Chapter 11 #3
James was instantly chagrined, but he could only answer with a feeble smile.
Had he longed to kiss Isabel since they had become engaged?
He could not seem to recall. Troubled, he began to wonder if he would have felt more for her than he currently did had Amy never come to Spa.
He would have at least made a greater attempt at being satisfied with his choice. Her arrival was most ill-timed.
“I am delighted you have taken heed of my advice to purchase jewelry.” Isabel took his arm, and they began to walk toward the garden’s exit. “And now that you know of the diamond-and-sapphire necklace, perhaps you might purchase it before someone else does—”
He gave her a look, and she rushed on. “I do not mean right away. I am quite content with what you have offered me. I only meant that you could purchase it now and save it for another occasion. Such as our wedding.”
James had no desire to enter into the details again of why he could not purchase such a necklace for her.
He had already scrimped and saved just to be able to acquire the sapphire-and-pearl necklace.
As much as he did not wish to hold out for his great-aunt Mary’s inheritance, he had not realized how much he had been counting on it until he had received no response to his last two letters.
I am looking for it more than I would like to think.
His mother’s aunt Mary was a difficult person to please.
She was likely to do as she had promised, however, for there was no relative closer to her than him, with the exception of his brother.
But she had made it very clear that Adam had no need of her money, and therefore she wouldn’t give him anything.
She also had a partiality for James, she had said.
He pressed his lips together after running through these assurances. So, it had come to this. Coveting his inheritance went against everything he stood for. He was a man whose mission it was to save lives. He could hardly start hoping for the death of one so that he might benefit from it.
Isabel had not noticed that he had plunged into rumination. She lifted her hand in farewell to Mr. Lambert, who had come from the walled perimeter and was exiting the gardens at the same time. James scarcely took it in.
“Have you given some thought to where we might travel after our wedding?” she asked, turning to him as they stepped onto the street. “I have heard that Venice is particularly delightful.”
Isabel had lamented to him how little opportunity she’d had to travel despite having lived on the Continent her entire life.
He knew she longed to see other cities. Besides that, she had only been to England twice, although she was English.
She had seen little of the world. Unlike Amy, who had been content to remain in Charing, this lack of travel was a source of chagrin to Isabel.
She thought it made her less interesting.
“I know you expressed your wish to visit Paris and Venice.” He thought through the best way to formulate his phrase without bringing up the subject of money again.
“Your father will retire when the season ends in September. And since I am to take over his patients, we cannot spare many weeks to travel for it will leave them without a doctor.”
Isabel frowned. “My father can remain in his profession for one more month or two, the time it will take for us to travel and see the places in Europe.” She peered up at him. “This is not a good reason to give up our project.”
The wind bit through his open cloak, and Isabel brought him no warmth. “I do not like to bring up the subject of money again,” he began.
“Then don’t!”
He had never heard her speak so sharply. “Isabel.” He pulled her to a stop so he could look at her fully. “I’ve never concealed from you where I stand in society. That I was only beginning my profession and had little to my name at present. You knew this, yet you accepted me. Why?”
Isabel drew her brows together and stayed silent for a moment. At last she said, “Oh, don’t push me for my reasons. You know that I found you charming, and I don’t appreciate your throwing that weakness back in my face.”
A whirlwind of emotions went through James, and he led her forth in silence as he tried to grapple with them.
The greatest of these was regret. He could not seem to find anything in common with Isabel, and she clearly did not love him.
So why had he proposed to her? The decision had seemed so logical at the time when he had considered what he thought was her friendly nature and her family connections in the town where he wished to build his life.
But now the advantages palled. If he broke terms with Isabel, her father would make his life in Spa miserable.
And James did not wish to start over elsewhere after he had put so much effort and money into the baths he was constructing.
He was stuck with the bargain he had made.
He shook his head and attempted a smile. “Let us leave off discussing our travel plans for now. I am sure we will hit upon a plan that satisfies us both.”
She pinched her lips into a straight line. “Yes, do let us.”