Page 61 of The Wexley Inn
As darkness settled around them completely, stars emerged from the sky. They moved to sit side by side on the boat’s cushioned bench. The evening had cooled a bit, and Thomas draped a light blanket around Isabella’s shoulders, his arm remaining comfortably behind her.
They sat in silence for a bit, watching the moon rise over the marsh, its silver light creating a magical quality. The moment felt both new and familiar—echoes of their younger selves, yet deepened by life experiences that had shaped them in the intervening years.
“I guess we should head back soon,” Thomas said eventually, although he made no immediate move to raise the anchor. “The tide will be turning.”
Isabella hummed, equally reluctant to end their evening. “This has been lovely. Thank you for sharing it with me.”
He turned slightly to face her, his expression visible in the moonlight. “Thank you for being willing to explore whatever this is becoming between us. I know it’s complicated - our history and the renovation and all the island community watching our every move.”
She smiled. “Life is complicated, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid all connections that might be meaningful.”
“You sound like my daughter,” Thomas said. “She said almost the same thing to me recently.”
“Smart woman, your daughter. Must take after her father.”
“And her mother,” Thomas added honestly. “Sarah was very insightful about people and relationships.”
As they prepared to return to the marina, raising anchor and readying the sails, Isabella found herself thinking about the evening’s significance. It hadn’t been dramatic or flashy, but rather just an exploration of what could happen between the two of them. Thomas had struck a careful balance—romantic without being overwhelming.
Back at the marina, he secured the boat and walked her to her car.
“Thank you again for a wonderful evening,” Isabella said. “It was perfect.”
“I’m glad. Perhaps we could do it again sometime. There are other beautiful spots around the island I’d love to show you.”
“I’d like that very much.”
They stood close together in the quiet marina, the moment holding potential for further connection. Gently, Thomas leaned forward, his hand lightly touching her cheek as he kissed her. The contact was soft and brief, but held so many memories at the same time.
When they parted, she felt a sense of rightness that had been absent in her life for longer than she cared to think about. This was not the breathless excitement of youthful romance, but something more profound—a connection grounded in respect and shared values.
“Good night, Isabella,” Thomas said softly.
“Good night, Thomas.”
CHAPTER 15
The weekend passed in a golden haze. Saturday morning texts that made her smile over her coffee. A quiet dinner Sunday evening at the Waterfront Restaurant on the mainland, where they had talked until the staff started stacking chairs around them. Thomas had kissed her good night in her cottage doorway, his hand cradling her face with such tenderness that she leaned into it like a flower turning toward the sun.
Now, Monday morning found Isabella alone in the inn’s library, the early light streaming through the windows that Thomas’s crew had painstakingly restored. She sat at the antique desk she’d claimed as her temporary workspace, her laptop open to a spreadsheet of vendor invoices, trying to focus on details that would transform the inn into a beautiful business.
Her email chimed, a slight sound that would later feel like the first rumble of an earthquake. The sender’s name made her pause, coffee cup halfway to her lips. Claire Rousseau, CEO, Rousseau International Hotels.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen an email with those words, but she had carefully avoided it. Now, as she sat in front of her computer, she had nowhere to go. She set down her coffee cup, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest.
She knew the name. Anyone who’d ever spent any time in luxury hospitality knew the name. Rousseau International wasn’t just another hotel chain. It was the benchmark for historic property restoration throughout Europe. The company that had pioneered the concept of preserving architectural heritage while creating world-class guest experiences. She’d studied their properties in business school, used their case studies and presentations, and dreamed of working for them back when she still believed that corporate hospitality could be a meaningful occupation.
She clicked the email open, her hands unsteady.
Dear Ms. Montgomery,
Your work in luxury historic hospitality has gained recognition, especially your exceptional and innovative methods for balancing preservation with operational excellence. Your experience at Belmont Hotel Group showed a rare understanding of how historic properties can retain their soul while meeting modern standards, and this philosophy closely aligns with Rousseau International’s mission.
We’re expanding our European operations significantly over the next five years, acquiring and restoring landmark properties across France, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. This expansion requires exceptional leadership - somebody who understands not just hotel management but the deeper responsibility of stewardship that comes with these historical properties.
We want to offer you the position of Vice President of European Operations, based in our Paris headquarters. This role would provide executive oversight of our entire European portfolio, which currently consists of twelve properties and is expected to expand to twenty within three years. You’d work directly with our board of directors, architectural consultants, and government preservation agencies to shape our expansion strategy and operational standards.
More importantly, you’d have the autonomy to implement your vision across multiple premier properties with resources and institutional support that few positions in our industry can offer. This isn’t merely a management role—it’s an opportunity to influence how an entire generation of historic European hotels approach the balance between preservation and hospitality.
