51

Drained, Victor entered the house in the mid-afternoon quiet. Mrs. Reed was there to take his coat and hat and he thanked her.

"Everyone upstairs?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

Victor ran a hand through his hair. He'd probably made a bit of a fool of himself today. He hadn't a head for numbers or money matters and Mr. Bankhalter had talked to him as though he were a five year old boy instead of a man in his thirties with a lot of money to manage. Victor sighed. At least it was done with.

Upstairs he peeked into the nursery. The older girls were bent over their lessons at the small table in the middle of the room. Yesterday Victoria had told him she'd had three replies to their advertisement for a tutor or governess. There was no village school, and the children were quickly aging out of what Victoria felt qualified to teach them. It was very important that the girls have formal education. They deserved every advantage.

Which was what today's visit to the banker had been about. Victor regarded his daughters fondly, then went next door to find Victoria.

She was in the bedroom with the baby, who was quickly leaving babyhood. Mary was already nearly a year old. Victoria was sitting in her chair by the window with Mary standing on her lap, holding her tiny little hands and speaking to her in a soft voice. Happily the baby babbled back at her. No real words yet, but sounds that followed the cadence of speech. Soon she'd be talking. And walking. And taking lessons like her sisters next door.

Victor sighed wistfully before entering the room. Both Victoria and Mary looked up and smiled when he came in. Mary reached out her arms for him in that way that made him feel extremely paternal and soft inside. He bent to kiss her and she grabbed his face with sticky hands. With some effort he managed to drop a peck on her forehead before she gave his cheeks a pat and turned back to her mother.

"It's done," Victor told Victoria as he wiped his face with a handkerchief and sat upon the small settee at the end of the bed. He tucked the handkerchief back in his pocket and added, "There is paperwork for you to see, but it's done."

Victoria nodded. "That is good news," she said. "Thank you. Very good news, isn't it, Mary?"

Mary wasn't listening. She was concentrating on lifting first one foot, then the other, just as studiously as her sisters bent over their books. Now and again she wobbled, muttering to herself in her tiny voice.

"Yes, a relief to get it sorted," he agreed, watching Mary hold tight to Victoria's hands and marching in place on her lap. Every now and again Victoria winced slightly. "I think it's what we wanted. Four accounts in trust, just for them. I made sure we put that provision in, that it won't transfer. They'll be well taken care of, Mr. Bankhalter assured me."

"And it was no trouble?" Victoria asked, her words a bit garbled because Mary was trying to play with her lips. "Mary, darling, no, keep those tiny hands to yourself."

Victor snorted, remembering. "Well, as soon as I thought to describe it as protecting the family money it was fine. When I was saying I wanted the girls to have money all to themselves to manage on their own when they were grown, he wasn't as receptive."

Victoria just shook her head. They were quiet for a moment. Even Mary, back to marching, had stopped chattering to herself. In the next room Catherine said something that made Lydia chuckle. Pages rustled and pencils scratched.

"They'll never have to marry, not if they don't want to," Victor said quietly. "Not for money."

There were few things about parenthood that the pair of them felt strongly about. But the one thing they'd always agreed upon and set before most anything else was that their children would never, ever be in the same position the two of them had been in. They'd never do that to them, not even as a last resort. Hence the trusts, the education, the frugal living. Anything else they could think of between now and adulthood, which was going to come sooner than they liked.

"Good," Victoria replied simply. She kissed Mary on the cheek as she gently removed her hands from her face again.

"Neither will you," he added. Victoria looked at him, eyebrow raised. "I, uh, took the liberty of setting up one for you, too. To be sure...well...if you ever remarry, if anything happens to me. The money's only yours, so nobody would try to—well…"

"I'd never remarry," Victoria told him lightly, confidently. "Oof, goodness, Mary, time to sit, aren't your legs tired?"

"Well, if you wanted to."

"I wouldn't."

"Just in case. One never knows. You might….I wouldn't want you to be…"

"Hush," Victoria told him gently. "Let's not think of it. I appreciate what you've done for us, truly."

Victor swallowed, his cheeks warm. He was a little bit glad she'd told him to stop talking about it. It wasn't as though he enjoyed such thoughts. The possibilities of what might happen to the family of very rich ladies that he'd leave behind...Well.

"Here," she said. "Do watch this instead."

She set Mary on the floor and turned her around, holding gently to her waist. Mary got her balance with a hand on Victoria's knee. "Go on," Victoria prodded kindly. "Go kiss Father."

Mary smiled a huge smile with her crop of incoming teeth. Hesitantly at first, and then gaining speed and confidence, she took a few wobbly steps toward him. Her little bare feet were visible where Victoria had hemmed her dress. Victor's mouth fell open in delight, and he was sure his smile matched Mary's.

"Look at you!" he cried, holding out his arms. Mary laughed triumphantly and tried to run the last few steps toward him. He caught her just before she fell over and scooped her up. "Oh, Mary, what a good girl! Clever girl! How long as she been doing this?"

"Just today," Victoria told him, beaming with pride and affection.

"Isn't that something!"

Happy and proud as he was, his heart still hurt a bit. He was sure Victoria's did, too. There went the last baby, walking into little girlhood. Into a future where, with luck, she'd be happy and successful. And well provided for without having to marry to achieve it. Marriage for her, and for her sisters, could be love matches based on friendship and affection, if they wanted to marry at all.

He leaned in to give Mary a kiss, overcome with paternal tenderness. She bit him on the nose.