Page 91 of Miss Vincent’s Vow

“You must understand, he will have little to live on. I suppose he may receive a pension, but he is relying on his prize money to secure his future. Until then, he’ll be forced to depend on us.”

“Our home is open to him for as long as he needs it.”

“It is?”

He nodded, and there was such tenderness in his eyes, such sympathy, that Cassandra was overwhelmed with gratitude. What an admirable husband God had given her. She would not have to cope with this family tragedy alone. Jethro would look after them.

She rested her head on his broad chest, and when he brought his arm around her shoulders, warmth coursed through her being. She closed her eyes, not wanting the moment to end.

Because then she would have to face the fact that Xander’s arrival threatened to disrupt this new level of intimacy she was enjoying with her husband—an intimacy she hoped would deepen.

She reopened her eyes and met her husband’s gaze. There was more than a touch of sadness there. As if he, too, knew the risk they were taking. That there was a price to pay for opening their home to her brother again.

Cassandra prayed that the cost would not be too high. That her concern for Xander’s happiness would not jeopardise her own.

Chapter 49

Jethro’s heart lurched as Cassandra sat so close beside him, on the edge of his bed, with her small hand in his, and his other arm around her shoulders. He longed to draw her close to him and kiss those tears away, but he was keenly aware of her state of undress.

Now was not the time. But when would he get another chance?

He couldn’t have said no to his wife—not when she had stared up into his eyes with her own full of such pain—but what sacrifices would they have to make as a result?

He yearned to tell her everything would be all right. But would it?

Jethro could not pretend. The thought of Alexander coming to live with them scared him.

He and Cassandra had settled into a routine. They were spending more time with each other, sharing more of their lives with each other, and their relationship was deepening, day by day. Jethro dared to hope he was replacing Mr Barnes in her affections.

The captain’s arrival would change everything.

Cassandra’s focus would alter. No more spontaneous visits to see him in the warehouse. No more walking along the Esplanade or up to the Lookout with only her husband for company. Even their companionable evenings together would be interrupted by having a third person around.

Then there was the matter of her brother’s behaviour.

Alexander’s presence might jeopardise the impression Jethro made on Mr Wade, which threatened the whole of his business. If a broken engagement had provoked unpredictable outbursts of emotion, what would an injured body and losing his profession do to his brother-in-law?

“I suppose we should dress for dinner,” Cassandra said, “or Mr Oliver’s cooking will be ruined.”

Botheration. Jethro didn’t want to move. He was quite content to sit where he was for the rest of the evening.

She pulled her hand free from his grasp and rose to her feet, a faint colour in her cheeks. Was she embarrassed by her outburst of emotion, or because of sitting so close to him?

He stood as well. This was his last chance to overcome his reservations and initiate change before Alexander arrived. To draw her close, and kiss her, and tell her he loved her.

“Cass—”

“Thank you, Jethro,” she said, at exactly the same moment. “You don’t know what this means to me. I’m so grateful to you for giving me a home and now offering one to my brother.”

Grateful. She was grateful. He wanted to offer her his love, but she was still talking about gratitude.

Jethro swallowed his disappointment, relieved that he’d been saved from an outpouring of his feelings that would only have embarrassed them both.

“It is my Christian duty to forgive your brother and open our house to him,” he said in a voice that sounded strained even in his own ears. “He has served King and country and deserves to be cared for, and to find a home with his kin.”

He wanted to add that he could forgive Alexander at a distance, but was welcoming her brother into his home for Cassandra’s sake, but he kept those thoughts to himself.

“I shall write to Xander at once, to tell him he may stay here. Let’s hope the good news will ease his gloom. Mrs Timms must prepare his room. I’ve no notion of how long it will be before he joins us. Or what state he’ll be in…”