Me & Mr Jones by Ebony Oaten

Author:Ebony Oaten
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ebony McKenna

Chapter 5

Nerves twisting her stomach into knots, Carys took a steadying breath. “Close the tram door.”

Rhys laughed. “Do you think the horses will betray us?”

Carys shook her head with light relief at his joke. Her nerves, however, stayed with her. “It will block out a lot of noise, and I’m a little tired of having to speak so loudly over the din.”

Rhys closed the carriage door with a snick and the noisy hail on the roof mellowed.

“That’s better.” Carys could hear herself think once more. Definitely more soothing to the soul. “The numbers don’t lie. Patronage is down, and not merely because of the weather. I need a man at the helm, Mr Jones. Quite frankly, there’s nobody else I trust but you.”

He paused for a moment, absorbing her request. “I am deeply honored.” He started. Then his expression fell. “But I must tell you that your trust is misplaced.”

He was refusing her? That hadn’t been in her calculations. “No, it isn’t. You are a fine and honorable man, Rhys Jones.” She’d called him by his given name. It was, she realized, the first time she’d ever done that. It sounded so good to her ears. She wanted to use it again.

Rhys splayed his hands out, appealing to her. “Please...”

“Let me finish before I lose my nerve.” Carys pushed on. “Both my parents are dead. I have younger siblings to care for, and as everyone knows, Young David is only twelve. He has been stepping in recently to learn some of the business, but although he has had to grow up quickly, we can’t put the weight of this company on his shoulders. Number and Young David do not appear to be getting along, either. It simply isn’t fair on everyone who works for us, or on David, to put him in charge.”

“I see.”

Oh, but he didn’t. He couldn’t possibly see the whole of it. “Please don’t stop me or I’ll lose my courage. Patronage is down and everyone with a pair of eyes is aware of that. I can see no way out of this but to marry, and marry well. However, without said parents, I have nobody able to make introductions, on my behalf, to suitable gentlemen. And even if that were the case, I don’t want to leave the tramway. I love it, and I love the horses. And that is why I propose we marry.”

There, she’d finally said it.

Rhys’s mouth fell open in shock. For the longest while he said nothing. Silence hung in the carriage like a living, terrifying thing. Would he say anything? Anything at all?

Carys rushed to fill the silence. “Goodness, who knew I had the courage for that? It wouldn’t be the usual marriage. You see, I rather think of myself as an old maid and I am so very fixed in my ways. And I would still put the numbers in, I wouldn’t burden you with that. But Talbot and Jones Tramways would stand a chance of success. I can trust you not to over-ride my wishes and so you’d let me stay in the office.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.