Jane darted to her bedchamber, opening the door so quickly it bounced off the wall. “My straw bonnet with the green ribbons.”
Her maid, Dorcus, rushed into and out of the dressing room, holding the hat. “What’s got you in such a thither?”
“Mr. Addison is here. We are going for a carriage ride.” That Jane was going to look at houses with Hector, she kept close to her chest. They had come so close to marrying the last time he courted her, she did not want to raise anyone’s hopes. Especially hers. Although, that might be a lost cause.
Her maid placed the hat on Jane’s head. “Don’t let him get away this time.”
She didn’texactlylet him get away the last time. If only they had both had more gumption, when her father refused his suit and his father sent him to work for an uncle in India. Now, she had no one to please but herself. “We shall see.”
Just as she reached the hall, the door opened. Before he could even ask for her, she sailed forward, took his arm, and led him down the steps.
“Is there a reason you do not want me in the house?” His tone was slightly aggrieved as he helped her into the carriage.
“It is nothing at all like that.” Jane settled her skirts. “Until we . . .” How was she to explain this? “Do you have any idea what it is like living in a house with ten curious children?”
He gave the horses their office. “I can’t say that I do, but trying to imagine it gives me a fright.”
She slid a sidelong glance at him. The corner of his lips quivered as if he were ready to burst into laughter at any moment. “As it should. It is a wonder anyone can have a private thought.”
“You care for them a great deal.”
The tension of rushing out of the house before anyone saw her began to drain. “I do. I feel as if they are my own nieces and nephews.”
He steered the curricle in a northerly direction, turning right around the square and onto Bruton Place. The carriage stopped before an elegant three-story white stone town house on the corner of Bruton and Barlow Place. Two bow windows flanked the front door.
“Here we are.”
Poor Hector, he had been gone so long he probably didn’t realize how dear the house would come. “It is lovely.”
“That was my exact thought when I rode by it yesterday. You must be honest with me as to whether or not you like it.”
How could she not? Still, it would hurt his pride if she adored the residence and he could not afford it. Mayhap the better idea would be to find fault. Jane held her tongue as they entered the hall, which was tiled pink marble; the columns and the wide, curved staircase were of the same material. Before she could stop herself, she’d exclaimed, “How beautiful!”
With his hands behind his back, Hector looked like the cat who’d eaten the canary. “I thought you might like it. When the fellow described it to me, I thought it would bring out your complexion.”
“Bring out my . . .” Whatever was he thinking?
“Yes, it reminds me of the inside of a large shell I once saw.” He twined his arm in hers. “Let’s look at the rest of it.”
Try as she might, from the well-appointed rooms, to the modernized kitchen, Jane could not find a thing wrong. It even had a huge ballroom. He led her out the French windows to the walled garden. As they snoodled along a path, she fell in love with the property. Yet he was making a mistake, and she must say something. “What would you do with such a large house?”
“Live in it.”
“But, Hector . . .”
He led her to a stone bench. Once she was seated, he sank to one knee. “I should probably wait longer, but I feel as if I—we have lost so much time already. Jane Carpenter, would you do me the great honor of being my wife.”
Dorcus’s words echoed in Jane’s mind. Love and consternation showed in Hector’s lovely blue eyes. “Yes. Yes, I will be your wife.”
As he had once before, he touched his lips gently to hers. “You’ve made me the happiest of men.”
His forehead was against hers when she said, “This house is wonderful, but maybe a bit . . .” Even now, she couldn’t say it.
“Pricey?” He grinned.
A little gumption was what was needed. “Well, yes. To put it bluntly.”
“My love.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “First, I will tell you that I will not allow you to cry off.”
