simply took her breath away. Exquisite diamonds framed the lovely stone. They caught the morning sunlight, radiating sparkle and shine.
Roland’s deep brown eyes shimmered with equal brightness as he held tight to the beautiful ring. “I should have given you this weeks ago when you agreed to be my bride. Will you forgive me for the delay? I ordered it from the jewelers ages ago, but it had to be shipped all the way from Australia.”
“Australia? Oh my.”
He slipped it onto her finger and then held up her hand to have a closer look. “Now every time you look at this, you can think of me and look forward to our union.”
“I—I will.” A lump rose in her throat as she fingered the exquisite ring. How he had managed such a perfect fit, she could not say. Still, the ring felt as comfortable on her hand as if it had always been there. And to think, he had ordered it ages ago.
“Could I have something of yours to keep while you’re in Paris?” Roland asked.
“Something of mine?” She opened her reticule and searched inside, finally coming out with an embroidered handkerchief. “Will this do?”
“Yes.” He drew it to his face, a contented look in his eyes. “It smells of your perfume, so I will feel like you’re still with me even though we’re apart.”
“Well, she won’t be gone long, you know.” Mother took her seat in the cab and gestured for Jacquie to join her. “But we really must be on our way, gentlemen. The train to Paris awaits.”
“Don’t let me keep you, then.” Roland kissed the back of Jacquie’s hand then gazed into her eyes. “There’s nothing I would deny you, sweet girl. If you ask me for the world, I will do my best to give it to you.”
“Th–thank you, Roland.” She climbed into the cab, took the seat next to Iris, and leaned her throbbing head back as the driver closed the door. For a moment she thought she might be ill. Closing her eyes, she fought the feeling with every fiber of her being.
By the time her eyes opened, the cab was moving down the lane, away from Abingdon Manor—and away from everything she had ever held dear.
Nathan did his best to help the bellman with his mother’s trunks, but they were ridiculously heavy after her latest shopping spree. Hopefully her many purchases wouldn’t weigh down the ship. If so, they were all in trouble. He chuckled just thinking about the potential for disaster.
Mother scurried around the lobby of the Savoy, fussing at Nathan the whole way. “We need to hurry, my dear. First-class passengers will start boarding in two hours, and it takes nearly that long to get to Southampton from here.”
From around the corner of the hotel lobby, James Carsonappeared with his luggage. Nathan looked back and forth between Mother and the pesky fellow.
“Are you leaving today too, James?” Nathan asked.
“Well, of course. Thanks to the coal strike, my ticket to board the Lusitania was switched to the Titanic .” He offered a smile. “So it looks as if we will all be traveling together. A happy problem, at least from my perspective. I do hope you both agree.”
“Well, isn’t that wonderful.” Mother clasped her gloved hands together in apparent glee. “A lady always feels more at ease when traveling with a gentleman she trusts.”
Nathan bit his tongue as he looked away from the unlikely pair. Two things bothered him about his mother’s statement. One, she had acknowledged both her desire and her need for James Carson to travel alongside them. Two, she clearly didn’t see her own son as a grown man. If she did, she would surely realize that she was already traveling with a gentleman and did not require an additional one at her side.
Strange. The only person who appeared to be ill at ease this morning was Nathan. He prayed the feeling would pass before he boarded the ship for home.
Chapter Nine
Wednesday Morning, April 10, 1912
Southampton, England, near the White Star Line Dock
At exactly ten o’clock in the
Roland’s deep brown eyes shimmered with equal brightness as he held tight to the beautiful ring. “I should have given you this weeks ago when you agreed to be my bride. Will you forgive me for the delay? I ordered it from the jewelers ages ago, but it had to be shipped all the way from Australia.”
“Australia? Oh my.”
He slipped it onto her finger and then held up her hand to have a closer look. “Now every time you look at this, you can think of me and look forward to our union.”
“I—I will.” A lump rose in her throat as she fingered the exquisite ring. How he had managed such a perfect fit, she could not say. Still, the ring felt as comfortable on her hand as if it had always been there. And to think, he had ordered it ages ago.
“Could I have something of yours to keep while you’re in Paris?” Roland asked.
“Something of mine?” She opened her reticule and searched inside, finally coming out with an embroidered handkerchief. “Will this do?”
“Yes.” He drew it to his face, a contented look in his eyes. “It smells of your perfume, so I will feel like you’re still with me even though we’re apart.”
“Well, she won’t be gone long, you know.” Mother took her seat in the cab and gestured for Jacquie to join her. “But we really must be on our way, gentlemen. The train to Paris awaits.”
“Don’t let me keep you, then.” Roland kissed the back of Jacquie’s hand then gazed into her eyes. “There’s nothing I would deny you, sweet girl. If you ask me for the world, I will do my best to give it to you.”
“Th–thank you, Roland.” She climbed into the cab, took the seat next to Iris, and leaned her throbbing head back as the driver closed the door. For a moment she thought she might be ill. Closing her eyes, she fought the feeling with every fiber of her being.
By the time her eyes opened, the cab was moving down the lane, away from Abingdon Manor—and away from everything she had ever held dear.
Nathan did his best to help the bellman with his mother’s trunks, but they were ridiculously heavy after her latest shopping spree. Hopefully her many purchases wouldn’t weigh down the ship. If so, they were all in trouble. He chuckled just thinking about the potential for disaster.
Mother scurried around the lobby of the Savoy, fussing at Nathan the whole way. “We need to hurry, my dear. First-class passengers will start boarding in two hours, and it takes nearly that long to get to Southampton from here.”
From around the corner of the hotel lobby, James Carsonappeared with his luggage. Nathan looked back and forth between Mother and the pesky fellow.
“Are you leaving today too, James?” Nathan asked.
“Well, of course. Thanks to the coal strike, my ticket to board the Lusitania was switched to the Titanic .” He offered a smile. “So it looks as if we will all be traveling together. A happy problem, at least from my perspective. I do hope you both agree.”
“Well, isn’t that wonderful.” Mother clasped her gloved hands together in apparent glee. “A lady always feels more at ease when traveling with a gentleman she trusts.”
Nathan bit his tongue as he looked away from the unlikely pair. Two things bothered him about his mother’s statement. One, she had acknowledged both her desire and her need for James Carson to travel alongside them. Two, she clearly didn’t see her own son as a grown man. If she did, she would surely realize that she was already traveling with a gentleman and did not require an additional one at her side.
Strange. The only person who appeared to be ill at ease this morning was Nathan. He prayed the feeling would pass before he boarded the ship for home.
Chapter Nine
Wednesday Morning, April 10, 1912
Southampton, England, near the White Star Line Dock
At exactly ten o’clock in the
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