After giving Annaliese a bit of a perusal, Miranda shookher head. “You don’t strike me as a decorum instructor, Miss Merriweather, but I’m well aware that looks can be deceiving as I’ve spent the last few years as a mermaid and yet I can’t swim. I will admit, though, that I always thought decorum instructors maintained a stiff upper lip, along with sporting a prim and proper appearance at all times, but to point out the obvious, you’re a mess.”
“Chasing down a runaway student will do that to a person, as well as having to rescue said student from a kidnapper.”
Miranda quirked a brow at Norma Jean. “You told me that you were on a holiday from school, going off to visit a distant relative at the beach and needed a chaperone because yours had seen an old flame at the train station and left you in the lurch.”
“I couldn’t very well have admitted that I was running away from home because I felt compelled to experience an honest-to-goodness treasure hunt,” Norma muttered.
“You never said anything about any treasure,” Miranda said slowly.
“I wasn’t sure I could trust a former mermaid,” Norma Jean admitted. “Then, after I got to know you and decided you were trustworthy, I didn’t tell you because I was starting to get the impression you were a responsible sort who would have taken me straight back home if I told you the truth.”
“I am a responsible sort, and yes, I would have taken you home.”
A warm smile settled on Flick’s face as he stepped up beside Miranda and took hold of her hand. “I’ve always known you’re responsible, which is one of the reasons I’ve always adored you.”
“And I’ve always adored that you’re a reliable man, far too handsome for your own good, of course, that face of yours attracting too much attention.”
“I would think it’s his muscles that draw attention,” Norma Jean said.
“Not something I need to hear coming out of my sister’s mouth,” Seth muttered.
Norma Jean waved that aside. “There’s nothing wrong with noticing a man’s muscles, Seth, and it’s not like you can miss Flick’s, what with how big they are.” She turned her attention to Flick and Miranda, Flick looking rather embarrassed while Miranda had taken to grinning as if she were quite in agreement with Norma Jean’s thoughts about Flick’s muscles.
“I think it should be noted,” Norma Jean began, “that if not for me, the two of you would not now be sharing what is obviously a warm reunion since you should have been parting ways for good back in Chicago.”
“Which is why you’ll be the young lady who stands up with me once Flick and I run down someone who can marry us,” Miranda said, earning a grin from Norma Jean and a bit of a stunned looked from Flick.
“We’re getting married?” Flick asked.
“We are if you get around to asking me.”
Flick was on his knees a second later, taking hold of Miranda’s hand. He opened his mouth, closed it, then shot a look to Seth. “I’m not quite sure how to go about this.”
Before Seth could offer any suggestions, Norma Jean released a snort. “Seth’s never asked a lady to marry him, but I’ve read my way through more than a few romance novels, my favorites being penned by George Eliot, who’s actually Mary Ann Evans but assumed a male pen name in order to get published.” She lifted a brow Flick’s way. “Would you care for me to recite a few of her more romantic passages to give you some ideas?”
“While that’s very sweet of you, Norma Jean,” Miranda began, “I think I prefer Flick doing this on his own.”
“Perfectly understandable,” Norma Jean said before she sent a less-than-subtle nod Seth’s way. “I’ll recite those romantic passages to you later.” She then glanced to Annaliese, smiledever so slightly, and returned her attention to her brother. “You never know when romantic passages might come in handy.”
Flick cleared his throat. “While it’s delightful to see a sister take such an interest in her brother’s romantic life, this kneeling business is hard on a fella’s knees.” Flick tilted back his head, his gaze once again fixed on Miranda’s face. “To return to what we’re in the midst of, what do you think about getting married?”
Miranda’s eyes began to sparkle. “I think that’s a splendid idea.”
“Does that mean yes?” Flick asked.
“It does.”
Those two words had Flick on his feet before he reached for Miranda, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her, a kiss that had Annaliese moving directly behind Norma Jean, where she promptly placed her hands over Norma Jean’s eyes, earning a distinct grunt of disappointment in return.
Twenty-Two
As Norma Jean took to muttering, her mutters all but indecipherable since one of Annaliese’s hands had slipped and was now covering Norma Jean’s mouth, Louisa began coughing behind her hand in a more than pointed fashion, which, thankfully, had the newly engaged couple breaking off their kiss.
“How marvelous that you two adore each other, but there’s an impressionable young lady on the scene, so further kissing will need to wait, although...” Louisa narrowed her eyes on Flick. “You may now consider me Miranda’s chaperone, at least until the two of you are married.”
“Does that mean you want the two of us to continue accompanying you wherever you’re going to go next?” Miranda asked.
“We’re certainly not going to abandon you here, with neither one of you having work.”
