Chapter 4

“Do you feel comfortable being alone with me?”

The frank question startled Eva from her blind contemplation of the dismal scenery of Evansgrove. She looked over at Luc as he sat next to her in the wagon bed. Toying with the ribbons of her bonnet, she cleared her throat.

“You’ve given me no reason to feel uncomfortable.”

That was not a direct answer to his question, but the only one she could give. Being around Luc did strange things to her insides.

She, along with her aunt, had spent the morning with him. After they ate the breakfast the mercantile owner and his wife graciously offered, Luc took them on a tour of the town and the immediate outskirts. The more she saw of the place, the less she liked it.

“Geweldig. I’ll notify Mevrouw ter Bane.”

Eva wiped her hands on her skirt. The conversation she’d been hoping for and dreading was about to happen.

Aunt Nethanja came out of the mercantile then. She wore a new jaunty hat, perched on her head like an eager little bird. “Where are we off to next, Mijnheer de Jeu?”

“Mevrouw, I would like to speak to Juffrouw Van der Heiden alone, please.”

Though spoken with all due deference, it was clear it wasn’t a request. In the short time she’d been in his company, Eva noticed a forceful nature about Luc. Nothing domineering or arrogant like her father.

At least she hoped not.

Aunt Nethanja gathered her skirts. “Of course. How long will you be?”

“I’ll return her to you as soon as our conversation is complete.”

He wouldn’t answer the question. Aunt Nethanja’s nose flared in indignation. “Very well.”

With a click of his tongue, the wagon was moving again. “We’ll go to my office where we can be assured of some privacy.”

“That sounds fine, mijnheer.”

He slid a glance in her direction. “Luc.”

She licked her teeth. Saying his Christian name was acceptable, but it felt awkward. “Luc.”

Silence hovered over them as they traveled the short distance to the building at the other end of the street. Before long, Luc was opening a door at the north end, ushering her into a rather unpleasant smelling office.

“Zitten.”

Eva took the chair Luc had offered and he scooted it under her as she sat. “Dank u.”

Taking off his hat and hooking it onto the coat tree, he moved with a fluid-like grace around the desk and sat across from her. Eva removed her bonnet and placed it on her lap. Luc’s dark eyes settled on her and the butterflies in her stomach took flight.

“I think we should get down to business then, shall we?”

Eva cleared her throat. “Ja.”

He leaned back in an indolent way. “Mevrouw ter Bane explained the constraints of our marriage to you, correct?”

Eva nodded. “You need me to help retain your position.”

“Correct. At the end of the eight months, Mr. Fitzgerald, the Hive’s lawyer, will come to verify we meet the terms of the will. If we do, then I will continue to hold the position. If not, then I will give way to my associate.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” she blurted out without thinking.

He hadn’t moved but a peculiar stillness overcame him. “Why?”

She pulled on the loose ribbons of the bonnet. “Shouldn’t a wife be loyal to her husband?”

“It isn’t practical to expect your loyalty when we hardly know each other.”

“Nee,” Eva agreed haltingly, her eyes drifting away from the intent dark gaze. “It isn’t. But all the same, you have it.”

His head tilted to the side. “Explain yourself.”

Her back stiffened. Was he challenging her? The muscles eased as she realized he was only curious about why she should feel this way.

“I never expected to marry, Luc.” A lifetime of shame and humiliation threatened to overwhelm her, but she pushed it away. “But here I am, about to be bound to a man in all the ways that count except one.”

“And in that one way, you mean ... love?”

“Ja. Love. Yet, I believe that a husband and wife should support each other. Neither should be left alone to bear the burdens of life. Love should not be a necessity in order to do that.” Bitter memories paraded in her mind.

“I am surprised to hear you say that. I must be truthful and tell you that I don’t agree with your stance.”

Eva’s eyebrow arched. For the first time, she saw his gaze directed at her birthmark. She waited to see his expression change, but it didn’t. “Why?”

“My moeder was such a woman,” he said in a terse manner. “She was loyal to my vader although I believe he did nothing to deserve that.” His eyes narrowed. “Loyalty should be earned. It should be nurtured.”

