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Julia laughed and shook her head. “Dear Aunt Madge! She is enjoying having the management of a house again, I suspect.”
“How can one tell?” he murmured. “Is there a slightly diminished level of crossness about her?”
“That is just her way,” Julia said. “You will grow accustomed to her, just as I shall grow accustomed to your Uncle Morgan, who is every bit as grumpy, I should say.”
“True enough. What a pair they are! All families have their crosses to bear, and mine perhaps has more than yours. I apologise in advance for inflicting them upon you. Shall we go back inside, and you can tell me about this house in Grosvenor Square?”
“I’d much rather talk about our house,” she said, suddenly shy, as they entered the empty hall.
“I had much rather not talk at all,” he whispered, scooping her into his arms, and raining kisses upon her upturned face. “Dearest Julia, I am going to make you so happy.”
“I believe you,” she said as soon as his kisses allowed, although a little breathlessly. “I shall do my very best to make you happy, too.”
“Well, of course you will! How could it be otherwise?”
“I’m not very ladylike or accomplished or any of the things I’m supposed to be, and I know nothing at all about keeping house. How will I ever manage?”
“You will ask your Aunt Madge for help, of course. I am sure she would be delighted to oblige. Julia… my darling girl… you must not worry about trivialities. Thomas and I have muddled along in the rectory for years, so I am sure that you and I can muddle along too. And we shall be muddling along together, and what could be cosier than that? I grew up in a highly regimented household, and I find I have a great fondness for muddling along.”
She laughed a little, but said quietly, “You will not mind, then, if I break things and spill things and tear things and trip over things? I am dreadfully clumsy, you know.”
He kissed her forehead, then gently cupped her face with his hands. “Julia, dearest, I fell in love with youbecauseyou do all those things. If I had wanted a refined and accomplished and ladylike wife, I could have married any time these last ten years, but I did not. Conventional women who conform to societal norms bore me to tears, whereas you… adorable, enchanting you… have held me in your hand from the very first moment I saw you sitting on the gate, swinging your legs. I love you exactly as you are, my darling girl. You must never, ever change.”
“Then you mustn’t change, either. I loveyoujust as you are, too.”
“Well, I should like to be a better clergyman, and once Thomas is gone to St Agnes, I shall have to be, but I hope I shall not change so very much otherwise. I shall still go shooting and fishing and hunting whenever I can, and I will still hide myself away in the hut on wet days, and I shall still toast bread and cheese, but now you will be beside me.”
“Not the hunting, perhaps,” she said, laughing. “Hunting and I don’t agree, remember? But the rest… yes, please!”
“I can teach you to shoot, if you like.”
“Me and guns? You must be mad!”
“Fishing, then. That is a pleasant, gentle occupation on a fine day. One sets up the rod and then lies back on the river bank to await developments, and if one has a charming companion to lie beside on the river bank…”
“That does sound pleasant,” she said. “I shall be well compensated for missing London, I think.”
“No regrets, then? No second thoughts?”
She slipped her arms around his neck and gave him his answer in unequivocal fashion, without a single word being spoken.
THE END
