Love Inspired Historical June 2014 Bundle: Lone Star Heiress\The Lawman's Oklahoma Sweetheart\The Gentleman's Bride Search\Family on the Range (66 page)

Jasper cast Margaret Webster an apologetic look. Poor lady, caught in the middle of all this. He had given far too little thought to her feelings. Perhaps, for the sake of peace, he ought to give in and do what everyone else seemed to expect of him.

Should he try to forget Evangeline Fairfax and ask Margaret Webster to marry him instead?

Chapter Sixteen

S
eated in the library of Knightley Park, Evangeline leaned forward and gave Marian Radcliffe's hand an affectionate squeeze. “I do hope you and your husband can forgive me for appearing on your doorstep without a word of warning. It was kind of you to make me so welcome, under the circumstances.”

“Tosh.” Marian chuckled as she drew back and began to pour them tea. “It was a lovely surprise. I wish our other friends would drop in on me like this, but it's not so easy now that we all have families to consider. That is one selfish reason I will be so pleased to get our school up and running, so we can all get together for regular meetings of the trustees.”

“Ah, yes—the school.” Evangeline pulled a wry face. Seeing Marian again after so many years brought their school days much closer and made her feel guiltier than ever about how she had neglected her duty. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am for taking so long to get started. When I think if those poor children at Pendergast, sick and dying, I wonder if I can ever forgive myself.”

“That was not your fault,” said Marian in that reassuring way Evangeline remembered so well. “I hope my letter did not make it sound as if I blamed you.”

She passed Evangeline a steaming cup of tea. “I did not mean to drag you away from the Chases. I only wondered—well, we all did—whether you might have changed your mind about wanting to run the school. We worried you might think you'd be letting us down, but of course, you wouldn't. We wanted to give you an excuse to change your mind if you were so inclined.”

She fixed Evangeline with her perceptive gaze, which had a way of always getting at the truth. “
Are
you so inclined? Believe me, none of us will think any less of you for it.”

“I want to do this.” Evangeline strove to persuade her friend of her certainty...and perhaps herself, as well.

On the long journey from Amberwood, reading Marian's last letter over and over, she had clung to Mr. Webster's assurance that establishing the school was a matter of great urgency and importance. The sights she'd glimpsed while traveling through England's industrial Midlands had opened her eyes to the hardship so prevalent outside the peaceful Vale of Eden. All those things had reinforced her commitment to the work she knew she was meant to do.

But even in the short time she'd been a guest at Knightley Park, doubts had begun to gnaw at her resolve. Seeing how happy Marian and Captain Radcliffe were in their marriage and their family made her long to experience that sweet domestic fulfillment for herself. When she spent time with Marian's adopted daughters and little son, she felt the loss of Emma, Matthew, Alfie, Owen and Rosie as if the five fingers of her right hand had been amputated.

“I don't doubt that you
want
to.” Marian's tone of loyal sympathy made it sound as if she understood far more of Evangeline's situation than her friend had told her. “But is that
all
you want?”

It was no use trying to conceal anything from someone who seemed to know so much already. Evangeline shook her head. “I cannot deny I want more than just that. But I cannot have everything I want and since I must choose...”

“The other things you want,” Marian prompted her. “Do they include the love of a husband and children? None of your friends would want you to give that up and I do not believe the Lord would, either.”

Evangeline wished she could share her friend's staunch certainty. “There is more to it than that. I feel if I give up one for the other, I would lose a part of myself.”

“Why is that?” Marian's brow creased with a look of fond concern.

Her entreaty was too powerful for Evangeline to resist. Laying the whole complicated situation before her friend might not yield a solution, but at least it might confirm in her own mind that she had done the right thing in coming here. “Do you remember when we were at school how the teachers used to say I would never get a husband if I did not subdue my strong will and independent streak?”

Marian gave a rich chuckle that seemed to ring with a gloating note. “According to them, none of us had a chance of ever being married. Rebecca and Hannah and I weren't pretty enough. You and Leah were too willful. Poor Grace was too vain. We all knew it was nonsense when it came to the others. But for ourselves, I reckon we took those predictions more to heart. Trust me, Evangeline. They were no truer for you than for any of us.”

