Except for the question of Annabelle. “About our daughter,” he began.
The joy drained from Mattie’s face. She must know he could easily take their daughter from her; he had both money and the law on his side. She had, after all committed a crime.
“I want to be able to see her at least once a year, maybe in the summer when you don’t have school. And I want to be able to come and visit whenever I please. And I want to be the one to pay for her education so she can be whatever she damn well wants to be…even if it’s a fairy princess.” His lips twitched as he made the last condition and he was rewarded with a similar reaction from Mattie.
“Under the circumstances, that is more than fair,” she said, letting out a breath she’d probably been holding for way too long. “You are a good man, August Wolff. But then, I always knew that.”
Gus nodded his thanks. “Shall we rejoin the others? I want to make sure we’re all clear on the basics. My partner’s going to stay on and work up the papers for your signatures, but I’ve gotta train to catch and, well…”
“I understand,” Mattie said. She rose and turned to the door, but Gus caught her hand and pulled her into an embrace. They both chuckled at her protruding belly that kept a space between them.
“I remember,” he whispered. “And Mattie? Thank you for not letting Annabelle forget me. It would have been easy to let her think your man Nathan was her father.”
Mattie leaned back to catch Gus’s eyes. “I couldn’t have done that,” she said. “Every time I see little Annie, I see you. Not so much in the way she looks, but in the way she carries herself. Confident. Smart. Ready to take on the next challenge that comes along. The way I see it, even though you and I weren’t meant to be, we sure did make something downright beautiful together.”
“We surely did,” he said, giving her a slight squeeze before letting her go. “I thank you for keeping her that way, and though I never figured I’d say it, I appreciate what your Nathan’s done too. I’d like to hate him, but I can see he’s a good man so I’ll let him keep his pearly whites a little longer.”
Mattie smiled at him and they opened the door of the little side parlor. They were greeted by Will and Nathan while relatives and friends who had come to pay their respects were distracted by the children playing with their new treasures. Gus caught Will’s attention and motioned for him to go outside. Paying his respects to both Nathan and his father, Gus quickly left and walked over to his horse. He rapidly checked his saddle and tightened the girth for the ride back to town.
“Everything all right?” Will asked. “You don’t look like you’re about to turn anyone into your own personal punching bag.”
Gus smiled grimly. “Not the occasion for it. Besides, I think I am all right. They’ll do what they need to do to make this right—I told her you’d be seein’ the process through. You know what I’m after.” At Will’s nod, Gus stopped and clapped his friend and colleague on the shoulder. “I owe you…more than I can say. You did what all those Pinkertons couldn’t do. You found my little girl. Seeing her, knowing she’s all right, it’s just—” His voice began to break, so he stopped.
“Well, hell yes, you owe me,” Will said jovially. “I expect a steak dinner every week for at least a month.”
Gus smiled slightly, not quite ready to make light of things. “I mean it, friend. Anything.”
Will nodded and clapped Gus on the arm as well. “I’ll keep that in mind. Now if I’m not mistaken you’ve got a train to catch—” he pulled out his pocket watch “—in just about twenty-five minutes.” He frowned. “It’s going to be tight.”
“I’ll make it,” Gus said. “No matter what it takes.” He quickly mounted the horse, turned it back the way they’d come, and dug his spurs in for the ride of his life.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
The Cormorant set sail on a beautiful, crystal clear evening in late April. Sandy had come down to wish her bon voyage, and now Lia stood on the deck of the elegant steamship, pulling her shawl around herself as she watched the lights of the city slowly recede. She saw smaller boats plying the waters of San Francisco Bay, some of them approaching the ship, as if they were dolphins frolicking around a whale. She heard the somber horn of a tugboat; it matched her mood perfectly. She wished more than anything in the world to be on it instead of where she stood.
But the die was cast. She was running away. From society. From her troubles.
And most of all, from the love of her life.
She took a deep breath. The bracing salt air scoured her lungs, forestalling yet another barrage of tears and clearing her head at last. A voice inside her said, “Honolulu is only a few days’ away. You can turn back there.” She tried to ignore it, but it kept insisting she listen. In fact, it grew louder. And the louder it grew, the stronger Lia felt. Until finally she knew. She headed back to her cabin, once more full of purpose.
Moments later, she pulled her black negligee from the stack of undergarments she’d already put in the built-in drawers of her stateroom. Holding it suspended, she savored the memories it contained before dropping it back into her trunk.
“I remember that one,” a beloved voice murmured from behind her. “Even though I wouldn’t let you wear it for very long.”
