Page 3 of An Uncertain Road

He opened his mouth, searching for a truthful way to smooth it over with her, but the graceful tapping of silver on crystal caught their attention. Mr. Harrison stood at one end of the parlor with Owen next to him, beaming like a proud father. A pang hit Jensen without warning. He’d hoped Mr. Harrison would look at him like that when he took over Harrison Goods.

Silence fell over the room, and the family patriarch began his announcement. “As many of you know, Owen here has proven to be quite an asset to Harrison Goods. So much so that he’s agreed to take on the responsibilities I’ve shouldered for years so that I can retire by the end of the summer.”

An approving murmur rose from the guests. Jensen caught a proud smile on Mrs. Montfort’s face as she watched her brother. Near the front of the room, Aggie was beaming. Everyone was proud of Owen, it seemed.

Mr. Harrison waited for the noise to die back down before continuing. “As he takes over the planning for the future of the company, we’ve made a decision that I’m very excited about. While we’re doing well selling sporting equipment, Owen and I both see the wisdom in continuing to reach for the next wave of public interest. It was brought to my attention some months ago that rival companies have thrown their hats into the auto racing ring. We feel that’s a smart decision, and so we’ve been preparing to start a Harrison Goods racing team. The shop we’ll use to build our cars is nearly complete, so hiring will begin immediately.”

Delighted clapping filled the air, but Jensen felt as if the floor had dropped out from under him. Why couldn’t he find the wall to support him again? He stumbled from the room, not even caring who saw him about to fall apart. The hallway was quiet and dim, the perfect place to stuff the surge of panic back down into his chest.

Racing. Mr. Harrison, after living through the pain of losing his oldest son to a racing accident, was unfathomably starting an auto racing team.

Jensen straightened as the truth settled in. It was Owen. There hadn’t been a word of this until Owen started taking over some of Mr. Harrison’s tasks and talk of him running the company started. The man must have no idea of the horrors that accompanied racing. Mr. Harrison should know better, but he was so focused on retiring to care for his wife that he might be swayed to go along with anything.

Owen had done this.

And it was up to Jensen to fix it.

CHAPTER 2

As Mr. Harrison’s announcement sank in, Flora took in the excited faces all around her—except for one. Jensen’s skin had gone ashen. He fumbled for the wall behind him as if needing support, then abruptly dashed from the room. Aggie claimed he hated cars, and he’d made it clear earlier that he felt they were unsafe. But even with that knowledge, his reaction seemed rather dramatic.

Owen and Aggie waded toward her through congratulating guests, reaching her side with grins spread across both their faces. Owen leaned close. “I had a feeling you would be delighted by this announcement, and your expression confirms my suspicion.”

“I love the idea, Owen. I’m proud that you were part of making it happen.” Flora hesitated, planning her next words with care. Mr. Harrison’s last comment about hiring for his racing team had stuck in Flora’s mind, feeling very much like the opportunity she’d been praying and trusting God for. But she’d have to tread lightly or risk her inspired plan being denied before she had a chance to pursue it. “Do you have any racing team members in place?”

“Not yet, although we have some mechanics in mind to ask. The construction crew recently completed the last few updates needed to make the shop functional, so we haven’t started that process.”

A shrewd look crossed Aggie’s face. “Flora, didn’t your husband race cars in France? I’m certain Owen mentioned you have an interest in the sport.”

Memories struck Flora with unexpected force. Even two years after their last race, she could feel the rumble of the engine sending vibrations through her body, the jolt of hitting ruts in the road at high speed, and the sound of Henri’s voice in her ear, urging her to push the car faster because an opponent was gaining on them. His motivation for encouraging her to race might have been selfish, but those moments when she felt he believed she could win had kept her going through the rest of their rocky marriage.

Flora swallowed around a twinge of worry that the truth would change Aggie’s anticipation of their future relationship. Society women didn’t often understand those who didn’t conform to their ideas of appropriate feminine pursuits. “More than an interest. I was the driver in races while Henri rode along as the mechanic.”

Rather than showing condemnation, Aggie brightened, more excited now than a moment ago. The tension that had been building drained from Flora’s shoulders. “Owen, it’s perfect. You have a driver you can trust right here. That’s a wonderful start to hiring for your team.”

But Owen didn’t appear to share his fiancée’s excitement. He put a calming hand on her arm. “I’m not sure that’s the best plan, dear. Flora lost a great deal due to racing. I don’t know that she’s planning to return to it.”

Her brother’s eyes met hers, and Flora’s heart sank at what she saw in them—an appeal for agreement and support. He didn’t want her to drive. Could she find a way to convince him it was what she wanted, what she needed most at this moment? Henri may not have left enough of his family fortune for her and Isabelle to live off of, but he had blessed Flora with the skills to build a career in racing. If only the world wasn’t so opposed to women doing what they loved if it was deemed unfeminine.

Then again, Owen seemed to be more worried about her emotional response to racing than the propriety of it. His wordless appeal reminded Flora of their childhood when the two of them had to face their cruel older brother, Clement, alone. Owen had often borne that look as he encouraged Flora to go along with whatever method he was trying to use to soothe Clement so they wouldn’t be punished again. Flora forced herself not to assume the worst. She and her brother had hardly been together in person for any amount of time in the years since she’d married Henri. If they could discuss it, she might be able to convince Owen that racing—and the money that winning could bring in—would be welcome in her life.

Until she could speak to him alone, she focused on another matter. “I’m a bit worried about Jensen. He left in quite a state while Mr. Harrison was speaking. Should someone check on him?”

Aggie sighed. “I expected as much. I’ll go see to him. You two stay here.”

She floated out of the room, managing a polite excuse whenever a guest tried to engage her in conversation before continuing toward the door.

Once she was out of earshot, Owen ran a hand through his hair. “I suppose you have something to say about the racing team and Aggie’s suggestion.”

A group of young ladies—cousins of Aggie’s, if Flora remembered correctly—squeezed past her on their way to the door, throwing effusive thanks and goodbyes at Owen as they went. He had the worst timing. It would be impossible to have such an important conversation here. “Could we discuss it later? Perhaps when there are fewer people around?”

Distracted by an older couple calling his name as they prepared to leave, Owen nodded. “Excellent idea. Thank you, Flora.” Before he even finished speaking, he’d turned toward the couple and started walking them to the door. “Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Kendall, are you leaving?” His voice switched from that of brother to host as they went, and Flora couldn’t help a proud smile. He would make a wonderful heir for Mr. Harrison—that couldn’t be argued.

The room soon emptied. A few guests stopped to say goodbye to Flora, but mostly, she was left to her thoughts. Thoughts of racing, of Henri, of the foolish financial decisions he’d made that left her and Isabelle in rather desperate need of an income. She remembered his easy smile when they first met. He’d been so different from Clement, with his threats to marry her off to the next old man he owed a gambling debt to if she disobeyed him the least bit. Meeting wild, exciting Henri on a trip to Europe had seemed like the perfect escape. But he’d turned out to be overbearing and foolish in a different way.

Owen, however, was proof that kind, responsible, honorable men existed. Knowing him, Flora couldn’t doubt the truth of it. But that didn’t make it easy to believe there were many more like him.

Before long, the only remaining occupants of the parlor were the close family. The Harrisons and Isabelle settled on a sofa near the fireplace. Aggie, Owen, and Flora all found chairs facing them. And Jensen—who had returned looking less ill but still grumpy—stood by the fireplace, twirling a crystal glass of water in his hands.