And Amanda’s heart soared.
“You mean it?” she whispered, her fingers curling around the arms of the chair, to hold her upright. “You would not be disappointed if I can talk him into marrying me?”
Alistair’s expression was hidden when he bent over the pad of paper, but she could guess what he was thinking from how deeply the pencil dug in as he wrote.
He should marry you because you’re wonderful. And because he cares about you.
“How do you know?” she whispered.
Her brother’s pencil paused, and when he lifted his gaze, one of his brows was cocked wryly. “Ye’re lovers.”
“Yes, but any man could…” Even as she said the words, Amanda was shaking her head. “No, not Hiro. Hirodoescare for me, hemust.”
Alistair nodded. “Too honorable. Too good.”
Hiro was too honorable to make love to her unless he cared for her.
Slowly, her expression eased into a smile. “He loves me,” she whispered.
“Aye,” her brother rasped, and tapped his pencil against the paper. “Get him…admit it.”
How? “Eight wheels of cheddar cheese?” Amanda asked dryly. “I imagine if the seven swans did not overwhelm him, then?—”
A knock on the door interrupted her, but unlike her, Smithers didn’t wait for an invitation. “A telegram, Your Grace,” he intoned as he stepped through, carrying a silver platter.
Amanda’s brother sighed, holding out his hand impatiently, but the elderly man merely clicked his tongue. “A telegram forLady Amanda, Your Grace.”
Her heart simultaneously leaptandfroze in her chest, hope and fear warring for dominance.
The shaking of her hand was almost imperceptible as she reached for the paper, but when she opened it, the hard block in her ribs eased, melting into joy…for the first time in weeks.
FOR THE LOVE OF SHITE MANDY STOP. I’LL SEE YOU ON THE 6THSTOP
Her lips slowly curled.
It was unsigned, but there was only one person who called her Mandy.
For the love of shite, Mandy, stop.
Her—their—campaign of ridiculousness had finally convinced Hiro of her intentions. She wasn’t going to forget him just because she was among her family. She wasn’t going to stop loving him just because he’d hidden himself away in York.
I’ll see you on the sixth.
The sixth of January was the Epiphany.
The Epiphany was the end of the Christmas season
Hiro knew where she would be on the sixth, and now she had her brother’s blessings to go to him.
Hearthwell-on-Cozing.
Hearthwell, and the legend of the well which would grant them happiness.
CHAPTER 10
Hiro had to admit he was impressed by Hearthwell-on-Cozing. The town was quaint, almost cozy. While industrialization had definitely affected the outskirts, the middle of the town was picturesque, seemingly almost stuck in the last century.
Collar turned up against the January Northumberland wind, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his overcoat and strolled, trying to get a feel for his surroundings.
