Thomas detailed his meeting with Wilcox and added, “I have welcomed him to stay with us after all of this is over. He will have nothing left by the end. I know that is what you would want.”
He looked into her sorrowful eyes as she said, “Thank you, Thomas. How I bless having you as a grandson. Wilcox has been such a disappointment, but at least there is you.” She handed him his tea and passed him a plate of sandwiches and teacakes.
He took the plate and stared down at the plate for a moment. There… there were Jenny’s teacakes. He picked one up and thought,she touched these. She made these with her own hands, and with her love, and skill. Jenny made these for me.
He put down the plate and stood.
“Grandmamma, I must leave. I have something important I must do right now. I shall be back later this afternoon.”
“Oh, what is it, dear?”
“I will let you know when it is done.”
* * *
Jenny was kneeling in front of the bottom shelf of one of Helena’s bookcases when she heard the chamber door open.
“Did you find any books for Sally?” she asked.
But no one answered. She turned and was struck speechless.
“I have no books for your sister, Miss Jenny. But I have come to speak to you,” Thomas said, pale and shaking.
Jenny immediately stood up. “Your Grace, I believe Helena should be back any moment.”
“No, Jenny, I have come to see you.”
“But… how did you know I was here?”
“I went to your home first. Your mother told me where I could find you.”
“I do not understand. Why are you looking for me?” Now she found that she was breathless and shaking too.
He moved right up to her and took her by the shoulders. “Because I have something very important to ask you. Will you hear me out?”
“Of course, Your Grace,” she said her voice quivering.
“Thomas. You must call me Thomas, now,” he said.
“You came all this way to tell me I must call you Thomas?” she asked, her mind in a cloud of confusion.
He laughed. “No, Jenny, what makes you think I would come all this way to do that.”
“Then what? Have I done something terrible? Were some of my teacakes ruined?”
Again, he laughed. “Not a single one. No, Jenny I have come to tell you that I can no longer deny or repress my deep feelings for you.”
Jenny pulled away and stepped back. “I do not understand. You are to marry the Lady Alderman. Everyone says so. What are you saying? Is it my pastries you appreciate? I can understand that. But feelings? What feelings are you talking about?”
Just then Helena came back into the room with several books.
“Oh, look what I have found for your sister,” she blurted out before she saw Thomas. “Oh, hello, how lovely to see you,” she said. “You will stay for tea, will you not? I have just ordered it, and I can ask for another cup.”
“Stop. Stop,” he cried out. “I did not come for tea. I came to tell Miss Jenny I totally, one hundred percent love her, and I came here to ask her to marry me and be my Duchess.”
“Oh…” Helena said, dropping the books and taking a step backward.
Thomas turned to Jenny and with his fiercely loving gaze said, “Jenny I have struggled for months with my feelings for you. It is you I love. I have sent Lady Alderman packing and there is no one else I want in all of Great Britain—in all of the whole world—that I want to marry except you. Will you marry me, Jenny Barnett, and be my wife?”
