

  “All right. Thank you.”

  A brougham was waiting at the street, and Cabot helped her inside. He followed, and soon they were headed west. “So where are we going?”

  “To a company on Vesey Street. Apparently a big merger is taking place.”

  She nodded and fixed her gaze on the street traffic and St. Paul’s just ahead. Of course they were traveling to Vesey Street. Yet another reminder of Will, as the Northeast offices were located there. She hated that so much in the city brought forth memories of him. Would she ever stop thinking of his steel gray eyes or his broad, flat chest? The arrogant twist of his lips or the kisses that had made her dizzy?

  Swallowing, she pushed all that from her mind and firmly back into the past, where it belonged.

  They finally pulled up to a large Federal-style building, crafted in red brick with limestone trim, framed with block windows on seven floors. Cabot assisted her down, and then the two of them climbed the stairs to the main entrance. Other men were milling about, some standing and smoking cigars, others writing in small notepads. “Should I have something to write with?” she asked Cabot once they were in the lobby.

  “Not today. You’re here to observe. We need to go to the fourth floor.”

  More stairs and then Cabot led her down several corridors. Two doors were propped open, the room beyond filled with chairs aligned theater-style toward a dais in the front. Reporters filled most of the chairs, brown and black derby hats every which way Ava turned. Cabot’s name was shouted by numerous voices, and he spent a few moments shaking hands and slapping backs. Her new boss was quite the legendary figure in publishing, especially impressive for one so young.

  By the time they sat, the only open chairs were near the rear of the room. “Bet you’ve got the inside scoop,” a man whispered from behind her.

  She glanced over her shoulder to ask what the man meant, but Cabot said, “Shut your flytrap, Jenkins.”

  The man sat back and closed his mouth, careful not to meet Ava’s eyes.

  “What did he mean?” she whispered to Cabot.

  “Never mind him. We’re starting.” He pointed to the front where a door had opened behind the dais. “Get ready.”

  The reporters leaned in, a hum of excitement buzzing in every row. This must be a considerable announcement, to garner this sort of reaction. Ava had no idea what was about to happen, but she found herself on the edge of her seat as well.

  A young man holding a stack of papers placed them on a high pedestal at the front of the platform. She craned her neck, trying to see around the large figures and hats surrounding her. A tall blond man stepped through the door and every reporter stood, shouting questions in a frenzy for attention—every reporter save one. Ava couldn’t move because she knew that tall blond man. Will. Why was he here, at the news conference? Was he speaking? And why had Cabot brought her?

  Her chest squeezing painfully, she turned to Cabot, who was staring at her intently. “Is this a joke?”

  “No, Ava. I wouldn’t do that to you. Give him a chance, please?”

  Without answering, she glanced at the sea of dark suits boxing her in. Fighting her way out seemed ridiculous—and impossible. Damn it. She pinched the bridge of her nose and dug deep for patience.

  “Everyone take a seat, please. I won’t begin until you’re all seated.” Will’s voice rang out over the din, his tone authoritative and decisive. “Sit, all of you. Then I’ll start.”

  It took several minutes, but the reporters finally calmed down, giving Ava her first full look at Will in almost a week. He appeared tired, though still handsome. Predictably, her insides fluttered, breath quickening, as she took him in. His blond hair was perfectly oiled, his face clean-shaven. Dressed to perfection in a morning suit of navy wool that offset his gray eyes. Shoulders relaxed and chin high, he was the commander of all he surveyed. Wealthy and privileged and so untouchable, he brought tears to her eyes.

  “I must go,” she said to Cabot, and started to rise out of her chair.

  “Ava, wait. Don’t leave just yet. I promise, you’ll want to hear this.”

  Swallowing, she held her breath and settled. Will’s sharp gaze searched the crowd until he landed on her. She couldn’t read what he was thinking, but he visibly exhaled, as if relieved to find her there.

  “Gentlemen—and lady,” he started. “As all of you know, I inherited Northeast Railroad from my father. I took the company and expanded it many times over, tripling and quadrupling profits year after year. We’ve not only crisscrossed the United States with rail lines, we’ve helped to build the elevated lines here in New York. But it’s now time for me to step down as the head of Northeast Railroad—”

  A collective gasp went up around the room. The reporters recovered quickly and began shouting questions. Will held up his hands once more. “I promise I will answer all of your questions, but I want to say a few things first.”

  The noise level tapered off, and Will said, “Someone I respect once told me there are times we should accept the obstacles life throws in our way. That some things are inevitable.” He paused, and Ava felt her face flame. Why would he bring her words up now, of all times?

  “But I have always believed people have the ability to change. That we, as a collective, are stronger, fairer, smarter, and better than all of us separately. I had hoped to bring real change to the state of New York, along with John Bennett, after the election this fall. Better the lives of many through honest politicking, not graft, and give a voice to those left unheard. But life threw an obstacle in my way, and I must now decide to change course or give up.”

