Page 58 of The Wexley Inn
As they walked toward the kitchen, Luella watched Isabella with a shrewd look on her face. “You seem different lately. More settled somehow.”
Isabella smiled slightly. “Oh, do I?”
“Mmm-hmm,” Luella hummed, as she commonly did. “Like someone who’s finally got an answer to a long-standing question, maybe?”
Her knowing look made it clear she suspected as much. Rather than responding directly, Isabella changed the subject. “Wow, this kitchen is really coming together. Once the cabinets are installed, we can schedule the equipment delivery.”
“Avoiding the subject, I see,” Luella said, unperturbed. “That’s fine. Some conversations need to happen in their own time.”
She stood in the kitchen entrance for a moment, where workers were unloading the custom cabinetry designed to complement the room’s historical character. “Just remember that understanding the past doesn’t necessarily dictate the future. All that part’s still up to you.”
With her cryptic advice delivered, Luella walked into the kitchen to inspect the cabinets, leaving Isabella to stand there, reflecting on what she had just said.
It was true that learning the real reason behind Thomas’s abrupt ending of their relationship had given her long-sought clarity. The knowledge that his decision had been driven by responsibility and honor, rather than a change of heart, had healed an old wound she had carried for decades.
But understanding it created its own complexity. What did it mean for their relationship now? The circumstances that had separated them no longer existed. Emma was grown, Thomas had been widowed for fifteen years, and they both had built successful careers, which ultimately led them back to each other through the inn’s renovation.
Did this convergence of their separate paths suggest the possibility of a relationship, or was it merely a coincidence?
These questions had occupied Isabella’s thoughts over the last couple of weeks as she tried to focus on the inn’s restoration. The project, of course, was her primary focus, but she couldn’t deny that her feelings for Thomas had evolved beyond professional, maybe even into friendship territory, or beyond.
The kitchen delivery took up the rest of the morning, and Isabella worked with the installation team to ensure the cabinets were placed according to the plans. The commercial kitchen was one of the most significant updates in the renovation, blending historical aesthetics with practical needs for running a hospitality business.
By early afternoon, the cabinet installation was well underway and progressing smoothly enough that Isabella felt comfortable leaving it to the skilled workers without her direct supervision. She headed to the library, where she had a scheduled meeting with potential staff members for the inn’s eventual operation.
The hiring process had begun in earnest, and Isabella was looking for people who understood both hospitality and the unique character of the inn they would be representing. Today’s interviews were for key positions: assistant manager, head of housekeeping, and front desk supervisor. These were all roles that would be important in establishing standards from the outset.
As she reviewed the résumés one last time before the interviews started, she thought about how much her life had changed since buying The Wexley Inn. What began as just a work project had become something more complicated and personal. The inn was not only a business, but also a part of the community, a form of creative outlet she hadn’t realized she needed, and unexpectedly, a way to reconnect with her past.
The afternoon interviews proved promising, with several candidates seeming both technically qualified and possessing the personal qualities Isabella sought. By the time the final applicant departed, she had made preliminary selections for every position, pending reference checks and, of course, second interviews.
As she organized her notes from the meetings, Isabella heard a familiar voice in the hallway - Thomas, speaking with one of his crew members about the dining room floor installation. There was just something about his voice that comforted her in a way she hadn’t expected. It brought an involuntary smile to her face.
Moments later, he appeared in the library doorway with a blueprint rolled under his arm. He always had the best arms. That was something she had never forgotten about him.
“Sorry to interrupt. Do you have a minute to talk about the veranda railing design?”
“Of course,” Isabella said, clearing space on the table for the blueprint. “How’s the dining room coming along?”
“Beautifully,” Thomas replied. “The floor is going to be ready for finishing by the end of the week. We’re a little bit ahead of schedule there.”
He unrolled the blueprint and showed drawings of a proposed restoration for the inn’s wraparound veranda. The original railing had been replaced several times over the decades, with the current version dating to the 1960s renovation. At the time, they had prioritized maintenance over historical accuracy.
“I found photographs of the original 1870s railing design,” Thomas explained, showing some historical images pinned to the corner of the blueprint. “It was more ornate than the current version, with these distinctive spindle patterns and decorative corner posts.”
“It’s beautiful,” Isabella said as she studied the detailed craftsmanship, while trying not to look at Thomas’s dimple. “Can it be accurately reproduced?”
“Absolutely,” Thomas confirmed. “I have a woodworker on my team who specializes in these kinds of historical reproductions. He can create this pattern exactly using the same kind of wood as the original.”
“And it will meet current safety codes?” Isabella asked, again trying not to make eye contact. She could smell his cologne. This was getting difficult.
“With minor modifications to the height and spacing,” he nodded. “The changes won’t be visually apparent, but they’ll satisfy code requirements.”
As they discussed the technical aspects of the railing restoration, she became acutely aware of his presence as they bent over the blueprint. Their shoulders occasionally brushed as he pointed out different elements of the design, creating brief moments of contact that seemed charged with electricity.
“I think this is exactly right,” Isabella said, approving the design. “It restores the important architectural feature while making sure guests are safe. When can the work begin?”
We can start the fabrication immediately,” Thomas said. “Installation would follow the exterior painting, probably in about three weeks.”