Lia whirled around to see Gus standing in the doorway, leaning calmly against the frame. He was wearing a slicker, and his hair was wet. She felt her heart heave mightily and then contract, as if settling back where it belonged.
“What…How did you get here? Mrs. Coats said you were away on business.” She looked toward the porthole. “The ship…”
Gus entered her cabin and shut the door. He took off his jacket and tossed it on the only chair in the small room. Running his hands through his hair, he closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh, as if he were finally home after a long, exhausting day at work. “I missed a train down in southern California and had to take the next one,” he admitted ruefully. “That put me behind the Cormorant by nearly thirty minutes. I had to find a tugboat captain willing to chase down a steamship for no good reason.” His eyes met hers and held on. “Except there was every good reason.”
“Gus,” she offered quietly. She felt paralyzed, as she had the first time they’d met. Only this time she didn’t mind. This time she welcomed the magic weaving itself around her.
He glanced at the trunk on the floor and frowned. “It looks like you were packing.”
“Oh.” She looked down at the nightgown. Every thought fell away but the truth. “I…I was thinking that maybe I…maybe I should stop in Honolulu and turn back.”
Gus stepped closer. “Why?”
She gazed at him, this man who had turned her life upside down. This man who exuded such power but didn’t abuse it…who worked hard and loved hard and wanted her for who she was and not who society expected her to be. This man whom she desired with everything that was in her. “It was something Sandy said. About listening to my heart instead of what other people might think.”
“And what is your heart telling you?”
Lia sighed. “That I love you. That I will never love anyone else as much as I love you.”
“And that’s enough for you to defy convention and live a life that others will condemn?”
Lia swallowed and hesitated. That was the question, wasn’t it? “I…I hope I will get used to it.”
“And what about children?”
“That is the hardest part,” she admitted. “I hope if I had a child with you they would be strong enough…”
“Strong enough to stand being called a bastard?” He bit the words out. “No. You were right the first time. He or she wouldn’t deserve that. And neither would you. You deserve everything—including the name of the man you love, if you want it. You made the right decision to leave.”
“Oh.” Lia felt her eyes brim with tears. She swallowed convulsively. She didn’t know what to think now.
He reached beyond her and picked up the remaining articles of clothing from
the drawer and dropped them on top of the nightgown in the trunk.
“And I made the right decision to follow you.”
Lia frowned. “But you said—”
“I know what I said,” he replied gently, drawing a finger down her cheek. “You deserve everything. Before, the only thing I couldn’t give you was my name. But…” Gus pulled a small box from his pocket. “In a few months’ time I’ll even be able to give you that. Amelia Ruth Bennett Powell Starling, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He opened the box to present her with a diamond and amethyst engagement ring, one that matched the color of her eyes perfectly.
Lia looked down at the box in disbelief, tears now flowing freely down her face. “I…I don’t understand.”
Gus led her to the bed and sat down next to her. “I owe it all to Will,” he explained. “Somehow he did what Pinkerton’s men couldn’t. He tracked down Mattie. Turns out Mattie’s friend was lying to me the whole time.” He gave Lia a half grin. “Would you believe, Mattie’s remarried, has a son, and is expecting a third?”
Lia gripped his arm. “What?! What about Annabelle? Did you see her?”
Gus nodded. “She’s pretty as a picture, Lia. And smart. And lively. She thought I was her dead papa come to life. But she’s happy as can be with the man she calls ‘Papa Nathan’ and that…that was hard to put my head around. But, after all this time, it’s good to know my little girl is safe.”
He paused and she watched his own eyes fill with tears. Lia touched his rough cheek with her small hand while he gained control. “I am so happy you finally know,” she whispered. She paused and thought about it, adding, “But how could your wife be married?”
Gus shrugged. “She truly thought I was dead. Even named her little boy after me. The friend of hers who lied to me lied to her as well. So she didn’t bother lookin’ for me or gettin’ a divorce. Needless to say, when Will got through explaining the legal mess they were in, she and her man readily agreed to our terms. It’ll take six months, but once she and I divorce, she’ll marry him legally with no one the wiser.” He pulled her closer to him. “In the meantime, I thought I’d look into my shipping interests in the East, maybe do some sightseeing. Maybe see that Mona Lisa you talked about. I’ve got a lot of the world to explore, providing I have the right person to share it with. And before I know it…”
“… you’ll be free!” Lia wrapped her arms around Gus’s neck, pressing her body as close to his as she could get and toppling them back onto the bed. He felt so good. So very, very good. She felt him harden beneath her and smiled into his neck.
Gus reached up and cradled her face in his hands. “That’s right. Free to marry the woman I love more than life itself…if she’ll have me.”
