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“I think he’d like that. A chance to tease you from beyond the grave.”
“Henry did have a point. I’ve tried to temper my inclination toward contrariness, but it never seems to work. I’m my father’s daughter, and it’s in my blood. A bit of rousing debate was like a game for us. One we both enjoyed.” She gave him a cautious look. “But I know it’s not that way in everyone’s family.”
It certainly hadn’t been that way in Sebastian’s home. No good-natured arguments between his parents. Only threats and accusations and the sound of china shattering against the wall.
“I’ll try to be more patient,” he said.
“I’ll try not to be right all the time,” she teased. “I suppose this means our first argument as a married couple is out of the way.”
The knot in his chest unraveled. Apologies accomplished, just like that. He’d learned so much from his time spent in the Clayton house. It was in that house he’d learned to be a man.
Henry had taught him what it meant to be a friend.
Mr. Clayton had taught him what it meant to be responsible.
Mary had taught him what it meant to yearn. To sense there was something more beneath the surface of a friendship. To wish he knew how to bring that into the light. To wonder if he could ever deserve it.
She stopped to gather another cockleshell and turned it over between her fingers, inspecting it. Dissatisfied, she cast it away. “Imagine if I’d married Giles. I would have been ‘Mary Perry, quite contrary.’ How dreadful.”
He pulled a face. “Dreadful, indeed. Why did you accept his proposal if you didn’t love him?”
“Considering his political aspirations, I told myself I could do some good as his wife. That was before I realized he was only motivated by ambition. He didn’t truly care about serving the people. I’d have gone mad as his wife, trying to hold my tongue in company and support his bland political positions without expressing my own thoughts. I’m so relieved that I didn’t have to marry him.”
“Are you?”
“Yes. In fact, I’m more than relieved. I’m happy.”
Happy.
The word made Sebastian’s brain spin.
Naturally, he agreed with the assessment that she and Perry would have made a disastrous match. He’d known that from the first. Differences of opinion aside, the man simply wasn’t good enough for her.
But could she truly behappyto have been jilted?
That was too much to believe. In all likelihood, she was merely soothing her own feelings. Telling herself it was for the best, in order to ease the pain.
In time, he’d do his best to make her happy in truth.
“I have something for you.” He reached into his breast pocket, fishing around for his small gift. “I brought it back from the village, but I forgot about it earlier, what with all the—”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Surplus?”
“Exactly.” He smiled a little. “While I was at the smithy with Shadow, I had the blacksmith make this.” He withdrew the tiny circle of polished silver and placed it in her palm. “It’s only temporary. You’ll have something much finer at the first opportunity. But for now, it’s the best I could do.”
She regarded it wordlessly.
Sebastian shifted his weight from one foot to the other. At the smithy, it had seemed a good idea. Now that he saw it resting in her delicate hand, the ring looked crude and paltry. “You don’t have to wear it.”
She clamped her fingers over it, closing the ring in her fist. “Certainly I’m going to wear it. Don’t think I’ll give it back now.”
He exhaled with relief.
She slid the thin, humble band onto her third finger. “It was thoughtful of you to bring it.” She stretched up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
As she pulled back, he wrapped an arm around her, keeping her close. His gaze dropped to her pale-pink lips.
Irresistible.
