She reached the altar and gave him a smile to restart the heart that had almost forgotten to beat. He remembered the first time he’d met her, when she was a happy, fearless toddler. Even then he’d sensed that she was a girl in a million.
So many memories. Begging food from the kitchens together. Heated discussions about books. Her screaming at her father not to kill him. Now that they were here at the altar, it all seemed somehow inevitable.
With shining eyes she took his hand, they turned to Reverend Harbow, and became husband and wife.
* * *
Callie felt she should be more nervous given how dramatically her life had changed, but she couldn’t summon any worry. This was Richard, after all. There shouldn’t be any great surprises in their marriage, and that wasgood.
He’d hired a private parlor in the Indian Queen Hotel for the wedding breakfast, which was more of a wedding luncheon. The food was good, though perhaps not as good as Sarah’s. But none of them should have to cook or clean up after a wedding feast.
The talk and laughter went well into the afternoon, until Richard stood and raised his glass. “A toast to friends, and our thanks to you all for being here.” He looked each person in the eye, beginning and ending with Callie. Then he grinned. “Nothing but good times ahead!”
He drank the toast amid much laughter, then set the glass down and took Callie’s arm, raising her to her feet. “I leave you to enjoy each other’s company for as long as you wish, but I’ve booked the honeymoon suite in this hotel for Callie and me. As fond as I am of those tobacco barrels, I don’t want to sleep with them tonight!”
More laughter while Callie blushed. She suspected that everyone had known what mischief they’d been up to among the barrels. Richard said, “We’ll stop by the loft in the morning to say good-bye. And, Hawkins, we’ll join you on your dinghy in time to catch the tide.” Then he whisked Callie away.
She took his arm as they headed toward the stairs that led to the hotel’s upper floors. “A genuine, proper bed? With no tobacco barrels? Such luxury, my lord!”
He chuckled. “I’m not sure we’ll see such luxury again. Even though Hawkins is giving us his cabin, it’s compact and I’m not sure how large the bed is. And while my house in London is comfortable, I wouldn’t go so far as to call it luxurious.”
“No matter.” The honeymoon suite was on the top floor along with the other suites. As they stepped from the stairway onto the deep carpet, she saw that a sizable mirror had been mounted on the wall opposite the top steps.
She was startled by the image of a strikingly handsome couple before she recognized who it was. Of course Richard was handsome enough for any two people with his height, broad shoulders, and shining blond hair. The surprising part was that she looked his equal. Though not as beautiful as Richard, her image showed a confident, elegantly dressed woman who seemed a fit partner.
The reflection was brief because he swept her by the mirror and unlocked the door to the honeymoon suite. It was on a corner with a sitting room and a bedroom visible through a door on the left, and it had many windows. “This would have been a fine place to watch the bombardment,” he observed.
She entered the sitting room and crossed to a broad window that framed a splendid view over the harbor. “You’re right, we’re higher than the warehouse here and the star shape of the fort is very clear.” She turned with her back to the window and said, “We’ve already proved we’re compatible, so we can pass the time in other ways. A game of cards, perhaps?”
He laughed as he swept her from her feet, a tawny lion in truth. “I’ve never found cards very interesting. But you, my Catkin, are endlessly fascinating.” He carried her into the bedroom and deposited her in the middle of the wide bed, following her down and kissing her as soon as they were both horizontal.
When they came up for air, she gave a gurgle of laughter. “What a very fine bed this is!”
“And I intend to make sure we don’t waste a minute of time with it.” He caught her around the waist and rolled onto his back with her on top. “Finally we’re legal!”
She wriggled against him, finding the most comfortable place to lie. Their bodies fit together so well. As his hand found one breast, she said breathlessly, “Nothing that feels this good can be anything less than sinful!”
“Sinful, maybe.” He nibbled along her neck, to melting effect. “Butlegallysinful.”
Clothing started melting away under impatient fingers. Though there was no reason to rush, the first time they came together it was swift with the passion they’d repressed for the last days. Oh, yes, they were compatible . . .yesss!
After, they lay naked under a sheet as they recovered. She loved that she had the right to touch him wherever and whenever she liked. She loved sharing a pillow with his face turned to hers, his gray eyes as clear and light-filled as quartz.
“I think,” she said slowly, “that this marriage will be relatively easy to adjust to because we trust each other completely. Isn’t that a splendid foundation for marriage? When strangers marry, trust takes time to build.”
“You speak from experience, I assume. I like that I don’t have to spend a lot of time guessing what you feel or what you want. It helps that you’re so admirably direct.” He toyed with her hair where it spilled over her shoulder. Clearly he liked the “touching wherever and whenever” part as much as she did. “Have you thought about what kind of life you’d like us to live, Callie? You know about the London house, but if you don’t like it, we can buy another.”
“I expect I’ll like it very well,” she said immediately. “London is the beating heart of England, yet I know nothing of it. I shan’t grow bored any time soon!”
“Would you like to have a country place as well? A manor not far from the city so we don’t have to spend a great deal of time traveling to and fro.”
“I’d like that, but can we afford it?” She reached out a hand and ran it down his side, then paused as she found a scar on his upper arm. “Someone shot you?”
“Only a little bit,” he assured her. Before she could ask whatthatmeant, he went on. “As for what we can afford, you may recall I was always good at saving my money.”
She suspected that was because he’d never been able to trust those around him, so he wanted to have his own resources to fall back on. “Yes, you even had elopement money when we needed it. I hadn’t had much experience with money then, but I’ve become fairly good at squeezing pennies till they squeak. Plus, eventually I’ll have my jointure from Matthew’s estate. That should augment our finances nicely.”
“Remind me to get marriage settlements drawn up in London,” he said. “I thought of it when we were up to our ears in Baltimore lawyers, but settlements seemed less important than the inheritance issues.”
