Chapter 7 #3
Only two weeks ago, James had counted himself fortunate that Mr. Prexley had chosen him as a son-in-law over MacFirbis and every other determined suitor.
The other young physician was wealthier than James at present and, after completing his training, would be just as competent.
Well, perhaps not quite as competent—not with Mr. Hughes as his mentor.
The tide turned in James’s favor the moment he showed Isabel’s father the copy of his great-aunt’s will that named him heir.
From that moment, both Mr. Prexley and Isabel had begun to favor James’s suit.
At the time, he had been mildly uncomfortable that only the promise of a great inheritance had swayed Mr. Prexley, and in consequence Isabel.
Now it was his principal regret. He preferred that any woman wishing to marry him would do so for him.
The music called everyone to take their places for the second dance in the set, and James paused to say, “Isabel, you must know I cannot purchase every jewel that catches your fancy, even if it is your generous desire for me to look well that prompts the request. And if I do, I would much rather purchase one for you than for me. Can we not leave this subject behind us for good?”
“Of course. If you wish it.” Isabel strode onto the floor, facing him with an artificial smile as they waited to take their steps.
That night in his room, James’s thoughts circled miserably around his situation.
He would only allow himself to contemplate his unhappiness at having parted from Isabel on such terms and not on his conversation with Amy or the second death of their relationship.
Since he was not going to run through Isabel’s dowry in their first year of marriage, there was really nothing further to be said.
He was being cautious for her sake, and she should be grateful she was not marrying a spendthrift or a gambler.
At this stage in their courtship, however, his prudence did not seem to weigh with her.
Isabel longed for more obvious tokens of his devotion.
She had remained elusive the rest of the evening, even refusing him the supper dance.
He meditated on this as he tossed in his bed, attempting to pin down a couple hours of slumber without success.
After cataloguing the flaws in her reasoning and dwelling on how unfair she was, his thoughts took a different course.
He began to question whether the tension between them was entirely Isabel’s fault.
After all, her pique occurred after she had just learned of his near engagement to another woman, and this only after that woman had showed up unannounced in Spa.
Any woman would be troubled by the news and have cause to be jealous.
James had no intention of casting Isabel off, not after offering for her.
Perhaps when she was more certain of her place in his life, she would be more kind.
It might serve to act generously to such an end and buy the sapphire pin if it meant so much to her—and a matching piece of jewelry for her, which went without saying.
He rose from his bed and lit a candle, which he set beside his account books.
What were his monthly spendings? The balls at La Redoute were three florins each.
His lunches for the month were thirty-four florins, and his subscription to the comedy under twenty.
There were the small expenses, such as his laundry, that he could not avoid.
That reminded him that he needed to visit Annette the washerwoman to discharge the modest bill of eighteen patars.
James had come to know Annette after she had once timidly knocked on his door with apologies for her delay in returning his laundered items. She explained that her elbow was paining her, which prevented her from working at the same rhythm.
He promptly treated her injury by wrapping her elbow with a poultice and ordering a pause from her work.
Rather than bill her for his services as a doctor, he provided her with the money she would require to live upon for the time she needed to rest her elbow.
Her gratitude had been touching for what he had considered a small service.
He continued to scour his entries, squinting in the dim candlelight.
Three florins each day for his meals at the hotel.
Perhaps that could be reduced. Some ladies and gentlemen went out to the market and bought their own fruits, cheeses, and bread as though they were playing at being peasants.
It was part of Spa’s charm that one could drop all pretense and live simply.
Why could he not do the same? He could visit the market and furnish a plain meal to eat in his room each afternoon, thereby avoiding paying for two meals per day.
If he reduced his expenses, kept away from the cards, and resisted all temptation to purchase anything new in the way of coats or boots, he could use the remainder of his savings to buy the sapphire pin and a matching necklace.
In this way he would repent of his unenthusiastic courtship and reassure Isabel of her position as his betrothed.
She must know herself to be more important to him than his own simple tastes in dress—and most especially, more important than the woman who had once held the highest place in his esteem.