Her breath lodged in her throat. “What do you mean?”

“She spent most of her life alone, waiting for my vader as he went all over the world for the Hive. My vader always took me with him. There were times we were gone for months on end.”

Eva couldn’t believe her ears. How could this man she’d never met until yesterday have similar experiences as she did? He might as well have reached inside of her mind and stolen her very thoughts. As he spoke, he conjured up images she’d rather not dwell on. Her mother, waiting, always waiting for her father to come home.

“It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized how lonely my mother must have been with my father always gone. I’m surprised she—”

His words trailed off into a charged hush. The tension that emanated from him touched her like prickly barbs. Uneasy, she shifted in her seat. “Is something wrong?”

His hand shook the slightest. Luc cleared his throat and shifted his gaze away from her. “I’m a bit surprised with myself is all.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never spoken about my parents before. I’m not quite sure what made me do so now.”

A silence settled between them. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it contained a curious air of expectancy. Unsure of what to say to his revelations, Eva’s gaze darted around the room until they rested on the circlet on the wall. An intricate piece of embroidery mixed with polished stones and gems.

She pointed to it. “Is that an Indian object of some kind?”

“I believe it is, although I’m not sure what it is. It was here when I chose this office.”

“It’s rather lovely.”

He grunted.

“We have a lot in common, Luc.” She tugged her regard away and focused back on him.

“What do you mean?”

“Your sentiments about loyalty reflect my own. My own vader was rarely home. He was gone for days at a time. Where he went, we never knew. It seemed he only stayed long enough to get Moeder with child before he left again.”

Luc leaned forward. “I assure you, that will never happen with me.”

Eva smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.” They were getting married for convenience’s sake, so she had no doubt about that. “I wanted you to know that I understand. However, my loyalty is given to you freely because I made the decision to do so.”

“I’m not sure how to respond to that.”

“Say nothing. Please know that you have it. I’ll do what I can to assist you.”

“I should tell you about the Hive.”

She blinked. “The Hive?”

“It’s the company name. Well, its true name is Holland Investments, Ventures, and Enterprises. We call it Hive for short.”

Her eyebrows drew in. “Why did you name it after one city?” It hardly made any sense to her. Holland was only one city of many in the Netherlands.

The corners of his mouth lifted. “It was part of a game we played as boys.”

“We?”

“My associates and I. The men who are the primary stockholders of the company. You’ll get a chance to meet them either today or tomorrow.”

“I would enjoy that.” She motioned with her hand to continue. “Please.”

“We were bored one day, and we were practicing our English. Joppe had written Holland Investments on his paper. One of us noted that the capital letters spelled ‘hi’ in English. From then, we went on with the game until somehow, we came up with the title. It was Gerrit who went to the vaders and suggested calling the company, the Hive.”

“And it stuck, I see.”

“It has.” A boyish grin brightened his face. “The Hive was started by the vaders. And what I mean by that is that my father and his boyhood friends all decided to go into business together. They wanted to pursue the next opportunity to make money and so they formed the company.”

“You say the vaders a lot.”

“Do I? It’s ingrained, I guess. We’ve always seen them as a collective if you will.”

“They must have been close.”

A strange look passed on his face. “They were. Closer than some brothers are.”

Luc went on to tell her how the primary stockholders, or the fathers, as he called them, each had a skillset that worked with the greater whole of the company. His father had a natural flair for leadership, and it was decided he would have majority interest in the company.

“Under my vader’s guidance, the Hive has done well. Now, it’s up to me to continue that tradition.”

“I find it all rather fascinating.” A giddy excitement swept up her arms. This was no farmer she’d marry. His life, as he told of his various travels sounded like an adventure book.

When he finished detailing the overall picture of the Hive, she leaned forward. “Despite the obvious, Luc, what do you need me to do?”

He hadn’t meant to reveal anything about his parents but Eva’s flushed face and sparkling hazel eyes wreaked havoc on his insides. Something about her made him reveal things he’d rather not think about.