But she hadn’t. In fact, she seemed to like him just fine. Never in his most wishful of thoughts had he contemplated a woman as beautiful and capable as Eleanor might let him hold her hands, much less marry him. But she had, and a tiny flicker of hope in the back of his mind thought that maybe this could grow into something even more. Something like what his parents had together.
“All right. I trust you, and I’ll do my best not to worry over money,” Eleanor said.
He warmed at her words. “I never want you to worry about money ever again.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said with a little laugh. “Thank you for the fabric and the yarn. It’s beautiful, but it means even more to me that you went to the trouble of thinking of it and choosing it.”
Merrick shifted his weight, almost wishing they could go back to talking about money. “You’re welcome,” he managed to say.
Thankfully, Eleanor sensed his discomfort and turned the conversation to the topic of the upcoming holidays. She gently pulled her hands from his to gather up the fabric, yarn, and wrappings. His hands felt strangely empty, and he didn’t know what to do with them. Eleanor solved that problem by handing him the empty wrappings.
“So, what do you think?” she asked.
He stood there a moment, trying to figure out what he’d missed.
Eleanor ducked her head to hide a smile as she crossed the room. Placing the fabric and yarn on the small table beside the two chairs at the fireplace, she said, “About the greenery. I’d love to cut a few sprigs to hang over the door and the fireplace to celebrate the season.”
“Yes,” he said quickly. “That sounds nice.” He didn’t entirely understand why she wanted pieces of trees inside, but if it made her happy, he was glad to do it.
They spent a comfortable evening by the fire, speaking about Christmas, the baby, and anything else that came to mind. And Merrick realized that Eleanor had been right when she said he’d found his voice around her. It was something that had happened without him realizing it. She set him at ease, never making him think anything he said was foolish or wrong. She was the firstwoman—other than his mother—that he’d felt so comfortable talking with.
As he doused the lamp and laid back as best he could in the chair, he replayed parts of their conversation in his mind. He thought about how her hands fit so neatly in his, almost as if they were made to be there. And in between his thoughts, he could tell that Eleanor was still awake.
It was the pace of her breathing that gave her away. After so many nights curling up in this chair and waiting for sleep to come, he’d grown used to the sound of her breathing as she drifted from wakefulness to sleep. But tonight, something kept her up.
And he hoped beyond hope that the something washim.
Chapter Eleven
THE COLD AIR BIT ATEleanor’s face as she tacked the last piece of evergreen bough to their front door. She’d cut a handful a few days ago only to have Merrick return home with even more. Now the scent of pine permeated the house, and cheerful greenery brightened the windows and door outside.
A few wayward snowflakes fluttered from the sky as she stepped back to take a look at her work. It was simple yet beautiful, and perfect for Christmas, which would be here before she knew it. Eleanor felt somewhat wistful as she looked at the sprigs. David had always enjoyed her decorating for Christmas, but had never been home frequently enough in the daylight to truly enjoy it. A pang of sadness scratched at her throat and she shoved it away. Coming here was the best decision she could have made. Her life with Merrick—and thoughts of the baby—should be what filled her mind these days.
She smiled as she thought of how happy Merrick would be to see what she’d done. She’d also visited with the midwife earlier, who’d reassured her that both she and the baby were perfectly healthy. Merrick would be glad to hear that bit of news too. Eleanor rubbed her gloved hands together, ready to fetch him from the shop rather than waiting until he closed up for the day.
But the moment she turned around, she spotted a woman coming her way from the road.
“Hello!” she called the second she recognized Felicity Inman.
The other woman wore an ivory coat and matching hat. It was lovely and was something Eleanor could only dream of owning.
