She curled into him and whispered in his ear, “I like you so much.”
He had bigger words swirling around in his head than just “like.” His feelings for this woman were way beyond that. They were huge. But what was he supposed to say at this moment? She was here, and he was about to go to a place far, far away. Leavingwas already gonna be tough without making it even more complicated.
“Jane told me about her idea,” he murmured into the top of her head. “My death story.”
“Where you will go on a forever fishing trip?” She went quiet for a moment, but when she continued, her voice was steady. “What do you think?”
He exhaled a broken laugh. “You mean, is that the death that I’d choose?”
“I suppose, yes. Not everyone gets that, right?”
“You’ve got a point. And as to my thoughts, a fishing mishap is a little boring. What’s the implication? That I got overexcited pulling in a sea bass and tipped my ass out? Then I couldn’t swim, so that was it? Lights out? Down to Davy Jones’s Locker?”
She gave an exasperated huff. “What else would you prefer?”
“I don’t know,” he mused, the lingering sensation still coursing through his body, the shock waves slowly fading. “Lightning? What if I got struck by lightning? That’d make for a story, wouldn’t it?”
“It certainly would. But then there wouldn’t be a body, which poses a problem. I don’t believe lightning can make a person disappear, can it?”
“Fair point, fair point. You’re always one step ahead of me. All right, then, if we’re aiming for a lack of a body, I suppose Jane’s plan will have to suffice. There aren’t many options that can be believable yet avoid the need for a corpse. But even with this, there will be some who don’t believe the story.”
“How could anyone ever predict the truth? It is impossible.”
“I agree. They’ll never predict what really happened. But after seeing your family, it seems reasonable that some folks might beunkind... Gossip and say I ran off back to America. I guarantee at least one rumor will be that I was already married.”
“It may tarnish my reputation, but it shan’t be enough to ruin me. Mamma will undoubtedly require her smelling salts, and Mr.Alby will fume. Henry will feign disappointment, yet secretly he will be relieved, as it means he will once again be the sole heir and progenitor of future Wooddashes.”
“You could...” He cleared his throat and gave name to a terrible idea that had occurred to him a few days earlier. “You could marry again. You’d have every right.”
“Oh heavens, no. Why would I ever do that?”
“Love.” He spoke the word; at least it was safe in the abstract.
“No, Tucker Taylor.” She burrowed into his chest with a sleepy sigh. “I’m afraid you’ll be the only man I’m ever willing to have as a husband.”
He rubbed her back gently as she drifted into a midafternoon nap. A twinge of jealousy crept into his heart, whispering that he should feel content; after all, he shouldn’t desire to share her with anyone else. And yet he found himself wanting her to experience a life brimming with passion and love on her own terms.
The next two days passed in a blur. When they weren’t sneaking up to the bedchamber while Georgie and Jane pretended not to notice, they spent time together as a quartet, enjoying cakes, engaging in gossip (or rather, he listened to Jane, Georgie, and Lizzy gossip while he chuckled), playing parlor games, or enjoying Jane’s readings from her book,First Impressions.
“No, no, no. That’s still not the right title at all,” Georgie asserted matter-of-factly. “Sense and Sensibilityis memorable. You need something similar. Something that will capture the public’s imagination.”
“I’m not disputing your point,” Jane replied, taking a small sipof tea, her brow furrowed. “I simply haven’t come up with anything better. Tuck, what are your thoughts?”
He sat up abruptly. “Me?”
“I don’t believe there’s another Tuck in our company,” she retorted with a hint of amusement.
“All right, all right. Let’s see. You have this Elizabeth Bennet, a spirited and intelligent woman. While at first she can’t stand Mr.Darcy, their misunderstandings gradually give way to love. What kept them apart?”
“Her pride after he hurt her feelings at a ball. And his prejudice to her social position and her family.”
“Why not just call it that?Pride and Prejudice?” he asked with a shrug.
Jane dropped her teaspoon into her cup. The metal rattled the porcelain, exacerbating the silence. “What did you just say?”
“I mean, I’m not a writer.” He held up his hands. “If it’s stupid, just ignore me and move on.”
“It’s not stupid,” Lizzy said carefully.
