“It’s wonderful. You going out into town to talk to everyone appears to have paid off.”
“Aye. Theodore is seething mad, though he’s trying to mask it. I’m just playing daft like I havena any idea why people are returning.”
She laughed. “Won’t he figure it out?”
Gunn shrugged, his massive shoulders straining the seams of his white linen shirt. “I dinna ken. He hasna yet. Which is good. I dinna want him to ken that I’m aware of his antics until I and my friends show up at the bar he owns. I’m certain he will show his face then.”
She bumped him with her shoulder. “You are evil.”
He tapped her nose. “I am no’, but if I were, I am your evil.” He kissed her on the cheek.
Jocelyn looked around to gage people’s reactions, but no one paid them any attention.
“Did ye need aught?”
“Oh, yes. The modiste delivered my new gowns amongst other things.”
“Great. Just in time. How did they come out?”
“Lovely. They are all beautiful. Her talent is unmatched. Though I believe there are more items than I had spoken to her about.”
Gunn grinned wide. “I wanted to ensure ye had plenty.”
What a sweet gesture. He’d gone to the modiste after she’d been? “That is very kind of you. One problem though.”
He frowned. “What is wrong? I will have her fix it straightaway.”
“No, no. As I said everything is lovely. But I don’t have anything to pack them in. My travel bag is much too small. Do you have an extra travel trunk I can borrow?”
“Borrow? Nay. But I have one ye can have.”
She ducked her head shyly. She still wasn’t used to being treated so well. “Thank you.”
“I’ll bring it up shortly. Will that work?”
“Of course. Whenever is convenient for you.” She turned to leave but spun around again. “What time are we leaving this afternoon?”
“The ride isna long, but I would like to leave around noon. Will that be acceptable?”
Other than packing, she didn’t have any other plans. “Of course.”
He nodded. “I’ll be up shortly with the trunk.”
“Thank you.”
She really felt like she was living in some sort of fairy tale like her father used to tell her when she was young. This type of relationship was what she had expected with Victor. Hermood darkened at the thought. Wariness still hung heavy on her shoulders whenever his name entered her mind. There was a possibility that he could still find her. What would happen then?
Legally, they were still married. What she was doing with Gunn was wrong. She knew it. Gunn knew it but cared not about the ramifications. He’d mentioned his friends were well seated and would help her through the situation. She only hoped they got a chance to work everything out before Victor found her.
Certainly, she didn’t want him to find out about the babe. She wanted him to stay as far away from their baby as possible.
Back in her room, she folded everything neatly so that it would take up as little space as possible in the trunk. Even so, with the number of items, she wondered if one trunk would be enough. It had to be. She would make it work. The last thing she wanted to be deemed was difficult and needy.
“I’ve got your trunk,” Gunn called from the hallway, and she rushed to open the door to let him in. He entered and set the trunk beside the bed, his eyes scanning the piles of folded clothing.
“Thank you. It shouldn’t take me long to get these packed and then I’ll be ready.”
He smiled, and tugged on her arm, pulling her closer. He sat on the trunk and for a moment she worried that he would split it in two with his heft, but it remained intact.
