‘Yes, it was moving, and it wasn’t easy, believe me. I had to hold the skirt in my mouth to keep it out of the way while I held the belt away from my stomach with one hand and cut it with the other.’
Diana had her hand over her mouth, covering her laughter.
‘It wasn’t funny at the time,’ Meridith insisted. ‘Clara had tied the belt so tight that even sucking in my stomach barely gave me enough room to get the knife under it. And the coach was bouncing on the cobblestones, and I had to keep checking to make sure Drake kept his eyes closed.’
Diana burst out in laughter. ‘I’m sorry. I’m picturing all that in my head, and I can’t imagine doing that.’
With laughter bubbling inside her, Meridith said, ‘I could barely sit with the bustle on. It was the size of a chair cushion. Every bump sent me sliding off the edge of seat. It was either cut it off or end up on the floor, looking like a chopped-down rosebush.’
They both broke out laughing and continued, while Meridith shared how Drake hid the bustle beneath his seat and promised to burn it.
As their laugher faded, Meridith said, ‘Drake promised to never tell a soul.’
‘I’m sure he never will,’ Diana said. ‘He’s a good, honest man.’
‘He is,’ Meridith said. ‘Which is why I couldn’t let Peter force him to marry me.’
‘But…’ Diana said, drawing out a length of silence before saying, ‘What if he wanted to marry you? I know he said he didn’t want to get married, but he certainly didn’t mind your company. Men do change their minds. As do women. You were so happy every time you’d been with him.’
Meridith had thought about that, but he’d told her several times that he wasn’t interested in marriage. ‘He’s married to the sea. It’s what he loves. He said it wouldn’t be right to leave a wife and children behind.’
‘Maybe you would love the sea, too.’
‘Love the sea?’
‘Yes. You’ve always loved geography and learning about new places and people and animals. Wouldn’t you like to see some of the places you’ve read about in person?’
‘Well of course, but he captains a cargo ship, not a passenger ship.’
‘So? I’m sure he has a captain’s cabin, and a bed big enough for two.’
Meridith’s heart began to race, but with all that had happened recently, she tried not to get her hopes up. ‘I couldn’t—’ She bit down on her bottom lip, but then asked, ‘Do you think—’
‘Yes,’ Diana said. ‘I think Drake would be very open to the idea of sharing a cabin with you.’
‘I couldn’t share a cabin with him if we weren’t married.’
‘I think he might be open to that idea, too. You won’t know until you ask him.’ Diana bumped their shoulders together again. ‘Alena saw the way he looked at you the night he had dinner with all of you.’
‘She did?’
Diana nodded as she reached down and plucked a daisy growing next to the rock. ‘She said she’d never seen someone try so hard to hide how attracted they were to someone.’
‘She did?’ Meridith repeated, still not daring to believe.
‘Yes.’ Diana began pulling the white petals off the yellow center of the daisy one at a time. ‘Sometimes a man needs a bit of encouragement to admit what he really wants.’
Meridith looked at her nieces playing in the water, giving herself time to ponder things a bit longer. ‘What if we’re wrong? What if he hasn’t changed his mind?’
Diana held up the flower, with one white petal left. ‘What if we’re right? What if he loves you?’
Meridith looked at the flower, then at her sister, who nodded.
Plucking petals from a daisy to determine love was a child’s game and meant nothing. Whereas, pursuing a man could be quite shameless, but if she didn’t, she might never…
Shaking her head, Meridith turned back to her sister, fully convinced that she was not going to regret trying.Was not.Grasping hold of the flower stem, she said, ‘I need to mail a letter.’
Diana frowned.
