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It was quiet – as quiet as my tempest-prone home could be. We lay comfortable in the silence studying each other. It was one of the first times I felt complete with Edgar. Maybe because I was home in my safe world and not in his environment. Oddly, I felt like he was feeling the same – we were in our territory, not in the bustle of London. We had no demands on us, no immediate deadlines. For this moment, now, it was just about us and it was so powerful.
‘Catherine Earnshaw …’ he said my name.
‘Edgar Linton,’ I said his and smiled teasingly.
‘Will you do me the honour of being my wife?’
Chapter 30 – The happiest girl
I am engaged.
Meet my fiancé, Edgar Linton…ha… how grown-up that sounded. Being engaged was the most amazing feeling – it was hard to describe. It was like this excitement of knowing you had someone to travel your life with, and someone who loved you so much that they wanted to commit to you in a serious way. And just thinking of all the plans you would make and things you would do together now that you were committed to sharing your future was so exciting. I was just floating.
But Edgar put me in an impossible situation. I knew everyone was going to ask me how he proposed and I would have to say that he did the deed when we were naked in bed, after sex. Really! I thought we should orchestrate a much better story … he was a director after all. We could come up with some brilliant scenes. But in all honesty, it was perfect at that moment.
Speaking of dilemmas, I wanted to tell Heath before he heard about it elsewhere; it was one of the first thoughts that crossed my mind when I came down off my high. But I was still angry and hurt that I heard about his engagement from Isabella blurting it out. No, it runs deeper than that. I know I started this, that I wanted some space to be sure about what I wanted. Yes, I kissed Edgar, but never, ever, did I want to shun Heath forever and the last thing in the world I wanted was a future without him. To get engaged to Isabella killed something inside me. It said that he wasn’t waiting for me, that he didn’t care, that if I wanted to find myself I could do so without him. So fuck him, he could hear about Edgar and my engagement the same way I heard about his – through Isabella.
Edgar didn’t want to walk to the village café because he had calls to return and wanted to get home quicker after breakfast, so we drove down in his car and I was going to walk back to my future home, Thrushcross Grange, after breakfast. I needed the walks on the moors, they restored my soul. It was a warm and sunny morning, but that might not last; the weather could turn quickly on the moors. We picked a café which wasn’t Heath and my favourite and selected a hidden away table where we could have some privacy. After ordering, Edgar reached across the table and took my hand.
‘We have some big decisions to make,’ he said, looking at me seriously.
I sipped my orange juice and nodded. ‘I know, but I’ll work the dress out, promise.’
He chuckled and rolled his eyes.
‘Lighten up, fiancé,’ I teased him. ‘What big decisions?’
‘Well, where shall we go to get you a ring?’ he asked. ‘I was going to pick one out and present it but I thought it would be more fun to do it together.’
‘Absolutely,’ I said, my eyes lit with excitement. ‘I think we should get it atDream Come True.’
He stopped mid-sip of his juice and looked at me. ‘Really, from Mr Hurley in the village? You don’t want to go to Tiffany’s or somewhere with maybe a little wider range?’ he asked, being most diplomatic.
‘No.’
He shrugged. ‘Okay. Mum used to get some gifts atDream Come Trueoccasionally.’
I was surprised. I thought his mother would go to the city for jewellery buying.
I explained. ‘It’s our village and he knows us, and he has been running that family jewellery store since we were kids. Besides I stay in touch with Camilla.’
‘Is that the eldest daughter?’ Edgar asked.
I shook my head. ‘No, Camilla’s one of the twins; they were in my class. It could be good publicity for them too if they wanted to promote it.’
He smiled. ‘I love that you would do that. We could go after breakfast if they are open.’
‘Really? How exciting,’ I gushed like a kid and he laughed again. ‘Next big decision?’ I asked.
‘Do we get our agents to officially announce it or shall we? I have to tell Isabella first or she’ll explode,’ he said.
‘I think we should tell whoever we need to first, like Isabella and Nelly. We could call them straight after breakfast and swear them to secrecy for a few hours. Then, we could do a post online with the ring … or if we have to have one made, a pic inside the jewellery store and we announce it then. What do you think?’
He nodded. ‘Brilliant.’
Our breakfasts arrived and we thanked the waiter who looked about sixteen and a little star-struck. He asked if we would autograph the serviette for him, which we did, and then ordered two coffees from him before he left us.
Edgar started on his bacon and eggs while I moved my food around on my plate to divide it between what I would eat and what I wouldn’t. Two poached eggs were one too many and I didn’t need the huge wedges of toast that came with the meal. Edgar looked on hungrily, intending to finish mine too.