  He chuckled softly. “For those familiar with me, you know I don’t give up easily. And I realized, I have the ability to change my own course. Granted, it’s on a smaller scale than Albany, but no less important to me and those whom I love.” His eyes focused on Ava, and nearly every head in the room swiveled to stare at her. She ignored them, captivated by the man at the front of the room.

  “You see, there’s a woman I want to marry, and she won’t have me until we’re on more equal footing, as she calls it. So I’m handing Northeast over to someone, a man who will take excellent care of the company. Which is good because I’ll be unemployed and I’ll need my stock dividends.” Laughter broke out in the room. “This should leave my time free for convincing this particular woman to marry me. Because I love her and I’ll never stop trying to convince her.”

  Ava put a hand to her mouth, shocked and overcome at the same time. He loved her? Her throat closed, and she wished she could touch him right now, ensure this was not a dream.

  “Now,” Will continued, his voice a bit gruff. “I’d like you to meet the new owner of Northeast, my brother-in-law and owner of East Coast Steel, Emmett Cavanaugh.”

  The reporters flew to their feet once more, expressing their surprise and excitement over the news. Ava’s head reeled from it all. Giving up his company? He loved her? Didn’t he loathe his brother-in-law?

  The giant form of Emmett Cavanaugh strode out to the dais and stood ne
xt to Will. “Calm down, you jackals,” Cavanaugh growled. “I’ll answer all of your questions about Northeast, my company, and what the future holds for both—but only if we do this in a civilized manner, not like a Bowery saloon brawl. Now, who’s first?”

  * * *

  Heart pounding, Will pushed open the door to the empty office not far from where reporters were still peppering Cavanaugh with questions. He found Ava standing at the window, and the sight of her calmed him. Whatever transpired after today, he didn’t care because this, this woman right here, was worth risking everything for. Now he just had to convince her.

  She glanced over her shoulder as he started forward. “Will,” she breathed, her eyes shining.

  “Hello, Ava.” He came close, but remained far enough apart that they weren’t touching. His fingers itched to trace her skin, but he held back, shoving his hands in his pockets instead.

  “I can’t believe you gave it away.”

  “To be fair, I sold it. Cavanaugh has been after Northeast for some time and I finally let him have it.”

  “Why?”

  He’d been asked this many times in the last few days, and this was his first honest answer. “Because of you.”

  “Me? I don’t understand. When I said equal footing, I hardly meant for you to give up your company.”

  “I know. I didn’t take those words literally, Ava, but I understood what you meant. I haven’t enjoyed running Northeast in a number of years, yet I was driven to keep going forward. To achieve more, no matter the cost to myself or anyone else.”

  “The stomach pain?”

  “Yes, that’s part of it, certainly. The hours, the worry, the headaches . . . I kept at it, though, because I wanted to prove I was better than my father. That he was wrong to doubt my abilities.” A joyless laugh escaped. “Ridiculous to worry over what a dead man thought, but I did. There were certain things I needed to achieve, and no less than the best would do. Until I met you.”

  “Because I’m not the best?”

  “No, my dear, because you are not what I had planned. You were not on the list of what I wanted for myself, but sometimes life . . .”

  “Throws obstacles in your way?” she finished when he trailed off.

  “Exactly. You shook up my carefully constructed world, Ava. You are unlike any woman I’ve ever met, with more heart, integrity, and grit than anyone on earth. You weren’t what I wanted, but . . . you’re better than what I wanted. You are what I need.”

  She swallowed and closed her eyes briefly before asking, “How can you be sure? You might change your mind and come to regret me. Because I won’t change, Will.”

  “I don’t want you to change,” he said definitively. “I fell in love with a confidence woman, for God’s sake—and I don’t care whether she’s accepted in society, or whether she cares for yachting. None of that matters, as long as that wife is you.”

  He dropped down to one knee and reached inside his jacket pocket. With his other hand, he clasped her fingers tightly. Her eyes grew huge, her mouth forming a tiny O as she stared down at him. He said, “Ava Jones, I love you with everything I am. Everything I have, everything I will have. I sold Northeast in exchange for love and laughter together with you, to raise our children and your siblings, to be present every day. Because with you by my side, I won’t want to miss a single moment.”

  Ava’s lip wobbled, her gaze glassy, but Will didn’t wait for her reaction. Taking his grandmother’s four-carat diamond platinum ring in his fingers, he slipped it on Ava’s ring finger. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? I know you never wanted a blue-blooded millionaire for a husband, but I swear I’ll make you happy.”

  Her jaw dropped and nothing came out. He waited, his stomach in knots, mouth gone dry, while her lips worked. Jesus, if she said no, he might not survive it. Then it happened, a small motion that soon grew into a nod. “Yes,” she whispered. “I will marry you.”

  Rising, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight, holding her close to his chest. “Thank God. You had me worried.”

  She buried her face in his necktie. “You are insane, Will Sloane.”

  “But?” he prompted.

  Her lips found his jaw. “But I love you all the same.”

  Leaning down, he captured her mouth with his, kissing her gently, sweetly, for a long moment. “Please tell me you agree to a short engagement and a long honeymoon.”

  “Yes to both. Though I’ll have to see if Cabot will give me time off for a honeymoon.”

