Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Patrice Lewis (i read book txt) 📖

Jane’s emotions cooled. Is that what this was all about? “You already apologized, remember? You’re forgiven.”

“Nein, I’m not. I don’t deserve to be. I’ve had a hard time in the past, forgiving myself. I spent so many years taking on the blame for what Eliza did. But where you’re concerned, I don’t want to look ahead to years of regret. I can’t mess this up again. I can’t let you go, Jane.”

Her heart began hammering. Levy was still being awkward and clumsy in some ways. But he was trying very hard to say something very important. Above all, Jane did not want to misunderstand his intent. “What do you mean?”

“Jane…” He groped for her hands, held them firmly in his. “I want to ask you again to be my wife. Not as a business arrangement, not as a permanent nanny to Mercy, but because I love you.”

Her jaw dropped open in shock. She spent a few moments simply gaping at him. “Levy, where did this come from? I thought you didn’t like me.”

“Didn’t like you!” He stared. “Nothing could be further from the truth! Jane, I’ve worked with you for months now, and everything you do is wonderful. Everything. Your wit, your intelligence, your dedication to Mercy, your business sense, your hard work—everything. I haven’t found anything about you I couldn’t admire. It was only when Eliza told me you were going home that I realized how much I loved you.”

Conflicting emotions warred within her. This change of feeling on his part was so sudden, so unexpected, that she didn’t know what to say. For one of the few times in her life, she was speechless.

At her silence, she saw panic cloud Levy’s face. “Please, Jane, say yes.”

“I…I…” she stuttered.

His grip tightened on her hands, then he released them and half turned away. “So I misread the situation.” He dropped his head in his hands in despair. “I embarrassed you again with my clumsiness. I’m so sorry.”

“Levy, this is all so unexpected,” Jane choked out. “I was going home because I was convinced I meant nothing to you…”

He raised his head. “You mean the world to me, Jane. You mean the moon and the stars to me.”

She couldn’t help but smile a bit at his melodramatic turns of phrase. Then she turned serious. “Levy, what about your sister? What about Mercy?”

“I don’t know yet. She seems anxious to become a mother to her own child, but she’ll need help. She talked to your aunt about working in the store…”

“But if she works in the store, what about the baby? Who’s going to take care of her?”

“That’s part of the problem. She wants to contribute, but doesn’t quite know how. Jane, there’s something else you should know. Mercy wasn’t born out of wedlock. Eliza was married to an Englischer, but he died in a car accident while she was pregnant.”

Jane gasped. “Ach, how sad!”

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s very complicated. She has a long road ahead of her, but at least she wants to stay and be baptized.”

“Then Gott did answer your prayers.”

“Ja, as far as Eliza is concerned.” He looked at her. “I’m still waiting to see if He answers my prayers as far as you’re concerned. I’m waiting to see if Mercy’s beautiful nanny will become my wife.”

Maybe it was the hand of Gott reaching out, but she suddenly felt more confident of her path.

But she warned him, “I can be stubborn and hot tempered…”

“Welcome to the club.”

She laughed at that. “Levy… I… I have a confession to make. I thought about accepting your marriage proposal a couple weeks ago until the letter from your sister changed things.”

He couldn’t have looked more surprised than if she’d clobbered him over the head. “But you turned me down!”

“Ja, with some hotheaded words, as I recall. But later I talked things over with Tante Catherine. I thought about it all through the night and decided a one-sided marriage could eventually be made to work.”

“One-sided? You mean…?”

“Ja. I fell in love with you a long time ago, Levy. But I felt you didn’t see me as a marriageable woman, just a useful one.” Her old bitterness still tinged the word. “I couldn’t seem to escape the curse of being useful but not lovable.”

A tremulous smile lit his face. “So…has Gott answered my prayers?”

“Ja. I will marry you, Levy.”

EPILOGUE

“It’s lovely.” Aunt Catherine laid out Jane’s blue dress. “Eliza did a beautiful job sewing it.”

“I feel a little guilty, not sewing my own wedding dress.” Jane fingered the dark blue fabric which, she knew, brought out the color of her eyes. “But Eliza is such a fine seamstress, and she really wanted to make the dress. I think it’s one of her ways to thank me for taking care of Mercy for her.”

“Eliza has certainly settled down. I’m glad she’s one of your wedding newehockers.”

“And my younger sisters are the other two attendants.”

“Your parents seem to like Levy very much. I’m so glad.” Catherine dropped a kiss on Jane’s forehead. “You and Levy will be very happy, I’m sure.”

Jane hugged herself, her face aglow. “It’s a dream come true. I should have known Gott had a plan for me. And Levy. And Eliza. And Mercy.”

Catherine chuckled. “I must say, you make one of the happiest brides I’ve ever seen. And by this time tomorrow, you and Levy will be bound forever.” Catherine’s eyes crinkled. “You’re both gut for each other, that I can plainly see.”

“She’s gut for me,” said Levy, coming into the room.

“No doubts about your future wife?” teased Catherine.

“Are you kidding? Gott gave me the most beautiful bride in the world.”

Jane felt her heart well up with love for this man who thought her beautiful.

Aunt Catherine looked from one to the other, then murmured, “I think I hear Peter calling me,” and escaped from the room.

“Tomorrow.” Levy smiled at her.

“Tomorrow,” breathed Jane.

* * *

Just after