“Going already?” John’s small face fell. “But the snow hasn’t fully melted yet.”
Oliver tugged affectionately at one of his ears, and Emily absolutely refused to let her heart respond to the gesture. “Wehave to get back to our family,” he said. “So they can spend time with us, too. But we’ve had a wonderful time being here with you all.”
“We have,” Emily said warmly, trying to ignore the full-body flush that suffused her when she thought what kind of wonderful time she’d had under their roof. Under the cold light of day, it felt sordid and deeply, overwhelmingly improper.
She loved it.
“And we’ll miss you all,” she added, trying to bring her mind to more suitable breakfast table matters.
“Will you come back and visit?” Sarah asked.
“My family lives a long way south of here,” Oliver explained. “I don’t know when we’ll next be up in these parts.”
Never, was the answer. Without being married, they could never return. Although she wished she could, if only to repay them for their generosity.
“Don’t you pester them,” Mrs Chambers said now, shooing her children away from the table. “They can’t promise anything, I’m sure, and we wouldn’t want them to, either.”
Oliver’s foot nudged hers, and his knee slid along the side of her thigh. Though no one else could see the gesture, it made her face flame, and she coughed into her tea.
His knee nudged her again, more insistently this time, and she caught the corner of his smile as mopped up his egg yolk with a slice of bread. Biting back a smile of her own, she nudged him back and glanced out of the window at the rapidly melting snow. The air temperature was positively warm now, and the trees and hedges were all bare.
By tonight, most of the snow would be gone, she suspected. And by this afternoon, enough of the road would be passable for them to make it to the nearest village.
Her heart squeezed at the prospect. The sooner she returned home to Isabella, the better. Her sister would probably behungry and cold, whereas Emily had been warm and well-fed these past few days. Not to mention partaking in—well, Oliver.
On the other hand, she didn’t want to leave. This had been a delightful interlude, and once she left, she would have to face the reality of everything she had done, and a life she had to endure, not enjoy.
The Chambers enjoyed their life. They had enough, and they had each other, and they were happy.
If only Emily could have faith she might one day have such a thing. But fate did not smile kindly on her, and even now, she had a prickling feeling behind her shoulder blades that something was about to go terribly wrong.
The next village along was called Bridekirk. After they assessed the roads and confirmed they could make the journey, all that remained was for them to gather what few things they had and bid their hosts goodbye.
“I will send someone for the horses and carriage,” Oliver told them as they gathered in the hallway. “And recompense for the cost of stabling the horses, of course.”
“Aye, you worry more about getting yourself settled. We’ll do fine here,” Mr Chambers said.
“You look after one another now, duck,” Mrs Chambers said, embracing Emily. “And don’t you worry about thanking us. It was a pleasure and a joy to have you around. Wasn’t it, Gerald?”
Her husband nodded, clapping Oliver on his good shoulder. “We hope someone would do as much for our daughter and her husband, that’s for certain. Take care of that arm, lad.”
“I will,” Oliver said.
“Do you have the money to repay them?” Emily asked in a low voice after they bid the children goodbye and crossed the yard to where the cart was being set up. Clarabella, to Emily’s relief, was firmly locked away.
“Whether I do or not, Henry does. He’ll send the money over regardless. It’s what’s right; he would never leave a debt like this unpaid.”
“Would you?”
Oliver grimaced, glancing up at the heavy clouds as though daring them to rain on him again. “Not if I can help it.” He adjusted his injured arm, wincing as he did so. “If Henry does end up having to fork out for this, I’ll pay him back.”
“With your allowance?”
“Well . . .” He kicked at the ground, looking almost bashful—and at anyone but her. “I thought—this morning, I thought I might approach my brother and ask him for help teaching me the things a landowner ought to know.” The tips of his cheekbones pinked. “I will marry at some point, and when I do, I will come into my inheritance, and I ought to know how to run it. Properly, without relying on a steward for everything the way my father does.”
Emily paused, realising the enormity of this confession. For the entirety of the time she had known him, he had posed his brother as some sort of tyrannical figure, but now Oliver intended to go to him, cap in hand, and ask for help.
She touched his unwounded arm. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
