“Yes, and Mrs. Harris is such a kind woman. Father loved her immediately.”
Mr. Wentworth linked his hands behind him and rocked back on the heels of his boots. “Splendid.” He glanced at Terrick. “Miss Walsh, I’m assuming you met my son?”
She peeked a look at him again. Curiosity arose, and she really wanted to know what had happened to him to make him look this way. “Yes, of course.”
“Do you remember meeting him seven years ago?” the older Wentworth asked.
Terrick groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Father, don’t push the issue.”
“Actually, no,” she said hesitantly, even though the situation was very awkward. The atmosphere had become very thick between father and son, and the son’s eyes were shooting invisible daggers at the older man.
“I just wanted to know if she remembered you,” Mr. Wentworth explained in a calming voice.
Terrick growled. “And she doesn’t, so don’t force her.”
The older man faced his son and folded his arms across his chest, meeting the other man’s glare perfectly. “If you would just listen to me for once in your life, I will—”
“Pardon me?” Terrick’s voice lifted in anger. “That’s been my problem for the past seven years. I’ve listened to you.” He shook his head. “No more, Father.”
He moved away from his father and came closer to Bella. His breathing wasn’t so labored as he met her gaze, and thankfully, the anger in his eyes was gone.
“I hope you can forgive my father and me for airing our quarrel in front of you. I won’t let it happen again.”
She didn’t know what to say, so she nodded. For a moment, Terrick had frightened her with the anger he’d displayed, and she wondered if he was a violent man. However, his sister didn’t seem affected. She looked rather bored, in fact.
Anastasia pulled on Bella’s arm again. “Let’s go to my room and away from these irritable men.”
Without another word, the girl tugged Bella out of the room and up the stairs. Bella didn’t need to glance behind her to know that Terrick was watching her. She felt his gaze on her. It was an odd feeling, and she didn’t know how to describe it. She wasn’t frightened, not really, and yet, it oddly disturbed her. At least that’s what she figured was the cause of the tingles running up and down her spine.
“YOU WERE OUT OF LINE, Father!”
Terrick had waited until Bella and his sister were up the stairs before closing the door to the sitting room and facing his father. He couldn’t hold back his frustration any longer.
His father held up his hands in surrender. “All I wanted to do was see if there was any recollection about what happened to her seven years ago.”
Grumbling, Terrick rolled his eyes. “And you didn’t think I could handle talking to her myself?” He pushed his fingers through his hair and paced the floor, using his cane to help him because of his limp. “But that’s been the problem for years, hasn’t it? My father has never believed that his own son can handle real life.” He stopped and faced the older man. “When I was twenty-one and had fallen in love with Bella, you told me to wait until she was more mature.”
His father held up a finger. “Now you must agree that I’d made a good decision at that time. You were both too young for marriage, and you needed to find what you wanted out of life.”
“I wanted Bella Walsh, and she wanted me.”
His father shook his head. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” He motioned his hand toward the window. “Because of my suggestion, you have created your own empire. You co-own a railroad, for heaven’s sake. That’s quite impressive, son.”
“Yes, but at what cost?” Terrick snapped. He moved to the window and looked outside. It was a beautiful day with a blue sky overhead and a welcoming sun that promised to bring warm temperatures. “Father, if you had just allowed me to court her. But no, you convinced her mother that the girl needed to forget about me for seven years.” His crushed heart wrenched harder. “Next week will be seven years exactly. And now... she doesn’t remember me at all.”
“How was I to know that the girl’s mother would somehow wipe the memories out of Bella’s head?”
Terrick swung around to look at his father. “Yes, how indeed?”
The older man shrugged. “If only she were still alive, then we could ask her.”
“But we can’t, so now I need to figure out a way to make her remember... without scaring her away.”
“Son, I believe you will succeed, just as you’ve done so far with your life.”
“The only reason I succeed with the railroad is that I don’t have to be at the depot. If I were to show up to work, I would have people quitting on me.”
“Terrick, I wish you wouldn’t think of yourself like a beast.” His father’s frown deepened. “You are still the handsome, robust son that you’ve always been.”
Terrick hated it when people pitied him. His father’s constant remarks only made Terrick feel worse. Wasn’t it bad enough that he had to look at himself in the mirror every day and see his distorted body?
“Father, just stop.” He swished his hand through his hair. “From now on, let me handle Bella. I don’t need your interference in this. Heaven knows what would happen as the end result. We don’t need her getting in a carriage accident that could take her life – like you did to your son.”
His father’s face hardened. “Now that was uncalled for, and I wish you’d stop blaming me.”
Terrick gave a nonchalant shrug. “I only put the blame where it lies.” He limped toward the door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to be by myself for a while to think of how to bring back Bella’s memory.”
As much as he wanted to hurry to his room, his limp kept him from going fast. Purposely, he walked
