Page 83 of The Murder of Thomas Cardwell
Her mother wept, and Bobby and Gibson surreptitiously wiped their eyes.
When the murderer was revealed as Keeble, Gibson spontaneously exclaimed, “Oh God! Poor Josh.”
Jordan felt that said a lot about Gibson’s true character.
After relating the unexpected outcome of so many well-deserved arrests, Ruth passed on the Commissioner’s condolences and commendation.
Jordan had remained silent to that point, but felt compelled to add, “In the end, by taking such a principled stand over the gun-running scheme, Thomas, through his death, was instrumental in bringing down multiple villains, all of whomwould otherwise have escaped the police’s net. In many ways, by many measures, Thomas died a hero.”
Ruth sent him a watery smile, and Mrs. Cardwell reached across and gripped his hand tightly.
It took several moments for the family and the staff to compose themselves, then the staff slipped away, and Mrs. Cardwell drew in a breath and raised her head. She looked at Ruth and smiled, then turned that smile on Jordan. “You have both brought me comfort. Losing Thomas is hard—very hard—but at least I know it wasn’t in any way his fault and that, ultimately, much good came from his death.” Her gaze shifted to Gibson, who was looking somber and serious. “And it wasn’t Gibson’s fault, either.”
He grimaced and raised his head. “Except for me being a stupid dupe.”
“You didn’t know,” Jordan said. “And in following you, Thomas made his own decision. You cannot and ought not take that burden onto your shoulders—that would, in a way, be diminishing what Thomas did.”
Gibson frowned, unconvinced but also uncertain.
Mrs. Cardwell rapped her chair’s arm. “Now, I know Cook had the dinner almost ready. You will stay to dine, won’t you, Jordan?”
He looked at Ruth, saw encouragement and hope in her eyes, and smiled, then turned the gesture on Mrs. Cardwell. “Thank you, ma’am. I’d be honored.”
Jordan hadn’t consciously made any decision to guide Gibson or Bobby, but over the course of the meal, he found himself gently steering the younger men. He was relieved to learn that the pair had been talking to each other about taking on the responsibility for the family that previously Thomas alone had shouldered and rethinking the direction in which each wished to steer their life. Jordan readily encouraged themto pursue their tentative notion of keeping Thomas’s business running.
As Ruth had told Jordan, both Gibson and Bobby had inherited the same facility with numbers that she possessed. In addition, Gibson was quite good with people, yet clearly doubted his capacity to step into Thomas’s shoes with the clients his brother had dealt with.
“I’ll be happy to help,” Jordan finally said. “I deal with business owners all the time. I could…I suppose the right phrase would be to mentor you as you pick up the reins.”
The offer was embraced with copious thanks all around.
Later, when he was taking his leave of the family, Mrs. Cardwell gripped his hand and looked into his eyes. “Thank you for all you’ve done for our family, Jordan. Please be assured that you will always be welcome in this house whenever you wish to call.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Jordan darted a glance at Ruth.Me calling here will, with any luck, happen quite often.
He shook hands with Gibson and Bobby and instructed them to send word to Dolphin Square if they had need of his advice.
Then he turned to Ruth, and she smiled and linked her arm in his. “Come, I’ll see you out.” Ignoring the interested looks from her family, she started for the front hall.
There, she amended, “In fact, I rather fancy a turn about the park.” Her laughing eyes met Jordan’s. “Will you please escort me, sir?”
His smile deepened. “I would be happy to, Miss Cardwell.”
They walked beneath the trees, now burgeoning into full leaf. Ruth looked up at the sky, then said, “Thomas’s life was cut short. Unexpectedly and unavoidably. If his death has taught me anything, it’s that the future is uncertain and always unknown.”
Jordan halted and turned to face her and took both her hands in his. “I feel the same.” He looked into her blue eyes.“And because of that, I intend to make the best of what life has placed in front of me—what it’s offering me now. I intend to enjoy life as it presents itself to the fullest.” He smiled. “As Penelope would say, there really is no other viable, sensible, logical choice.”
Ruth laughed softly.
Lost in her dancing eyes, Jordan drew in a deeper breath and asked, “Will you, Ruth Cardwell, live that life—life lived to its fullest—with me?”
She sobered, but still smiling, searched his eyes. “What, exactly, are you asking, Jordan?”
He took a moment to think, to find the right words, then said, “Until I met the Cardwells, I didn’t know I was looking for a family. I come from a close family, I’ve always been a part of a family, but I thought my family—the one I needed—was made up of Roscoe, Miranda, their brood, and Mudd, and Rawlings, and theirs.” He shook his head. “But it’s not. I’m close to them all, but as my forever family, that group doesn’t quite hit the mark.”
He looked into her eyes—fell into the blue—and spoke from his heart. “Fate has shown me—life has shown me—that the family I need is one that needs me. Like the Cardwells. So I’m asking if you will allow me to become a part of your family, to stand beside you and them. If you wish it, I’ll be there.”
She searched his eyes one last time, then a smile of great sweetness broke across her face. “Yes,” she simply said. “I would like—I would love—that.”