Lia looked into his eyes. “You know I’ll have you,” she cried, hugging him with a joy that soared like a rainbow of color out of her heart and into his. “I’ll have you and hold you and cherish you forever!”
Gus laughed, catching her joy in his strong, loving arms. “Paint the story of our lives, my dearest love,” he said, just before taking her mouth in a deep, soul-mending kiss.
And she did.
EPILOGUE
From page two of the San Francisco Call,
November 28, 1903:
SHIPPING TYCOON WEDS
WORLD-RENOWNED ARTIST
Mr. August Wilkerson Wolff, owner of Wolfstone Enterprises and Pacific Global Shipping, was joined in holy wedlock Thursday with the well-known muralist Amelia Ruth Starling. The pair exchanged vows in a private ceremony in New York City attended by family members and a few close friends, including Mr. and Mrs. George Powell II, William Firestone, of the San Francisco Firestones, and Mr. Sander de Kalb, son of Colonel Jasper de Kalb of New York City. The newlyweds plan to travel across country by train before settling north of San Francisco near the town of Little Eden, where Mr. and Mrs. Wolff plan to build an estate and artists’ retreat known as The Grove.
Thank you for reading The Art of Love. I hope you enjoyed it and will share your thoughts with others via social media like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest. Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are also helpful, and of course I’d love to hear from you (see my links below). Please visit my website at www.abmichaels.com.
The Art of Love is a prequel to my new contemporary romance series entitled “Sinner’s Grove.” The idea for Sinner’s Grove started more than ten years ago while I was living in San Anselmo, a little town north of San Francisco in Marin County, California. If you drive due west from there, you’ll come to the Point Reyes National Seashore. The land in between is gorgeous, with a series of little towns giving way to dairy farms which then morph into hills and trees and coastline. My sister-in-law and I would poke around the area and wonder aloud what it would be like to live there, a world apart from the crazy energy of the greater San Francisco Bay Area. We brainstormed and came up with a fictional bayside community called Little Eden. And you know where there’s Eden, there’s got to be some sin…and the idea of Sinner’s Grove was born.
LOOK FOR THESE TITLES SOON:
Sinner’s Grove (available September 2014)
A startling discovery when she was 14 left San Francisco artist Jenna Bergstrom estranged from her family; unforeseen tragedy only sharpened her loneliness. But now her ailing grandfather needs her expertise to re-open the family’s once-famous artists’ retreat on the California coast. The problem? She’ll have to face architect Brit Maguire, the ex-love of her life.
Seven years ago, Maguire spent a magical time with the girl of his dreams, only to have her disappear from his life completely. Now she’s back, helping with the biggest architectural renovation of Brit’s career. No matter how deep his feelings still run, Brit can’t afford the distraction of Jenna Bergstrom, because something is going terribly wrong with the project at Sinner’s Grove.
The Lair (available November 2014)
After her father dies in a boating incident, innkeeper Daniela Dunn must travel from Northern California’s Sinner’s Grove back to Verona, Italy and her childhood home, an estate called the Panther’s Lair. It’s a mansion full of frightful memories and deeply buried secrets, where appearances are deceiving and the price of honesty is death. As Dani is drawn further into her family’s intrigues, she has an unlikely ally in handsome Marin County investigator Gabriele de la Torre. He says he’s come along merely to support her, but his actions show he has an agenda all his own.
Gabe de la Torre needs to settle old family debts before starting fresh with the woman he feels could be The One. But once Dani finds out whom he’s beholden to, all bets might be off. When a mystery woman reveals that Dani’s father may have been murdered, the stakes rise dramatically and Gabe realizes they’re now players in a dangerous game. Protecting Dani becomes his top priority, even as she strives to figure out whom she can trust: her relatives, Gabe, or even herself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A native of California, A.B. Michaels holds masters’ degrees in history (UCLA) and broadcasting (San Francisco State University). After working for many years as a promotional writer and editor, she decided it was time to focus on writing the kind of fiction she likes to read. “I think it’s a control thing,” she says. “Life is so darn messy, I just want to make sure some stories end up the way they ought to.”
That doesn’t mean she won’t put her characters through the wringer, however. Her new series, “Sinner’s Grove,” pits men and women against forces ranging from merely corrupt to downright evil. But perhaps the greatest challenge for her heroes and heroines lies in overcoming their own flaws as they search for lasting love.
The writer and her husband now live the good life in Boise, Idaho. On any given day you might see them on the golf course, the bocce court, or walking their four-legged “sons” along the Boise River. More than likely, however, you’ll find Ms. Michaels hard at work on her next Sinner’s Grove adventure.
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The Art of Love: Origins of Sinner's Grove Page 25