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“Don’t be a bitch,” I muttered, forcing myself to sit up. I leaned back against the headboard with a sigh. “I started to pack, then I got distracted.”
“By what?”
“Painting.”
“Eva.” Matthew let the towel fall to the ground, and his wedding ring glinted.
I snorted.
“What’s so funny?”
“We’re married,” I said, meeting his eyes. “We actually managed to pull it off.”
The waistband of his boxer briefs snapped against his hips. “You doubted it?”
“Every second.” I shrugged. “I was sure someone was going to rumble us.”
“Well, they didn’t. We got away with it.” He pulled his jeans up. “As long as we keep it up, nobody else ever needs to find out.”
That was true. And on Anglesey, where nobody knew me and we were largely removed from everything other than his family and his household, it shouldn’t be that difficult.
We wouldn’t be together twenty-four-seven like we were when we were here in Somerset. He had his business to run, and I… would find something to do, I presumed.
“Have you honestly packed anything at all?” he asked, looking around again. “It really doesn’t look like it.”
I grimaced. “Not really. I got a little bit… chilly footed,” I finished lamely.
“Chilly footed? That’s a new way of saying you were scared shitless.”
“It’s a play on cold-feet, tosspot.” I swung my legs out of bed. I was naked except for my knickers, and I didn’t miss the way Matthew’s gaze roamed over my body.
Like he hadn’t been doing that with his tongue last night.
“My eyes are up here.” I snapped my fingers and grabbed a t-shirt from the drawers, then tossed it over my head. It was oversized and covered me up perfectly, something I wasn’t sure he was too enthused about.
“I prefer the view further down,” he murmured. “Well, where do we start?”
I looked around. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Please tell me you have boxes.”
I swallowed. “Uh…”
He gave me a withering look. “Really, Eva? You don’t even have boxes? We’re supposed to move tomorrow, and—”
“I have boxes.” I laughed. “They’re in Adelaide’s room. We just have to put them together.”
“Are you sure you have enough?”
I nodded. “Yes. They’re the same ones she used to move all her stuff to Bentley Manor, plus Mum got a few more since I’m moving further away.” I pulled some shorts from another drawer and tugged them up my legs. “Are you exhausted or is it just me?”
“It was a long day,” he conceded, bobbing his head understandingly. “Why don’t we make a start in here together, then we’ll go out somewhere for lunch for a break?”
I huffed. “That means I have to get dressed.”
“That, or you have to cook.”
“Getting dressed it is,” I replied, pulling open my wardrobe.
Matthew peered into it over my shoulder. “Christ, that’s a lot of clothes.”
“It’s one of three,” I mused. “It’s all my formal dresses.”
“Do you need all of those?”
“Is there much call for a formal gown on Anglesey?”
“I can’t think of any situation where this many would be required. Besides, it’s not the middle of the North Pole, Eva. There are places you can purchase some.”
I bit my lip. I didn’t want to leave them behind, but he had a point. Plus, was I really going to wear a lot of these again? “All right. I’ll just bring a few favourites.”
“Right. Do you have any garment boxes?”
“In Adelaide’s room.”
“Am I all right to go in there?”
My mouth tugged into a small smile. “There’s nothing in there but furniture. It’s fine.”
“Give me a minute.” He left my room and headed in the direction of her old one, and I moved along to the next wardrobe and opened the doors of that, too.
Wow.
I had a lot of clothes.
Maybe he had a point that transcended more than just the formal gowns. I didn’t need all of this, did I? And if I did, I could always buy more.
I hadn’t even thought about the difference in weather.
Was it colder? Wetter? Windier?
It was an island. Windier was probably a good call.
I rummaged through my clothes and started throwing things on the bed. The majority of my coats and jackets were tossed on the pile to bring with me, along with jumpers and winter weather clothing like scarves.
Matthew walked in with boxes under his arm and a roll of tape in the other hand. He eyed the things that were laid out on the bed. “You do know Anglesey isn’t in the Arctic circle, don’t you?”
I shot him a look over my shoulder. “Of course I do, but isn’t it colder there?”
“Yes,” he replied, putting the tape on top of my drawers and leaning the flat boxes against the wall. “But I’m not sure you need… three thick coats, a parka, two leather jackets, three denim jackets, and four waterproofs.”
I looked at the pile, pursing my lips. He might have a point.
