A Home for Her Heart (21 page)

“Papa!” Elizabeth stood as well and John quickly stood by her side. “That isn’t true at all!”

“Oh, Elizabeth, you know nothing of the way men think.”

“You may be right about that. I thought I knew you, Papa, but this has nothing to do with the way men think. It has to do with you owning a derelict property—one people live in—children live in—”

“I should never have let her move here!” Her father turned his wrath on John. “This is what comes from associating with the likes of—”

“Papa!”

John had had enough. “Sir! Perhaps if you’d spent more time with your daughter instead of making trips to invest in property you knew nothing about, you would know this is breaking her heart!”

“How dare you reprimand me!” He came toward John, his fist clenched, but John stood his ground.

Elizabeth slipped in between them just before her father reached John. “John, perhaps it would be better if you go back to Heaton House and let my father and I straighten this out.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone with him.”

“You think I’d harm my daughter? Why, you—”

“He won’t hurt me.” Elizabeth touched John’s arm. “Please—”

“And she isn’t alone, John,” Mrs. Watson said from the doorway. “I’ll make sure Elizabeth is unharmed. I’m sorry you can’t stay for dinner with us.”

“Bea! How much of this dribble have you heard?”

“Enough.”

“Go. Please,” Elizabeth said, her eyes full of tears.

John gave a curt nod and looked at her aunt. “I’ll see myself out.”

“Thank you.”

John took one last glance at Elizabeth before taking his leave. She looked as miserable as he felt—if that were even possible. He felt his dream crashing hard and fast as he walked out the door.

Chapter Twenty-One

“N
ow, please, tell me what this is all about, Charles. I think I deserve to know since this is my home and—”

He huffed out a breath and closed his eyes. “It appears this young man you are so fond of has convinced my daughter that I buy run-down properties and leave them that way as a regular practice.”

“Oh, Papa! You know that is not true. You
do
own one of the buildings. But for your information, Papa, John told me it was possible you didn’t know what bad shape it was in when you bought it, or were ever made aware that the property has never been improved upon. He thought you should have a chance to tell us if that were the case.”

Suddenly Elizabeth realized that sick as she might be that her father could be ruined by all of this, John wasn’t the one at fault here. And no one—
no one—
had ever stood up for her the way he just had with her father.

“Humph. Still, he brought up my being out of town too much and spending my time buying these kinds of properties—and neglecting you.”

“Now, Charles, you’ve freely admitted to me that you regret not spending more time with Elizabeth.”

“Is that true, Papa?”

“Yes, it is. And I’m sorry for it. But I can’t undo it, can I?”

“You’ve acknowledged it and apologized. That helps more than you know.”

“But he had no right to accuse me of buying these kinds of properties—”

“Charles, he did not say that exactly,” Aunt Bea said.

“Just how much did you hear, Bea?”

“I started listening when you started yelling, and I heard enough to know that John Talbot did not accuse you of anything. In fact, he actually assumed you did not know anything about them. Either you did or you didn’t, and Elizabeth deserves to know the truth. Which is it, Charles?” Aunt Bea asked.

Elizabeth’s father dropped down in the nearest chair and put his head in his hands. “I never even checked it out. Instead, I relied on a broker I’d never used before. He said it was like the others in the tenements.”

“And you didn’t ask exactly what that meant?”

“No. I’m sorry, Elizabeth, I know you must be very disappointed in me. I—I suppose my name will be splashed all over the
Tribune.
”

“I don’t know. It’s possible.” It was John’s story, the one that would put his name on the front page of the paper. The story would make his career—exactly what he’d been working for. Yet she knew his purpose was not to expose her father—but to report the truth. It wasn’t his fault Papa was one of the owners they’d sought to find.

“Papa, I think that you should see what condition this place is in. You need to know what we are talking about. And then you need to figure out what to do about it.”

He nodded. “Of course. When do you want to take me to see it?”

“Right now would be good.”

The next few hours were spent in the tenements, in the building her father owned. They went from one floor to another and in as many apartments as they could so that her father could see for himself why she and John had been asked to find out who owned the building in the first place.

