Frederick leaned back in his chair, an inscrutable expression on his face as he spoke. “Since the moment you walked back into our lives, I wondered if you would take after Oscar or your father. Now I know. You are split straight down the middle. You are a man ruled by his heart but who uses cold, hard logic to get there. I won’t underestimate you again.”

It was impossible to know if Frederick approved or was furious, but the rest of the votes proceeded without incident, and by four o’clock the world’s largest corporation had been born.

39

Gwen spent the afternoon packing books to be moved to her new home. For two years she had avoided sorting through her library, unable to throw out Jasper’s old books. Now it was easy. She was preparing for a new life, and that meant shedding the old. Most of the coming changes were going to be daunting, but discarding Jasper’s books wasn’t.

In September her new life would begin. She would leave this house to pursue a doctorate in botany, something she had always longed for but lacked the courage to do because it meant leaving Blackstone College. She hadn’t been ready before.

Now she was. Someday she would like to return to Blackstone College and become a full-fledged botany professor, but first she had to earn that privilege by proving herself at New York University. It meant moving to downtown Manhattan and starting a completely new life, but she could never get where she truly wanted to be without embarking on the challenge.

Time got away from her as she worked, and she was running late for the grand party to celebrate the creation of U.S. Steel that Liam was hosting aboard the Black Rose. Aunt Martha had telephoned earlier in the day to ask for a ride because Milton had taken their carriage to go fishing.

Gwen was happy to oblige. Martha’s son, Bertie, was always fun, and he kept them entertained during the twenty-minute ride to the marina.

“Who could have imagined that Liam would nab the Black Rose away from Oscar, eh?” Bertie asked as the carriage set off. “You know anything about that, Gwen?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t seen much of Liam in the past few weeks.” She’d spoken with him by telephone almost every day but only learned he’d acquired the yacht when the announcement of tonight’s party arrived.

It was going to be the first time she would see Patrick since that humiliating morning three weeks earlier when she begged him to stay with her. She would be calm and dignified. She didn’t need Patrick, even though she ached from the loss of his companionship and teasing humor.

“Let’s just hope Liam can throw a party as fine as Oscar always did,” Bertie said.