Page 29 of A Groom for Lauren
“Not to sound vulgar, Christopher but what exactly is your inheritance?”
“My father left—” He paused and then grabbed both of her hands. “Lauren, you can help me. You can be my wife.”
Chapter Eleven
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Christopher knew they were the right ones.
He had spent the past two days since receiving the terrible news about his mother walking around in a stupor. It was hard to believe that his mother was no longer in this world; and that she met such a violent death.
What hurt his heart most was he didn’t know if she was proud of him in any regard. Granted she laughed, initially, but was she at least proud of him? There was nothing he could do about it now.
He was grateful that Mrs. McAllister traveled all the way to tell him the terrible news, but now, she had nowhere to go. She appealed to Christopher’s uncle to no avail. Even after many years of faithful service to the family, the uncle turned her away. With no living relatives, she pleased her case to Christopher.
What was she supposed to do with her life now?he thought.
It wasn’t easy to find a position when you were over forty. Most families already had housekeepers that had been with them for years. She didn’t have any family to live with. She was truly alone.
Fortunately, during his two days of pacing the town’s streets, an idea came to him, and he couldn’t wait to share it with Lauren. That was if she would answer his question. When the words asking Lauren to be his wife slipped past his lips, he knew they were the right ones. He knew in that instant, that she was what he wanted. Lauren and baby Esther. To take care of forever. Now, the suspense was eating him up inside.
Why was she taking so long to answer?
Lauren looked at him as if he were growing a horn out of his head. “Are you out of your mind, Christopher?”
“I am quite serious about this Lauren. My father’s will stipulates that if I marry, I can claim my full inheritance. That wasn’t an issue while my mother was alive, I didn’t need it. Now that she is gone, my uncle will be able to claim the money and keep it for himself.” He ran his hand down his face. “I know it may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to where you are from in Philadelphia, but that money will do a world of good here in Last Chance. I’d rather see it be used here than to be wasted back east.”
“What exactly is your inheritance?”
He cleared his throat. It sounded arrogant to even say the amount out loud. “Fifteen thousand dollars.”
Lauren blinked rapidly and her mouth widened. “My goodness. That is a lot of money no matter where you are from.”
“My father invested in the first railroad many years ago. People laughed at him, but he knew an opportunity when he saw it.”
“ Why didn’t you bring here when you came west? Or at least transfer it to the bank once you arrived?”
“That would make sense, for sure. However, the argument with my mother caused a rift between us.” He tugged on his pants, before sitting down in the chair. “She swore that I could not make it without my father's inheritance. She wanted me to stay in Richmond and marry. Keep my medical practice there. Problem was, I was miserable. It wasn’t what I wanted.”
“I don’t know how I can help. Do you think that marrying me will further your situation?”
Christopher thought about her words. Was he asking her to help him? Or was he asking her to marry him?
The difference was a significant one.
One implied that he needed her in his life to maintain access to his due monies and continue materially living his life. The other suggested there was more to his proposal than even he recognized. When did that other part of him begin to explore a life with Lauren as his wife in every sense of the word?
Was it when he had saved her life?
No, it wasn't at that moment.
It was when he saw her at the riverbank before she even took that first step and he saw her silhouette. Something inside of him came to life with a tiny spark and grew into what he was feeling at this moment.
And now he was asking her to marry him
Was it wrong for her to think he was asking her to marry him just to receive his inheritance? There was so much more to his request. Thinking about little Esther, something curled around his heart. In the two days he'd been away, he missed that baby more than he could imagine.
There was more to what he was offering her than just his inheritance. There was security and a home, help… maybe even love.
Could she see that when she looked at him? Could she believe that there was more to him than just a piece of paper stating he was worth a significant amount of money if he was married?
