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“Perhaps,” Mabel said, finding Mac’s gaze through the dimming twilight sun. “Some enemies turn out to be friends in the end.”
* * *
Mac sat on the other side of Captain Sheffield’s desk, Mabel waiting primly in the chair beside his. The captain watched them through narrowed eyes, working his bottom lip with his teeth, his beard quivering.
“You want to get married,” Captain Sheffield said. “And where do you plan to live?”
“We have not made that decision yet, sir.”
Mabel leaned forward. “I need to speak to Gram and discover her plans first, Papa.”
“What has my mother to say to any of this?” he asked, looking between Mac and Mabel. “Surely you do not intend to remain here.”
“I plan to purchase an estate nearby,” Mac explained. The room was growing stifling and he longed to run a finger between his cravat and throat to loosen it but chose to hide his weakness from his future father-in-law. Inquisitions upon the ship were much less frightening than this.
“And we will bring Pippa and Gram with us, of course,” Mabel added. “And Mrs. Boucher. She has become something of a companion to Gram, and if she’d like to stay on, I think it would be good. But we’d like to allow Gram some say in the scheme. It cannot be easy for her to leave her home now.”
Captain Sheffield’s eyes warmed as he looked at his daughter. “If I know my mother, Mabel, she will go wherever you go, and she will not complain…so long as you bring her chair.”
“Well, naturally. I wouldn’t dream of leaving the chair here.”
“And how soon are you hoping to wed?” His probing eyes found Mac once again and Mac fought the urge to fan his face. Was the fire built up this morning? Surely the captain wouldn’t build a fire in the heat of the summer.
“Mac planned to speak to the vicar tomorrow,” Mabel said. “We’d like to begin the reading of the banns this Sunday.”
Captain Sheffield’s eyebrows rose a fraction, but he nodded, seemingly impressed. “Then it’s settled, I suppose. That gives us just under a month to prepare the house, and you will move into Camden Court at the start of August.”
Mac leaned forward, certain he’d misheard. “Forgive me, sir. Did you say Camden Court?”
“Indeed.”
“And why, Papa,” Mabel asked, appearing as confused as Mac felt, “would you mention it? Mac tried to purchase the estate, but it had already sold.”
“It had already sold because I had already purchased it.”
Stunned silence fell over Mac and Mabel.
Captain Sheffield looked at his daughter. “You mentioned it a few weeks ago, you might recall. Never before have you asked me for anything, Mabel. I knew you wanted this, so I moved ahead and arranged it.”
She frowned. “But that was when I refused to marry Mr. Wright.”
The captain nodded. “I assumed Charles would marry soon, and this way you could have your own home. I was unconcerned with you marrying, Mabel, as long as you were happy. Though after watching Mac chase you up the stairs after you hurt your leg, I began to have my suspicions that you wouldn’t remain unmarried for long.”
Mabel’s cheeks flushed.
“I only wanted you to be happy, Amabel.” Captain Sheffield turned to Mac. “And I am counting on you to make certain she is.”
“I will, sir,” Mac pledged. He shifted, taking Mabel’s hand in his. “I love your daughter, sir, and I intend to take care of her.”
Mabel smiled at him, and Mac was entirely certain he was the luckiest man in England.
“Then consider the estate my wedding gift,” Captain Sheffield said.
Mac’s stomach constricted. “I could not accept such charity—”
“I did this for my daughter, Mac,” the captain said, unwavering. “And I will not hear another word about it.”
“Yes, sir.” Mac held the man’s gaze, an unspoken agreement passing between them. It was clear that he sat across the only other man in the world who could possibly rival him in love for Mabel Sheffield.
Turning to Mabel, he allowed a smile to spread over his lips. “Does that sound agreeable to you?”
She nodded, her wide smile matching his. “I think I might be amenable to the scheme.”