“Weren't they?” She cradled her teacup in her cold hands. “I wish I could be sure.”

She told Marian about Jasper Chase, what a strong, compassionate man he was. How he wanted a wife who would support him and agree with him in everything he did.

“And Mr. Chase cares for you?” asked Marian when Evangeline fell silent. “We thought he must, the way he kept delaying your departure. What fine work he is doing with his mill! I have heard of a philanthropist in Scotland who is doing something similar. If only there were more men of business like them. I must say, you and he sound well matched in your strength, your determination and your practical concern for those who need your help.”

“That is half the problem.” Evangeline sighed. “We were
too
much alike—both leaders, not followers. A marriage between us could never work out.”

“Not easily, perhaps.” Marian seemed to agree while doing exactly the opposite. “Here in the country, I have often seen how a strong team of horses or oxen can work better when harnessed side by side than when one is behind the other.”

Evangeline could not suppress a bittersweet grin at the image of her and Jasper yoked together to pull a load. “That only works when the creatures have a skilled teamster to lead them.”

“Exactly.” Marian lifted her gaze upward. “Could Our Lord not be as good a teamster as a shepherd? After all, horses are clever animals, but sheep, poor things, are so very dim-witted.”

Her friend's words made Evangeline laugh, but they also shed a ray of sunlight into her soul. For a sweet, breathtaking instant, nothing seemed impossible.

Then she remembered how she had left Jasper's children in tears and deserted him without even a word of farewell.

“No doubt He can.” She set down her cup with trembling hands and a heavy heart. “But it is too late for Jasper and me.”

“Are you certain?” asked Marian.

As Evangeline pondered her friend's gentle challenge, a knock sounded on the library door.

“Yes?” Marian called.

The grandfatherly butler of Knightley Park entered. “A caller to see you, miss.”

“Can they wait or come back later?” asked Marian. “I am occupied at the moment.”

The butler shook his head. “It is not
you
they want, my lady. It is Miss Fairfax and they have come rather a long way.”

“Mr. Chase, is it?” Marian rose, her eyes alight.

When Mr. Culpepper nodded, she cried, “By all means, fetch the gentleman in at once!”

* * *

Had he made a great mistake acting on impulse and coming so far to show up uninvited at the Radcliffes' door? As Jasper waited for their butler to summon Evangeline, doubts began to assail him. Would she view his pursuit of her as a sign that he did not respect her choice? Would she think he meant to coerce her into following his wishes? Would she be vexed with him for imposing on her friends?

He silenced those thoughts by reminding himself that he would get to see her. Even if she rejected him again, at least he would be able to say a proper goodbye.

A tall, fair-haired gentleman descended the stairs just then with two pretty young girls holding his hands. One of the girls looked a bit older than Emma, but with the same quiet, responsible air. The other child Jasper guessed to be two or three years younger. Her bouncy step and bright smile put him in mind of Alfie.

“Welcome to Knightley Park.” The man let go of the younger girl and extended his hand to Jasper. “I am Captain Gideon Radcliffe. Can I help you?”

Jasper shook the captain's hand warmly. “My name is Jasper Chase. I've come from up north to see Miss Fairfax. I believe she is a guest here. Your butler has gone to fetch her for me.”

“I see.” Captain Radcliffe nodded as if he understood far more about Jasper's errand than he had been told. “I wish you the very best, Mr. Chase. If you find yourself staying in this part of the country, I hope you will be our guest at Knightley Park. Cissy and Dolly love company, don't you, girls?”

The girls nodded, one more vigorously than the other but both with winsome smiles that assured Jasper of a warm welcome.

“That is very kind of you, but I fear it might be more inconvenient than you realize,” Jasper said, briefly explaining why.

“That is no excuse not to stay!” The younger girl headed for the door. “In fact, it is a better reason that you should.”

“Dolly!” The captain chuckled at her forwardness, which did not offend Jasper in the least. “There will be no getting away for you now, I fear, Mr. Chase.”

Jasper wanted to believe that was true. But how could he stay if Evangeline turned him down?

