In truth, Tulip adored this love Sophie and John shared.
She hoped this is what she and Alex would look like thirty years from now.
They had yet to get through a single day.
Alex understood what she was thinking.“This will be us, Tulip.Never give up on me.”
Give up on him?
Did he believe she would leave him as his mother had left his father?
She could not see herself doing such a thing.
Perhaps his mother had felt the same about his father, going into their marriage with all the hope of love and then seeing it fade.
The Davenport reputation was a foul one, indeed.
This was why she had avoided Alex all these months, but he had won her heart anyway.Would their marriage turn out to be a big mistake?
No.
She could not think this way.
The wedding breakfast went well into the evening because no one wanted to leave.Tulip was also fretting about embarking on this next phase of her life and did not mind delaying its start.
She supposed their marriage would be like the phases of the moon, at times glowing and bright, at times waxing and other times waning, and sometimes dark when the moon fell in shadow.
The hour was approaching nine o’clock by the time they departed Chipping Way and made their way to Alex’s apartment in Bloomsbury.
They traveled in the twilight hour, the fading sun extremely bright as it settled over the Thames.
The moon was already out, hardly more than an inconsequential white ball against a pale blue sky.
“We’re here,” he said.
She peered out of the carriage window as the team of horses drew to a halt in front of his residence.This would be her home now, although only for tonight because they were leaving tomorrow morning for Somerset and the Davenport estate.
Her trunks had been brought over earlier in the day, but nothing was to be unpacked since they would not return to London for months, and possibly not until next year.
Alex introduced her to Mrs.Gayle, his housekeeper, who had waited for them to return before going home.She was a pleasant, older woman who had a bountiful smile and a kind expression in her eyes.“Welcome home, Your Graces.”She then turned to Alex.“It is a pleasure to meet the young lady who has captured your heart.”
Tulip did not think she had managed that feat yet, but was hopeful he would come to love her in time.“Thank you for taking such good care of him, Mrs.Gayle.”
“It has been my honor, for he is an excellent man.Works too much and thinks too hard.”
Tulip laughed.“Yes, I suppose that is him in a nutshell.”
She noticed that her trunks were stacked in a corner of the parlor along with his own, as well as some special pieces of furniture and furnishings that probably held sentimental value for him and were to be brought along to Thornwycke Hall.“We’ll never fit all of these into your carriage.”
Alex nodded.“We’ll have two conveyances.A carriage to haul us and a cart for all of our belongings.”
“Mostly mine,” she realized, for she had three trunks to his one.
“Gowns take up more space.The luggage cart will follow us, but it will be more heavily laden and likely move at a slower pace.Do you have enough clothes for the next two weeks?We’ll load those onto our carriage.That ought to get you through until the rest of our belongings arrive.”
“I’ll be back first thing in the morning to help you,” Mrs.Gayle assured Tulip.“His Grace has thoughtfully arranged for Trent to see me home tonight and pick me up early tomorrow.”
Once Mrs.Gayle left, Alex gave Tulip a tour of his apartment.