  “I think he’ll agree. We’ve just made him very happy.”

  “We have?”

  Will withdrew a piece of newsprint from his jacket pocket. “This is from tomorrow’s Mercury, which is being printed as we speak. I asked for an advance copy of the front page to show you.” He unfolded and handed it to her. “The Mercury will be the only paper to have this story in tomorrow’s edition.”

  She took the paper and read it. He knew precisely what the headlines said:

  SLOANE SELLS NORTHEAST TO EAST COAST STEEL!

  “I DID IT FOR LOVE” SAYS THE RAILROAD BARON!

  SLOANE TO MARRY MERCURY REPORTER AVA JONES!

  Ava’s lips quirked. “A bit sure of yourself, aren’t you? What if I’d said no?”

  “Then I would have kissed you until you said yes. And possibly kidnapped you.”

  She chuckled. “You never did fight fairly. How was I ever to resist you?”

  Smiling, he leaned down to kiss her. “Heaven knows why you even bothered to try.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Oceancrest

  Newport, Rhode Island

  September 1888

  “I believe we have trouble on our hands.”

  Ava turned at the sound of her new sister-in-law’s voice. The Cavanaughs were hosting an end-of-season lawn party at their Newport estate on the ocean, and a huge crowd had gathered. Kids, including the Jones siblings, ran together on the grass, while the adults drank, mingled, and played croquet.

  “We do?” she asked Lizzie.

  “Yes, over there.” Lizzie slipped her arm though Ava’s and pointed her free hand toward the edge of the tent.

  Tom stood close to Emmett Cavanaugh’s fourteen-year-old sister, Katie. Ava and Lizzie watched as Tom produced a single flower from behind his back and held it out to her. Katie’s cheeks flushed as she shyly accepted the bloom.

  “Oh, no.”

  “Indeed. Your brother is a decent young man, but Emmett is . . . well, protective doesn’t really begin to describe how he feels about his sisters.”

  Ava had been around the man enough to notice that. “I’ll talk to Tom.”

  “No, don’t scare him off. I think we should let it play out. They’re only kids, after all, and it’s sort of sweet. But Tom should make a concerted effort to keep any romantic gestures private, where Emmett won’t observe them.”

  “Yes, excellent idea. I definitely do not want to anger your husband.”

  Ava liked her new sister-in-law. The two women surprisingly had a lot in common, more than merely a shared love of Will.

  “Who is that Will is talking to?” Ava asked Lizzie. Her husband had spent the last half hour intently listening to a man Ava hadn’t yet met.

  Lizzie craned her neck to see where Ava was looking. “Oh, that’s Teddy. He’s a longtime friend of the family. Come, I’ll introduce you.”

  “No, that’s—”

  “Nonsense. He used to live out West, you know. Teddy has a thousand interesting stories.” Lizzie practically dragged Ava to where Will and the other man stood.

  “Teddy!” Lizzie called, and the man turned, a grin breaking out below his mustache.

  “Hello, Lizzie.” He kissed her cheek. “The ocean air certainly agrees with you.”

  Will wrapped an arm around Ava’s waist and pulled her close. “Ava, I’d like you to meet Mr. Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy, this is my wife, Ava Sloane.”

  “The newspaper reporter who went under
cover as a medium.” Teddy bowed over her hand. “That takes guts, Mrs. Sloane.”

  “Coming from a man who is currently campaigning for Benjamin Harrison,” Will drawled, “that is quite a compliment.”

  “Ah, but he’s going to win the presidency, Will. And then I’ll be moving to Washington.”

  That’s where she knew his name, Ava thought. Theodore Roosevelt had been a state assemblyman and had also run for mayor.

  “And”—Teddy turned to Ava—“I’m trying to convince your husband to join me.”

  “In Washington?” She glanced at Will. “Whatever for?”

  “Teddy thinks I should run for the House of Representatives in two years.”

  “Congress?” Lizzie asked. “Is that something you’re interested in?”

  Will shrugged. “I’m not certain. I would need to discuss it with my wife first.” He squeezed Ava’s waist.

  “Of course,” Teddy agreed. “Wouldn’t dream of doing anything without my Edith’s approval. But the party leaders were impressed with your campaigning, Will. Said you were twice the draw Bennett was. And I suspect, with your recent marriage, you and Mrs. Sloane would be very popular, indeed.”

  “Me?” Ava blurted.

  “Yes, you, my dear. You’ve become quite the celebrity since Cabot revealed you, the beautiful reporter who has reeled in the city’s most sought-after bachelor.”

  “Well, I keep trying to throw him back,” she said, and Teddy threw his head back and let out a booming laugh.

  “I like her,” Teddy told Will. “You’ve got a live wire on your hands.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Will squeezed her waist again in a private sign of affection Ava had grown to love. “And I’m grateful for it every single day.”

  Teddy waved at someone across the lawn and then said, “I must go, but think about it, Will. I’d love to have you in Washington with me.”

  Teddy said his good-byes and Lizzie soon departed to locate her husband, leaving Will and Ava alone in the well-dressed crowd.