The butler reappeared just then, followed by a pretty little woman with an indomitable air.

“Mr. Chase!” She greeted him as if they were old friends. “I am Miss Fairfax's friend, Marian Radcliffe. I see you have met my husband and our girls. Do come in and see Evangeline. We were just taking tea in the library. You will not be disturbed there. Take as long as you need.”

Without letting him get a word in, she led him toward the library and practically pushed him through the door, which she shut behind him with some force.

At the sight of Evangeline rising from a narrow settee, Jasper seemed to lose his powers of speech and movement. This was his last chance and so much depended on his success or failure.

“You must excuse my friend,” she said. “I do not recall her being so bossy when we were at school. That was my role. I believe marriage has had an unfortunate effect on Marian in that regard.”

Thanking Providence for such a promising opening, Jasper forced himself toward Evangeline. “You reckon marriage has made Mrs. Radcliff more strong-minded? How can that be? I met her husband just now and he seemed to have a determined character, as well.”

Evangeline nodded. “I believe it is a requirement for a captain in the Royal Navy.”

“Do they get on well together, in spite of it?”

“Very well indeed.” Evangeline sounded surprised as she sank back onto the settee. “Marian is not under the captain's thumb, nor he under hers. From everything I have seen since I arrived, they seem very happy together.”

Jasper looked around the Radcliffes' library and saw no chairs near enough to allow for comfortable conversation.

Casting Evangeline an apologetic glance, he took a seat beside her on the settee. “Forgive me for following you here. I could not leave matters between us as they were after our last conversation.”

“How did you know where to find me?” She regarded him warily, making Jasper wonder whether she was flattered or vexed by his pursuit.

“I made Piers Webster tell me where you'd gone. He had no business to spirit you away like that, with so much unresolved between us.”

“I thought it
was
resolved when you walked out of the nursery,” Evangeline replied. “Besides, Mr. Webster did not spirit me anywhere. He was kind enough to offer me his assistance and I accepted.”

“Piers Webster was not being kind!” Jasper rolled his eyes. For such a self-reliant woman, Evangeline could be too trusting. But could he persuade her to trust him? “He wanted you gone from Amberwood, so that I might forget you and propose to his daughter.”

“Why did you not oblige him?” Evangeline's temper flared. “I thought that was your plan—to hold Miss Webster in reserve, poor lady, in case I refused you.”

“Where did you get a daft idea like that?” Jasper demanded, though he could guess who had planted it.

“Mr. Webster.” She sounded as if she considered the man an unimpeachable source. “He told me you requested his permission to propose to his daughter the evening before you proposed to me.”

“He
gave
me permission,” Jasper insisted. “I did not
ask
for it!”

Evangeline folded her arms in front of her. “And I suppose you gave him no reason to believe you might want to marry Miss Webster?”

Jasper squirmed a little on the Radcliffes' small settee. It was a tight fit for the two of them. Besides, his conscience was not entirely easy. He might not be guilty of what Evangeline had accused him, but he was not altogether innocent. “I might have, though I did not intend to deceive him. The night of the assembly, Mr. Webster asked me if my intentions toward his daughter were honorable or if I was only toying with her affections. I denied that, of course, not thinking what he might suppose I meant.”

“So you never thought of asking poor Miss Webster to marry you?” Evangeline looked doubtful of his explanation.

Jasper was not certain what she wanted to hear. One answer would slight his feelings for her. But the other might make him seem callous toward Margaret Webster. The truth lay somewhere in between, and cast him in a bad light with both women. “I cannot deny I did consider it after you left so suddenly. For the sake of the children and my work, I was tempted to secure a wife who would manage everything at home and leave me free to concentrate on the mill.”

“That must have been powerful temptation.” Evangeline did not sound as vexed by his admission as Jasper had expected. “Yet you did not succumb to it. You came all the way to Nottingham instead. Poor Miss Webster.”

“You keep calling her that.” Jasper shook his head. “The lady is not so much to be pitied as you imagine. Nor is she as meek and obliging as we both believed.”

Evangeline raised her dark, well-shaped brows. “What makes you say that?”