By the time they arrived back at her aunt’s, Elizabeth knew her father would do all he could to make amends, to bring the building up to a better standard for the people living in it. She’d seen his expression turn from disbelief to total disgust from the time they entered the building until they left. He’d spoken with several of the tenants and made promises she knew he intended to keep.

“I’m going back to Heaton House. I need to speak with John,” she said once her father had helped her aunt out of the hack.

“That’s a good idea, dear,” Aunt Bea said. “Please tell him we’ll do dinner another time.”

“I will.” But he might not want to come after the way she’d acted in the park and the way her father had treated him. She certainly couldn’t blame him if he didn’t.
Dear Lord, please let him forgive me.

“I’ll be staying over to take care of things—fire the manager, look into what needs to be done,” her father said. “I’d like to speak to Mr. Talbot, too. Ask his forgiveness for my treatment of him earlier.”

“I’ll tell him, Papa.”

Her father leaned into the hack and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you, Elizabeth. And I’ll be making amends to you, as well.”

She held her tears in check, but whispered, “I love you, too, Papa.”

* * *

John slipped into Heaton House and was glad no one was around. He made it to his room unnoticed, dropped down into the easy chair, and leaned his head back. He wondered how things were going with Elizabeth and her father. Would she be back or would she stay the night?

After the way she had reacted when he’d told her about her father, he was sure he could forget ever telling her how much he loved her or asking her to marry him. After today, her father would never allow her to marry him without disowning her. And John couldn’t allow that to happen.

And now he had another decision to make. Should he keep quiet or break the story of his career? One that would have Elizabeth’s father’s name attached to it and would surely break her heart. He ran his fingers through his hair then got up and began to pace the room.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t make his dream a reality—not with this story. Not with something that would cause Elizabeth pain. Her father would make things right, John was sure of that. He knew what kind of woman Elizabeth was and she would never let him get by without making amends for what he’d let those tenants go through. And wasn’t that the real reason to get to the bottom of who owned the buildings? Not to ruin a man but to help the tenants?

John sat back down and prayed for guidance, leaving the Lord to take charge. If he were meant to break a big story, the Lord would give him another one. Peace settled over him and he knew it would all work out one way or another.

There was a rap at the door and he heard Luke say, “John, you in there?”

“I’m coming.” He opened the door to his friend.

“Elizabeth asked me to see if you’d meet her in Mrs. Heaton’s study. Said she needed to speak with you. And she looks pretty upset.”

John shut the door behind him and hurried down the hall.

“Is something wrong with you two?” Luke asked.

“I don’t know.”

He took the stairs two steps at a time, stopping only long enough to take a deep breath before he entered the study. Elizabeth was at the window, looking out on the evening sky. She turned just as he spoke her name.

She looked devastated and he hurried to her side. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “I am. Or I will be—if you will forgive me for what I said in the park this afternoon. I am so sorry for that, John. And I’m sorry about the way my father treated you today, too. He’s asked me to tell you he’d like to speak to you, to apologize for how he acted toward you.”

“Then you got him to see—”

She nodded. “I did. With Aunt Bea’s help. And then I took them to the building. He hadn’t known what shape it was in, but that’s no excuse at all. He should have and he realizes that now.”

“Good. I’m glad. Are things better between the two of you now?”

“Yes. I... John, I have to ask.” She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “I know this is your big chance and I don’t want you to lose it, but...” Her voice broke before she continued, “Please don’t destroy him. He’s my father and I do love him.”

She looked so heartbroken, her tears beginning to run down her cheek. John grasped her upper arms and looked into her eyes. “I know you love him, Elizabeth. I’m not going to ruin your father. I’d already decided not to break the story before you got home. Hopefully we can convince the owners of the other two buildings to make amends, too. And as for my big break, it’s in the Lord’s hands. He’s taught me that there are more important things in life than having my name on the front page of a newspaper.”

