I felt sad for Mother. I felt ashamed. I swore to myself I would not cry in front of this man. When I felt tears burning my eyes, I turned and started to leave the room.
He caught me at the door, and pulled me back inside.
“Wait,” he said. “I’m sorry. Perhaps I’ve misjudged the situation. I thought you knew everything. I thought— well, obviously I was mistaken about what I thought. Sit here please, just for a moment. You’re very pale. Have you had anything to eat?”
“I— I don’t remember. I think I was far too anxious to eat.”
He went to the door, opened it and spoke to someone in the hallway. “Bring some wine and a tray of sandwiches,” he said.
Retuning, he sat beside me on the small settee. When I moved away from him, he laughed. “I won’t bite you, Miss Brady. Nor do I intend to try and seduce you. If you will allow me to start from the beginning, perhaps we can figure out where things went wrong.”
I wiped my eyes and waited for his explanation. If it could be explained.
“Your father had something my father wanted. Which brought about the poker game and the wager. Your father owned much of the marshland, and my father wanted it to ensure our privacy. Apparently your father considered the land essentially worthless.”
“Not to me! The marshland means everything to me. It’s my home, where I grew up. I love it and I cannot imagine living anywhere else.”
“I meant as far as monetary value goes. Your father was happy to sell land he didn’t value to a man who wanted it, and he drove a shrewd bargain. He must have cared about you and your future to have insisted that you be a part of the bargain if my father hoped to have the marsh.”
I sat at up stiff and straight. “Are you saying my father is the one who insisted I marry you? And your father agreed?” I found that unbelievable. Incredible. “This is America. We’re hardly European nobility entering into an arranged marriage.”
“America or not, they both agreed to the bargain.” He stood up and walked to the fireplace, leaning against it and gazing at me. “Your father insisted that you marry James or me.”
I could not believe my ears. “My father insisted that I marry you or your brother? Oh I see— you drew straws and you lost.” I didn’t try to contain my sarcasm.
His head came up and his eyes turned cold. “If you knew me better, Miss Brady,” he said, his words slow and deliberate, “you would know that I never lose at anything. James and Edna fell in love and were married. I am the single one, therefore I am the one left to fulfill my father’s commitment.”
“Why have you never married?” I asked.
“I didn’t say I never married, I said I am single. Perhaps I should have said I’m a widower. My wife died in an accident two years ago.”
“Oh, I— I’m sorry.” Tears formed in my eyes again. I felt confused and embarrassed and I didn’t like apologizing for something I hadn’t known about . I hated the entire situation and at the moment I only wanted away from Marshbay. Away from Ian Fitzgerald and his smug gaze. Away from the craziness of it all.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “You and James were both married, so how –“
“You’re right, it is confusing,” he said. “I’ll be perfectly honest with you.” His voice was steady and his gaze direct as he explained. “When your father passed away I don’t think my father ever intended to keep the bargain he made. He viewed it as a friendly card game and both of them were drinking heavily. He could find some other way to get the land he wanted. Perhaps he would have forgotten it. But when Jacob Brady died, my father received a letter from a lawyer reminding him of the bargain he made and signed and pointed out the pact was legal and binding. But as you adeptly recognized, my brother and I were both married at the time so there was nothing to be done.”
“It was later, some months
He caught me at the door, and pulled me back inside.
“Wait,” he said. “I’m sorry. Perhaps I’ve misjudged the situation. I thought you knew everything. I thought— well, obviously I was mistaken about what I thought. Sit here please, just for a moment. You’re very pale. Have you had anything to eat?”
“I— I don’t remember. I think I was far too anxious to eat.”
He went to the door, opened it and spoke to someone in the hallway. “Bring some wine and a tray of sandwiches,” he said.
Retuning, he sat beside me on the small settee. When I moved away from him, he laughed. “I won’t bite you, Miss Brady. Nor do I intend to try and seduce you. If you will allow me to start from the beginning, perhaps we can figure out where things went wrong.”
I wiped my eyes and waited for his explanation. If it could be explained.
“Your father had something my father wanted. Which brought about the poker game and the wager. Your father owned much of the marshland, and my father wanted it to ensure our privacy. Apparently your father considered the land essentially worthless.”
“Not to me! The marshland means everything to me. It’s my home, where I grew up. I love it and I cannot imagine living anywhere else.”
“I meant as far as monetary value goes. Your father was happy to sell land he didn’t value to a man who wanted it, and he drove a shrewd bargain. He must have cared about you and your future to have insisted that you be a part of the bargain if my father hoped to have the marsh.”
I sat at up stiff and straight. “Are you saying my father is the one who insisted I marry you? And your father agreed?” I found that unbelievable. Incredible. “This is America. We’re hardly European nobility entering into an arranged marriage.”
“America or not, they both agreed to the bargain.” He stood up and walked to the fireplace, leaning against it and gazing at me. “Your father insisted that you marry James or me.”
I could not believe my ears. “My father insisted that I marry you or your brother? Oh I see— you drew straws and you lost.” I didn’t try to contain my sarcasm.
His head came up and his eyes turned cold. “If you knew me better, Miss Brady,” he said, his words slow and deliberate, “you would know that I never lose at anything. James and Edna fell in love and were married. I am the single one, therefore I am the one left to fulfill my father’s commitment.”
“Why have you never married?” I asked.
“I didn’t say I never married, I said I am single. Perhaps I should have said I’m a widower. My wife died in an accident two years ago.”
“Oh, I— I’m sorry.” Tears formed in my eyes again. I felt confused and embarrassed and I didn’t like apologizing for something I hadn’t known about . I hated the entire situation and at the moment I only wanted away from Marshbay. Away from Ian Fitzgerald and his smug gaze. Away from the craziness of it all.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “You and James were both married, so how –“
“You’re right, it is confusing,” he said. “I’ll be perfectly honest with you.” His voice was steady and his gaze direct as he explained. “When your father passed away I don’t think my father ever intended to keep the bargain he made. He viewed it as a friendly card game and both of them were drinking heavily. He could find some other way to get the land he wanted. Perhaps he would have forgotten it. But when Jacob Brady died, my father received a letter from a lawyer reminding him of the bargain he made and signed and pointed out the pact was legal and binding. But as you adeptly recognized, my brother and I were both married at the time so there was nothing to be done.”
“It was later, some months