The relief in her eyes was all he needed. “Oh, John, thank you. I—”

“Shh.” John placed his fingertip on her lips. He’d given up on one dream, but he wasn’t ready to give up the other—not now and not unless he had to. “You are more important to me than any byline ever will be, Elizabeth. I love you. I have been falling deeper and deeper in love with each passing day. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”

The light in her eyes gave him hope and the courage to continue, “I know that you might not believe me, but it’s true. I was in love with you before I found out who you are. I don’t care about your money—you can give it away for all I care. I just pray that someday you’ll realize you can trust your heart to me.”

“John. I...I do realize that. And I feel the same way about you. I knew you were trustworthy a long time ago and I don’t know what got into me today. I am so sorry for what I said to you. Please forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive—I knew you were distraught with the news I gave you.”

She touched his cheek with her fingertips. “Oh, John, I love you with all my heart.”

Pure joy filled John’s heart. But there was still a question he had to ask. “Do you think your father would ever accept me as a husband for you?”

She brushed at her eyes and released a half chuckle. “It doesn’t matter.
I’m
the one who has the say in who I marry, and if you are asking me to marry you, I’ll say yes right now.”

His heart soared with love for this woman as he asked, “You will?”

“I will. Besides, how could my father possibly refuse when you’re going to save his reputation?”

John chuckled as he drew her fully into his arms. “Elizabeth Anderson, I love you with all that is in me.”

“John Talbot, I love you the very same way and I thank the Lord for letting me realize you are a
most
trustworthy man. There is no other man I’d trust my heart to. Only you.”

John claimed her lips with his, and did his best to fully convince her of just how much he loved her now and for always.

Epilogue

K
athleen made a beautiful bride as she and Luke exchanged wedding vows in the parlor at Heaton House. But Elizabeth’s thoughts were on the man beside Luke. The wink John flashed her as they listened to their friends say their vows sent her pulse racing furiously.

Her heart flooded with joy just thinking about her own upcoming wedding. When she and John had announced their engagement last month, Mrs. Heaton had joked that she should add a line reading Love Finds You Here on the Heaton House sign out front.

The past few weeks had been the happiest Elizabeth had ever known. Her father had given her and John his blessing, and as soon as Kathleen and Luke got back from their wedding trip, she and John would start planning their own.

Elizabeth’s father had realized that she and John were going to help those less fortunate for the rest of their lives, and he’d put them in charge of overseeing the work on the building he owned—and the new manager.

John and Michael had talked with the owners of the other two buildings and they’d agreed to start work on them immediately in order to keep their names out of the papers.

John’s next articles had been about the changes being made in the tenements as opposed to the men who owned them and he seemed content to have moved up to page two.

As the minister pronounced Luke and Kathleen husband and wife, they kissed and then turned to the friends and loved ones who’d come to share their day. Kathleen’s sister Colleen was there with her policeman beau. It would surprise no one if they were married before long.

Mrs. Heaton, along with Michael and Violet, and Rebecca and her daughter, Jenny, sat beside them on the left. Elizabeth prayed Rebecca would find someone special soon.

She spotted the other boarders—Julia, Ben, Matt and Millicent in the row on the right, and behind them, Elizabeth’s father and her aunt. If she wasn’t mistaken they’d soon be married, too, but she knew they’d be there for her and John’s wedding come December, and she couldn’t be happier for them.

Love was definitely in the air and as Elizabeth took John’s arm and they followed Kathleen and Luke into Mrs. Heaton’s dining room to cut the cake, she thanked the Lord above for her friends and family.

But mostly she thanked Him for the man at her side, for showing her how special John was and for teaching them both to learn to trust again and to step out in faith to give their hearts to each other.

Once they’d stood with the happy couple long enough for Millicent to take some photographs, John pulled her back out into foyer and down the hall to Mrs. Heaton’s study.

“What it is? Has something happened?” she asked her fiancé.

He grinned and shook his head. “No. I just wanted a moment with you to myself. I realized that I haven’t told you just how much I love you yet today. I think I’ll show you instead.”

John pulled Elizabeth into his arms and did just that—kissing her soundly, leaving her no doubt that he did indeed love her. It only seemed right to reciprocate. She kissed him back.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from HIS MOST SUITABLE BRIDE by Renee Ryan.